"Since Finn wasn't taking the hint, Puck took it upon himself to return my advances. At first I didn't really think anything of it, he had always flirted with me but neither Finn nor I took him seriously, he flirted with every girl he could find. Besides, he knew he wasn't my type. Of course I can't possibly sit here and tell you I wasn't physically attracted to him, and he can be quite charming when need be, as you well know," Quinn added the last part with a humorous knowing glare.
"Oh, I know all that," Mercedes sassed. "I still don't know what I was thinkin' "
Quinn smiled, and then sighed. "Anyway…Finn wasn't paying him much attention, just chalked it up to the Puck status quo, but I noticed that he had never really flirted this frequently or blatantly with me before, so I blamed it on his newfound obsession for Cheerios skirts. And I flirted back sometimes, but never with any serious intent and I thought he knew that. He was very aware that I was after Finn and even more than that, he knew how much we, once again, so weren't each other's type. I figured it was all harmless…until he kissed me…"
Quinn could see Mercedes' interest pique, and who could blame her; this was every girl's favorite part: the romance…especially if it was of the forbidden sort.
"It was about the middle of the school year. Basketball had just started and Matt had a party at his house after the first game. And it wasn't one of "those" parties; there was no alcohol or anything, just a normal burgers and chips party so I can't even blame it on being impaired. We were just hanging out, talking, just the two of us…and he kissed me. Nothing earth-shattering, it was kind of playful, but I was still glad that somehow no one saw. I think he was really trying to see if he could get away with it so I punched him in the arm for good measure.
"Then, later I went outside for some air and walked around a bit. Finn had been tied up all night talking about the game so he didn't miss me, Puck found me though. No one was outside, we were alone, just sitting leaned against the back of the house. We didn't talk about anything…we just started kissing. It was…I don't know, I knew I shouldn't have been kissing a guy like him but…I didn't want to stop."
She remembered everything in striking detail. The smell of his soap, (and the refreshing realization that he had bathed after the game instead of simply, and most often ineffectively, dousing himself in AXE like most of his teamates), the soft scrape of his slightly bristled chin against her smooth one, the surprising softness of his full lips, the faint taste of Doritos on his tongue (which was the only way Quinn had allowed herself to taste that zesty calorie ridden junk food thankyouverymuch) and his hands… His right rested on her waist, unmoving, behaving itself, the left on her face. His long guitar calloused fingers lightly caressed the nape of her neck, causing goose bumps to pucker all over her skin, his thumb stroked her cheek with every movement of their mouths against each other.
Quinn had been kissed before but not like this. Not with a guy like him. Not with the risk of someone seeing them and her pristine image getting tainted. It was that last factor that caused her to break away from the kiss, smile at him teasingly while biting her lip, then rise from the ground and go back into the house as if his kisses had no effect on her.
"I wish I could say that that was the end of it, but," she gestured toward her cumbersome belly, "clearly it wasn't. The next few months held quite a few secret meetings and make out sessions, emphasis on secret! And it wasn't that I was intentionally being rebellious, doing something I knew my parents wouldn't approve of, I just didn't really think about it in those terms because at first….it didn't mean anything….we we're just kissing and that was all, no deep conversations about "feelings" or anything. We just really liked kissing each other. And as it continued I do have to admit I did start getting a kick out of casually making out with "that kind of guy" that would make my mom clutch her pearls and pass out in shock. But I had always tried my best to be the model daughter and do everything that I was told, I figured this could be my little secret reward to myself. I enjoyed being with Puck, I liked the danger of it, you know? And I thought as long as they, or anyone else, never found out, well, no harm done.
"I started really looking forward to seeing him, and not just because of the making out….but because, he made me feel like I was perfect. With my sister, my parents, and now Coach Sylvester constantly making me aware of all my imperfections…I would go to Puck and…at some point when we would surface for air he would always tell me how beautiful I was…and I would believe him…only to go home and be told to stand up straighter or some other fickle thing like that."
Posture, Quinnie. Studies have shown that posture has a great effect on confidence and if you want to be successful you can't be slouching. Mother knows best.
"Anyway, by summer Finn had finally come around and we started dating. I was still trying to rope him in during the whole Puck thing, I think I forgot to mention that," she added flatly. "And I didn't feel right continuing with Puck, nor did I really see the need to, since I now had a boyfriend to turn all my attention to."
"A boyfriend you could be seen with in public," Mercedes threw in.
"Exactly!" Quinn nodded. "So I ended things with Puck, he pouted but he understood. School started back and Finn and I were the golden couple. I was the most popular girl in school dating the most popular guy, I was still Captain of the Cheerios, and I had talked Principal Figgins into letting me start the Celibacy Club, something my perfect older sister had never thought of. I was earning major brownie points with my parents and for once everything in my life seemed to be falling into place. For the first time I felt I was on my way to being truly happy. But then….for some….Good Lord only knows reason," Quinn spat out, flustered, "Finn decided to commit social suicide and join Glee Club! And that's when everything really hit the fan."