By Very Definition Chapter 14: New Developments, a glee fanfic

BY VERY DEFINITION

14. New Developments

Parker, Kurt, Mercedes, and Quinn were sitting outside of a smoothie stand in the mall later in the week. Quinn had a large strawberry bannana, Parker a medium Rootbeer float, Kurt a small peach mango, and Mercedes a large blueberry cream. They were sitting at a little table after an afternoon of listening to Kurt give his opinions to the saleswomen in Macy's, which was admittedly hilarious. Now they sat and gossiped about it.

"No one would wear Bulgari with Skinny Jeans, you can't even mention it in the same breath." Kurt defended himself.

"I went into a Macy's to smell perfume once," Parker confided, "There was a Bulgari saleswoman who was really helpful. It was funny because she asked if I was shopping for anyone specific and I said I was looking for my mother. Let me clarify: that stuff is over $60 a bottle, how she thought a teenager like me was going to buy something like that for my mother was beyond me. I just wanted to smell it, and I got a sample out of it."

"Impressive." Kurt said.

"Not really." The redhead grinned, "After that me and my friend had a stroke of maturity and went to Build-A-Bear and he got most of it. You could hug him and he'd smell so good!" They all laughed, swapping sales stories. After a while Parker checked the time by a watch she kept in her pocket. "Rhonda's making dinner so I should get home soon. She made plenty extra and got James to bring in some extra chairs, who's in?"

"Me, definitely." Mercedes said at once.

"I wouldn't miss a chance at Rhonda's cooking for anything." Kurt agreed.

"I'd like to, but I was also hoping to stop at Payless real quick first, my feet have been swelling and I really need some bigger shoes." Quinn said ruefully.

"Not a problem." Parker assured her, standing up and throwing her Styrofoam cup away. The other followed her and just as they turned to leave a small group of teenagers walked by and Quinn grunted as she felt a shoulder slam into her arm.

"Hey!" She called after them as intimidatingly as she could, obviously they weren't impressed because a small girl with short, black-brown hair turned around a smirked.

"Pardon!" June Harrison said rudely, drawing laughs from her friends. With a nasty smile she turned around and kept walking, some of the group sneaking looks back at the offended Glee members.

"See?" Kurt asked Parker dryly, "She only likes you when you aren't part of the group."

"Never said she like me." Parker muttered, "Come on guys, we've got to hurry so dinner doesn't get cold."

"I'll say, outta my way!" Mercedes called, leading them quickly through the crowd in anticipation.

Mercedes emptied half the gravy boat on her plate, soaking her mashed potatoes and turkey.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Pierson." Quinn said politely, using (if possible) even more gravy than Mercedes.

"Yes, we're always happy to be invited, I hope this didn't put you through too much trouble." Kurt agreed, passing the gravy boat along, refusing to even look at the meat sauce.

"No trouble at all, we love having company." Rhonda answered happily, "What are you all doing in Glee Club these days?"

"Still doing dueling pianos." Kurt answered.

"And some new songs." Quinn said vaguely.

"And how are you feeling?" Rhonda asked the pregnant girl seriously.

"I'm feeling okay." Quinn answered with a shrug, "My feet have been swelling like crazy, I just got a new pair of crocs, they're the only thing that are comfy enough for me to wear now. I'm due in about a month, I'm supposed to start taking it easy."

"Good." Rhonda said with a nod, "Are you planning on keeping the baby?"

"I don't know. Maybe, I kind of like Parker's idea about showing my parents, maybe they'll change their minds."

"Change their minds from what?" Kurt, Parker, and Mercedes all stopped eating and looked at their friend apprehensively, the friend in question was focused on her plate.

"I live with the Puckermans because my parents wouldn't let me stay at home anymore, it's not because I chose to stay there. I wouldn't stay there." Her voice became harsher, "I can't eat bacon! I love bacon! And Puck's mother is so...she's always being so...she doesn't really appreciate that I have to stay there."

"Then stay somewhere else." Mercedes suggested.

"Stay here." Rhonda said suddenly, all heads snapped up to look at her. Even James looked up, though he had been determinately staring at his food since they had sat down. Rhonda continued, "Only if you want, of course. But we have that extra bedroom down the hall from Parker's room. We could decorate it and you can stay as long as you want, and I'll make you bacon. I mean, if it's okay with Parker."

"I'd be fine with it." Parker said slowly. Quinn looked at Rhonda, then Parker, then back again.

"Really?" She asked quietly.

"You could move in tomorrow." Rhonda said.

"Are you serious?" James asked.

"Yes I am." She answered him sternly, fixing him with a look that only a woman in love that was determined to have her way could make. James ducked his head helplessly.

"I'd love to." Quinn whispered. Rhonda smiled and sighed.

"Lovely, we'll fix the room up tonight."

After her friends had left Parker stood in front of her foster-parents as they sat in the living room.

"That was really nice of you." Parker told Rhonda.

"It was the least I can do, the poor girl."

"How do you meet these people?" James asked.

"Glee Club, why?"

"Why are you involved in this Glee Club? Everyone in it is so strange. The pregnant girl, the gay kid, not to mention some things I've heard you guys talk about."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Parker asked stiffly.

"No. But they're just so different..."

"And that's where I belong. Dammit, James!" The girl cried in frustration, "Can't you see that's where I belong? They're different, we all are! I'm just like them and you know that!"

"I know no such thing." James insisted, "You can make whatever friends you want but I still say you can do better."

"I don't want to do better." Parker informed him softly, a single tear slipping out of her eye, "I don't deserve better, you know that I could never fit in anywhere else, these people are like me and I like being with them, we're all normal to each other."

