Author's Notes:

This is a story about Santana meeting and ultimately falling in love with Brittany. It will follow cannon for the most part.

There is a new character introduced in this story and it is through this chapter that Santana will grow and come to understand her love for Brittany.

This is a M rated story for future chapters, but since the story starts when they are 11, there will be a fair number of chapters before anything M happens.

Of course I do not own anything Glee related. This is merely a story!

This story is written from Santana's POV, if you would prefer it from Brittany's POV then read the accompanying story "Your Love for Him Led You to Me."


Chapter 1 – Best Friends Since We Met June 2005


Trying out for cheerleading has never really about being a cheerleader; it was about doing something that would challenge me, that would make me work harder, that would strengthen me, and in the end that would make me popular. I know that I should not be so worried about popularity but I am. I feel this need to create a strong reputation so that when my little brother attends the schools I have attended, perhaps he will be protected from the ridicule because of my reputation; my reputation alone will keep him safe, at least I hope it will.

I have always been an athletic person, so I wasn't really worried about the extraneous requirements of being a cheerleader. I am not worried about the extra pressure or stress of being a cheerleader; actually it will provide me with an escape from the stress of my home life. My parents encouraged me to try out for the cheer squad, they knew I needed something that would get me away from the house, something that I could do that would help be escape the reality of being at home.

I was disappointed to see that a lot of the girls and guys from my elementary school decided not to try out for the cheer squad. I was hoping that there would be an even amount of cheerleaders from each of the elementary schools that feed into the middle school, but only four of us tried out. My performance was flawless, I'm pretty sure I left the middle school coach and captains speechless; however, the high school coach had plenty to say to me. She went on and on about how she liked the attitude that I presented when I cheered, that I had potential, but that if I wanted to make the high school team I would have to work a lot harder and stop looking like an amateur. I am not even sure why this high school coach was watching try outs for the sixth grade cheer squad, but here she was, critiquing eleven year olds on not being an amateur. I'll show her one day, I will become the best cheerleader she has ever seen, and one day I will be her head cheerleader, the captain of her high school team.

My parents were proud when I told them that I made the team. They assured me that they would support my decision to become a cheerleader in every way possible and would buy me whatever supplies I needed for my new hobby. I hated that my parents called it a hobby, it made it seem insignificant to some degree. I feel like no matter how hard I try they're never proud of me, that I am never achieving enough for them. Cheerleading is not a hobby, it is a sport and will become my life, I will become defined by being a cheerleader; I wish they could see this. I know they are distracted; their thoughts are with my brother. Their thoughts are always with him, always worrying about the next surgery or the next illness. Sometimes I just feel like a mark on their expense sheet rather than their child. I know my brother needs them more, but I need them as well.

A few weeks after I made the team my parents had to attend this mandatory meeting. I wanted to attend the meeting with them but they needed me to stay home and watch my brother, since both of them wanted to attend. They told me that at the meeting they had to sign a bunch of forms, travel waivers, health insurance waivers, and participation waivers. They also ordered all of the required items. I had already done a fitting after I made the team so the coach had my size. My parents told me that a father of one of the cheerleaders from the other school had made a donation to the squad which was used to pay for some of the required gear. Even though the donation covered the cost of some gear, my parents still ordered double the recommended amount. They wanted to make sure that I would always have what I needed. That is one thing my parents have always done well, they always make sure that I have everything that I could ever need or want. My mom made sure there was always plenty of food in the house; she even made sure to have quick meal options in case I had to fix myself dinner. Sometimes my brother would become ill suddenly and she would have to take him to the hospital and dad would be at work so I would have to fend for myself. Of course my abuela was great at coming over and helping out. I loved spending time with her, we are so close because she has always been around to take care of me; we are definitely closer than I would say most people are with their grandmothers.

