The Other Half of Me
Santana Lopez knew of her unsavory reputation and was proud of it. After all, she didn't spend almost four years of scheming, manipulating, and seducing to get to the top of the social hierarchy of McKinley High for nothing. She knew the rumors that were spread about her. She saw and heard the whispers that followed in her wake as she passed down the hallways but she didn't care. She was the second most popular girl in school, co-captain of the Cheerios, and considered one of the hottest girls at McKinley. Boys and girls both feared and were in awe of her. She was loud, aggressive; cold hearted and was unapologetic about it. The real world didn't treat a person nice so why should she? She knew she had broken a lot of hearts, trusts, and damaged people along the way, but she counted it a worthy cost.
After all, she knew from personal experience that if you didn't stay on top and in control, then you were likely to get trampled on. She learned this at a very early age. This may surprise a lot of people but she hadn't always been an evil, manipulative person. But after that summer she had changed. It was the summer before her freshman year. She had been fourteen at the time; young, carefree and unbroken. She had gone away to a summer camp. That's where she had met him. His name was Greg Sanders. He was one of the teen counselors and the most popular boy at the camp. He was very handsome with sandy blond hair and the most beautiful cerulean blue eyes. All the girls including the older ones had crushes on him. When she first laid eyes on him she fell hard.
While all of the other girls flirted with him and some just outright propositioned him, she hung back. No way would a guy like that want her she thought insecurely. But he had noticed her. Pretty soon he started hanging around her, paying her special attention. All of the other girls became jealous and started to shun her even those she considered her friends. One night she was sitting by herself staring out at the lake crying over a comment one of the other girls had made about her when he found her. He held her and told her not to worry and that they were just jealous of her beauty. She laughed and thanked him for the compliment. He lifted her face towards his and gave her the most tender and gentlest kiss she ever had that point. Pretty soon they started sneaking away to kiss and spend time with one another. Things quickly progressed from there. After weeks of heavy petting she gave him her virginity.
After that they began to make love almost every night. But after a while she noticed he began to become distant. Their nights of being together slowly began to taper off. She began to fear that she was losing him and would confront him about it. He would make excuses and say that she was being irrational but the fear would never go away. Finally she gave him an ultimatum. Either he would tell her the truth or she was breaking it off with him. She would never forget the pain she felt as he confessed to her that he had a girlfriend and that what he had with her was just a summer fling. She had cursed him out and slapped him tears streaming down her face. After that she left the camp and vowed to never let anyone especially boys get that close to her heart again.
When she came to McKinley that fall, a new Santana was born. She was no longer the sweet, naïve and unassuming girl she had been prior to that summer. She was meaner, colder and vindictive. She thrived in her new position of power and wasn't afraid to let anyone know it. She slept around with the most popular boys in school, deriving pleasure not from the act itself but from the feeling of power and control it gave her. At first it was fun but after a while it began to get boring. Especially since the boys no longer challenged her intellectually, emotionally or sexually anymore. So she turned to her best friend who happened to be girl. Brittney was one of the kindest, most innocent people she had ever met. She felt comfortable with her. She could talk to her about anything. From movies and make up tips to details about her sexual exploits (which did get pretty extreme at times), she was only met with kindness and understanding. So naturally she began to believe that she was in love with her best friend. Then he came into her life.
When she first met him she thought he was just a pampered, white mama's boy who wouldn't last 5 seconds in the Lima Heights. So she dismissed him. But he kept coming around trying to start friction between Kurt and Blaine. When she began to see how much it upset them, she became irritated. She knew she was being hypocritical (she had broken up plenty of relationships), but she had come to care for her Glee friends. They were like family to her; even if Kurt acted like an annoying diva at times and Blaine… well he was just a nice sweet person who didn't deserve that. She knew it was time to get serious when they challenged the Warblers at the parking garage and he threw the rock salt laced slushy accidently at Blaine injuring him.
She knew it was time for revenge. When she went to Dalton to confront him, she expected him to confess or at least crumble before her. Not too many people can stand before her wrath. But surprisingly he stood even challenging her to a duel. She smirked at this thinking it would be a piece of cake. But the surprise was on her. She was shocked as he began to sing Smooth Criminal. He wasn't just good. He was very good. But it wasn't just the tone of his voice; it was the feeling behind it. She could feel the anger, the hurt, and the frustration. She knew he was challenging her. Not to be outdone, she challenged him right back.
She sang in perfect pitch provoking him with her voice, her body movements and looks. She could feel the tension in the air, so thick that you could cut it with a knife. She could see the frustration on his face so she upped it a notch. He chased her around the chairs but she was the one in control, always facing him, even pushing him at one point. That was a big mistake on her part. When she placed her hand on his chest, she felt something break off in her and a little fluttering feeling began in the pit of her stomach. She saw something flash in his eyes, a type of awareness but it was quickly replaced with the anger and determination to beat her. She quickly slipped back in character, the one who was in control. After the song was over she demanded he tell her what was in the slushy. He complied, only to throw one in her face. She was furious at his smug expression but she knew she would have the last laugh.
She had gotten his confession on tape. When they met again it was in the auditorium at McKinley. New Directions wanted to call a truce to end the feud between the two groups. As they were performing Black or White she could feel his eyes burning into her but she ignored it along with that fluttering feeling. Everyone was on board except for him.
She threatened him with the taped confession only to have Kurt steal the moment by taking the high road. She reluctantly gave him the tape. He left. While the rest of New Directions and the Warblers celebrated their newfound unity and friendships, she had a feeling that there was more to come.