So, first of all, I wanted to say that this story is not mine. The author is tumblr user margravinel and this was originally a Camren fanfic on 5hfanfiction (PM and i'll send you the link since I can't post it here) and I'm just converting into a Pezberry fanfic with the author's authorization.
Disclaimer: This story is not mine and neither is Glee.
Santana sighed to herself as she transferred a few assorted items from her backpack into her newly assigned locker. It seemed like only yesterday that she was finishing her sophomore year of high school and eagerly anticipating the summer break. Now, weeks later, Santana found herself back in the same, bustling and chaotic hallway which she'd first been acquainted with two years previously, preparing herself for what would inevitably be a return to another year of monotonous routine. It wasn't that Santana didn't like school, because, in actuality, she did. Santana loved to learn and prided herself on being a straight A student. She enjoyed the crisp and unsoiled feel of a new book in her hands, whether it was the fictional work of an undiscovered author or newly assigned history textbook. She revelled in the challenge of trying to solve complex math problems, liked learning about the physiological foundations of the human form, losing herself in the lives and struggles of those who had lived before her. Knowledge is power, or so Santana had often heard and she couldn't deny the sense of achievement that she felt when she could apply something that she'd learnt to a situation in her own life, even if it was only to ensure that she consumed the recommended amount of water a day to ensure that her kidneys didn't go into failure.
It wasn't the routine of school that Santana dreaded, because actually, she thought it would be quite nice to once again have some structure to her day. Instead, it was the tedious and mundane practice of everyone returning to their assumed high school clichés and roles which Santana couldn't stand. Santana wouldn't have ever described herself as popular but at the same time she wasn't ever treated like a misfit by the rest of the student population. Santana just kind of existed in high school, suspended somewhere between the social elite and the socially unacceptable. Santana felt just as comfortable having conversations with the few friends that she had on the cheerleading squad as she did with those in the school band or show choir. Perhaps that's why she never liked the customary segregation which inevitably came with the start of the school year, because for her part, Santana didn't fit into the stereotypical cliques which every coming of age movie liked to portray on screen. She was happy with the person that her parents had raised her to be, someone who wasn't judgemental, who was tolerant and open-minded. Santana didn't pick her friends based on what they could do for her social standing; she chose them because of how they could enrich her own life, because of their experiences, their intellect, their talent and their kindness. If there was one thing which Santana hated about the tediousness of high school, it was the ignorance and cruelty of some of those who attended it.
Santana sighed to herself once again, closing her locker door firmly and almost finding herself flattened against it by the weight of someone pouncing on her shoulders, a small shriek of excitement erupting from their mouths as they did so. Santana smiled to herself as she felt the weight evaporate almost as soon as it had appeared and turned around to face the unannounced intruder.
"Hey!" Brittany greeted animatedly, pulling Santana into what could only be described as an all-encompassing bear hug. "I've missed you this summer!"
"Britt-Britt…" Santana just about managed to vocalise, her voice almost lost with the inability to draw oxygen into her lungs due to Brittany's python like grip.
Realising she was nigh on crushing her best friend, Brittany released her hold on Santana and smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry," she said, reaching for Santana's hand and tugging on it gently so that it was linked with her own. "I guess I got a little bit carried away after not seeing you for the last seven weeks."
Santana laughed, bumping Brittany slightly with her hip as they started to make their way down the crowded hallway together. "It's not like I completely abandoned you." Santana protested. "We spoke on Skype at least once a week and we text every day. You make it sound like I was away in the Arctic with no available form of communication for the entirety of my absence."
"Softball camp, the arctic….they might as well be the same thing." Brittany sighed dramatically. "Either way, my summer vacation was seriously lacking in quality time with you so sue me for being enthusiastic about our reunion. It's only because I missed you."
"I missed you too Britt-Britt," Santana reciprocated bumping Brittany playfully with her shoulder before pulling her back into her side via their entwined hands. "Well, at least you had Quinnto keep you company in my absence." Santana reminded the other girl as they continued down the hallway. "Where is she anyway? I thought she'd be with you."
"She said she'd meet us here," Brittany informed Santana. "She's coming in with Puck this morning." She finished raising her eyebrow suggestively.
"Oh really?" Santana asked, intrigued. "Tell me more."