At the end of the meeting they were also informed that all the cheerleaders, who wished to remain on the team, were required to attend a week long cheer camp. The camp is scheduled to be held at the University of Northwestern Ohio. The university is located in Lima, but we have to meet at the area high school and ride buses over to the university. It seems like a complete waste of time and money but if this is what I have to do to be a cheerleader than I will not complain. Of course this bus ride will probably be awkward since there will only be two other kids from my school on the bus, and I really can't stand either of them. I'm still not sure how they even made the cheer squad. Nina is okay but she is not coordinated, she trips almost every day at school, you would think that after me sticking my foot into the aisle for the hundredth time she would learn to avoid it, but nope. Then there is Marcus, that boy is as dumb as a box of rocks. But he is not too bad to look at, I guess that is why I let him kiss me under the slide on the last day of school, that's what girls are suppose to do if they want to be popular, right?


I started packing for cheer camp three days ago. I had made my list of things to pack a week ago. One thing I have learned from my parents, and how they manage their lives and my brother, is that organization is key. With so many doctors' appointments and therapy sessions it is important to make lists, keep an up to date planner, and get everything you can completed in advance. The less you have to do the day of the event the better. I look over my list for like the tenth time this morning methodically checking off items once again. I know everything is in my cheer bag but nonetheless I feel this overwhelming need to make sure I pack a few extra items, just in case.

I still have an hour before I need to leave for the high school and I have nothing to do. My cheer bag and back pack are packed and waiting by the door to be placed in my dad's truck, he offered to take me to the school today on his way to work. It is going to be so nice to be away from the house for a whole week. To be away from the stress and the worry and to just think about what I want to be doing. I love my little brother so much but sometimes it can be exhausting to be stuck in the house all the time. Finally, I will be able to get away and not have to worry about anything but learning a lot at cheer camp.

I open the folder in my lap that contains all of the information about cheer camp, my signed permission slip, and my dorm room assignment sheet. My roommate's name is Brittany S. Pierce, kinda sounds like a snooty rich girl's name. I guess I can't say much about being rich, I mean my parents are successful and wealthy professionals, but I still worry about this girl I will be rooming with. It is a good thing that I am not rooming with Nina because she would not have survived the week, she probably would have tripped out the dorm room window or something. I guess I will just have to wait and see, I'm sure this girl will be fine, and if not I will just have to use her as my first example to the rest of the squad as to why no one messes with Santana Lopez.

If I am thinking all of these things about this girl, I wonder what she is thinking about me. I mean Lima Heights does not have the best reputation, of course if she believes the rumors about Lima Heights I could totally use that to my advantage. I've never been in a real fight or do I go looking for fights but perhaps a hardened exterior is just what I need to personify in order to establish my popular image and a bad ass reputation.

"Santana sweetie, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah Dad, my stuff is by the door."

My dad is such a kind and gentle man. He can be stern and when I step out of line he is quick to correct my behavior. One of my biggest fears in life is to disappoint my parents, especially my dad. He does so much for our family and he works so hard, I just want to be as successful as he is. I love the time I get to spend alone with my dad. Unfortunately, we do not get enough alone time. He works a lot to be able to afford all of my brother's medical expenses and when he is off of work he is either sleeping or spending time with all of us. I love our family time but still, I love when it is just me and my dad; I feel like I am finally getting all of his attention, finally getting an opportunity to tell him about all I have achieved. I just want him to be proud of me!

The drive over to the high school is quiet. Dad and I talk a bit about cheer camp and he asks if I'm excited about starting middle school. He tells me that this is the time when I need to start taking school seriously and to learn proper study habits because they would only help me when I became a freshman in high school. Freshman year seems so far away, but I know he is right; it is freshman year when grades start to count for college. I always take school seriously, I love to learn; it is one of my passions in life. I hope my dad doesn't think that just because I'm a cheerleader that I will stop trying in school. Of course I'm not going to become a geek or a nerd I want to be popular but I will still try hard at being successful in school. I mean a girl with wit and brains, when used effectively, is super hot.

