Quinntana Week Day 1: Beginnings
It was a warm early summer morning when I met Santana Lopez. A duffel bag over one shoulder and a backpack over the other, all was left was boarding the shuttle bus to my first ever cheer camp. Tryouts for the Cheerios were two weeks before eighth grade graduation. Since I was from an outside district, I had to audition at McKinley during lunch just after Coach Sylvester was done with her supplement drink. She gave me five minutes, but apparently that was all I needed. Next thing I knew, I was signing away my summer to a three month long intensive cheer camp with the rest of the freshman cheerleading squads of the school district.
Standing before me was the shuttle bus that would be driving us 19 hours to Garland, Texas. When Coach Sylvester told me that we would be driving rather than flying I made the mistake of shooting her a quizzical look.
"I have twelve freshman girls who've never met before and are expected to be as tight as a virgin on prom night in three months. Nineteen hours on a bus should help speed up the process," she relented as she looked over some formal document.
"Understood, Coach Sylvester."
I handed my duffel bag to one of the parent volunteers loading up the luggage, handed Coach Sylvester my permission slip and made my way up the steps to the bus.
"ALL FRESHMEAT TO THE BACK OF THE BUS!" Coach Sylvester barked from her megaphone.
Well that settles that.
I chose the far back right window seat and placed my backpack under my seat. Nineteen hours on a bus sounded like the opportune time to get started on the summer reading assignments. I pulled out my copy of Lord of the Flies and started on the first chapter.
"Mind if we sit here?" asked a soft voice.
I looked up from the book I barely started and saw two girls, a blonde bright blue eyed tall girl and a shorter brunette with a deep russet skin tone and rich brown eyes. I couldn't place if she was hispanic or dominican, it didn't matter though. Regardless, she was beautiful.
"Blondie doesn't want to sit with us, let's find somewhere else," the brunette said in a hushed tone. The taller girl simply shrugged her off.
While I wasn't very interested in making friends, I was interested in being on top at this school. These two could make a formidable pair, the blonde with her innocent and aloof nature, and the brunette with her small but intimidating stature. "You both may."
"I'm Brittany, I would tell you my last name but I'm scared of being recognized." the blonde said as she made way for the brunette.
The same quizzical look I shot Coach Sylvester reappeared..
"Don't mind Britt, you'll start to catch on sooner or later," said the brunette as she took the middle seat. "Santana Lopez. And if you know what's best for you, you best stays out my way."
Santana took me off guard for a moment. Who did this girl think she was? My eyes wandered up and down, inspecting her frame, observing her body language. I really shouldn't underestimate this girl. She wasn't intimidated by me at all which really said something. Her dark eyes intrigued me, her guts had me sold though. I pursed my lips before responding, "Quinn. Quinn Fabray. I think the three of us could make a great team."
"Look, Blondie. I don't play well with others. With the exception of Brittany because she's my home girl. Aside from this bus ride, I wouldn't get too comfortable sitting next to me," Santana then placed a pair of earbuds into her ears and zoned out in her smartphone.
"Don't take Santana so personally. She's not as mean as she comes off. I think it's because she's cranky we had to get up so early this morning,"
"You know I needs my beauty z's," Santana said in a monotone as she put her sunglasses over her eyes and leaned back in her seat.
Brittany nodded enthusiastically as she prepared her iPod as well. The pair were incredibly close, there was no doubt about that. And the two would definitely be a formidable pair once we started school. Or, the three of us could dominate the entire school together. That was a compromise I was willing to make, Brittany was the most accessible of the three us. She was easily likable and fun. From what I had gathered from Santana was that she was tough and intimidating. Also, incredibly beautiful. She could catch anyone's eye and she would in the sinkhole that was Lima, Ohio. And I? The ice queen, with a smile that could send the cruelest frostbite and eyes as piercing as icicles. We would be legends at McKinley.
I laughed under my breath at the two of them,"There are three months of us stuck together, I think we'll all be making fast friends."