Two hours later and Quinn was still sat at her desk, staring at a blank word document. She was going to lose her editor and for as much as she cared, she also didn't. She didn't want to have to force the words out for the sake of giving Lindsay something to do. She'd found the words we rushed where the words that had no meaning or depth. She wanted it to have both. It had been a year since her first novel was published, but the work had started a long time before that. She'd started writing it during college as a way to remind herself that something bigger and better was out there. She wanted to convey the hope she felt and found that writing was the only way she could manage that. She wanted others to benefit from the hope she conveyed. Well, she hoped one person would feel it more than others.
She stood up from her desk and moved to the bookshelf where her novel was sitting. She picked up the bound book and her fingers traced over the title 'From Old Foes to New Friends', the title was simple for her, it was exactly what she wanted to portray. Her characters were overcoming things Quinn had always dreamed of overcoming. She wanted to apologise for her past discrepancies and start a new chapter in her life, a year later and she was still waiting for that opportunity. She hoped the book she'd sent out had reached its correct recipient. 'Only time will tell' Quinn thought as she put the book down and headed back to the computer. Inspiration had suddenly begun to flood her brain as the blank document began to fill with words. Not only was Quinn on her journey to redemption but so were the characters; infused with honesty from Quinn's past they never seemed more real.
Her mind became a blur as the plot sprung out of the page in front of her; she quickly jotted all of her ideas down and began to collate them. She typed the introductory chapters and even though they were rough, it was the exact direction Quinn wanted the novel to go in. She wanted to explore the internal struggles of her characters as they search for redemption. She saved it and emailed it to Lindsay hoping she would approve just as much as Quinn did. Quinn smiled a little smile to herself as she looked at the photograph in the frame on her desk. The two people in the picture were the people she wanted to make proud more than anything in the world. She hoped this would be the piece in the puzzle that would make her feel whole again. To have their pride instilled inside of her would finally complete everything.
"You were fantastic tonight, Rachel, as usual." Cassie said as Rachel made her way offstage.
"Thank you." Rachel simply replied, she wasn't in the mood for praise from someone who saw her perform every night. Rachel brushed past her and quickly entered her dressing room, locking the door behind her. She picked up the book again and stared at it absent-mindedly. 'Quinn is the key to unlocking my own happiness. How did this happen?' Rachel thought. During her show her mind had been spinning, but fortunately, her body seemed to have a mind of its own as she moved seamlessly on stage without any immense effort. Rachel began to wonder what she could do next; she had to contact Quinn that was clear. If the former head cheerleader had any information on how Rachel could find out who the sender of her book was then she needed to find out. Rachel let out a heavy sigh; she'd managed to get this far without the help from anyone in Lima. She'd practically been left alone since she'd found fame. She only had Kurt now and by default she had Blaine. Lima was such a distant memory that she didn't want to tarnish what she had now by bringing more of its inhabitants back into her life, but this couldn't be avoided. If this brought Rachel happiness then she'd have to be grateful to the blonde who put her through so much hell.
Quinn looked at the clock in the corner of her screen, it read 19:35. She'd completely lost track of time. She'd been writing for almost six hours and the bones of the novel were coming together nicely. She knew Lindsay would have a lot to work with but there'd be enough to keep her off of her back just in case Quinn got writer's block again. Her phone buzzed beside her: (1) New Message: Santana. Quinn opened it, "Hey Q. I'm in town for a couple of days and we NEEDS to meet up! Reply soon or I'm going to go all KINDS of Lima Heights on your blonde ass. Xx" Quinn laughed, Santana never changed. She tapped out a short reply: "Hey S. Text me your hotel and we can go for dinner tomorrow night. Q. xXx" Quinn saved her document and backed it up on a USB for extra measures, she couldn't afford to lose this and Lindsay would actually murder her if she lost it or deleted it, by accident or not. She closed her laptop down and moved into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and the freezer hoping to find something slightly edible for dinner, but to no avail. Instead Quinn poured herself another coffee and sat at the dining table contemplating ordering a take out. She wished for the day she had someone to share take out with, to share her happiness with but for now Quinn had no one.
