Day 4:
Rachel rested her head on Quinn's shoulders. The only source of light was flickering from the television and it was making her eyes tired. She snuggled closer to Quinn, her hand dipped into the popcorn. Quinn's hand was innocently around Rachel's waist, her head leaning against hers.
Jamie: Please don't pretend like you know me, ok?
Landon: But I do, I do. We've had all the same classes in the same school since kindergarten. Why you're Jamie Sullivan. You sit at lunch table 7. Which isn't exactly the reject table, but is definitely in self exile territory. You have exactly one sweater. You like to look at your feet when you walk. Oh, oh, and yeah, for fun, you like to tutor on weekends and hang out with the cool kids from "Stars and Planets." Now how does that sound?
"Bloody hell. He was fucking stalking her."They heard Jacob whispered. Rachel blushed. This scene was strangely familiar as her mind wandered a few days back.
"Look, you looked amazing in jeans and a good fitting shirt. Like the time when we were performing Empire State of Mind. Or better yet, those sinful looking shorts or skirts to short off your legs. You do not need this awful argyle sweater or that nun-like knee-length skirt!" Quinn huffed out, oblivious that she had just indirectly complimented Rachel. Rachel widened her eyes in surprised. Had Quinn been observing her? She almost laughed out loud at how absurd that thought was. But when Quinn continued, she was almost certain she was.
"And seriously, stop wearing colours that are maroon or yellow or whatever. You looked wayyyyyyy better in white or blue or black. Something classy yet not too over the top. And for the sake of Christ, stop wearing anything argyle! God." Quinn ran her hand through her hair in frustration.
She bit her lips to swallow a chuckle and her body shook with amusement. She felt the weight on her head lifted and could almost imagine Quinn's perfectly perked eyebrow. A few seconds later, the weight was back on. As the show played on, Rachel felt Quinn's caressing her gently and it made her heart flutter. She dropped her hand to meet Quinn's and their hands intertwined together instinctively. It came so naturally that neither questioned the need for their actions.
Jamie: You don't know the first thing about being someone's friend.
Landon: I don't want to just be your friend.
Jamie: You don't know what you want.
Landon: Neither do you. Maybe you're just too scared that someone might actually want to be with you.
Jamie: And why would that scare me?
Landon: Because then you wouldn't be able to hide behind your books, or your frickin' telescope, or your faith. No, no, you know the real reason why you're scared? It's cause you wanna be with me too.
Quinn felt her breath hitched and an awful tug in her heart. The words sting her for whatever reason. Rachel's hand was on her thigh, her eyes glued to the television, oblivious. Quinn took cautious breath, trying not to alarm Rachel although she was wreck inside her. There were thousands of thoughts gushing inside her, so tangled that she couldn't decipher. Instead, she focused on Rachel's random touches on her thigh. She felt a swell of emotion which was unfamiliar.
She tucked that behind her mind and shut the door.
Jamie: I'm sick.
Landon: I'll take you home. You'll be be...
Jamie: No. Landon! I'm sick. I have Leukemia.
Landon: No. You're 18. You - you're perfect.
Jamie: No. I found out two years ago and I've stopped responding to treatments.
Landon: So why didn't you tell me?
Jamie: The doctor said I should go on and live life normally as best I could. I - I didn't want anybody to be weird around me.
Landon: Including me?
Jamie: Especially you!
[Jamie looks down]
Jamie: [Landon gets upset]
Jamie: Ya know, I was getting along with everything fine. I accepted it, and then you happened! I do not need a reason to be angry with God.
There was soft sniffing everywhere. Rachel felt Quinn's body tensed and stopped breathing altogether. She could feel her heartbeat quickened and she tilted her head to see Quinn's eyes shimmering with tears. Rachel lifted her head from Quinn's shoulders and they ended up locking eyes. There was vulnerability in her eyes which she tried to hide it by breaking the contact. But Rachel held on to her face and brushed the fallen tears away. She gave her a small grin.
