The story is set just before Nationals of Season 2. Brittany and Santana aren't dating but the ND are under the impression that they are. There will be a few chapters featuring POV's and I hope you all enjoy it.
It's only when Quinn Fabray walks through the hallways of William McKinley that she truly realises that she has a year left after this summer break of being Head Cheerleader, ruling the corridors with her two compatriots Santana and Brittany. The idea of Glee Club heading to Nationals in New York excited her though. The failure to qualify for this stage in the previous year haunted all the members. They felt that after the solid Journey medley that they'd be within a decent chance of a 1st-2nd place but the archrivals, Vocal Adrenaline, surpassed them and went on to the Regionals crown, leaving the New Directions tumbling back.
This year it was different. The Nationals contest was next week and summer was practically around the corner. Quinn did remember how this break would consist of her working many hours a week to begin the funding of her time at University after senior year but nonetheless, Nationals was her priority. It would make her feel better; it would look good on CV's and course applications for her selected Universities.
She made her way into the choir room, joining her fellow Glee club members on the chairs. She sat neatly beside Mercedes towards the back of the room as the remaining members piled in. Mr Schue was due to enter any minute, rounding them all up and typically writing their aim for the week onto the whiteboard in front of them. Rachel Berry entered last but didn't get seated next to the giant that was Finn Hudson, her mediocre boyfriend.
"Attention, fellow glee club members" She began in that typically high pitched tone, her skirt flaring around as she came to a halt in front of New Directions. They all stopped to look at her, awaiting what felt like was going to be an ordinary Rachel Berry self absorbed announcement. Quinn chewed on her tongue and rolled her eyes. "As we all know, Nationals is upon us and the end of our Junior year is following suit. As a late celebration for our qualification and our soon to be success, I am holding a small get together this Friday-" She is expectedly cut off by a male voice to Quinn's left.
"Yes! My hot little Jewish American Princess is racking up the whisky for a part-ay!" Puck celebrates by flailing his arms.
"Not a party Puck-" Rachel is cut off once again.
"Save it Blossom, we know you and the rest of us are ready to get hammered before going to New York" Santana has her arms crossed and Quinn smirks at the simple thinking. Of course everyone wants to get drunk on the weekend before all their hard work is put to the test.
Mr Schue walks in, shutting the door behind him. Rachel heads straight to the last empty seat, conveniently by Finn. "Alright! Guys, this week…" His voice fades as he squiggles down 'Nationals' in a black marker pen on the board. "Nationals! Now it's pretty self-explanatory. Rehearsals are key. Practicing solos, Finn, Santana, Rachel, Artie and the rest of you. This is our chance, our last Glee club session before we head to New York. Our last clear opportunity to perfect. We won't get a better rehearsal time in New York than this." Mr Schue finishes.
"I can't wait!" Rachel squeals in her seat. Santana scoffs. Quinn likes Santana's plain but obvious dismissal of anything Rachel says. "Don't worry Mr Schue! We're going to be perfect."
"Yeah if she plans on getting drunk off her pants this weekend" Mercedes whispers into Quinn's ear which makes her chuckle quietly.
The session ends with Rachel continuously reassuring Mr Schue that everything will be fine. Quinn finds Santana at her locker soon after. "Santana" She greets her on and off best friend. The pair were more or less inseparable, the openly hated each other's guts but inside they're practically arm to arm, weirdly conjoined mentally.
"Quinn" Santana smiles one of those infamous grins in the direction of her counterpart. "You have to help me pack for New York this evening." She explains her reasoning for standing at the blonde's locker.
"Santana we're going for about 2 nights" Quinn argues. "It hardly requires a night of holiday packing."
"I know but I'm a shit packer and it's not fun when you're alone. I need to have fun with someone and make them pack my underwear into a suitcase the size of Berry." Santana crosses her arms once more, smiling so that the ends of her mouth are practically touching her eyes. "And I doubt that I'd be in the mood to sort any clothes after what I intend to do at Barbra Streisand's little sugar candy party this weekend."
Quinn sighs, "I'll be at your house at 5" She replies, leaving the locker for the cafeteria.
Quinn stands absently at the front of Santana's front door. She hasn't visited the Latina's household for what felt like a year. She pulls the knocker back and smacks it against the door. She looks down at her shoes, shuffling a little as she hears approaching footsteps. The door swings open and Santana stands in shorts and a t-shirt. "Well hello Fabray, nice to see you on this side of the neighbourhood." She says in that cheeky tone of hers. Quinn enters the house and turns around to face Santana who closes the door behind them.
