We Are Going to Make It: Chapter 10/16
Sam Evans reclined backward in his chair and turned up the volume of the game.
A sigh escaped his lips, the men tackling each other no longer entertaining him. He glanced over to the clock, each minute making him more and more irate. Where was his wife? She was acting so strange lately. Every night she was out at that stupid theater, watching that stupid show with stupid Rachel Berry. They had gone to see the play a few months ago as per Quinn’s request, and ever since then things had become different.
“What’s it called again?” Sam asked as he pulled their car into a tight parking space a few blocks from the local theater.
“Rent,” Quinn replied softly, gazing out the window.
“Oh.”
Sam got out of the car, rounded the vehicle, and opened the door for his wife. She offered him a grateful smile as she exited the car. He wrapped his hand around her waist protectively and they walked together towards the theater.
“So, what’s this play about?” he asked nonchalantly feigning interest.
“It’s sort of hard to explain, Sam. I don’t want to spoil it for you,” she answered ambiguously.
He sighed and focused his eyes straight ahead. They entered the warm building, paid for the tickets, and went into the theater. It was already packed with eager audience members ready to see the show. After all, the only people who attended the show were ones who truly wanted to be there. They took their seats, Quinn shedding her heavy winter coat while Sam opened up the program. Suddenly the lights dimmed, and a piano began to play a soft melody. In the corner of his eye, Sam saw a smile grace his wife’s face, a genuine smile he hadn’t seen in a long time. He looked back to the stage as the red curtain parted, revealing a line of people. One by one, each figure was illuminated by a spotlight, but it was only until one figure in particular was illuminated that his wife’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. The brunette smiled in their direction, or so Sam thought, and Quinn blushed. Sam’s blood began to boil. Who did she think she was? Smiling at his wife? While he was there? It couldn’t be happening. He was probably imagining it.
The play continued and Sam tried to pay attention, he really did, but his mind kept wandering. He still couldn’t believe that Quinn liked this stuff. It was boring and every few minutes he’d fidget in his chair and gaze over at his wife. Finally the curtain closed and the lights came on, signaling intermission. The man sighed and stretched his arms while Quinn merely sat in a daze.
“Quinn?” Sam asked curiously as he watched his wife’s sudden quietness.
She blinked and looked over to him as a small flush of red pervaded her cheeks.
“Yeah?”
“Wanna go get something to drink?”
Quinn nodded and got up out of her seat. He instinctively linked their arms and guided her out of the emptying theater. The two entered the lobby and approached the bar. Sam bought himself a beer and his wife water at her request. By the time they were finished, it was time to go back in and Quinn couldn’t return fast enough. Sam plopped back into his seat and endured the rest of the show. When it was finally over, Quinn beamed at him expectantly, wanting to know his opinion of her favorite show.
“So, what did you think?” she asked.
He shrugged and stood up, sliding his coat over his broad shoulders.
“It was alright. Definitely not worth seeing six times in one week.”
Quinn’s hazel eyes were suddenly pierced with pain, as if he had just insulted her and not the show they had just seen. Sam felt that familiar pull in his stomach.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just didn’t really get it,” he apologized, truly sorry for upsetting his wife.
She smiled and rubbed his arm gently, warming the boy’s heart.
“It’s alright. Rent isn’t for everyone,” she said with understanding.
The audience gathered in the small rundown lobby awaiting the arrival of the actors in the show. Sam and Quinn weaved their way through the crows and towards the door, the latter lagging behind as she searched the crowd for a particular brunette.
“Wait a second,” she said, stopping his motion.
“What is it?” he asked.
Quinn became quiet as she searched for the right words.
“I was hoping to see Rachel after the show. We’ve been talking a bit since we met last week and she -,”
Sam’s grip on her tightened, halting her speech.
“Why the sudden interest in Rachel? You used to hate her! I remember how you slushied her and made fun of her clothes.” he asked incredulously.
Her face contorted in pain for a brief moment at the mention of her previous crimes against Rachel Berry; but soon enough she composed herself as she always did and formulated an adequate response.
“I have changed, Sam, and so has Rachel. We are not the same people we were in high school.”
Just as Sam was about to retort, a perky young brunette approached the tense couple.
