There's Always Tomorrow - AQ

Chapter 2:

"It's been a while since I've been in one of these." Adrianne stated softly as she followed Quinn into the church, looking up and taking in the high stain glass ceilings.

"How long?"

"Six years or so."

Quinn stopped and turned around. "Yeah, that has been a while."

"What about you?" The brunette asked as they started walking towards the pulpit again. "Are you a good little Christian girl?"

"I am."

"Catholic?"

"I am."

"I knew it. You can always spot them."

The blonde turned around again as they reached their destination and smiled in amusement at the comment. "Please, explain that."

"Well, they're the ones with their head up high but a hundred pound ball and chain of guilt dragging behind them. I thought that always made them pretty easy to spot... Also the fact that when we walked in, you looked for the bowl of holy water to bless yourself with despite that fact that this is not a Catholic church.."

She laughed lightly at the observation. "And I'm going to assume by the fact that you actually knew what I was looking for, that you were at least raised Catholic as well."

"That I was."

"So why don't you go to church anymore?" Quinn asked as she began setting up her equipment.

"I don't belong there."

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, I don't believe in it. And secondly, they don't believe in me."

The blonde stood up straight and looked back at her friend who was still taking in her surroundings. "Meaning?"

"I'm gay." Quinn nearly dropped her camera, she was so taken back by the confession. "That reaction never gets old." The brunette teased, lightening the weight of embarrassment Quinn was feeling at the moment.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I mean, as long as you aren't going to turn me in to the preacher or pastor or whatever this denomination calls it. And of course, as long as you don't start lecturing me about-"

"No. God, no. I'm not homophobic or anything like that. I'm a believer in to each his own."

Adrianne nodded her head once. "Good to know." The two stood in a thick, awkward silence. "And you are completely freaked out right now."

"No. No, I'm not." Quinn assured her, shaking her head. "I'm just... shocked, I guess. You just... I don't know. I wouldn't have guessed. I'm not freaked."

"Right. If you say so. So, where do you need me to be when all of this gets started?"

"Um..." Quinn looked down again to her camera and bags. "Pretty much right behind me. I might need a different lense or, um... I tend to run into things as well." Adrianne arched an eyebrow. "I move around while looking through the lense and I can't see where my feet are going."

"So I need to be your eyes."

"You don't have to be, but it is a little distracting to the guests when I suddenly call out 'oh shit' before I hit the ground." Adrianne's laugh echoed through the large empty room and she quickly covered her mouth despite the fact that they were alone.

"I'll see what I can do."

"I'd appreciate any help you can give."

Adrianne nodded and watched as Quinn went back to preparing. "So, do you really go to church every Sunday?"

"Most Sundays. I do have to confess to giving in to the desire to sleep in every now and then."

"Mass really does start too damn early. But here's the real question. Do you actually go to confession, and if you do... do you really confess all of your sins?" Quinn looked at a smiling Adrianne out of the corner of her eye. "Because I think it would be really, really awkward to confess to a priest about indecent thoughts we have and the things people do to alleviate our natural, biological reaction to them."

"Some confessions I keep between myself and God."

"But then what's the point of going to confession?"

"For penance."

"Then you've never repented for the things you confessed to God?"

"What is with you and all the questions?" Quinn asked with a smile on her face as she dropped her hands to her side.

"I'm just trying to understand your views and beliefs. I mean, just be thankful that I grew up Catholic and I'm not asking you why you worship statues." Quinn rolled her eyes, having already been asked that question several times in her life. "See, that is a plus."

"You said you don't believe. Why not?"

"Because there's too much bullshit mixed into it all." Quinn glared at her and she playfully covered her mouth after swearing. "Sorry."

"Your afterlife, not mine."

"Well, you are a horrible Christian. You're suppose to tell me that I'm going to Hell unless I repent and beg for forgiveness."

"What's the point?"

"Oh, an indifferent Christian, even more rare. I thought you all were out to save the world one non believer at a time."

"I can talk to you until I'm blue in the face, but it's up to you whether or not you're going to be saved."

The brunette smiled lightly. "Fair enough."

Things were proving so much easier with Adrianne around. The brunette seemed to instinctively know what Quinn needed, holding out either the bag of lenses or filters for her to choose from every time she dropped the camera from her face. The only slip up had been when neither Adrianne or Quinn noticed a small step down and Quinn almost took a face dive, but she found herself being pulled securely against the brunette's body by a strong arm. It took her a few seconds after that to find her creative focus again. She was pretty sure it was because of Adrianne's confession of her sexuality, but Quinn was oversensitive to their interactions now. Not that she had a problem with it or felt threatened. She was just much more aware now.

"I really appreciate your help." Quinn stated as she closed the trunk on her car. "There was much less stress with you there and I actually enjoyed it this time. Maybe you should give up on law school and just become my assistant. Maybe one day I'll even have my own studio and you can help me run it."

"Sounds tempting, but I'll have to see what type of boss you are before I sign any paper work. But I actually had fun too. For a job, this isn't half bad."