"Well," Brittany started, dropping her voice and leaning closer to Santana to prevent unwanted eavesdroppers overhearing their conversation. "Let's just say that they got very serious over the summer."
"Interesting…How serious are we talking?" Santana asked dropping her voice to the same level as Brittany's in search of clarification.
"Very," Brittany said. "I'm surprised that she didn't tell you."
"She's been visiting family in Texas the last couple of weeks and I've been busy catching up with family since I've been back" Santana shrugged indifferently. "We haven't had a chance to catch up properly yet. I'm sure she'll fill me in when I see her."
"Speaking of seeing her," Brittany said pointing towards Quinn, her short height almost hiding her view behind the throng of students passing by. She was standing, her back towards them whilst she talked to her boyfriend Puck in front of a row of orange lockers against the wall to their left. Santana and Brittany approached the pair of them, dodging their way around both moving and static obstacles in their path.
"Hey girls," Puck greeted, smiling brightly when Brittany and Santana reached them.
"Hi," they replied in unison, Santana offering a small wave with her free hand.
"I'll see you at lunch?" He asked Quinn, leaning down to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. She nodded shyly in response. "See you both later," he said turning his attention back towards Santana and Brittany before heading off in search of his friends, pausing only momentarily to glance back at Quinn and smile.
"Ugh," Brittany groaned jokingly. "You two are so adorable it actually physically pains me to be around you sometimes."
"Oh stop it," Quinn chastised, hitting Brittany playfully on the arm. "You and Artie aren't much better."
"At least we have the decency to keep our PDA out of the school hallway," Brittany informed her teasingly before releasing Santana's hand and reaching forward to pull the shorter girl into a warm hug.
"I'll be sure to remind you of that the next time I have to watch you two making out in the lunch room." Quinn said as the two of them separated and she turned her attention to Santana.
"Hey San," Quinn greeted Santana as the two of them embraced one another.
"Quinnie," Santana replied squeezing Quinn firmly in her arms before releasing her and leaning her back against the locker behind her. "How was Texas?"
"Nah uh," Quinn said, resting her right shoulder against the locker to her side as she faced Santana. "I want to hear all about Softball camp, more specifically, this girl that you kept mentioning at every available opportunity. Texas can wait."
"There's nothing to tell really," Santana said smirking.
"You could have fooled us," Brittany replied huddling closer to Quinn. "I swear, every text message I received from you mentioned Dani."
"Same," Quinn agreed nodding her head. "So what's the deal? Do you two still keep in touch? Are you still seeing each other?"
"No," Santana replied a small smile creeping on to her lips at the memory of the girl she'd met at camp. "It was just a summer fling. That's all."
"Shame," Brittany stated matter of factly. "It's about time you finally found someone to stop you from being the fifth wheel on our dates."
"Ugh, thanks for that Britt," Santana said feigning hurt. "I didn't realise I was the awkward fifth wheel."
"You know what I mean San," Brittany replied waving off her previous statement. "You never date anyone at school…"
"Maybe that's because there are surprisingly few out and proud lesbians here besides myself," Santana objected.
"What about that girl you went out with towards the end of school last year….what was her name?" Brittany questioned.
"Bree?" Santana asked.
"Yeah, that's the one." Brittany confirmed. "She was cute."
"She was also completely in the closet," Santana informed her friends. "I don't want to hide who I am. You know that."
"Yeah we know," Brittany said reaching for Santana's hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "It's just you deserve to have someone that makes you happy and…."
Brittany's words were interrupted by the sound of books being scattered across the floor behind her and she jumped reflexively at the sudden noise.
"Shit!" someone cursed loudly causing Santana and the other two girls to look in the direction it had originated from. From her position further along the hallway Santana noted the back of a small brunette girl that she didn't recognise bending down to pick up the offending items and failing miserably at the task.
"Wow," Quinn said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see her back at school today."
"Who?" Santana asked watching the brunette finally manage to get one of the notebooks she'd dropped back into her hands whilst trying to avoid being trodden on by the oblivious students that walked by, completely ignoring her difficulties.
"Rachel," Quinn told her.
"Berry?" Brittany asked astonished, studying the girl closer from her vantage point.
