i am not a robot, [ lorelai + quinn ]

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

I was really sick and tired of dealing with home. It wasn’t really someplace I thought of as ‘home’ anymore, anyways -- not since I was an idiot and ruined everything for myself. No, it was a place I went to for sleeping and eating purposes only, where tension was high and trust was broken and there wasn’t really anything I could do to fix it. Mom and Dad had already told me that after graduation, I was to move elsewhere as to avoid bumming off of them for the rest of my life. I didn’t know where they expected me to go. Sure, I had a fair amount of money saved up, but I couldn’t go to college. I didn’t have the grades to do it -- I’d be lucky if I even graduated. Even so, I wasn’t sure how I’d manage to get a place to live. In bigger cities, I’d be able to find a really cheap apartment, no problem, but in Lima, there weren’t really any “crappy apartments” that I’d be able to afford. All of them were decent and for people who still couldn’t buy their own home. Nothing for a dead beat like me.

I suppose I was just having a bad day, because my angst levels were higher than they normally were, but I was really getting tired of it all. I never really had an inkling to see a movie in the first place, but I needed somewhere to go that was quiet and not so full of tension. I decided on the movie theater because at least I could occupy myself and not have to bother with anyone.

There weren’t a lot of movies playing at the small theater -- Toy Story 3, Inception, Despicable Me, and a few others that just didn’t look appealing. I needed something lighthearted, something funny, so naturally I chose ‘Toy Story 3’. Everyone I knew said it was good, and I had enjoyed the first two of the series, so I was rather eager to see it. I’d even splurged enough to buy myself a soda, and settled in the back, away from most of the other movie-goers that afternoon (and there weren’t many -- the movie had been out for weeks, after all).

It wasn’t until about a half an hour into the movie that I realized how terrible of a choice that had been.

I felt stupid, being upset because of a stupid children’s movie, but I was already in a rather terrible mood. I threw away my beverage on the way out of the theater, a solid frown on my face. I didn’t know where to go from here. I sure as hell wasn’t up to going home, but I didn’t want to go back into the theater. Lima, of course, didn’t have a wide array of places I might actually enjoy ending up. Even the park wasn’t too terribly spectacular.

Eventually, I settled on the edge of the curb right outside of the movie theater, tugging absentmindedly on my dress as I watched the cars pass by. Yes, this would do.

TAG quiiiin.
WORD COUNT 540
NOTES angst angst terrible 4am ramblings ~~~ this is short and terrible so let me know if i should redo it. so tired.
OUTFIT bah, picture.
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday

[quinnfabray]

A FISTFUL OF LIES, DRESSED UP IN DISGUISE,
A N D . M A K E . N O . M I S T A K E[/font]
- - - - - - - - [/size]I KNOW THEY'RE ALL SO FAKE.[/B][/SIZE][/color][/FONT]

I woke up early. It was Saturday, a favorite day of the week for me because it meant a break from school and time to do things I enjoyed. The sun was shining brightly through the blinds in my room, not bothering me a bit. As usual I hadn’t slept particularly well. I’d gotten used to working with only four or five hours of sleep a night at this point; after the past few months of terrible dreams and so many thoughts keeping me awake hours on end I’d learned to function normally on the less than typically recommended eight hours. I knew it wasn’t good for me and I should probably try and do something about it, but I was past caring. This was the norm now and I was adjusting as well as I could. Glancing at the clock I noticed it was nearing seven when an idea came to me.

After taking a shower and straightening my hair I pulled on a pair of grey leggings and a yellow sundress paired with silver flats and a white sweater. Heading downstairs to the kitchen I opened the fridge and began pulling out eggs, milk, and a variety of other things. After living with Mercedes and her family the past few months I’d learned my way around pretty well and knew where almost everything was. After everything this wonderful family had done for me lately, especially allowing me to stay even after I’d had Beth, I was always trying to come up with ways to show my gratitude. This morning inspiration struck me and I decided to make them breakfast. I scrambled a few eggs in a pan, heated up some bacon in the microwave, and took my time to make the pancakes as close to perfect as I was capable of. I had never been the best cook in the world, but breakfast was usually something I could handle. After washing the dishes I’d used and setting the table I placed the food alongside the dishes and set the syrup, butter, and pitchers of milk and orange juice down too. Taking a step back to admire my work I couldn’t help but smile. I loved the feeling of accomplishment that came with completing a task. For the final touch I grabbed a piece of printer paper and a purple marker from the desk in the living room and scribbled down a note:

This is just a small way of showing how grateful I am to be a part of your family. I appreciate everything you all do for me so much words are just not enough. Enjoy your breakfast! I’ll be back later. Love, Quinn

I added a doodle of a flower after my name and placed the card at the front of the table before grabbing my bag and heading out the door. Hopefully they would all enjoy the surprise when they woke up.

