Never asked to feel your halo (Faberry)

44: Taking a Chance on a Long Shot.

Quinn was on the sidelines fifteen minutes earlier than necessary, staring out across the empty field. Behind her the noise level rose as the stands steadily filled up.

There would be twice as many people here tonight than usual because it was the Homecoming game. What had she been thinking?

She was trying to breathe through her nerves, but was closer to hyperventilating than calming down.

Until Santana and Brittany appeared on either side of her.

"Okay, Q?"

She glanced at Santana and knew she couldn't show any weakness. "Yeah, it's just a big game, you know? I'm nervous for Finn."

"You should be, he sucks!"

"He does not!"

"Oh look, Mercedes and Tina are here!" Brittany squealed, jumping on the spot as she waved to them.

"Is Ra . . ." Santana's sharp eyes were still focused on her. ". . . at really necessary, Britt? They're not our friends."

The rebuke was like bath water off a rubber ducky's back to Brittany. "They're kinda our friends. We have classes together and we hang out nearly everyday after school."

"That's for Glee club, not for pleasure," she staunchly reminded her, ever aware of Santana's watchful gaze.

"So you don't even enjoy it a little bit?" Brittany asked all innocently . . . with a teasing curl to her lips that had Quinn blushing in the cool night breeze.

The Titan's were coming out on the field now, giving her a chance to turn away and hide her discomfort. She jumped up and down a little and cheered for Finn specifically when she saw him. He turned and gave her a huge, excited grin, but it fell into confusion when she scowled, not realizing that she'd just spotted Mike behind him. Puck slapped him on the back to get him moving again and then the boys were in a huddle around the bench.

Santana finished cheering for Puck and bounced over. "So what's your beef with Chang?"

"No beef. Just residual Team-Berry irritation."

"I don't get it, but that chick's really gotten under your skin."

Quinn couldn't deny it. There was no point anyway, her actions had been speaking for her too much lately.

"Yeah, well tonight I'll be scratching that itch."

"About time."

Brittany was cheering for Kurt and he turned around and bowed, giving Quinn a reason to laugh and jump away from Santana. She turned to the crowd, pom-poms waving wildly as she encouraged them to cheer. She went through the motions but her eyes were scanning the bleachers up, down, left, right, looking for her.

She wasn't there.

The drive to school was mostly silent; Rachel's barely verbal one word answers discouraging her Dad from making conversation.

She didn't mean to be rude, but biting her tongue was the only way she could stop herself from requesting he turn the car around and take her home.

Why was she doing this anyway? Curiosity didn't feel like the right answer, although she did have plenty of it. Not wanting to let Quinn down felt more like the truth but she didn't want to admit that even to herself. She shouldn't care about that and she couldn't figure out exactly how not attending the football game would be letting the blonde down anyway.

Yet here she was, three blocks from school already and feeling sick to her stomach.

"Did you not bring a dress to change into for the after-dance?"