Writer's Note- Damn, you guys are amazing! Due to an overwhelming response to this story, I'm being sweet and posting an update RIGHT NOW. Thanks for all the love you guys! Please Enjoy, and Review :)
After Quinn and Santana had left the bar that night, they headed straight home, and gone to their rooms. Quinn lay, wide awake, on the floor in her new bedroom. She wanted to believe that she couldn't fall asleep because the floor was hurting her back. Or, because she was in a place that was not yet familiar. But, she knew why she was still awake at three o'clock in the morning. She couldn't stop thinking about Rachel.
The way she looked, the way she acted. It wasn't that it was bad, it just wasn't her. Quinn was a very insightful person, she knew when somebody wasn't comfortable in their own skin. The girl looked like life had kicked her right in the face, and it wasn't a look Quinn ever wanted to see on Rachel Berry. Not while she was in New York, not when her dreams were supposed to be coming true. Quinn two years before would have laughed at this situation, and told Rachel that she deserved whatever had happened to her. But, not now, not this Quinn. She was actually worried.
"Damn it", she mumbled to herself, and she stood up and walked out of her bedroom. She crossed the hallway, and quietly opened Santana's bedroom door.
"San...you awake", she whispered.
"What Tubbers, I'm half drunk and very sleepy", groaned the Latina, from under her covers.
Quinn stepped into the room.
"What the Hell, you're half drunk yet you already got your bed put together", she laughed.
"Drunk or not, Tana don't sleep on no floor. Now either shut your face, and go back to your room, or get over here, and tell me what the Hell is bothering you."
"How do you know anything is bothering me", giggled Quinn, as she strolled over to the bed, and climbed in next to her best friend.
"Please...you'd be sleeping by now if something wasn't on your mind. And, before you even try to deny it, I know it's Berry that's on your mind", said Santana, without opening her eyes.
"Ugh...get out of my head", groaned Quinn.
"It was weird seeing her tonight. Not that I should be surprised. I think we all knew she'd either end up here, or inside of a tree making little cookies with the rest of the Keibler clan."
"I really don't understand this. Yes, I knew she'd be here, and I kind of figured I'd run into her eventually. But, not like this".
"Like what, I mean what's the issue? She actually looks normal. She finally wears clothes that don't suck, and she puts more than just lip gloss on. She actually looked pretty sexy."
"San, it's not that. You didn't talk to her...she was so openly cold to me. I remember just how much of a bitch she could be, but this was different. This was Rachel Berry...the remix."
"Look, don't worry about it, I'm sure she's fine, Q."
"No, I don't think she is. Jade made it sound like there's been problems or something."
"Oh, Jade Price. Now there's somebody who hasn't changed. She was cute in high school, and she's cute now", Santana mumbled.
"I assume you're talking about her ass, and not her face, because that's what you were looking at the whole night", laughed Quinn.
"Whatever...just try to sleep. As much as I want to slap that tiny bitch sometimes, there is one thing I've always known about Rachel, she's strong. Even if something is going on, she'll be fine."
"If you say so S...", said Quinn. The conversation ended there, because Santana, like many times before, had passed out in the middle of it. Quinn just rolled onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling. She thought about the last conversation she had with Rachel.
It was their first day back to school after returning from their first trip to New York. After Glee, Quinn had gone followed everyone else out to the parking lot. She was about to get into her car when she noticed she didn't have her keys.
"Damn it, I must have left them on the floor next to my chair", she mumbled to herself. She hurried back into the building, and into the choir room. The lights were off, so she didn't think anybody was inside. However, when she opened the door, she was met with the back of Rachel's head. She was standing in front of the garbage can, just looking down into it.
"Um...Rachel, what are you doing?"
But, she didn't receive an answer. The tiny girl just stood, looking down. Quinn simply walked over to where her keys were, picked them up, and headed towards the door again. She was about to walk out, when she heard a small sniffle. She couldn't bring herself to leave the room. She turned around, and looked at Rachel once again.
"Rach...what's the matter", she asked, but still nothing. As she moved closer, and closer to the girl, she noticed she was gripping a sheet of paper in her right hand. Once she was standing right next to her, she took notice to what she was looking down at. It was a voo-doo doll. One that was very clearly meant to look like her.
"Oh, Rachel...", whispered Quinn.
"Did you make that", asked Rachel, quietly.
"No I think it might have been Santana."
"Oh."
"Why are you crying? I thought you were satisfied with placing at number twelve?"
