Brittany S. Pierce liked Luna before she ever met her. While the other girl was still an abstract concept. A name on a piece of paper.
Luna Lovegood had been nervous about the exchange program. It was part of her Muggles studies class. She'd never lived a whole day without something magical. And she didn't know the family. Her father had reminded her that strangers are just friends you haven't made yet. It didn't make all her worries go away, but it did soothe her.
Brittany had wondered what life in England might be like for the girl. The other Glee club members had laughed and shook their heads, as Brittany suggested all kinds of scenarios. Maybe she was a slave. Maybe she was mistreated. Maybe she lived in slums somewhere. Quinn reminded her that it wasn't a third world country. That things were largely the same. Though they all admitting to never having heard of a Hogwarts School. Santana had been belligerent, snapping at Brittany, jealous that so much of the blondes mind was focused on another girl.
Luna had tried to study. To prepare herself. She had learned of lots of things. Muggles, were, as far as she could tell primitive, in some ways, and ingenious in others. They had created so many ways to make life easier without magic. Though some of the ideas struck her as primitive. Where she could wave her wand and say a word and had light, they had switches. They had a box that people performed inside called televisions. And they had all kinds of scantily clad women, called heart throbs, sexy, and there were also half naked men.
When they met, things were a little awkward both girls being nervous. Brittany showed Luna to her room. It wasn't until the next day that the two girls had begun to bond. As Brittany came down for breakfast, Luna commented, her tone ethereal and lilting,"You're cat is an excellent conversationsalist."
Brittany barely paused before nodding,"I interview him for my online talk show sometimes. I worry though, that he might reveal my secrets. He likes to read my diary."
"Crafty little thing, aren't you?" Luna asked Mr. tubbington, ruffling his fur before joining Brittany for breakfast.
It was also that day at school when Luna saw Brittany's name. Brittany S Pierce, written close together with no punctuation. "It's a hard named to be saddled with isn't it?" she questioned. She had remembered reading stories about a girl named Britney Spears,"After all, your namesakes gone completely mad."
But there were things about Luna that Brittany couldn't understand. As far as she knew, there were televisions in England. But Luna seemed enamored with the very idea of theirs. She watched it for hours at a time. Finally Luna had asked. "How do the people trade places?" Brittany had stared blankly. It was television, even Brittany understood television. But Luna had gone to inspect the television. "there must be a way out."
To this, Brittany had laughed, shaking her head. "No one's inside. Just a bunch of circuses and other science stuff."
Luna had become further confused. "Circuses?" She wasn't quite sure what one of them were. "Well then how do the people come and go?"
To this, Brittany had shook her head. She didn't know how to explain. "It's kind of like a picture," she tried,"A picture sent through the air. To the box."
"Amazing," Luna had muttered, wondering for a brief moment if Muggles didn't indeed also have some form of magic.
Later that same night, Luna had showed Brittany pictures of children back at school. Brittany noticed almost immediately the movement. "How can they be walking around?" she had asked confused.
Luna had been perplexed at how to explain. "It's kind of like your television." They were watching television now. Something referred to as a reality show. The picture went blank and Luna said,"But unlike your picture box," she gestured towards the television,"They don't show people just lazing about."
Brittany flipped through the pictures, accepting the information easily before coming across a picture that was different. Luna's body language was different with this boy. And his with her. He was blonde, ferret looking, a little harsh in the face. Hardly seemed a good match for the lighthearted fun loving girl Brittany had begun to call friend. "You love him don't you?"
Luna was caught off guard by the question. "Well, yes," she finally answered honestly,"That's Draco. Malfoy." She added the last name as an afterthought. "He's kind of surly," she spoke of him.
Brittany nodded, thinking of Santana. "I know what it's like to be in love with someone who's hard, cold, and sometimes mean. But completely beautiful, if they'd only let their insides out."
Luna smiled. "Sounds like you're talking about Draco. But he's different with me."
Brittany nodded. "I know," Santana was different with her too. "But no one believes you." They both smiled a little at their shared experience. "At least it seems people know about the two of you."
Luna nodded. "Don't they know about you?"
Brittany had shook her head, and then she had cried and Luna had comforted her.
A few days later, Luna joined Brittany at a rehearsal for her Glee Club. Another thing that luna didn't understand entirely. She had seen and heard of choirs. But not of high school students competing. "Welcome," Mr. Shue had said to her,"Go ahead and take a seat feel free to join us."
Luna had smiled. "thank you." She sat next to Brittany, receiving a glare from a girl named Santana.
When practice was over, Luna was beaming. She had discovered two things. One was that she liked Glee Clubs. She enjoyed the singing. And the second was who secretly loved Brittany. As the room began to empty, Luna went over to Santana and Brittany, giving one of the highest compliments she could think of, that she felt was true. "What you guys do here, it's absolutely magical."
"Back off, Day Dream Barbie," Santana spit out at Luna, trying to keep Brittany away, maybe make her like Luna less.
Luna wasn't phased. She didn't really understand the insult. It had been tossed carelessly her way. But she only had the vaguest understanding of what a Barbie was. She simply smiled and looked over at Brittany. "She loves you too."
Santana bristled. "I do not," she argued,"I'm dating Karofsky. I don't love girls. It's not normal," She couldn't admit that she did. It wasn't normal. It would be cause for ridicule, and make high school even more of a battle ground than it already was. Not even being able to touch and kiss Brittany again was worth all of that.
Brittany ran off, not able to handle the shame Santana always tried to place on them, or their love. Luna looked after the other blonde and looked to Santana. She didn't understand it. The stigma muggles put on this idea of straight or gay, smart and dumb, beautiful and ugly, like one or another thng made you more well suited. "It's not quite so important who you love," she said simply to Santana,"but that you do, indeed love." And then she followed Brittany.
Weeks later, Santana kissed Brittany practically in front of the whole school. Later when Brittany asked her why, Santana had said, in her own way, that she was sick of lying, and that something Luna lovegood had said had changed her mind.
Brittany smiled. She knew from the beginning that she would like Luna Lovegood, that the two would be friends, even when she was still just an abstract concept, a name on a piece of paper.