After stalking away from Blaine, Rachel set off to find her dorm.

After ten minutes of searching, she was starting to doubt that the D wing even existed. But she wouldn't let Blaine know that. He was always trying to protect her, as if she needed protection. Rachel had lived in New York with her grandmother for the past three months. She understood how to protect herself just fine. Even if she didn't leave the apartment without her grandma or cousin by her side. Not that she was scared. She was perfectly fine off on her own. Especially if she was just finding her dorm.

By the time she actually found the D wing, on the top floor, no less, a bell went off. She flung open the door, threw down her bag, and ran to her class. Which was dance on the ground floor.

...

Rachel was exhausted by the time it was lunch. She didn't even want to eat, she just went to her dorm and fell down on her bed.

"Tired?" A voice said from the other side of the room.

Rachel shot up out of bed. A blonde girl, with faded red streaks and too much eyeliner, sat on the bed across from her eating a sandwich.

"You must be my roommate. I'm Quinn." She had a pretty monotonous voice.

"I'm Rachel." She got back in bed, but she faced Quinn. "You know, you're going to get crumbs on your bed."

"I got a neat freak for a roommate?" Quinn rolled her eyes.

"I'm not! I just give helpful cleaning advice." Rachel scoffed.

"Whatever. Should we try to make small talk?" Quinn asked.

"Uh, okay. So, I'm Rachel Anderson. I'm from Westerville. I have a brother named Blaine. I'm a fantastic singer and actress. One day I'm going to New York to become famous." Rachel decided that was enough of her life story.

Quinn nodded. "Quinn Fabray. I'm from Columbus. My parents sent me to this school because she thought it would be a good influence on me. But, we have one thing in common. I'm also a fantastic performer."

"Really? Because I thought of organizing a girl's show choir group around here! The guys have the Warblers, so Dalton obviously needs the Warblettes. Yes! And one day we will join together and make one sensation chorus that will beat all the others at competitions!" Rachel was imagining herself and Blaine, duking it out for solos.

Quinn waved around her hands in surrender. "Woah, woah there, girl. Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not one to join 'clubs' anyways."

Rachel frowned. "Why not? They look great on your record, and it's a great way to meet friends."

"My record's not the best anyways, and I don't have friends." Quinn's voice held a steely tone.

Rachel stared down at her hands for a moment. "I don't really have friends either. I'm kind of...controlling."

Quinn found a spot on the wall to look at instead of Rachel. "You look like you're about to pass out." She threw a bag of chips towards Rachel.

"Oh, thanks." Rachel smiled. Even though she never, never ate in bed because her dads told her that it would attract bed bugs or something. But she decided to be polite and eat the chips, and she was starving.

"So," Quinn looked at her sandwich. She wasn't very good at looking people in the eye, "is this your first year? Oh, god. Sorry. Of course. I'm not very good at small talk." 

Rachel laughed quietly. "Yes, it is my first year. My brother, Blaine, has gone here for the past three years. I suppose it's your first year as well? Or are hiding something...?"

Quinn laughed. A real laugh. She slipped back into her stoic facade a moment later.

"You should laugh more. You...have a nice laugh." Rachel admitted.

Quinn smiled. The bell rang few seconds later. "I've got to go to, uh, Calculus."

"See you later," Rachel waved. Quinn nodded and left for class.

Rachel stared at the door for a minute. Quinn Fabray intrigued her. And she wanted to know more.

...

After dinner in the cafeteria with Blaine and a few of the Warblers, Blaine and another guy had left to go get coffee and Rachel didn't really feel like being around Sebastian anymore. Blaine was right, that he flirted with everything, but she'd never let Blaine know that. She just went back to her dorm, instead. She was about to go start reading over her syllabuses, but she heard a voice down the hall. A beautiful voice, coming from the bathroom.

She pushed open the door quietly to hear more.

You can buy your hair if it won't grow, you can fix your nose if you say so.

You can buy all the makeup that MAC can make.

Rachel was humming along before she knew it.

The shower turned off and the voice came to a halt. Rachel jumped out of the bathroom, but her head peered in. She had to know who was singing.

Quinn stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Rachel's eyes widened and she shot out of the bathroom. She ran to the dorm and fell on the bed, pretending to read a book.

A few minutes later, Quinn walked in. Her hair was dripping, but she was clothed.

Quinn raised an eyebrow at Rachel. "Your book is upside down."

Rachel felt heat run up her cheeks. "Er, yeah." She put the book down.

Quinn bent over and ran a towel through her hair.

Rachel tapped her fingers on the book a couple times. "So, there's this karaoke thing tonight. It's only a few miles away."

"Asking me out?" Quinn speculated.

