Author's Note: It's funny that I have featured the Mer/Q friendship in the story considering I'm not a fan of that friendship...I am a fan of continuity and characters having friendships though. I'm sure you, my readers, really wanted to know that...positive, in fact. :D As always, please read and review!

Part Eleven: Second Chance on Friendship

The next day, Sam, Santana and Brittany, bodies aching from sleeping in the tiny car all night, walked into the high school as Santana informed Brittany of the sleepover that had taken place in Artie's house. "Quinn spent the night?" the blonde echoed her friend. When neither Sam nor Santana immediately responded, Brittany grabbed Santana's arm, bringing the other girl to a stop. "Did they…do it?"

"I don't know what happened, Britts," Santana replied. "But Quinn's car was there at 1:30 am and was gone this morning at 7:00 am. I doubt anything happened though. We're talking about Q. I made a mistake and am now withholding forever Q." Smirking a bit, Santana began to saunter down the halls, Brittany fast at her heels and Sam marching much more slowly behind. "Though I can totally use this to hold over Quinn's head. Probably nothing happened but rumors can fly."

"What?" asked the trailing along Sam. "You're going to spread rumors about Quinn and Artie?"

"Um…" Pausing, Santana glanced at Sam, preparing to deny and lie, when Rachel appeared out of nowhere.

"I have some song ideas for national's to present to the three of you." Upon noticing their crumpled clothes, she wrinkled her nose. "You appear as if you slept in a very cramped space and didn't bother to change your clothes before coming to school."

"Just give us the stupid song list so I can eliminate all the lame ones," Santana snapped, reaching for the sheets of paper nestled in Rachel's arms.

Holding them back, Rachel glared up at the taller girl. "Please read them with an open mind, Santana. This is of the utmost importance! I believe we can win this year and -"

"Shut up, midget," Santana interrupted. "Your yapping gets old and annoying."

"Is yapping like yawning and napping at the same time?" Brittany asked, leaning against her locker. "I yapping all the time!"

Before Santana could explain, Finn bounded over, putting an arm around Sam's shoulders. "Dude!" His eyes darted from face to face until they landed on Rachel's. "Oh, Rachel." Glancing at the ground, he dropped his arm from around Sam's shoulders.

For a second, an awkward silence hung in the air, making Sam and Santana very uncomfortable while Brittany, oblivious, mouthed the word "yapping" repeatedly. Finally, Santana snatched two of the song lists, handing one to Sam, and the three left, very much unnoticed.

"Hey, Rachel…I…"

"Finn, I must stop you." Holding up a hand, Rachel grabbed a song list and handed it to him. "Here, peruse this at your leisure. And, also, I think it's important for you to be aware of my growing feelings for Noah. I have attempted, in vain, to pretend as if they do not exist but it is all for naught. I plan on speaking with him about my feelings this coming Saturday, at prom. I do not know if he shall return my feelings or not but I thought it important that you know what is going in my heart. I am sorry, Finn." Without waiting for a response, Rachel bolted down the hall, dropping a few of the song lists on accident as she hurried off.

Sam, who hadn't entirely departed, retrieved them, then headed to Finn's side. "Hey, man, what was that-"

The other boy cut him off when he wrapped both arms around him. Grimacing, Sam almost pushed Finn away but, then, decided to hug him in return, softly patting Finn's back.

Yawning, Quinn walked into the music room, five minutes before glee club started, planting herself in a chair. She was just closing her eyes, intending to take a brief rest, when someone kicked the bottom of her shoe. Opening one eye, she found herself under the gazes of both Santana and Brittany.

"What's up, Q? How's Artie?" Santana asked, her tone almost pleasant.

Remembering that Santana had been behind last night's "date," Quinn raised an eyebrow. "He's fine, I guess."

"Were you yapping because you stayed at Artie's and did it with him?" Brittany questioned, blue eyes wider than Quinn had ever seen them before.

An evil grin flashed itself on Santana's face. "Yeah, Q. Is that what's going on here? You tired from a busy night?"

Angry at their accusations, Quinn sat up straighter, eyes drawn to Mercedes' hunched over figure creeping into the room. The girl had obviously heard every word that Brittany and Santana had uttered. "I have no idea why you'd think that unless you were spying on me. In your stupid little white Honda across the street. Yeah, I saw your car when I left this morning. And, no, Brittany," she went on, directing the remainder of her defense toward Brittany. "We did not do it. I slept in the guest room."

Appearing relieved, Brittany bounced up to a seat in the top row.

"And how can that be proven?" Not waiting for Quinn's answer, Santana climbed to a seat beside her friend.

Grinding her teeth, Quinn barely noticed when Artie rolled to his spot next to her.

"Hey."

Turning her head, she forced herself to smile at him. "Hey."

Frowning, he reached out, impulsively, and took her hand in his. Both heard the strangled cry emanating from Brittany at the contact but ignored her. "You okay?"

Interlocking her fingers with his, enjoying the warmth of his palm against hers, Quinn shrugged. "Really tired."

Nodding in understanding, Artie muttered, "Me too."

Their conversation came to a halt as the rest of the glee club members began to trickle in. Despite this, Quinn and Artie did not cease their hand holding. In fact, they continued to do so until the meeting ended and everyone left the room.

After cheerleading practice, Quinn was more than a little surprised to find Mercedes standing by her locker. "Um, hey, Mercedes…" Opening her locker, she removed her chemistry text book, putting it into her gym bag.

"Hey, Quinn." Hesitating, Mercedes shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and rocked on her heels. Though the two had once been good friends, their friendship had mostly faded. When they had both gone out to dinner with Artie recently, neither had had much to say and the task of conversation had fallen on Artie's shoulders. He had taken the opportunity to awkwardly ramble on about anything that popped into his head, which Quinn had found extremely endearing and adorable. But the night hadn't proved successful in reviving the friendship between the two girls, however very cute Artie had been.

"Is everything…what's…are you…" Not sure what to ask, Quinn bit her bottom lip. "Yeah."

"I just wanted to see if you might want to talk…I heard what Santana and Brittany said to you and…well, I'm here. I've always been here."

The words stung more than Quinn thought they could. Winching, she shut her locker, the metal sound reverberating down the hall. "Thanks, Mercedes, but what they said earlier doesn't bother me. Let them spread rumors about me, I don't care." Spinning on her heel, she headed toward the doors the led outside, Mercedes beside her.

"If you say so," Mercedes responded, clasping her hands in front of her as she walked.

"I do," Quinn assured her. "Nothing even happened with Artie. Nothing like what they were suggesting, at least."

Tilting her head, Mercedes gave Quinn a squinty eyed look. "What do you mean?"

In a rush, Quinn recalled how easy it was to open up to Mercedes as words fell from her lips. "Nothing physical happened but…we connect. He's…not like anyone."

Both eyebrows shot up at Quinn's comment. "Sounds as if you like him, Quinn."

A protest lodged itself in her throat but it never came out. Steering herself towards her car, she waved. "I really need to be heading home. Bye, Cedes."

At the complete avoidance at the subject, Mercedes frowned but, when it registered that Quinn had used her nickname, she smiled. "Bye, Quinny Bee."

At her own old nickname, that Mercedes had started calling her teasingly but had become official over time, Quinn grinned as she entered her car. She had secluded herself after Beth's birth, ending her friendship with Mercedes and not allowing herself to really talk to anyone about anything. But everything seemed to be changing. Her friendship with Mercedes, perhaps, had been given a second chance and her relationship with Artie, whatever it might be, was growing.

Quinn could only blame progress and technology for these two developments.