Chapter 15 – The Truth

"Who is that?" Kurt asked, trying to look at Rachel's vibrating phone.

"No one," Rachel said, snatching it up so he couldn't see.

"No one has been calling a lot lately," Kurt remarked. "Is it Finn? You two didn't have some sort of dalliance while we were in Lima, did you?"

"Of course not," Rachel replied in exasperation.

"Then who is it?" Kurt inquired.

"I told you, it's no one," Rachel stated.

"Well, no one has been calling here repeatedly for the past week, which makes me think no one is actually someone," Kurt replied.

Rachel sighed. "It's just Quinn.

"Why are you ignoring Quinn?" Kurt asked

"I simply do not want to talk to her at the moment," Rachel said, not wanting to get into this conversation right now.

"Why not?" Kurt eyed her suspiciously. "Did she do something to you?"

Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Not exactly."

"Did she try to do something?" Kurt asked.

Rachel didn't want to tell him that Quinn tried to kiss her. She was having a hard enough time trying to wrap her head around it without him knowing. He would want to talk about it and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Plus, if she told him about the almost kiss, she would be outing Quinn and she didn't know how the blonde would feel about that.

"Not exactly," Rachel repeated after a moment.

"Then what's going on?" Kurt asked. "I thought you two were finally putting the past behind and sort of becoming friends."

"We were—are," Rachel replied. "Listen, there's nothing going on, okay? I just don't feel like talking at the moment."

"If there's nothing going on then why were you two acting so weird at your fathers' cookout?" Kurt observed.

"We were not acting weird," Rachel lied.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Please, anyone with eyes could see it. You two only spoke once all night and the rest of the time you were blatantly avoiding her."

She hated how observant her best friend was; it was hard to get anything past him. He had always loved gossip, though, and was always on the lookout for something interesting. Sometimes it was nice—he was often observant enough to know when something was wrong with her—but at times like this, it was a nuisance.

"I was not avoiding her," Rachel replied. "I was trying to be a good hostess. Plus, I see Quinn often, so I was speaking to the people I don't get to see as often.

Kurt gave her a dubious look and said, "If you say so."

Rachel cleared her throat as she looked away. ."We should probably get ready; we wouldn't want to be late."

"Did you hear that, Munchkin?" Kurt asked. "Time to put the paint up."

Beth shot him a slightly disgruntled look from across the room that reminded Rachel very much of Quinn. She put the paintbrush down, nevertheless, closed the lid to her paints, and began walking to the kitchen. After her last brush got destroyed when she forgot to rinse the paint out, Rachel assumed she was going to clean her brush this time.

Rachel sighed and pouted. "I really don't want to go today."

She thought maybe after the first time it would be better, but bringing Kurt along the second time just seemed to exacerbate the problem. Sheila and her friends—or as Kurt referred to them, minions—made it no secret that they didn't want Beth in the class. Rachel did her best to ignore their catty comments; it wasn't always easy, but she wasn't about to make a scene with so many children around.

"I guess I should change," Rachel said.

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing," Rachel said, looking down. "I would just like to look my best."

Kurt nodded. "As a big su—" Kurt paused and watched as Beth walked by, "suck it to those bitchy mothers?"

Rachel laughed. "I don't know if I would have put it quite like that, but yes."

"Well, I already look perfect, so I guess I will help Beth get ready," Kurt said, nudging Rachel with his shoulder.

Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend and then nudged him back. She stood and began walking to her bedroom when Kurt called after her, saying, "So, everything is okay between you and Quinn?"

"Yes, Kurt," Rachel replied.

It was mostly true; she wasn't exactly angry with Quinn, just confused. She and Quinn had fought over Finn for nearly the entirety of high school, so for the blonde to come out to her was beyond a shock for Rachel. It was something she never saw coming and something she was still having a hard time fully believing.

Rachel, Kurt, and Beth walked into the dance studio and immediately ran into Sheila and one of her friends. They tried to slip by without being seen, but just when Rachel thought they had made it, the two women turned in their direction.

"Oh, you're back," Sheila said with a fake smile.

"Yes," Rachel said, squaring her shoulders, and making sure she was standing up to her full height, which was far below both of the women in front of her.

"I'm surprised," Sheila commented.

"Why is that?" Rachel asked, putting on a fake smile of her own.

"I don't know," Sheila said with a shrug. "I just assumed you would have other things to do. Most young people don't come to things like this."

"Yes, well, I am here this week and I will be here every other week as well," Rachel stated.

"Subtle," Kurt whispered when Sheila gave another fake smile and turned her back on them, walking away.

Rachel narrowed her eyes at the back of Sheila's head before turning around to see if Zoe and Emma were there yet. As she looked around, though, she caught sight of a different blonde—one she wasn't expecting to be there.

