"I had a great time tonight," Brittany said, turning to Santana as they made it up the last step to her front porch. Santana smiled in response, looking up into blue eyes and trying to savour the last few moments of their date.
"Me too," She replied softly. Her eyelids started to flutter shut as she leaned in, closing the gap between their lips, when something caught her eye. She stopped her movement and unintentionally gasped at what she saw.
"S-Santana?" Brittany said as she watched the change of the other girl's features. "Are you ok?"
Santana dragged her eyes back to Brittany's face, shaking her head slightly to try and refocus. But she couldn't. She couldn't get that image out of her head.
"Yeah, sorry Britt. I um- I have to go. See you at school tomorrow?" She said with a half smile, trying to be as gentle as possible. Brittany frowned, but nodded, and Santana took this as her ticket to go. She gave her girlfriend a quick hug before rushing down the porch steps and walking quickly down the street, determined to find what had caught her eye before.
When she reached her destination the butterflies in her stomach went wild. There, before her, was the most beautiful shrub she had ever seen. Its branches were wild and unruly, but still managed to look stylish at the same time. Looking around Santana noticed that it belonged to an empty lot, and felt a small twinge in her heart that it didn't have anyone caring for it. She took a quick glance behind her to find that Brittany had already gone into her house, leaving her and the shrub alone. Santana walked a few steps around to the other side of the shrub, away from the prying eyes of neighbours.
She didn't know why she was so nervous, she had never been this nervous in front of a shrub before. Hastily, she dried her sweaty palms on her jeans before speaking.
"H-Hey," She gulped. The shrub waited patiently for her to continue. She gulped again. "So I haven't seen you around here before, I figured you must be new or something." She laughed nervously for a second. The shrub didn't reply, clearly unimpressed by her attempt at conversation. She rubbed her palms on her thighs again. "Well, my name is Santana. I figured I would introduce myself since you probably haven't spoken to many people since you got here. I was just wondering if you-"
"Excuse me miss? Are you ok?" A voice interrupted her. Santana looked up startled to find a woman watching her with a bewildered look on her face. Santana glanced guiltily from the woman to the shrub, desperately trying to think of a way to get herself out of this situation. As far as Santana knew, relationships with shrubs were frowned on in Lima. She didn't want to take the chance of being victim to a shrub-related hate crime.
Santana smiled at the woman, who was watching her suspiciously, before whipping out her cellphone and shrugging. "I was just talking on the phone,"
The woman watched her for a second longer before turning and continuing on her path down the sidewalk. Santana waited until the woman was out of sight before turning back to the shrub. Thank goodness that wasn't Brittany, she thought, letting out the breath she had been holding. Then she felt her stomach twist. Brittany. Was she thinking about cheating on her girlfriend? No, she had to end this now.
Santana backed up a few steps from the shrub. "I can't do this. I'm so sorry." She said quietly before turning and running from the empty plot.
That night she tossed and turned in her bed, not able to get to sleep for most of the night. When she finally did, she had the most vivid dream about the shrub. It was almost as if during the night she actually did go and find it, seeking solace in its comforting leaves.
The next morning she woke with a stiff back and something sharp poking into her arm. Not used to the feeling, her eyes shot open to find that she wasn't in her bed, but on the ground outside, the sunshine hitting her face. And, looking down at her, was the shrub.
Santana scrambled to her feet. "No, no no..." She mumbled, looking around frantically in case anyone had witnessed what she had done. She looked down at the shrub. "I'm sorry," She said, a tear making its track down her dirt-coated face, "I'm sorry but this didn't mean anything. It can't mean anything. I'm already in a relationship. Please promise to keep this to yourself!" The tears were streaming down her face now.
The shrub looked at her sadly, its heavy emotions clearly preventing it from replying. Santana knew a look of rejection when she saw one, and the shrub's expression only made her feel worse. They shared a remorseful look for a moment before Santana broke the silence. "I have to go." She said.
Santana quickly made her way the short distance to Brittany's house before knocking on the front door frantically. Brittany opened the door only a moment later, eyes widening at Santana's appearance.
"San, why do you have leaves in your-"
"Britt I have to tell you something," Santana interrupted. "I'm so so sorry. I- There is this shrub down the street and- and nothing was supposed to happen. But last night somehow I went back, and I promise you it didn't mean anything-"
"Santana!" Brittany reached out a hand to brush some of the leaves and sticks out of the other girl's matted hair. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"I SLEPT WITH THE SHRUB OK?" Santana shouted, sobbing uncontrollably. Brittany watched, bewildered as Santana buried her face in her hands. "I've ruined everything. I know it. Just break up with me now and get it over with."
"Santana I would never break up with-"
"You know what? Don't even say it. I understand." Santana interrupted again before she let out another sob and stumbled down Brittany's porch steps. The blond watched, her mouth hanging open, as Santana slowly walked back down the street towards her house, tripping occasionally. She stopped once to gently caress the top branches of a small bush in an empty lot on the side of the street, and that was all.
Brittany didn't see Santana at school that day. On her way home she noticed that there was a small hole where the shrub that Santana had touched that morning used to be, and in the hold was a rose. She shrugged and ignored it, figuring someone must have dropped a flower there on accident. Santana never mentioned the shrub again.