"Yeah," Quinn replied turning back to face Santana who was examining the girl as she scrambled to pick up another of her notebooks trying to put a face to the name.
"Isn't she the girl that lives down your street?" Santana asked trying to recollect an image of the girl. "Your families go to church together right?"
"Yeah," Quinn confirmed.
"I don't get it," Santana said confused. "Why is it such a surprise that she's back at school?"
"Are you serious?" Brittany asked amazed. "Didn't you hear what happened to her?"
"No," Santana replied. "What?"
"She almost died this summer," Quinn told Santana. "I thought I'd told you about it when we spoke on Skype? I guess not."
"What?" Santana said glancing back at the girl who was still struggling with her books.
"Are you sure it was her? She looks fine."
"Positive." Quinn informed her. "It was in all the local papers and our church would light candles and pray for her."
"Why what happened to her?" Santana asked still not believing Quinn's story.
"I can't believe you haven't heard," Brittany stated. "Everyone was talking about it. I'm surprised your parents didn't fill you in when you got back from camp."
"Yeah," Quinn agreed. "It was all my parents could talk about for weeks." Quinn paused a moment to cast a quick look over her shoulder at Rachel who had finally managed to pick up her books, only to drop them once again as someone tried to rush past her and knocked them from her hands. The girl groaned in frustration, throwing her back onto the floor at the foot of her locker and bending down once again to retrieve them.
"She was hit by a car whilst crossing the road at the beginning of the summer," Quinn continued, turning her attention back to Santana who was still watching Rachel with interest. "Apparently, the car didn't even stop. It just went straight through a red light and ran her down as she made her way over the crossing."
"I go to dance class with her friend Tina's boyfriend Mike," Brittany went on. "She was literally devastated after it happened. Apparently, Rachel was in a coma for three weeks after the accident and the doctors had told her parents to prepare for the worst. Tina was distraught. She said the doctors had said it was a miracle that Rachel had even woken up at all."
"My parents told me that they'd spoken to her fathers at church and that the doctors had said that if it hadn't have been for the bystanders who called the ambulance straight away she would have died," Quinn confirmed. "She was in hospital for weeks. I think she was only released home last Monday."
"She looks alright now though," Santana said numbly glancing back at the girl who had now retrieved her notebooks and was trying to open her locker.
"Mike told me that she suffered a massive head injury though," Brittany confided with Santana. "She had to have brain surgery and everything."
"It's true," Quinn supported. "She had a massive bleed in her brain or something and they had to remove it."
"I don't remember seeing her around last year." Santana admitted. "Has she always attended here?"
"Yeah," Brittany said, "she's kind of shy though. I think Tina is one of her only friends. They've known each other since they were born. I think their parents were friends in high school or something."
"She's actually really nice," Quinn supplied. "I had a couple of classes with her last year. She used to help me out with some of my AP math work."
They all turned in the girls direction once again as they heard the sound of books colliding with the floor and discovered that Rachel had managed to open her locker, only to lose her grip on the troublesome stationery.
Rachel cursed aloud and bent down to reclaim the books once again from the floor before her. Santana noted that one of them had found its way into the middle of the hallway just as it collided with an oncoming student's foot and was kicked unintentionally in their direction. The notebook slid unimpeded until it collided with Brittany's foot and Santana bent down to pick it up, the other girls watching intently.
The notebook was thick and the pages crumpled around the edges from being used repetitively. Santana couldn't help but flick the pages open out of habit and her eyes fell on the work within where she paused.
"What is that?" Brittany asked glancing over the page as Santana held the book in front of her.
"Writing," Santana said sighing guiltily, realising that she'd unintentionally invaded Rachel's privacy.
"I can't even read it," Brittany said squinting.
"That's not Rachel's writing," Quinn said after catching a quick glance of the work as Santana hastily closed the book. "Her handwriting was really neat. I remember it from some of the math work she showed me. That writing is barely legible."
"Well," Santana said sadly. "This is her writing now."
"Oh," Quinn said, realisation dawning on her. "You mean…"
"I think this is an exercise book," Santana admitted as she stepped around Brittany and started to make her way towards Rachel who knelt on the floor surveying it in search of her last missing book, the others now safely stashed in her locker.
Brittany and Quinn watched as Santana approached the brunette and tapped her gently on the left shoulder.
