It only took three days for things to go to shit.

Quinn was laying in bed, staring at her ceiling. All she could do was sit and think about her life. It was fucking insane, living with her best friends, having her dream career, and being tragically in love with the boy who sleeps down the hall.

Except he wasn't sleeping. He was standing outside her door, willing himself not to knock.

Quinn sensed someone outside her door, "Hello?" She sat up, sliding her legs out from the bed and walking to her door.

"Shit," she heard Clay mumbling to himself, but she couldn't make out all the words. When Quinn opened the door Clay was standing there, looking at his hands, and blinking hard. When he noticed the door was opened, he looked up and softened.

"Clay?" Quinn leaned against her door, "What are you doing here, it's like one in the morning."

"Can I come in?" He looked nervous again, and there was a look in his eyes that screamed drunk. Quinn was trying to close him out of the room, she knew if he came in right now, he wouldn't leave. And then, it would be a whole thing in the morning.

"Clay it's late, and you're drunk," Quinn spelled it out like it wasn't obvious to him.

"Can I come in, I want to talk to you," He was a little more persistent, and his words were a little slurred.

Quinn took a deep breath, she could handle this. She's dealt with a drunk Clay before. She stepped aside and let him in. He immediately scooped her into a hug. Quinn was a little shocked by this, it was a different kind of hug than the ones she had been receiving from him lately. He had swept her off her feet, and completely enclosed her in his embrace. She felt safe, even if he was a little drunk, his hug was a promise to protect her. Still it knocked the air out of her lungs, because it was so sudden. Hearing this, Clay almost dropped her.

"Am I hurting you?" His grip loosened and his face dropped, part of him was aware that he was out of it. Although Quinn doubted that he would remember this tomorrow.

"No, you're okay," Quinn assured him and sat on her bed. She knew she was going to be crying after this, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Us." He said it like there wasn't a girl in his phone who hated Quinn.

"There is no us, Clay," Quinn was stern, she wasn't gonna let him do this to her, "No."

"Quinn that's not fair," Clay persevered, sitting down next to her on the bed, "There could be."

"Clay, No!" Quinn stood up quickly, stepping back from him. This couldn't be happening.

"Why not?" Clay seemed distraught, how drunk was he, and how'd he get it?

"Clay you have a girlfriend," Quinn pointed out as if she was speaking to a child, "Any hope that you had for us have to go. I can't do this right now." Quinn covered her eyes with her hands, she was getting too stressed out, "Where's Nick?"

"You know, every time something bad happens you ask Nick for help, and you never ask me, why is that?" Clay sounded defensive, was he really trying to start an argument?

"Because he isn't drunk," Quinn spat back, full attitude, "and he's not confessing his fucked up feelings for me."

"So it's wrong for me to tell you this?" Clay stood up, crossing his arms. This was like dealing with a child.

"When you have a girlfriend? Yeah it is." Quinn was trying not to raise her voice, but it was getting difficult as her frustration continued.

"Quinn, I don't think you understand," Clay dropped all frustration in his tone and it was soft again, "I don't love her."

Quinn could've sworn that her heart stopped beating in the moment. She turned to look at him and all she could see were how deep his eyes were in this moment. Drunk words are sober thoughts.

"Clay, I don't care, we can talk about this later, you need to go to bed," Quinn swallowed.

"Of course you don't understand," he shook his head, "I don't know why I expected you to."

"What is there to understand? Hm?" Quinn could feel herself getting angry again. She didn't understand? She understood more than he probably thought capable. Clay matched her energy, his tone angry.

"You don't understand what it's like to be in love with someone, after letting them slip out of your fucking fingers," Clay wasn't mad at Quinn, he was mad at himself.

"Clay..." Quinn caught herself, in love, that was new.

"What, Quinn?" Clay sounded annoyed and Quinn tried not to let it get to her.

"You may not think I understand, but I do," Quinn's voice was ice cold, "You may think you're the only one who hurts, and you get drunk to escape it only to throw it in my face, but you're not."

"Quinn, I'm in love with you." Clay regarded her seriously. Switching back and forth was giving Quinn a headache.

