A/N: I want to say, firstly, that I appreciate everyone's reviews. I find them endlessly flattering and helpful, and I am honestly glad to know what you are thinking and the direction you want the story to go in.

But a special thanks goes out to Ryoko05 & primrosered for their reviews of Ch. 10. Ryoko05 – you gave me a good idea for an entrance to a character that I've been dying to bring in but didn't have a suitable medium, so thank you, and you'll see it in the next few chapters. Primrosered, you genuinely complimented me, and give me the impression that you "get it" about my writing, which is one of the most exhilarating feelings ever.

Chapter 11

I spent the rest of the school day feeling restless and bitchy. I was already something of a pariah at this school – due to anonymity, mostly. Most of the upperclassmen mistook me for a freshman, since I hadn't been running with their circles for years, and I despise freshmen with a passion, so I hadn't made any friends there. Unlike me, Quinn was establishing a net of people that knew her and casually enjoyed her company, plus she was easily discernible as "that girl with the pink hair." Quinn is hard to dislike when she's being ingratiating; it had been her charm, mostly, that allowed Brittany and I to rise to the top of McKinley. Once there, I had no trouble holding on – because I had carefully cultivated a sense of fear and loathing among my fellow students. Here, that was just impossible to do, at least with the fear part.

Okay, well I had thought that, but now.. I could tell by the expressions on some of the others' faces that they knew about Mildred. Most of them gawked at me with awe, some of them with trepidation, but most with open revulsion. It was enough to make me want to crack a few more skulls, but I thought better of it. I decided not to worry too much. This was probably good for my reputation, in that all these delicate little daisies would leave me the fuck alone in the future. Unless there were a few bitches who decided to up their own cred by challenging me. I rolled my eyes at the thought, knowing it was a distinct eventuality. I'll be expelled for sure. I still didn't care.

All I could really think about was Brittany, and why the hell she wasn't responding to my text messages, and Quinn, who refused to communicate with me as well. I relived our conversation a few times, and the only thing I could get out of it was that I upset Quinn because I didn't care if I got expelled.. but why did that bother her? I'd help her get expelled too, if she wanted. It's the least I could do, after everything she's done for me.

Eventually, because I got tired of haunting the courtyard or the common area inside, I made my way upstairs to my dorm before the majority of classes let out. It felt strange to walk around the building while the classrooms held the students captive, with only a janitor or occasional aide whisking down the halls. I flopped back onto my bed, kicking off my shoes, and heaved a huge sigh. I started when my phone buzzed.

"Oh, thank god, Brittany. I've been dying to talk to you all day." I said, quickly, into the phone.

"It's negative." Brittany said without preamble. I felt my heart quiver and then I released a huge breath, swallowing down the copper taste of panic. I guess I had been fighting it all day, but now that I had heard those words from Brittany, it released in a jagged breath. My stomach turned a little bit.

"Really? Did you get another test? Or did somebody help you?" The idea of somebody other than me examining something Brittany peed on kind of weirded me out, but in this case, I could let it fly.

"No." Brittany paused, her voice sounding embarrassed. "I got my period."

I had to close my eyes, pressing my fingertips against my lips briefly. "Thank you, sweet baby Jesus." I said quietly, and Brittany laughed. "Still, you should take one when you get off. Just to be sure. Because I've heard people can spot while they're pregnant.."

Brittany interrupted me. "It's silly, Santana. I wasn't having sex with a boy in June. Or July. Or most of August. So how could I already be pregnant?" She asked, with an amused tone, as if I was the one who had suggested that preposterous idea.

I squinted my eyes at the ceiling, because this was a subject of conversation Britt and I had been avoiding ever since Britt had revealed her relationship with Hot Wheels last week. "Okay, so definitely no way you'd be pregnant by Inspector Gadget already. Good. Use condoms." I said, in an even tone.

Brittany chuckled. "Why would I do that? Artie was a virgin. He doesn't have herpes."

I had to bite my knuckle to stop the stream of anger that tried to escape at those words. "Britt. Just humor me, and use them." I figured if there was anybody who was unlucky enough to get pregnant while on a birth control shot, it'd probably be Brittany. There had once been a scare before, halfway through freshman year.. because Brittany really couldn't be bothered to remember to take her pills every day. So I had gotten Britt a fake ID, took her down to the public health clinic, and signed her up for the twice-yearly Depo shot. I decided to Google later how often girls got pregnant while on it.