"Hey," Santana greeted as Rachel turned to face her, "I think you…" Santana words caught in her throat as Rachel lifted her face to look at who was addressing her.
The first thing Santana noticed was the other girl's eyes. Deep, dark pools of chocolate brown which she was in the very real danger of drowning in as Rachel stood up to her full height.
"Uhh…." Santana tried to finish her thought, the notebook held out between the two of them.
"Thanks," Rachel said gratefully as she glanced down at the item in Santana's hands and took it back in her own. The loss of eye contact, allowed Santana the opportunity to recover her wits. Rachel scrutinised the book in her hands, flicking through the pages as though she didn't recognise it and Santana used this time to examine the other girls' features properly.
It was only from this distance that Santana could see the marks of Rachel's accident and accept the truth of Quinn and Brittany's words. The left side of Rachel's head was shaved close to her skull, a thick, pink, circular scar protruding from her scalp where'd she obviously had surgery. From a distance, a long layer of hair had hidden it from view but up close, what was effectively an undercut did little to disguise the obvious trauma Rachel had undergone.
Rachel lifted her gaze to look at Santana once again, closing the notebook in her hands as she did so. Santana finally saw the other girls face properly for the first time and despite the obvious scar which extended from her forehead and across her left eyebrow, she couldn't help but find Rachel stunning.
Santana wondered how she'd never paid any attention to the other girl over the past two years together at school, not when she was standing here now, lost for words and for the first time in her life, completely paralysed but the butterflies she felt erupting in her stomach. Santana caught herself staring at Rachel and quickly glanced back towards the notebook between them, her eyes sweeping over Rachel's delicate fingers and taking in the stiff wrist splint which covered her left hand.
Rachel, obviously following Santana's gaze, pulled at the sleeve of her sweater subconsciously in an attempt to cover her hand.
"I'm sorry," Santana apologised, sensing the other girls discomfort.
"That's ok," Rachel replied, turning to place the notebook in her locker. "I'm getting used to it."
"No, it was rude of me to stare," Santana reiterated, watching as Rachel closed her locker.
"Well…" Was all Rachel responded, her voice trailing off as though her thoughts were lost mid-sentence.
Rachel picked her bag up from the floor and put it over her shoulder before making a move to leave. Santana stopped her, reaching for the other girls hand and pulling on it gently. "I'm Santana," she said as Rachel turned back around to face her.
"Ok," Rachel answered simply.
Santana shifted uncomfortably on her feet, unsure whether Rachel was going to introduce herself.
After a moment of awkward silence, Santana decided that she wasn't and so asked,
"You're Rachel right?"
"Yeah," Rachel replied frowning suspiciously.
"Listen, I wondered if…." Santana began, but she was interrupted by someone shouting Rachel's name off to her right. Santana turned just as another girl reached them, slightly out of breath and anxious.
"Rach," the other girl said once she'd caught her breath. "I went to the guidance counsellor's room looking for you only to find you weren't there. I've been searching all over for you."
"I'm here," Rachel answered matter of factly.
"Well I can see that," the other girl responded. "You were supposed to wait there for me so I could make sure you get to class ok."
"I needed to put some things in my locker," Rachel answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Rach," the other girl said, casting a confused look at Santana when she finally noticed her standing there. "You….you're not supposed…you were. Didn't you listen to what the guidance counsellor said?"
"No," Rachel admitted. "My dad did."
"What did your dad say after the meeting?" The other girl asked seemingly frustrated.
"I don't know," Rachel said honestly.
"Didn't he say anything?" The other girl asked.
"He did," Rachel informed her.
"What was it? Did he write it down for you?" The other girl questioned again, her eyes searching Rachel's arms for the notebooks she'd had earlier. "Where's your notebook?"
"In my locker," Rachel replied.
"Rach," the other girl groaned slightly.
"Umm….I should go," Santana interrupted feeling out of place. "Leave you guys to it…"
Rachel and her friend both looked at Santana, the other girl finally acknowledging her presence.
"Sorry," she apologised. "I hope she wasn't bothering you."
"Actually, I was bothering her," Santana replied slightly confused. "She dropped her notebook. I was just…giving it back to her."
"Oh, thanks…" The other girl said searchingly.
