Old Love Feels New
Chapter One: Kendall Rose Jennings
"Okay, guys" A cheery Will Shuester said. He clapped his hands and smiled at the Glee Club. "We have a new member." He said excitedly. "Kendall." He announced. A tall, slim woman walked into the choir room. She was wearing a loose, blue checkered shirt and tight skinny jeans. Her hair was dark brown and a bit messy but not unclean. She looked at them with her piercing green eyes. She had multiple silver rings around her long fingers and her shoes were sober and simple. No one heard the soft gasp that someone produced.
"Hey." She said, coolly. She stood there, just being… cool. She just oozed something special. "I'm Kendall Jennings. Call me Kenny."
"So, I guess that just like everyone, you should audition." Mr. Shuester told her. She gave him a small smile.
"Sure." She answered and walked over to Brad and asked him if she could play on his instrument which he allowed. She sat down and placed her fingers on the keys before she looked at Santana who sat there, a bit pale. "I hope you still remember this." Was all she said before she began to play and cleared her throat. Everyone looked a bit confused, except Santana.
One word, that's all you said
Something in your voice caused me to turn my head.
Your smile just captured me and you were in my future as far as I could see.
And I don't know how it happened, but it happens still.
You ask me if I love you, if I always will
Santana's hands were around Kenny' neck and her hands were on the Latina's hips. The smaller girl's head rested on Kendall's shoulder and she could hear the young girl's heartbeat. They were standing in Kenny' living room. It was Saturday and Kendall's parents were out of the house so the girl's decided to get together and watch a movie. They didn't watch it though. They had looked through Mr. Jennings' CD collection and found a Kenny Chesney album. They listened to it while talking about school when suddenly, You Had Me From Hello came on. Kenny had bitten her lip and asked Santana to dance. The Latina's heart had begun to pump so fast, she had dreamed about dancing with her best friend. The girl always made her feel so amazing when she only touched her hand or smiled at her. She had accepted Kenny' hand and had begun to dance with her. The two 14 year olds were a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning but then it got better…
Well, you had me from "Hello"
I felt love start to grow the moment that I looked into your eyes,
You won me, it was over from the start.
You completely stole my heart, and now you won't let go.
I never even had a chance you know?
You had me from "Hello"
Santana looked up and into Kenny' eyes, Kendall's heart skipped a beat…
Kenny felt 14 again when she met Santana's eyes. The Latina had unshed tears in her eyes and her bottom lip was quivering slightly. Kenny couldn't believe how beautiful Santana looked. In her mind, the Latina had stayed that 14 year old but now, she saw a gorgeous young woman. She had always known that Santana would grow up to be pretty but never had she thought that the sight of her old friend would be this amazing.
They kept swaying to the music but they were both too lost in each other's eyes to really notice the music.
Inside I built a wall so high around my heart, I thought I'd never fall.
One touch, you brought it down
The bricks of my defenses scattered on the ground
And I swore to me I wasn't gonna to love again
The last time was the last time I'd let someone in
They were friends since they were 6 and had never parted. When Santana was 12 and when most of her peers began to show interest towards boys, she didn't. She didn't understand it. What she did understand was that if you had a boyfriend, you became a bit more popular and people found it cool but never had she met a boy that she was the least bit interested in. Sure, they were funny and she could have a good time with some boys but more than that… nothing. She figured that it would come, the boys were just too childish now. She had kissed one or two guys but she had never enjoyed it. While kissing, she always thought about what she would eat that evening or what her friends were doing. She never experienced that mind blowing sensation everyone talked about. But she always believed that she would find her prince charming but now that she was gazing into her best friend's green eyes, she couldn't think about anyone or anything else. She glanced towards Kenny' lips, that seemed to come closer to her.
But you had me from "Hello"
I felt love start to grow the moment that I looked into your eyes,
You won me, it was over from the start.
You completely stole my heart, and now you won't let go.
I never even had a chance you know?
You had me from "Hello"
Kenny could see Santana was thinking about the same moment as she was…
They both licked their lips and slowly, they made the last millimeters between their lips disappear. The first contact was soft and sweet. Santana's head was spinning and Kenny' skin seemed to be on fire. Both their knees were buckling and butterflies came to life in their belly.
Kenny smiled a little smile at Santana who gave her a watery smile back and then looked at her hands that were in her lap.