The words, which sounded pretty much like her voice, ringing beside Quinn's ears: I do not need another reason to be angry with God.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Jamie: You're acting like a crazy person, what's going on?
Landon: Right now, you're straddling the state line.
Jamie: OK...
Landon: You're in two places at once.
Small murmured of "Awwws" and a fairly loud "So sweet" from Alice erupted. Quinn could feel Rachel's smile against her shoulders. "I would love to cuddle and watch the sunrise with the one I love." She murmured and Quinn made a mental note to file that information aside. Friends do that all the time, right? "But Finn said it was stupid to wake up at 5am and-"She stopped abruptly.
Quinn felt a punch in her stomach and her chest constricted at the same time. They tensed at Rachel's words and all movement was halted, waiting for the ball to drop. The atmosphere thickened with the unspoken realization.
Moments passed before Quinn whispered softly. "I just wish that one day Rachel Berry would just give me one of her solos." She felt Rachel's body relaxed and a slight slap on her thigh. "Never." She said and her hand resumed with the random caressing.
"Never say never." Quinn replied lightly and they chuckled, so that they wouldn't cry.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
This was Rachel's third time watching the show but it never failed to make her feel hopeful in love again. She could feel Quinn tilted her head to smell her hair and she tried hard not to smile at that gesture. She liked Quinn's touches and closeness... the way her body melted to hers and the way-
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a vibration in her pocket. Rachel frowned, almost forgotten she had her phone with her since she hardly used it for this trip. Her head moved away from Quinn (who gave a small groan in protect and made Rachel's heart skipped a beat) and pulled out her phone.
Her heart was caught in her throat. She blinked and quickly dropped her phone before Quinn could get a glimpse. She turned to her with a slight shrug, hoping to put her excellent acting skills to use.
"My Dad's calling."She avoided all eye-contacts with Quinn and excused herself from the lobby. Rachel almost succeeded, if not for the rigid body language and the guilty look on her face. Quinn felt an absolute pain in her chest and a massive ball of jealousy inside her, assuming her guess was right. But most of all, she felt cold without her warmth.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Once she was sure she was out of ear-shot, Rachel slowly dragged her fingers to the accept button, an intense sense of guilt and dread drowning her as Finn.s name and their picture flashing furiously like a warning alarm.
She took a deep dive."Hello?" Her voice was soft and it quivered lightly. Thank god Finn was never somebody to notice.
"Rachel." Finn breathed out with so much affection that it made her cringed. Where was all the damn guilt coming from?
"Hey."
She could hear Finn shuffled his weight awkwardly between his feet. When was the last time they had spoken? 3 days ago. When had things changed so abruptly?
"I've missed you." Rachel closed her eyes and willed herself not to break down and apologize profusely for...whatever. God, how does one manage this unexplained guilt? She knew Finn was waiting for her to drop the same line.
"I've missed you too." She whispered. She had, honestly... kinda. She heard Finn sighed with relief.
"Sorry that I didn't call earlier. Our schedule was packed with all the sight seeing and..."His voice turned into a muffled as Rachel's thought drifted to Quinn. A cube of ice slipped down her throat and landed squarely into her stomach.
"... And we were at Times Square and I...I've thought of you. Our plan to spend Christmas in new York together." All she wanted to do was to tuck away all guilt as Finn continued talking. Once upon a time she was a girl who would worship the floor he walked on.
What happened to that girl?
"Rachel are you ok? You're quiet today." Finn asked with concern. Rachel cleared her throat to mask the burning guilt.
"Just feeling under the weather."
Finn paused. "Was it raining there?"
Rachel sighed inwardly. "No Finn. I mean I'm not feeling well."
Rachel could almost see the bulb lighted up in Finn's head and his mouth dropped to an 'O'.
"You okay baby?" And Rachel cringed. She refused to put much thoughts into her reflex reaction.
