A/N: Prequel to What If and Get It Right. Takes place the summer before the show (and What If) begins.
Rachel Berry sighed as she sat in class on the last day of school. Normally she'd be all for staying until the last possible second, but she wanted to leave. The Cheerios had chosen to make her last day of school a terrible one and she wanted to get to her three months of peace soon. She looked around the room and saw Santana Lopez watching her. Suddenly uncomfortable, Rachel shifted in her seat and kept her eyes forward.
Santana Lopez studied Rachel Berry from the other side of the room. She'd seen slushies tossed her way at least three times that day. Santana thought that three was a little too much, especially on the last day of school. She didn't understand why people picked on Rachel. She was pretty nice and actually really pretty when you got past the awful clothes she wore. Santana had had a crush on her since she was walking by the auditorium on the first day of the second semester and heard her singing some song that Santana had never heard of. She'd snuck into the back of the large hall and found herself mesmerised. Since then, the Cheerio had had a soft spot for the Jewish diva. Santana really wanted to ask the girl out, but she'd been having a continuous argument in her head with herself for about a month now.
Come on Lopez. Ask her out.
What if she says no? Then you'll look like an idiot.
How can she say no to you? You're Santana fucking Lopez.
What if she's not gay?
Again, you're Santana Lopez.
Maybe I'll just wait until school next year.
What if she meets someone over the summer?
That was the deciding factor. Santana couldn't handle the thought of Rachel being with anyone else. Santana wanted her and she wanted her bad. The minute that the bell rang, Rachel was out of the room. Santana had to almost run to be able to keep up. She stopped suddenly when she saw Rachel at her locker, admiring the girl, before walking up to her "Berry?" Santana said. Rachel was cleaning out her locker.
"Come to throw one last slushie before the summer, Santana?" Rachel bitterly asked.
"No… I came to see if maybe you want to… I don't know… go out tonight… with me." Santana said. She looked down.
"Go out? Like hanging out or like a date?" Rachel asked. Santana looked up.
"You choose. I'll pick you up at 7?" she asked. Rachel nodded.
"Just let me know what you choose when I pick you up." Santana said. She smiled at Rachel as she walked away. Confused, Rachel resumed her task of cleaning out her locker. At 7, Santana was ringing the doorbell at Rachel's house. Rachel opened the door and smiled at the taller girl.
"Truth be told, I wasn't exactly expecting you to show up." Rachel said.
"Well, I did. Are you ready to go?" Santana asked. She wasn't at all offended. She knew that if in Rachel's position, she would have felt the same. The two walked out to Santana's car. As Santana drove the pair to Breadsticks, Rachel spoke.
"I'm assuming you're wanting to know which one of your choices I picked?" she asked. Santana nodded.
"If you want, I would kind of like this to be a date." Santana smiled widely.
"I was hoping you would choose that." she said. After the date, Santana drove Rachel back to her house. They stood on the porch.
"I actually had a good time, Santana." Rachel said.
"Me too, Rachel. Do you want to do this again?" Santana replied. Rachel nodded. Santana looked at her for a moment before softly kissing her. "Rachel, I have wanted to ask you something all semester." Santana whispered.
"What's that?" Rachel asked.
"Will you please be my girlfriend?" Santana asked. Rachel looked at her.
"Are you serious?" Santana nodded.
"I really like you, Rachel." Rachel looked at her for a long moment.
"Yea. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend. But promise me we can take this slow."
"I will do anything for you Rachel." Santana promised. Rachel smiled and kissed the Latina.
"I will do anything for you, Sanny." Rachel said. Santana raised an eyebrow.
"Sanny?"
"I like that name." Rachel said. Santana smirked.
"Fine. But I get to give you one... Tiny." Rachel's eyes narrowed playfully as Santana checked her watch. "Aw shit. I have to get home. Curfew. I'll text you later?" Rachel nodded. "Awesome. Oh, and Rachel?" The diva smiled. "Thanks for saying yes." Santana whispered, kissing her one final time before leaving. Rachel sighed happily and went inside.
"Dad, Daddy! I'm home!"
"How was the date?" Leroy Berry said. Rachel smiled.
"Amazing." she said, walking upstairs.