That's all you said
Something in your voice caused me to turn my head
You had me from "Hello"
You had me from "Hello"
Girl, I've loved you from "Hello"
When she finished the song, everyone hesitated a little before they clapped. Not that it was bad, it was actually very good but they could all see that it was sung to Santana who looked a bit pale.
"Uhm, that was very good Kenny." Mr. Shue said, sensing the awkward tention in the room.
Santana sat there, silently before she stood up, grabbed her bag and walked past Kenny, out of the choir room.
"Sana." Kenny said, trying to stop her but Santana ignored her. Kenny looked at the ground, took a deep breath and sat down on one of the chairs. Everyone looked at her and silent questions were drifting around the room but none of them were voiced.
Santana stood in the bathroom. She looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red. Kendall Rose Jennings. She hadn't seen her in 3 years and she had certainly changed. She looked so girly when she was younger but now, that was gone. She always knew that Kenny wanted to dress differently when they were younger. Every time they were alone Kenny changed into something a little more boyish but her mom hated it and she wasn't allowed to wear what she wanted.
She had met Kenny when they were both 6, on the playground and had said hello to the little green eyed girl. They had smiled at each other and went to play in the sandbox. They were inseperable ever since. They had shared everything, every secret until they were 15.
Since they had kissed when they were 14 they had tried to figure out 'what' they exactly were. Kenny had 'decided' that she was a lesbian and Santana was sure she was 'just bisexual' and that she could like everyone that she 'clicked' with. When they figured that out, Kenny had asked her out but Santana told her no. Kenny was devastated but she didn't give up. Two tries later, Santana had agreed to go on a date but she didn't want anything public. Kenny was happy that Santana agreed, she would do anything to please her. She had set up a simple dinner at her house and it was the nicest evening Santana ever had. Since then, they had been together and had a secret relationship. Everything seemed to go fine; dates, hugs, kisses… they grew closer and closer. They were almost ready to come out, they were tired of hiding.
They thought they couldn't be happier but that all changed when Kendall had devastating news. She had to move to Texas. Her father had gotten a job offer he couldn't say no to and they had to go. Their goodbye was heartbreaking. With one last, long kiss that was mixed with salty tears and 'I love you's on Kenny' front porch, when her parents weren't around, they parted. Santana had never cried as much as the nights that followed. She wrote Kenny but slowly, the contact faded because they both went to high school, met new people and Santana decided that she couldn't act on her 'abnormal' feelings forwards girls. She ignored Kenny's letter which broke her heart but she felt that it was the only thing she could do. It could never work out between them, she had to move on. She always thought about throwing the letters away but she kept them, unopened.
The door of the bathroom opened and a blonde cheerleader entered. Quinn. They weren't enemies anymore, they had decided to be friends again, just like they were in the beginning of high school.
"Are you okay?" The blonde asked. It was only then that Santana had noticed the tears trickling down her cheeks. Furiously, she whipped them away.
"I'm fine." She answered, her voice broke.
Quinn stood next to her and laid her hand on her friend's back. "Tell me, San."
Santana took a deep breath. "Kenny was my first girlfriend."
Quinn's eyebrows shot up. "I thought that Britt was your first?"
Santana shook her head. "She wasn't."
"When were you with her?" Quinn asked Santana.
"When we were 14."
It was silent for a few seconds before Quinn spoke up again. "Why are you crying? Did she do horrible stuff to you or something."
"No, she didn't mistreat me or anything. It's just such a shock to see her again, I had accepted that we would never see one another again and here she is, at McKinley and in the glee club. I can't avoid her, you know."
Quinn looked at her friend. "Why would you want to? Maybe you guys can become friends, maybe you could have fun talking about the past?"
Santana shook her head. "You don't understand, I ignored her for 3 years. We were together and when she left, she sent me letters, tried to contact me but I just… ignored her."
"Why did you do that? She was your girlfriend, right?" Quinn asked.
"I just… I didn't want to be gay. I didn't want to be a freak and well, when I started school here, I just knew that I couldn't be a lesbian. I wanted to be on top and gay people don't get there." Santana explained and tears were rolling down her cheeks again. "I missed her so much, I still do sometimes. I wish I would've just kept writing to her, that I'd kept in touch… We said we would write letters, and not e-mails. It was more romantic." Santana chuckled through her tears.