"No, no. Well. I heard you singing." Rachel admitted.

Quinn cocked her head. "I wasn't, like, creeping on you in the shower. I just heard it through the hall." Rachel sputtered.

"Oh." Quinn ran her fingers through her hair a few times. "Why not, I'll go."

Rachel clapped her hands. "Good! Okay, we should have matching outfits, right? We could be duet partners and beat all the other-"

"Rachel. This is not a competition." Quinn said slowly.

Rachel nodded her head a few times. "Right. Right, okay."

...

"Now, you sing your part with the Unpretty song and I'll sing I Feel Pretty and it will be the best mash-up."

Quinn sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea inflating Rachel's ego even more, but she went along.

I wish I could tie you up in my shoes, make you feel unpretty too.

I was told I was beautiful, but what does that mean to you.

Rachel cut in.

My outsides are cool, m

y insides are blue.

Everytime I think I'm through, i

t's because of you.

Rachel's eyes flickered over to Quinn.

Quinn repeated the line that she was singing in the shower.

But if you can't look inside you, find out who am I to,

Be in a position to make me feel so damn unpretty.

Rachel's voice layered over Quinn's.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty.

I feel pretty and witty and bright.

They sang the last couple lines in unison.

I feel pretty, but unpretty.

Quinn had almost forgot that there was a small crowd in front of them until their light claps surrounded them.

Quinn's mouth parted open. She hadn't sang in front of an audience in years.

"I have to get some air." Quinn stepped off the stage and blew through the door.

Rachel followed her outside and found Quinn leaned against the side of a building.

"We were great!" Rachel beamed.

Quinn's face broke into a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, that was amazing. You're amazing."

"We're amazing." Rachel hugged her. Quinn stiffened, but then hugged her back.

Rachel's eyes met Quinn's, but their hands still lingered.

Go for it, A voice in Rachel's head told her.

And she did.

Rachel leaned forward and kissed Quinn. Quinn's eyes dilated and she felt like she was melting. Her hands tightened on Rachel's waist as Rachel's leg fell between her's, pinning her against the wall. Rachel's hands twisted through Quinn's damp hair, pulling her head backwards. Her teeth dragged over Quinn's neck. A moan escaped from Quinn. Rachel's tongue did things to Quinn's neck that she didn't know was possible.

"Rachel?"

Shit. Shit shit shit.

Rachel turned around and flattened against the wall next to Quinn.

Blaine stood in front of them with the most confused look Rachel had ever seen. "What the hell?"

Another guy, the one that Blaine had went to get coffee with, stood behind Blaine with a hand on his shoulder. "Blaine," he muttered.

Blaine shrugged the hand off his shoulder. His eyes kept flashing from Quinn to Rachel.

"I-I," Rachel had no words. What was she supposed to say?

"I'll...just go," Quinn mumbled.

"Wait," Rachel grabbed her arm. She didn't want to be left alone in the most awkward situation she'd ever been in! Quinn froze and lowered her head. "Help?" Rachel whispered.

Another voice broke the silence. "Hi, I'm Kurt."

Rachel turned around. "Um, Rachel."

"Innocent lamb." Kurt stated. Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Sorry, it's just a thing I do. The name Rachel means 'innocent lamb.'"

"...Alright. Th-This is Quinn."

"Wise." Kurt said again. Quinn nodded. "So, Blaine, can you help me with, uh, the Bio-Med homework?" Kurt's hand happened on Blaine's shoulder again.

"We didn't have homework." Blaine's eyes stayed on Rachel.

"Yeah, I was using it as a way to get you to stop embarrassing your sister." Kurt patted his shoulder.

Blaine crossed his arms. "Sorry, I see my straight sister making out with a girl across the street and I want to come investigate."

Then Rachel cracked. "God, Blaine! You're three minutes older than me, you don't have to shelter me from having any sort of life experience!" She grabbed Quinn's hand and dragged her along with her to the car parked on the other side of the street. "I could have sex with Quinn right now and it still wouldn't be your problem!" She shouted. "We don't have to, I'm just making a point." She whispered to Quinn.

They got in the car and drove away.

Blaine sunk down on the pavement. "Can you tell me what just happened?"

"I'd rather not." Kurt sat down next to him.

Blaine rubbed his face in his hands. "It's not like I can just flip a switch and turn off being a defensive brother."

Kurt put a hand on Blaine's knee. "Not to be intrusive, but she seems like she can handle herself."

Blaine nodded reluctantly. "You know what? My sister's getting more action than me."

Kurt laughed. He checked his watch. "It's almost nine."

Blaine sighed. "Okay, let's go back to school so I can have nightmares."