Driving downtown I realized I didn’t have anywhere specific to go or anything to do. Seeing the movie theatre coming up on my right I pulled into the parking lot. Maybe I’d get lucky and see something interesting looking. If not I would probably call Puck or Santana or someone to entertain me. As I made my way to the front of the theatre I glanced at the movie posters advertising what was playing. Nothing sounded too great except Toy Story 3, and that made me think of Beth too much to consider. Tearing my gaze away from the posters I noticed a familiar head of brown hair sitting on the curb. She was that Lorelai girl! Yes, that’s where I’d seen her before. She was a friend of Rachel’s. And, I realized, weirdly enough, so was I. It still amazed me. I headed over and sat down next to her, leaving a decent sized space between us as not to make it awkward. “Hey, you’re Lorelai right? I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Quinn.” I said kindly.

^{TAG - lorelai!
WORDS - six five three
NOTES - xoxoxox!! <3 youu.
TUNES - sympathy, billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

I had started playing a little game with myself, trying to keep track of how many cars of each color had passed in front of me. Six red, twelve silver, three blue, one yellow, two green, nine white. I really wasn’t good at keeping things in my head so it was growing more and more difficult to keep track (must have been all those brain cell killing drugs I’d put into my body). I shook my head once, violently, to bring my attention to something more relevant and wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them in tight to my chest. I’d been sitting there already for a good half an hour, and knew that I would start to grow restless in the solitude soon enough. Even if I had terrible social skills and didn’t like being with people, I still liked to be around them. Something to watch, something to listen to and keep my mind occupied. Perhaps I’d go to the park, where at least I could watch people instead of cars. There were kids at the park. I’d always loved kids, despite the fact that I wouldn’t ever have any of my own. I mean, it wasn’t like I was infertile, but the chances that I’d find a man who would want to marry me are very slim. Who would want to risk getting HIV just so they could have me? And even if I did, I don’t know if they’d want to have children, due to the chances that those kids could be born with the disease. Plus, it would break my heart, knowing that I would die while they were young. It just didn’t seem plausible. But I loved them, being around them and watching them, so I figured I’d sit for awhile then go see who was out this Saturday morning.

I didn’t notice her sitting beside me, for I was far too lost in my own thoughts, but her voice shook me out of my reverie and I jumped, my eyes widening slightly. When I got over being startled, I chuckled softly, hesitantly, then turned to see who it was. Quinn Fabray was striking up a conversation with me; I didn’t know how that could be. She didn’t have that malicious undertone I’d overheard her use back when she was a Cheerio. Actually, I was pretty sure she got kicked off the squad. I didn’t notice it until I saw that she wasn’t wearing the cheerleading uniform along with Santana and Brittany. It confused me at first, but then I figured that she probably had to quit after she got pregnant. She seemed a lot nicer now, though, that she wasn’t so popular and she wasn’t under the pressure of Sue Sylvester. I’d gotten the impression that she even befriended Rachel Berry, so… The mutual friend thing probably helped. It was still a wonder that she was striking up conversation with me, though. She was probably just as bored as I was.

I’d been stuttering less and less, and was thankful for that as I smiled softly, amicably. “Yeah, th-that’s me,” I responded with a gentle nod of my head, “And I remember you, of course. Nice to see you again, Quinn.” Biting my lip, I glanced around. She didn’t seem to be with anyone. “What movie are you planning to see?”

