Quintessential | Joshua Washington

Disillusioned - XII

Double update, because I am procrastinating from life so hard right now. Definitely have the Easter Holliday blues settling in~

Heart pounding wildly in her chest, Quinn slid down the wall slightly with the scathing words Mr Washington had just shouted at his wife still ringing in her ears.

What are you doing Laura? This girl – Quinn – isn't Hannah or Beth! She isn't family! What, are you trying to use her as some sort of replacement? Is that is?

Of course, Quinn knew all that was true, of course she knew she wasn't family – heck she felt comfortable around them, but not that comfortable. So...why did hearing it hurt so much? Why had she waited so desperately for Mrs Washington to contradict her husband and tell him that he was wrong, that Quinn wasn't some sort of replacement; that they liked her for her.

Shaking her head, she quickly made her way back up to her room – to Josh's room, this wasn't her house.

Honestly, she wasn't certain how she'd react if she was confronted by anyone right now; thankfully Josh was with Dr Hill and still would be for a while...she just had to collect her thoughts and compose herself. If there was one thing Quinn was good at it was composing herself in difficult situations.

She made it up to his room, closed the door behind her and climbed into bed; safe haven in a world slowly going mad. The more she thought about it, the more 'reality' chipped away at the happy illusion she'd painted for herself over the past few weeks; after all she had been beginning to suspect Sam might be trying to make up for the loss of Hannah with her. 

Down that morose train of thought is when something hit her right in the face like a brick – what if Josh was doing the same thing? What if Josh was also using her in a similar capacity? If he, like his mother, saw in her qualities that reminded him of his sisters and that was the reason he was being so nice to her...the thought both hurt and nauseated her at the same time; it really fucking hurt. 

"Chill out Quinn, chill out..." She took a deep breath and chewed her lip; now what was she supposed to do?

*

Josh was glad to be home at last, as well as his sessions with Dr Hill were going the guy still gave him the creeps – even when he was pleased with the progress they were making. At least, Josh assumed he was pleased, he was never entirely certain what was going through the docs head. He closed the door gently behind him and made his way to the staircase; checking his phone he saw it was just after 7:30, he'd just missed the beginning of The Return of the King, but hopefully not too much. Quinn would be already watching it no doubt.

As he ascended the stairs he noticed his mother stood in the living room by herself, she was just stood staring at the fireplace and Josh paused mid-step. "Mom?" She jumped a little at his voice and turned; she didn't look...right.

"Oh Joshua you're back? I didn't hear you come in..." Her voice sounded slightly strange, but she smiled brightly at him, "How was it?" The hopeful look on her face caused his question of concern to die on his lips, instead he smiled back.

"Pretty good...Dr Hill seems happy."

At that his mother tilted her head.

"That's good, that's good...are you?" Her voice was soft.

"Am I...happy?" She nodded and Josh frowned, it was an odd thing for her to be asking really, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he actually was – that was even more odd. "Yeah, I am." They exchanged another smile before Josh remembered he was missing the film, "Ah, I gotta go – promised to watch something with Quinn tonight. Night mom."