"What is Quinn doing here?" she whispered harshly to Kurt.

"I invited her," Kurt replied.

Rachel scoffed, furrowing her brows together. "Why did you invite her? More importantly, why did you invite her without informing me?"

"We were talking at the cookout and dance class came up," Kurt said, shrugging. "She was asking about it, so I told her she should come along and see for herself."

"But why didn't you tell me?" Rachel asked.

"I didn't know I needed to," Kurt replied. "You two are friends now, aren't you? I asked what was going on with you two, but you said it was nothing, so I didn't think it would be a problem."

Rachel sighed. It was a problem, but she couldn't tell Kurt that; if she did, she would have to tell him that she was lying about everything else and he would want an explanation. Instead, she shrugged slightly and looked in Quinn's direction again. The blonde was walking toward them, and Rachel squared her shoulders again.

"Hey," Quinn said as she approached.

"Hello," Rachel stiffly greeted.

Kurt looked at Rachel, raising his eyebrow at her before looking at Quinn. "Hi."

Rachel felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see Beth looking at something across the room. When she followed her gaze, she spotted Zoe and Emma near the corner of the room. Zoe gave a little wave, smiling at her, and Rachel waved back.

"Can I go play with her?" Beth asked.

"Yes, you may," Rachel replied.

Beth let go of her hand and practically ran across the room to her new friend while Zoe walked toward them. She put her hand on Beth's head, ruffling her hair as she walked by and smiling at her.

"Someone's eager," Kurt remarked.

"Emma's been the same way all day," Zoe said, looking over her shoulder as she walked up to them. "She kept asking last Friday why class was cancelled." Zoe laughed. "She didn't care that it was the Fourth of July." She looked at Quinn. "Hi, I'm Zoe."

Quinn looked down at the woman's outstretched hand for a few moments and then took it, shaking her hand. "Quinn."

The smile Quinn gave was a smile Rachel had seen far too often. It wasn't even remotely sincere, but would appear so to anyone who didn't know the blonde. Rachel had seen it many times when Quinn was trying to get her way about something during high school, and it was clear to her that she already didn't like Zoe. Kurt obviously sensed it, too, because he looked at Rachel and gave her a knowing frown.

"Zoe's daughter, Emma, is also in the class," Rachel said, pointing across the room at the little girl with Beth.

"Yes, she's Beth's friend," Kurt added, stressing the last two words.

"That's nice," Quinn replied.

Rachel's noticed Quinn's shoulders relax a little, but she was still looking at Zoe rather intently. She didn't know what the blonde's problem was with the other woman—they had just met, after all—but she didn't want Quinn scaring her away. Emma was the first and only friend Beth had made since coming to New York and Rachel quite liked Zoe. She wasn't like a lot of the people she had met in the city; she was definitely more down to earth, but Rachel figured that was because she was one of the first people she'd met that wasn't trying to be on Broadway, be a model, or some other part of the entertainment industry. She didn't know the other woman that well, but she hoped to become friends with her. Having a child, Zoe could definitely relate more to her situation than most people Rachel knew and she thought it would be nice to have a friend like that.

"Are you another roommate of Rachel's?" Zoe asked.

"No, I'm—a friend from high school," Quinn replied.

"Wow," Zoe said, smiling. "I don't think I'm friends with anyone I went to high school with. You guys are lucky to be able to stay friends like that."

Kurt hummed and said, "Yes, we're real lucky."

"It is nice," Rachel said and looked at Quinn, hoping she would get the hint.

Quinn crossed her arms over her chest, watching Zoe with far too much intensity, but at least she didn't look like she was going to say anything else.

"Did you guys have a good Fourth?" Zoe asked.

"Yes, I do think the cookout was a success," Rachel replied. "They're already talking about doing it again next year and inviting even more people. They're also talking about getting an even bigger grill."

"Did they just get that one?" Kurt asked.

"They did," Rachel replied, shaking her head.

Zoe laughed. "Well, it sounds like you had a good time."

"Another friend of yours?"

Rachel sighed at the sound of Sheila's voice and turned around. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just curious," Sheila replied. "It must be nice having so many friends around to help you with your daughter. You are so young, after all, and I'm sure you could use."

Rachel bristled at the comment. "Wh—"

"Yes, it is nice that she has so many friends that are there for her," Quinn said, tilting her head as she gave a cold smile. "I think we're all here not only because we want the best for Beth, but because we know Rachel's going to be a huge Broadway star one day and we'll do anything to make sure her dream comes true. After all, it would be such a shame for someone as talented as her to end up in some mindless job where she's selling houses and then has to come home to a husband who's cheating on her with the nanny, which she had to get because she didn't have time for Beth."

