It was one year after the Mckinley high students had graduated. Most of them went straight off too college, some left for a gap year of travelling, while others such as Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel left for New York to pursue their dreams. Quinn had been spending the whole summer with Brittany as the girl was in terrible distress. Santana had dissapeared on graduation day and no one had seen the brunette leave. Brittany was distraught, struggling with the decision to go out and look for Santana or let her bestfriend return when she's ready.
"What do you think exactly happened Britt?" Quinn was chewing on gum with her legs crossed. She sat on the the carpet beside Brittany who was struggling to eat her dinner.
They had been talking the entire night, well year, about possible reasons for Santana conciously leaving or just randomly dissapearing that night. Brittany found it difficult to put a sentence together and Quinn was understanding so she just sat in silence, patiently waiting for a reply.
"Well, graduation was odd," Brittany sat up and placed her plate to the side. She began breathing more smoothly than she had previous days when all she would do was cry and hyperventalate. "We were all getting ready inside the choir room and I noticed Santana wasn't there."
Quinn began to look more intrigued. She edged closer grabbing her friends hand. Quinn realized that this was the most Brittany had spoke to her all year since Santana's departure.
"Kurt pass me my gold star necklace please!" Rachel demanded as politely as possible, realizing that their graduation ceremony was only a few minutes away. "Get it yourself I'm still applying my lady gaga eye make-up!" Kurt squealed back.
He was always the type of guy to make a scene and an impression on everyone. That's exactly why the glee club loved him, he was himself and he wasn't afraid of staying true to that.
"Hey, where is Santana?" Brittany hopped over to the guys trying to buckle up her right shoe strap. Finn turned around attempting to do his tie up but failing. Brittany noticed this and decided to stop what she was doing and help her friend.
"I'm not sure, she might just be in the bathroom." Brittany looped the fabric then finally pulled down on the smaller peice, tightening the tie around Finn's large neck. "Thanks heaps Britt!" The boy said, pointing his fingers to her in that cooky gun form.
Brittany found herself frantically speed walking towards the bathroom, not because of the short time until graduation started, but because she was genuinly starting to worry about her friend.
She poked her head in the bathroom. "Santana?" Their was no answer so the blonde fully stepped inside the room. The stalls were empty and a slight smell of hairspray filled the room causing Brittany to squint her eyes.
Brittany soon left the bathroom making her way back to the choir room hoping that her friend had returned there. Suddenly a noise made Brittany stop in her tracks. It came from behind the blonde in a room near the end of the hall. The noise was faint but Brittany wasn't going to ignore it. She hurridly rushed towards the source of the sound, which now sounded like a girl whimpering.
The blonde pushed the door of a classroom open with forced. What Brittany noticed made her jaw drop and eyes water. She was staring at Santana who was curled up on the floor wheeping.
Brittany approached her friend slowly trying not to scare the girl as the brunette's eyes remained closed.
"Santana what happened?" Brittany wrapped her arms around her friend while the brunette's eyes slowly opened. Her cries grew stronger as she allowed herself to be covered by Brittany's embrace. Santana couldn't respond but that didn't annoy Brittany. The blonde simply held onto her tighter, slowly bringing the brunette to her feet.
"C'mon lets get you cleaned up." Brittany began edging her friend over towards the door but Santana seemed hesitant. "I can do it." Santana finally spoke. Her tone was polite but fearful and Brittany noticed.
Brittany never questioned her friend. She never judged Santana when something suspicious happened either between them or with just the brunette. That's why Santana felt like Brittany was the only person she needed in her life. The two were as close as you could get, not romantically but still sharing special moments when neither of them would expect it.
"I'll clean myself up then I'll meet you at the ceremony." Santana wiped her tears away, forcing a smile to show to her friend that she was okay. Brittany's eyebrows furrowed for a second before she spoke. "Alright, call me if you need me." Brittany sighed, leaving Santana and returning to the choir room.
The ceremony had begun and the students of Mckinley were all lined up to recieve their certificates. All except one.
"Santana Lopez." Principle Figgins repeated after their was no answer the first 2 times. The silence caused the glee club students to look at eachother quizzically. Brittany stared foward, never blinking, but continuously swallowing hard.
She tried to convince herself that Santana was still getting ready, afterall it did take Santana a long time to satisfy herself that she looked great enough to show herself off. Brittany on the other hand always complimented the brunette, with or without make-up.
After calling Santana's name 6 times, Principle Figgins handed the girls certificate to Mr. Schue who was standing beside him looking dissapointed.
Brittany held back tears which began to linger under her eyelids. She lifted a finger to her eyes and wiped the tears slowly before anyone could notice their presence. She wanted to get home so she call Santana and figure out where she had dissapeared to.
"So I got home, called Santana and their was no answer. Seeing her in the bathroom was the final time I had layed eyes on her." Brittany's head rested on Quinn's left leg as she spoke. Quinn began stroking her friends hair in a repetative motion, listening intently until it was her turn to speak. "So you haven't heard from her at all?" Quinn finally chimed in.
"I'm lost Q. I have no idea what to do, where to start." Brittany's mind was buzzing and seemed to be racing through a large open field. Sometimes the rapid movements in her mind would stop when she thought of Santana and realizing that she wouldn't be a good friend if she didn't try and look for her.
"Don't think of doing anything stupid Britt. You can call the pol-" Quinn hesitated as she realized what she was about to say.
If she had continued she would've implied that Santana was hurt and it involved having the police looking for her. She didn't want to put that kind of pressure on Brittany, so she sat quietly continuing to run her fingers through her friends locks.
Brittany motioned to get up causing Quinn to hurridly lose grip on her hair. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I've waited long enough for her to come home, it's hopeless now." Quinn looked at her friend puzzled, thinking that it was her duty to stop Brittany.
Quinn didn't say anything, infact she helped Brittany pack. "I hope you know that if you need anything I'll be right here and you can call!" Quinn tried to grab Brittany's attention towards her from all the clothes that were filling the taller girls suitcase.
"I know Q. Thank you for being supportive." Brittany smiled and squeezed her friends hand before placing a final shirt in her bag. It was the I'M WITH STOOPID shirt that Brittany adored and Santana giggled first glancing at it.
"What are you going to tell your parents?" Quinn asked, helping her friend zip the suitcase fully. "It doesn't matter. I've been distant to them all year," Brittany's body shivered at the thought of how much she seperated herself from not only her friends but her own family. Quinn was lucky to even have a conversation with Brittany.
"They won't notice and besides, I've graduated and I'm old enough to make my own choices." Quinn smiled brightly and nodded. Brittany faintly smiled back, grabbing the strap of her suitcase and dragging it downstairs towards her car.
"Be careful okay." Quinn whispered in her friends ear as they hugged beside the car. "I promise I will." Brittany replied, equally tightening her grip on Quinn before letting go.
Brittany hopped into the front seat and reversed out of the drive way. She didn't have a clue on where to start, but she realized Santana always mentioning as a little girl how much she loved Chicago and it's reputation, which was always so misconstrued and continuously changing.
So that's where Brittany headed, off to Chicago and hopefully towards the girl she loved and lost.
