that's why I should have the solo at sectionals." Rachel ended as Dorothea wanted to bang her head against the locker.

Yet, the girl heard Rachel's gasp as she saw from the corner of her eye, as the nasty and repugnant hockey player stalked down the hallway, tossing the repulsive slushee straight into Finn's face.

Finn slammed the player - Karofsky into the wall. "What the hell, Karofsky?!"

Before Rachel could step in to somehow defend Finn's honour, Dorothea pulled the Diva away. Looking back to where Karofsky shoved Finn away, Quinn looked in her direction with a concerned expression.

"I'm sorry," She mouthed to Quinn.

***

Dorothea sat Artie and Tina, looking at Rachel who stared longingly at Finn - and she had to be honest, she was most likely doing the same to Quinn five minutes ago.

At least she was somewhat with Quinn. At least she thought.

"Our reputation as McKinley High's it couple is in serious jeopardy if we don't manage to be cool again," Quinn said to Finn, rubbing over his face with a damaged and most likely already slushee-stained towel.

Schuester walked in, holding sheet music in his clammy hands. "Okay, guys! We're a little behind for sectionals, thanks to our Sue Sylvester detour, but you guys really seem to enjoy doing mash-ups, right?"

"Puckerman, you're aware of what a mash-up this time? Or have you become more stupid in the past 2 weeks?"

The mohawked boy looked over to Dorothea and flipped her off. She simply sat up straighter, Kurt looking over at her, shaking his head.

"Puck, that's inappropriate!" Schuester said to the boy, before continuing as if nothing happened. "I'm gonna keep you guys fired up. There's an important lesson to be learned with mash-ups. Sometimes, things don't feel like they go together, but the big difference between them is what makes them great. Like... chocolate and bacon."

"Or football and Glee," Finn said, his voice shaking slightly as Quinn pulled his head back forcefully.

"Exactly!" Schue pointed over, "But, you've proven that it is a great combination, so, here is my personal favourite song," He walked around handing out sheet music to some old songs. "Your homework for the week is to find an unexpected mash-up to go with it."

"Sir, but this is just an extracurricular, why should there be homework?" Dorothea questioned, dismissing the music in front of her.

"Because we all need to do our part and do assignments to build up knowledge." Schuester replied as Dorothea just made a face at the man.

"Bust a Move?" Kurt scoffed as he and Mercedes shared a disgusted look.

"Yeah, this song is old school," Mercedes frowned as Schuester continued to hand out the sheet music despite their disapproval.

"All right, uhm, Artie." Schuester walked over to the boy.

"Yeah?"

"Try to follow along on the bass. Finn, take us through it."

Finn just looked dazed as Quinn pushed the towel around, trying to pick up every trace of the sticky liquid. "Uh, Im sorry, Mr Schuester. I got corn syrup in my eye."

Schuester ignored Mike, Matt and Kurt, turning to Puck. "Okay. Uh, Puck. How about it?"

"I don't groove on Young MC."

The brunette scoffed, "Do the number, Puckerman."

Rachel's head perked up, "Exactly! I am shocked at this room's lack of leading-men ambition right now."

Puck looked over at Dorothea at this point, "Fuck up," He mouthed to her as she smirked at him, not trying to go too far. The dumpster was not a nice visit.

She did the unthinkable after being in the grotty dumpster, she texted her devil brother on how to get satan incarnate back. Shaving off his squirrel mohawk and planting that and a bottle of Nair into a slushee to throw at him. She was so not doing it (well, not at that particular time).

"It's okay, Rachel. I guess I'm going to have to show these guys how it's done," Schue said, ignoring Mike and Matt completely, who looked puzzled at each other.

"Bust it!" Schue began to sing Bust a Move as he creepily danced around his students, trying to get all of them to join in one by one, dancing in the middle of the room. The girl joined Kurt who was lurking in the shadows of the so-called performance, not really getting involved.

She was definitely skipping this so-called homework.

***

Dorothea sat on Tina's living room floor, in a low-quality, thrown-together attempt at a pillow fort, watching some shitty horror movie. Tina sighed as she looked over to the other girl.

"Have you noticed how I haven't been stuttering as much?" Tina asked, pausing the movie.

"I thought you were simply comfortable about who you were around, therefore not stuttering as heavily."

"You sound like a textbook." Tina deadpanned. "I don't have a stutter. I was faking it."

