it's astronomy (we're two worlds apart)

happy birthday

Most people would call it a sixteenth birthday party. To Quinn, it's hell on Earth.
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Lima, Ohio

Quinn Fabray wishes she was an only child. Honestly, she has a lot of wishes relating to her family. If she could have it her way, she wouldn't have any siblings or parents at all. She also wouldn't be any kind of royalty, but she would maybe keep living in the castle.

It's fun to disappear.

So when the time comes for her to blow out the candles on her sixteenth birthday cake, she has several things running through her head, on what to wish for. Her parents are standing above her, smiling for the cameras.

When she can't choose, she decides on world peace.
Basic bitch.

Her sister, and her demon spawn, are having their own separate photoshoot. Quinn hates all of those kids; though she can't really refer to them as kids, when one is two months older than Quinn, but Quinn is technically her aunt.
Her family sucks, and is very confusing.

Quinn's brothers are on her other side, as the journalists and photographers try to arrange them into each individual family.

She feels her mother pat her shoulder.
"Lucy, stop looking around. Straight ahead, and make sure not to smile too wide."
"Yes, mother."

Then the photographer sits down her camera, and beckons Quinn over.
"Okay, can I please have all the siblings here. Keep Princess Lucy in the middle, and Princess Francesca, on the other side. The twins beside her, lovely, and then the other three on Princess Lucy's left."

She hates it when they call her Lucy. It's a stupid name, and she much prefers her middle name; Quinn. So she refers to herself as Quinn, even though nobody else will, apart from Brittany. Her best friend.

"And...smile."

It flashes once more. She can already see the titles that will no doubt appear tomorrow.
'Princess Lucy's Sweet Sixteen'
'Everything you need to know about the Fabray's Youngest Daughter'
'Recreate Princess Lucy's outfit for your prom!'

Yuck. It's not as if they know anything about her. It's all made up, by her mom and the families publicist.

Her sister pulls her over. "Excuse me, can we please have a photo. It's not every day your baby sister turns sixteen!" Francesca calls, her nails digging into Quinn's arm. When the photographer comes over, camera ready, Quinn can only smile, as her sister continues to bore holes in her arm.

There's another headline '22 years has done nothing to break this bond- the two Princesses and their close relationship.'
Lies, lies, and more lies.

Quinn just prays for this part to be over.

Later on, the whole family have retired to one of the drawing rooms, for Quinn to open her presents. All her siblings are still there, and her parents, and all the assorted children. Both sets of her grandparents are dead, because apparently smoking expensive cigars and never doing any exercise is bad for you.

So, Quinn curls up on the armchair in the corner, a well-thumbed copy of The Virgin Suicides in front of her. Over the top, she can see two of her nieces sorting through her birthday presents, and trying on all her new rings and necklaces.

The armchair creaks as her oldest brother, George, sits on the end. Quinn can already smell the alcohol on him, and shifts away.

"So, you're sixteen now." He says.
"Am I? I hadn't noticed." She replies, pretending to be engrossed in the book.
"And you wonder why none of us like spending time with you."
"I thought that was because you're over twenty years older than me, and you have children and actual royal duties. Also, you have a very important online poker addiction, and I wouldn't want to distract from that, in case you actually win any money back."