"Parker." Rhonda said quietly before Parker could rush out of the room, "When Quinn moves in, our deal still stands. I'll still be teaching you to dance, so you'll still have to hold up your end of the bargain." Parker nodded once, her head spinning, and she walked from the room. Quinn would move in, living under the same roof. The roof that, under which, Parker wasn't allowed to wear her gloves.

The guest room had a set of drawers and a queen-sized bed outfitted with a white lace comforter. Parker helped Quinn unpack her bag and put them in the drawers.

"Kurt will take you shopping for room decor if you want." Parker suggested, "He did with my room."

"That'd be nice." Quinn mused, "Maybe after the baby is born and I decide what to do with it."

"That makes sense. I'll just let you get settled in then, okay?" The smaller girl offered, backing out of the room. "By the way," She continued when Quinn wasn't looking, "I'm not allowed to wear these gloves in the house anymore." She took them off and left before Quinn could fully turn around to see what she meant.

Quinn sat with Puck on the bleachers before school started, mostly she was telling him about how much she missed bacon.

"So you moved in with Parker?" He asked finally.

"And her foster parents." Quinn amended for him.

"Do you know why she lives with foster parents instead of her real parents?" Puck asked. She didn't answer, she just picked at her sleeve. "Well?"

"No, not really." She said, staring out over the football field, "But she isn't allowed to wear her gloves in the house."

"It slipped at Glee club not too long ago." Puck remembered, "I only caught a glimpse, but I couldn't really see. Why does she always hide her arms?"

"The marks." Quinn whispered, her eyes fixed on the opposite stand.

The night before she had been walking out of the kitchen where she had been having a conversation with Rhonda and saw Parker coming down the stairs. For the first time in living memory, Quinn saw the new girl's forearms. Parker had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, meeting Quinn's eyes squarely, resigned. She held out her arms and let the other girl have a good, long look before disappearing behind the door leading to the basement. Quinn had stared, unbelieving. Parker had not wanted to show her arms because they were covered in scars, some looked like claw marks while others looked like everlasting scabs. On the underside of her right forearm, on the tender white skin, there was a long, black burn mark. A burn mark scarred her other arm too, only it was smaller, more like a river compared to the other arm's ocean. After Parker left Quinn had stood there for several long seconds, absorbing, before backing into the kitchen and sitting down across from Rhonda.

"How did Parker get those burn marks? And those scars?" Quinn had asked. The foster-mother had merely shrugged.

"She won't tell us. We know some basic things, but Parker won't give us specifics."

"What do you know?" The girl's friend had pressed.

"I think you need to find out from Parker." Rhonda had sighed.

"That's really..." Puck couldn't find the right word after Quinn had finished explaining, "Did you ask her about it?"

"Sure, we all have, haven't we?" Quinn said on a sigh, "I don't think her answer will be any different just because I know what she's hiding under those sleeves."

"What did the burns look like?"

"Kind of like...lava. When it dries it becomes black and distorted."

"Nasty."

"And you can't tell anyone!" Quinn commanded severely. He held up his hands.

"Don't look at me, I'm Mr. Secret." This made his companion roll her eyes.

"Just don't, she should be the one to decide when she tells people about, when she shows them. I'll ask her about how she got them later."

Quinn waddled her way down the basement stairs, following the sound of Parker's piano playing. She emerged in the basement and looked across the room to where Parker sat with her back to the room, playing chords on the piano.

"When am I due for another lesson?" Quinn asked, she hadn't had a piano lesson it over a week, they'd been busy.

"Anytime you want." Parker invited. Carefully, Quinn lowered herself onto the piano bench next to her instructor. Her eyes slid to the side, seeing that Parker was once again without her gloves.

"I'm sorry." She apologized quickly when Parker caught her looking, "I didn't mean to stare..."

"I understand." Parker said quietly, "It's okay, I'm used to it. I mean, it's just like walking around with that belly, right?" She indicated her friend's bulging stomach. Habitually, Quinn placed her hands on the baby's area.

"I guess it is." She looked at Parker, "Will you tell me what happened?"

"I used to have a piano." Was Parker's distant response, "My mom sold it for extra cash, long time ago."

"Parker?" Quinn asked in concern. The small girl shook her head to clear it. "What happened to your arms?" Instead of answering, Parker began playing the piano. The tune was soft, slow, and personal. She sang softer than normal, in a voice that threatened tears, but she kept on going.

"Did I say something stupid?
There goes one more mistake
Do I bore you with my problems?
Is that why you turn away?
Do you know how hard I tried
To become what you want me to be?

Take me
This is all that I've got
This is all that I'm not
All that I'll ever be
I've got flaws, I've got faults
Keep searching for your perfect heart
It doesn't matter who you are
We all have our scars
We all have our scars

You say don't act like a child
But what if its a father I need?
Its not like you don't know what you got yourself into
Don't tell me I'm the one who's naive
Do you know how hard I've tried
To become who you want me to be?

Come on, just let it go
These are things you can't control
Your expectations, your explanations
Don't make sense to me
You and your alternatives
Don't send me to your therapists
Deep down, I know what you mean
And I'm not sure that's what I wanna be
No

Did I say something stupid
There goes one more mistake.."

Neither girl looked at the other, Quinn tried to wipe a tear off her cheek without Parker seeing. Parker, however, was far beyond not seeing. She was beyond being aware of anything around her, a bomb could have gone off in the basement and she wouldn't have noticed, she wouldn't have flinched. Figuring correctly that this was all the explanation she'd get, for now, Quinn stood and slowly waddled her way across the dance floor and up the stairs, giving her new housemate some much needed space.

Today's Funfact: The Macy's story at the beginning is something that actually happened to me.

Song: "Scars" By Allison Iraheta (she's awesome!)

Seriously this time, last chapter I'm writing during school, next chapter up when I can.

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