"Hmm. Okay. What did you do today?" Britt said in an upbeat tone.

I chuckled. "I got into a fight with some girl with the unfortunate name of Mildred. Her parents doomed her to a life of getting the shit kicked out of her with a name like that."

"Mildred." Brittany paused. "I like it."

"You would, Britt." I rubbed at my eyebrows absently. "I got into the show choir here."

Brittany squealed, and I jerked the phone away from my ear. "That's awesome, Santana! Congratulations!"

I smirked. "Yeah, it's good. Only it's a choir composed entirely of females, so I don't know how bomb it's going to be."

Brittany laughed slyly. "That sounds like so much fun."

My eyes popped wide open, and I had to fight the urge to scan the room in case anyone overhead. Of course, nobody had, since I was alone, but still. Who could be overhearing Britt's side of the conversation? I decided what she had said was too ambiguous to be construed in any inappropriate way. "I wonder if we'll compete against you guys at all." I said, by way of distraction.

Brittany hummed. "Maybe. Probably at Regionals. That'd be so confusing," She murmured, her tone dropping a little at the end. "Because, like, I'd want us to win.. but then I'd want you to win, too."

I nodded. "Well, regardless, I'll be cheering for you, Britt."

I could feel Brittany smile through the phone. "Really?"

I laughed. "Yeah. My loyalty still lies with all the losers in Glee Club, not with a bunch of spoiled rich girls." I stopped myself. "But don't tell anybody that." I rolled my eyes. It wouldn't be good for my image, and I could just imagine Rachel Berry's self-satisfied smirk at Britt retelling this little story.

Brittany sighed, suddenly morose. "I miss you so much, Santana. This is too hard. I can't even remember going to school without you."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "That's because we never have." I squeezed my eyes shut. "It's just for a few months, and then I'll be home for Christmas, and Spring Break, and summer. I'll practically live at your house during the breaks, okay?" I tried to reassure her, but after thinking about it, added: "So long as you banish your boy toy. I'm not real good at sharing."

I expected her to laugh, but she didn't. Instead the silence was punctuated by a strangled breath, as if she was fighting back tears. I felt my whole body respond subconsciously, curling onto my side and into the phone, as if, somehow, I could physically reach her.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid," Britt said thickly. I murmured to her quietly. "I just, I don't know how to feel about anything," She said, the words muffled and heavy.

"Feelings are confusing, Brittany. I know that." I felt so lost and helpless. I could tell Brittany wanted something from me, but what, exactly? I hated not being able to see her face or look into her eyes. It was times like this that missing Brittany became a physical ache; and even though I'd seen her just a few days ago, I never went this long without touching her or holding her. It made me feel oddly.. incomplete.

"You know that I love you, right?" Brittany said, and the anguish in that sentence fractured me. I had to fight back the rush of tears that tried to explode out of my eyeballs.

"Of course I know that." I had to swallow several times so that my voice wouldn't break.

Brittany sniffed, and let out a little breath. "And that just because I'm with Artie now, it doesn't mean I don't love you." She said it quietly. I felt the weight of her words through the phone line.. and it sent my mind racing. Love, love? Oh my god, Brittany. My stomach churned. The silence stretched between us interminably, because I couldn't keep my mind from reeling.

"Santana?" Brittany asked quietly. She sounded like she was going to lose it again.

"Yeah, Britt. I know. I understand." I said, even though I really didn't. Even though I knew Brittany as well – or better – as I knew myself, sometimes her code was hard to crack, even for me. I got the feeling she was trying to convey a lot more with her words than the message I was receiving.. and now she was waiting for something back from me.

I hated talking about feelings. It's just too hard. Especially where Brittany is concerned, because.. well, I just wasn't ready to think about it. "Brittany, I want you to be happy. If Wheels is helping you do that, then, okay." I said, lamely. Because I did want Britt to be happy, but the thought of her flopping around on a mattress with Artie sort of made me nauseous.

Brittany gave a little sigh. "I'm really sorry about last weekend. I should have gotten a facial with you."

I rolled my eyes, because, duh, but I didn't say that. "I'm glad you've come to your senses about that. But no hard feelings. I had fun with Quinn." My eyes popped wide open when I said that little sentence, because, hello? I had had fun with Quinn, but.. I didn't know if I was ready to tell Brittany about it. Or even if I should. I mean, Quinn isn't like Artie to me. I'm not dating her. I'm not even technically having sex with her right now, and even if I was.. then we'd still just be friends. Just like me and Brittany. Only, absolutely nothing like me and Brittany.

