Santana walked down the hall, her books that didn't fit in her backpack clutched to her chest as she pinched her eyes shut every moment or so to hide from a possible slushie attack. As she made it to her locker safely, she turned around and began to shove her books into her bag before tightening her ponytail. Santana didn't know why she had to be so afraid of a possibly eminent slushie attack. After all, they didn't know her secret…they just…hated her. Why, she had no idea. Her hair stuck to her face and her striped shirts perhaps weren't as aesthetically pleasing as they could be, but that didn't constitute hate. Who she was though…that might.
The brunette's thoughts froze as soon as she felt ice crystals slide down on her back, underneath her shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to allow a tear slip through. Santana flinched from the burn of the cold on her back and she made sure to sense that they were gone before she turned around. Before she shifted, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Go away," she said quietly, scared to raise her voice at all.
"I want to help," a warm voice responded and Santana turned around cautiously to find herself face to face with a blue-haired girl. "Come on…Santana, right?"
Santana nodded weakly and allowed the shorter girl to lead her by the wrist before they reached the bathroom. The unknown girl brought Santana into the large stall at the back before she returned to the sink area to retrieve some damp paper towels.
"Are you new?" Santana gained the courage to speak.
The girl just nodded before she reached under Santana's shirt. "Dani," she introduced herself. "Dani Harper. I came from Shithole, Iowa before my dad got transferred. This place is better, which is saying something. At least I can kind of be myself."
Santana bit her lip. "Didn't you just see what they did to me? That is me."
Dani just smiled sadly. "You're hiding something."
The darker girl slid against the wall to the ground and placed her head in her knees. Why did, whoever this girl was, Dani, have to be so perceptive. "I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled.
The blue-haired girl took Santana's hand in her own. "I'm never wrong, Santana."
"They'll want to kill me more."
Dani shook her head, flyaways of blue ghosting her face. "No, they won't. You think they will. But they won't. You have to be you, Santana."
Santana was caught off-guard. She had never seen this girl in her life. It was shocking how much Dani had perceived about her. "I don't, though," she whispered. She smoothed down her skirt before picking at her socks carefully, whilst biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut again. "How do you know so much about me?"
Dani pursed her lips before she tried to smile in a warm way. "My gaydar in on point."
"Shit!" Santana exclaimed and the tears she had been trying to keep at bay finally spilled out. "How did you know? I tried so hard…they already want to kill me and I don't know what I did and I just…"
The shorter girl frowned and positioned herself next to Santana before she placed an arm around the crying girl. "Hey, it's okay. I know how you feel. I used to be bullied. I thought coming out was going to be the hardest thing in my life. Ever."
"Why do you care?" Santana sobbed brokenly.
"Because you were me," Dani responded soberly before she pulled up her sleeves and stretched her skin to display her old scars under all of her tattoos. "Iowa wasn't exactly the easiest place either. I'm only here because I got off of the bus wherever looked vaguely appealing after my mom kicked me out."
This just made Santana cry harder, and as she suddenly felt a stroke of trust towards the girl around her shoulder, she buried her head into Dani's shoulder, ashamed of her own emotions. "Jesus Christ," she yelled as her voice cracked. "I don't even know you."
Dani's eyes widened. "You don't have to. But, I'm here for you."
Santana didn't know what came over, but she lifted her head up from Dani's shoulder and took the shorter girl's head aggressively in her hands before kissing her fiercely and running a hand through her blue hair. Dani quickly pulled away as if she had been burned as Santana forgot that the two of them were on the floor of the bathroom.
"Shit!" Santana looked away and stood up before she began to wring her hands. "Bye."
Dani shook her head and touched Santana's ankle before she reached the stall door. "Santana," she called gently. "Relax. It's okay. It was nice. I know you just wanted to kiss somebody."
"How do you know everything?" Santana exploded with a new confidence.
Dani simply patted her head. "I have a gift. I'm apparently very perceptive." She patted the floor next to her. "Come sit with me." As Santana hesitated, she grabbed the girl's ankle again. "Come on, Santana."
Santana smiled and quietly sat down next to Dani before she laid her head on the blue-haired girl's shoulder.
"You'll be okay, Santana."