"You should talk to her." Quinn said.
"No, I can't. Not now." Santana told the blonde.
"Then not today but maybe tomorrow. You really should."
"Probably." Santana told her.
Kenny stood in the hallway, leaning against the locker, holding a few books in her arms, shewing on a piece of gum when suddenly, a boy stood next to her.
"Hi, I'm Kurt Hummel." He said.
"Hey." She replied, being cool. "You are a kid from Glee right?" She asked.
"Yes, I am." Kurt said with a big smile.
"And you wanna know what's going on between Santana and I?" She asked. Before Kurt could respond, she added. "Not gonna happen." And then began to walk away but the boy followed her.
"Actually, I just wanted to know if we play on the same team." He admitted.
Kenny grinned. "Yeah, we do, Kurt. Your gaydar must be very bad if you can't see that from a mile away." She chuckled.
"Well, I thought Finn and Sam were gay so I just have to check." Kurt told her. "Now what is going on between you and my favorite lesbian?"
Kenny grinned. "Oh so she is out here? Cool."
Kurt: "Yeah, she is but when are you going to answer my question?"
"I'm not, told you it's not going to happen." She reacted with a smile. "Now, I have to get to Math, so, see ya later." She told him and walked away. Kurt huffed.
The Next Day…
"Hey…" Santana said shyly. Kenny looked to her side and forgot all about the books she was holding, making them drop back into her locker.
"Hi." Kenny told her, hating that her voice sounded so small.
They looked at each other and slowly, they both began to smile.
"I missed you." They said in union and they began to giggle.
"I really did." Kenny said.
"Me to, Kenda." Santana told her.
"So, can I have a hug?" Kendall asked the Latina who grinned.
"Sure." Santana told her and hugged her old friend close. She reveled in the familiar smell of her ex-girlfriend's hair, it smelled like roses and vanilla. Kenny's arms encircled that small waistline and she reveled the soft feeling of Santana's arms around her neck. They broke the hug and Santana sighed.
"I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee tomorrow? I really want to catch up." Santana told Kenny.
"Yeah, cool. Here is my number." Kendall said. Soon, they parted, both couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Santana sat in the Lima Bean, sipping the coffee she had ordered earlier. Kenny was late. 30 minutes late. She was about to get up and leave, disappointed and hurt when Kenny entered the coffee shop. She hurried herself to Santana.
"Sana, I'm so sorry." She said. "But something came up and I couldn't be here earlier. I should've called or texted you but I really didn't have time." Kenny was rambling and Santana chuckled softly. She was so cute.
"Sit yo ass down, Kenda. It's okay." She said. Kenny smiled and sat down.
"I still need my coffee though." She said.
"Okay, you can get your coffee and then sit yo ass down." Santana said with a smile. A few minutes later, Kendall returned with two steaming cups.
"Figured yours would be almost finished so…" She explained and gave one to her old friend.
"Thanks." Santana smiled. Kendall sat down. It was silent for a while. "Why were you late?"
"I just… I just couldn't… I…" Kendall failed to explain her lateness. "Just, don't ask. Please."
Santana frowned but swallowed her questions away. "Okay then… Tell me about Texas."
Kenny looked up and smiled a soft smile. "We lived in a typical small town. My dad was managing a ranch, or something. I didn't really care. I had to take like 3 busses to get to school; I always had to get up so freakin' early. God knows I'm not a morning person. I thought I would hate it there, ya know, but I actually loved living on the country side. When I was lucky, my dad took me to the ranch and I could horseback ride. When I turned 16, Dad bought me a horse. He is as black as the night and has grey manes. I called him Blackjack. He is still in Texas but Macy, my best friend looks after him now."
"Why did you move back here?" She asked.
"I moved back here because I just had to. My parents are still in Wimberley. I live here with my aunt now."
"Why?" Santana asked again.
"Uhm, well, I may seem like I'm okay with being a lesbian but back then, I really wasn't and then something happened and it got too much for my parents to handle. My aunt was understanding and had no problem with taking me in. She is 63, her husband just died and she is lonely. She didn't mind me moving in."
"What happened?" Santana wanted to know.
Kendall looked down. "I just… I can't tell you right now. I will but just not now."
Santana nodded. She knew that when Kendall said no, it was no so when she said later, she meant later. No way was she getting something out of her right now.