"No. You're not. You're drunk," Quinn reminded herself of this, no matter how much she wanted it to be real, it couldn't be.

"Quinn, yes I am," Clay took a step back, "I'm in love with you."

"I can't do this right now, get out," hearing him say it, not once, but twice, was a lot for Quinn. She was coming to the end of her rope, and was about to lose it.

"Oh so you're running?" Clay started quiet, but he grew more angry as he spoke, "I'm not surprised, it's your favorite thing to do. You left me, that morning, when you could've stayed. I wanted you to stay, I would've done anything to make you stay, but still you ran away. I didn't know what to do, I cried and I called my mom, and I couldn't bring myself to tell her, but I knew then that I loved you. And then when my family came over, and you found out about Vanessa, you ran. You didn't even let me explain. I didn't even know if I liked her then, I was grasping at straws trying to get over you!"

Quinn was crying. She felt frozen, she couldn't move, she didn't know if she wanted to. Quinn knew that she ran, she knew that she was looking for an out, for an escape, for the easiest way to get herself out of the situation, even tonight, she wanted an out. But hearing him say it hurt so much more.

"Now I have to lay in bed every single fucking night and think about what I could've done differently. I have to pretend that I don't wanna give it all up for a chance to go back and redo everything. I have to sit here and pretend that I'm not in love with you, because it's too much all at once. And now I've fucked it up for sure, because I came in here and drunkenly confessed my love for you, while my girlfriend is sleeping in my bed."

Quinn gasped, "She's what? Clay you need to leave. Now."

"Well, I can tell you what your girlfriend isn't doing, sleeping," Vanessa stood in the doorway, and Quinn wished she were dead.

"Can you take him, please?" Quinn begged, "I can't do this right now."

"Oh no, he made it very clear that he's in love with you, he wants to be here," Vanessa crossed her arms, she didn't seem upset by his confession, she seemed prideful.

Clay on the other hand was slack-jawed and very clearly trying to figure out a way to cover his ass.

"Baby, it's late, and I'm drunk. I don't know what I'm saying," He sweet talked Vanessa, who batted her eyes at him sadly.

This was a new level of hurt for Quinn, she was pretty sure this is what getting stabbed would feel like. Actually, that might hurt less.

"Let's go to bed baby, we can talk about this in the morning," Vanessa grabbed his hand, and pushed him out of Quinn's room and into the hallway towards his, before she followed, she looked back at Quinn, "You better be packed by morning."

It was a threat.

Quinn didn't sleep. The second that Vanessa shut her door, she broke down. Hearing everything come out of Clay's mouth, Quinn realised how much time she had, she could've told him how she felt at any point, and Vanessa wouldn't even be here. But Clay was right, Quinn was a coward, and always looked for an exit. Quinn cried so hard that Rose didn't even know what to do, she just meowed at the girl, trying to cuddle up next to her. Quinn must've cried for an hour, because her head was pounding when she was done. Vanessa was very clear, she wanted Quinn out.

Normally Quinn would say "fuck no," and bitch slap her into the next century, but now she has too much power. Vanessa could create the ultimate online scandal and end Quinn's career. It would be too easy, especially because she also had information about Clay, she could cause so much chaos. Quinn pulled her suitcase down from her closet, she didn't even know where to start.

When the sun started rising, Quinn felt tired, and she was still hurting. But her suitcase was packed and she had cried all the tears she could. She had even texted Ellie, asking if now would be a good time for a visit. There wasn't a response yet but one would come soon.

Quinn didn't even want to leave her room, she didn't want to pick up her phone, in case she was trending on Twitter. She was so anxious it almost made her sick. Nick came knocking on her door at 7 am.

"Quinn?" He opened the door to the disheveled girl, who thought she couldn't cry anymore. She was wrong, "What the fuck?"

"Nick, I have to leave," Quinn tried to speak in between sobs, "I can't stay here."

"What are you talking about?" Nick was practically holding Quinn up, between the exhaustion and the heartache, she couldn't take this, "Quinn what happened?"

"I did." Clay was standing in the doorway, looking guilty.

