"I'm so sorry, Sempai!" Teagan threw herself onto Quinn's bed with a theatrical flair reminiscent of a Disney franchise. "Forgive me for abandoning you in your time of need!"

"I already said it's okay. It actually turned out really well." Quinn's solemn face stayed glued to her laptop. "How was your night with whoever that was?"

"Ben McCreedy. We have Numerical Methods class together this semester. And nothing to report. Just octopus hands and fish lips. Same old, same old." Quinn looked over to see her roommate's smile had faded. Before she could ask about it, the dryer buzzer yelled obnoxiously from across the small house.

Quinn saved her work and stood up to walk out but stopped to glare at her housemate who was playing with her brown hair. She looked up at Quinn and smiled innocently.

"I'm not going to touch your beloved laptop, Cotton Candy." The two women stared at each other before Teagan sighed loudly and pouted. "Fine. I'll come out and help you. By 'help', I mean moral support only. Folding isn't in the benefits you've subscribed to but if you send me a small monthly payment to my Patreon--"

"Ugh. I was born in the wrong decade. I don't need help. Just get out of my room."

Teagan bounced up and followed Quinn to the laundry closet. She watched in interest as a single black shirt with a radio station logo on the front was pulled from the empty dryer.

"One shirt," the brunette said incredulously to her strange, pink haired friend. "You washed one shirt. By itself."

"Calm down. I didn't want my other clothes getting my smell all over it. That would defeat the purpose of washing it."

"The whole purpose of washing your clothes is to get rid of any smells!"

Quinn rolled her eyes as she professionally folded the shirt. A vein on Teagan's neck threatened to explode from her frustration.

"So," Teagan forced out, "what was her name again? Angela?"

"Evangeline." Quinn said without emotion. "And she's coming by in a few to get this."

"My big question is why did she even have a shirt with her in a club?" Teagan crossed her arms as the two stood in their hallway.

"That place isn't a club. That's where you go to lose a kidney. And I don't know. She didn't answer that question."

"And she dropped out? That's like a sin to you."

"It's her life. If she wants to screw it up, so be it." She noticed the exaggerated pout from Teagan. "Wait, are you jealous? You know she's a girl, right?"

"A girl that likes other girls! You're already doing her laundry! You've never once done my laundry."

"Teagan--"

"How are we supposed to grow old together if she steals you away from me?"

"Teag--"

"Thank you for being a friend! Traveled down the road and back again!"

"Teagan," she interrupted the angry yell-singing. "I'm straight."

"When was the last time you dated a guy?"

"You know I'm too busy. I don't have time with my workload. And are you saying desperation leads to trying girls? Fairly certain that's not how it works."

"Love works in mysterious ways."

"Love isn't this mystical force, Teagan. C'mon. I could choose someone today and as long as I apply myself, I can fall in love with them or I can decide to ignore my hormones and continue with my life that I very much like. It's all about willpower."

"Are you for real?" Teagan's hazel eyes filled with anger. "Love doesn't work on your schedule. You don't choose when it happens or who with. And why wouldn't you want love? Love adds color to life. It's something to look forward to. Why would you choose to be this glum all the time, married to your laptop, and reading shitty books your whole life?"

"Hey, I'm happy with who I am and being able to choose who to like is better than blindly accepting to fall in love with people like Beer McGuzzler."

"His name is Ben McCreedy," she huffed, her face turning red.

"Well, your Prince Charming made you smell like the floor of a bar when you finally came home. It seems like you are the desperate one out of the two of us."

"Maybe I just want attention, Quinn! Jesus Christ!" Quinn's eyes widened as she saw she had missed when the discussion turned into an argument. Teagan's round cheeks were bright red and her breathing was ragged as she attempted to keep from crying. "I don't always go out to find love. Maybe it's just the need to connect with someone after spending all week with you! But you wouldn't understand that. You don't connect with anyone because you're a freaking robot!"

Teagan stormed off to her room with loud music following her door slam leaving Quinn stunned and alone. She sighed and bowed her head, her wavy pink hair falling forward.

