Lima Ohio
2012
"What do you want from me Brittany?" Santana walked back to her dresser and glanced back at Brittany through the mirror.
"I want you to get it through that head of yours that we can do this, we can handle the distance! If we love each other, we can do this Santana!" Brittany cried.
Tears welled up in Santana's eyes. She couldn't help but feel her heart break seeing her girlfriend like this.
She took a deep breath and braced herself for what she was about to say next. "I don't want to do this."
Silence.
Santana heard a sharp gasp from Brittany, by the time she turned around to take her words back Brittany was running through the door. Santana heard the front door slam downstairs and her icy look
turned to pure regret and heartbreak. She wrapped both arms around her stomach and crouched down. It was over.
Los Angeles
2015
"Can we take this from the top please?" Santana gritted her teeth in frustration. She took her headphones off and reached for her bottle of water. Glaring at Puck; her producer throughout the whole sip.
"San, we were really on to something there. It sounded perfect." Puck was Santana's first friend when she moved to LA. They both met each other with such dreams and aspirations. But who knew that night when they at the bar both after taking turns talking about which girl they would rather take home, that they would accomplish those dreams. Together.
Santana put her headphones back on. "Not good enough Puckerman. Somethings not grooving right with the song. The feelings not there." She looked at her lyrics. "It's missing something."
"Hm, maybe emotion or tears? But you don't have those, do you?" Puck grinned his sly douche bag grin and Santana threw her open bottle of water at the glass in the recording booth.
"Fuck you, you can be such a dick!" They both chuckled. Dry, grim, and raunchy humor. Thats the recipe for their beautiful friendship.
"Oh a dick huh? Well I've got something for-"
"OKAY! If you two are done with this… whatever this is, Santana has a photo shoot to get to." Quinn stepped into the studio never looking up from her iPad typing away. "So if you'll just excuse us."
Santana looked at Puck and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry ass face, we'll have to continue this lovely conversation another time." She grinned and grabbed her scarf and sunglasses. Puck frowned and waved them off while turning back to his computer. Quinn linked her arm with Santana's and dragged her out of the room, heading toward the elevator of the studio.
"Jesus Q, where is the fire?" Quinn never stopped looking at her iPad but gracefully pulled them into the elevator. "Uh, earth to Quinn.." Santana's brow furrowed. Quinn face stoic. "QUINN FUCKING FABRAY!"
Quinn's head snapped up and she looked at Santana. "Are you in there Q?" Santana's face relaxed and she smiled a tight lipped smile.
"Oh no I'm fine.. I'm sorry I was-" Quinn paused for a second then shook her head. "I was just dealing with some business thats all." Santana nodded and stared forward. The doors to the elevator opened and they both popped on their sunglasses. As soon as they walked out of the front doors of the studio paparazzi swarmed them.
"Santana, over here!"
"Santana Lopez, is it true you've been booked to perform at the halftime show of the Super Bowl?"
"How do you think you'll follow Katy Perry?"
"Where's Stella Miss Lopez?"
Santana was quickly ushered to the black SUV parked outside of the studio with Quinn following quickly behind. "Jesus Christ, nosey bastards." Santana scoffed and leaned back in her seat a little.
"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me.. papa.. paparazzi." Quinn sing songed. "Shut up Q!" Santana playfully slapped Quinn's arm. "What did I do?" She threw her hands up in defense.
Santana sat in the makeup chair while Tina her makeup artist yapped away about her recent date with Santana's choreographer Mike. Her eyes glossed over as Tina rambled on and on.
Quinn looked up at her from the couch with a smirk. Santana made eye contact and they both gave each other a knowing look, growing into a little scrunchy faced smile. There was a knock at the door.
"I'm sorry miss Lopez I told her you were busy but.." The door flew open.
"Oh so you ARE alive. Imagine my surprise" Santana's eyes widened and she looked back at Quinn who looked just a dumbfounded. "And here I am thinking that something awful must have happened because I haven't seen or heard from you in 2 days.." Santana focused on her hands in her lap. "Two days Santana!"