"What the fuck did you do?" Nick was a little hostile, and Quinn squeezed his arm, she was okay, even if it looked bad, he didn't have to protect her like this.

"After you went to bed, I came in here and I said some things that I regret," Clay looked ashamed, "And I'm sorry Quinn."

Quinn almost laughed, but she could tell that he didn't get much sleep either. Him and Vanessa must've been up all night talking. Still she wasn't surprised that he regretted showing up at her door.

"Whatever," Quinn brushed him off. This is when Nick noticed that there was a packed suitcase sitting on the bed.

"You're not seriously leaving, are you?" Nick seemed to stop breathing.

"Where are you going?" Clay caught on. And at this point, George wondered in, probably overhearing their conversation.

"You're leaving?" He sounded crushed.

"I have to go," Quinn frowned, "Vanessa doesn't think it's a good idea that I stay here, especially after everything you said last night." She looked to Clay, and recognition flashed in his eyes.

"She mentioned that to you?" Clay frowned, "I didn't think she was serious."

"You can't leave," George was a little confused, but he was standing his ground.

"This is your home," Nick reached his hand out to Quinn, squeezing it, "You're not leaving. I don't care."

"I think it's a good idea," Vanessa chimed in, she had the most impeccable timing.

"Babe, when did you tell her?" Clay turned to Vanessa, and something clicked in Quinn's mind.

"So you've talked about it before?" Quinn bit on her tongue, hard, "throwing me out?"

"No, Quinn, listen," Clay started, but Quinn cut him off.

"Is that why you came in here last night? Because you knew you were gonna get rid of me anyways? Or was it your sick way of twisting the knife even further, trying to convince me to stay? How dare you, Clay, after being roommates for so long, after being friends, how dare you?" Quinn didn't even care at this point, she was exhausted and hurt and he didn't give a shit about her. What kind of sick joke was this.

"This is why you have to leave," Vanessa crossed her arms, she was tired of being nice, "You're so dramatic all the time."

"Who put you in charge?" George snapped, and honestly it took everyone by surprise, George had been quiet about his feelings towards Vanessa, but they were making themselves apparent.

"I'm just setting boundaries," Vanessa said helplessly, like she was the victim here, "I found out my boyfriend had feelings for another girl, one who lives down the hall from him. Now of course, I trust him, but I don't trust her."

"She's not leaving." Nick said again, as if that would change anything.

"Yes, I am." Quinn said defeatedly, "I have to."

"Quinn..." Clay swallowed, it looked like he was gonna say something, but didn't. Quinn's phone buzzed in her hand. A text from Ellie came through.

Yessss. Ill buy wine!

She was very clearly not aware of what was happening right now.

Quinn looked to Nick, "Can you help me get my stuff in the car?"

"This isn't happening," George rubbed his eyes, like he could be sleeping, "You can't be leaving." George looked upset.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Clay said quietly, "I'm sorry George. I'm sorry Nick."

Quinn wasn't even surprised that he didn't apologise to her.

"Honestly?" Quinn said, grabbing Tiki from the empty bed, "Fuck you Clay."

She walked out of the room, feeling a little more empty, Nick and George helping carry her things out to her car.

Clay didn't want to move. He didn't want it to be real. He fucked it up again. And this time, she was really gone.

"Please tell me you'll come back," George was doing his best to stay composed, "this can't be the end."

"I don't know," Quinn said honestly, "I'm gonna go visit Ellie while I figure things out, but this isn't goodbye, guys."

"It's a see you later?" Nick asked, she looked a little closed off.

"It's a see you later," She confirmed before pulling Nick into a hug. There was something finite about it. Their entire friendship was boiled down into this one moment. It wasn't the end but it sure felt like it could be.

When George hugged her, Quinn almost cried again. George was never one for physical touch, but when he hugged Quinn, he hugged her like he wouldn't even get to again. And that scared her, more than she would like to admit.

As she got into her car, she wanted to pinch herself. This had to be a dream. But as she pulled out of the driveway, it was all too real. She wasn't living with her friends anymore. Now, she was alone.