Chapter 1. The drain
Adolescence is the best and shittest thing ever invented. You meet the ones you'll love forever, know forever, hate forever and remember forever. We get thrown into judgment, pressure, and love, some mixed up place before we become an adult and after we've had the zero responsibilities of being a kid.
There is no possible way to prepare for such a thing; it can change almost everything about us, for better or for worse. It's now that we are meant to find ourselves and who we are. Well sorry, but how am I supposed to do all that when I can't even find fucking matching socks?
I continued down the street, my mind still wandering when my phone rang. I knew exactly who it was.
"Impatient pricks" I said as I answered.
"Where the hell are you Britt?" asked Sam on the other end laughing.
"I'm almost there! And yes I brought it before you ask" he continued to laugh at how well I knew him, but would you expect any different from a best friend?
"Is it good?" he asked.
"Sammy, have I ever let you down before?" I replied. "Trust me when I say you'll love it"
"Alright, alright I'll see ya soon then"
"Yep, bye" I hung up and headed down the path to the others.
After making my way through a few trees I finally reached 'The Drain'. It's a place Sam and I found a while back, just an old out of use drain and a large platform attached, we brought down a few seats, a couch and a small table, it's become a place where we all belong now.
"Oh, she finally decides to grace us with her presence!" said a smiling Sam with his arms up in the air.
I said hi to everyone else as I made my way over to him.
"You're such a wanker" I laughed as I pushed his head.
"So whatya bring us then Britt?" asked Tina sitting cross legged on the couch.
"Only the finest premium vodka going around" I smiled as I pulled the bottle from my bag.
"Is that all then?" asked Mike.
"I thought Miss Brittany S. Pierce would have a little more up her sleeve" he smirked at me. Mike loved to challenge me, not only on the dance floor.
"Right you are Mike, right you are, which is why I brought a little extra" I returned his smirk whilst pulling out the bottle of Jack Daniels and the half bag of weed I'd bought earlier.
"This should last us today and tomorrow don't you think?" I said as I winked at him, Mike smiled and nodded in approval while the rest of them clapped and laughed.
Rachel began a little drum roll as she sat on the ground "I can feel it everyone!" she shouted, referring to the atmosphere.
"Can I?" added Puck, with his infamous eyebrow wiggle.
"Does that work on anyone?" Rachel laughed, along with the rest of us.
I couldn't help but feel a tug on my heart as I watched the people around me, talking, laughing, and drinking. Everything at this point seemed so perfect, yet when we all go home the problems that have plagued us throughout life so far would once again take hold.
I would once again go back to a house that has bottles and cans spread throughout; I'd be harassed by a mother who is either passed out or drunk when my brother Noah and I see her. I would make us dinner; we always eat in my room so that she can't bother us. Then I would put him to bed and hold the fragile little 6 year old while he cried himself to sleep, only to return to my room and hold myself while I did the same.
Our dad left a year ago, before that we were a picture perfect family, but he just left, never gave a reason. I haven't spoken to him since that day and he's made no effort to contact me either so I guess this is how it will stay. After he left our mum just went downhill, she started going out and getting drunk, then she just did it every night, and now she's never sober.
Eventually she stopped caring for Noah and I, when she talks its either she needs alcohol or I am the worst thing that happened to her and the reason he left? I never let her speak to Noah like that, I keep him as far away from her as possible. I've been getting help from the community centre, they have after school care, play days and such that Noah goes to, it gives him a chance at some sort of normal life.
My chance however was lost the day my dad walked out on us and the walls caved in, my heart aches everyday and every night and has done for so long now. I've managed to hide myself and my feelings from those around, Sam being my only exception.
I lit up a smoke as me and Sam started to make drinks, he held out his pinky and I wrapped mine around it. It's just what we do, like a small promise to each other to get through everything.
"How's your mum?" he asked.
"She's been better, still completely isolated in her drunken state, but I've been getting help with Noah from the centre so that's good" I explained.
"And how are you?" he continued.
"I don't know, hurting is an understatement" I chuckled trying to lighten the mood.