Quinn knew how difficult she could be. People all throughout her life had brought up the same complaint. Family quickly understood she was different, friends gradually stopped inviting her to simple get-togethers, and even her boyfriends complained she wasn't needy enough, aggressive enough, clingy enough, or flirty enough. Quinn wasn't bothered by their reactions, though. She was aggressive when she wanted to be, interested when she chose to be, and social when she needed to be knowing that if someone came along that she decided was a suitable match for her career and lifestyle, she would want to be aggressive, choose to be in love, and need nothing in return.

A chime rang out from her phone, pulling her from her thoughts. When she pulled it out, Evangeline's name illuminated the screen.

Who's the fan of really loud DRAKE?

My housemate.

My condolences to your ears. I'm out front. I hope you're decent. Quinn made her way to the front door when her phone buzzed again. Did that make you smile?

No.

Damn.

Quinn opened the door and saw a beat up clunker that at one time could have passed as a red Volkswagon Golf decades ago but clearly been abused it's entire life. There was that explanation or the more plausible one that the current owner sitting on the hood with her long legs crossed and a cigarette between her lips had run the poor thing to its last leg.

Quinn frowned deeply as the freezing temperatures made her question the sanity of her new acquaintance who was dressed in only a loose white shirt with a deep v-neck plunge and a black biker jacket that was either purposefully three quarter sleeves or the lanky woman had difficulty finding appropriately sized winterwear. Not that Quinn could talk since she was wearing a simple button up short sleeve with a vest.

Evangeline noticed Quinn walking out and her eyes lit up as she slid off the hood of the car, tossing the cigarette into the gutter. She smirked mischeviously at the girl but it disappeared as Quinn walked past her to pick up the wet cigarette, ensuring it was put out, and tossed it into their trash bin. She returned to stand formally in front of a quizzical Evangeline and held out the folded shirt. The blonde looked down at the pink haired girl and raised an eyebrow as she took the it.

"Did you wash this?" She held it up to her nose and sniffed it.

"Of course," Quinn shrugged. "I wore it."

"For, like, five minutes." Green eyes narrowed at the blue ones before smirking lasciviously. "Or did you sleep in it, you naughty minx?"

"No!" Quinn's eyes widened and Evangeline saw a genuine emotion from the solemn girl. "I just didn't want it to smell."

"What would it possibly smell like?"

"I don't know. Maybe residual vomit from my skin or smoke."

"Oh no," Evangeline said monotonously. "One of my shirts smells like smoke. Scandal."

The pink haired girl's emotion fled her face leaving the other woman feeling desperate to fill the void.

"That was a joke." She smacked her with the shirt playfully. "You can laugh. I won't tell anyone."

"I'll laugh when you make a joke that's worth laughing at. So far, all you've got are duds."

"Ouch. I felt that cut into my soul."

A blue car filled with seemingly first year girls pulled up to the house with the rainbow flag, captivating the two women's attention. They rolled down their windows, the loud music spilling out and combating Teagan's. The front passenger yelled out for the occupant inside and the driver honked their horn repeatedly.

"Rude," the two said in unison. The pink haired girl looked up at the blonde who scoffed lightly and smiled at her making Quinn's cheeks warm up.

"Um, yeah. Again, thanks for the shirt. Goodbye, Evangeline."

She turned to head back inside but a warm hand gripped her bare wrist, guiding her to spin back around to find the tall blonde with bright green eyes and freckles in a line across her cheeks standing a step too close to her.

"I'm going to this thing next weekend--"

"No."

"It won't be anything like last night. It's a small get-together. Just movies, pizza, and beer."

"I don't drink."

"Oh my God. No one cares." Evangeline's patience was running out. "I'll pick you up and if you want to leave, I'll bring you right back and we'll never speak of this again."

"I have to get in that thing?" The two looked at the car that practically begged to be crushed in a compactor.

"Hey," Evangeline defended, "Lola has been there for me since I was sixteen."

"I'm sure she has," Quinn raised an eyebrow, "but has she been operational that whole time?"

"As long as no one offends her," she pouted. "Now you accept my offer or not? Chip chop! I got nowhere to go and no place to be."

