"So after the tour, things really took off for both of your careers. Quinn you immediately filmed a movie, correct? And Rachel, you became a spokeswoman for PETA," Rita Jones, skimmed through the small notepad she had sitting next to her water.
"SING! opened a lot of doors. Things that I never dreamed could happen became possibilities- thanks to the show. I never realized that in a position with that much recognition- I had a platform to address the issues that I cared about. It's weird to think that people- strangers- actually care about your opinion on...on anything," Rachel scrunched her nose, adorably puzzled.
"Not just that they care about your opinion, but that you're suddenly in this place where you can actually make a difference. That was the thing that shocked me the most," Quinn added.
"Through charity work? Things like that?" Rita asked with an understanding smile.
"Mmhmm," Rachel agreed. "I did a cabaret night in New York and all of the proceeds went to Broadway Cares, which is an organization that has always been very near and dear to my heart. It was so amazing."
Rachel had the full attention of the audience- as herself for the first time in her life. Not as Fanny Brice, or Elphaba, or Maria, or any character but simply as, Rachel Berry. People packed into a theatre to listen to her sing her favorite songs. They listened to her tell stories about her life and they donated their money toward a cause that Rachel chose. It had been an incredible night. One of the moments that hit home just how many of her dreams had come true.
"It's one thing to abstractly think you can make a difference. It's an entirely different matter when all of the proceeds of your sold-out cabaret night go to Broadway Cares- or when your twitter followers start a campaign to raise money for PETA for your birthday. It's incredible. It's very easy to think you're bigger than you are and it's very easy to let that get to your head. You kind of start thinking that you're invincible or something strange," Rachel shook her head with a disbelieving grin.
"You performed in that show with a mutual of friend of yours," Rita smiled knowingly.
"Our friend Kurt got to sing with me for the first time in years. He had been a designer for a while and had worked on several Broadway shows. He's been a part of Broadway Cares for several years. He really helped set things up. Not to mention he's one of my closest friends."
"And how exactly do you both know Kurt Hummel?"
"We went to high school with Kurt…and Mercedes Jones…and Artie Abrams," Quinn grinned proudly.
"And several others who have found varying levels of success in the industry. How does that much talent come from the same small town?" Rita inquired, truly curious.
"I've often wondered that myself," Rachel laughed. "Truthfully, I think we were very fortunate. We didn't go to a performing arts high school where that level of success was to be expected. My NYADA peers have been incredibly successful but I knew that was bound to happen. In Lima, we didn't come from the most supportive community. Instead, we formed a supportive community for ourselves. We encouraged each other even though we were all so different. I think there's a lot of talent in the world that goes unnoticed, that isn't nurtured. It's much easier to be successful when that talent is given room to grow. Many incredibly talented people are never given that chance. Somehow we found a safe space where we got to grow and flourish."
Despite his shortcomings as a teacher, Mr. Shuester had always provided a safe place for his students to grow and test their talents. He had somewhat forced them into friendships that should have ended after four years. However, the experiences they went through in Glee Club bonded them beyond those four years. They had created something special.
Rachel knew, even though there were times when she had been sure that Mr. Shue had been jealous of her talent, he had always believed she was capable of making her dreams come true. He had often pushed her to be a better person. He had pushed all of them. They each gained confidence outside of the status quo position they had obtained in the high school world. That confidence in turn helped each of them have the courage to follow their dreams.
Quinn Fabray would have married Finn Hudson, became a real estate agent, and had 2.5 children with a white picket fence around their yard. Instead, she learned she didn't need to be defined by her mother's ideals. Glee had taught her that. Glee opened her up to friends who believed in her, who saw her as more than an easy 'in' to the popular crowd. They stuck with her throughout her pregnancy. They cared when she had gone punk. She had pretended not to care about the club, to sit in the back and read books. In truth, she had watched them grow. She watched them accept each other. She learned to accept herself.
"So once you'd established yourselves on television- how did you keep grounded when it sunk in for the first time that- hey you're famous and people actually care about what you say and do?" Rita laughed.
Rachel and Quinn exchanged glances. It seemed like the idea of fame popped up at random moments. Sometimes it was finding out that fans raised thousands of dollars for the Trevor Project. They both cried when large donations were made to the organization on their behalf for their birthdays. Other times it was little things- like one on one fan interaction about how Rachel's personal story of growing up with two fathers changed a young girl's life because she was teased for having two mothers. Paparazzi shoved cameras in their faces as a constant reminder of the downsides of fame. Then there were days when it was so rewarding. Or even days when it was easy to forget that Quinn Fabray was a name known by anyone outside of Lima, Ohio.
