Thank you guys for sticking with me, it's been a rough couple of weeks. A huge thanks to JustaLittleWallflower, BMontague, and readbetweenthesigns for reviewing, I always smile when I read your comments. Let me know what you guys think! In other words, please read and review! Love you all, Xx
Let's just say that I couldn't wait for the end of school to come. There was just something about her. Maybe it was the way I had no control over her, or how she was so determined to get what she wanted. If she was going to study me, why couldn't I study her?
As the bell rang to signal the end of school, I made my way to the parking lot, and I might've been a little surprised to see her leaning on my bike while she was playing with my helmet.
I walked up to her, a little skeptical, "Whatcha doin'?" I asked.
Startled, she looked up, "Oh, um, nothing." she said as she tried to put the helmet down, missing the seat by a mile. Having super-reactive reflexes, I managed to catch it before it hit the ground. As I straightened my back, I didn't realize how close I was to her. I reached around her to set the helmet down. As I did, she leaned back further on my bike. She was in new territory, and by that I mean me, so I knew why she was acting so alert.
"Well then, what are you doing at my bike?" I asked, staying where I was.
"Oh, well, I just wanted to see if I could get a ride. My car's in the shop, and you literally live next door. If you can't then I might still be able to catch a ride with Rachel or Santana." she stated and started to leave, but I blocked her path.
"Why didn't you just ask?" I chuckled as she pushed me away to give her room.
"Because I knew you would be like this. Please, Noah. We are both going to the same place anyway." She said.
"Fine. Hop on, Princess." I surrendered handing her my helmet. I got on and revved my engine. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I questioned.
"Well, for one, I've never ridden on a motorcycle before, and two, I just asked a person who I still don't quite understand for the ride. I mean I've only known you for like two days." She answered, honestly.
"Well, babe, I will teach you everything you need to know, and you already know me better than most, considering. You can trust me, now come on!" I countered to try to ease her into doing something reckless for a change.
"Fine," She agreed icily, "but no funny business, ok? And stop calling me babe!" I smiled at the victory. Her hands shook as she slid the helmet onto her head. She threw one leg over the seat and immediately wrapped her arms around my waist. I flinched at the contact, mostly because I felt that spark again. The feeling was so weird, it was like a jolt of electricity that was trying to repel two forces away but instead ends up bonding them together. I also found it weird that I actually learned something in chemistry. As soon as I heard the little "ok" that was whispered when I asked her if she was ready, I immediately released the throttle and shot out of the parking lot.
As I sped up, she kept pressing herself harder into me. So that gave me an idea. I remembered Jack telling me about a little lake not too far from the school where he use to go to escape, so while her eyes were closed and pressed into my shoulder, I managed to find this little secret spot.
"Hey, we're here," I said, pulling up to the shore of the lake, nudging her a little so that she would finally open her eyes. And when she did she went ballistic.
Disoriented at first, she looked up and rubbed her eyes before realizing she wasn't in front of her house. Panicking, she screamed, "And where's here?! I knew I shouldn't've trusted you, you just freakin' woman-napped me!" She withdrew her arms from me and jumped off my bike. I would never admit this to anyone for the sake of my badassness, but I kinda missed the warmth of her body against mine.
"Quinn, calm down, I just brought us out here for some privacy." I immediately regretted how I phrased that, especially after seeing the disgusted look she threw my way. "Not like that! I mean I didn't want Jack breathing down our necks, I can't tell him that I already broke his rule about being careful, not using my powers, and keeping this whole thing a secret." I sighed. "I'm doing pretty well at this, if I do say so myself." I added, chuckling to myself.
I saw her finally take a breath and sorta-smile or more-like grimace as she realized that she wasn't being 'woman-napped'. "Next time, just let me know what your plans involve, ok? I still really don't trust you." She mumbled.
"What can I do to make you trust me?" I asked, really wanting to know the answer.
"I don't know," She breathed.
There was a long silence as we both just stared out over the lake. I broke in, "Ok, what do you want to know?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You don't know me, you don't trust me, and you want to, how did you put it, 'study' me. So here's your chance. Ask me anything." I stated, sitting down on the bank.
