Chapter 5
Quinn spends the first half of the new semester and new year feeling more confident about herself and putting herself out there in her new life at Yale. Before she really knows what is happening, she is managing a girl band on campus called Three Pines. The band is made up of three women who bonded over their home state of Maine and love of Americana music.
Quinn met Merritt in her Media Influences class. Each student in the class had to create a presentation promoting something that doesn't actually exist using a media persuasion tactic. Quinn promoted a band that she made up in her mind and that caught Merritt's attention. She asked Quinn if she'd want to meet her and a couple of her friends that weekend for some drinks and music. With Quinn promising herself she would stop hiding herself away, she agreed to meet them.
When Quinn showed up to the bar just off campus, she realized Merritt was actually performing a short set with her band. Merritt took the lead as the main singer. They sang mostly covers, with some original songs mixed in. Quinn was captivated. They were genuinely talented. Behind Merritt's vocals was Drew, who took up playing anything with strings. Quinn swears she never played the same instrument twice. Elodie made up the third member. She alternated between the keyboard and drums.
Three Pines found Quinn after their set. They were high on their performance, talking Quinn into taking a round of shots with them. Quinn couldn't help but get caught up in it, feeling like she was right there performing with them, too. That was when Merritt brought up her media presentation. She explained to Quinn how impressed she was with the presentation and that Three Pines needs someone like her if they want to continue their band outside of their college campus.
Quinn became intimidated all at once. She explained that she hasn't ever managed anything before, let alone a band. Drew stepped in then and explained that she just met Quinn and yet can tell that Quinn is a natural leader, a HBIC attitude. Quinn flashes back to leading the Cheerios to all their success in high school. She is still hesitant, not wanting to slip back into that type of attitude that she has tried so hard to leave behind. She says as much. Merritt tells her she can think about it, come to a few practices and hang outs and see that there is a way to take her natural personality and use it for good.
Quinn spends the next few weeks meeting up with the three of them; whether it is to watch their practices, performances, or simply hanging out and getting to know each other. Quinn realizes quickly that they aren't the Cheerios and that she isn't the captain anymore. That this could be different. She doesn't have Sue putting unreasonable expectations on her, or Russell demanding a certain image of the Fabray name maintained.
She agrees to help the band, and falls easily into the role of manager. She starts creating flyers, contacting radio stations and local news channels to get the Three Pines name out there. She convinces bars and events to book Three Pines. They start to gather a following. Quinn starts to see some of the same faces showing up to their gigs. She also sees that they are attracting new faces as well. She starts to identify the type of demographic they are attracting, and begins tailoring her advertisements to reach that group and beyond.
Before Quinn knows it, she is a part of something. She is emgood/em at something without it being at the expense of herself or someone else. She has three new close friends. She is enjoying herself. She goes to her student advisor and changes her major to public relations and management.
…
Rachel spends the first half of her new semester and new year auditioning and landing the lead role in the NYADA Spring Musical. The musical is written and directed by students. It is a great start for her, to get the feel of how the rest of her future will go.
Even better news, Brody gets cast in the opposite lead role, their chemistry already built. They already work well together, and Rachel doesn't have to deal with someone new learning how to deal with her dramatic antics. Rachel also doesn't have to learn how to deal with someone else's dramatics. Brody has always been level headed, breaking the stereotype of leading men in her life.
She throws herself in the musical, learning her lines and directions. She has little time for anything else. But, a new development in her life is the advancement of her relationship with Quinn. Although they still haven't ventured out of visiting each other in their new lives, Quinn has made it a point to text Rachel each day, keeping her updated on her life and asking Rachel for the same. They occasionally have phone calls and facetimes; those usually lasting hours, going late into the night and cutting into their bed times. Rachel is grateful for this development, no longer having to wait until she sees Quinn in Lima to know what is going on with her.
Rachel makes sure that, despite her demanding schedule with the musical and her regular classes, she will be able to make it home for Spring Break. She has done the hard work of convincing Quinn to attend McKinley's homecoming, put on by the Glee Club. They are honoring the New Directions alumni, and raising money for their own Nationals trip. Rachel bought Quinn a ticket, making it impossible for her to turn her down. Rachel only had to promise that she wouldn't make Quinn perform.
…
Quinn rolls her eyes at herself. She feels like she is going to prom all over again; only this time she's taking Rachel Berry and no longer backstabbing people for a Dollar Tree crown.
She does want to make this night special for Rachel. She feels like she owes her that much for ruining junior and senior prom, having slapped her at one and sabotaging her all the way up to the night of for the other. She knows she helped rig the election to give Rachel the crown, but that was only to try to clear her conscience of using a wheelchair to get that far.