Besides, Brittany and I had established a long time ago that sex isn't dating, and sex with girls isn't cheating. It was how we had both justified keeping boyfriends while still maintaining a physical relationship, but we weren't actually together. That bullet was getting harder to dodge with Britt, though, as time passed.. and the fact that Kurt's fruity ass was Out, capital O, and seeking a boyfriend didn't help. Britt had even mentioned something about attending an Indigo Girls concert with me once. Barf. I had the sinking suspicion that, if I had stayed in Lima, she'd be pressuring me to go public with our relationship, and maybe go official with it or something. Just the thought of that made me want to scream and hide and shove every little thought about it to the back of my mind, beneath a giant concrete wall, and completely forget about it.

I decided that Artie might be a blessing in disguise, as much as I hated it. He would keep her mind away from that dangerous path. Maybe in junior college, Britt, I thought ruefully, but not any time soon.

Brittany seemed interested in that. "Yeah? What did you guys do?"

I coughed suddenly, my throat seizing. "Oh, uh! We just, you know, hung out." I was blushing furiously even though Brittany couldn't see my face. I got the impression that Brittany was trying to figure out what I was hiding. Shit! It was times like this I couldn't believe people thought that Brittany was dumb. Maybe a little absent minded, but she's more intuitive than anyone I know. She was definitely picking up on the discomfort I felt.

"Hmm.." Brittany said, speculatively, the sound thick with meaning.

Shit, shit, shit, I thought furiously. "We've been spending a lot of time together, and we're getting along really well." I knew it sounded like a lame cover up, but I hoped Brittany wouldn't press the issue.

"I never got a gay vibe from her," Brittany said wonderingly, and made my eyebrows shoot up and eyes widen.

"Whoa! How did you go from us 'getting along really well' to her being gay?" I asked incredulously, disbelief coloring my tone.

Brittany chuckled. "Those are like your super-secret-Santana code words," She told me slyly. "Plus you said you had fun with her."

I scrunched my brow. "So? She painted my toenails."

Brittany laughed. "Do you want to know what that's code for?"

"Oh my god, Brittany!" I said, scandalized. "You're so bad. How can you make up a code about my words when I don't even know what they mean?"

Brittany giggled. "It's easy." She paused. "I'm just teasing you though." It was the perfect opening to let her know that something actually was going down between Quinn and I, but..

I bit my lip. Was I ready to admit, out loud, to someone that I was developing feelings for Quinn? No, definitely no. What kind of feelings? What? Even I don't know! I echoed her laugh nervously. "Well, you're crazy."

Brittany chuckled. "That's what they tell me. Say, it's time for Lord Tubbington's physical therapy. He pulled a hamstring."

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from laughing. "All right Britt. Tell him I said hi."

Brittany whispered, "Santana, you know I can't do that. He's terribly jealous of you."

"He's a little shit. Tell him anyway." I smiled. "Talk to you later."

"K. Love you. Bye."

Xxxx

I felt strangely calm after speaking to Brittany, though we had only exchanged one set of worries for another for me to wrestle with. I was definitely picking up on the fact that Brittany was impatiently waiting for something from me, but exactly what was a mystery. And in the meantime, she wanted something else entirely from me concerning Artie. And I even felt like she was compelling me to come clean about Quinn. All of these things were subtle and intangible, yet nonetheless had weight with me. Still, they weren't pressing matters – Brittany and I had the rest of our lives to figure out these feelings, and at least until after high school to start, if I had anything to do with it.

Quinn was another matter. Now, I knew the girl was pissed off, or upset, or whatever.. but Quinn wasn't like Brittany for me. I actually had to work to be in tune with her, forcing myself to pick up on all her subtleties. In a way, it was easier, because it was less complicated than things with Britt.. but in another way, it was entirely more complicated, and thus that much harder. I wanted to grab myself and give me a good shake, like what the HELL are you thinking, Lopez? You're an utter fool.

I changed out of my uniform, finally, into a pair of jean shorts and a red v-neck t-shirt. I wanted to do something after classes were out, and I needed Quinn for that. I kept checking my phone, both to ascertain the time and to see if she was going to text me. She hadn't. Her last class had let out about twenty minutes ago, and she never took that long to get back here.

I sighed, deciding to give in and text her.