When we arrive at the high school, my dad helps me unload my cheer bag from the back of the truck. I'm too short to really reach into the bed and grab my bag. Thankfully my dad is wearing his blue hospital scrubs; I hope people realize that the blue scrubs are only worn by surgeons. Having a dad that is a surgeon should win me some popularity points with the other cheerleaders. I take my cheer bag from my dad and give him a quick hug and tell him thank you for the ride. He gives me a kind smile as he gets back into his truck and drives away. I'm glad that he dropped me off and left, because it is very uncool to have your parents stick around and watch over you like a hawk. I think he understands my desire to be popular.


There are random groups of cheerleaders gathered together near the waiting buses, all of whom are staring at the high school cheer coach who is wearing a red track suit and holding a bull horn. I recognize the lady from try outs, I'm pretty sure she was wearing a track suit that day as well. I wonder if she is obsessed with track suits. I arrive about ten minutes early, it seems like all the cheerleaders are here except for the sixth grade team. I find it interesting that so many of the cheerleaders are early; I'm use to being the only one being so early. I guess promptness is something that this cheer camp ingrains in the students. I sit on my cheer bag and watch as the sixth grade cheer leaders arrive, I can tell they are the sixth grade cheerleaders because they're all looking around with lost and confused expressions. As soon as Nina arrives she marches right over to me.

I know Nina came over to me so that she will not feel like an outsider. Marcus arrives shortly after Nina and joins us. We casually discuss how our summer vacations are going and what we have been up to. I am really uninterested in what they have to say but I'm trying to be friendly, I'm going to be stuck with these people for a whole week. I can see across from us another small group of cheerleaders forming; clearly these are the sixth grade cheerleaders who were selected from the other elementary school. I don't pay much attention to this group of cheerleaders until a tall blonde girl joins them.

I don't know what it is about this girl but I cannot keep my eyes off of her. She is so pretty, I just want to walk up to her and introduce myself, which is weird because I never have this feeling. I like to be known, but I want people to want to know my name, to come up to me and ask me my name. I want people to want to be my friend. I like having this sense or presence about me that I'm almost untouchable, that it is their privilege to be allowed to speak to me. But this is different, I feel like I have to know this girl. I have to be her friend, I know nothing about her and I hate it because I want to know everything there is to know about her.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a booming voice over a mega phone. I instantly know it is the high school cheer coach. She is bellowing out instructions to all of the cheerleaders. Apparently she wants each squad to ride on separate buses, what a waste of money. The varsity squad rides on this super nice travel bus. This is ridiculous because the university campus is only about twenty minutes from the high school. I suppose the coach does this to try to impress the younger cheerleaders, so they will work harder at the camp. Everyone is envious of the varsity squad and wants to become a member of that squad one day. I know I do, so I guess this approach by the high school coach works. The sixth grade team is instructed to load onto the last bus in line. I am pretty sure this bus can't be safe to travel in, it looks worse than a decommissioned submarine from World War II. This bus ride is going to be pure torture.

I'm the first in line to load the bus. I may not be eager to get onto this death trap on wheels, but I want to show the high school coach that I'm dedicated to being a cheerleader and that I will do anything to be on her high school squad. Behind me is this shorter blonde girl, she is incessantly bragging about how her father made this huge donation to the cheer squad. She said her name is Quinn, I'm not sure what to think of this girl, but I do know that she will be my biggest competition for the head cheerleader title. I know I can outperform her but obviously she is willing to purchase her place on the team. You know the saying, "keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer." This will be my strategy when dealing with one Quinn Fabray. A few people behind her is Nina, and then right behind Nina is the tall blonde girl, my heart leaps when I see her standing there.

The high school coach methodically loads all the other buses, leaving the sixth grade squad for last. We are not allowed to load the bus without her permission. She stands in front of me, glaring at the sight of us. Her stare makes me feel small and insignificant. She reaches out her hand and requests my permission slip.

"You are rather timely, I see that you arrived before all of the middle school cheerleaders and before some of my varsity cheerleaders."