"Santana, I live about two roads from here. Nearly everyone lives within touching distance from each other. It's practically a monopoly board." Quinn responds, taking off her jacket as she adjusts to the warmth of the Lopez home.
"Quinn, anyone would think that we're on opposite ends of a neighbourhood with your glistening alpha-American house and everyone else's average stack of bricks" Santana dismisses Quinn playfully. She takes her best friend's wrist into her palm and leads her upstairs. They entered Santana's bedroom which Quinn knew fairly well. It wasn't a mess but it was a mess in Quinn's eyes.
"Oh how rude of me, anything you want to drink?" Santana asks at the doorway. Quinn takes a moment to think about whether if she does want a liquid refreshment but she was aware of Santana's impatience when it came to the simplest things in life.
"Orange juice" The blonde replies, sitting on Santana's bed. Santana rolls her eyes.
'Simple Fabray, simple.' She leaves her bedroom, leaving Quinn to examine the room she used to spend the majority of her 16 year old life in. But at 17 she has spent what was probably an accumulated 6 days in this room. Whilst waiting for Santana to return, Quinn walks towards the closet and reaches up to retrieve a small suitcase from inside it. She unzips and opens it out and places it upon the bed. She went back towards Santana's closet and scanned it for loose t-shirts, pyjama shorts.
"I see you've already started" Santana appears in the doorway with a glass of orange juice, smirking at the blonde's knowledge of her closet.
"Well it's not exactly a hard job." Quinn walks towards Santana who hands her the glass. "Thank you." Santana smiles and passes Quinn to her closet, picking out an outfit for the day when they get to New York.
"I suggest two relaxed outfits, our National's dresses obviously; maybe a couple of jackets since the weather in New York is always overcast. You never know what it's going to be like on the day." Quinn stands, taking regular sips of the juice as Santana turns to face her.
"Have you been before?" She asks, curiously. Santana was pretty sure that Quinn and her family had visited every corner of the country with the money they had until it was just Quinn and her mother, Judy. Quinn nods.
"When I was 6. My father had a conference call up there so he thought about making a weekend of it and took me, my mother and my sister." Quinn begins to explain. "You can see why Rachel is so desperate to get there aside from the Universities surrounding it."
"Is it that beautiful?" Santana sits down on her bed, patting a spot beside her for Quinn to sit down on.
"Oh indeed. It's a different kind of beautiful. Not like the architecture of Paris, London or Barcelona but it just gives off wow factor with all the tall buildings, the lights and the rush." The blonde finishes and gulps down the remainder of her drink, before placing the glass on Santana's bedside table.
"Tell me about your travels, Fabray." Santana orders, crossing her legs and shoving the suitcase aside.
The entire evening consisted of Quinn describing her holidays to Paris and London when she was younger with a family weekend away of camping trips up the north of the country. Santana spent the time in awe of her friend's passion for going away and adored how Quinn explain that packing and rushing to an airport made her so excited.
"Sit by me on the plane" Santana interrupted Quinn; her tone suggested that she was perhaps nervous about asking- or rather ordering.
"I thought you'd rather sit by Brittany or-"
"I've only been in a plane once and that was to Canada to visit my Uncle with my parents." Santana explained. "Plus I'd love to hear you talk like that on the trip there. It sounds more calming." Both girls blushed for different reasons. Quinn smiled at the compliment she received before looking past Santana's shoulder to the clock on the bedside table.
"Is it really 6:30?" She looks at her watch to confirm the time. "Wow, I should get going. My mother would be wondering where I am." She gets up off the bed and straights herself up.
"You can stay if you'd like, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind." Santana tries to not making it obvious that she really enjoyed the tone the afternoon had taken and that she would rather spend the rest of the evening in her on and off best friend's company.
"I would really love to, believe me. My Mom would hate it if I put her cooking to waste, plus she would also enjoy making up for lost time since she can't come see us in New York." Quinn explains, putting her boots on and grabbing her jacket from the floor.
Santana sighs and begins to lead her out of her bedroom, down the hall and the stairs. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at school, right?"
"Of course" Quinn replies, smiling as she opens the front door. The girls depart with a wave each and Quinn begins to walk down the road off to her fancy white house.