"Even if it wasn't you who made that doll...I know you blame me too. Just like everybody else."
"Blame you for what?"
"Don't play dumb, Quinn. For placing so low, in New York. I know you blame me, and I know you hate me even more now for kissing him on stage like that."
"Rachel...".
"No, don't deny it, it's okay", said Rachel sadly."I'm sorry."
Quinn wanted to tell her not to apologize, but she wasn't really sure how to word it. She had spent so much time blaming Rachel for everything, and was getting tired of it. As she stood there in silence, watching the tears roll down Rachel's face, she started to feel so guilty. For everything. She searched desperately for a distraction, her vision landing on the paper that was in Rachel's hand.
"What's that", she asked, quietly.
Rachel lifted the paper, and un-crumpled it.
"It's a letter I got in the mail while we were away. I'm eligible for early graduation."
"Does that mean-"
"I won't be here Senior year."
"Wait, so you...you're just gonna' leave", asked Quinn, sadly.
"Why stay? Nobody wants me here, Quinn", the smaller girl cried.
Quinn wanted to say it. She wanted to tell the girl that she wanted her to stay but the words wouldn't leave her mouth.
"This will sound so strange, I know that, but I need to tell you. I'm really going to miss you."
Quinn stared at Rachel, more at the loss for words than had had been a few seconds before.
"I wish we hadn't spent so much time fighting. Especially over a person that...really doesn't mean as much to me as I believed he did. I'm sorry for stealing him away from you, and I'm sorry that we couldn't just...be friends."
"No, you don't want or need to be friends with me, Rach. Not after everything I've done to you" The blond looked away. Rachel turned towards her, and stepped closer.
"I wanted you to be my friend. If we were friends, I could tell you how pretty you look with short hair. We could have hung out on the weekends, you could have taken me to the mall...given me advice on what to wear...".
"You're leaving", Quinn snapped. Rachel just looked at her as if she had slapped her across the face, again.
"So why the Hell would you even bother talking about any kind of friendship between us?"
"I'm sorry, I was just-".
"Rachel, I don't care what you do. Obviously you weren't listening to me when I told you that you don't belong here! It says it right there on the paper, that you are free to go, so what the Hell are you waiting for? Leave! Go to New York, have your dreams come true. Leave Lima, leave Glee, just leave the rest of us behind in the dust! Don't the door hit you in the ass on the way out!"
As Quinn yelled at the smaller girl, for what had seemed like the hundredth time, tears streamed down both their faces. When she finished yelling, Rachel hadn't moved. Quinn stepped up to her, and glared down into her dark brown eyes. Butterflies hit her stomach so hard, she had to take a deep breath in. Rachel looked up at her, eyes full of tears, heart beating so fast, she was afraid Quinn would know.
"Go", whispered Quinn.
"I...I don't want to...leave y-you", Rachel, stuttered out, through her tears.
It was then Quinn had to fight. Every muscle, all her senses, there wasn't one part of her body that wasn't telling her to grab the smaller girl, bend her backwards, and kiss her until she saw fireworks. But, no. She wanted Rachel out of Lima, she wanted her chasing after her dreams. She didn't want her to get stuck. She, once again, was going to say what she had to say for Rachel's sake. She only wished she could do so without hurting her feelings, again.
There was no way around it.
"I don't care, Rachel. I don't give a fuck, I want you gone."
Looking like she was about to have a nervous breakdown, Rachel slowly backed away from Quinn. To say the silence was awkward wouldn't have been enough. Eventually, Rachel ran crying from the room. The minute she was gone, Quinn broke down. She sobbed quietly as she listened to Rachel's whimpers fade farther and farther away.
Back in Santana's bed, Quinn had started to cry. No wonder Rachel had acted so harshly. That that the very last time they had spoken. Summer break started, and Rachel was gone. Luckily, she wasn't crying loud enough to wake Santana up. She closed her eyes, and eventually drifted off to sleep, dreaming of nothing and nobody but a certain, tiny diva.
Meanwhile, Noah Puckerman was stumbling down the hallway of his apartment building. After being out most of the night with some random friends, he wasn't pleased to get a text message from Jade he needed to get his ass home. He had responded with "Yes mother" and said goodbye to his friends. He was half drunk, and fumbling with his keys.
"Screw it", he said, and he started pounding on the door, hoping one of his roommates would answer. Not four seconds after he started pounding did the neighbor poke her head out of her door.