Her tone leads me to believe that she is impressed by my timely arrival; I give myself a mental high five as I step onto the bus. I make my way towards the back of the bus. This bus is so old that I want to sit as far away from the engine as possible, if that thing explodes I have no desire to be anywhere near it. I also hope that if I sat at the back of the bus then perhaps the tall blonde girl will sit by me I just have to know who she is. The sixth grade squad slowly loads the bus, looks of disgust on all of their faces; I'm not sure if the look is because they're also concerned with the condition of the bus or if it is because the high school coach had something insulting to them. Either possibility is highly likely. When the tall blonde steps up into the bus she wears a smile that is brighter than the sun. It's like her optimism pours from her. I don't understand how anyone can look so happy when stepping onto this death machine.

My heart pounds in anticipation as she walks down the aisle towards me. When our eyes lock I think my heart stops beating, a goofy smile spreads across the girl's face and I know that a similar smile is forming on my face. In that moment I feel like I have found something that has been missing in my life. It is the oddest feeling. But as quickly as the smile formed it disappears when Nina sits down next to me. I should've known she would do this. My eyes fall to the floor in disappointment. When I look up I see that the tall blonde sat next to Quinn. Just what I need the girl I want to know more than anyone else in the world sitting next to the girl I know will be my competition.


Nina begins chatting my ear off as soon as the bus lurches from its parked position. It is the most mundane and irritating conversation I have ever been forced to listen to, there is no way that I can handle twenty minutes on this bus stuck in this conversation. I smile at Nina and tell her that I just want to listen to some music to get into the proper mindset for the first day of cheer camp. She gives me a puzzled look. I guess she doesn't listen to music to pump her up, of course I'm not really listening to music to get pumped up I just need to stop her, to drown out her annoying voice.

I'm so glad that I had downloaded new music onto my iPod shuffle the other morning. The new song by Ciara, "Oh" was blaring in my ears as the bus winds through the city streets towards the university. I sit staring out the window, praying that the rattling of the bus will stop soon because I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach. I didn't get car sick usually, but there was something about this bus that makes me feel queasy.

Watching the buildings blur by is only making me feel worse, I turn my gaze back to the occupants of the bus and that is when I notice the tall blonde girl staring at me. She looks inquisitive, like she is searching for an answer sketched across my face. I wonder if she and Quinn are talking negatively about me. Is she judging me, is she trying to decide if I'm a person worth knowing or not. I really hope she's not judging me, I hope she wants to get to know me because I want to know her. I offer her a kind smile hoping that she will reciprocate it. The girl smiles back and bounces in her seat as she turns back around. I wonder why she decided to turn around, but then I see her lean into Quinn. I can see that she and Quinn are engaged in a conversation, although from what I can see it looks more like she is listening while Quinn talks her ear off. It appears that Quinn is her Nina, but she is either too nice or not annoyed enough to put on headphones.

I can feel the bus slowing and have never felt relief flood through my body so quickly. My nausea has hit a peak and I'm pretty sure there is no way I can handle another minute on this bus. The bus pulls up and comes to a stop in front of the dorms. We're instructed by a parent volunteer; who rode on the bus with us, to stay seated until we're instructed by Sue. I assume Sue is the high school cheer coach. It is nice to finally have a name for her.

Moments later Sue steps onto the bus and begins hollering orders at us. She informs us all that we're to call her Coach Sylvester and that's the only way we are to address her. I quickly take a mental note of this and try to remove the name Sue from my vocabulary; I don't want to accidentally call her the improper name. Coach Sylvester instructs us to unload the bus, find our rooms, unpack, change, and be on the practice field in thirty minutes for conditioning. Nina's face drops when she hears the word conditioning, while Nina is thin, she's not what I would consider in shape. She is blessed with a naturally thin body type so she never really has to workout.

I suppose I am the same way but I do workout. I run all the time. I love to run, it's my escape. Whenever I need to clear my head I go for a run. I'm not worried about conditioning, I am pretty sure I will do better than anyone on the sixth grade squad, and probably all of the middle school squads. I'm not as confident with the high school squads because those squads are under Coach Sylvester's control all the time. Nonetheless, I will push myself until I physically cannot move, I will prove to Coach Sylvester that I'm worthy of being on her high school squad, even if I have to wait a few years, I will earn my stripes this week.