WORD COUNT 585
NOTES aw, <3 you too. <3333 c:
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday

[quinnfabray]

A FISTFUL OF LIES, DRESSED UP IN DISGUISE,
A N D . M A K E . N O . M I S T A K E[/font]
- - - - - - - - [/size]I KNOW THEY'RE ALL SO FAKE.[/B][/SIZE][/color][/FONT]

Being out by myself was weird. Back when I was a Cheerio I never went anywhere alone. When you’re popular it’s just not normal. Even if you want to be by yourself it doesn’t happen because everyone wants to follow you and hang out. I miss the attention sometimes, but for different reasons. Once almost the entire school turned against me things got pretty lonely when I wasn’t in Glee club and for the first time in my life I was on my own. I wasn’t really sure how to act. People were always staring at me and my stomach, sometimes with curiosity or pity but mostly disapproval, which was weird and annoying. People still did that now, but it wasn’t as bad. I knew everyone still talked about me behind my back but at least this way I didn’t have to listen to it. Newsflash: I know you don’t approve, I know you think I’m a slut/whore/whatever else you can come up with. I get it, I’m not someone you look up to. Poor Quinn, bad Quinn, shame on Quinn, how could the angel Christian girl do such a thing? I’m over it. I’ve heard it all a million times by now and at this point I’d rather you talk behind my back because I don’t want to listen to it anymore. I used to want people to confront me if they had something to say, but after hearing it all so much I’m sick of it. You’re free to have your own opinion but remember that it’s yours, not mine. I’ve accepted what happened and moved on, I don’t understand why everyone else- especially the people that don’t even know me- can’t do it as well. Ugh.

I still didn’t know Lorelai very well but she seemed nice enough. Super shy maybe but I could handle that. Tina used to be really shy, she still was sometimes, but that was okay. If anything about me had changed over the last year it was my ability to judge people. I was in Glee club with all kinds of different people, myself being different too. I’ve learned that different doesn’t always have to be a bad thing; it’s just what it is- different. And that was okay.

“Yeah, th-that’s me. And I remember you, of course. Nice to see you again, Quinn.” I smiled, happy she had remembered me. Then again, with my history she’d probably heard of me. Oh well, she didn’t seem to be worried about that. I was liking her more and more by each passing minute.

“What movie are you planning to see?”

I shrugged and sighed. “To be honest I don’t really feel much like a movie. But I was bored and decided to see if anything good was playing. Nothing seems worthwhile though.” I glanced around the parking lot for a minute before inspiration struck. “Hey, I’m starving. I skipped breakfast. Wanna go grab something to eat? I’ll drive.” I held up the keys to my car and jiggled them, trying to make the offer sound appealing. I really didn’t want to eat alone, that always looked sad and pathetic, and it never hurt to get to know new people right? Plus, she was friends with Rachel and seemed interested in Glee so I’d probably be seeing her more.

^{TAG - lorelai!
WORDS - five five five
NOTES - ((:
TUNES - sympathy, billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

The fact that I had company now uneased me at first, considering I didn’t know Quinn very well and I wasn’t too sure that she’d ever actually like me. But the longer we sat, the more comfortable I seemed to become and the more satisfied I was with the company. While I wasn’t one to believe rumors anyways, I definitely felt that the ones I’d overheard about her were quite off. Sure, she’d gotten pregnant, but she handled that fine and was already seemingly back on track with her schoolwork and such. I knew a lot about making mistakes and she’d handled her own wonderfully, unlike me. I admired it, actually. Not that I wanted to go off and get pregnant, really, but what she’d done at least didn’t give her any sort of life sentence. I still liked that we had the big factor of regretting past mistakes in common. Obviously she wasn’t aware of this, and I had no intentions to tell her -- I didn’t know what she thought about my previous disappearance from school, but I knew she didn’t know the truth, and I was content to let her think what she wanted (unless she asked, since I was a dreadful liar). Realizing this put me even more at ease with her, it seemed, and it no longer bothered me that I had no idea why she was talking to me. She was nice, and that was all that mattered, right? There was (hopefully) no hidden agenda, nothing that could make things worse for me, so I had no reason to worry. Rachel was surely more careful about who her friends were after the Jesse St. James incident. She seemed like the kind of person who would be wary.

“To be honest I don’t really feel much like a movie. But I was bored and decided to see if anything good was playing.”

