[ If you had asked her during her sophomore year if she ever thought she would be friends with Quinn Fabray, the answer would have been a resounding no. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to back then -- even all those years ago, she'd found herself thinking of Quinn more than she probably should have -- but rather that their social standings and interpersonal relationship had prevented even attempting to mend a bridge. Quinn had been popular, captain of the Cheerios, desired by the male half of the population and envied by the females. Rachel had been gawky and awkward, loud and overbearing. Her determination and focus on the future had made forming friendships with kids her own age nearly impossible.
It'd taken that day on the bench in the hallway for her to realize that Quinn actually had a heart three sizes too big, that the girl who had presented such an icy exterior to the world was searching for herself just as everyone else was. Perhaps that was the day that she realized just how special Quinn was. From that day forward, she'd tried her best to reach out and offer her friendship. There wasn't much else she could do, not much else she could offer but it was something. It was something to bridge the gap that had separated them. And sure, they'd slipped up a few times, fought over boys that Rachel really wasn't interested in, disagreed on subjects that left them both pursing their lips. However, for the most part, their friendship stayed strong even through the rocky times.
Flash forward to now. Years of not seeing each other, years of wondering if Quinn had ever thought about her what she had thought about the blonde. Years of tears of frustration and anger at not being able to express what she felt, years of regret for never keeping in touch after she turned her back on the town that had shaped who she was. All of it came to the surface like a tidal wave, forcing her to look the feeling that she'd once felt -- and admittedly still felt -- right in the eye. Literally. ]
"Wonderful! I know that he wanted to see you and I'm sure he'll have a chance now that we've all found each other, but I know how excited he was to be able to go out with his friends tonight." She has a habit of rambling when she's nervous, stumbling over words as she tries to string them together to mask what she's feeling. However, when Quinn comments on her appearance, her cheeks go pink and the smile that spreads across her lips is going to be incredibly hard to explain away.
There's silence for a moment before she mentally kicks herself as a reminder to acknowledge the compliment with something more than just the Berry mega-watt smile. "Oh! Thank you, Quinn. And yes, I did go under a bit of a makeover upon my arrival in the city. Kurt and Santana decided that perhaps I could translate my personal sense of style into something more suitable for a young adult. I will admit that while it was daunting at first, I've grown into the wardrobe Kurt helped me pick out." She glanced down at her outfit, nodding slightly as she ushered the other girl inside before closing the door behind them.
She cleared her throat, shifting her weight as she tried to think of a way to fill the silence. "So... you were... you were incredible at that performance, Quinn. I wanted to tell you that night after the show, but I got so caught up in seeing you again and catching up that it completely slipped my mind to say so. So, from one performer to another, you were absolutely amazing."