Sorry this has taken so long! I took a very long break from fiction writing but the story is back! I should be updating fairly regularly. I'm getting back into the groove of writing but I hope you like this chapter since it introduces a favorite character of mine. Thanks for sticking with me and reviewing! Also, shout out to Nataliving, my beta reader.
Disclaimer: as always, I do not own anything.
July 13, 2011
6:20 p.m.
"Quinn, they'll be here in ten minutes! How is the guest room coming?"
"Fine!" Quinn shouted back to her mother, fluffing the pillow on the floral bedspread and tucking in the sheets. Hallie, Quinn's older sister, her husband Joseph and son Caleb were coming to visit for the week. It was the first time since being kicked out her sophomore year that Quinn had seen Hallie. Not that they were close to begin with - a six-year age difference does that.
Quinn stood up and surveyed the room, one hand on her hip while she bit the purple-polished fingernail of the other. Everything was wrinkle-free and neatly placed, with a small wooden crib in the corner by the closet. She shut the door to the guest room, poked her head in the hall bath to make sure it was spotless, and preceded her room to do a few touch-ups.
She tossed her pajamas into the closet and proceeded to her dresser to put a brush and jewelry into the top drawer. She looked up from the drawer and stared into the mirror, her pink hair shining and growing in length. Quinn ruffled her hair. For a second she tried to remember what she looked like as a blonde and couldn't even picture it.
Hallie only knows me as a blonde.
"Are you sure you don't want to color your hair back to blonde?" Judy appeared behind Quinn, her fingers toying with her daughter's pink hair. "You can go right now to the hair studio and I'll tell Hallie and Jo that -"
"Mom," Quinn huffed, "No. Stop it." She wacked Judy's fingers from her head and crossed her arms. "I'm keeping it."
"But honey -" Judy began before she was interrupted by the doorbell. "Fine."
Judy left the room to answer the front door. Quinn turned back towards the dresser mirror and combed her hand through the pink strands to fix what Judy messed up.
"Hey, mom."
Quinn jerked her head at the voice she had not heard in almost three years. Clenching her hands, she peeked around the doorframe to see a tall woman with sandy blonde hair embracing Judy, the face buried in their mother's neck. Leaning against the hallway wall was a stocky man; he had short red hair and he wore square, black rimmed glasses. His left hand held a car seat, its canopy up and hiding the little round face Quinn has yet to see.
The woman relaxed her arms and lifted her face up from Judy's neck. Blue eyes caught hazel.
"Hi, Little Q," she said tipping her head.
Quinn smoothed the front of her purple and green plaid skirt, her hands shaking. "It's Quinn."
The corner of the woman's lip flitted up. "Hello, Quinn. You look good. Different... but good."
Quinn let out a breath. "Hey, Hallie. It's been a while."
7:01 p.m.
Dinner was a seemingly quiet affair. Quinn pushed her rice around with her fork while the three adults made small talk, topics varying from Hallie's new Meteorologist job with channel 6 to allergies they think Caleb has to -
"Hallie tells me you are going into your final year of high school."
Quinn's chin slid off the palm it was resting on and she jolted up, setting her fork down. She found Joseph, freckles hiding behind his glasses, staring at her.
"Uh yea," Quinn replied and shifted her eyes back down to her plate.
"You ready for it?"
Quinn knew the man was trying to be nice; he was, after all, her brother-in-law. Nevertheless, she did not even know this man and for her sister to come here with her perfect little family was -
"Actually, Joseph, let's talk about you," Quinn directed. Both Judy and Hallie straighten up. "I mean, you've been married to my sister for a year and a half now and I've never even heard of you."
"Quinn-" Hallie begun but was interrupted by Judy.
"No," she interceded. "Quinn, please apologize to Joseph. He was just asking you a question."
"Seriously?" Quinn shrieked, jumping up. "Are we really going to ignore the fact that I haven't even heard one word from Hallie in two years? Not one word! And you just want me to be accommodating and normal?"
Judy's nostrils flared. "Leave the table, Quinn."
Quinn rolled her eyes and pushed back her seat, refusing to look at anyone at the table before she turned away and sprinted to the other side of the house. Quinn heard footsteps chasing after her and knew that she slammed the bedroom door in someone's face.
"Quinn!" She heard Hallie yelling through the pounding of fists on the bedroom door. "Quinn! Open up! C'mon!"
Quinn launched herself onto her bed and stared at her ceiling fan spin in circles. She continued watching the blades turn as the pounding subsided. Like a sick cycle carousel, Quinn thought.
