Chapter 1 - MADE IN THE USA

"Dani, what cha doin?" Santana sat in Dani's car, in the middle of a dirt road, surrounded by farmland. Just then a car rolled up beside them. "Well look who's home. You still remember the track?"

"Of course." Dani replied. She wound her window up, and revved the engine. The pur of her old 1970 Chevy Camaro was enough to make her wet. This car was...is her pride and joy. She rebuilt it with her Dad when she was 16 after finding it abandoned in one of their paddocks.

"Buckle up babe. And hold on." Before Santana had a chance to react. Dani floored the heavily powered machinery. The other car on her tail behind the puff of dirt. Coming up to her turn, Dani put it into gear, planted the break and drifted into the small dirt road that was guided by corn fields. There was no way the other car was going to pass her here, unless they ran over the corn... Taking another left turn she saw the finish line, the train track. She was about 100m away, the bar was coming down signalling the train was coming.

"D-Dani..." Dani didn't hear Santana, she narrowed her sight, shifted gear and prayed. Santana was yelling, panicking, she saw the train.

It felt as if time slowed right down, Dani held her breath as the car launched from one side of the track to the other side, missing the train by a second. Pulling the hand-break, the car slid to a stop facing the direction she came. Through the gaps of the moving train she saw the car she was racing. They had slid it to a stop, the tires still smoking from the friction. She smiled, put the car in reverse, did a 180 and sped off down the street.

"Where the hell did you learn to drive like that?" Santana was still shaking as they pulled onto Dani's long dirt driveway.

"My grandfather owns the speedway. I grew up racing."

"Im about a million percent sure that, that was the hottest thing I have ever seen. Another reason to had to my life of why I Santana am in love with you!" Santana was beside herself. Her girlfriend was a singer, dancer, actor, hot and a grease monkey. Santana thought she hit the jackpot. Dani giggled an I love you to and kissed her girlfriend before they got out of the car.

That night...

It was close to midnight, the girls were out in a field. Lying beside Dani's car. It was a little cold. They had been snuggling to keep themselves warm, whilst looking up at the uninterrupted star filled sky.

"It'll be our 1 year when we get back to New York. I wanna take your out for dinner okay?" Santana was content with holding Dani in her arms. She could never top this moment, this feeling.

"Okay." Dani replied softly. "Tomorrow is the local fair, I wanna take you. Show you more of me."

Instead of replying with words, Santana kissed the top of Dani's head.

"Why did you leave this place Dani? Its amazing."

"Yeah it is, but there is nothing for me here. I don't want to live this life yet. I'm 21, the girls here at 21 are usually getting married or are married. Its the simple life. I don't want simple." Dani broke out of Santana's grasp and turned to face her. "I want a gorgeous Latina from Lima Heights in a bright energetic city where my voice pays my bills. None of that can happen in the country. The same reason you left Lima."

Santana didn't say anything, she just soaked in everything her girl just said, soaked in the moment. She wants to remember this night for the rest of her life.

"Why you looking at me like that?" Dani was blushing under the gaze of her girl.

"Your beautiful, I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Hey, I know what your thinking. I don't care about who you were in high school okay. I only care about who you are now. You've given me no reason for me to think differently. You've got a real hard exterior, but I know, and you've proven to me time and time again what a huge softy you are."

"OK, but when we go to my home. You can't tell people that. I got a rep to protect."

Both girls began to laugh, Dani turned back around and laid back into Santana.

"Hey, next summer we have to go to LA."

"Ha sweetie, this summer isn't even over yet and your already thinking about next year."

"I'm just sayin."