Are You Listening?
"Summer days, drifting away," Rachel sang loudly, drowning out Mercedes' shout of 'Let's party!' Everyone cheered in agreement and smashed an assortment of cups and glasses into each other. Santana smiled as Sam nuzzled her neck with his lips. She wasn't particularly turned on, but it was nice to know how much he worshipped her. Just like she'd once told Brittany, she needed something warm beneath her or she couldn't digest her food.
"Santana, do you want to meet Kurt's dolphin?" Brittany asked, bringing light to Santana's world with her sweet smile.
"Who is his dolphin, honey?" Santana asked, linking pinkies with the blonde and giving her a private smile.
"I am," said a curly-haired stranger, striding into the garden. Santana almost fell backwards into the pool in shock. She'd assumed 'dolphin' was Brittany's term for a flower or something, not a boyfriend.
"Blaine, I can't believe you came!" Kurt exclaimed joyfully, running over to the new arrival.
"Well, you invited me and I couldn't miss out on the chance to meet your friends," Blaine said, gazing around at them all, not even sparing Santana a covert second glance.
"Hi, Blaine, I'm Brittany," Brittany said, enthusiastically pumping the immaculately turned-out boy's hand. "That over there is my dolphin Artie, and there's Quinn and Puck with Mercedes, Mike and Tina, and sitting by the house is Finn, Rachel and Lauren and just next to the pool is Sam and my best friend Santana." Blaine nodded at each of them, smiling at Brittany's excited introductions. A warm glow of happiness filled Santana when Brittany referred to her as her best friend.
"I'm pleased to meet all of you," Blaine said. "Does anyone have any sunscreen?"
"I do," Kurt said, unable to keep the smile off his face as he pulled a bottle from his bag. "Always be prepared, right?" Blaine nodded and took off his shirt so he could apply the stuff to his skin. All the girls in the party gaped at the finely chiselled chest.
"OK, I was fully not expecting that," Santana said, laughing at Lauren and Rachel who both seemed unable to close their mouths. "How come Kurt gets all the hottest guys?"
"Animal magnetism," Blaine said with a wink. Everyone made gagging noises at the probably similar mental images that had just popped unwanted into their heads.
"Lovebirds like you two need a cold shower to cool off," Mercedes said. "Puck, please throw them into the pool for us." Puck, taking the opportunity to show off his strength, threw both the boys into the pool. Laughter echoed around the garden as Blaine surfaced, coughing and spluttering.
"You messed up my hair!" Kurt yelled as his head broke the surface. "I'm gonna kill you!" Watching Puck run a fast as he could from Kurt, everyone started laughing once more.
"Hell hath no fury like Kurt when someone messes up his hair," Mercedes said, grinning as they all heard a scream that had undoubtedly come from Puck.
"Didn't we say 'Hell hath no fury like Santana denied a sex buddy'?" Quinn asked with a grin. "I should probably go and help him." Everyone laughed once more except for Brittany, who noticed that Santana seemed upset by the comment.
"Did she upset you?" she asked. "Please don't cry." Santana tried to smile reassuringly at the blonde, but sadly failed.
"I just hate that everyone still considers me a bitchy sex object and nothing more than that," Santana said, pouring out everything, exposing her heart and soul to Brittany, the only person in the world she really trusted. "I'm trying to change, Britt, really, I am."
"I know you are," Brittany said, putting an arm around the Latina girl. "I believe that you can change. You're a good person, Santana." Santana smiled and leant her head gratefully against her friend to hide her tears. Santana Lopez didn't cry.
"Thanks, Britt, you always cheer me up," Santana said. Brittany smiled, that sweet, innocent smile that made the whole room light up on her face once again.
"Will you race me across the pool?" Brittany said. "Artie said he'd buy whoever won an ice-cream!" Santana smiled at the blonde, winked at Brittany's 'dolphin' and dived into the water. When it comes to ice-cream, neither Santana nor Brittany can resist. After a five minute playful argument over who won, Santana and Brittany, linking pinkies, decided it had been a draw and forced Artie to fork out for two ice-creams.
"Do you guys want to stay over tonight?" Quinn asked, returning with Puck and a suspicious lack of lipstick, a disgruntled Kurt following them.
"I kicked that bitch's ass and then I had to watch him and Quinn making out," he grumbled, flopping onto the grass beside Blaine, who appeared to be asleep where he lay. Mercedes laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Hold up, how come she doesn't get chased around the garden and beaten up for messing up your hair?" Puck asked. "That's not fair." The sight of the Puckster pouting was too much for anyone. Brittany was the first to let out a gale of giggles, after which everyone else stopped holding back their laughter and joined in her merry mirth.