Quinn took up writing not only to alleviate guilt from her past but as an escape from her mundane lifestyle. She was bored with dating, she was bored with the gossiping and she was just generally bored of the life she was leading. Her words helped her escape and become lost in a distant place. Her apartment was scattered with books, her guest room was being used as a library and was her safe haven. When she was angry she would go there and seek solace in the words of another. When words failed her, she always had someone else's to turn to. Someone else's to seek comfort in. She sought comfort in words where others sought comfort in music. She finished her coffee and washed the cup out, leaving it to drain on the side. She looked out of her apartment window and saw the busy street slowly quietening down as people evaded the busy lights of the city and made their way home.
Rachel left the theatre and for the first time avoided the stage door. She left through another exit in a hurry to get home. She jumped into her car, fastened her seat belt and left the parking lot without thinking. She was in such a rush that she didn't even put the radio on. If anyone stopped her now they'd know something was up. She rushed into her apartment and dived onto the couch with her laptop in hand. While it was loading, Rachel finally took the time to draw breath. She was desperate to find out who this mysterious person was, the only thing holding back her excitement even further was the fact she had to speak to Quinn Fabray first. That was a terrifying thought having to phone up her childhood tormentor for something that could eventually make her happy. Rachel searched online for any details for the publishers of Quinn's novel. She eventually found an email address and sent a quick email asking if she could be put in touch with the author, as soon as possible. She emphasised the urgency hoping that and her almost celebrity status would help the publishers pass on her details much faster. 'Only time will tell...' Rachel thought as she pressed send.
Quinn was settling down to watch a film when her phone rang. She checked the caller I.D and wasn't shocked in the slightest to see it was Lindsay. "Hello" Quinn answered.
"Hello Quinn Fabray." Lindsay replied cheerfully.
"I take it the chapters I sent you were sufficient then." Quinn asked hopefully.
"Yes they were! I'm editing them as we speak, they definitely need work, but you have the basics for a brilliant novel there."
"Well thank you, I'm glad I've finally done something worthy." Quinn replied.
"Just because I'm praising you right now is not a sign that you should stop. I hope you've been working this afternoon; I'm not sitting here editing it for nothing you need to keep writing. Do not lose this inspiration, whatever you're working on, buy more and in vast quantities." Lindsay said. She spoke with such passion that simply made Quinn eager to write more. She liked impressing people, that's why she liked writing.
She liked people to see she was more than a pretty blonde former cheerleader.
"Don't worry, I've been working all afternoon and tomorrow I plan to write even more. I haven't been this inspired in so long. It feels good to be filling the pages up; I genuinely hope that it's all worth it." Quinn replied honestly.
"Well, that's the reason I was calling actually...well mainly to congratulate you on your efforts, but then Tony got in touch with me this afternoon, I thought he was going to berate me for not having anything solid from you, but once I told him you'd sent me some phenomenal work he seemed to chirp up. He told me that someone's been in touch with him asking to either meet you or simply contact you. He told me that they'd emphasised it was urgent and that you know them. I asked for their name, and yes, Quinn you definitely know them." Lindsay explained.
"Well...are you going to give me their name?" Quinn asked, desperate to find out who this person was.
"No, I'm going to leave you with this though: Quinn for the past two years, you and I have worked together and I've noticed that the only time you feel inspired is when you read what you wrote for a certain person. They're the reason you have a published novel. I'll tell Trevor he can pass on your details ok, trust me, this isn't some crazy stalker. Goodbye Quinn." She told her, before hanging up before Quinn could say goodbye.
Quinn let the information circulate around her brain before it finally sunk in. The one person she'd wanted to meet for so long has finally read the words she wrote. 'I hope they don't feel let down..' Quinn thought. She settled back down and pressed play on the film but her thoughts were now elsewhere. 'I hope everything turns out ok... only time will tell'.