“Why hello there, Quinn! How nice of you to come! Sam!” she exclaimed as she wrapped the burly man as best as she could into a hug.
He feigned happiness although he was not pleased that Rachel’s hug had separated him from Quinn who had moved farther away from him. Rachel hadn’t changed too much from high school. She still had the same big brown eyes, but her facial features were more prominent and her face now fit the nose she was given. There was still make up on her face from the performance and she was clad in a causal pair of jeans and coat. Her hair was just as long as he had remembered and definitely as curly.
“So, Sam, how have you been? It’s been forever since we’ve talked. What are you up to these days, besides being married to such a lovely lady?” she asked curiously.
As he glanced over to Quinn, he realized he didn’t want the girl to know they had just been…arguing. Well it wasn’t really arguing but it was certainly a disagreement.
“Well, we’ve been doing well actually, Rachel. I work over at the bank 9-5pm. You seem to be doing…well yourself,” he lied, knowing that being an actor in Lima Ohio held the same status as working the drive-in at McDonald’s.
Sam was surprised that Rachel wasn’t in New York doing this whole acting thing. He knew she was really talented and he and the rest of the glee clubbers always suspected she’d have made it on Broadway by this point. Maybe she finally got the wake up call she needed. She always was very cocky.
“That’s wonderful, Sam,” Rachel said gently, truly meaning the comment.
Suddenly, the two girls were staring at each other, neither having said a word to the other yet, and Sam was unsure of what was going on. Were they telepathic like the Avatar?
“Oh my goodness, I am such an idiot!” Rachel exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the lobby.
Always a drama queen, the brunette looked over to Quinn with a look Sam couldn’t decipher.
“I left my chap stick in my dressing room.”
Quinn’s body livened as she offered to retrieve the chap stick from the diva’s dressing room.
“Thank you so much, Quinn!” the brunette called after the blonde.
As she ran backstage, Sam realized he was now alone with the girl he currently loathed, which was funny because she hadn’t done anything to him yet.
“Sam, can I be frank?” Rachel asked earning her a puzzled look from the blond.
He didn’t know what frank meant but he figured it couldn’t be too bad.
“Sure.”
Rachel sighed, as if she were about to make a huge confession. Sam braced himself for the worst.
“I had invited Quinn for coffee after my show tonight. I had no idea she would be bringing you nor did I know she was even attending the show in the first place. I’m assuming you are unaware of my invitation.”
Sam’s stomach dropped. That’s why Quinn wanted to see the play tonight. Guilt overcame him as the truth settled in.
“No I was not aware,” he responded quietly, his eyes analyzing the pattern of the tiled floor.
“It’s just, we’ve had a very, very rocky past and both of us are tired of pretending to hate each other. That is why I invited her to spend time with me tonight. I really want to become closer to her, considering I have little friends here in Lima,” she continued, the man still not making eye contact.
“I see.”
When he finally looked at the girl, she was batting her eyelashes and gazing at him expectantly. It really wasn’t fair of him to forbid Quinn from seeing Rachel. They were just friends; what was the worst that could happen? He sighed, because if he let Quinn out with Rachel that would mean he’d have to be home alone. But then Sam remembered how happy Quinn looked when she saw Rachel, how her eyes brightened for the first time in months. He missed the way her hazel eyes sparkled. Her eyes were Sam’s favorite thing about Quinn. They hypnotized him whenever he gazed into them; he lost himself in the hazel swirls. Rachel seemed to make her eyes do that again. Quinn’s happiness was more important than his temporary loneliness
“Do…you still want to grab coffee?” he asked reluctantly.
The brunette’s face lit up.
“Yes! I mean, yes, that would be ideal. Do you mind lending me your wife for the evening? I have a car so I will get her home as soon as we’re done with our coffee, I promise,” she said enthusiastically.
He sighed but knew he was doing the right thing.
“Okay then. I don’t see why not,” he surrendered.
And then he was bombarded with yet another tight hug that almost suffocated him. Luckily, Quinn returned with the chap stick just before he started turning purple.
“It wasn’t easy, but I found it,” she announced happily.
“Where was it?”