Santana drove back to her house after her date wtih Rachel. After an entire semester of secretly crushing on the girl, she had finally gotten up the courage to ask her out. She didn't know what made her choose that exact moment. She was walking toward the parking lot to get in her brand-new car that her dad had bought her for her sixteenth birhtday (she had started school a year late. Her parents didn't want her to be the youngest in her grade) and she saw Rachel by her locker. The thought of the girl going off to some camp or vacation over the summer and meeting someone made the Latina sick to her stomach. She didn't want to lose Rachel before she'd even gotten a chance with her. Next thing she knew, she was walking over to Rachel Berry and asking her out. Only, she didn't have the balls to ask her out completely. She said 'you choose' when Rachel asked her if it was a date. Not that that mattered anymore. Not only had Rachel chosen a date, but Santana had finally gotten the courage to ask Rachel to be her girlfriend and the girl had said yes. In Santana's mind, this was the best day of her life, and she'd had some pretty good days. She pulled into her driveway and went up to her room to get ready for bed, as if she could sleep. Smiling, she pulled out her phone as she got into her bed and under the comforter. She wanted to send her new girlfriend a text. She typed out the message and went through her contact list to find Rachel's number. She frowned as she saw what Rachel was listed under. 'Man-Hands' Santana had put that in there that way in case Quinn went searching through her phone. She quickly changed it before sending the message.
Rachel smiled as she layed in her bed after her first date with Santana. She couldn't believe that Santana Lopez wanted to be in a relationship with her. She thought about how cute Santana had been when asking her out on the date, allowing Rachel to choose if it was an actual date, asking her to be her girlfriend, and then agreeing to Rachel's nicname of choice. Of course, Rachel had had to allow Santana to use her nickname of choice. Santana had been nervous, probably because she thought Rachel would reject after all the torment and the slushies. She reached over to grab her phone, which had just signaled that she had a text message. She smiled when she saw the sender.
New Message
Satan Lopez
Rachel's smile quickly became a frown. Immediately, she went to her contact list and scrolled down to Santana's name. She clicked the 'Edit' button and changed the name. Her phone buzzed again.
2 New Messages
Sanny
Rachel clicked on her inbox and went to the first message
Hey beautiful, just wanted to say good night! :) -San
Rachel smiled and went to the next message.
By the way, I love your nickname TINY ;) -San
Rachel laughed as she responded.
You're sweet. :) Good night as well. By the way, your nickname is just as loveable SANNY ;) -Rach
You're adorable. I had a really good time tonight. -San
So did I. I'm really happy you asked me out. -Rach
Me too. I've been wanting to do it all semester. -San
I wish you had done it sooner. :) -Rach
:) So do I. -San
So... isn't the point of a 'Goodnight' text to say goodnight before you go to bed? :) -Rach
lol... when the conversation is with YOU, never. -San
Are you implying that I talk to much? -Rach
What? No, that's not what I meant. I meant, I don't want to stop talking to you. -San
That's sweet. :) Unfortunately, I have to get up early tomorrow. -Rach
Really? Why? -San
I have ballet class. -Rach
Hmmm... you in a leotard... Can I come? ;p -San
Wow... lol... and no. It's a closed class. BUT would you want to grab lunch tomorrow? -Rach
:) Sounds great. I'll pick you up outside the dance studio at noon? -San
Noon is perfect... wait... how'd you know where I take ballet? -Rach
We live in LIMA, OHIO, Rachel. There's only one dance studio in this town. -San
Oh right... lol. -Rach
You totally thought I was stalking you! God, Rach. What kind of person do you think I am? :) - San
A very forgiving person? :) -Rach
You're in luck, little lady. I happen to be EXTREMELY forgiving. :) -San
:) Thank God. Anyway, I really do have to get to sleep. Otherwise you'll be picking me up from the hospital after I break my leg. -Rach
You are aware that that saying isn't to be taken literally, right? -San
lol... yes I'm aware. -Rach
Good, just checking. Good night, Tiny. -San
:) Good night Sanny. -Rach
Rachel shut her phone off, suddenly very anxious for the next day. Santana smiled at the screen before rolling over and staring at the new addition to her bedside table. She'd hooked her phone up to her computer as soon as she got home and printed off the pictures that she and Rachel had taken during their date. She'd taken the one that she and Rachel had chosen as their favorite and put it in a frame she had lying around before putting on the table. There were a few more frames in her room, so she put about four more in frames before putting the rest on her bulletin board. Santana couldn't wait for lunch the next day.