𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 ! * ✧ ⊹

6

Rachel lay curled up on her side, staring blankly at the wall. She had been in pretty much the same position since leaving Quinn's house. The fury that had burned so hot that night had also burned fast, and she was once again left with only the crushing weight of humiliation. She couldn't go back to that school and face them, she wouldn't.

A soft knock sounded on her door and she released a sigh of frustration. Her fathers' meant well, she knew that, but their constant hovering and concern was starting to wear on her.

"Please go away, I told you I don't want to talk about it." When her fathers' had come home and found the mess in the dining room, which she had totally forgotten to clean up, they had gone into panic mode. Rachel came by her overly dramatic personality honestly. To convince them that the house hadn't been broken into and that she hadn't been attacked, she had been forced to tell them the general events of Friday evening, leaving out the crucial detail of the picture.

They had been furious about Quinn's involvement, and had wanted to go and confront her. Rachel and pleaded with them to just let it go. It didn't matter anymore, and letting the blonde know how deeply she had been affected by the event would just make her happier. They had reluctantly agreed to leave it alone, for now.

"Rachel honey, a friend is here to see you." Rachel rolled over violently and stared at the closed door in shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe that her father would let anyone in to see her after she had explained her humiliation at the party.

"I don't have any friends," she sneered. "Whatever they have to say, I have no interest in hearing." She rolled back over and faced the wall.

"Rachel? I brought you some chicken soup, Quinn said you weren't feeling well, it always makes me feel better." Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to fight back the tears at the mention of the blonde's name. Shit. They would send Brittany; only a complete ogre would be able to be mean to the sweet blonde.

Heaving a resigned sigh she rolled over on to her back, best to just get this over with so she could go back to licking her wounds in private. "Come in," she called out. She tilted her head towards the doorway and watched as the door swung open and Brittany walked in, a red and white can of soup clutched in her hands. "Close the door please," Rachel asked her father as she sat up on the bed.

He sent her a worried look, clearly not sure if she was really okay with the visitor. Rachel smiled wanly at him and nodded her head. No one could say no to Brittany it seemed, her father being no exception. "It's fine." He sent her a longer look, the concern easy to read, before he nodded his head and backed out of the room and closing the door with a soft click.

"Here." Brittany extended the can of soup to Rachel. Rachel silently took the can, not having the heart to remind the girl that she was vegan. Brittany sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her. "I heard Quinn and San talking, I got worried and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Rachel snorted bitterly. "Oh I'll bet they were talking." Rachel shook her head and then looked at Brittany. "Did they send you?" Rachel asked quietly. She didn't think the blonde was actually in on the prank, but she wouldn't put it past the other two to use her for their own ends.

Brittany shook her head. "No they don't know I'm here. San wanted to come but I know you two don't always get along and if you were sick I didn't want you to get upset." Rachel gave the blonde a measuring look, before shaking her head sadly.

"Why do you hang out with them Brittany?"

"With who?" Brittany asked, confused.

"Quinn and Santana," Rachel replied, a bite in her tone. "You've been friends with them since grade school, and I have just never seen that same desire to cause pain and destruction in you."

Brittany frowned in confusion. "I thought you were friends with Quinn now, special friends."

Rachel laughed; no trace of humor in the sound. "So did I, shows how stupid I am doesn't it?" The brunette stated more than asked harshly. Brittany reached over and patted the smaller girl comfortingly on the shoulder.

"You're not stupid Rachel." Brittany sat quietly beside her on the bed for several moments. "When are you coming back to school, Quinn's been really worried."

"I'm not," Rachel replied flatly.

"What do you mean?"

Rachel stood up from the bed and began to pace around the confines of her room. "I mean I am not going back to that school. I have spent years being the butt of all the jokes, the laughter, the ridicule, and I refuse to put up with it any longer."

Brittany frowned from her position on the bed. "But you have to go back, Quinn will be sad if you don't."

"I'm sure Quinn will survive." Rachel continued to pace, lost in her own world. "It's never going to be enough, I see that now. I foolishly thought that if I could just figure out what it was that drove them to hate me I could fix it. Fix me. I didn't do anything this time. I know I didn't. She sought me out. She pursued me. Why couldn't it have been enough? Why is it never enough?"

Rachel felt a hand land on her shoulder and she jumped, she had almost forgotten the other girl was in the room. "Don't cry Rachel, it'll be alright." Rachel reached up and touched her cheek, feeling the wet trail. She hadn't realized she was crying.

Rachel cleared her throat, embarrassed that her weakness was on display, even if just to Brittany. "I'm really not feeling well. Thanks for stopping by but I'd really just like to lie down."

"Are you sure? I could stay and we could cuddle, it always makes Santana feel better," Brittany offered sincerely, upset by the petite singer's tears.

Rachel gave her a watery smile. "I'm sure." Impulsively Rachel gave the blonde a quick hug. "You're sweet Brittany, don't ever let them change you." Wrapping a hand around the cheerleaders arm she guided her over to the door. She was drained and she really wanted to be left alone before she broke again.

At the threshold Brittany turned. "What do I tell Quinn?"

"Tell her she wins."