-Where are you, Tink?

A moment's pause. –Getting you something to eat.

I rolled my eyes. Why was Quinn so damn worried about me eating?

-Ur trying to make me fat. Hurry up.

A few minutes later she walked in, a fixed look on her face and a detached glint to her eye. She handed me a styrofoam plate that had two pepperoni pizza slices on it, sought around inside of her shoulder bag, and then produced a bottle of water.

I took the plate from her, but couldn't resist furrowing my eyebrows and glancing up at her. "Okay, now I know you're trying to make me fat. First the fries, now pizza." I paused, because the smell was pretty amazing, but I could see the grease pooling inside one of the pepperonis. "Are you worried I'll look better than you come bathing suit season or something?"

Quinn just shrugged, sliding her bag off her shoulder, placing it neatly on the floor beside her computer desk. She silently began stripping her clothes off, carefully folding each article once it was off (come the heck on, who folds dirty clothes?) and placing it neatly on my desk. I studied her, my eyes gratefully sweeping up and down her frame when she was down to matching bra and panties. Suddenly, my hands began to itch to touch her, and I sat my plate down on my bed, fully intending to give in to the impulse.

"No," Quinn said sharply, causing me to halt in mid motion. "Eat." The words were hard and clipped, and she wouldn't look at me.

I studied her for a moment, feeling a moment's sorrow as she yanked on a pale blue tank top with matching exercise pants. She tugged the little cross she wore on a gold chain out from underneath her clothes, letting it settle on her chest. She sat down on her bed, pulling out her phone and ostensibly checked her messages.

I picked up the pizza slice, taking a bite. It was lunchroom fare, but it was decent. I was pretty hungry. I decided to give in and finish the pizza, because I figured I wouldn't get anywhere with Quinn until I did.

When I was done, I stood up and very deliberately placed the plate in the trash can, then turned to Quinn with raised brows, as if to say, see? I'm growing as a person.

She gave me a thin smile but didn't say anything.

I walked over and sat down next to her, wrapping my arm around hers and laying my head on her shoulder. That did it. I could tell she wasn't expecting the sudden physical affection, because she jumped, then turned to look at me, startled.

"I'm sorry I was a bitch to you earlier. I was just worried." I had figured out that these kinds of direct apologies worked wonders with Quinn. She was much more apt to relent with her ice queen routine if I seemed suitably ashamed and penitent.

"I'm not mad at you." Quinn said, with frost in her voice. I smirked, because it was probably the most obvious lie ever. I wasn't so much concerned about why she was mad – Quinn is a girl, after all, and we're all crazy and get mad about things that don't make any sense, especially Quinn – but I was really concerned with making her unmad, because after seeing her body stripped basically naked, I was feeling pretty frisky.

"Well I'm still sorry." I said, then lifted my head and smiled my most appealing smile at her. It was starting to work, I could tell. I reached around us and started rubbing along the small of her back with my hand, gently at first, but with increasing pressure. I could tell it was making her relax slightly.

"That's okay, Santana," Quinn murmured, sounding really tired. Something about the way she said it made me perk up, a little worried now, and take a good look at her.

She was letting her defenses down, probably because I was so close and was continually rubbing on her back. But she looked exhausted, like she'd run a marathon or had been crying recently, though her skin wasn't red and her eyes weren't swollen. Still, there was something haunted about them, and it made me frown.

"Quinn, are you okay?" I asked, with conviction, and it made her realize I'd been looking at her. She tensed a little bit, looking at me, and then shook her head.

"I'm just really tired."

It was a shitty excuse, and we both knew it. Yet something about her made me not want to press the issue. I pushed her down, towards her pillow, and she didn't resist, but did give me a puzzled look. I just scooted behind her, spooning her from behind, and snuggled her body into mine. "Take a nap."

Quinn chuckled, and it made me smile in response. "I have homework."

I propped my head up on one elbow, so I could look down at her. She was staring straight ahead, but her body was positively melting into the bed and against me. I fought back all my deviant urges, because Quinn seemed fragile and needy, something I knew couldn't meet the kind of demand I would be making. Besides, it tugged at my heartstrings to see her so – I don't know, defeated-seeming. It wasn't a Quinn I had seen very often, but it made me want to snuggle her until she felt better.

Really? You fucking sap- I spared the thought before I began to run my hand through her hair, massaging against the scalp slowly and gently. "Do it later."

