Chapter 9 – Norwalk

[07:02am] Good morning, beautiful! It's your big day!

[07:40am] Yo, get up, I'm worried

[09:10am] Am I gonna have to drive all the way to NY and get your sorry ass out of bed?

[09:55am] Hey, sorry

[09:55am] I decided to sleep in today, since I went to bed so late last night

[09:56am] Since when does Quinn Fabray uses "Yo"?

[10:01am] New Quinn :)

[10:03am] How you feeling?

[10:16am] Like I might throw up any time

[10:19am] Please, don't

[10:20am] I've made you something!

[10:23am] What is it?

[10:25am] It's a mixtape!

[10:26am] Or as we call it nowadays, a playlist

[10:26am] You can listen to it backstage, and hopefully it will help you calm down

[10:31am] That's very sweet! Thank you, Quinn!

[10:32am] Send me!

[10:35am] I'll wait until we're closer to showtime because I know that if I send it now you will listen now instead of waiting

[10:40am] I hate you

[10:44am] You do not

[10:58am] I just realized that there are no more rehearsals

[10:59am] Quinn, I don't remember anything

[11:06am] Rachel, you remember everything

[11:10am] God, I really don't wanna mess up this

[11:13am] Rach, baby, just relax

[11:14am] Why don't you take a good bath? With lots of bubbles

[11:15am] And maybe some candles

[11:19am] Okay... That sounds nice

[11:21am] Yes, good! Do that!

...

[01:03pm] What foods can I eat to assure I will not have a crazy stomachache in the stage?

[01:11pm] You should probably stick to foods you usually eat, not anything different

[01:12pm] Salads seem like a good idea

[01:16pm] Good, that way I'll also have a flat tummy tonight

[01:18pm] Oh, as if you needed to stop eating for that to happen

[01:21pm] Are you feeling better?

[01:25pm] Slightly

[01:26pm] I'm just really upset that dads couldn't come

[01:31pm] Oh, I didn't know that! I'm sorry :(

[01:33pm] Yeah... They'll only get to come next week

[01:34pm] Which is probably good because then they won't see me messing up stuff at the stage

[01:36pm] But still, it will be unnerving that I won't have any familiar comforting faces on the audience

[01:42pm] No one is coming?! What about your friends?

[01:44pm] Well, most of them are in the play too, so...

[01:49pm] Rachel why didn't you tell me? I would have come!

[01:53pm] I knew you would be busy with finals, I didn't wanna bother you

[01:54pm] You'll have many opportunities to watch it

[01:58pm] Yeah, but still...

[02:00pm] I will be there mentally, anyway

[02:01pm] If you get nervous just close your eyes for a millisecond and I'll be sitting right in the first row

[02:04pm] Promise?

[02:08pm] Of course!

[02:10pm] Okay...

[02:12pm] I better get going, they told me to be there by 3

[02:15pm] Alright! Keep me posted!

[02:16pm] Also, I'm sending you the playlist!

[02:19pm] Thank you so much! Xx

...

[03:46pm] I kinda hate you right now

[03:47pm] I'm sure my make up artist hates you more, though

[03:55pm] What did I do?

[03:58pm] She was almost done with my make up, Quinn

[03:59pm] And then I listened to your message between the songs in the mixtape

[04:01pm] And I cried my eyes out for good 10 minutes

[04:02pm] You have no idea how comforting it is to know how much you believe in me

[04:06pm] You weren't supposed to cry! You were supposed to be happy! and relaxed!

[04:09pm] I am happy! It was the best!

[04:11pm] Thank you so much, Quinn

[04:13pm] You keep saying that over and over and over...

[04:15pm] No, but really

[04:16pm] You're amazing, I don't know how did I get to be your friend!

[04:17pm] You keep helping me all the time and all I do is complain about my life to you

[04:18pm] I feel like I don't deserve you

[04:22pm] Rach, you deserve the world :)

[04:23pm] You just gotta go and take it! It's already yours!

[04:25pm] Can you be any more perfect?

[04:28pm] Yeah, probably lol

[04:31pm] Are you feeling better?

[04:36pm] Yeah, I think so

[04:37pm] I'm actually not feeling anything right now

[04:38pm] I'm not feeling nervous but I'm not excited either so idk

[04:40pm] Okay, we're going to the wings now

[04:41pm] Good luck again! I know you will do great!

...

[07:36pm] !

[07:38pm] How was it?

[07:41pm] QuinN!

[07:42pm] You're making me nervous! Tell me!

[07:44pm] It was amazing! This is the best day of my life!

[07:45pm] Quinn you can't believe how great I was!

[07:45pm] I remembered everything and I didn't stumble or fall and omg

[07:46pm] Once I stepped on the stage all my fears faded and I just knew what to do

[07:47pm] I'm honestly shaking I don't even know why, I think I'm just too happy!

[07:49pm] I love seeing you happy!

[07:50pm] I knew you would be perfect! You are perfect!

[07:51pm] God, I'm so glad it all turned out well

[07:52pm] Yes! Me too!

[07:53pm] Wait a sec, they're knocking at my door

[07:54pm] Alright!

...