"So, how was life here in Lima?" Kendall asked.
"Dull." Santana told her friend and they both chuckled.
"I heard you came out. How did Edmundo and Silvia react to that?" Kendall wanted to know.
"Mami and papi were surprisingly calm. I can't say they are happy that their only daughter is gay but they accept and love me. No freak outs or 'you'll get over it' stuff. They were really cool. My two older brothers are also okay although Miguel still thinks that there is a chance that I'll meet the right dude but that's just because he thinks that he's God's present to women. Victor thinks it's the coolest thing in the world which I find somehow disturbing but well, it's better than being rejected so I'm fine."
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Kenny questioned, maybe a bit too anxious to hear a 'no'.
"Not anymore. Britt and I just broke up but we are still friends."
"Oh, you and our president huh?" Kendall asked with a chuckle. "She's pretty hot."
Santana giggled. "Yeah, she is."
"How long were you two together?"
"About a year but actually, since I'm 16 we've been kinda been fooling around. It just wasn't that serious."
"So you are a lesbian, not bi, right?" Kendall asked.
"No, boys just don't do it for me." Santana answered.
"Preach, Sana." Kendall giggled.
They smiled. "Gosh, I missed that nickname."
"It's been a long time since someone called me Kenda to."
It was silent for a while.
"You look gorgeous." Kendall blurted out. Santana looked up and smirked.
"Are you hitting on me, Ms. Jennings?" She asked, flirtatiously, making Kendall blush furiously.
"No, I just… noticed." She said.
Santana laughed. "You look amazing to. That look suites you amazingly. You're hotter than Shane."
Kendall laughed. "That isn't really possible but yeah, I'm a close second."
Santana smiled. "Who's your favorite of The L Word?" She asked.
"Bette Porter." Kendall answered. "Man, those power suits…"
Santana chuckled. "I like her but… I can't choose between Tina and Shane. On one side, I have a soft spot for blondes and on the other side; I love that boyishness of Shane. It's so hard."
"Maybe you like Frankie of Lip Service better." Kendall told her friends.
Santana grinned. "Oh, I missed having lezzie conversations. Do you remember when we watched the pilot like 2000 times? We couldn't stop discussing it. Kurt is great, he really is but he doesn't know anything about lesbian series."
Kendall laughed. "Yeah, I talked to him yesterday. He wanted to know what is going on between us."
Santana smirked. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing." Kenny smiled.
"He is going crazy right now, I'm sure." Santana giggled. Kendall joined in. When they calmed down, Kendall looked at Santana.
"Sana, where did you go after my performance? I wasn't that bad, was I?" She asked, joking a bit.
Santana shook her head. "You were amazing actually but it was such a shock to see you again, I thought we would never meet again, you know. I just went to the bathroom."
"Is the blonde that went after you some admirer or something? She seemed very concerned." She asked.
Santana laughed. "Quinn? No, not in a million years. She is just a friend of mine."
"Did you tell her? What we used to be?" Kendall wanted to know.
"Yeah, I did." Santana answered, and then her cell buzzed in her pocket. She opened it.
From: Puck
ey lezbro,
I'm havN a pRt my plce 2moz nyt
B der 9 n brng d nu gal
CY ~ThePuckosaurus
"Puck just send me a text, he's having a party tomorrow night. We should totally go so you can meet everyone in glee club."
"Sure, what time is the party?" Kendall wanted to know.
"9." Santana answered.
"I think I'll be able to come. Just have to ask Aunt Anna." Kenny told Santana.
"Great… is it okay if I'll pick you up tomorrow?"
Kendall panicked a little. "Uhm, no, I just… send me the address and I'll go by myself."
Santana frowned. "Why? What's the problem with me picking you up?" She asked.
"Just… don't." Kendall sighed. "I can get there myself."
"Fine, go by yourself." Santana said, a little bit pissed. Kendall sighed.
"I'm gonna go. See ya tomorrow." Kenny said.
"Yep, bye." Santana sounded pissed off. Kendall stood there, not knowing what to do but finally she turned around and left. She couldn't tell Santana. Not yet.
Author Notes: This idea was torturing me and I couldn't stop thinking about it so I just wrote it… Are y'all curious to find out what's going on with Kendall? What do you think? Let me know!