"Nah. The trying part is what I get to do next: editing. Although I think these turned out pretty good, so maybe I wont have too much to do." Quinn said, nodding her head towards the trunk with the camera in it.

"Want some company? I'm still trying to put off studying."

"Do you ever study?"

"I do better under pressure."

The blonde smiled broadly and looked down to the ground before meeting Adrianne's waiting gaze. "Yeah. I would love the company actually. Staring at a computer screen gets a little old after awhile. But lets stop and grab something to eat first."

~/~/~/~

"You were really a cheerleader?" Adrianne asked with a little bit of a laugh in her words and Quinn blushed while she nodded her head. She dropped her eyes to her plate and picked up another french fry.

"I was. I was the head cheerleader actually."

"Let me guess, you even dated the quarterback and were homecoming and prom queen." Quinn held her hand out, palm up in admission. "Oh my God. You were totally that girl. I'm shocked. I always thought they were suppose to be clueless and slow. You're actually intelligent, witty, and fun to be around."

"Thank you. I'm glad I defied the odds. What about you? I would say that you were either one of the popular kids, or a rebel without a cause."

"Can't I be both?" Adrianne teased. "No, I was a bit of an out cast. Not too much, but I was. I had opinions and beliefs that didn't really match my peers and they found it difficult to relate to me. It all made me kind of an oddity." That didn't sound at all familiar. "What's that look for?"

Quinn snapped out of her daze. "What?"

"That pensive look you just had. What was it for?"

The blonde waved a dismissive hand in the air. "You just reminded me of someone from high school. That's all."

"Someone you miss?"

The blonde let out a light snorting laugh. "And why would you say that?"

"Because you were smiling. Now you have a lonely look in your eyes."

Quinn stared at the brunette for several long and silent seconds. "Has anyone ever told you that when you do that, you make the other person feel uncomfortably vulnerable?"

Adrianne took a bite of her hamburger in indifference to what the blonde was implying. "Once or twice."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a fan of that feeling."

"Babe, no one is."

Quinn froze and studied Adrianne who seemed oblivious to the name she had just called her friend. "Babe?"

The brunette paused for a second and mentally played the last few minutes of the conversation over in her head. "I'm sorry. I say that to everyone. I didn't mean anything by it. I wasn't hitting on you or anything like that." Quinn arched an eyebrow. "Well, I mean, you're beautiful, intelligent, funny, and judging by those lips, probably a really good kisser... but still, I wouldn't be that forward." The blonde rolled her eyes at the joke, hoping it was a joke and not flirtation anyway, and hoped that the brunette didn't notice the blush she felt burning her cheeks... because she had no clue why it was even there. Adrianne looked down to her plate to try and hide her smile. She definitely noticed the blonde's blush. "But anyway, people only feel vulnerable when they're trying to hide something."

"Or keep something to themselves."

"Exactly. Hiding something. So, what are you wanting to hide?"

Quinn scoffed and took a sip of her drink. "If I'm hiding something, what makes you think that I would tell you?"

Adrianne sat back in her chair and studied the blonde. "Are you telling me you don't want to tell me?"

Surprisingly, with as vulnerable as Quinn was feeling, she was also feeling very comfortable with the brunette. If anyone else had pushed this much, she would have been running out the door or ripping their heads off. But here she was actually toying with the idea of opening up to this woman she had only met a few weeks ago. "I wouldn't want to depress you."

"Oh, angst. I can handle some angst. I happen to have had a fair share of it in my life as well. Perhaps I can relate."

"Have you ever run away from everything you've ever known to try and forget about it only to have it follow you in your memories?"

"Partially. I've run, but I've left it where it was and gone back to deal with it later... when I was ready. I figured I ran for a reason. I thought it would be best if I dealt with that reason first and what I left behind second."

This is what drew Quinn to Adrianne more than anything. She had a maturity to her that Quinn could relate to. She was able to somehow cut through all of the protection that Quinn had built up and no make her feel insecure being completely exposed. She almost made her feel safe, like everything was going to be okay as long as she talked about it. It was strange to feel more uncomfortable trying to dismiss a topic than it was trying to explain it, no matter how deep the emotions were that were attached.

"So... why did you run?"

Quinn held Adrianne's gaze for a second as the faint smile fell from her face. "Lets just say that the person that everyone back home knows me as, and I have given them every reason to see me as, isn't really me."

"So, why not show them who you really are?"

The blonde twirled her drink on the table, slowing expanding the ring of moisture on the table's surface. "Because I still haven't completely figured it out yet. I've spent so much time trying to be who I was suppose to be in everyone elses' eyes, that I'm not sure who I really am. I just know who I'm not."

"And who aren't you?"

"I'm not really wanting to get into this right now. It's a bit too deep for a dinner conversation."

Adrianne studied the pain that her friend was currently trying to hide and nodded her head. Normally she would push for a bit more information, but she had a feeling that the blonde would actually get up and leave if she did. "Okay. Maybe another time. We could share some stories I'm sure."