Quinn's body shook with a little laugh, though no sound came out. I could tell she wasn't too worried about the homework, because she was relaxing, and her eyelids were heavy. I leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she surprised me, turning her head quickly and catching my mouth with hers.

This wasn't like any of the other kisses we'd shared. Well, maybe a little like the first, but my memory of that one is a bit hazy. This kiss was soft, slow, and gentle.. it made my heart do a slow somersault in my chest. I gently rubbed my lips against hers, resting my hand along the curve of her neck, my fingertips delicately tracing the curve of her jaw. I felt her shiver, but even that seemed to go in slow motion.

Quinn pressed harder against me, shifting her body so that it was facing me instead of the room. She seemed to increase the intensity of the kiss, now going a little harder and deeper, finally parting her lips against mine to lav her tongue over mine slowly.

I felt my whole body heat up, but it was a leisurely process, starting in my stomach and working its way outwards, until even my fingertips tingled with flame and my face was practically burning. We were moving sluggishly, as if drunk on one another, and an emotion I wasn't quite familiar with trembled in my chest, making my heart hurt and my breath thicken.

Things were happening more quickly now. Quinn had reached up to hold my face with one of her hands, and mine dropped down to rub along the length of her arm, and then slide underneath her tank top. I danced my fingers along her skin, and I felt the soft vibrations against my mouth of her moan. The kiss accelerated, getting more breathy and penetrating. My hand skimmed against the firm flesh of her stomach, and then I experimentally brushed my fingers over the soft mound of her breast, grazing over the nipple that hardened at the slightest pressure.

Quinn gasped, and it made my whole body tense and quake. I leaned away from her to press firm, reassuring kisses against her swollen lips, and then started to drag my mouth over her face, kissing the side of her lips first, then her jaw, and cheek, and finally teasing the flesh beneath her ear.

Quinn was trembling, actually trembling, beneath me. I kept the force of my hand against her breast slight, barely kneading it, fingers occasionally tweaking against the nipple. I reached down and began running my hand over her stomach again, then over her ribs, and finally brushed over the other breast. Quinn's breathing was ragged and she had a hand fisted tightly on the material of the shirt I was wearing. I could feel the heat coming off her body in actual waves.

I leaned back to look down at her, and her eyes were so dark and glassy. Her lips were puffy and bruised, and she tugged the bottom one into her mouth when I met her gaze. I turned my face to press a kiss against the crook of her elbow, which made her smile briefly, and then I leaned in to kiss her face again. I pulled my hand out from underneath her shirt and smoothed it back down along her body.

I laid down, opening my arms to her, and she finally rolled into me, pressing her face against the space between my neck and my shoulder. I could smell her and it was driving me crazy, but I knew, instinctually, that Quinn just needed to be held. So I did, rubbing my hand up and down her back, and eventually she stopped quivering, her breathing returning to an even tone.

After a long while, during which I drifted in and out of a light doze, Quinn spoke, but her face was still pressed against me and the words were muffled.

"Are you trying to get expelled?" Her voice was small and unsure.

I opened my eyes slowly, looking over her shoulder and then down her body. "No. I'm not trying to."

I felt her breath whoosh out of her in a little burst. "Okay."

I frowned, puzzling over this odd question. That's what she was upset about? Oh, boy. I chuckled lightly. "I never knew you cared so much about my academic standing."

The silence that echoed my words let me know, immediately, that my assumption was wrong. I felt Quinn freeze a bit, and my arms tightened around her, refusing to let her pull away. She began to rub her hand up and down my side, over the curve of my hip and against my thigh. I had to fight the little quiver that it produced.

Oh, wait.. my mind was clouding over, because now Quinn had rubbed beneath my shirt and was working her fingers down along my stomach, between us, then up along my ribs, just grazing her fingertips along the edge of my bra. She traced the fabric, underneath each cup, and then up over the side, even along the back, where it clasped.

I tried to stay still, allowing her tentative touch to explore my body. I sucked in a tense breath, squeezing my eyes shut when her fingers dipped down along the length of my spine, not quite suppressing the full body shudder that the feather-light pressure created. I felt Quinn smile against me, and to distract myself, I started playing with her hair, dragging my fingers through its silky texture.

She slipped her fingertips beneath the edge of my jean shorts, along the subtle swell of my butt, and I closed my eyes tightly, hands tensing into loose fists. She followed the edge of the fabric, along my hip, and then down between us, beneath my belly. Her fingers traced along the seam of my underwear and I immediately felt a flood of warmth between my legs. Great, I thought sardonically, and just concentrated on breathing. It was getting more difficult, because I was feeling a bit light-headed and dazed, my stomach coiling into tight knots.

