Hello! This is my fist fic, so I guess I'd like to thank you for reading. I got the idea for this partly out of experience in my own life, and what I saw of the relationship between Brittany and Santana on screen. I couldn't help but wonder what would the dynamic of girls' relationships would be like with not just one another, but their romantic partners as well if the 'friends with benefits' situation were to end. And thus, this was born. Feedback is always recommended and appreciated and I am more than happy to take suggestions on character or plot development.

The majority of the story will be done in the main character's POV, however I will do segments covering other character's perspectives as well. Thank you again, and enjoy! :)

It took forty-five minutes, just a small blink in time for her to get expelled. Apparently when the administration of the School of Creative and Performing Arts had appealed to their student body to reach out to the public and 'show what this school is all about', a graffiti mural on the side of the city building with the school's logo front and center hadn't been what they envisioned. So now Jessica Renee Altman sat on the curb of West Central Parkway in Cincinnati, Ohio waiting not only for her mother to pick her up, but also what she was sure to be the end of her life.

"Visual Art isn't even your area of study!" exclaimed Lisa Altman, exasperated with her daughter's actions. Her hands slunk on the steering wheel of their Chrysler mini-van as they waited at one of the numerous stoplights. "What possessed you to do something like this? Did you think it would be cool? Did you think it was funny? Where are we going to send you now? No school in this city is going to take you after they hear about what you did! Look at me." Upon seeing that her lecture had fallen upon deaf ears as the sixteen year old girl gazed quietly out the window, she sighed and pulled the car over in front one of the many boutiques. "I don't know if this is going to work, Jess." To this, the small teenager lazily rolled her head over her shoulders to eye her weary mother.

"What's not going to work," she asked flippantly, her tone flat and disinterested. This conversation was going to happen whether it was one sided or not so she figured she could move it along to its inevitable conclusion. Her graffiti debacle wasn't the first time that Jess had been in trouble recently… it was at easily approaching the tenth. Things had steadily gotten worse since her mother remarried and her dad had moved back to his hometown, Lima. She wasn't going out of the way to get cause problems; impulse control just wasn't her strongest suit.

"I don't understand why seem so intent on wrecking your life…" began her mother. It was then that Jessica tuned the majority of what her mother said out, only catching a few key phrases like "poor decisions", "falling grades", "bad friends", "moving to live with your father", wait- moving! Jess snapped out of her stupor with gusto and immediately came up swinging.

"Hold on there, Super Nanny! You're sending me where?"

"Don't get an attitude with me. You would know what I said if you hadn't decided to ignore me, honestly, you're exhausting. I called your father to arrange your enrollment in a new school up there and your first day of class will be on Monday."

"Mom! Are you kidding me? It's Thursday. And have you maybe considered the idea that maybe I don't want to move?" Jess was now sitting sideways in her seat, directly facing her mother.

"I know what day it is, Jess. Your dad is coming to pick you up tomorrow around noon so you'll be up there in time to meet some other kids in the neighborhood. Your new neighbors invited you both to a get together and I expect you to go and make some decent friends while you're there as opposed to the hooligans you run around with here," Lisa met her daughter's intense stare head on. "I'm doing this because you need out of here. You need a better place to grow and I think this is a great opportunity to really get yourself together. Your grades are terrible and I even had trouble getting you into school up there. It's going to be an adjustment, but you're going to love it up there."

"Sure."

The next evening Jessica found herself wandering around the large house of her new neighbors, the Pierce family. They seemed nice enough, although a little suburban. Part of her was glad that she missed out on meeting the oldest daughter, Brittany; if her family was any indication, she was probably gorgeous and charming and whatnot, and she wasn't sure if she could really handle any more new people.

After a moment of walking aimlessly she made her way down the stairs to a 'family room' with an open bar built into the corner. She silently crossed herself grinning up to the ceiling before walking up to the bar and helping herself to one of the plush stools at the counter. She observed what could only be described as a frat boy's wet dream, every type of alcohol she had ever heard of and more than a few that she hadn't. She began counting bottles and debating what to 'sample' before a mess of blonde hair exploded up from behind the counter, holding a small glass.

"You can have mine if you want," offered the blue-eyed beauty who had suddenly appeared, nearly sending Jess backward off her stool. "It's a little strong and I'm not really sure what I came down here for… who are you?" The question had been added on as an afterthought as she ran the tip of her index finger absentmindedly around the edge of the glass.