Quinn reminds herself that this isn't prom, that they're not in high school, and who she was then isn't who she is now. She looks at the corsage in its box on the seat beside her. She reaches over to grab it and hides it under her truck bench. She has successfully talked herself out of giving it to Rachel, embarrassment getting the best of her.
She steps out of her truck, smoothing out her jumper she decided on. She promised herself a while back she'd never wear a dress again if she didn't want to, and this night is no exception. She settled on the navy blue romper; it's tailored down to her ankles where her cream colored heels finish it off. It is sleeveless with a deep v-cut that shows off her braless chest. Her hair is pinned back on one side with a diamond pin.
She looks at herself in her truck's side mirror at her makeup. It's more makeup than she has wore in what feels Iike years, maybe it has been years. She straightens back up and starts her walk towards Rachel's front door, feeling too much like a teenage boy picking up his date.
She knocks on the door where she is greeted with both Berry men, LeRoy has an expensive camera hanging from his neck and Hiram squeals. "Quinn, honey, you look emdivine/em!" Hiram clutches his chest.
"Thank you, Mr. Berry." They've given up trying to get her to refer to them by their first names. "Is Rachel ready?"
"Yes, I am." Quinn's eyes travel to the top of the staircase, where she sees Rachel slowly making her way down, or maybe that's just Quinn's brain making everything appear in slow motion.
Rachel is wearing a short, soft pink (the softest pink Quinn has ever seen) strapless dress. Her smooth, tan skin is shining everywhere it's being shown off. Her brown hair is sleek, framing each side of her face. She has topped the look off with shiny silver jewelry hanging from her ears and a silver "R" hanging between her breasts. Quinn's eyes travel down her legs, endless for someone so short, to a pair of silver heels, her pink toenails peeking out.
"Rachel, you look beautiful." LeRoy says, raising the camera, capturing the moment. Hiram clutched his chest even harder, his other hand wiping away a tear. "You made your father speechless, sweetheart." LeRoy reaches over to pat Hiram's shoulder.
Rachel smiles as she steps down the last step. She looks down at herself before she finally looks at Quinn. She nervously plays with the ring on her finger. "You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen, Quinn."
Quinn meets her eyes, "Wow, Rach," is all she can manage. Rachel looks away, bashfully.
"Get together girls! We need all the pictures!" LeRoy huddles them together. The next ten minutes pass with the Berry men shuffling the girls in front of different decorations in the house for the best picture, posing them with each other. Then they take turns getting in each picture.
They make it out of the house and down the sidewalk. Quinn has an internal battle about whether she should open Rachel's door or not. She reasons that Rachel is in a dress and it wouldn't be weird for a friend to do that.
Rachel whispers, "Thank you," as she climbs in the passenger side. Quinn nods and shuts the door. Taking a few deep breaths to let her nerves out, she walks over to the driver's side.
They talk about the warmer weather and who all is showing up to the dance on the ride to the school. Rachel is excited to meet the new glee club members and Quinn shares that she's excited for Santana and Brittany to get their slow dance they never got in high school. They make a bet on whether or not Mr. Schue will take this opportunity to finally propose to Emma.
They arrive to find Sue in a full tux, bossing the Cheerios around to greet all the guests. Quinn assumes she has ulterior motives to this "help" she is giving the glee club.
They find the round table that is reserved with each old glee club member's name. Quinn and Rachel grin at each other, feeling a little bit like a celebrity. "How the tables have turned in this school, huh?" Quinn asks.
"We did it." Rachel says, feeling proud of all the hard fights they won in high school to make this school a better place for the arts. The tables around them start to fill up with other alumni, new and older graduates. Almost the entire Glee Club fills in at their table, barring Finn who is stationed out of the country.
They all spend the first half hour catching up, eating finger foods and drinking unspiked punch. The current Glee Club and Mr. Schue take the stage, making announcements and thanking everyone who helped put the homecoming fundraiser on. Mr. Schue has his old glee club stand up in recognition, the crowd clapping for their past achievements that have helped make McKinley what it is now.
After that, the dance floor is open and the glee club students take turns performing the music. Throughout the evening they have the young students visiting their table, asking for advice and giving them compliments. Rachel and Quinn have two particular students who have hardly left their sides. One is the president of the glee club, Genevieve, who is picking Rachel's brain and giving her praises in every sentence. Rachel is emloving/em it. The other student, Reed, is a glee club member and the Cheerios captain. She is looking at Quinn like she is her hero. Throughout the conversation, Quinn and Rachel learn that the two students are a couple. Quinn is taken aback by that information.