Before exiting the bus I send my mom a quick text letting her know that we've arrived at the university and that I would call her at the end of the day. My mom always wants to know when I've arrived at my destination and when I'll be contacting her again. She is such a worry wart. Of course with my little brother I understand why she worries all the time, she only has two children and one of them is always sick, so it only makes sense that she wants to know that her other child is okay. I like that she worries about me, about my safety, it reminds me that she is thinking about me and does care even if she is typically distracted with my brother.

After sending the text off to my mom, I exit the bus and grab my cheer bag. According to my dorm room information I'm on the third floor of the building we are parked in front of. I waste no time, I don't want to be late to the practice field. As soon as I enter the building I notice that there is a line in front of the only elevator in the building. I don't have time to wait for the crowd to disperse and file into the elevator. I see the stairs to the left and decide to take them rather than wait for the elevator. When I reach the third floor, there's no one else there. I find my room and knock on the door just in case this Brittany girl is already in there. After hearing no response I crack the door open and find the room empty. Inside the room are two twin beds, two small dressers, two desks and one closet. Since I like to sleep with the window open I choose the bed closest to the window and place my stuff on it.

I quickly change into my workout clothes, a pair of yoga pants and a tank top with a built in sports bra, not that I really need a bra right now. I then slip on my running shoes and pull my hair up into a high pony, I noticed that all of the high school cheerleaders had their hair pulled up like this. When I look at my watch I realize that I it only took me five minutes to get to my room and change, so I decide to unpack all of my gear. I place some of my clothes in the dresser that is closest to my bed and then hang my uniforms in the closet. This process took another five minutes and my roommate still has not arrived. I wonder if she decided not to come to cheer camp, I guess having no roommate for the week will be better than having one I hate.

I still have twenty minutes before I need to be on the practice field, of course I still have to find the practice field and I want to stretch and loosen up before conditioning; being really early won't be that bad. I walk out of my room and notice that people are frantically searching the floor for their rooms. They look pathetic in their confusion. I hold my head up high knowing that I am better than these girls who could not even decipher the simple instructions on the dorm room assignment sheet. Once again the elevator is jam packed and appears to be slowly moving up and down the floors of the dorm, I opt for the stairs knowing that taking the stairs will be faster.

When I reach the main floor I see the tall blonde girl sitting on her cheer bag looking lost and sad. My smile fades when I see how sad this girl looks, it is like someone had drained all of the color from the world, this girl should never frown; her smile is too bright. I look around the entry way, there is no one else there. This is my opportunity; I need to know her name. As I approach her, she lifts her head and our eyes lock. She has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. Her eyes are as blue as the sky; that gorgeous blue color of the sky on a clear summer day; the kind of blue that warms you from the inside out.

I have no idea what to say to this girl so I simply ask her if she is okay. I think my question startles her because she looks at me with this sense of confusion. She shakes her head no and I can't help but want to fix what's wrong. I kink my head to the side and ask if she is lost and if she would like some help finding her room. She eagerly nods her head yes. My pulse flutters with her excitement. I ask her for her dorm room assignment sheet, unfortunately she lost the paperwork. I can't help but smile at the sweet expression of embarrassment that creeps across her face. Finally, I have a way to find out her name without looking like all I want to know is her name.

"Well, what's your name? We can ask the others if they are rooming with you, or do you remember who you are rooming with?"

"My name is Brittany, I'm supposed to room with Santana Lopez, do you know her?"

I can't believe my luck, this girl that I've wanted to introduce myself to since the first time I saw her face is going to be my roommate, for a whole week. A smile spreads across my face as I nod in response to her question. When I realize that I have failed to verbally respond to her, a light blush floods my face.

"Actually, that's me. Here let me help you with your bag and I'll show you where our room is."

I offer her my hand to help her stand up and then reach for her bag. I'm not sure what all she packed in her bag but I can't believe how heavy it is. I walk towards the elevator, there's no longer a line waiting for it and with the weight of her bag, I feel it is necessary to take the elevator. I push the button for the elevator and the door instantly opens; a flood of relief washes over me, I really don't want to be late for conditioning.

