Edward Carlisle Pierce set the last trunk he brought up to Brittany's room. He looked at his only daughter, who was setting up frames of photographs on her bedside table.
"Hi, Dad!" Brittany Susan Pierce looked up smiling at him. He gave back the wide smile his daughter had given him.
"Are you comfortable, Brittany?"
"Yeah, Dad. Thanks a lot, for being here."
"You're welcome, kiddo. When is Quinn arriving?"
"Later, tonight?" Brittany carefully set the photograph down on her bedside table. It was a picture of her and a blonde boy.
"Sam sure do looks happy there," Edward smiled.
"Yeah, I miss him already," Brittany smiled sadly. Even though Sam had been her ex-boyfriend, there was still something that had caused her to care for the boy.
"I wonder if he's alright at this moment," Brittany sadly looked away.
"He'll be fine, Britt. He's a good soldier, and Iraq was never that bad," Edward said.
"Yeah, right Dad. I shouldn't think of the worst for him," Brittany smiled sadly at Edward. "I just hope he's fine," she said with a smile.
"I know," Edward hugged his daughter. "I have to go now," he said, almost regretfully.
"Okay, Dad. Good bye," Brittany can't help it but let a few tears run down her cheek. "I will miss you," she hugged her father.
"Me too. I love you," Edward said, holding on to the blonde girl. After a few moments, he pulled himself away and straightened his tie. He slowly walked towards the door.
"Good bye, Britt."
"Bye, Daddy. Don't overwork yourself."
Brittany was left alone in the room and continued on setting up the photographs. She looked at her photograph with Kurt and Blaine.
They were the best people in the world, although she never had been that close to Kurt, but she had been so close to Blaine that he seemed to be her brother. They were also one of the first people to have known that she gets attracted to girls. And they had been so accepting about the issue. Brittany had hardly felt a change or shift in the school's treatment after she told the whole school and practically everyone else that she was indeed gay.
She set up the other photograph, Mike, Tina, Mercedes and her. They were her friends in Glee Club. On the background was Mr. Schue, her Glee Club adviser. It seemed to be so many years ago, when in fact, it was just a year or so.
Then there was Rachel, and her. Their photograph was taken when they were kindergarteners, along with Quinn. Rachel was smiling toothily, with a missing incisor. Brittany chuckled at the view.
Yes, it was the three of them, all along. They were one of those people who are luckily situated on the top of the social chart, to whom she was also a part.
Well, who would never think that? She was the head cheerleader at Cheerios, a part of the successful Glee Club, she had good class standing, and she was Senior Class President. She dated Sam Evans, the most popular boy in school; she was in the upper middle class family in Lima.
Her father was the one of the best lawyers in Ohio, and her mother was the best cardiac surgeon in Ohio. With her status in life and her looks, clearly, Brittany Pierce was made for the topmost seat on the social chart.
Suddenly, there was a knock and she stood up to get the door. She instantly knew who it is, even before opening it.
It was Quinn. She had a bag in her hand and a duffel bag across her shoulders.
"Hi," Brittany smiled. She looked pitifully at the hazel-eyed woman.
"Hi," Quinn's chest heaved up and down from carrying her things. "Help me carry my stuff?"
"Fine," Brittany clicked her tongue. Quinn had been her longest-standing best friends, and she had been like a sister to Brittany. She quickly took the duffel bag from her shoulders as Quinn went back to her car and took out a trunk.
After they have brought everything up, Quinn took a shower and Brittany tried to dress herself. She had decided to go out to Battery Park that night.
Quinn stood by her door. "Wait for me, okay? I don't want to be left around here, alone."
Brittany smiled. "Okay, Quinn. Let's have fun before the whole semester starts."
Brittany walked across Battery Park that night. The cold air was kissing her face. Quinn, her roommate was trailing beside her. Quinn was busily talking to her about fashion but Brittany just pretended that she was listening.
Sometimes, Quinn could be so annoying.
"So, Quinn…where do you want to eat tonight?" she asked, and looked at the hazel-eyed blonde.
"I don't know. You decide," Quinn quipped.
"I was dying to taste those camel humps Tina had told me about," Brittany cupped her chin.
"Duhh, let's just get some pizza, please? I am allergic to camels," Quinn rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by Brittany's adventurous side.
"Please? Let's try it? I know you're not allergic to camels," Brittany pleaded. They were new to New York, and they wanted to have fun as much as possible within the last week of summer vacation, before college could start.
"Look, we don't even know if you're allergic to camels or what!" Quinn belted out.
"How would we know if we don't try?" Brittany replied in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Well, fine!" Quinn raised her hand in exasperation.
God why can't this girl grow up?
Brittany skipped past Quinn and walked towards the kiosk that sold exotic foods. She quickly bought two bags of camel humps and handed one to Quinn. When she handed the bag, she caught sight of someone sitting on a bench just behind Quinn. It was a girl, to be exact.
She wasn't pretty. Striking was the exact word for her. Black flowing hair, dark and raven-like, she had plump red lips, beautifully curved brows, perfect nose bridge, glamorous tan skin, from toe to head, Brittany could tell that she's a piece, and from her distance, she could see that she had dark-brown obsidian-like eyes.
And those eyes were intently staring at her.
They seem to supress something. It was like those eyes were trying to stop something form showing, or stop from crying. Not to mention the tensed shape of her shoulders and the annoying tight clench of her fists. It must have been so tight, because her knuckles had turned white. And there was that look in her face. It was a look that was something so familiar, yet somehow fearful and strange to the blue-eyed blonde. Brittany looked away, because she felt so uncomfortable being stared at that way.
It was like those brown eyes had been straining so much. Yet they had a mysterious look.
"Hey? Earth to Pierce?" Quinn snapped her fingers in front of Brittany.
"Uhh…sorry, what?" Brittany snapped back to reality.
"What are you staring at?" Quinn looked behind her.
And to Brittany's surprise, the raven-haired girl wasn't there anymore.
How could she be that fast and quick to disappear? Maybe her hunger had just really got into her head.
"Britt? You okay? What are you staring at?" Quinn worriedly asked.
Brittany blinked her eyes, once…twice, the girl wasn't there. She looked up at Quinn. "Umm…nothing, really."
Brittany was arching her neck to look for the raven-haired girl. But she was gone like a wisp of air in a summer day.
"I don't know, but this really feels weird, so maybe we should just go home, okay?" Quinn wailed.
"Yeah, maybe we should. I really feel funny," Brittany nodded and looked out to the dark tentatively, as if wishing that the girl would emerge from the clump of bushes.
"Hey Britts!" Quinn impatiently called out. "Come on!"
Quinn stared at her best friend. She wondered what could have been off about Brittany that night.
"You okay?" Quinn asked the blue-eyed blonde once again.
"Yeah," Brittany stared at the bench where the brunette once sat and gave it a final look.
"Let's go, Quinn."
They both made their way back to their apartment. Quinn was looking at Brittany quietly.
What could have happened to this girl and she was acting like this?
"Britt, are you sure you're okay?" Quinn put a hand on Brittany's right arm.
Brittany looked up to Quinn. "Yeah."
She's very far from being okay.
Brittany laid on her bed that night, thinking about the girl she had seen on the park. She recalled how tensed she became that even the air around seemed to be tensed, too. The brunette seemed to have that effect, as if they have known each other long ago.
She twisted and turned on her bed, but sleep never really came. She looked out to the city, not knowing what she would do. She could hear Quinn's snore from the next room, making her feel more alone.
The brunette seemed to have a place in her heart. It was as if the brunette had just opened a secret door that Brittany hadn't known to have existed and resided there.