"Jess, I'm… uhm… I'm Jess. I just moved in with my dad next door." Jessica stammered, surprised by both the other girl's presence as well as her beauty.

"Oh."

"Brittany!" The sliding door on the other end to the room flew open to reveal a cross looking girl with caramel skin and dark hair. "What're you doing down here? I told you to grab the rum and meet me at my car. I've been sitting for, like, twenty minutes looking like some kind of predator in front of your house!" she shook her head, bouncing her natural curls around her shoulders as she strode over to where the other girls were.

"Hey Santana," grinned the blonde. "This is Jess, she's tiny."

Jess looked over to Brittany, confused. "What?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "What's up, Tinkerbell? You like to party?" She grabbed a bottle of Captain Morgan's rum from one of the shelves and tossed it to Jess before also swiping various bottles of vodka. Brittany still continued caressing the top of her glass while keenly observing the new girl with curiosity.

"Sure, I mean, if that's an invite."

"Damn straight it is. You look like you're pretty chill and we're trying to blow the roof off this place so consider yourself in," the Latina was now looking her up and down, as though inspecting for any obvious flaws that could make her regret her decision. "Just don't be lame." With that she bustled out the door, alcohol in arm, leaving the other two to catch up.

Brittany rounded the corner of the bar and gave the shorter girl sweet smile before linking arms with her and pulling her out the door. "I think San likes you."

The car ride to the party could easily be described as uncomfortable, although not nearly as awkward as explaining to her dad where she was going.

"Hey, dad," she began uneasily, Santana gripping Jess by her left shoulder accompanied by a spacey Brittany linking arms with her on her right, "I'm going to Santana's house for the night. Cool?"

"That's fine." Her father, Mark, smiled between swigs from his beer bottle, "No bullshit and call me if anything comes up. Have a good time, kiddo." He waved her off happily; glad to see his daughter socializing with good kids.

Jessica found herself in the center of the back seat, surrounded by various bottles and haphazardly belted in. Santana seemed to drive by the belief that speed 'limits' were 'suggestions', whipping the car around corners and running what Jess was sure totaled to more than just few stop signs. "I can't believe it took you forever to find your own basement," Santana rattled off to the blonde sitting next to her. She looked over at her friend, amused by the other girl's antics.

"It's a big house," Brittany smiled dreamily.

"We're going to be so late," the Latina sighed before glancing up at Jess in the review mirror. "So, Smalls, what's your story?"

"I just moved here from Cincinnati," Jess began, looking up at Brittany who was peeking her eyes over the headrest, "I got kicked out of school so my mom sent me up here to make my dad deal with me."

Santana smirked; she could tell she was going to like this girl. "What was the damage?"

"Defacing city property while representing my school. They wanted to be more engaged with the public, so I spray painted a mural on the side of the city building. Nothing dangerous or anything like that." Jess could still feel the blonde's eyes on her as butterflies took flight in her stomach.

"Well, shit," Santana laughed. "You got a boyfriend?"

"No," replied Jess, glancing over to Brittany in the passenger seat, who was still wearing the grin she had on in the house. "Why?"

"Just checking." She raised an eyebrow and glanced at her passengers before making another sharp turn onto a gravel road.

With that they pulled over to the side of the road in front of a large house with a wrap around porch. All the lights were on and the bass of the music could be heard, almost rattling the windows of the numerous cars littering the front. The sun was barely hanging on the horizon as the moon began to creep up and take center stage in the sherbet- colored sky while the teens climbed out of the car, gathered their drink supply, and headed into the party.

After all they poured their drinks, Jess found herself practically alone in the crowded house full of people. She wandered out of the kitchen and into the large living room packed wall to wall with partygoers. Feeling out of place, she wandered outside to the back yard where there was a fire going before ambling her way into the living room once more. Although she didn't think it could be possible, it seemed as though there were even more people squeezed in there before she left.

"Sorry." She was nudged from behind, causing some of her drink to spill on what used to be pristine, white carpet. Whipping around to give whoever it was a piece of her mind, she came face to face with a very drunk-

"Name's Puck," the boy slurred. His body was rocking back and forth to the music as tried to inch closer to her. "I don't think I've seen you before and I'm sure I'd remember a face," he glanced down to look at her slim figure in her skinny jeans accompanied by a worn tank top with a Taking Back Sunday logo, "and body like yours." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and Jess couldn't help but snort at his attempt at flattery. "Look how about I get you another drink and we could talk somewhere more... private?"