"Well isn't that just fabulous?"

"I... pretended I had one in sixth grade because I didn't want to do this speech. This is what people don't get, I was really shy, and it made people leave me alone. They acted as if it were contagious and stayed far away..."

Dorothea was just shocked. Sitting criss-cross, sipping on her energy drink obnoxiously as Tina spoke.

"Basically if I just fake a stutter Puckerman will fuck off? - wait. T, that's so wrong? Can't you just stop? Are you going to tell Artie?-" Dorothea spluttered out, her words overflowing with questions for once in her life. As she looked at Tina, her drink was placed by her side.

Tina cut Dorothea off. "-I don't know if I'm gonna tell Artie. He's gonna be so hurt. I can't hurt Artie, Thea, I care about him." Tina tried to reassure Dorothea, the guilt slapping her in the face. She had been lying to everyone for years.

"You're going to do it one day, Tina. I don't understand fully why, but you're going to be honest with yourself, right? I don't want you faking this forever, Tina. You're amazing."

"Thank you. I don't want to hide anything from you, Thea."

Dorothea smiled at Tina, placing a gentle hand as to where and how she would usually attempt to comfort Quinn. Quinn who were hiding each other from everybody2. Tina smiled at the girl, "You're my best friend."

"You're mine too. But I swear to fuck if you use that stutter near me I will not be afraid to tell one Arthur James Abrams about it."

"James?"

"That's his middle name, T. I made it."

***

Schuester had failed to come into the classroom yet, as they all sat there Dorothea took the seat beside Quinn for once. Finally, as Schuester came into the choir room, "any ideas for the mash-up?" He asked, getting silence in response. "Anybody?"

Nobody answered him, the silence overwhelming the room until Brittany answered. "No." She simply said.

"Oh, come on, guys!" He sighed, as he looked around at them as if they were all failures. "It's like youre daring me to start dancing." He joked, getting laughs from the whole club.

"Oh no!" Rachel was the only audible one to answer as the laughter stifled down as Puck spoke, like usual.

"I've been working on something," said Puck, turning around his guitar strapped to his grey sweater. "It's my personal tribute to a musical Jewish icon,"

"Fantastic! Let's hear it," Schuester said, motioning for Puck to start as he sat beside Matt. Dorothea looked over at Quinn, who strangely enough sat beside her.

Puck started strumming, as he began to butcher Sweet Caroline. The club, aside from Santana in the corner who looked frankly offended at Puck even existing in her prescence, and Finn who look confused at usual, as his eyes darted from Puck to Rachel to Puck.

Rachel in the front looked way too enthusiastic for simply just enjoying the so-called performance. Dorothea looked at Quinn beside her, who looked just as impressed with the performance as Santana.

As the song ended, the whole club clapped vigorously, Dorothea raised her hand, though, speaking regardless. "I think im speaking for atleast four of us when I say, if the french revolution happens again, i hope they chop my head off, it hurts from listening to that."

"You better watch your tone," Puck tried to threaten her as she leaned back.

"Atleast ill be able to get a round two, even if it's with a dumpster." She shot back, as she felt a nudge on her shoulder, looking at Quinn beside her.

Dorothea smiled sarcastically at Quinn as Puck death glared the pair of them.

***

The following day, Quinn showed up to school wearing a pair of sunglasses. Waving goodbye to Finn, who went in the oppposite direction.

"Im proud of myself. Im atleast still clinging to being the most popular girl here." Quinn looked at her, though, giving death glares to anyone who looked strangely to her. "It means I just want people to like me."

As the two continued down the hallways, which were cleared out by the people shoving their way to the lunch hall or court yard, as Quinn talked further along about popularity & how it wasnt that bad. Though, there by the edge stood Puckerman and at least 1 other imbecile and irrelevant football player. The rest were probably going after some other poor victim.

"Fuck." Dorothea muttered under her breath, noticing the obvious red cups in their hands.

Before any of the two could get a word in, the cold and icy slushee seeped everywhere, targeting her directly. The liquid sticking faster than they could wipe it off. Dorothea wiped her eyes with the part of her cardigan not already wrecked by the slushee.

"Quite literally no need!" She spluttered, cleaning her face off the best she could attempt, which stupidly ended up spreading it.

