Something - Quinn Fabray

Chapter 36

"Mom, can I have my phone back now? Pleeeease?"

Shelby kept her eyes on the papers she was checking. She knew if her son turned those brown eyes on her she'd cave, and besides she wanted to finish these so they weren't hanging over her forever. "It's only five in the afternoon, I said I'd give it back tonight."

"But I've already been grounded for almost three days, and besides, I've already learned my lesson," Ryan said earnestly. "I'll never attempt to send anyone to a crack house ever again, regardless of whether said crack house is active or inactive."

Smothering a smile, Shelby asked, "Why exactly is it so important that you get your phone back right this instant?"

"I need to talk to Quinn."

"I'm sure you just talked to her yesterday, I highly doubt you're going to combust if you wait two more hours."

Ryan sighed in defeat. "Fine." He flopped down on the couch in Shelby's study.

Shelby looked at him. "I've been meaning to ask you, is she okay?"

"I don't know, that's why I want to talk to her. I heard about the fight she got into with Santana. I'm sure you heard about it too, gossip spreads like wildfire at school."

"Oh, I didn't just hear about it, Will Schuester and I were the ones to pry the two of them apart," Shelby answered.

Ryan looked at her in surprise. "I didn't know that. What happened, exactly? I just know the general story, which isn't really all that reliable, and Quinn wouldn't talk to me about it."

"Well, from what I can tell, and from what she told me, your girlfriend told Coach Sylvester about Santana's, ah, cosmetic surgery," Shelby explained. She relayed the rest of the story. Ryan sighed.

"I don't know what's up with her. I know there's something wrong, but she won't tell me what it is. Do you know what it is? Maybe it's a girl thing."

"No, I have no idea what's going on with your girlfriend, she wouldn't talk to me either." Shelby's phone rang. Great, she was never going to finish these papers tonight. "Hello?" She pulled the phone away to belatedly check the caller on the screen. "Oh, hi James."

Ryan immediately perked up. "Can I talk to him?"

Shelby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm good. Drowning in paper, but yeah, I'm fine. You called just in time. Your son is having girl problems. You should talk to him, maybe keep him from pestering me for his phone back." Ryan scowled at her, and she made a face at him. A pause. "Long story, very interesting, actually. You can ask him yourself. Hang on." She held the phone out to Ryan. "Here, take it outside."

"Gee, thanks, I'll stop pestering you then," Ryan said sarcastically, taking the phone. "Hi Dad."

"Hey Ryan. How come your mom has your phone?"

"Oh, that." Ryan smiled sheepishly. "She caught me trying to give another student directions to a certain unsavory establishment, while giving him the impression that glee auditions were to take place at that location. Needless to say, I've been grounded."

"He tried to send another student to a crack house," Shelby said loudly so that James would hear.

"Why would you do that?" James asked incredulously. "That's dangerous."

"Okay, again, it wasn't an active crack house!"

"That's not really the point..."

"Yes, I've already had the speech from Mom, can we move on now?" Ryan asked. "So, there was another incident at school yesterday -"