Never asked to feel your halo (Faberry)

4: Hot and cold fever

"What did you think was going to happen, Stubbles?"

Rachel looked around as the entire student body stood on the cafeteria tables for a better view; their laughter filled the large room, echoing eerily off of the walls.

"I fully understand why you told everyone, but why did you do have to do it when I was naked?"

"It's not my fault you want to get naked every time you see me."

"It's not every time."

"So you just thought the lunch line would be a nice safe space to express yourself?"

"No, I don't think I did think." She looked around anxiously. There were even more people, she was sure her entire ballet class had just joined the hecklers. "But I think I would like to leave now."

"That's right, run away and hide." Quinn shook her head derisively. "You're such a freak, Rachel. Seriously, what are you so scared of?"

The laughter around her was reaching a crescendo, hands slapping the lunch tables like a slow, torturous drumroll and she couldn't make her arms work to cover her body the way she desperately wanted to as Quinn mocked her, leading the jeering crowd.

The drumming became knocking and she jolted fully away at the sound of her door opening.

"Honey, are you okay?" Her Dad called over the music. "You're going to be late for school if you don't get up now."

"What?" She tried to push herself up in alarm but she'd been sleeping on her tummy, arms tucked beneath her and they were numb. They were as useless now as they had been in her dream and caused her to gracelessly slam face first back into her pillow. "Arrgh!"

She couldn't be late again. And she still had a towel to wash. She'd left it until this morning so that it would retain as much of the fresh scent as possible, but now she'd overslept and it was going to smell exactly as it had yesterday when she'd fished it out of the laundry bin – only the unpleasant musty smell would be a day older and therefore worse!

It hadn't even been twenty four hours and she was already messing this up.

Quinn noticed her parents were watching her and instantly felt dread as she stood from the breakfast table and walked to the fridge for a second glass of juice. What had they noticed? Her Cheerios top held her slightly (disgustingly) bloated stomach in nicely. She'd thrown up twice already since waking but the morning sickness seemed to have passed quickly today and she was actually feeling quite refreshed for once. So what was with the scrutiny?

She hadn't accidentally said, "I'm pregnant!" over her toast and jam, had she?

She looked down at her top. "Did I spill something?"

Her Mom gave a loud fluttery titter and Quinn had to curb the impulse to taste-test her breakfast juice. "Not that I can see."

"You just seem awfully chipper today," her Dad said, sounding upbeat despite only being on his second black coffee of the day.

"You're bouncing," her Mom added.

"I am?" She looked down at herself again dubiously.

"You could hardly keep still in your seat." Her Dad turned the page of The Lima Daily he was reading. "Something good happening at school today?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Seriously, they were freaking her out.

"I bet she just can't wait to see Finn," her Mom said with a knowing smile.

Her Dad looked up. "I take it things are getting serious between you two then."

Quinn choked on her orange juice. "No, why would you think that?"