She rolled over and thought about how Carol Hudson took her in as if she were one of her own... about Burt and how he loved his gay, effeminate son... about how the Berrys did not seem like fathers to throw away their daughter. As the blades all blurred into one image, Quinn remembered the lines etched in her father's face as he threw her out and the emptiness in her heart when months later she hadn't heard from anyone in her family, not even her sister.
Sick cycle carousel, indeed.
11:18 p.m.
Quinn woke up to the sound of Caleb wailing in the room next to her and tossed the sheets off her.
"Geez," she muttered, using her forearm to cover her eyes. "Shut. Up."
At that moment, her stomach growled, reminding her she did not finish dinner. Quinn flung her legs out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. She grabbed a carton of chocolate ice cream from the freezer and plopped herself down on the counter stool.
"Is there enough for two bowls?"
Quinn jumped at Hallie's voice. Leaning against the kitchen doorway was her older sister, arms crossed and lips pursed. Quinn grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and sat back down. Hallie took the hint and sat on the stool beside her.
"We used to have midnight ice cream dates all the time," Hallie whispered.
Quinn grunted. "Yea, when I was nine."
"Well, I missed it," shrugged the older woman. "... I'd like you to apologize to Joe later. He didn't deserve what happened at dinner." The woman continued as Quinn remained silent. "Did you know he is an investigator with the police? I mean, training to be, but he will be soon. That's how we met. My roommate in college had her car broken into so I was with her when she was questioned by the campus police. Joe was doing an internship with them at the time."
Quinn took a bite of her ice cream as she felt eyes burning through the side of her head. Hallie dipped her spoon into the carton, plopped two globe of chocolate into her bowl and licked her lips.
"Did you notice you haven't held Caleb yet?"
"Nope," Quinn replied, popping her spoon from her mouth. "But do you know who the last baby I did hold was?"
Hallie closed her eyes in realization. "Quinn -"
"No!" Quinn seethed. "Stop saying my name like that! You don't know me anymore! You don't get to look at me with that pity."
"Q- Please," Hallie said softly and reached for Quinn's hand only to feel it pull away. "I am trying here with you. Just tell me what I did to make you hate me!"
"You've been gone! For two years!"
"I- I hardly visited in college anyway!"
"Not just that!" cracked Quinn's voice. She tangled her fingers in her hair and let out a scream of frustration. "No phone call - or email! My family kicked me out and you couldn't even be bothered to make a phone call! I heard from no one for seven months!"
"I tried -"
"And then you come back and act like nothing is wrong! I needed someone! I needed -"
Palms slapped the counted as Hallie leaped out of the stool. "Dad wouldn't tell me where you were!" she screamed. "When - I came home to tell you guys about Joseph and that we were getting married soon and you weren't there and - and mom cried and said what happened but I tried!
"You didn't try hard enough!"
"He wouldn't tell me!" Hallie's cry caught in her throat and she clutched her neck as if to keep the sobs back. "Ok? I didn't just leave you. But I didn't have a number to call you at or - or even an address to reach you. I mean, you even deleted your Facebook!"
"What, you couldn't come find me at school? Or talk to Coach Sylvester?" Quinn accused. "I needed someone to hold my hand and tell it would be ok and that I was loved and you weren't there."
"Quinn..." Hallie stepped in front of the other girl and grabbed her cheeks, staring straight into the tears-filled hazel eyes. "I'm so, so sorry. I live in another state - it would have been hard to just search for you. I know I suck as a sister, ok? I know. But - I could have tried harder, I could have, but I am here now. I want to know about the baby and - and where you were living during those months... if you're back on the Cheerios... why your hair is pink..."
She smiled when she got a chuckle out of Quinn. "I never wanted you to be alone, even if you were. Ok? I am so sorry."
Quinn shook her head and took Hallie's hands with her own. "Yea... ok... Ok."
"What -" Hallie bit her lip. "I came back to make it better. What can I do to just make it better?"
The younger girl paused, not really knowing if there was anything her sister could do... "I wanted to piss off mom." Hallie quirked her eyebrow so Quinn continued. "The hair. It's pink because I just wanted to be different for a moment."
"Well..." Hallie twirled a strand on her finger. "I like it."
"Our ice cream is melting," Quinn sniffed. "We should probably -"
"Just let it melt."
Quinn wiped her nose and eyes and sat back down at the counter; Hallie followed suit.
"So Joseph is on the police force?" Hallie nodded. "And Caleb is how old?"
Hallie beamed. "About ten months."
"He's cute."