[08:01pm] Quinn

[08:03pm] Yes?

[08:05pm] You got me flowers

[08:07pm] Yes, I did

[08:11pm] You took a big chance on saying congratulations, I could have messed up big time

[08:15pm] I always knew you wouldn't

[08:17pm] You treat me like a princess

[08:19pm] Well, aren't one?

[08:22pm] God, can I keep you?

[08:25pm] You don't really have a choice

[08:26pm] You're stuck with me, I'm your super-best friend, remember?

[08:28pm] I think you just got promoted to extra-super-best friend!

[08:32pm] Yay! Thank you!

[08:36pm] Thank YOU, for the flowers! They're beautiful! And for everything else, too!

[08:38pm] You're welcome!

[08:41pm] We're going out to celebrate now! I'll text you when I'm home!

[08:44pm] Alright! Have fun!

...

[01:58am] Hey, are you up?

[02:02am] Of course I am, I couldn't sleep without knowing all the details about tonight

[02:03am] Also, I'm working lol

[02:04am] Tell me everything!

[02:06am] It was amazing... My director congratulated me so much

[02:07am] And you know how I love compliments!

[02:09am] I certainly do

[02:10am] But I already know it was great, I want the details now

[02:12am] Really? Are you sure?

[02:14am] Of course I am! I'm dying with curiosity!

[02:16am] Alright

[02:17am] I said the first line of the play, and I can swear it felt like I was rising to the sky

[02:18am] And everything was flowing so great

[02:18am] But then Peter forgot one of his lines

[02:18am] I was in the wings, and I whispered it to him

[02:19am] I didn't think he would listen but he did, thankfully

[02:20am] His part wasn't that big anyway, so it's not like people would have noticed if he improvised

[02:21am] You saved him! You angel!

[02:22am] Then we got the break between acts and while they were doing my hair I closed my eyes and it felt like I was in heaven

[02:24am] I literally felt like I was floating and like I could do anything

[02:25am] And then on second act one of my clothes had ripped and I started to freak out internally

[02:26am] But it didn't compromise my performance at all

[02:27am] No one even realized it was ripped until I said so – it was tiny, really

[02:28am] They fixed it super quick

[02:30am] God, and Claire, the girl that plays my best friend

[02:31am] She sounded so amazing, Quinn

[02:32am] I wished you could have seen it

[02:34am] I wish I saw it too!

[02:36am] I'm rambling again

[02:37am] I'm sorry, I know I'm annoying, I'm just too excited

[02:38am] I feel like I'll never be able to fall asleep again, even though I'm exhausted

[02:40am] Rach, you never annoy me

[02:41am] I genuinely wanna know everything

[02:42am] You could talk to me about your favorite toothpaste and I'd still be interested

[02:45am] You're the best

[02:46am] Btw, why did you pick those flowers?

[02:48am] What do you mean?

[02:52am] Gardenias, specifically

[02:55am] I don't know... I guess I just always liked them

[02:58am] Alright, I have something to tell you

[03:01am] What?

[03:03am] Remember that prom, when Kurt got to be prom queen?

[03:04am] Finn gave you a gardenia corsage

[03:06am] Oh yeah

[03:07am] One of the few things he ever got right

[03:09am] Well, he didn't really

[03:11am] What do you mean?

[03:14am] I was the one who suggested he got you that corsage

[03:16am] How do you manage to always be in my best memories?

[03:19am] I guess it's just a gift! :)

[03:20am] Alright, I think I'll try to get some sleep now

[03:20am] I can tell you more tomorrow

[03:21am] Okay, you go

[03:22am] And congrats one more time

[03:23am] I'm so proud of you

[03:25am] Thank you!

[03:26am] I think I'm gonna listen to your message a few more times before sleeping

[03:27am] Turns out your voice does have quite a calming effect on me!

[03:29am] I'm glad

[03:30am] Goodnight, sweetheart

[03:32am] Goodnight, Quinnie!

Hey superstar! Do you still recognize my voice? I'm a New Quinn, but I don't think my voice has changed that much. Anyway. It's your big night! God, you have no idea how this night is important to me. I know it's important to you, but you don't get what it means to me. You see, from the very first time I saw you on a stage, I knew this day would come. The day people would see how much talent you had in you. Part of me is jealous that now you perform for so many people, when back then all your talents were just for the few people in our Glee Club. I never wanted to join Glee. I did it for all the wrong reasons, but once I was in – once I saw you singing for the first time, I knew I could never quit it. Your voice was better than the best lullabies, and it was what kept me together when everything in my life was falling apart. Your voice was always so important to me, and that's why I wanted to record this for you instead of just texting like we do all the time. I hope my voice can help at least one shred of what yours has helped me. Don't be nervous, beautiful. I know you are gonna rock their world, just like you rocked mine. You are so special, and they are gonna be infatuated by you the moment you open your mouth – I can bet my ass on it. I wish you all of luck! Or to break a leg, as they say. But please don't take this literally – I still wanna watch your play and I really don't wanna wait until you're recovered from a broken leg. Alright, this has gone for too long now. Work your magic, baby. I believe in you!

- Quinn Fabray