And so it starts.
Flashback/Santana's POV
Life was dull, but we got by. It's not unusual for a small town like Lima. Nothing exciting ever happened, apart from that one time when Matt fell face first into a pile of horse shit on a grade 3 school trip. But whatever, that's about as fun as it got. Or it was, until she came.
I was seven, and already a total machine. I could manipulate everyone and everything to my advantage, my dad, mum, teachers, classmates. It was easy, came naturally. I guess I got it from my mother in a way. She was a hot shot lawyer, always out of town on business. She was always relatively easy to get around, but I hardly had to try, she was never there to say no to me anyway.
Same goes for my dad, but I suppose he did try harder, his small factory had started to grow, work just started to pile up I guess. Not like it really affected me, I don't think that it did anyway.
I was a good kid, at heart. I just seemed to get attracted to all the wrong things. Brittany was definitely one of those things.
Even in elementary school she had everybody fooled. Sweet, sincere Brittany. Most of the time It seemed as though I was the only one who saw through all of her shit.
She moved from New York in the fourth grade, got put into my class. Had everyone interested. Like I said, small town, a girl from New York was huge news.
On her first day she was bombarded. Curious fourth graders practically lined up to ask her questions about her home.
New York was magical, a place everyone knew about, but hardly anyone would actually see.
Brittany as always just sat there, pleasantly smiling, answering there questions to the best of her ability. She even managed to put with Rachel, who was just as much of a loudmouth as she is nowadays. It was then people started to think something was off.
You don't expect a fourth grader to be Einstein, obviously. But you do expect them to have a certain amount of knowledge. Brittany seemed to lack this knowledge. Socially she was amazing, making friends left, right and centre. Most popular girl in fourth grade by the end of the day. But academically.. not so much. First lesson was taken up by an assembly of sorts. Welcoming all the new pupils etcetera.
I hated those things. Obviously we realise who the new kids are, they're the ones that weren't in this hole last year. There really was no point.
By second period we were back in class, being given the new books that we would need for the rest of the year. I drew my name in big blue letters, across the centre of the page. I ended up smudging some of the ink though, stupid left handedness.
Brittany seemed to be having more of a difficult time writing her name, but I wasn't really paying attention to her pen. Brittany had this habit, and still does, of sticking her tongue out when concentrating. Even then I found it endearing, and I couldn't help but smile a little before walking slowly over to her.
"Hi" I said, sticking out my hand. "I'm Santana."
The young blonde looked up my outstretched hand before nodded slightly. "Brittany." She replied, reaching across and shaking my hand.
"I know." I said smirking, "Everybody knows who you are Britt."
I could see her blush a little, before saying "I don't understand what the big deal is, It's not like I'm famous." She then let go of my hand, and I instantly missed the contact. Shaking my head a little I smiled "True, but you're from New York, and that's the next best thing." She grinned a little in reply before turning back to her book. Fiddling with the corners.
I turned around, and went back to my place on another table just as the teacher came back in. God knows when she left, but nothing was blown up or on fire so it mustn't have been too long. We started on maths first, basic stuff. Catching up with what we might have forgotten over the summer. Our times tables and the like, whatever. I look over at Brittany to find her looking back at me. I smile a little and nod my head, she does the same before turning her attention back to the teacher.
It looked like she understood what was going on to me, I saw her mouthing the answers before anyone else. The kid was smart. Yet for some reason, when the teacher called upon her to answer something, she shook her head in confusion. I knew she knew the answer, because she had already answered it less than a minute a go. I saw her. But still, she just sighed and shook her head again. The teacher smiled, told her she would get it eventually, and turned back to the board.
I didn't realise I was staring until my eyes unfocused onto hers. Faint dark blue speckles on a turquoise background, I've always thought they were beautiful. I duck my head in embarrassment, not meaning to be looking at her so intently, but she just laughed and winked before turning back to the teacher again. She started answering the questions as before, quick, sharp, and before anyone else. But no one but me seemed to notice. I couldn't quite understand this girl, if she was this smart, why wasn't she showing it?
She seemed to notice be looking again, which I had made quite a habit of, and stopped herself mid-answer to look straight at me. Knowing I had seen, she slowly, and deliberately put a finger to her lips before smiling sweetly. I understood, I wasn't to say anything about her answering the questions. But still, I was curious. So after class ended, and lunch started I went up to her.
"What's going on?" I ask quietly, trying to be stealth, god i was such a geeky kid.
"Nothing" She whispered back, "It's just easier to get through school if people think you're dumb." I stared at her incredulously. Was this girl for real? But really, it was none of my business, so I just nodded "It's cool, your secrets safe with me Britt." I told her.
Obviously pleased at my answer she giggled before giving me a megawatt smile. I liked that smile, it sent a shiver down my spine. It still does.
I decided that in that moment of time I really didn't give a shit about why she wanted to appear dim, all I wanted to do was make her smile that smile again, for me.
I replied with a lazy grin, before reaching down and trying to grab her hand. Being the clumsy child I was I got nervous mid-reach. What if she rejected me? What it she didn't want to hold my hand? Without thinking I let my hand drop to hers anyway, and ending up with only our pinkies locked. She let out that giggle again and tugged me towards the playground. "C'mon Sanny, I wanna go in the sandbox." I simply nodded in agreement before walking out the classroom with her. Maybe I didn't realise it then, but I sure as hell do now. I don't care that I had only known her a day, I fell in complete and utter love.
She has had my heart since that day, yet instead of looking after it like she used to, she's now slowly beginning to rip it apart.