"He is, isn't he?" Hallie smiled at Quinn, her eyes no longer filled with tears. "Any cuties with you, Quinn? Any boy I should be worrying about?"
Rachel's face popped into Quinn's mind and Quinn shook her head, chuckling in spite of herself. "Nope."
She shifted in her seat, trying to find something to say to get rid of the thick tension. "What are your plans this trip?"
"I was -" Hallie took a deep breath. "I was hoping to spend it with you. Uh, Lima's Civic Center is premiering Grease this weekend. We can go if you want."
"I'm actually into musicals," Quinn said. "I'm in a show choir."
"Really?" Hallie smirked. "I did not see that coming."
Quinn shrugged. "You've been gone."
Hallie stood up, took their bowls to the sink and ran the water. "Yea, I have."
July 16, 2011
"Since when do you go to musical theatre?"
The two sisters skipped across the street, dolled in sundresses and shawls, to the Lima Civic Theatre where a people had formed a line outside.
"I got into it in college," Hallie replied. "Joseph's roommate, also his best man, was a theatre major."
They shuffled through the line and in fifteen minutes, they both were at the ticket booth. Hallie fished the credit card from her purse - $30 for two tickets - and paid. They weaved their way through the crowd in the lobby buzzing about this year's cast.
"What are our seats?" Quinn asked.
Hallie glanced at the tickets. "34 and 35 C. Hey, can you go grab a couple programs? I'll get out seats."
Quinn ran to the attendee at the auditorium doors and was given two programs. She had never gone to this theatre before and had no idea what kinds of people audition for the roles. It's a small town after all. She might know someone in the cast.
She flipped open the program while blindly walking towards her sister sitting at the seats. Danny, don't know him, Quinn pondered, trailing her index finger down the cast list. Sandy, Rizzo, Ken - what. Oh my god. Her eyes shot back to who was playing Rizzo.
"You alright, Quinn?"
She looked up from the program and noticed that she had frozen right in front of Hallie, staring at the program. Closing the program, Quinn gave Hallie's hers and sat down in seat 35C.
"Seriously, Quinn," Hallie pressed. "What's with the wide eyed look?"
"Nothing," coughed Quinn. "Someone I know is in the cast."
"He's got you all blushing. Do you like him? Who is it?"
Quinn gripped the arms rest of her seat and frantically shook her head. "No. No. It's actually a girl. Rachel Berry. Animal sweaters and skirts - somewhat annoying. She's captain of Glee and really loud -"
"- Quinn?"
"Yes?"
Hallie's eyes shot to Quinn's knuckles turning white from the grip then back to Quinn's eyes. "You're babbling."
Quinn bit her lip and put the program under her seat and folded her hands in her lap. Hallie eyed her wearily before turning her attention to the stage where the show was about to start. The lights dimmed only to have the lights on stage light up as the chorus began singing the Rydell Alma Mater. Few minutes later, the Pink Ladies skipped on stage and Quinn's eye's followed Rachel's figure as she sat down at the lunch table on the stage.
Rachel's hair was curled into hundreds of ringlets and her lips bright red with lipstick. She held an air of confidence that was so different from the confidence she wore during Glee club - this was a confidence of sexuality and popularity.
"Hey, hey, hey! Hey, where's all the guys?" Rachel projected her first line. Quinn's chest swelled with unprovoked pride.
"Those slobs," a woman Quinn did not know said, but Quinn's eyes remained on Rachel's Rizzo. "You think they'd spend a dime on their lunch? They're baggin' it."
"Pretty cheap." Rachel turned her body towards side C and Quinn noticed her eyes widen. She must see me, Quinn thought before the lights turned to black to signal the next scene. Quinn gulped, knowing that she would have to eventually see Rachel make out with a Kinickie on stage. She's seen Rachel make out with too many people that aren't her - No, Quinn scolded herself.
"That was Rachel?" Hallie whispered.
Quinn nodded and scooted to the edge of her seat. She spent the first half of the play at the edge, her chin resting on her fist. The acts seemed to speed by as Quinn held onto every word Rachel said, eyed every sway of the hips, and scowled (unknowingly) when Rachel shimmied against Kinickie during the high school dance scene. She noticed Hallie glancing at her every time Quinn would so much as tilt her head and she tried to ignore it.
The musical was coming to the end of Act II and what Quinn knew was Rizzo's big number, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do." The lights dimmed and a bright spotlight isolated Rachel in the makeshift bathroom. Five piano notes sounded and Rachel opened her mouth.