"Well first, you freak out. It's a little disconcerting to think that your life doesn't belong to you anymore. That's not the case, but it kind of feels like everyone else owns a part of you…especially when you're suddenly viewed as a role model for such a young crowd. Our show appealed to people of all ages but young girls were looking to us as role models, as guides. You can become overly aware of yourself in a strange way," Rachel answered.
It all happened so quickly. The realization that people were so invested in their opinions had been shocking and a little frightening at first. Rachel had success on a much smaller scale on Broadway. She had been happy to sign autographs for young girls waiting at the stage door. It wasn't on the same scale as being constantly recognized in the super market. On 47th street, when a girl gushed about how she wanted to be just like Rachel when she grew up, it had been thrilling and powerful, but not overwhelming. It had seemed like the sign that her dreams had come true. She had become her own version of Bernadette Peters or Patti Lupone. It had been gratifying.
When magazines began printing direct quotes about her views on PETA- or when Quinn's blog posts about equality and a local literacy foundation went viral, it had been shocking. Suddenly, it wasn't just career moves fans wanted to emulate; it was their entire lives. Fans were invested in Rachel's relationship with Josh. Some waited for him at the stage door night after night just to ask him questions about Rachel when he was still performing on Broadway. People stopped shouting "Emily" when they saw her and no longer assumed Rachel was her character. Instead, people wanted to know the in's and out's of Rachel Berry herself.
Rachel and Quinn both had moments when it would have been easy to let fame get to their heads. Rachel, in particular, had always struggled with the concept of wanting to be liked and heard. With the platform of fame behind her, it had been difficult not to think she ruled the world. It was as if she had finally attained the elusive high school popularity she had always craved but then multiplied it by a million.
"How do you handle that?" Rita asked.
"You surround yourself with people who are not afraid to tell you to pull your head out of your ass," Quinn laughed.
"People who knew you before you were on television...and people who would- yes, Quinn- tell you to pull your head out of your ass," Rachel chuckled.
"I'm guessing you relied on each other quite a bit to stay grounded," Rita smiled at the pair.
Rachel grinned at the blonde. Quinn was the rock to which Rachel had clung to during the difficult moments and then the healthy dose of reality when she got ahead of herself.
A few weeks after the 1st Summer Tour
9 years ago
"Amy thinks that if I wield my powers for good, I could be responsible for picking the next president," Rachel beamed.
Quinn looked up from her crossword puzzle and raised her eyebrow. Rachel nodded at her and smiled with excitement. The two were cooped up in Rachel's trailer while shooting season two promos. They had just finished the photo shoot for the new billboards. The crew was working tirelessly on setting up for the thirty second promos that would begin airing within a few weeks.
The network found a summer smash and wanted to double the SING! promotions during their newest half hour comedy. Quinn had already been in Pittsburgh to being shooting her first feature film. Alan called and begged for a quick weekend to film a couple of thirty second promos. Quinn's director gave her the weekend off to fly back to LA. Then she would jump back into the film at full force the next week. It seemed the short summer hiatus was even shorter than expected.
Rachel tried to find Quinn multiple times during the promo shoot to grill her on her movie. It had all happened so quickly. Quinn had auditioned right before the tour and then found she got the part as soon as they returned. Within days, she flew to Pittsburgh for last minute details. Then Alan flew her back for SING! promos. Rachel had barely had time to get a tan on the beach yet Quinn had flown back and forth across the country multiple times.
During a quick break, the two wandered off to hide in Rachel's trailer. Their catchup session had been interrupted by Rachel's phone nearly the moment they entered the trailer. Quinn busied herself with a crossword while Rachel buzzed around talking to Amy. Amy was one of the newest promotional interns brought in as a temporary replacement. Amy called multiple times a day. Amy was a huge Broadway fanatic. Amy was stuck up Rachel's ass.
Quinn was less than pleased by Super-Ego Rachel Berry. Every phone call from Pittsburgh quickly transitioned into Amy said this, Amy said that. Quinn told herself she wasn't jealous of Amy. She'd only been in Pittsburgh for a few days. It wasn't like Rachel was replacing her with Amy as her new best friend just because Quinn was filming a movie.
"You think, singlehandedly, you can pick the next president of the United States using your twitter account?" Quinn asked slowly, realizing Rachel was no longer on the phone.