Kurt and Zoe both looked away, clearly trying not to laugh, and Quinn remained looking at the older woman. Sheila narrowed her eyes while her friend scoffed, and Rachel wondered what they were going to do. Without saying a word, Sheila turned on her heel, walking away to the rest of her friends.

"I should go check on Emma," Zoe said, her voice laced with amusement.

"I'll help you," Kurt said, no longer hiding the fact that he was laughing.

"You didn't have to do that," Rachel said when she was left alone with Quinn, and the blonde shrugged but didn't say anything. "But thank you."

Quinn looked at her for a moment before saying, "You're welcome."

"Are you hungry?" Rachel asked when Beth bound up to them after class.

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"Would you like to join us?" Rachel asked, turning to Zoe.

"I would love to, but I have to get home," Zoe replied. "I'm working a late shift and I'm already cutting it close, so I need to run."

Rachel smiled at her. "I'll see you next week, then."

"Bye, guys," Zoe said, giving them a smile as she took Emma's hand.

Emma waved at them as she walked by and Rachel waved back. "Bye."

"What about you, Quinn?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, I don't think I should," Quinn replied.

"Why not?" Kurt inquired.

"I just—" Quinn paused.

"You should come," Rachel said when Quinn seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked.

Kurt's eyebrow rose when Rachel looked at him. "Yes, it's fine."

"Okay, I guess I will," Quinn said.

Rachel nodded. "Alright."

"Well, now that that's settled," Kurt said, looking between them with a curious look on his face. "Shall we go?"

"Do you want to go to our usual?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Beth replied. "Can we get ice cream first?"

Rachel laughed. "Maybe after we eat first, okay?"

"Okay," Beth said, sounding slightly disappointed.

In the past, any time Beth sounded the least bit disappointed, it made Rachel feel guilty. Luckily, she quickly learned that Beth was going to be disappointed sometimes, but she couldn't give in. She was the adult and she needed to do what was best, which wasn't always going to be what the little girl wanted. She'd just lost so much, though, and Rachel wanted to do everything she could to make her happy, so it was a battle sometimes, but she thought she was doing an okay job with it. She was certainly trying to do her best, anyway.

As they walked to the café, Kurt chatted away with Beth and Quinn, but Rachel remained relatively silent, too lost in her thoughts to really contribute much to the conversation. She was constantly watching Quinn, trying to look for—well, she didn't really know. Maybe just something that would give her some clue to who Quinn Fabray was, because every time she thought she had her partially figured out, she would do something to completely shatter everything Rachel thought she knew about her.

Along the way, she fell a bit behind everyone else and eventually Kurt looked back, noticing her lagging behind. She could no longer hear what they were saying, but Kurt clearly whispered something to Quinn and then turned, pausing while everyone else continued forward. As soon as she caught up to him, he fell in step beside her and stared at her profile as she tried to act nonchalant. He had that look in his face that he got when he wanted to talk, but this was definitely not the time or the place for that.

"So," Kurt said, still looking at her.

Rachel didn't say anything; instead, she smiled at him and continued walking in hopes that he would just drop it. This was Kurt, though, and she knew the chances of that happening were slim to none. Kurt didn't just let things go; he pushed and prodded until the person gave in and told him what he wanted to know. Luckily she'd had a lot of experience with it and had been known to hold out for months. Right now, she definitely needed time to think about everything without Kurt knowing, so, until she was ready to talk about it, she would stay silent.

"Okay, seriously, what's going on with you and Quinn?" Kurt asked.

"There's nothing going on," Rachel replied.

"You're my best friend and I know when something's wrong," Kurt stated.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Kurt."

"You could tell me the truth," Kurt replied.

"Who says I'm not?" Rachel asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Rachel, there are a lot of things you are amazing at, but lying is most certainly not one of them. Now, we can do this the hard way or we can do it the easy way. So, tell me."

"There's nothing to tell, Kurt," Rachel replied.

"You know I will get it out of you," Kurt stated.

"Not if there's nothing to get out of me," Rachel retorted.

"But there is," Kurt replied. "You and Quinn have barely said a word to each other all day, you have been ignoring her since the cookout, possibly before, and you've been watching her all evening like she's going to suddenly do something. I may not know what's going on, but I definitely know it's something, and the fact that you won't talk about it makes me think it's something big."

"Can we not talk about this right now," Rachel whispered when Quinn looked back at them.

"She's too far away to hear us," Kurt pointed out.

"Even if I was going to speak with you about it—not that there's anything to talk about, but if there was, this wouldn't be the time," Rachel replied.

"Fine," Kurt replied. "But we will talk about this again when we're alone."