"There are worse things I could do... then go with a boy or two." Rachel smirked straight at the audience. "Even though the neighborhood thinks I'm trashy and no good."
"She's good," Hallie commented.
"Yes," Quinn said wistfully. "She really is."
Twenty minutes later, the curtain had closed and the house lights beamed. Quinn and Hallie pushed their way into the aisle only to be swept up by the horde of people trying to rush to the lobby.
"What did you think?" Hallie asked, grabbing Quinn by the elbow to pull her out of the way of two running children.
"Thanks," huffed Quinn. "I -"
"Quinn!"
Hallie and Quinn snapped their head back towards the stage to a small brunette jumping up and down.
"Quinn!" Rachel waved. "Come here. My dads want to say hi!"
Sure enough standing next to her were the two Berrymen, both in suit and tie; Hiram was holding a bouquet of flowers. Quinn mouthed "Sorry" to Hallie and led her back toward the stage to the Rachel and the men.
Hiram grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her into a hug to her surprise. "Hi," she squeaked. "Hello, Leroy."
"Quinn," he nodded. "Who's this?"
"Oh," Quinn spun to Hallie and pushed her towards the Berry family. "This is my sister, Hallie."
"It's great to meet you," Rachel beamed. "Quinn didn't tell me you were in town. It's great to meet someone from her family, though."
"Hello, Rachel. You did great tonight," Hallie said, side-eyeing Quinn.
Rachel actually curtsied at Hallie before wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck in an embrace. Quinn's felt her face turning red, due to the fact it was the closest they have physically been because Rachel's cleavage was covered by so little. And the cleavage reminded Quinn of dreams that lately she had been trying to forget.
"Thanks for coming," Rachel muttered in Quinn's ear.
The warmth of Rachel's body was hard to let go but Quinn pushed Rachel back. "You're welcome, Rachel," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck in unfounded nervousness. Hallie snatched the hand rubbing the neck and brought it down Quinn's side.
"Quinn said that you two know each other from Glee," Hallie inquired. Rachel's father muttered that they'd meet Rachel at the car, leaving just the girls.
"We do," Rachel replied. "Actually, we knew each other before Glee, but we weren't friends. I don't know exactly what we were but there were pornographic pictures drawn that -"
"Rachel!" yelped Quinn.
The brunette grimaced. "Sorry! But yes, we are in Glee together."
"Well, it was a great show, Rachel you should be proud. I did promise our mother that Quinn would be back by eleven so we do have to go. But it was great meeting you."
"It was great meeting you, too. And thank you, again, Quinn. We need to get together again soon."
"Yea..." Quinn drawled. "Maybe."
The girls hugged good-bye and Quinn stole one more peek over her shoulder at the girl's retreating figure before heading outside.
"So," Hallie started as they stepped outside. "You want to tell me what that was about?"
Quinn looked across the street both ways before motioned them to cross. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ok, because I'm just saying, you said earlier this week there was no guy and -"
The younger sister stopped dead in her tracks on the sidewalk and held her hand up to Hallie to shush her. "Are you really trying to imply what I think you're implying?"
Hallie gaped wordlessly at Quinn before finding her words. "Quinn, it's just... you stared at her the entire night. And - there was that girl - years ago -"
"Stop." Quinn's nostrils flared in frustration as she crossed her arms. "This is ridiculous, Hallie."
"Ok," the older sister said, backing up and raising her hands to signal giving up. "Never mind. The car's right around the corner."
They walked in silence, Quinn refusing to look at Hallie. Quinn jerked the car door open and threw herself into the passenger seat, resting her head on the glass. She remembered being in a similar situation earlier this summer with her mother.
Hallie roared the engine, only to suddenly turn it off.
"What're doing?" Quinn eyed the keys in the ignition.
"Joe's best man, the theatre major?" the older sister began, glancing at Quinn. "He's gay. And he's such a nice guy - the nicest I've ever met."
Quinn stared out the windshield and her eyes began to water. I'm not gay.
At Quinn's silence Hallie continued. "He's proposing to his boyfriend soon -"
"Why are you telling me this?" Quinn interrupted.
Hallie turned toward Quinn, her eyes looking at the girl with something, and tucked a piece of hair behind Quinn's ear. "I don't know," Hallie replied softly. "I just thought you'd need to hear it... I'm not going anywhere, Quinn."
Thanks for reading! I do like to improve my writing so constructive criticism is welcome.
Also, don't forget to follow me on Tumblr under seekingoutfriday. My AO3 name is the same but if you like Livejournal better, the name is seekingoutfri.