"Noah, do you have any idea what time it is", she asked.
"No, I don't but I'm sorry Ms. Jasper", breathed Puck.
"Have you been drinking?"
"Yes Ms. Jasper", answered Puck, rolling his eyes.
She was about to ask him another question but the door opened.
"Finally dude", said Puck as he walked in.
"Sorry, man...", said Jonah, Jade's older brother.
"Where are they", asked Puck, taking his jacket off, and throwing it.
"Bathroom...".
Puck walked towards the bathroom, tripping over his own feet about four times, and swearing under his breath. He pushed the door open, and there was Rachel, on the floor, head practically inside of the toilet. Jade had her arms wrapped around her from behind, and she was trying to calm her down.
"It's okay love...just let it all out...".
"What happened", asked Puck, as he took a seat on the floor.
"Quinn showed up at the bar...", answered Jade.
"What, are you fucking serious?"
"Yeah, her and Santana go to NYU now, and they showed up. They had a very short conversation, and she's been drinking like an Effing pirate ever since", said Jade.
"Don't...t-talk...about me like...I'm not here...", slurred Rachel.
"I'm sorry, love", said Jade.
"Jesus...", okay you go make her some tea, I'll hold onto her", said Puck. Jade nodded, and moved over. Puck carefully wrapped his arms around Rachel's torso, and held her. Even after dating her, and hooking up with her randomly, he thought of Rachel as a sister. Once he had moved to the city, and started spending time around Rachel and her new personality, he grew closer than ever with the girl. And seeing her sad, drunk, and puking upset him, more than he wanted to admit.
"Hey...cheer up, my little fun size Jew, come on", he said.
"Don't...call me that", whined Rachel.
"Okay, I'm sorry. You done barfing, ready to rinse and brush", he laughed.
"Yeah...".
"Okay, come on", he said, as he lifted her from the floor, and turned on the sink.
As Jade stood in the kitchen, waiting for the tea to be done, she played around with her cell phone.
"She okay", asked Jonah, walking up behind her.
"She...will be...", mumbled Jade. When the girl was texting, she practically went deaf, so her brother just giggled at her barely audible response.
"What are you doing", he asked, yawning.
"Ew, stop...don't yawn because now I'm gonna'-".
(YAWN)
Jonah laughed. "Sorry."
"Um...I'm trying to find Quinn's number, I need to talk to her."
"Okay, did you check under Quinn", the taller dark skinned boy asked, sarcastically.
"Dude, shut your face...I just put the number and not the name because I was trying to do-...you know what, I don't have to explain this to you...go to bed D-bag", she laughed.
"Your Mom. Goodnight, love you", he said, as he strolled away.
"No, your Mom! Goodnight, love you too!"
"How...many times...do I have to ex-explain it...you both have the same Mom...", slurred Rachel, as Puck walked her into the kitchen."Okay, now that you're parked I'm going to pass the fuck out. Love you both, Rachel cheer up. Jade...don't get all sad...night", he said, stumbling off.
"Night Noah", the girls both said.
Jade grabbed Rachel's tea mug from the microwave, and started to stir it.
"No! Not that mug! Get...a different one", snapped Rachel.
"Awe come on, sweetie", whined Jade.
"No, you know..h-how I feel about that waste of porcelain, just throw it a-away", Rachel slurred, angrily. Jade just sighed, and turned to get a different mug. She carefully transported the hot steamy liquid into the new mug. She then threw the black mug with the big gold star on it, in the trash can. "Happy?"
"Thank y-you...I love you so much Jade...you are...my best friend", said Rachel, with a weak, drunk smile on her face.
"I love you too, which is why I'm making you drink that on the way to bed. Because you have to get up for work in like five hours."
"Noooooo", whined Rachel.
"Yesssss, come on. Let's go. You can sleep in my bed with me, if you promise not to vomit on me", teased Jade.
"Oh my God, that w-was one time, Jade", said Rachel.
"Yeah, and it was last night", laughed Jade."Now go on, go in and wait for me, I'll be there in a minute.
"Okay", said Rachel. She stood up, held her tea in one hand, and the wall with the other as she made her way down the hallway, very slowly. Once she was out of site, Jade put her attention back on her cellphone. She finally found Quinn's number, added her name to the contact info, and sent a quick text.
When Santana woke up the next afternoon, it was the first text she noticed.
Jade Price
5:36 A.M.
"If only you knew the effect you have on her."