"Stella listen, I've just been so busy in the studio I-" Stella snapped her fingers.
"Fuck it Lopez, I'm over the bullshit." Santana quickly got up from her seat and moved over to where Stella was standing and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"Come on Stells.. let me make it up to you." She looked up at Stella with her pleading eyes forcing her to smile and shrug. Santana kissed her cheek and winked before walking back to her seat.
"Fine San, but I swear to fucking god if you keep pulling this shit I'm done."
Quinn stood up and walked over to Stella with her innocent smile. As she helped guide Stella out of the room she turned to straight business. "She just has a photo shoot left today and then she's all yours I promise." And with that she shut the door.
"Wow, and the winner of the best girlfriend award GOES TOO.. you Q for making Stella feel more loved then Santana here ever has." Tina chuckled at her own joke. Santana scoffed. "Wow, fuck you Chang"
All three girls burst into laughter. "She's gonna dump your ass you know, right S?"
"Okay.. so she dumps me. Then what?" Tina and Quinn both look at Santana shocked. "Ouch S, why so cold?" Quinn questions. Santana fidgets in her chair a bit and Tina resumes with her makeup.
"She wants us to move in together. Everything was going fine and then she drops that fucking bomb." Santana can't figure out why both women are staring at her like she has 3 eyeballs. "What?" She shouts.
Both girls flinch.
"Nothing it's just, damn.. lesbians move fast." The room burst into laughter. "Got that right Q."
The next day Santana was tired and hungover. It took a lot of long hours and alcohol to smooth things over with Stella. She was in no mood for choreography but with the music video shoot coming up in 2 weeks she really had no choice.
"Wow you look dreadful" Santana rolled her eyes and took the waiting coffee out of Quinn's hands.
"Why do I keep you?" Santana glared at her from behind her sunglasses.
"Because we've been best friends since middle school Sunshine. Now drink up, you've got a new choreographer today and she's been waiting two hours for your rude ass already." Santana put her sunglasses on top of her head and took a sip of her coffee.
"What? Wheres Mike?" Mikes been her choreographer for the past year. "He pulled something the other night, he's laid up in bed" Quinn smirked. "Wait! Mike was with Tina the other night" Santana said looking up to the ceiling. Quinn waited for it to click with the brunette. "OH! what a heavy bitch!" They both burst into laughter.
"San!" Quinn playfully slapped her arm.
"So Chang on Chang huh?" Santana chuckled, bringing the coffee cup to her lips.
"Jesus S, you make it sound like something you order from a Chinese restaurant." Quinn stopped and thought about what that might look like.
"Not something I would order personally, I heard it sits pretty heavy." Santana said biting her bottom lip trying not to burst into laughter.
Quinn however choked on her coffee. "Gross."
Quinn's phone went off. "Shit we need to get upstairs." Quinn linked with Santana's arm.
"Can't we just sit in the lobby and finish our coffee instead?" She pleaded, but quickly got shot down with Quinn's Ice Queen glare.
They both walked in the big double doors in the dance studio of LA Records and saw all the back up dancers warming up already. With what looked like the new choreographer leading the group with her back turned away from the two women walking in. Santana looked at her phone. Four missed texts from Stella. She quickly shut her screen off and took her sunglasses off her head. She took her hair and tied it up into a messy bun on top of her head and looked in the mirror. She looked somewhat presentable for the hungover state she was in. She wore a pair of black yoga pants, a tight white tank top, with a cut off UCLA sweatshirt on top.
"Alright guys let's take it from the top!" Santana looked in the mirror a little closer when she saw the choreographer turn around. Her heart stopped.
"Brittany.." She breathed out. "
Shit." A soft voice cursed and both the choreographer and Santana's attention were grabbed when they heard a splash on the floor by the window. Both of their heads snapped up and took in the sight of Quinn standing in the puddle where her coffee cup had just dropped. Every person in the room eyed the puddle she was standing in and then back at her.
