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"So... do you have a crush Rachel?" Her best friend Quinn asked as she ripped into a box of pizza.
Rachel really hated that question. She was deep into an intense sexuality crisis, and very unsure of who she liked. But, she did have a crush, which was unknown to Quinn.
"I don't." Rachel shook her head, lying to herself and to Quinn. Her voice changed pitch slightly, her eyebrows raised and she stopped giving eye contact to Quinn. Quinn's eyebrows perked up and she knew exactly what was going on.
"Racheeeelllllllll, coooommmmmmmeeeeeeee onnnnnn." She dragged out her words. "Even though we don't see each other everyday anymore and we don't go to the same school, we're still best friends and I know you better than everybody else. I can see your face. Who's your crush?"
That remark was true. Rachel and Quinn were best friends and had been since the first ever day of Kindergarten when they were both placed next to each other on table 3.
"Do I have to talk about it?" She pleaded as she distracted herself by the warm pizza that she was eating.
"Okay, let's make a deal. If you talk about your crush, I'll talk about mine." She held her hand out to be shook by Rachel.
"Fine. But can we talk about it later? Funny Girl is about to start." She shook her hand and eagerly changed the subject.
"Only because it's you." Quinn laughed and turned her attention to the TV.
They were best friends since the start, really. Since that first day of Kindergarten, they just clicked. Good thing really, as both were considered unlikable by the majority of their class. It was always just Quinn and Rachel. Nobody else but them.
Elementary school was a breeze for the both of them. They both got into a fair amount of trouble, like that one time Rachel drew on Quinn's desk when she was off sick that one day. And that one time Quinn made everyone move out of the lunch line so Rachel could be first. Little antics like that really grew their friendship but really made everyone else dislike them. The school was concerned about how much they depended on each other, so in the 4th grade, they were separated into different halves of the year and they barely had any classes together. To the school's dismay- they still found ways to be together. Their lunches overlapped ever-so-slightly by 10 minutes and they basically made up the time they didn't have together in class by joining extra curricular activities. 4th grade was renamed 'The Pinnacle Year' by both Rachel and Quinn's parents, as a lot did happen in those extra curricular activities.
They found themselves occupied every day after school doing an activity. Monday was Theatre, Tuesday was Soccer Practice, Wednesday was taken up by Cross Country, Thursday was Book Club and Friday was Cheer-leading practice, Quinn's favourite out of the 5 they participated in that year. She was good at cheer-leading. She was an avid gymnast out of school and so she wanted to show off her skills in school on the cheer team. And even though that was her only goal for cheer-leading, she excelled in showing off her skills, and maybe she showed off her skills a little too much. Quinn and Rachel's plans were derailed around half way through the year as Quinn was moved up to the 5th grade cheer team, a move that was only ever done once or twice in the whole history of the cheer team. Rachel was kept in the 4th grade team and she ended up quitting the team because really the whole reason she was on the team was to spend time with Quinn. Due to that move, Quinn had to quit the soccer team and practice cheer twice a week on Tuesdays. A decision that actually benefited her in the long run.
"Remember when I sang Don't Rain on my Parade in the Christmas showcase that year and the applause was so loud the stage shook a little?" Rachel recalled as that number played on the screen.
"Quite vividly actually." Quinn laughed. "They should have put that number last. I can't believe John Wilson had to follow that with his mediocre tap dance routine to King of New York from Newsies."
"Hey, don't diss Newsies! I loved that show and John was pretty good-"
"Oh I know you love Newsies. You told me every other day after you saw it in New York." She laughed.
"I still wish they would do Newsies at my school." Rachel sighed and continued to watch the TV.
"They did it the year before I transferred to mine. It was crap according to the girls on my cheer team." Quinn stated.
Oh, the cheer team. Really the cheer team was the bane of Rachel's existence. The girls moved to the same high school together, and Quinn was basically forced to join the cheer team on the idea that she would be a good asset to the team. And boy, did she blow the expectations of the coach out of the water. A neighbouring school spotted Quinn's extraordinary talent and gave her a full scholarship to move immediately to the school. Long conversations were made between Quinn and her parents, and by the end, they decided Quinn would move schools and use the full facilities that were provided- basically she would be boarding at the school too.
"I miss you so much Quinn." Rachel sighed, after the credits rolled.
"I know, I miss seeing you everyday too." Quinn frowned. "Cheer-"
"Can we not talk about Cheer for the one night we've got together?" She asked, reminding Quinn of the small rift in their friendship because of Cheer.
"Oh yeah, sorry Rach." She paused. "So... your crush?!"
"Oh boy. Thought you forgot about that." She chuckled, repositioning herself on the sofa to face Quinn.