She took a sip from her cup before grabbing his beer from his hand, laughing," Nice to meet you Puck. I'm sure I'll see you around." She weaved her way around several stunned jock-types and left behind a very confused Puck. The room was becoming even more crowded, people were gathering in the center, some dancing and others watching lecherously in a circle around the activity . After elbowing her way through and bribing a boy for his spot in front with (Puck's) beer, she was finally front and center, and was she saw made her jaw hit the floor.

There was Brittany, amongst a slew of others, dancing. The way the tall blonde moved was enough to make her knees buckle as she artfully stepped and swayed in time with the music, her feet falling with the bass and her hips moving in time with the beat. The girl could dance.

The thing that Jess knew she would miss most back home was her dance class, not just her friends in the class, but the energy, the life, and the expression; never did she consider the possibility that someone would share the passion for it here. Jess had her eyes transfixed on the blonde, taking in every move, every graceful line created by her body. While she noticed it before, it definitely sunk in how absolutely stunning her new neighbor was. Completely transfixed, she all but panicked when Brittany's golden hair whipped around her face and robins egg blue eyes met her own hazel ones. "Jess!"

Brittany squealed and hopped over enthusiastically, still never breaking time with the beat. "You dance," she asked breathlessly, her smile radiant.

Jess nervously gulped the last of her drink before answering and croaked, "Yeah." This made Brittany giggle before grabbing the other girl's hand and pulling her onto the floor. "I don't know if I can here," mumbled Jess, inexplicably self -conscious in front of the blonde.

"Come on show us what you got," laughed a girl in a letterman jacket, a megaphone adorning the shoulder. She stood on the edge of the circle, Santana at her side. "Here, we'll even dance with you all." With that she and Santana whirled into the circle, playfully holding onto one another. A new song Jess had only heard once or twice started to pour out of the speakers as the throngs of people around them all began to move.

Baby let me love you down

There's so many ways to love ya

Baby I can break you down

There's so many ways to love ya

Jess' heart pounded, her head fuzzy from alcohol or nerves as she felt Brittany's hand's on her shoulders and her body dancing against hers. She would dance with at least a hundred people a week during her classes, why was it so hard to move with just one girl now? Her blonde dance partner leaned over in her ear and laughed lightly, "Relax."

Got me like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so in love'

I found you finally you make want to say

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh my gosh.

She grinned shyly and allowed her body movie in sync with Brittany's, never breaking from the beat of the song.

I fell in love with shawty

When I seen her on the dance floor

Her eyes dialed in on Brittany's and she could feel blush creeping into her cheeks. Every point of contact between them felt like lightning jumping in an arc from heaven to earth.

She was dancing sexy,

Pop, pop, popping, dropping low

Never ever has a lady hit me on the first sight

This was something special;

This was just like dynamite

Everyone in the room was so crowded to together, it was almost impossible to distinguish where any person began and ended. "You know," Brittany mused in the other girl's ear, her breath making the hair on the back of Jess' neck rise, "you're pretty cute."

Jess' breath caught in her throat as her blush spread like wildfire from her cheeks to turn her ears cherry red.

So, honey let me love you down

There's so many ways to love ya

Baby I can break it down

There's so many ways to love ya

Halfway through the last chorus of the song, Jess became acutely aware of the distance- or lack thereof- between herself and Brittany. Although they had begun dancing reasonably far apart, the two girls had apparently been inching closer throughout the course of the song.

Got me like, oh my gosh I'm so in love I found you finally,

You make me want to say…

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh my gosh

Once the music changed they awkwardly broke apart- Brittany grinning and biting her lower lip, Jessica trying to pull her hair around in order to hide her flaming red ears, and both girls looking bashfully back and forth at one another. "Oh my god, that was hot," busted Puck as he powered his way through an affectionate couple a few feet away. He now had an entire bottle of alcohol in his had, along with several plastic cups in the other. Santana also walked over, grabbing a cup from Puck's hand. "I say we drink to the new kid."

The Latina rolled her eyes as vodka was poured into her cup while others also snatched cups and waited to be served. She kept her gaze on Jess and Brittany, both of them still grinning like idiots. "I don't know why, but I get the feeling you're just looking for an excuse to drink, Puckerman." The boy winked at her before topping off a cheerleader's shot and then taking a swig from the bottle himself.

"All right," he cleared his throat as he raised his plastic cup ceremoniously, "to the new kid."

Jess took one look Brittany and Santana as she swirled the contents of her cup once, and then downed it in one gulp.

The rest of the night went black.