"Santana," she informed her.
"Thanks Santana." The other girl said now that she had a name. "I'm Tina."
"Hi," Santana greeted before turning back to Rachel who was watching the interaction silently. "Maybe I'll see you around Rachel?"
"Maybe," Rachel agreed causing Santana to smile.
"You don't really say too much do you?" Santana questioned noticing Rachel's lack of small talk.
"Can't," she answered simply pointing at the scar on her head.
"Oh," Santana said feeling bad for the second time in ten minutes. "Sorry."
Rachel looked at Tina expectantly.
"She sometimes has trouble with her words." Tina informed Santana for Rachel. "You know, since the accident. She's getting better though, right Rach?"
Rachel gave Santana a thumbs up with her right hand. "Right," she said in response to Tina's words.
"She can manage a few short sentences but, when she tries to talk a lot the words get jumbled up or she gets stuck and she doesn't want to look like an idiot." Tina continued to explain.
Rachel pouted as Tina spoke and Santana couldn't help the feeling that swept through her at the adorable expression on the other girls face. Rachel nodded after Tina had finished speaking and smiled at Santana.
"Well," Tina continued chuckling to herself. "Any more of an idiot then she already was, that is."
Rachel pulled a stupid face and spun her finger around by her head to emphasise Tina's words causing a wide grin to spread across Santana's features.
The warning bell rang to signal that they should all start moving towards their first class and Santana glanced back in the direction of Brittany and Quinn who'd been watching the interaction with great interest from where they'd been standing by the lockers further along the hallway.
"I should go," Santana said turning back to face Rachel and Tina.
"Thanks for your help," Tina said sincerely.
"I didn't really do anything." Santana replied.
"Yeah, but, still…thanks" Tina reiterated.
"No problem," Santana answered smiling at Rachel who was watching her closely grinning. "Bye Rachel." She said.
Rachel waved her right hand slightly.
"Goodbye Santana." Rachel reciprocated enunciating each word slowly. "Maybe I'll see you around."
Santana smiled as she repeated Rachel's own words from earlier back to her, "maybe."
Rachel laughed a loud, reflexive laugh, which reached deep down into Santana's soul and made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more than they already had been. It was one of the most infectious laughs that Santana had ever heard and the reaction that it gained from Tina told Santana that it was probably something she hadn't heard from her friend in a while the other girl was grinning so much.
Santana smiled at the pair of them before turning around and making her way back towards Quinn and Brittany, casting quick glances back at Rachel and Tina as she did so. Tina was rummaging through Rachel's locker in search of her notebook whilst Rachel watched Santana as she left, curiosity etched on her face.
"Ok," Brittany said when Santana reached her and Quinn. "What was that?" she asked as they started to head down the hallway towards first period.
"What was what?" Santana asked, trying to stifle the grin that was plastered across her face.
"Oh my God," Quinn said reading her friends face. "You like her don't you?"
"What?" Santana asked surprised. "Don't be ridiculous Quinn. I just met her."
"Then why do you look like you've just won a million dollars?" Brittany asked.
"I don't," Santana protested, casting a look over her shoulder back in Rachel's direction and feeling her stomach drop slightly when she noticed the other girl struggling to explain something to Tina who was reading something out of her notebook.
"You can't keep your eyes off her," Quinn observed. "You like her."
"I'm just worried about her." Santana responded.
"You didn't even know her two minutes ago," Brittany reminded her of her own words.
"She's interesting," Santana acknowledged. "I mean, if what you said is true then she's been through a lot this summer. I find it kind of inspiring that she's already back at school and pushing through it."
Brittany and Quinn shared a meaningful look which didn't go unnoticed by Santana.
"I don't like her," Santana repeated stubbornly.
"Yeah ok," Brittany said sarcastically as Santana cast another glance back at Rachel just before they turned a corner and she was out of sight.
"I would just kind of like to know her story that's all." Santana continued as they came to a stop outside of her classroom.
Brittany raised her eyebrow slightly and Quinn just looked at Santana knowingly.
"Crap," Santana said finally admitting it. "I like her."
"No shit," Brittany stated simply, leaving Santana to watch as her and Quinn made their way to their own classes.
'Fuck' Santana thought as she turned and made her way into first period alone."I really like her."