Santiago leans his head into his hand, leaning against his desk. He watches Brittany from across the classroom, wondering if she feels for him the way he feels for her. He wants to hold her, to kiss her, to feel her skin against his. It's something he's wanted for a long time, but he'd never admit to it. He watches her push her hair out of her face as she scribbles something across her paper. He lets out a deep breath and focuses back on the teacher. Looking down at his paper, he writes down a small note for her. It says;
"Brittany, stop by your locker before you leave school."
He folds it one way, then another, trying to make it perfect for her. He's one of the first out of his seat when the bell rings. He's one of the first out the door even, though on his way he did manage to get the note on Brittany's desk to her. He smiles to himself, finally, he'll ask her on a date. A real date, not those little false things they'd had before. His classes crawl by, almost unbarebly so. He yearns for Glee club, if only to see Brittany, and when it comes, he can't help but smile as he walks through the door and to his seat. The class goes by faster than he would like, though he gets to see Brittany sing. He gets to hear her cute, quirky little faults show up. He realizes how much he likes seeing her dance, and how jealous he gets at it being Mike that dances with her. Class after class, he the time finally comes he rushes to her locker, eager to see her again. He smiles as he see's her looking around for someone to meet her.
"Hey Brittany..." he says softly to her, liking her name in his mouth.
"Oh! Hi Sandiago...I actually can't talk. I'm meeting someone, sorry." His heart breaks, he was sure she had known it was he who gave her the note.
"Britters, you're waiting for me...I was kind of wondering if you'd like to go to BreadStix with me?" He rubs the back of his neck and looks at the ground.
"We go all the time, you didn't have to make it a special super secret meeting to ask me."
"No, Brittany, I mean an actual date...will you go on a date with me?" He rocks on his feet softly, begging in his mind for her to say yes.
"Well, I would, but, no. I've got other things to do. Maybe another time," He can almost read the 'or never really' playing in her eyes. He can feel his heart crushing in his chest.
"That's okay. Yeah, as you said, maybe later." He starts to turn, manning up so he doesn't cry. He was sure she would have said yes. Absolutely sure of it.
"Sorry, Sandiago!" He hears her call after him, but he ignores it. One football player shoves him into the lockers, mocking him for actually asking her out. He scowls and flips the jock off. He can hear cat calls leading after him as he exits the school, walking to his car. Fine, if she doesn't want to go to BreadStix with him, he can go less meal to pay for, more money in his pocket. Fine by him. He lies to himself, that's all he can do. He opens the drivers side door and gets in, slamming it closed after. He rams the keys into the ignition and starts the car. Not caring enough to check his mirrors, he puts the car in neutral and hits the gas. He takes a deep breath, relaxing a bit as he hears the tires spinning before he turns the wheen and puts it in reverse. He jerks the car out of the parking spot and presses the gas a bit more, exiting the parking lot of the school as quickly as the gas pedel will allow.
He drives around for a while before going home. He sits in the car for a while after he stops in the drieway, glad that his parents aren't home yet. He leans his head forward against the steering wheel and sighs.
"What am I gonna do?" He asks himself in a whisper. As he opens his car door he decides that he's just going to change and actually go to BreadStix. It won't be so bad alone, he doesn't guess. He puts his key in the door and turns it, pushing the door open. Yeah, he'll go alone, it's just that easy. Closing the door quietly behind him, he walks to his room. Locking his bedroom door he leans against it, wishing he'd learn to clean his room. Brittany liked it though, she ahd told him once, the bit of chaos he's got to his own. His closet is his favorite place in the house though. He keeps it neat, always, and it will always be that way. He runs his fingers over everything, looking for something to wear. He remembers something he heard once, about guys not caring what they looked like. 'That's a lie,' he thinks, 'guys care just as much as girls do.'
Had Brittany been going with him, he knows in his heart he would have fretted for hours over what to wear, but she's not going with him, so he doesn't fret. After a moment he decides that what he's got on is perfect for dinner alone. He falls back onto his bed, pushing his hair from his face, he blows air out of his mouth. His parents...they're never home, so he could have done whatever he wanted tonight, but he doesn't. He could have thrown a party and invited everyone...but Brittany. But he's not. He could have went to a party, but he won't. He could have done anything cool, but he isn't. No, he's going to one of the most popular resturaunts around on his own, with no date, newly refused. He doesn't like it, not one bit, but it's all he can, or wants, to do. So he stands, and marches out of his house, locking the door behind him.
He drives as slowly as he can without infuriating other drivers, wanting to take his time in getting there. He's not meeting anyone, so he doesn't need to be in any hurry. He takes the longest way he can think of, things rolling through his mind like a hurricane through Florida. Sandiago doesn't go straight to the restaurant, deciding to be late for his reservations just to make the staff mad. When he does make it to the restaurant, having decided he's in no rush at all, he does something he's never done before really. He puts the car in park and reaches for his homework he left in the back seat. He's shocked to find that math, science, all the subjects he's been blowing off to watch Brittany are really easy for him, even without listening in class. Maybe he'll just give up on Brittanly and focus on school. He scoffs at the thought. Him, school, and academics all in the same sentence? Yeah right, like that's ever going to happen.
When he finally gets out of his car, he brings his books with him. After waiting impatiantly while getting glared at by the hostes who had given up on him even showing up, he finally sits down at his table, opening his book again. He's just about to get back to work when he hears something, someone, that sounds familliar. Looking around, he see's them. They're talking so loudly, and they're so close, that he can hear whay they're saying. It's Puck...and Brittany. He's just about to tune them out when he hears something interesting.
"So, hoe many people did you turn down today before I asked?" Puck asks her, the tone of his voice says he expects the answer to be none.
"Just one, that's all."
"And who would that be?" Santiago clenches his fists under the table after dropping his pen. Surely to god he asked her after Puck. Surely she didn't lie like that to him.
"Just Sandiago. Told him I had other plans," she says with a shrug. He tones them out, too upset to listen further. She had lied right to his face, all because she didn't want to go with him. Yet she said yes to Puck of all people. It makes it worse than he knows Puck, knows how Puck thinks, knows what Puck wants. He knows what Puck is going to do later tonight, how Puck is going to take advantage of Brittany, and that's something Sandiago would never do to her, not completely. Why couldn't she see that she shouldn't have went with Puck?
Her ignorance makes him mad, so he calls the waitress over for his check and asks her to take a note that reads 'You're a liar' over to Brittany. He waits just long enough for her to read it and see him sitting alone before paying the check, grabbing his things, and leaving. He can hear Puck's mocking laughter behind him, and Brittany's shove as she tries to shut him up. He makes it to his car, and knowing his parents don't care what he does or doesn't do, makes his way to Finn's, planning on staying the night.