"Roll over," Quinn whispered, and I obliged, almost without thinking. Quinn shifted, laying on her side, with me facing upwards – almost a direct inversion of the position we were in before. The look on her face was slightly predatory, curious, and a bit unsure. I forced myself to relax, but that was a moot point because she started running her fingers along my stomach, rubbing the side of her thumb against my belly button, barely pressing down with the heel of her hand.

I felt the desire building in me, and I had to clutch at her rose-colored comforter to still myself from shaking. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, letting my face fall away from her, because I knew she was watching me and it felt uncomfortable. I had never really laid this bare and still for someone – but I sensed that Quinn needed it, and I was making myself relent to her need. I'm not the kind of person who has a lot of patience for things like this – usually, for me, it was fast and violent and stunning, sort of like a hurricane. And I knew that Quinn could be a like a hurricane, too. But this was different.

She kept her hand on me, running it experimentally over the fabric of my bra. I felt my nipples stiffen immediately and I had to repress a groan. I didn't know why, but these extremely light touches from Quinn were making my body react with hypersensitivity, and the persistent tugging in my stomach and my groin was making it hard to stay still. I felt restless and swamped with the consuming desire to flip Quinn over and run my mouth over every inch of her body, and feel her shake and squirm, and make her scream. This was maddening.

Finally, as if she could sense the torture I was in, she pulled away from underneath my shirt and cupped my face, turning it back towards her. She leaned down to press a kiss against my lips and then, before I could react, began kissing down my neck and along the vein that throbbed thickly, causing it to stutter and skip. She opened her mouth and began sucking gently there, making my body thrash and my thighs squeeze together. My knuckles ached with the tension of my hands, which were in angry fists against the bed.

"Oh, god, Quinn," I whispered, because I was blind with need. I literally felt like I was wound so tight that the barest pressure would send me into convulsions. It was blinding.

"Having trouble?" She murmured against my neck, sending chills down my spine. Her voice was thick with her own desire, but the mirth was still apparent. I gritted my teeth.

"Want me to stop?" She asked, a little more forcefully, pulling my ear into her mouth with her teeth. I moaned.

"Shit, Quinn," I said, fighting through the heavy fog of arousal. I pried my eyes opened and tried to focus on the ceiling, the bed, anything – but all I could think about was Quinn's warm, soft tongue running over my earlobe, sucking gently. It made me shudder.

She pulled away and finally leaned upwards, smiling down at me. It was a soft smile, not the one full of vicious triumph that I had expected. My body was like jello, quivering, nerve endings snapping and popping with unfulfilled want.

I shook my head a little, trying to clear it. "I think we better," I muttered, trying to catch my breath. Quinn smiled, leaning down to press a kiss against my mouth, and then along my jawline again.

"We don't have to," She said, so quietly, and I could feel her lips move against me. I was going to absolutely die from this, I just knew it. "You could just throw in the towel." Her voice had a hint of teasing in it.

I sighed, using one of my arms to lift her away from me. "No chance, Blondie." I said, but with real remorse. I was definitely going to have to have some alone time later. I felt like one giant quivering bundle of nerves, tweaked to the edge of no return and then left hanging. And she hadn't even touched me, really. I scrubbed my palm over my face.

Quinn was grinning at me, and her dimples were showing, so she looked too cute to be mad at.

"You're so ruthless," I told her, with feeling. She chuckled. I reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, rubbing the lobe between my thumb and forefinger. Her face pinked almost immediately.

I just looked at her for a moment, absorbing the moment, when a slight pain in my lower neck had me frowning, and then scowling at her. "Quinn, I know you did not leave another hickey on me."

Quinn's expression went to one of mock surprise, and then she made a show of rolling her eyes down to rest on the area she'd been sucking on earlier. She tucked her lips into her mouth to swallow her grin. "Oops."

I tugged on her hair playfully, then sat up. "You're definitely trouble for me, Tinkerbell." I ran my eyes over her body, as if the revelation shocked even me. "Definitely not what I expected."

Quinn smirked, rolling herself into a sitting position, then reached down to collect her backpack. "I'm full of surprises."

I chuckled, watching her as she pulled out notebooks and textbooks. I just bet you are.