"Ok," she started, uneasily, as she slid down next to me and I could hear the gears in her mind turning as she thought of all the possible questions to ask me. "What are you?" she blurted out.
"Whoa, so much for the easy stuff first, might as well put it out there now." I chuckled, and continued, "Truthfully, I'm not even sure. Jack says I'm something called a hybrid, but I'm not really sure how or why I became one."
"Wait, so Jack actually knows what you are?"
"Yep, but we haven't really gotten past the whole 'hybrid' part of it yet."
"Interesting... So what, um, exactly do you do?" Quinn continued.
"A variety of things: I run super fast, can pick up heavy things, I have super-sensitive hearing, so stop thinking so loud. Oh my eyes change colors, I have anger issues, and I have the ability to compel people to get what I want." I listed.
She was speechless, I wasn't sure if it was about the actual powers themselves or how nonchalantly I admitted to possessing them. She finally gathered herself and continued, "When did you notice you were, I guess, changing?"
"Around when I was fifteen, at least that's when I lost any control I had."
"What do you mean?" She asked, looking straight into my eyes as I recounted that night.
"Well short story is, I was considered a freak at my school, and at home my father spent his entire life beating me and my mother, and one night I couldn't take it any more. I heard screaming from downstairs and then when I went to make sure my ma was ok, I saw him on top of her. And I lost it." I could tell Quinn felt sorry for me, but who wouldn't given my history. I didn't need her sympathy, so I continued, "I turned full-on were-Puck, and almost killed him but then I saw the look on my ma's face. And then I ran away. Simple as that."
"Noah-" She gasped.
"Next question." I knew she wouldn't let this topic go, but I still didn't want to bring up those unresolved feelings. I was glad she didn't press on.
Her eyes left mine for a moment, and I swear I could see tears forming in her eyes. Great, I was the pity party. Once she gathered up her thoughts again she asked, "So if you just came into town a couple of days ago, where have you been for the past three years?"
"Running, traveling, hitchhiking (long story), drinking, partying, pubbing, trying to figure out who I am, or what I am for that matter."
"How'd you end up here, in Lima of all places?"
"Not really sure. Fate, maybe?" I said, and our eyes locked again. Finally breaking out of her trance, I continued, "Enough about my pathetic life, what about you, Miss HBIC?"
"What about me?" she giggled.
"Who are you?" I questioned.
"I'm pretty sure I'm Quinn Fabray, at least last time I checked."
"Oh really, just Quinn Fabray?" I pressured her on, I needed to know more about her, I felt like I just had to.
"Yep." She stated, as she turned her head to look back over the lake.
I didn't stop looking at her, and I said, "Oh, I highly doubt that, you are not just Quinn Fabray. You're an artist, I can tell by the doodles I see all over your notebooks. You're a singer, Glee club, am I right?" She nodded, and I continued, "You're determined, confident, and brave, literally the head bitch in charge, with the Cheerios and how you aren't afraid of me when you clearly should be."
"Why should I be afraid of you?" she interrupted.
"Many reasons." And I guessed it was true.
"But I'm not."
"I know," and there was another awkward silence until I picked up again, "You're guarded, I've seen that through how quiet you are and through your reactions towards others, and by others, I mean me..." She adverts her gaze again to the setting sun in the horizon. "But that doesn't stop you from fighting for what you believe in, an arguer of sorts. You're a thinker and a dreamer in ways I wish I knew. But most of all, you're a mystery, Quinn Fabray... And I am determined to figure you out." She turns her head towards mine again.
"How'd you- Why?" she questioned.
"I've been living my whole entire life on the outside looking in, Quinn. Observing everyone and everything is a skill I've picked up just trying to survive, but as for the reason why, it's the same as the reason to why you want to study me." She doesn't question me, and I don't question her. And yet again, there's silence, but this time, it's a comfortable one.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She said rhetorically, breaking this silence, staring out into the far off sunset.
"It really is," I mumbled, not looking away from the blonde sitting on my left.