We step into the elevator and I push the button for the third floor, Brittany smiles at me, I can tell she's grateful that I offered to help her. Little does she know how grateful I am that she is my roommate. When the elevator reaches the third floor and the door opens, I gesture for Brittany to exit the elevator first, she does this cute little skipping hop as she exists the elevator; she has to be the most adorable person I've ever seen. I follow behind her half carrying half dragging her bag, it's really heavy. She turns around and sees me struggling with the weight of her bag, I try to hide my struggling but it's too late. She reaches out and takes part of the bag and lifts it, together we carry her bag down the hall.

I stop in front of our dorm room and the bag jerks out of my hand and crashes to the floor as Brittany has continued to walk down the hall. I guess I should have led the way down the hall rather than following behind her. She turns around quickly giggling in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stop so suddenly but this is our room."

I blushed saying "our room" I don't know why I'm having this reaction but there is something about Brittany. I just really want her to be my friend; I've never wanted someone to like me this much. She offers me another smile, I love her smile. I open our dorm room door and once again gesture for her to enter first.

Without hesitation she pulls her bag onto the bed closest to the door and dumps the contents of the bag onto the bed. I'm pretty sure she must have randomly thrown stuff into her bag because the contents spread across the bed look like a jumbled mess of clothes and beauty supplies. I laugh at the mental image of Brittany running around her room randomly stuffing things into her bag, no wonder the thing is so heavy.

I sit on the bed across from her as she frantically moves things from the bed and into the dresser drawers or hanging in the closet. Once she has put all of her stuff away which only took about three minutes she grabs some shorts and a tank top from her dresser and changes her clothes. I stare out the window as she changes, I don't want her to think that I'm watching her change like some kind of perv, although I can still see her distorted reflection in the window. Even distorted she is beautiful.

Lost in my own world, I'm startled when Brittany taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see her wearing a hot pink polka dot tank top and a pair of neon green track shorts with knee high tube socks that have alternating hot pink and neon green stripes. This girl has the craziest fashion sense I've ever seen and I love it. Brittany asks if I'm ready to go, I nod my head and look at my watch. It has only taken seven minutes for us to get up to our room, get her unpacked, and for her to change. We still have plenty of time to make it to the practice field on time; early in fact which is even better.


The practice field is a five minute walk from the dorms, I'm glad I had looked up where all the fields are located on the campus last week just in case. Brittany and I arrive at the practice field eight minutes early, most of the high school cheerleaders are already there but none of the middle school cheerleaders are there. The majority of the cheerleaders are just standing around talking to each other, this feels like a waste of time.

"Hey Brit, do you wanna stretch out before conditioning?"

"Uh, yeah. You should never workout before stretching!"

Brittany nods her head eagerly at my question. There is such enthusiasm in her response; it's like I have asked her if she wants to go to a concert as excited as she is. It's obvious that Brittany is an athletic person, she starts stretching and curving her body in ways I would have thought physically impossible. She is certainly limber; no wonder she made the cheer squad. As soon as I sit down in the grass, Brittany sits across from me and places the bottom of her feet up against the bottom of my feet. She reaches out and I take hold of her hands. She pulls me towards her and I can feel the pull of my muscles in my thighs and back; it feels amazing to be stretched like this. When she releases her pull, I pull her towards me; she smiles at me as her body stretches.

Our stretching is interrupted by the sound of a bull horn. Brittany and I leap to our feet and direct our attention to Coach Sylvester. She is standing on a platform that is raised at least fifteen feet into the air.

"Sorry sack of rejects! When I say thirty minutes you should know I mean twenty–five minutes. You have wasted five minutes of my precious time by being late. Everyone will pay for your tardiness. Get on that track, all of you, and run until I tell you to stop!"

I look at Brittany, who is wearing an expression of utter shock and disbelief. I shrug at her and whisper to her "at least we were early, we're not to blame for this." All of the other cheerleaders look at the sixth grade squad who has just arrived, while on time according to the thirty minute schedule everyone hates them. I've never been so thankful for my timely arrival. Brittany links her pinkie in mine and pulls me towards the track. I like how she takes my pinkie, it is like she is promising that she will not stop running until I stop, that we will keep each other going and protect each other from Coach Sylvester.

