Best And Worst of Me - 13. Chapter 13

"It had to be the most fun I've ever had," Quinn explained excitedly to Allen.

Allen nodded his head, smiling to himself. "That's good. Seems you're getting some better friends, and getting closer with Cameron. How's your father taking your new friends though?"

Quinn's smile faltered at that. His father wasn't something he wanted to talk about. "He doesn't... exactly know. He hasn't been around much, lately."

"Why's that?" Allen asked; his curiosity piqued.

"Well... he and my mom have been fighting a lot," Quinn mumbled sheepishly. "Mostly my fault," he added, quieter.

"What makes you think that?" Allen crossed on leg over the other and leaned forward slightly in his chair.

"Well, he's concerned about my new friends, while my mom thinks they're better for me... he doesn't like the counseling, and doesn't understand why I need it. My mom is trying to get him to understand without outing me, but... they have been fighting a lot," Quinn admitted, letting out a deflating sigh. There went most of his good mood.

"Maybe we should bring your father in for a session?" Allen suggested ignoring the wide-eyed look of panic that came over Quinn's face. "Now, we don't have to tell him you're gay, but maybe we can talk some things out with him?"

"No," Quinn protested sternly. This was somewhat of a safe place for him, somewhere he could talk. Bringing his father in would ruin that. With him would come all the pressures and standards the man had.

"Just so he can see what the counseling is," Allen continued. "So maybe he'll be more supportive of you being in it."

"No," Quinn stressed again. "I don't want him coming here."

"It could help resolve some of the problems your parents are having," Allen added.

Quinn hesitated at that. He wanted everything to go back to normal, but still, having his father there... "No," he decided.

Allen sighed and shifted in his seat. "Alright, what about bringing your mother in? Maybe she can give you an idea of what's going on between them, help you understand that it isn't all your fault."

"How do you know it isn't?" Quinn snapped.

"Because obviously they have different views, that's not something you can change. A problem would have come up somewhere down the road, eventually," Allen explained. "So how about bringing your mother along next time?"

Quinn sunk back in his seat, scowling. "Fine," he grudgingly agreed.

Allen smiled successfully. "Alright, I'll call your mother later and let her know."

Not long after the session ended, Quinn left the office. He wasn't thrilled about his mother coming in, but she was better than his father. Quinn sighed and got into his car, starting up his iPod.

He still had most of his Saturday morning, and even without anything bad happening, he wanted to drive up to Grand Lake. Just for fun, just to relax.

Quinn drove home and entered the house, wary of his parents. Only his mother was there, much to his relief.

"Your sister is staying at a friends house for the weekend," Claire informed, fixing breakfast in the kitchen.

"Oh," Quinn hopped from foot to foot awkwardly. "The whole weekend?"

"Yes, why?" Claire questioned suspiciously.

"I was... going to ask if I could go up to Grand Lake," Quinn admitted.

"Why?" Claire interrogated instantly. "Did you do something? Are you feeling depressed again?"

"No, I just... want to go up there for a night. Just to relax," he mumbled.

"Quinn," Claire sighed. "Is this about... your father and I? I know we've been fighting a lot, and that's why your sister asked to stay at a friend's... and now you want to go up to Grand Lake?"

Quinn shrugged and rocked back on his heels, head down. "Kind of. Yeah, I know you guys have been fighting a lot. I can't help but feel that some of it's my fault. You're trying to defend me, and it's just causing fights."

"Oh, Quinn." Claire shuffled over in her slippers and pulled him into a strong hug. "He and I are fighting about a lot of things. It's a lot of me seeing how compatible he and I aren't. Whether it’s because of how we raise our children or how this house is run."

"Do you think you two might get a divorce?" Quinn asked into his mother's shoulder.

Claire sighed, arms loosening slightly. "I don't know. It hasn't come up, but as you can see he hasn't been around the house a lot. It might start with just living separately..." She pulled back and gave a wary smile. "But sure, you can go up to Grand Lake."

"Are you sure? You'd be here alone for the weekend, though," Quinn pointed out.

"Who says I don't need a little time alone?" Claire winked playfully. "Go up and pack an overnight bag. I'll finish with breakfast."

Quinn headed upstairs and started to stuff some clothes into his duffle bag. He tossed in a toothbrush and a few other things before zipping up and trekking back downstairs.

Quinn and his mother shared the table and ate breakfast together, mostly in companionable silence.