I laughed softly, and added a nod. “Same. Had to get out of the house, but… I got through half of Toy Story before leaving. I thought watching something lighthearted would do me good, but it didn’t help much.” I wrinkled my nose and added a small shrug, pulling down on my dress. The honking of a car horn startled me, and I jumped, my gaze snapping back to the road. That only lasted a minute, however, for before I knew it she was asking me if I wanted to get food. Now that offer surprised me. I could understand talking, sure, but I didn’t know why she’d be asking me of all people to actually go somewhere and do something. What about Santana or Brittany or Mercedes or Kurt or Rachel? Certainly they’d all be much better people to hang out with than myself. But I’d be crazy to turn it down. I had money, I was hungry and I had a chance to make a new friend (or at least an acquaintance). So I recovered, offering her a gentle smile. “Sure, I’d like that. I, uhm, s-skipped out on breakfast myself, actually.” Biting my lip, I hoisted myself to my feet, grabbing my handbag as I did. “You can pick where we go. I don’t really mind.”

WORD COUNT 556
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday

[quinnfabray]

A FISTFUL OF LIES, DRESSED UP IN DISGUISE,
A N D . M A K E . N O . M I S T A K E[/font]
- - - - - - - - [/size]I KNOW THEY'RE ALL SO FAKE.[/B][/SIZE][/color][/FONT]

I’d always been a fan of movies. When I was little I was a big Disney fan- hell, if I was being honest, I was still a big Disney fan now. Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel were my favorites, though I had a strange fascination for Finding Nemo too. Dori always reminded me of Brittany. And Sleeping Beauty was a timeless tale. Beautiful blonde girl stuck in a deep sleep whose only hope to re-joining the land of the living is her true love. Rapunzel was great because the blonde girl (yes, I know, I had a thing for blondes. It made it much easier to relate, okay! Shut up.) whose hero rides up on his trusty steed and climbs up her hair (what kind of shampoo did she use? Hello extra strength!) to save her from the tallest tower she’s been trapped in. I had a fondness for the saving thing I guess. I’d always wanted my very own Prince Charming. Instead I got… Puck. And there was really no other way to describe him that exactly that: just Puck. He wasn’t a prince, not quite silly enough to be a jester, and, though he never let anyone see it, far too kind hearted to ever be the villain. He was just Puck and as messed up as it was, I wouldn’t have traded him if Prince Charming himself showed up at my doorstep.

Same. Had to get out of the house, but… I got through half of Toy Story before leaving. I thought watching something lighthearted would do me good, but it didn’t help much.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I get that. There’s no way I could sit through Toy Story right now. In fact, I don’t think I could sit through anything right now. My mind is too full to try and concentrate on a movie, you know?” I didn’t say anything specific about Beth. I didn’t really want to talk about her right now, I’d done enough of that lately and chances were if I said anything about it now I’d just start crying again and that was no way act when hanging out with someone I barely knew. Plus, Lorelai seemed super shy and reserved so I didn’t want to freak her out or anything. Instead I brought up the suggestion of food, because my stomach had began to rumble.

“Sure, I’d like that. I, uhm, s-skipped out on breakfast myself,
actually. You can pick where we go. I don’t really mind.”

I was kind of shocked when she stood up and grabbed her purse. I didn’t really expect her to want to go, let alone agree so easily. I didn’t mind, of course, I had invited her after all, but she didn’t seem like the type to just suddenly hang out with people she barely knew. Hm, maybe I was giving off a better vibe than I thought. That was a nice confidence boost at least. I mimicked her actions and rose from the pavement, leading her to where I had parked my little blue Prius and pulling out of the movie theatre.

“How about that diner that’s just down the street? I don’t really feel like anywhere fancy.”

[/color] I suggested. I wasn’t kidding when I said was hungry, so I picked the closest place that wasn’t a McDonalds that I knew of. Lorelai didn’t seem like the type to require a string quartet at the table or anything so I hoped she was cool with the local diner.



[/color][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

^{TAG - lorelai!
WORDS - five eight three
NOTES - xoxoxox!! <3 youu.
TUNES - sympathy, billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

I nodded in agreement when Quinn said that she didn’t think there was any way she could have sat through a movie. “I understand completely. I’m in the same boat, really. For the past year, every time I’ve sat down to relax or watch something I just start thinking and it’s… It doesn’t work. It’s always so hard to sleep but it’s sort of like sleeping is the only time I can catch a break. That or playing my banjo or the piano, but.” I wrinkled my nose, forcing myself to stop rambling. It wasn’t doing me any good and I was afraid that I’d scare her off if I continued talking like I was. I was pretty sure both of us felt the same way about it all, but for different reasons. I didn’t know what was going through her mind in regards to her child, but I figured that she didn’t just give it up and then never gave it a second thought. Perhaps that was what she was thinking about, then. Either way, I sort of hoped we were both on the same page.