"We just have that kind of friendship," Kurt said, shrugging and lying down on the grass. "I might as well attempt to get a tan."
"I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we'd love to stay over tonight," Rachel said. "But won't your mum mind?"
"She's out of town, visiting my sister's family," Quinn said. "We'll be alone."
"A chance for me to get you alone," Puck said, sliding an arm around his girlfriend and pulling her closer. Santana wiggled her eyebrows and everyone laughed, Brittany's laugh the loudest and happiest of them all.
As an indigo inky sky replaced the clear blue one, the fourteen people gathered their belongings and retreated inside. All the couples were curled up together, whispering endearments and exchanging kisses, yet somehow Santana couldn't get excited, even when Sam's hands moved to start unbuttoning her shirt. She was busy staring at a specific spot on the wall, a technique her mother had taught her to use during amorous embraces to tell a guy you're really not interested. It was the only useful thing Marissa Lopez had ever taught her daughter. However, the technique didn't seem to be working with Sam and her indifference only made him try harder to heat her up.
"There are a few rules for tonight," Quinn said. "Firstly, don't leave too much mess. Secondly, no drinking. Thirdly and finally, if you must disappear into a bedroom, don't make too much noise."
"So we can disappear into the bedroom?" Mike asked, just for clarification. At Quinn's nod, he punched the air with his fist and yelled, "Sweet!"
"And what makes you think you'll be getting any bedroom action, love?" Tina asked, looking up from her riveting game of Angry Birds. Mike looked sheepish.
"What if I promise to buy you dinner at Breadsticks next week?" he asked.
"Will you include those fudge frappucinos with extra foam?" Tina asked, switching off her phone and stowing it in the side pocket of her bag.
"It's a deal," Mike said. He took Tina's hand. "Let's get started."
"Use protection, kids!" Puck yelled after them. Mike's head reappeared through a crack in the bedroom door he'd just closed.
"Like you did, Puckerman?" he shouted. The door slammed shut and they all heard the key turn in the lock.
"Have fun!" Mercedes shouted, sending everyone into fits of the giggles again. "What do you wanna do now?"
"Well, Quinn and I have some urgent business to attend to," Puck said, already hustling his girlfriend out of the room, "in the master bedroom."
"Don't get her pregnant again!" Kurt shouted. "I'm tired. Goodnight everyone." He left the room. No one was even slightly surprised when Blaine followed him less than a minute later.
"You're going to have to start being more subtle than that, Hummel!" Santana shouted. Brittany laughed and hugged her friend before sitting on Artie's lap and allowing him to wheel her away. Rachel and Finn were gone without so much as a wave. Left alone in the room with Santana and two single girls, Sam started kissing his way up her neck.
"What do you say to a night in the spare bedroom?" he asked. Santana pulled away, revolted, wondering why she'd ever let that big froggy mouth touch her.
"Actually, I'm really tired, so Mercedes, Lauren and I are going to find a room and crash," Santana said quickly, climbing to her feet and hurrying from the room. She ran down the corridors, her heels clacking on the wooden floors and opened the first unlocked door she found. Mercifully, there was a spare bed with clean covers in there. She kicked off her heels, ripped off her jacket and flung herself onto the bed, panting hard. What was wrong with her? Since when was Santana Lopez known to reject a hook-up?
"God, I don't usually pray," she whispered, feeling horribly fake as she placed her hands flat against each other, bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I've sinned far too many times, but I'm not asking your forgiveness. I want you to show me what I must do to make myself happy. I'm so lonely and I don't know what to do. God, are you listening?" Santana Lopez, once a bitch and proud of it, broke down in tears where she knelt.
The next day Santana noticed Mercedes looking at her sympathetically and knew that the creak outside her room the previous night had been her foot, and she hadn't entered the room to give Santana privacy. Santana nodded at the black girl and hoped it translated as thanks for not exposing her tears.
"I had such a good time," Brittany said as she served boiled eggs with slices of toast cut into the shapes of soldiers. "I'm so glad you let us stay, Quinn." Santana smiled over the dish she hadn't eaten for a good ten years and carefully dipped a piece of bread into the yellow yolk. She watched Brittany serve Artie, slide onto his lap and kiss his forehead and a spear pierced her heart.
Of course. I'm in love with Brittany she thought. That was the truth of the matter. Santana Lopez, cheerleader, self-proclaimed bitch, hottest piece of ass at McKinley High School, was madly in love with another woman. Another woman who was madly in love with her boyfriend. Why couldn't her one true love be someone more simple to get?
I know a lot of people don't like Brittana, but I am one of the people that does. I like Klaine too. Thanks so much for reading!