"Britt!" Quinn squealed and she ran up to the blonde, forcing a smile. "What are you doing here?" She held her tight in a squeezing hug.
"I'm filling in for a choreographer Q" Brittany smiled into her friends shoulder as she held on tight to her embrace. Then her smile faltered when she caught the familiar Latina out of the corner of her eye. She broke from Quinn's hold. "Santana.."
Santana just stood there. Like a deer caught in headlights. She knew she was still alive. She could feel herself breathing. But she could not move to save her life. Brittany lifted her arms and then dropped them in defeat as Santana stood there paralyzed. Quinn eyed them both waiting to see who would make the first move. Just then Santana sucked in her bottom lip and nodded lightly. She looked around at all the glaring eyes and then back at Quinn. Quinn gave her an apologetic smile and she almost broke. She turned quickly and rushed out of the double doors.
You're going to need to grow a pair Lopez and talk to her. -Q is for Queer
Go away Lucy. -S is for Slut
Listen, she's here now and you guys are going to be working together so grow up! -Q is for Queer
I haven't seen the girl in 3 years Quinn.. 3 fucking years. -S is for Slut
And you got exactly what you wanted didn't you? So it was worth it right? -Q is for Queer
Santana stared at the text message. Had she gotten exactly what she wanted? There was a knock at the door. She looked at the clock. 11:55 pm. Better be the fucking police knocking like that. She looked through the peep hole and sighed. Jesus Quinn..
"Really?" she said with pure annoyance as she opened the door.
"I knew there was no convincing you though text so.. ta da!" Santana rolled her eyes and stalked toward her kitchen to grab a bottle of wine.
"Can we not talk about this Q, I'm really fucking drained.. and confused. I'm-"
Quinn interrupted "Dazed and Confused!" Santana glared and Quinn chuckled. "Not funny?"
Santana pursed her lips and shook her head. "Oh come on S lighten up a bit.. so your ex and first love from high school pops up into your life out of nowhere. Whats the big deal?" Quinn already knew the answer and by the way Santana put the wine glass back in the cupboard and drank straight from the wine bottle, showed she wasn't in the mood for light hearted humor.
Santana takes the bottle and skulks into the living room. When she sinks into her couch she places the bottle on the coffee table and grabs a pillow. "Now what are you gonna do with that?" Quinn follows her into the living room and sits on the arm of the sofa. Santana take the pillow and places it over her face and proceeds to scream at the top of her lungs into it.
"Why me?" Santana questions with her face still in the pillow. She lifts her head up and looks at her best friend with pleading eyes. "Why Q? All the choreographers in the world and she's the one working on my video" Quinn slumps down into the seat next to Santana on the sofa.
"S, I have to tell you something." She kept her eyes focused on her hands.
"Mm, whats thats?" Quinn got up and started walking toward the fire place on the opposite wall. She turned back and looked at a very confused Santana.
"That day, at the studio when you kept asking me whats wrong. Do you remember that?" Santana tilted her head and pursed her lips. "Uhm, yea.." Quinn nodded and then continued. "I knew she was in LA, I saw an article about Beyonce's world tour coming to an end. She was doing her last show here in LA. I saw a photo of them getting off stage at the Staples Center." Santana didn't blink. "But I swear S, I didn't think she'd be staying here very long. And what are the chances she'd show up at LA Records of all places?" The silence was almost to much.
Quinn was about to speak up when Santana stood up. "Get out."
Quinn walked over to her and grabbed her hand. "Santana I didn't want to tell you and get you all worked up over nothing." Santana pulled out of her grasp.
"Get out." She said firmly one more time and then headed toward the stairs. Quinn heard the door to Santana's room slam from upstair and flinched. She grabbed her jacket and left.
A/N: For anyone currently reading the story, I made some quick edits because I noticed the first layout of this chapter was a little confusing. For new readers.. I hope you loved it! Let me know what you think!