"By the way, don't mention anything to your sister,” Claire spoke up eventually. "I don't know how well she would handle it."

"Got it," Quinn mumbled. "And uh... if you want, you can still call me up there."

"Oh, of course you're calling me," Claire laughed and ruffled her hand into Quinn's hair. "Same check in deal and all."

"I meant to talk," Quinn clarified. "And Allen wants you to come for the next session."

"Quinn, you don't need to know about everything going on between your father and I. The problems we have are between us, and don't involve you. It might be too much pressure, or... I don't know. But it doesn't need to involve you right now, okay?"

Quinn nodded solemnly and went back upstairs for his duffle bag. He gave his mother a tight hug and a quick kiss before jumping out the door.

In his car he set up his iPod, and debated sending Cameron a text. He stared at his phone for a while, not quite wanting to seem overbearing... or was that over thinking things too much?

Finally he started to type out a text, filling Cameron in briefly about the possibility of separation between his parents and going up to Grand Lake. Cameron should have some understanding of what he was going through since his parents were already divorced.

Quinn started the drive up to Grand Lake, but wasn't even five minutes out when his phone buzzed with a text. He wanted so badly to answer it, knowing it was probably Cameron, but knew his parents would kill him for texting and driving.

He forced himself to wait over two hours until he reached a gas station to break at, thirty minutes outside Grand Lake. Cameron said he was open if Quinn wanted to call and talk, but that was a while before.

Quinn bought some drinks and snacks before finishing the rest of the trip. He sent another text when heading into the townhouse and settling in. Quinn still got the okay, and called Cameron.

"You okay?" Cameron asked first off.

"I'm fine, I guess," Quinn chuckled dryly. It still didn't feel right that he and Cameron were able to get along after what happened.

"You know it may not be all that bad," Cameron went on. "So far your dad sounds like a dick, no offense. Sounds like he's half the problems you have."

"Yeah, but he's still my dad, and besides, causing all of this between my parents isn't helping," Quinn mumbled.

"And it's probably not all your fault. The world doesn't revolve around you, princess," Cameron teased.

Quinn laughed slightly. It was a little harsh of Cameron to say, but it was partly true. Less sugar-coated than what Allen and his mother had said.

"So you're up in Grand Lake?" Cameron questioned. "How is it up there?"

"Chilly, but not bad. There's a lake, if you can't guess. Usually when I'm up here with family we rent paddleboats and such. That’s fun, but not at my age," Quinn explained, peeking out the window. "There are some cool shops up here, mostly touristy. I got my worry stone up here."

"Worry stone?" Cameron echoed.

"Yeah, it's a polished stone... tear drop shaped, and you rub your worries into it. Kind of superstitious, but... it has been helping me." Quinn pulled out his worry stone from his pocket and felt it in his hand. He was slowly starting to relax up here, forgetting about his parents for a while.

"Want to get me one? I can pay you back if it's not too expensive," Cameron asked hopefully.

"Yeah I'll get you one, but you don't have to pay me back." Quinn smiled to himself. "I've been slacking on the lyrics, anyway. I need to make up for it."

Cameron went silent for a moment, and Quinn wished they were having this face to face. He figured Cameron was embarrassed, and he wanted to see it.

"You don't have to keep doing that," Cameron finally said. "I got the point. It... helped that you went that far to try and fix things."

"Still doesn't change what I did," Quinn pointed out.

"Yeah, and nothing will. It happened. I don't hate you for it anymore. We're on... I don't know where we are. We're friends, for now. I'm not going to lie and say everything is okay. I'm not entirely comfortable around you alone," Cameron mumbled.

"I wouldn't do that again," Quinn stressed.

"I know. Still it doesn't mean that it didn't freak me out a lot," Cameron sighed into the phone.

Quinn took his time answering, chewing on his lip and working the worry stone. "I'm sorry," he croaked.

"I know. We're friends. It isn't something that's going to go away any time soon. Lets just let things go as they are, okay?" Cameron said.

"Okay," Quinn echoed.

"Take your time up there, and I hope everything gets figured out between your parents soon. Keep me updated. If you need to call and talk later or tomorrow... feel free to," Cameron said.

Quinn nodded to himself. "Alright. Thanks. Later."

"Later," Cameron returned and the line went dead.

Quinn sighed and tossed his phone aside. Not exactly the conversation he wanted. He'd hurt Cameron. Cameron was still struggling with it. Quinn sunk back into the couch and cupped his face in his hands.