"Well, Rach I am a woman of my words." Quinn laughed, getting up and picking up the cups they had been drinking from. She ran to the kitchen to fill them up with chocolate milk and immediately ran back to hear about Rachel's new found crush.
"Come on, tell me." Quinn insisted as she sat down again. "What's he like?"
He. That's not fun. Because Rachel's crush was certainly not a he. How was she going to explain that?
"Okay... well they've got luscious blonde hair." She started. Maybe by the use of 'They' would make the awkward situation a little easier. "And a very contagious smile. Every time they smile, I have to smile too."
"He seems amazing." Quinn made a throwaway comment.
"Oh Quinn I haven't finished. They- they are just amazing. They make me laugh and my stomach feels weird every damn time they open their mouth. They are so passionate about their interests and could talk about them for ages."
"Is he on the soccer team?" She tilted her head.
"Sure." Really, 'they' weren't. But Rachel said yes just to keep on track with the idea of the person she was describing.
"Come on, I've told you my crush, which girl have you got your eye on?" Rachel nudged Quinn who was nervously playing with her hands.
Quinn liked girls, and she had came out a year ago to Rachel via an out-of-the-blue text she sent in the midst of an emotional breakdown she was having over her new school. She didn't really like it at first, and she was wondering why she was either getting along very well with the girls or had complicated feelings about some of them on the Cheer team. Those complicated feelings? Well, they were feelings of lust. A feeling Quinn learnt to repress soon after and she began focusing on her Cheer again.
"She's an incredible singer. Her voice could light up a room really. Her face is so perfect and her hair is so dreamy."
"Ooh, she sounds cute. You gonna shoot your shot?" Rachel asked, not very interested in Quinn's crush, but she wanted to make her happy.
"Probably not. She doesn't go to my school anymore. She had to move a few months ago and I can't stop thinking about her. I-I just miss her presence more than anything else. I really want to ask her out, but I don't think she feels the same way. I don't even think she likes girls." She sighed.
"Hey- look at the time! It's 2am. Maybe that's way I've been feeling tired for a while." Rachel pointed out the time. "I have an idea..."
"What is it Rach... You know that saying 'Nothing good ever happens after 2am'... we should follow that..." Quinn became nervous.
"Let's text our crushes! At the same time. And then we will put our phones down and go to sleep. And in the morning we'll see if they've replied!"
Rachel was furious with herself. She just dug a huge hole- how the hell would she talk herself out of that one?
At the same time, Quinn was also worrying about the proposal, but looking at the time and how tired she was, she made an impulse decision.
"Let's do it."
That was probably the worst decision she could have made. Oh well.
"On the count of four-"
"Why four?" Quinn laughed.
"Just listen!" She insisted.
"On the count of four, we'll send the text, turn our phones off and sleep." Rachel took a deep breath and began counting out loud.
1. Quinn couldn't believe she was going to text her crush.
2. Rachel was probably doing herself 2 favours by sending her text.
3. Both girls took a breath and positioned their fingers on the send button.
4. The texts were sent, and both girls squealed quietly and immediately turned their phones off. Rachel got up off the sofa and collapsed onto the air bed on the floor.
"Goodnight Quinn." She called.
"Night night Rach." She smiled, full of anxiety about the text she had just sent.
-
In the morning, both girls were too anxious to check their phones so they made a pact to check their phones when Quinn's mom came to pick her up.
When Quinn's mom arrived, it was time for them to check their phones. The girls said goodbye to each other with hugs and almost tears, as they were unsure when they would see each other again. Rachel watched Quinn walk down the driveway and into the car, so she could check if she got a reply from her crush. She knew she wouldn't have, but oh well.
Quinn debated on turning her phone on again. She also knew that she wouldn't have a reply from her crush, but she wanted to turn it on and text Rachel about how good their sleepover was.
Magically, both girls turned on their phones at the exact same and saw the texts that appeared on their home screens at the same time.
Rachel's phone: Text message from Quinn. Delivered 2:01am.
Quinn's phone: Text message from Rachel. Delivered 2:01am.
"Mom- Will you excuse me? I think I forgot my toothbrush." Quinn said urgently as she threw open the car door and ran back up Rachel's driveway and Rachel was stood in front of the door, just about to swing it open and run to Quinn.
"Is that really how you fe-" Rachel was interrupted by Quinn's soft lips touching against hers. All her dreams came true. It felt amazing for both girls. Quinn finally got what she wanted and after she pulled away, she ran back to her mom's car with a huge smile on her face.
"Got your toothbrush?" Her mom asked.
"Yeah." Quinn sighed happily, watching Rachel's house disappear off into the distance ad they drove away.