now i know it's early for this, but it shall be a 5 part story so by the time it ends it will be just in time;) i've decided to do a Christmas story with Santana in the role of 'Scrooge', to an extent. She's not bitter, well, as bitter as Scrooge anyhow. But it's a look into how Santana's life would be like if she changes something in her life that has been a constant. Just one decision on one day.
So this is just to start it up and then we'll see what happens when Santana is visited by three not so ghostly people. enjoy and let me know what you think and if i should continue.
p.s. the chapters following this are much longer, this is merely an introduction
It was the time of year when people string up lights to their gutters, put blow up snowmen on their front lawn, put on a display in their window of Santa's workshop and when little boys and little girls write their Christmas lists to the jolly old fat man. A time of year where people get together with family, friends and other people close to them exchange gifts, eat too much and when the grownups get drunk and talk poorly about their mothers/fathers slightly embarrassing their own children.
Santana Lopez cruises the halls of McKinley High heading to her locker to throw all of her books inside because Christmas break is starting as soon as the bell rings. She will not be doing anything that requires opening up a book on this vacation. Luckily she's been acing everything so far this year and she figures that being a little unprepared when they get back will not set her back.
Grabbing her Cheerio's jacket she hears a group of other Cheerio's walking past her locker talking about what they are going to be doing over break. She completely tunes them out as she considers what her own vacation is going to be like.
Just as it is every year her family on her mother's side comes over on Christmas and they have dinner. Which is usually followed by her brother's fighting over pie, someone getting injured, usually her when she tries to get her slice of pie while their wrestling, and sometimes, not all the time something in the house gets broken from all of the boy relatives rough housing. Last year it happened to be Santana's wrist which did not please Coach Sylvester one bit.
Santana shakes her head at last year's Christmas memory and hopes upon hope that this year is not going to be a repeat of the year before, or the year before that or the year before that. But as she closes her locker she thinks of one other thing that has always been a constant on Christmas. Her eyes glance to the locker beside hers that is fully decorated with Christmas paraphernalia and a sad smile creeps over her face.
Every Christmas since she was 6 there has been a certain something present that has always made her Christmas a little bit more special than she assumes anyone else's could ever be. The blonde girl from down the street has always been a part of her holiday and each year it only made the time of year more memorable. There's a tug at her heart as her mind quickly grazes over the past 9 Christmas memories she has shared with her blonde counterpart realizing this Christmas is not the same as the others.
Shrugging on her Cheerio's jacket she walks alone down the hall wondering how everything has changed. It seemed like just yesterday the recently estranged best friends were having snowball fights in front of Santana's house trying to ambush her brother's and cousins and then walking to the park for some alone time. These days are so different and they barely speak which only gives Santana the impression that this Christmas is going to go right into that same different direction. She can't help but wonder how different her Christmas is going to be this year if her and her best friend aren't together. Just thinking about it terrifies her because although she can never rely on anyone else, she can always rely on Brittany. But nowadays she seems a bit unsure of the one thing she was always so certain about.
Every Christmas morning for the past 9 years has started off exactly the same. At 5 am every Christmas there is a small tap on Santana's window, well for the first 3 years anyway, for the next 3 Santana would open her window at 4:55 am so that Brittany could climb right in. With Brittany safely and warmly inside the two friends would sit on Santana's bed and exchange gifts. Santana had once suggested that they do it the night before or later on in the day but Brittany explained that the day before doesn't count as Christmas. Then countered with the fact that she wanted her gift to be the first one Santana opens because you always remember the first gift, in Brittany's mind anyway. It really never mattered when Santana would open the blonde's gifts, she could never forget them, ever.
When they were 13 things changed slightly and instead of coming over at 5am in the morning, Santana started sneaking over to Brittany's at 12am Christmas morning. She would climb up to her window and they would sleep making sure to set the alarm for 5am, in order to maintain their ritual.
After exchanging gifts they would lay around and talk about everything and anything until around 6:30am or until they heard Brittany's little sister wake up and then Santana would run down the street back to her house. Then later in the Brittany would come over and have dessert with the Lopez family and then Santana would go to the Pierce's to see what Brittany got from Santa.
When Brittany was done showing off her new clothes to Santana the two would sneak out into the snow filled streets and walk aimlessly. Last year they had managed to find themselves at a park a few blocks away from the high school and kissed under the light of the moon as the snow fell around them. It was 20 below but Santana never remembered feeling so warm.
But things were definitely different this year. Brittany is with Artie. She can't imagine that their 9 year ritual was capable of making it to the 10 year mark with that obstacle in her way. It didn't seem possible for her to wake up at 12am Christmas morning and slip through Brittany's window and slide into bed with her the way she has done for the past 3 Christmases.
Yes, it was their thing, but is it still? Brittany had Artie now maybe they had a planned thing. Maybe Brittany is starting a new ritual this year. Chances are that Brittany would forget about their memories of Christmas mornings considering her new life with two wheeler Artie Abrams on her arm now. Santana can just see herself trying to get into Brittany's window only to find it locked and when she peers inside she can envision that loser in her spot. That thought makes her a little queasy because is she really that easy to replace? Is she replaceable?
It would also be too embarrassing if she walks up to Brittany and asks her if they are still on for their yearly meeting because, they never talk about it they just do it. Their Christmas mornings are just how they do things, they don't plan it, it's routine and that's all. This year though, Santana knows it's different, she can even smell it in the air. And she for one is not going to put herself into an already awkward situation so, she decides to herself that in order to save face and perhaps her humility she will not be going to Brittany's Christmas morning. No matter how torn about it she is.