"Yea, just food poisoning. Better now." She heard Finn heaved a relief and the guilt in her intensified.
"Okay. I think you better rest well. We are er...now on our way back to our hotel and the rest said Hi to you two. And...er..." He dropped his voice. "Is Quinn ok?"
Rachel panicked at the mentioned of Quinn. She swallowed a lump, her heart racing in her. "Yea of course." Another lumped was swallowed. "Why?"
"Oh okay. Something happened during the trip and she may not like it." He whispered again."Anyway, i gotta go." His voice was back to normal and for once, Rachel didn't probed. Because she had a feeling that Finn may not like what happened between them as well.
But what exactly happened between them?
"Love you Rachel.
"Love you too Finn."
"See you in 4 days."He said casually and the line was cut.
Rachel stood dead at the corridor, overwhelmed by the stab of reality forced upon her. The timer started its countdown.
Just 4 more days.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
When Rachel was back, the show has already ended and the lights were back on.
"I'm going for White Chicks, sorry Bell." Edward raised his hand as he leaned against his partner. Bella's hand was across her chest in slight displease. Alice grinned. "What about you, Dean?"
Dean yawned and shook his head tiredly. "I'm dead tired man, I'm going to bed. Count us out." He gave a loud yawn again before leaving with Castiel.
The guilty look was still on Rachel's face when she settled herself between Quinn's legs and melted into her. Quinn didn't realize how much she had missed her. Her smell, her warmth, her heartbeat... She drew her legs up and Rachel placed her left hand lazily on it.
Quinn started played with Rachel fingers, contented to just stay there with Rachel and just go along with whatever which was playing. She doubted she would be watching much...not when Rachel was so close to her.
"Rachel?" Quinn's eyes snapped up as she heard the name and found 6 pair of eyes staring at them. Rachel cleared her throat and straightened her back. This posture only meant... Quinn scrunched her nose in expectation.
"I hope you guys would allow me to express my utter most displeased that my valuable opinion on this critical matter was not considered when the nominations were made. It is essential for the right choice of show to have the right mixture of different stimulations and yet still managed to remain light-hearted. Therefore, the show should include humour, love, songs, dancing and, may I add, education as well. White chicks or Harry potter certainly does not fit in the stringent criteria and does not add any valuable entertainment or essential education to the next 3 hours of our precious, short-lived life. So instead of focusing on our own needs and desire, let us take a moment and consider the implications of our choice made at this very moment."
Quinn stifled a laugh as she took in the other's expressions. Alice's face was comical, her jaws was almost hitting the floor. Bella's eyes widened in disbelief, her face crumbled like she was tasting something bitter.
"The fuck?" She heard Jacob murmured and Quinn's body was shaking with laughter. Rachel slapped Quinn's thigh in annoyance and cleared her throat again.
"So in my humble but very vital opinion, I strongly believe and feel that we should immerse and dedicate our next 3 hours of life to the musical, Sound of Music. It is educating and stimulating to young adults..."Her eyes roamed to Shane. "...or not so young adults. And most importantly, it's a timeless classic that will never die out, unlike all of the other mentioned shows. And may I add-" Alice held up her hand and Rachel paused, slightly unhappy to be interrupted in the middle of her speech. The room was finally quiet.
"Can somebody just bring that god-damn Sound of Music?"
As the lights turned off and the only source of light was back to the flickering of the television, Rachel melted back into Quinn's body, her head leaning against the wall beside Quinn's head. Quinn tilted her head slightly and saw Rachel engrossed in, what must be the hundredth time she was watching the show. She squeaked in anticipation and hummed along with the songs. Quinn closed her eyes and heard their heartbeat synchronising into a singular pulse. The scene from the previous show playing as the soft beating of their heartbeats faded into the background.
Jamie: How can you see places like this... and have moments like this and not believe?
Landon: You're lucky to be so sure.
Jamie: It's like the wind. I can't... see it, but I feel it.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Movie - A walk to remember
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