Chapter 8: Clarity

The skype ringtone was sounding through the whole apartment. I was in the kitchen preparing a sandwich for breakfast. I ran to my room to see who was calling. My heart skipped a beat. Puck.

"Hey there."

"Hey Quinn!"

"What's up?"

"Does something have to be up for me to call you?"

"No, it's just I don't think we ever skyped before."

"Well, I wanted to see your face."

"Oh that's so cute."

For the past week, Puck and I have been flirting around casually, but no one wanted to make a move in any direction.

"QUINN! WE GOTTA GO NOW!", Anna shouted from outside.

"Sorry Puck. Talk to you later," Quinn said, packing her stuff hurriedly.

Anna didn't get expelled, but as some kind of punishment, she had to pick up trash on the campus, before classes start. Nobody besides Quinn knew what exactly happened, but of course there were rumors. Quinn, feeling guilty, decided to help Anna and they were bonding quite quickly.

"So, who were you talking to before?", Anna asked with a wink.

"Just a friend from high school."

"Sounded like more than a friend. You were flirting like hell."

"Eavesdrop, much?"

Anna started laughing and Quinn soon joined in.

"So why is he only a friend?"

"Oh, we were together at one point. It's just, he was never the most faithful guy. He was kind of a player and the one who always got into trouble."

"Oh that sounds exactly like Nick," Anna said giggling.

"Nick who?"

"Nick as in my boyfriend Nick?"

"Oh right."

"He was the self-proclaimed school badass. I was the head cheerleader who never really trusted him, but always felt kind of attracted to him. We were dating in sophomore year, but broke up soon after because he could never stop chasing other girls. At one point, I just decided to tell him what I feel and that he can either choose them or me. We have been together ever since."

Quinn was shocked how much this description resembled her relationship with Puck.

"You never told me you were head cheerleader too."

"You were too? I was leading this trio group and we ruled the school."

"Seriously? Meet Quinn Fabray, Queen of McKinley, leader of The Unholy Trinity."

Anna started laughing: "This can't be happening. We are like long lost twins," she said grabbing Quinn's hand and pulling her along.

After classes, Quinn found herself in her bedroom thinking about Anna and Nick and their relationship. She told Puck she wasn't ready to be in a relationship, but that was more like a story to cover her suspicions. She never really saw Puck as the guy who was happy with one girl. It really killed her when they were together and she knew he was seeing and hooking up with other girls. But what he said at the playground seemed to be honest. He did grow up. Two years ago, he would never have come to meet her just to talk. She was pretty sure he was readier than ever to be in a real one-on-one relationship. But was she?

All her previous relationships have ended badly. She broke Sam's heart, Finn and Puck broke hers. It was not that she didn't trust Puck. She just didn't want to get hurt that badly ever again. She really needs to focus on Yale now and she can't do that if she has to go to Lima every other week to see her boyfriend.

But there was some part of her that did want to be with Puck. She thought about how happy she was in her relationships with Sam and Puck. She felt safe and loved and visible. She felt like she didn't have to be fake but could be her real self and still get noticed. She did want to feel that way again. At this point, there was no way she could get back together with Sam. But maybe she should give herself and Puck another shot. And maybe it would end like with Nick and Anna. They could fall in love and be together for years.

She got her laptop and booked a train ticket to Lima.

Get ready, Noah Puckerman. Quinn Fabray will be back in town and this time, she has a mission.