Rachel set her phone down after ending the call with the intern.
"When you say it like that it sounds ridiculous. I simply meant that our followers see our endorsements- hair products, makeup, television shows, music, and yes, politics. The things we tweet mean something," Rachel replied haughtily.
Quinn watched her for a moment but didn't reply. Rachel eyed her before huffing.
"Don't make me feel stupid. You know exactly what I mean."
"Rachel," Quinn started softly. She fought desperately against the forming smirk, "You tweet about coffee...a lot. Do you think Starbucks has tripled its sales because you showed a picture of a Starbucks cup?"
"It's possible."
"Rach...I...for whatever reason, I actually do care about your opinions on many things. It's a little unsettling how much I take your opinions into account- especially considering that, right now, I'm pretty sure you're unhinged...if you have one million followers on twitter, at least a third- maybe more- are well under the voting age. They probably don't drink coffee. They need their parents' permission and most likely their parents' income to buy any products you would endorse…how can I say this in the least offensive way but still get my point across...you're not Oprah. We've been on television for a little over a year. I get recognized as 'that girl from that show where people sing'...we're not picking the president anytime soon," Quinn reasoned.
"But we could," Rachel insisted.
"Along with millions of other American who are registered to vote," Quinn countered.
Rachel huffed again and collapsed on the couch next to Quinn. Quinn laughed at her antics and shook her head. How time had changed...just a few years ago, the dramatics of Rachel Berry annoyed her, frustrated her, made her increasingly violent. Now everything the tiny brunette did was adorable and endearing. She resisted the urge to run her fingers through Rachel's hair as it fanned out on the couch next to Quinn's thigh. Touching Rachel had become an addiction. Like a desperate need for a nicotine fix, Quinn fought hard against her withdrawal symptoms. She tucked her hands under her own arms simply to keep them steady. The past four days without the brunette had been torturous.
"Why can't you let me be special? Just once," Rachel grunted, crossing her arms.
"Your head is big enough as is. Any bigger and you won't be able to walk through doors- or properly wear hats," Quinn teased.
Rachel rolled her eyes. She rolled over and crawled a little closer to Quinn. Her big brown eyes nearly begged Quinn to physically show her just how special she truly was. The addiction fought hard. It tugged at her heart so fiercely- Quinn was amazed she didn't tremor.
"For the record, you are special- and talented- and beautiful- and all of those other things...but you are not a political figure," Quinn chuckled, hoping to ease the pull with a joke.
"I could be. I could run for president," Rachel deadpanned.
"God help our country if that's the case. I'm pretty sure you're lacking some qualifications for that job. But hey, you can play the president in a movie. You can tell Alan to change 'captain of the glee club' to 'president of glee' on our show."
Rachel snorted and rolled over again. She wormed her way across the couch to put her head in Quinn's lap. She batted her hand at the crossword like a cat. Quinn tried to pretend she was annoyed. She lost that fight the moment Rachel started giggling while still swatting at the crossword. Rachel settled down after a moment and looked up at Quinn. The blonde gave into her urge to comb brunette locks cascading down her thigh. It was better to play with Rachel's hair than lean down and kiss those pouting lips. She'd never been an addict before and wondered if she could truly die from this.
"I think Amy is really nice but she's entirely uninformed about politics," Rachel pouted.
Quinn laughed and rolled her eyes.
"I think Amy is obsessed with telling people what they want to hear. Plus, Amy is stuck up your ass. She thinks it's her job to inflate your easily inflatable ego."
"Hey," Rachel swatted at Quinn's arm in protest.
"You are special and talented and beautiful...you're also my best friend so it's my job to say you're not the center of the universe," Quinn smirked.
Rachel rolled her eyes again and sat up, "I'm the center of your universe."
Quinn snorted, "That is because I am slightly pathetic and have no life beyond this show."
"Not true. You're going to be a movie star," Rachel grinned.
Quinn blushed a shook her head. Rachel swatted at her again playfully. Quinn caught the offending limb and pulled, knocking Rachel off balance. The brunette nearly toppled from the couch but Quinn pulled her close instead, laughing while Rachel squirmed. The knock on the door interrupted what would have turned into some sort of wrestling or tickling match. Quinn was equal parts relieved and annoyed to return to set. It seemed since recognizing her feelings for the brunette she was constantly putting herself in positions of great temptation- a glutton for punishment. The days without Rachel made her take more physical risks. She wondered just how far she would push it after a month passed without seeing Rachel. If her filming schedule tightened and Rachel actually did that cabaret in New York, they wouldn't see each other for weeks at a time. She needed to learn to have more self control to make it through the rest of the summer.