Quinn laughed, the sound sadly unfamiliar to her husband. It had been weeks since she had last laughed like that, a real laugh. His heart wrenched at the sound. Why did Rachel make her laugh?
“In the drawer labeled ‘Rachel Berry’s Chap Sticks.”
The two were gazing at each other, neither acknowledging Sam’s presence. Suddenly, he felt the urge to throw up because she looked at the brunette with the same look she had given him when he had gotten down on one knee their junior year and promised to be a good boyfriend to her. Quinn was his.
“Well, I better go. You two have fun, I guess. See you at home, baby.”
Quinn never looked at him like that and before he knew it he was smothering her with a kiss that she did not reciprocate. Hiding his broken heart, Sam left the theater, head hung and shoulders slumped, already counting down the minutes until Quinn would be home again.
Sam never really hated Rachel in high school; mostly he just tolerated her and tried to tune her out whenever she’d rant about some song she was “destined to perform.” She was just a nerdy, bossy, obnoxious girl he never spoke to that much. To be honest, the moment he graduated high school and went off to college with Quinn, he had forgotten about the young brunette.
Now indifference was anything from what the blonde was feeling. This annoying girl had stolen his wife from him. Well not literally stolen her from but it has been three months since the two had met and Sam was more than upset. At first, it was okay because they only hung out occasionally and Quinn seemed much, much happier. She was smiling more and making him dinner that he actually liked. Her eyes were brighter, her cheeks were redder, and she didn’t look as pale as she used to. And Sam had no problem with that. He loves Quinn, why wouldn’t he be happy that she was happier?
No, that was not the problem. The problem was that now Quinn was always with the brunette. Tonight they were at that damn play again. Every Friday Quinn goes over to her house to watch movies after dinner with her parents, something a fourteen year old would do with her “BFF”. She never paid attention to him anymore. Normally on Fridays he’d go to work, Quinn would stay at home and do whatever she does at home. Then when he came home he’d be greeted with a kiss on the cheek and freshly laundered clothing neatly folded on his bed. Quinn was always there for him. Now she barely looked at him. She was always with stupid Rachel. Wait-no she isn’t stupid, she’s actually super smart but it was just frustrating for the blond.
He sighed and shut off the television, exasperated. Did he do something wrong? Seriously, what has he done to her? He has done everything right since high school. They had met in the hallway after some jocks had bombarded him with a cherry slushy to the face. Being a new kid, Sam was bewildered by the attack. At his old school, none of that kind of barbarism existed. Then, as he wiped the liquid off of his face, a goddess in a Cheerio’s uniform and tight blonde pony tail pulled him into the bathroom. He still can remember how soft her fingers had felt on his arm. As she cleaned him off with a soft towel, all he could do was stare at the woman before him. Her eyes had captivated him, the swirls hypnotizing him into a perfect haze of peace and awe. And then he laid the sweetest pick up line he had ever said and that was the moment he knew he had her hooked. From then on Sam walked proudly down the halls with his girl on his arm and the entire school bowing down to him. He felt invincible in high school, quarterback dating the head cheerleader. Nothing gave him a better feeling then telling people he, Sam Evans, was dating Quinn Fabray. And that whole red sea thing happened when they walked together down the hallway to class which was also pretty sweet.
But then stupid Finn had to ruin everything like he always does. He dumped Rachel over nothing and then stole Quinn from him. It was the worst moment of his life. Of course Quinn came to her senses and came back to him but for a while there it didn’t look so good for the blonde football star. He sang her Justin Beiber, gave her flowers, apologized a hundred times, and finally she took him back. And now he never wanted to lose her.
Before she met Rachel, something was off with her, something different from the Quinn he once knew. Her eyes didn’t sparkle like they did that day in the bathroom. She was paler, more tired, and sad looking. And Sam didn’t really understand why until one night five months ago. He had come home late from work and Quinn was reading a book in bed. Looking to surprise his wife, he kissed her and threw her book on the floor, freeing her hands. Her body had stiffened but Sam had ignored it. He slammed the lights off with his other hand and caressed her as his mouth surged with power, his lips eager to have her soft ones. After ripping each other’s clothes off, he hung above her, gazing at her beauty. Sure she had aged a bit, but it was for the better. She was gorgeous that night. As he plunged into her he smiled, closing his eyes and enjoying the pleasure, thrusting in and out. He had heard her breath hitch, only making him go harder; but then something changed. Her breathing had become uneven, almost as if she was hyperventilating, causing his body to stop instantly. When he had opened his eyes and looked down to his wife, tears had stained her porcelain skin and her chest was rising and falling rapidly.
