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Quinn had somewhat accepted being kicked off the Cheerios, but it still didn’t feel real. The football games, the competitions, and the popularity had been her whole life since she started high school. Being a Cheerio was all she had dreamed of since she was a little girl, even more so once she heard how much clout it would bring her at McKinley. Past cheerleaders had gotten scholarships to colleges and gone on to successful careers, or were voted prom and/or homecoming queen. She wanted all of the prestige, to be somebody special.
Now, she was just another nobody in the hallways. Well, except for the fact that now the whole school knew she was pregnant. She had dodged so many stares, whispers, and bouts of laughter throughout the day. It made her realize this is how some of the other glee kids must feel when they get made fun of at every turn. She used to laugh at Rachel’s Myspace videos with Santana and Brittany, but over the last day or two, her bullying behavior had come back to bite her.
Luckily school had just ended, and she could finally go outside for cheer practice. But this time, she was watching from the bleachers. She sat far enough up so Sue hopefully wouldn’t spot her and her teammates wouldn’t be able to tell who she was from down on the field. Too bad she hadn’t thought to wear a disguise or a paper bag over her head. Everyone also knew she was no longer a cheerleader, and she already felt alienated from her teammates, with the exception of Santana and Brittany.
It can’t get much worse, right? she asked herself.
Quinn was feeling tempted to do the arm motions of the routine the Cheerios were practicing for an upcoming halftime routine at a basketball game, but she sat on her hands just in time to see Rachel of all people waking up the bleachers.
What does she want?
“Finn said you can’t help but sit here or in the bleachers in the gym watching practice,” Rachel said. “I’d probably feel the same if I were suddenly excluded from something that was such a big part of who I was.”
“No offense, but I doubt you’ll ever get kicked out of Glee. And what’s the worst thing to ever happen to you? You didn’t get a solo or a lead role in a play that you really wanted?”
Rachel didn’t have a comeback. At least not one that would help her relate to Quinn’s predicament.
“I’m sorry,” Quinn told her. “I’ve started to realize you were right. That pretty soon, Glee was all I was going to have. My spot on the Cheerios seemed to get ripped away so suddenly, though, even if I knew I eventually wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. I was one of Sue’s best cheerleaders and she just got rid of me like I didn’t matter to her. Maybe you had a point about her too.”
“In the performing world, there’s a lot of egos as big as Sue’s, if not worse. I’m trying to tune out people like that, but not going to lie, they still get to me, and so do the bullies. Especially as more people use social media and blog comments and I have to read some of the nastiest things about myself. I tend to lie on my bed and cry a lot.”
“Yeah, I’m not crying too much yet, but I can tell I’m already a lot less popular. I really played with fire a lot more than I thought when I was making fun of you. I didn’t believe in karma, though. I figured I was invincible, growing up in a religious family and being a popular girl and a cheerleader, dating the quarterback. Not anymore.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.” Rachel replied with a nod.
“I was telling someone else I actually really like being in Glee.” Quinn smiled as she recalled her conversation with Terri, even if Mr. Shue’s wife was off her rocker in every other way. “I originally joined because I was helping Santana and Brittany spy to try and bring down the club since Sue didn’t want it to exist and felt like it would be threatening her budget. I actually started getting excited to be there despite doing my best to pretend I was joining Sue on her mission.”
“Well, glee is a performing art, and I’m sure you used to that after cheering and dancing on the sidelines and all.”
“Yeah, but this is a different kind of performing than I do with the Cheerios. It’s not about how good I look in a uniform or trying to impress more alumni so they keep giving us checks. I feel like I’m on a team here and everyone’s excited to rehearse rather than looking at it like a long grind with a coach yelling at you through a bullhorn. And I had fun on stage at the invitational. I was really letting loose and starting to express myself in a more natural way.
“I trusted you with this, by the way, because you were the one who tried to keep my pregnancy under wraps. I heard you had to do some…pretty questionable things to keep it hidden when I first got the positive test and told Finn.”
“You don’t want to know. Jacob has scarred me for life.”
They giggled, and then Quinn looked back up at Rachel. “Want to get out of here?” she asked. “If I’m going to really be a full member of the glee club, then I can’t keep watching the Cheerios practice. I have to be part of the team that wants me around.”
“I think that’s a good way of looking at it.
“And you know, until now, I always wanted to be you. I didn’t want to be a cheerleader or anything, but I wanted to be popular and be seen as one of the most beautiful girls in school. I thought my talent would be enough to win me friends, but most high school kids—especially cute boys—don’t care about that.”
“For what it’s worth, though, I don’t think you should try very hard to be like me. I had a lot of pressure on me before I ever got pregnant, from Sue, from my parents, and from the other Cheerios. You want to be the best, but your dads and Mr. Shue support you rather than look for ways to kick you when you’re down. Don’t be too jealous of me.
“Besides, what you did proves that you can be a good friend even without the status and a cute boyfriend. So, thanks for sticking up for me in the end.”
“Glee kids have to stick together. Otherwise, we have nothing. And I’m glad you’re with us to stay. Do you want to go to Breadsticks or something?”
“Sure.” Quinn smiled at her new unlikely friend. “Let’s go. You’re giving me an excuse to avoid going home to my parents, after all. Maybe someday I’ll know what it’s like to live in a home where I’m not so pressured to be perfect either.”
“Oh, you can come over my house any time. My dads always encourage me to be the best version of myself and go after what I want. You deserve that too. I’m sure they’d love to meet you and they’re pretty progressive, so you don’t have to worry about them freaking out about the pregnancy or anything.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m still trying to keep a low profile. Why don’t we just go share an appetizer or something for now? I’ll drive.” She led Rachel to her car, relieved to be getting away from a place where she no longer belonged and excited to spend time with someone who could truly support her.