"We relied pretty heavily on each other…and our other friends. Also my fathers have always been supportive but firm. They would never let me get too far ahead of myself. You rely on family and friends to make you feel normal. To tell you when other people are stroking your ego and to let you know when your head is swelling."
"And the cast and crew," Quinn nodded, jumping back in. "Our cast was so amazing because we went through all of this craziness together but still had many normal moments you share with your best friends. We met the president but then two days later we were having dinner at Scott's while arguing over who should win Celebrity Apprentice. We all tried to be as normal as possible with each other."
"But you were becoming celebrities. You were busy non-stop for the first two seasons. You filmed, you toured, Quinn made a movie- while Rachel did back to back cabarets, you both came back to set, and you filmed another season. Were you ever exhausted?" Rita asked with a wink.
"All the time," Quinn chortled.
"Totally," Rachel nodded with a grin.
"But worth it?" Rita inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Totally, Rachel nodded again, still grinning.
In the whirlwind of the first season, first tour, first awards season, it had been easy to get swept up in it all. They had been tired but kept pushing because each new thing was so exciting, too great of an opportunity to pass up. They had worked non-stop for two years between filming, promoting, touring, and filming again. They had been young and excited to do it.
It also meant that the cast had grown so unbelievably close. It meant that everything was accelerated. Quinn had gone from a crush on a friend to completely in love over such a short period. It had been the most bittersweet torture. Being so close to someone she wanted so much.
Quinn reached over and grabbed Rachel's hand. Just because she could. Rachel was hers now.
The brunette smiled at her and winked, locking their fingers.
The interview was going well but with every amazing experience in the public eye, there had been ten million more experiences in private. Ten million ways their personal lives changed. Ten million ways their relationships changed.
"Season two took some hits though. A lot of rumors popped up. There were a handful of scandals. Your personal lives really became exposed in some ways. Your relationships were uncovered much more. What happened in season two? Were there any on-set rifts?" Rita took on a more serious tone.
Quinn shrugged and chose to answer for both of them.
"There were so many rumors and ninety percent of the stories were fabricated to build momentum about the show. Stories about on-set drama with guest stars usually went hand in hand with promoting the fact that we had guest stars. Those stories had no basis of truth. Season two wasn't a backlash against the show, season two became about invasion of our privacy. The paparazzi started getting worse. Camping outside our homes. Following us in our cars. Hiding out near the studio. They weren't looking for the best shot. They were looking for the worst. We weren't prepared for that initially," Quinn swallowed uneasily.
"Your own family troubles became common gossip. Was that a major concern?"
"My father hadn't been a part of my life for some time. I expected stories about him to come out anyway. That was the way my family worked. Image was everything. It wasn't as if I was hiding anything in my life, including my sexuality. I was just trying to protect the relationships that were important to me," Quinn replied stiffly.
Quinn's father had cashed in on his fifteen minutes of fame. She'd been expecting that since the first season of Champs. He had played up the concerned father act as much as possible. When it was revealed that he had kicked Quinn out of the house during her pregnancy, he had denied it and swore she'd run away for fear of shaming her family. She and her mother had released a brief statement. Russell Fabray was her father and had been estranged after the divorce of her parents. She had a great relationship with her mother. Her father was a stranger. Any questions about her past and her pregnancy should be directed to Quinn and not the man who wasn't present for any part of her life for several years. They had cited irreconcilable differences as the reasons for her parents split and left it at that. Her stay with Mercedes had been virtually glossed over, leaving the Jones family's privacy intact.
It had been a very difficult time in Hollywood. It got to the point where they had all been practically afraid to have friends over because they were constantly photographed and thoroughly researched. Rachel was caught having coffee with Kurt and several magazines claimed she was cheating on Josh. Quinn was paired with every man she was photographed with. Sometimes, she didn't even know the guy who had been walking too close on the sidewalk. She didn't actively search for guys to act as beards but it seemed that she was paired with them anyway...especially costars. She hadn't addressed her sexuality. She hadn't lied about it. She hadn't ignored it. The press wanted to link her to whomever they had wanted to link her. It hadn't been a covert mission to hide her sexuality. She'd had no control over whom the paparazzi deemed relationship worthy.