"Well anything I can do to help you B you know I'll do it, and I still think you should go back to dancing" I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder as he spoke.
"I told you before I don't have time for that anymore, besides I don't need it" I snapped a little harsher than intended, but I didn't want to talk about the reason I'd stopped. I hadn't given anyone an answer besides I didn't have time, hoping they'd take the hint and back off.
"Even though I know that's total bullshit, I leave it for now" he nudged me as he took back his arm.
"What about you? Given the all cured by the counsellors yet?" I asked.
"Nope" he rolled his eyes.
"I mean I don't get what the big deal is? People piss people off and when it gets to a point where it's too much people are gonna get knocked the fuck out!" I laughed with him as he went on,
"Yeah but apparently I'm an angry young man who needs to talk about his feelings" he said in a mocking tone,
"Haven't they ever heard of puberty?" I scoffed.
"Nah they're paid to pretend" he laughed again. I smiled and joked about it with him even though I know this is more serious than he's leading me to believe, but right now he doesn't need me to tell him that. Sam has had anger problems since a while back, and it's never really been an issue until recently.
Recently being when a little smart ass in our class pushed him to far, he snapped and beat the kid, I'd never seen him like that and it scared me. But I'll never let him know that, it's just not what he needs.
"What time is Artie getting here? Mercedes asked, snapping me out of the thoughts that I was getting too caught up in lately.
"He should be ere' soon, and he said he's bringing a family friend with him or something'" Finn answered.
"Well mate, boy or girl?" Puck asked with a sly look on his face. He never got any with his rather offensive forwardness, but you had to give him points for effort right?
"Like it matters to you, you'll try fucking anything with a pulse" Said Quinn as she laughed along with the group.
"Yeah try and fail" Artie yelled as I heard him make his way through the trees, being focused on doing more shots with Sam and still feeling the joint we shared earlier I didn't bother to look up just yet.
"Artie! Mate how are ya?"
"It's been to fuckin' long"
"How've you been" Came the chorus of welcomes from my tipsy bunch of friends. Minus mine of course, it's not that I don't like him or we don't get along, he just seems to have this idea that we are meant to be together... an idea that I do NOT share, so I make sure I keep even our friendship to a minimum now.
"Not too bad, how have all you been?" Artie asked.
"Fucking beautiful!" Sam yelled surrounded by a few cheers of agreement, raising his shot glass as he did so. He held it up until I joined him, doing them together then continuing to laugh like 5 year olds.
Artie spoke again "Everyone this is Santana, she's just moved here so play nice wont you?"
At this point I looked up at Artie, only giving him a small smile in return to his rather eager expression, before I shifted my gaze to the girl next to him. My breath caught in my throat and I felt my jaw drop open slightly, she was beautiful, I frowned in my mind at the fact that the word beautiful didn't feel like enough to describe her.
"Hi everyone" she said looking around.
Her voice was gorgeous like a mixture of chocolate and whiskey, I felt myself melt at the sound. Her almost black hair fell over her shoulders in loose waves stopping just a few inches past them, the naturally tanned skin that coated her slender body made my eyes begin to wander, only to return to her eyes seconds before they met with mine. I silently applauded myself for getting away with practically gawking at this girl with out her noticing, and although I found myself lost in her deep brown eyes I somehow recovered and gave her a smile before looking away.
Once again my mind took over and the noise was drowned out by the thoughts flying round in my head. I'd never thought about my sexuality before? I just assumed to myself that I was straight. But then again I've never gone out with a guy before, but I've never gone out with anyone before. I tend to have fun, get bored and move on. The idea of love terrifies me; seeing what it's done to my mother I don't want anything to do with it! Which is why I don't get involved, it's the reason I move on!
But in her gaze I felt frozen, and I've never reacted that way because of someone? Especially a girl! Fuck what is wrong with me? I stole another glance and immediately regretted it; she was looking straight at me with her gorgeous eyes, a shy smile on her lips, my god her lips… NO stop it Brittany! I looked away and quickly made myself some shots, knocking them back as fast as I could. "Fuck this is gonna be a long night" I mumbled to myself, and with that I zoned back into the group.