Quinn scrunched her mouth to one side as she thought. Classes would have started and she was bound to have work to do all weekend but before she could decline, her own voice surprised her.

"Fine."

Evangeline let out a small sigh of relief before reaching to grab Quinn's chin. "No. You say, 'Yes, Evangeline'," she bobbed Quinn's mouth open and closed like a puppet. " 'I would love to go on a platonic date with you'."

Quinn pushed the slender hands away and turned her head to try to hide her smile. Evangeline gasped loudly and pointed at the pink haired girl excitedly.

"Aha! I knew I could make you laugh!"

"It was a smile. Not a laugh."

"Tomatoes, tomahtoes." Evangeline tapped her chin studiously. "So, the key to making you smile is ventriloquism. I can work with that. I wonder how much puppets cost?"

"Please, don't," Quinn grabbed Evangeline's arm tight and the tall blonde's smirk disappeared as her cheeks flushed at the fear in the blue eyes looking at her. "Puppets terrify me."

"Yeah, me too. I don't think I could touch a puppet even if it made you smile. Speaking of touching," she grabbed Quinn's face again making her frown deeply. "What is your routine? Your face is so smooth. It's like a baby's!"

"Good genes?" She said through squeezed cheeks. "Drinking water daily? Not letting people just touch it whenever."

The sound of a car door closing made the two women realize how intimate they looked. Evangeline lowered her hands to her sides and backed up as Quinn rubbed her cheeks.

"Sorry, I don't know boundaries," the blonde said as she slapped her hand playfully but the pink haired girl remained stoic. "So I'll see you next weekend? Wear something comfy. We usually pass out on the third movie."

"I'm not sleeping over in some strange place. I don't even know you."

Evangeline rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to murder you. That would be too messy," she teased. "I'll text you the details later. See you next weekend, Quinn With No Label."

"Bye, Evangeline the Lesbian."

A collective gasp came from the car across the street and Quinn looked over to see the car of people staring at her.

"I-I, sh-she," Quinn pointed at Evangeline who stood amused at seeing the normally composed girl flustered. "It's a joke. It's a thing."

"So, being a lesbian is a joke?" One of the girls yelled out of the car.

"No, of course not!" Quinn felt her face go red hot. "It was just this thing."

"Calm down, everyone," Evangeline said as she put her hand on Quinn's shoulder, making the pink haired girl's skin tingle. The blonde smirked confidently at the car of nearly rabid girls. "I'm on my way to teaching this cis-gendered bigot the ways of the queer. Gotta convert allies one at a time, y'know? I'll have her dressed in rainbows within the week."

Evangeline winked at the car of girls who calmed down enough to giggle and whisper to each other before shooting Quinn a dirty look as they drove away.

"Maybe we don't do our 'thing' anymore." Evangeline squeezed Quinn's shoulder, sending a zing down the shorter girl's spine. "At least not in public."

"How come I can't say 'lesbian' but you can call me all of that and they smile?"

"I don't make the rules, sweets. I just roll with them and so should you. Slinging words around like that could kill your social life before it even begins."

"I have a social life."

"One that doesn't involve waiting alone for an Uber while wearing a puke covered shirt," Evangeline said as she took Quinn's collar in her fingers and pulled it, making the shorter girl sway towards her.

Quinn frowned as the girl's hand left her shirt. "And I'm not a bigot."

"Y'know, the more people defend that they aren't a bigot, the more of a bigot they seem."

"That's ridiculous logic."

"Your face is ridiculous logic."

Quinn scowled at Evangeline's attempt to make her smile but the blonde just ran her hand through her short hair and smirked.

"Damn, I thought you'd laugh at that. I know you're not a bigot, sweets. You're... interesting." She rubbed Quinn's arms. "And cold. Go inside and get warm."

Quinn's cheeks blazed as the smirking blonde winked at her before getting into the clunker that struggled to stay alive. Alone in her driveway, she touched her arm as the car sputtered down the road.

"I don't feel the cold, though," Quinn whispered as she smiled slightly. However, it soon disappeared and was replaced with a frown as she decided to go apologize to Teagan and get the horrible music to stop blaring.