I followed her to her car and climbed into the passenger’s seat, sitting back and buckling up. I actually lit up when she suggested the small diner down the road -- I had history there. When I was little, I used to go there with my family every now and again, and then once I started hanging out with the druggies, I found out that the diner was their place to go when they had ‘munchies’ to satisfy. The owner, as I later learned, had always known that I never really fit in with the group. Everyone around me was always loud and acting stupid while I sat sheepishly off to the side and observed, ‘high as a kite’ but with different intentions than anyone else. So when my parents pulled me out of school and cracked down, the diner was quick to hire me to get me back on my feet. Eventually, I quit to work at the bowling alley because it paid better and I needed to save up, but I still went back every now and then for some conversation and, depending on who was working, the occasional free meal.

“Oh, I love that place! I’ve been going there off and on for years. I worked there last year, too, back during my brief, uh, home schooling period.” It was a little awkward to say, but I recovered quickly. It wasn’t really a secret that I just randomly left school for about six months, and I was sure she’d caught wind of it at some point. Stupid rumors had been floating about, though thankfully, none of them had even been close to the truth. I wasn’t a fan of people gossiping false things, but this was one time when I‘d make an exception. “Depending on who serves us, I might be able to get our meals free.” With a soft smile, I sat back, glancing out the window. I was rather excited at her choice of where to go and eat. The diner was one of the few places that I felt completely comfortable in, and I knew that would make this whole outing easier. I was still rather afraid of making a fool out of myself, because I had a real opportunity to make a friend in the Glee Club, here. If this went well, then I’d have someone else besides Rachel and that would be a real comfort. But I had to make sure that she’d like me, first. This had to go well.

WORD COUNT 624
NOTES it's 4am ugh.
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday

[quinnfabray]

A FISTFUL OF LIES, DRESSED UP IN DISGUISE,
A N D . M A K E . N O . M I S T A K E[/font]
- - - - - - - - [/size]I KNOW THEY'RE ALL SO FAKE.[/B][/SIZE][/color][/FONT]

Ever since I got pregnant my entire mindset about food has changed. Growing up it was always about eating classy food and looking like a lady with great manners and an acceptable image while consuming a meal, but also keeping a thin frame that others could envy. Once I joined the Cheerios food became the enemy. Coach Sylvester doesn’t eat and expects her cheerleaders to follow that example. In order to be on the squad you have to be in perfect physical condition one hundred percent of the time- no exceptions. If you’re bloated and have cramps Sue Sylvester is the last person to tell- she makes you do sprints when she hears that complaint. There is never an excuse to be fat, she always said, unless you’re a lowlife that has to eat their feelings. As a Cheerio you don’t have feelings, it’s not allowed. Neither is body fat of any sort, exhaustion, water weight, illness, being late, or just not performing to Sue’s standards along with a lot of other things that make just as little sense. When I got pregnant and Coach kicked me off the squad it finally hit me that I needed to take care of not only myself but this little person I was carrying. After all, I was its only source of food and if I mistreated my own body to fit in it would suffer too for no reason. That’s when I started eating more than one solid meal a day and gave up on the master cleanse shakes. I couldn’t do that to my unborn baby and, I realized, I couldn’t do it to myself. I allowed myself to eat what I wanted even if it was filled with fat, sugar, and carbs. And to be honest I’d never been happier.

After I had Beth I decided Cheerios wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to go back, even if by some miracle of God Coach Sylvester would have allowed it. Being a cheerleader was a part of the old Quinn, the fake and bitchy girl who pretended to be someone and tried to impress everyone around her. Instead I was choosing to embrace the new Quinn who had genuine friends and liked to sing and didn’t care about what everyone else thought. My new plan was to do what made me happy, that was what mattered. If anyone had a problem with it, well, I guess I didn’t need them anyway.

I tried to keep up as Lorelai launched into a speech about the movie. Luckily I had known Rachel long enough that I was pretty good at taking in a bunch of words at once. She, like myself, I noticed, seemed to ramble when she got nervous or excited.

