She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Just little squeaks among heaving sobs. Will stands there awkwardly in front of her, clearly unsure of how to react. This makes her feel worse.
"I'm sorry," she finally manages. Will shakes his head.
"No, no. It's fine. Come in, tell me what's wrong," He ushers her in the door. Quinn takes note that he checks to see no one is watching as he closes it. Crap, it was a mistake for her to come here. It makes him look bad, letting in a sobbing student so late at night.
"I'm sorry," she starts again. "I didn't know where else to go. I remembered you telling us that you'd be here whenever we needed you." She stands there awkwardly in the living room of his two bedroom apartment. Quinn notices it's certainly lacking a woman's touch. There are dirty dishes piled in the sink, and papers littering the couch. Will moves to clear a spot for her to sit and takes a seat in the chair across from her.
"I meant what I said. It's okay Quinn, you shouldn't be sorry," he looks at her, concern washing over his face. "I'm curious though, how did you find me." He hands her a tissue.
"I googled," she says as she takes the tissue and tries to regain her composure. He laughs and Quinn reluctantly smiles. His warmth is infectious, and hard to shrug off, no matter how upset she may be.
"You googled," he laughs again. "Amazing what you can find on the internet these days. So, what's wrong? Is everything okay with the baby?" His body stiffens a bit as he mentions the baby. Quinn feels awful for him. Yeah, she's had some pretty rough crap to deal with lately, but she's still a parent—still a mother. He's lost that opportunity.
"Everything's fine with the baby. Finn kicked me out after he found out about Puck. I knew he would… I mean, he's a great guy, but he's not that noble."
Will sighs, "He's dealing with a lot right now Quinn."
"I know. Do you think I'm some kind of idiot? A selfish teenage brat who thinks everyone should just cater to me left and right? I know lying to him was awful. I know he didn't deserve that," she starts to cry again. Will moves to sit next to her on the couch, placing his hand on her back to try and calm her down.
"I don't think that at all Quinn. That's not what I meant," he says softly. His hand feels warm against her and she begins to relax. Something about him is incredibly comforting. She feels safe with him, in a way she's never felt before. Maybe it's because he's her teacher, someone the "system" has placed before her for automatic trust and comfort. Or maybe he's just a really really great guy.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you. I'm just tired of everyone taking any side but mine," she mumbles. His hand is still on her back, rubbing little circles. When he catches her looking at his arm, he removes it instantly.
"I'm on your side Quinn. You know, you're really strong. Stronger then a lot of girls your age—hell a lot of women in your situation. It takes guts to do what you've done. I really admire you for that," he smiles at her warmly, continually giving her reassurance.
"Thanks Mr. Schue. That really means a lot."
"So, I'm guessing you need a place to stay for the night." She stares at him, not wanting to ask him for anything. She doesn't want to compromise his job for her pathetic situation. But then again, why else did she come here?
"That is what you came here for, right?" He probes. Quinn nods.
"I don't want to get you in trouble or anything. I just need a night to get my head together. I'll figure out a place to stay tomorrow," she pleads.
"It's alright," he pauses. "Let's just keep this between us though, okay? I mean obviously our intentions are in the right place, it just might look a little weird to someone on the outside. You don't need any more rumors floating around."
"Okay. I promise I'll find somewhere else to stay tomorrow." Quinn wants to make sure he knows she's not a user. He nods back at her. Will stands and runs his hands through his hair.
"Well, make yourself at home then. Are you hungry?" He asks. Quinn's not sure he's much of a cook, but at this point she'd be willing to eat anything.
"Yeah, actually, I am." She smiles at him.
Will wanders off to the kitchen and leaves Quinn sitting on the couch. She looks around nervously. It feels strange being in a teacher's apartment, but at the same time it feels kind of normal. Weird, she thinks to herself. She's glad she decided to come here. Mr. Schue is a really great guy. He's shown her more kindness then even her own parents. The glee kids are lucky to have him.
Will returns with a PB & J. Quinn smiles at his "cooking" and happily takes the plate from him. It reminds her of how daddy used to bring her a sandwich with a glass of milk whenever she was upset. He'd sit there in silence as she ate, and wait for her to tell him what was wrong. While she hates to admit it, she really misses her father.
"TV?" Will grabs the remote and looks at her. She nods. He clicks the television on and they sit in silence, watching a re-run of Law and Order while she eats. Something about this, being here with him, feels like home. Suddenly she's as tired as she's ever been in her life. That night she goes to sleep comfortably on Mr. Schue's bed, while he takes the couch like a true gentleman.
