It was the first day of kindergarten. All the desks were arranged in little clusters - exclusive islands of four tables labeled with the names of their intended occupants. The dark haired girl shuffled into the room and looked around. Her fingers clung to her backpack straps as she scanned the name tags written in her teacher's neat and careful hand. It was only her first day and already there was a test she might not pass.

Santana had never seen her name written before then, not even on birthday cards. Her parents never bothered to inscribe any sentiments beyond what was already printed by Hallmark, so she recognized the word Daughter well enough but that was all. Her abuelita always addressed her cards with Nieta, so that was no help either.

How was she supposed to find where to sit?

Her gut started churning and her brow knotted. She couldn't possibly ask for help and have her teacher realize that she couldn't identify her own name. What if it made her look stupid before she'd even started learning anything?

Then, a miracle: Lopez.

She knew those five letters from the side of their mailbox at home. That meant this spot must be hers. Santana heaved a quiet sigh of relief and settled into her chair. With a forced smile, she tried to look as bright and eager as all the other kids wandering around the room.

Something bounced off her shoulder. The brunette twisted in her seat to find the source. Evidently, a little boy with black hair had been tossing an eraser back and forth with his buddy, missed, and hit her instead. His companion, who was tall for his age and had a half smirk on his face, came over to fetch the lost item. He picked it off the floor and, rather than apologizing for the accident, giggled at her scowl and resumed playing.

Santana turned back to her desk and folded her arms. School was not going to be as much fun as she'd hoped.

By the time they were let outside for recess, she was convinced that the whole day had been a wash. The other kids at her table weren't very friendly and all the group activities they'd had to do left her feeling awkward and self-conscious. Without much enthusiasm, she scoured the playground for someplace out of the way that she might find something to do. The slide looked promising, so she tried that first.

However, just as she was poised to push forward, the two boys appeared on either side of her. They shoved each other good-naturedly and fidgeted while they waited for the brunette to take her turn. Santana suppressed a snarl and slid toward the gravel below. A moment later, she dropped off the end and her knees skidded across the rocks. The girl frowned and tried to brush off the gray dust, only to be bowled over as something heavy struck the side of her head.

Santana sprawled and landed on her back. She saw the taller of the two boys hop off the slide and onto his feet, which were presumably what had collided with her skull. It would appear that taking his turn was of more importance than making sure the way was clear beforehand. Indignantly, she shot him a look and curled her lip.

"Sorry," the boy hollered over his shoulder as he circled the jungle gym and prepared to go again.

With a groan, Santana crawled to one side before his companion could follow suit and knock her down once more. However, she did not bother getting up from the ground. When she was out of harm's way, she flopped back and draped one arm over her throbbing head. Maybe, if she was really lucky, she'd wake to find this was a bad dream and her real school day had yet to begin.

A shadow blocked the sunlight falling on her skin and gravel crunched near her ear. The dark haired girl's face scrunched as she realized that she was no longer alone.

What now?

"Why are you on the ground?"

The brunette's eyebrows rose. This was not the voice of one of her tormenters; it belonged to a girl. She slowly peered out from behind her eyelids to find out who this new arrival might be.

The first thing Santana saw was blue. Two wide eyes were looking down at her, more azure than the August sky overhead. The golden glare from above glinted off shining hair that was tied back into a ponytail. A warm, sweet smile flashed briefly in her direction.

"They're gonna let us have naptime later, you know," the little girl informed her. "You don't have to take one here."

Regardless of this clarification, the blonde knelt and stretched out on her back as well.

"Plus, this isn't very comfy," she continued now that she had tried the spot herself.

Her head turned to one side and she grinned.

"I'm Brittany."

Santana felt a fluttering in her stomach. She'd never had to introduce herself before, either. It was always "…And this is our daughter." or "That's my little sister." or "I'd like you to meet my granddaughter." Never once was she actually called upon to speak for herself.

She gulped nervously and thought back to the name on her desk, one that she so seldom heard spoken. Envisioning it in her mind as she replied, she tried to mirror the other girl's welcoming expression.

"Hi," she said softly. "My name's Santana."

Brittany nodded and stood. She dusted off the back of her shorts and then offered the dark haired girl her hand.

"Do you want to swing with me, Santana?"

"Sure," she agreed as her new acquaintance pulled her upright.

They raced across the playground and found two vacant swings. Brittany popped into hers with ease but it took Santana a few tries before her shorter legs could help her reach her destination. The brunette watched the taller girl kick her feet and curl her torso as she gained momentum. She tried to copy the movement and in no time they were rushing through the air and looking over the heads of all their fellow classmates.

For the first time that day, Santana laughed. She looked over at Brittany and found herself grinning so much it made her cheeks sore. From their new vantage point, she could see the boys from earlier approaching, but even that didn't dampen her spirits.

"Hey!" called the taller of the two while they were still aloft. "You guys have been on there a while. Can we go now?"

"Only if you can catch us!" Brittany cried merrily as their swings arced back the way they came.

For a moment, the boy looked as if he was considering trying to grab their feet as they swung by again. However, his pal nudged him in the ribs.

"Come on, Finn," the black haired boy urged. "Let's go back to the slide."

He turned and walked in the direction he had indicated. Finn stood watching the girls squealing and shrieking as they whizzed past his face. His mouth twisted for a moment while he thought, but then he followed his companion's lead and jogged away.

"Hey, Puck, wait up!"

When his back was turned, Santana stuck her tongue out at the retreating boy. This only made Brittany laugh that much harder. Triumphant in their victory, the two leaned their heads back and let the breeze run through their hair.

"This is fun!" the brunette enthused, somewhat amazed as she reached that conclusion.

Soon the children were called inside. The girls hopped down and jogged to join the others in line as they filed into the building. Once everyone was back in the classroom, they were instructed to get their sleeping bags for naptime. Santana dragged hers to the far corner and spread the material out on the floor. She heard a faint noise and turned to find Brittany trailing her bag behind her as she approached.

"Can I sleep over here with you?"

The dark haired girl, too surprised to speak, nodded an affirmative.

It took a while for all the kids to get settled down, but soon a hush fell over the now darkened room as they drifted off one by one. The teacher wove quietly through the open spaces, checking to make sure that her students were falling asleep. Brittany, concerned about being overheard, waited until the woman had walked by and pantomimed a silent message to the brunette across from her.

Sweet dreams, Santana.

The other girl translated the meaning and returned the sentiment.

Sleep tight, Brittany.

The blonde's eyes fluttered closed and her features smoothed in repose. Santana watched her affectionately until she felt her own lids beginning to droop. A small smile turned up the corners of her lips as she faded from consciousness. Perhaps the day hadn't been a complete waste of effort after all.

She had made a friend.