“Oh, I am a pro at no sleep.” I said sympathetically. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in I can’t tell you how long.” It was true; the stress of being pregnant came with the bonus of always being uncomfortable. Beth had always liked to kick especially hard at night, making sleep almost impossible, and now that I wasn’t pregnant I spent most nights having nightmares about her. Who needed sleep anyway? I was living proof that it clearly wasn’t a necessary staple to survive. “You play music?” I smiled, catching the end of her monologue. “That’s great! I’ve always wanted to be able to pay an instrument.”

“Oh, I love that place! I’ve been going there off and on for years. I worked there last year, too, back during my brief, uh, home schooling period.”

I nodded. I’d heard rumors about why she’d left in the middle of the school last year but they ranged from ‘had a baby’ and ‘tried to kill herself’ to ‘sold to gypsies’ and ‘abducted by aliens’. The thing about McKinley was that while the rumors were always stupid, you had to give the students credit for being creative. So yeah, I basically had no clue why she’d really left, but it was none of my business so I kept my mouth shut and didn’t pry. She’d talk if she wanted to. I was fine either way. When she mentioned the possibility of getting our meals on the house my face lit up. I was on a pretty tight budget these days. “I can always go for free food.” I said happily as I pulled into the parking lot and the two of us headed inside.

^{TAG - lorelai!
WORDS - seven four three
NOTES - xoxoxox!! <3 youu.
TUNES - sympathy, billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

I sat back as we drove towards the diner, feeling excited. I made a mental list of every possible worker that I hoped would be there, either for some free food or good conversation, but halfway through Quinn began to speak again. I turned my head in her direction, nodding sympathetically. “I’m sorry that you have trouble sleeping. That’s really not fun. Have you tried sleeping pills? Or do you not like those?” I liked to take them at times because they seemed to put me in a deep enough sleep where I wouldn’t have any dreams. I always woke up groggy but it was better than getting no sleep at all. When she asked if I played music, I smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Yeah. When I was little, my parents put me in voice lessons, and that was when I became friends with Rachel. But I sort of lost confidence in that, but I still wanted to do something, so they took me to a music store. Begged them to let me get the banjo.” I chuckled at the memory of my parents holding up other instruments, but me quite adamant in my decision. “They got it for me with the promise that in like, four years I’d start up with the piano. So I’ve been playing both of them for awhile.” I stopped with the lessons when I was in middle school, but I played a taught myself pieces on my own account. The only person who gave banjo lessons in Lima moved to Guam, anyways. “What’s your favorite instrument?”

I grinned when she seemed to light up at the prospect of free food. “Me too,” I agreed, then slipped out of the car with my bag. As we entered, my gaze immediately snapped to the counter, scanning to see who was working behind it. I offered Quinn a quick smile before I made my way over, hoisting myself onto a stool at the counter. “Jerry,” I cooed in a sing-song voice, and the aforementioned man poked his head up, grinning.

“Well if it isn’t Lorelai Anchors!” he greeted, leaning forward to lean his forearms on the counter. “To what do I owe this visit? It’s been awhile.”

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this day, don’tcha know.”

“Why, what’s today?”

“I don’t know. It was marked on my calendar.”

“… Really?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No, but if you want, I’ll buy a calendar, pick a random day, and write in a visit then draw a really, really big circle around it.”

Jerry grinned and straightened up, tapping his finger on the counter. “So, it’s been so long that I’m having trouble remembering your usual, but I think I’ll be able to dig it out of my memory. And, of course, if I see you or your friend reaching into those purses for a wallet, I will personally withhold your food. Speaking of your friend, what can I getcha?”

I winced. “Oh, sorry, that was rude of me. Quinn, this is Jerry. Jerry, Quinn. And thank you, Jerry, for always threatening me with something mean if I try to pay.”

“No problem, Lore.”

I chuckled and sat back, glancing over at Quinn as I waited for her to order.

WORD COUNT 559.
NOTES this suuuucks and is mostly dialogue and ily for putting up with this craaap. D:
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday

[quinnfabray]

A FISTFUL OF LIES, DRESSED UP IN DISGUISE,
A N D . M A K E . N O . M I S T A K E[/font]
- - - - - - - - [/size]I KNOW THEY'RE ALL SO FAKE.[/B][/SIZE][/color][/FONT]

I felt very comfortable with Lorelai, which kind of surprised me. She seemed alright at first glance but just very quiet and reserved. I guess by nature I automatically assumed she was boring, but I was pleasantly surprised to find just the opposite. She was actually a very interesting person. I’ve tried them but they don’t seem to work.” I told her, in response to using sleeping pills. I’d tested out a few different brands but they never helped, and I didn’t have the money anyway. I’m used to it now though.” I went on. “So it’s not that bad. What happens, happens right?”