"Told you to fuck up and you didnt listen. The dumpster didn't show you to be quiet and keep your gay hands off of the Queen of the Chastity Ball-" Puck was interrupted as Quinn scoffed.

"She's my friend, Puckerman. Leave her alone you boneheaded dick." Quinn scoffed, shoving the fellow slushee-stained girl along to the nearest decent bathroom.

"We've been here before," Dorothea muttered as Quinn wiped off the backhand of the slushee she received. Quinn grabbed the paper towels from the stall and cleaned the girls face off, sitting her down on the chair the school's underpaid janitors knew to just keep there.

"I mean," Quinn lowered her voice, "you're still pretty."

"Thanks, Q,"

The blonde gently rinsed out her hair, she needed to wash it soon regardless, she had more care with getting the slushee out than she ever saw her do to Finn, though.

Quinn's fingers brushed past her bangs, Quinn shared the soft touches as they freyd into silence. Quinn smiled down to the girl. "I'd give you my cheerios jacket, but Sue had it shipped off to those European dry cleaners..."

"I wouldnt expect you to anyways." Dorothea said, looking uptowards the blonde. "Puckermans a dick,"

A shadow of guilt caved over Quinn's face as she masked it efficiently. "And has a small one at that." The blonde muttered, dropping the towels in the bin.

"How would you know that?" Dorothea teased as Quinn stopped in her tracks.

Quinn froze in her step, as Dorothea sat up straight, drops of water nonchalantly making their way down her skin, tracing her freckles ever so slightly. "Note to self, never joke." She muttered under her breath as Quinn turned around to her.

"It's nothing, don't even." Quinn said, holding a hand out. "Stick your head under the hand dryer."

Dorothea just looked at Quinn, frowning. "You can't be serious. Do you see that monstrosity?"

Quinn trivialised. "Unless you want to walk around with slushee-infested, dripping bangs, I say you should."

"Well. It's a better idea than you staying with Finn," Dorothea muttered, walking over to the hand dryer. "If you even look at me, I will have you beheaded. Put the chair infront of the door,"

"What is your obsession with beheading?" Quinn laughed, doing what she said and putting the chair under the door's handle as Dorothea reluctantly put her head under the dryer.

Quinn looked over at the ridiculous girl, her eyes crinkling in the dingy lighting, covering her mouth with her hand. Quinn was beautiful, and though, laughing more than Finn had ever made her.

Dorothea bit her lip as she pulled her head out from the non-efficient dryer. "They're like Schuester's choir room walls. Damp." She groaned as Quinn looked at her.

"They'll be fine, dont worry." Quinn checked the time on her phone.

Quinn moved the chair from the door, as the pair left. "Here," Quinn said, wiping off a speck of slushee she forgot to get from her cheek. "I really have to go this time,"

Quinn's phantom touch lingered on her cheek, the soft and delicate touches imprinted on her fragile skin. Her presence remained in the familiar corridor as she left down the corridor, straddling the option of eternally leaving her memory or forever staying. The frayed memory of that moment, just being with Quinn despite being in the greasy bathroom, she would treasure anytime with Quinn she could get.

***

Her dad's condesending girlfriend was a ginger, so they werent off to a good start already.

The woman was nice-ish, but Dorothea felt like slapping her if she looked her up and down one more time. The girl stayed quiet as the woman droaned on about her aunt's half-sisters, and cousin's dogs.

Dorothea felt her hand slip from trying to keep her head upright to listen. Doreen droned on and on and on. The ginger went on about some new topic.

"So, how are you doing in school?" The woman asked the younger girl, who finally woke up from her haze of droopy boredom.

"It's fine, I made friends." Dorothea shrugged, picking at the dry and unseasoned food. "Tina and Mercedes are lovely. So is Quinn," She wanted to smile at even thinking of Quinn generally.

Doreen smiled at her. "That's sweet. McKinley High right?"

The brunette nodded as her dad got up to go and went into the kitchen to fuel his alcoholic tendencies and grab the wine they were drinking. "Dorothy, isnt that your name?" Doreen asked, the other girl simply just nodded again.

"Dorothy of Oz," She shrugged. "You have the name of Esthers friend from the Bell Jar-,"

"Bonding, I see," Xavier Smythe said, walking in with the two wine glasses, filled to the brim with the red liquid.

Dorothea sank back into her stiff chair, as her dad interrupted the forming conversation.

Afew minutes later, the girl moved back up to her room.