Genevieve and Reed pull Quinn and Rachel out to the dance floor, joining the new and old glee club in dancing. Kurt and Rachel squeal at each other, holding hands and jumping up and down. Quinn briefly hears Kurt say that he has a surprise for Rachel, it's just running a little behind. Brittany grabs Quinn before she can hear anymore about the surprise and starts dancing with her in an unnecessary vulgar fashion until Santana cuts in and takes Quinn's place.
The night continues like that. Quinn and Rachel never leave each other's side, never venturing outside of the other's sight; constantly in orbit of one another. They take breaks from dancing at their table, catching one another up on their new ventures in New Haven and New York. Quinn shares her experiences with the Three Pines, how she can see herself doing something like that for the rest of her life, how she is emgood/em at it. Rachel shares some insight on her musical, how it is really well written and directed, even though it is being put on 100% by students. She tells Quinn all the gossip and drama between the cast, and Quinn hangs onto every word like she knows who Rachel is talking about. One name she does know is Brody, who Quinn remembers as the plastic, hairless Ken Kurt would always drool over their freshman year. The Ken doll that Rachel had a emthing/em with. She tries to tamp down her jealousy, telling herself Rachel hasn't mentioned anything romantic happening between them.
Sue takes the stage and cuts the music. "Alright, he, shes, and theys." She starts. "McKinley High is working towards making itself a more inclusive and safe place for all. That being said, this next slow song, performed by Genevieve and Reed, has the requirement that everyone grabs someone of the same gender to dance together. This helps make everyone feel comfortable and gives an opportunity to those who may not be ready yet to dance with their partner without a spotlight on them. Pair up!" Sue finishes, crumbling up the paper she was reading the announcement from and hitting Mr. Schuester right between the eyes, despite him being a good eight feet away from her.
Quinn looks around as everyone shrugs their shoulders and starts to pair up, the young students giggling and wrapping their arms around each other; the obviously straight boys participating but keeping each other at an arm's length away. The alumni in attendance smile at each other and pair up good naturedly. Santana and Brittany are already wrapped around each other, Mike is sitting on Artie's lap as he spins them in circles, Mercedes and Tina look like they're trying to ballroom dance, Sam is being a good sport and is dancing with a current glee club member who has stars in his eyes. Even Kurt and Puck are dancing together.
Rachel leans over into Quinn's space, "Let's dance?" She asks.
Quinn stands up and offers her hand with butterflies in her stomach. Rachel accepts in and allows herself to be pulled to the center of the dance floor. Genevieve and Reed's voices blend together perfectly; they're singing a cover of Falling Slowly from the emOnce/em Musical.
Rachel wraps her arms around Quinn, locking her hands at the back of her neck and playing with the hair there. Quinn wraps her arms around Rachel's waist. They pull each other closer until Rachel's chin is tucked into Quinn's shoulder. Quinn leans her chin against Rachel's temple. They sway in silence for a few moments, enjoying the closeness they've allowed each other.
"This makes me think about how I couldn't keep my eyes off you at both proms. I'd tell myself whatever I could to give myself an excuse as to why I'd look for you in every room I was in. But, when I got to Yale, I realized I was still doing it," Quinn says quietly into Rachel's ear, afraid to look in her eyes and see her reaction. "Anytime someone would say something funny I'd try to find you to see if you found it funny too. If someone brought up Broadway, or veganism, or argyle, anything my brain could connect back to you, my eyes would try to find you." emtake this sinking boat and point it home/em.
Rachel's only immediate response is trying to get even closer to Quinn. emwe've still got time./em
Quinn is afraid she said too much until Rachel finally starts to whisper back, her voice carrying over the music directly into Quinn's ears. "I always look for you, too. I can't for the life of me remember what Jesse wore to prom, what Finn wore to prom, but I can recall exactly what you had on and how beautiful you looked. I can remember how your gardenia corsage brought out your eyes just like I knew it would."
"Like you knew it would?" Quinn questions.
"I told Finn what to buy. I knew how important that night was for you, and even though we weren't in the best place, I've only ever wanted you to be happy." Rachel pulls back to look Quinn in the eyes. emfalling slowly, eyes that know me/em.
Quinn doesn't know how to reply. One of her only happy memories from that night was the corsage she thought Finn picked out by himself. She convinced herself that the corsage was proof that Finn emknew/em her. She should've known it was Rachel behind it, the one person in this lifetime who knows her best.
She looks up towards the stage to see Genevieve and Reed having their moment, singing a love song together in front of all their peers; happy. "I wish I could've done things differently back then." She says, still looking at the young couple.