“What is it, baby?” he had asked softly as a soft hand brushed away her tears.
She shook her head, but by then it had hit him. Quinn didn’t want to have sex with him. Feeling sick, he pulled himself out of her and bolted for the bathroom, vomiting as soon as the door closed. It was that night that he had realized something was going on with them. Something was not right.
He cannot understand what he has done wrong. Sure, they had gotten married really fast and young but only because they’re in love, right? He puts food on the table and works six days a week so they can afford to live in the house her father had picked out for them. He does everything without complaint. Her father adores him, as does her mother, and they are the perfect couple, always have been. Everything he has done is what a normal, husband does. And yet here he was alone in his house watching a rerun of last night’s game which he had watched unaccompanied the evening prior. His eyes wandered to the clock which read 11:45pm. The play had ended two hours ago. What could they possibly be doing?
***
“Shut up! No way! Are you serious?”
Quinn snorted as she choked on her green tea, causing a commotion in the small coffee shop that had become the pair’s home.
“I would never joke of such a matter, Quinn!”
The blonde rolled her eyes, slamming her mug down for effect.
“Forty-seven animal sweaters! Really, Rach? Really?”
Rachel blushed, loving the term of endearment Quinn had developed an recently affinity for.
“It’s not like I wear them all of the time anymore,” she defended herself.
Quinn nodded.
“Your taste in clothing has definitely improved since high school. Although, the occasional animal sweater wasn't too bad on the eyes.”
The brunette flashed her a smile and sighed contently.
“What?” Quinn asked as she looked curiously at her friend.
“I love this,” Rachel said softly, lacking her usual energetic tone.
A wave of peace overcame both girls as they took in everything that had happened over the past few months. Quinn never missed a single show of Rachel’s, always bringing her a single rose after each performance and a warm hug. The two had been spending enormous amounts of time together. Rachel had shown Quinn all of her favorite musicals and had discovered the blonde’s secret love for the theater. They had spent hours on the phone or at each other’s houses watching movies. When they weren’t together, both felt that empty feeling; something was missing. Right now, together in the coffee shop, both girls felt completely serene, completely content, completely complete. Rachel reached over to Quinn and pulled her hand into hers, stroking her thumb over it gently. If Quinn were a cat she would have began to purr. Slowly, Quinn guided the brunette to the couch next to the window, wanting nothing more than to bask in the warmth of Rachel. Their bodies melded into each other as Quinn held onto Rachel. Rachel burrowed herself into the blonde and smiled.
“Hey, Quinn?” she asked softly in a small childlike voice.
“Yeah, Rach?”
She sighed.
“I’m so happy.”
Quinn began to beam, her hand idly stroking her dark curls. She was too, truly happy. It was a feeling she had not had the pleasure of experiencing for a long time. The last time she felt like this was…that night at Nationals, when she admired Rachel’s talent and celebrated the team’s win. It was the same feeling she had gotten when she looked at Beth the night she was born. It was a warm feeling but not in the literal sense. No, it was like someone filled her heart up to the brim with love, leaving her feeling full but not because she had eaten too much; it was because she felt completely content to stay there forever. At first, Quinn was hesitant about everything, the hand holding, the hair twirling; but that resistance slowly vanished once she realized that it was making her feel this way. It was something she had never felt with any other person, not Finn, not Sam, and certainly not Puck. Sam was sweet though, when he wanted to be, and truly had good intentions. All three of the guys, well maybe not Puck, always had good intentions; but she had never felt as free as she did with Rachel. It was a new level of comfort unfamiliar to the blonde, one she wanted to keep for ever, even if that meant the wrath of her husband and father. So she pushed her doubts, her worries, and her fears aside and pulled Rachel closer into her chest, closer to her heart.