The Running Back

Chapter 4

"No," Quinn shook her head to Rachel's relief. "Your head looks fine." Quinn went back to the cabinet and got a granola bar and a bottle of water. She sat down on the bed next to Rachel and started to eat as well. They were silent for a while, both of them taking small bites out of their granola bars. Rachel needed to say something. She had to find something worth discussing but her mind came up blank. Small talk would be insufficient. Small talk was almost always insufficient.

Maybe a compliment; Rachel liked compliments and most likely Quinn would too. As she took a sip from her bottle, Rachel subtly gave Quinn a once over. There were plenty of things that she liked about Quinn, plenty of nice things that she could say about her. Of course not everything that she could have said would have been completely appropriate. She looked Quinn over, up and down, looking for her most perfect feature. Suddenly, Quinn turned to her, raising an eyebrow as Rachel scanned her legs. It took Rachel a moment or two to notice that she had been caught. She jumped back slightly and quickly tried to come up with an excuse.

"I um... I uh..." Rachel stumbled on her words, her eyes darting around as she searched for anything that could save her. They fell down to their feet. "I uh... like your shoes. She felt stupid as she said the words but they were enough to grab Quinn's attention. She looked down to her shoes with a puzzled look on her face. They were a simple white pair of tennis shoes. They were slightly dirty, but it was clear that Quinn had taken good care of them. There wasn't anything special about them.

"Uh... thanks."

"You're welcome," was all that Rachel could say. She finished up her granola bar and once she was finished Rachel headed for the door. Quinn followed closely behind. Once past the door they were back in the locker room. Rachel looked back at Sue's first aid room and let out a sound of amusement. She had always wondered where that door led to. In retrospect, she should have realized that it had something to do with Sue.

Rachel started heading out but was stopped when Quinn gently grasped onto her wrist. She took a breath to ease the rapid beating of her heart and then turned to face her. "Do you have a ride?" she asked. "Cause if you don't I have a car. I just want to make sure you get home safe."

"Actually I..." She was about to say that Noah would drive her home. The words almost slipped right through her lips, but she stopped herself from making that big mistake. "Actually I don't. I'd really appreciate that. Thanks."

"Great. Just give me a sec; I just want to take a shower first." For a brief moment Rachel's mind fizzled out. She was able to quickly able to regain her composure though, but she lost it just as swiftly as Quinn continued on. "Of course you could take one too if you want." There wasn't the slightest bit of seduction in her tone but somehow some part of Rachel seemed to take that as an invitation to join Quinn in the shower. She then suddenly shook her head, tossing those thoughts away. "Okay, if you don't want to. I'll try to be quick, okay?"

And with that Quinn headed off which perhaps was for the best. Rachel still needed to find Noah anyway. She got changed and then headed out of the locker room. Not far away Noah was waiting, leaning against a wall. Upon seeing her he pushed himself off the wall and smiled. He put on a façade, pretending that he wasn't worried but Rachel knew that he was. After all, he did try to talk her out of joining in the first place. It just wasn't in Noah's nature to show his sensitive side though.

He came up to her and pulled her in for a bone crushing hug. Rachel was lucky that she had only hit her head or else his embrace would have really hurt. After a while he pulled back and took a firm grip of her shoulder. "Told those guys that you'd be okay," he said. "Finn was crying like a little punk." Rachel laughed despite the fact that she didn't want Finn to feel guilty over what had happened. It was her own fault anyway. "Would have beat the crap out of him though if you were hurt."