Rachel follows her eyes, "I don't." She says resolutely. "I'm grateful for the way things went. I don't think we would be where we are in life if they hadn't." She squeezes her arms around Quinn for emphasis. emfalling slowly, sing your melody. I'll sing along/em.
They sway together until the last chord plays. Quinn grabs Rachel's hand without a word and leads her out of the gym, through familiar halls, until they reach a bathroom on the other side of the school. She leads Rachel inside, where she feels like emthey/em began, unfortunately in a high school bathroom; where they had many of their more defining private moments.
Quinn checks that the bathroom is empty and then opens a stall door, holding it open for Rachel. Rachel walks in without any questions. Quinn follows her inside, reaching behind Rachel to lock the door in place. She backs Rachel against the door.
Rachel looks up into Quinn's eyes, a question in them that Quinn wants to answer. She feels her heart pounding in her ears. She reaches her right hand up and runs it through Rachel's hair. Rachel pulls Quinn closer by her hips. Quinn's left hand joins her other hand to hold Rachel's face in place. She leans her face down slowly, giving Rachel time to change her mind, before she connects their lips.
Everything outside of them fades away, they forget they are in a bathroom at McKinley high, they forget that there is a dance going on outside the doors with all their closest friends. They forget that emthis/em isn't something they do.
It starts out slow and hesitant. Rachel is the one who changes the pace of the kiss, lifting herself up on her toes to push her lips more fully onto Quinn's. Quinn's hands drop from Rachel's face and down to her waist. Rachel wraps her arms around Quinn's neck in return.
Quinn reaches down, wanting to be impossibly closer, and lifts Rachel's tight dress up until it is bunched up at her waist. This allows Quinn to slot a thigh between Rachel's. Rachel lets out a sound Quinn will never forget, encouraging her to release a noise of her own. Rachel drops her head to kiss Quinn's jaw, moving her hips in time with Quinn.
Rachel works her own leg between Quinn's, leveling the playing field. They move at a rapid pace, becoming one. Neither one is ready to take it further than they already have, content to reach the ending without taking their clothes off.
Rachel buries her face in Quinn's neck, muffling her sounds. Quinn quickly tumbles off the edge, following Rachel off the cliff. Quinn leans her full weight on her, trapping them against the stall door.
They stay that way for several moments, not ready for reality to come crashing down around them. Rachel takes a deep breath and leans her forehead against Quinn's shoulder, trying to gather herself. Quinn reaches down to remove her thigh and pulls Rachel's dress down.
They meet each other's eyes at the same time and let out a huff of laughter together. Rachel's face is flushed, her hair is rustled. Quinn knows she probably looks similar. She reaches around to unlock the stall door. They flood out to the sinks and stand side by side as they do their best to make themselves presentable, not wanting everyone to be able to tell what they just spent the last thirty minutes doing. They leave the bathroom, hand in hand. Both have yet to speak a word since the dance floor. They walk through the hall back to the gym, hands still locked together. Once they reach the doors, they look at each other one more time before letting go and walking back in where the music is still playing and everyone is still dancing; no one else is aware of how much has changed for them in a short amount of time.
They're almost back to their table when Kurt intercepts them, a huge grin on his face and clapping his hands together in excitement. "There you are! I thought you emleft/em."
"Sorry, I had to take a bathroom break." Rachel says, trying her best not to look at Quinn and give herself away. Quinn grins to herself, hovering close to Rachel's elbow. Her grin quickly slips from her face when she realizes why Kurt is so excited. Rachel spots him at the same time, right over Kurt's shoulder, holding a corsage and wearing a slick smile. "Brody?"
"This is your surprise! I know you never got your perfect dance, with my clueless brother always screwing everything up one way or another. I was telling Brody about it when he was picking you up for rehearsal one day and well, see for yourself!" Kurt claps again and moves out of the way.
"Hi, Rachel. You look impeccable." Brody says, stepping closer and kissing Rachel's cheek. "I'm sorry I'm late. My flight got delayed. Hopefully we can manage to fit in a couple dances before it's over." He offers the corsage to her. Rachel, her brain still trying to catch up to the abrupt change her night has taken, can only offer her arm in response. She nervously smiles as Brody slips the corsage on her wrist. "Perfect." He says proudly.
"Thank you, Brody." She mumbles. "I can't believe you're in Lima!" Her voice is too high, but she cannot figure out the best way to play the situation. She is too shocked to connect a single thought. Her brain is still foggy from what her and Quinn did in the bathroom to then seeing her co-star here in front of her. She looks to her left, expecting to see Quinn still at her side. Instead, she sees Quinn's back walking out of the double doors of the gym before she disappears all together.
…