Rachel knew Kurt meant well—prying was one of the ways he showed he cared—but she wished he would stop in this case. She wasn't going to talk to him about it any time soon, but she knew he was going to bring it up any chance he got. She'd experienced this many times, so she knew exactly what was to come. She wondered if she just explained it to him that she needed time to process it, he would leave her alone for the moment. It was worth a try, anyway.

"No," Kurt said, taking a drink.

"Please," Beth begged.

"I'm still eating," Kurt stated.

"Please," Beth said again, jutting out her lower lip.

Kurt sighed. "Fine."

Rachel shook her head, smiling. Her best friend never could seem to resist when Beth flat-out begged, which, thankfully, was not that often. She usually only did it when she really wanted something, so it retained its effectiveness since it didn't happen a lot. Of course, Rachel couldn't say too much about it because the one time Beth did it to her, she gave in as well. Sometimes she wished she had been around children more; maybe then she would be immune to their begging and wouldn't give in so quickly.

"Do you two want to come?" Kurt asked.

"I'm still eating," Rachel said, taking a bite of her sandwich for emphasis.

"Ditto," Quinn replied.

Kurt sighed again and said, "Okay, let's go get you that ice cream."

Beth's face brightened as she jumped down from her seat and rushed toward the door. The little girl loved ice cream far too much and it was something they always had to get when they were anywhere near a place that sold it. Thankfully, she didn't eat a lot of other junk food, so Rachel didn't feel too bad about letting her have ice cream every now and then.

"I'll be back," Kurt said. "Make sure they don't take my food away."

"Okay," Rachel said in amusement.

He walked away, leaving her alone with Quinn, which she was a little less amused by. They ate for a while in awkward silence; Rachel wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say. She just wished she knew what was going through Quinn's mind right now, but she was too afraid to ask. The silence was driving her nuts, though, and she had to say something, so before she knew it, she was asking, "Why did you almost kiss me."

Quinn looked up and Rachel felt like a deer in the headlights. She had just blurted out the question with no thought and the moment it left her lips, she wished she could take it back, but the question was out there, and whether or not she wanted an answer, she was probably going to get it.

"I thought that was obvious," Quinn replied after another minute of silence.

"Well, not to me," Rachel said, looking down. "It came completely out of nowhere. I think we're finally maybe becoming friends and then you try to kiss me."

"I already apologized," Quinn replied. "I know I shouldn't have done it like that, but I guess it was one of the best evenings I'd ever had and I got lost in the moment."

"What does that even mean?" Rachel asked.

Quinn sighed. "I like you, okay."

Rachel shook her head; there was no way that was true. "You hate me."

"I don't hate you," Quinn replied. "I wouldn't be here if I did."

"How long?" Rachel asked.

"How long what?" Quinn asked back.

"How long have you—had feelings for me?" Rachel could barely get the words out; they felt so crazy coming out of her mouth, being directed at Quinn. "Is this why you bullied me in high school. Did you have feelings for me then, too?"

Quinn shook her head. "No, I didn't have feelings for you in high school. This is a more recent development." Quinn looked down. "I bullied you in high school because I was jealous of you."

"Jealous?" Rachel asked. "Of me? You had everything in high school; what would you have to be jealous over?"

"I told you before about how much I wanted to get out of Lima," Quinn replied. "I knew you were going to be one of the few people to get out of that town and I hated you for it. Plus, you were always screwing up my plans. I thought I would marry Finn and live out the life I thought I was supposed to have, but you kept getting in the way of that. So, yes, I was jealous of you, so I did a lot of things I'm not proud of."

"So—how recent of a development is it?" Rachel wondered.

"I don't know," Quinn replied, cradling her glass of water in her hands. "When Puck tricked us and I first saw you at the restaurant, I was surprised at how attractive you were."

"I haven't changed that much since high school," Rachel pointed out.

"I know," Quinn replied. "I realized how wrong I was about you back then. The more I came around, the more I realized I was actually attracted to you. Believe me, it was a surprise for me too, and it was never my plan to spring it on you like that. I wasn't even going to tell you anytime soon because I know you still don't trust me and I didn't want you to think it was some trick I was playing on you."

"That did cross my mind more than once," Rachel admitted.

"Can we both just forget that I tried to kiss you?" Quinn asked. "Because I do want to be your friend and I hate how weird things are right now. And unless you tell me to go away, I have no intention of doing so. I love seeing Beth and I like having you and Kurt as friends and getting to know you guys."

She knew it wasn't possible to forget that the other woman attempted to kiss her, but she said, "Okay."

"Thank you," Quinn replied. "And I promise I'll never try to do it again."

Rachel nodded and smiled slightly. She believed Quinn when she said she wouldn't try it again, but she wished she could forget that it ever happened the first time so things could go back to the way they were. She didn't begrudge Quinn for it, but this was all just too much for her at the moment.