The ginger woman's voice faded out casually, as the door shut, as Dorothea sat by her bed. The drink April Rhodes gave her poking out from under her bed, half covered by a sweater she burrowed below.

No. She couldnt.

***

On Thursday, Quinn met the girl outside of her English Literature classroom. As Dorothea left her books into her locker, Quinn waited with her. She'd not gone to lunch with Tina and Artie for two days straight.

Rachel was clinging onto Noah Puckerman's arm as they walked down the hallway together. Dorothea looked over at Quinn who raised her eyebrows at the odd pair. Just as she was going to look away, a hockey player barrelled down the hallway, slushee in hand, and soon directly into Puck's face.

Jacob Ben Isreal got something good on record for once.

At 3:30, all of the members baring the football guys stared at the clock. The seconds ticked down, one by one. As it struck 3:30 on the button, they all turned to face the door. All they were met with was silence.

"I guess theyre not coming," Said Schue, disappointedly. "Im so sorry guys."

"Theyre such dicks," Dorothea turned to Rachel, who had a hopeless look in her eyes.

"I cant believe this! I thought they were our friends," Mercedes dejectedly huffed. "How can they just abandon us?"

Slow footsteps approached the choir room as the two best boys in the Glee club walked in. Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford. Santana and Brittany ran over to the two and hugged them tightly.

Then there came the devil himself, Noah Puckerman. Rachel's smile overcame her face as she walked slowly over to Puckerman, a collective gasp overcoming the club. Rachel and Puck shared quiet words.

Finn never showed up.

***

Mercedes brought the quartet matching ponchos to wear for slushee-protection after Dorothea told them what Puck did. As Finn walked down the hall, slushee in hand, she fired up the red hood as quick as she could.

The four followed Finn down to where he stood, babbling infront of Kurt and Rachel. "-How picky you are about what products you use on your face."

"But youve been getting so much pressure from the gorillas on the football team." Kurt scoffed, taking a slight step backwards. "I guess they didnt appreciate me resigning and choosing Glee."

"It probably would have went better if you didn't announce it in the showers,"

"You are not gonna slushee on my man Kurt," Mercedes fumed as Finn looked baffled around at the people who were his friend a mere few weeks ago.

"You slushee him and my fist will be through your thick ass skull." Dorothea snapped, as she approached closer to Finn.

"Why wouldn't he? He's made his choice," Rachel opposed, crossing her arm tightly. "He doesn't care about us losers anymore."

"That's not it... If I don't do it the guys are going to kick the crap out of me! Well... after Mercedes does." Finn recounted, his words faltering.

"Well, we can't have that, can't we?" Kurt said, snatching the cup from Finn's hands.

"What are you doing?"

"It's called taking one for the team." Said Kurt, throwing the entire slushee over his face as Rachel jumped backwards. Brushing the slushee from his eyes, Kurt looked to Finn. "Now get out of here, and take time to think whether or not any of your friends on the football team would have done that for you."

Finn stumbled away, looking from Kurt to in front of him and back to Kurt. Kurt spoke up, "someone get me to a day spa, stat!" Rachel rushed Kurt to the ladies' bathrooms, as Tina held the door open. Dorothea chose to go with Artie, not wanting to leave the boy out instead.

As she and Artie split, she felt a tap on her shoulder as she turned around. "Glee club?" She asked, pushing her sunglasses down to look at the other girl.

"Of course." The girl walked alongside Quinn, until Sue stormed up to them, well, specifically Quinn.

"Q, take off those sunglasses. I want to look in your eyes when I give you this piece of business." Sue commanded as a few people stopped in the corridor to stare at what was going on.

Quinn did what Sue said immediately, whipping the sunglasses off. Sue stared directly into Quinn's eyes. "You're off the cheerios. I can't have a pregnant girl on my squad. You're a disgrace,"

Quinn's whole body was almost frozen, apart from the sadness and the tears welling up in her eyes. Dorothea had no idea what to do. She decided to wrap the blonde up in her arms, despite being in public. "Q, Sue is a bitch. Not being on the cheerios shouldn't deter your worth," She whispered in her ears, holding her close. Quinn practically fell into the embrace, as she felt the tears from the girl fall.

She death glared at anyone who gave them strange looks.

***

Quinn was going to some event for her church after school, so she kept the spare clothes in her car.