Listening to Lorelai talk about music was fun. She sounded like a very talented and well rounded person, and if she had been friends with Rachel for so long she obviously had the patience of a saint. The banjo was certainly not an instrument I was familiar with, but my music knowledge was pretty limited. I knew a few rock songs from Puck and Finn, and I always listened to current music on the pop charts. As for everything else the glee club was working on getting me into it. Mercedes helped me with R&B and Soul, Kurt and Rachel covered Broadway, Artie loved jazz and rap, and Tina like alternative and some metal on occasion. I was getting my music education full force these days and discovering I was really enjoying it. It was fun to have things to talk about with the Gleeks and hang out doing nothing but relax and listen to music. “That’s incredible.” I said admiringly as she told me of her ability to play the piano as well. “I love the piano but I really like listening to guitar too. Well, mainly Puck’s guitar.” I admitted softly, unable to control the blush I knew was creeping across my cheeks.

Watching her interact with the diner workers was extremely amusing. Her nerves seemed to disappear and she looked completely at ease as I watched her banter with the man behind the counter from my barstool. When he warmly threatened not to serve us at the thought of paying I allowed myself to grin. He seemed very kind, like family to Lorelai, and I already liked him. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” I reached my hand out to shake his in greeting. “Um, can I have a cheeseburger with all the trimmings and fries, please? Oh, and the biggest, thickest, chocolate-y milkshake you can make. Please.” I was really wanting a shake right now, but at least I remembered to use my manners.

^{TAG - lorelai!
WORDS - four three two
NOTES - this sucks, but oh well.
TUNES - sympathy, billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[lorelai anchors]

hit me out of nowhere like a car crash on the street
suddenly c o l l i d i n g into me - - - -
- - - HOW CAN THIS FEEL SO BAD WHEN YOU SEEM SO GOOD FOR ME? )

I frowned as Quinn said that sleeping pills didn’t really work for her. I still wasn’t very close to her, but as usual I wished her the very best. She never caused much harm, from what I could tell, and seemed to be very sweet and genuine. I liked that. The fact that she was apparently used to it didn’t really help matters, but I managed a small smile anyways. “Hopefully it’s just a passing phase,” I spoke simply, shrugging one of my shoulders, “I guess it’s true, that whatever happens, happens, but used to it or not it still sucks.” I leaned back, closing my eyes and sighing.

I couldn’t help but smile as she seemed interested in my music background. I didn’t think it was that impressive, really. I didn’t have a career coming from it, and I wasn’t some child protégée, but she certainly seemed impressed enough. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to manage to ‘impress’ Quinn Fabray. “The piano isn’t really that hard,” I shrugged, then I got a bit of an idea. From what it sounded like, she didn’t really play, but she seemed to enjoy the sound. I didn’t know if she liked me yet or not, but perhaps I could earn myself a few more brownie points. I could do with having another friend. “If you’d like… I could probably teach you how to play. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it easily. If you want to, of course.” I couldn’t help but smile over at her when she mentioned that she liked to listen to Puck play the guitar. I had never had a boyfriend, never really had an actual crush so I didn’t have any idea how she was feeling at the moment. But I could tell that she really loved him, and after all, they’d been through a lot together. “That’s cute,” I mused, “The guitar is pretty. I might try and pick that up one day, when I earn enough money for one. But at the same time, I’ve always wanted to play the ukulele. I guess I just go for more of an Indie sound.”

I was much more relaxed in the diner. I smiled as I watched the exchange between Quinn and Jerry, then nodded a quiet ‘thank you’ to him as he spun off to get the food, leaving the two of us alone. I bit my lip, looking around the diner. It as still pretty early so not a lot of people were in, leaving there to be ample places to sit. I finally turned back to her, pushing a curl behind my ear. “So, where would you like to sit? We can sit here, at a table, in a booth, by the window… Anywhere.” I didn’t really care either way, so I thought I’d just let her choose.

WORD COUNT 502.
NOTES blargh.
CREDIT justlikefalling @ caution 2.0! lyrics @ hey monday