It feels like we have been running forever. My tank top is soaked with sweat; I look to my left and see that Brittany's tank top is also soaked. I gaze over to the field and see that the majority of the cheerleaders have stopped running and are on their hands and knees heaving. When I look at my watch I notice that we have been running for forty-five minutes without stopping. The entire varsity squad is still running, along with half of the junior varsity squad, a couple of boys from the middle school squads, Brittany and I. This display should certainly help with my bid for cheer captain of the sixth grade squad.

Fifteen minutes later the bull horn sounds. I don't want to look weak so I slow to a light jog to cool down my legs; apparently it's the right decision because the varsity squad does the same thing. Brittany and I jog around the track, following the lead of the varsity squad. Five minutes later the bull horn sounds again and the varsity squad jogs over to where Coach Sylvester is standing on her raised platform. Brittany and I follow, when we are about a hundred feet from the platform Brittany, apparently decides, a foot race to the finish is a fun way to end our run. Even though my legs are beyond dead, I can't pass up a foot race. We sprint the last hundred feet and reach the platform at the exact same time, which I am not sure how that is possible because Brittany's legs are insanely long compared to mine.

"A tie" she exclaims, perhaps a little too loudly.

"I like your enthusiasm keep up that spunk legs!"

I am glad that Coach Sylvester praises Brittany's attitude rather than insult her. Brittany's attitude is contagious and wonderful; I'd hate to see someone belittle her for being such a special person.

"I want everyone that stopped running before the sound of the horn to step over here to my left. All of you that just stopped, at the appropriate time, step over here to my right."

I link my pinkie with Brittany's and pull her towards the right side of the platform. She smiles at me as my pinkie wraps around her pinkie, I'm not sure what the significance of the pinkie link is to her but I want her to know that I pinkie promise to her to never let her fail. It feels amazing to make a bond with someone so quickly; I hope she feels the same.

"Congratulations to those of you who have earned the chance to stand on the right side of God, the rest of you are a disgrace to cheerleading! I suggest that when we return after lunch you plan on actually participating fully in this camp or you can pack your gear and leave. If you are not going to put in your best effort here there is no need for you to remain a cheerleader."

Did she really just call herself a God? Clearly impressing this woman is going to take work, I'm not only going to have to do everything she asks of me but also those things that she may ask of me. Great to be a head cheerleader I'm going to have to think like a crazy person with a God complex. I look over to Brittany and she is giving me a look of true confusion. I hope Brittany realizes that Coach Sylvester isn't actually a God; well I suppose she is a God in the cheerleading world. She had recently won her first national championship last year and her current squad is favored to win this year as well.

"You have two hours for lunch and to rest up, if you are so weak that you need rest, before I expect you back on this field!"

My legs are quivering under me, I need to stretch them out and cool them down a bit more or they are going to cramp up. I look to Brittany and she is staring at the ground like she is unsure what she is going to do.

"Hey Britt, I need to stretch out and cool down a bit more, do you wanna join me and then we can go get lunch?"

Brittany's head jolts up and her eyes lock with mine as she eagerly nods. I love how excited she gets about things. She is like a five year old in a toy store, the simplest of things, like a new toy, makes her so excited. We jog the track four times, completing a nice mile cool down and then sit in the middle of the field as we stretch each other's legs out. I can see in the distance Coach Sylvester standing on her platform watching us. I try not to look at her; I don't want her to notice that I'm interested in her attention, because that might result in receiving negative attention from her. After we stretch out and once my legs no longer feel like a bowl of Jell-O, I stand-up and offer my hand to Brittany to help her stand up.

Brittany takes my hand and leaps to her feet. When she is on her feet she changes her grip from holding my hand to simply linking her pinkie with mine. I really like the way her pinkie links with mine, it feels like it's always belonged there. We start to walk off the field when we hear Coach Sylvester summoning us over the bull horn. Not wanting to get on the left side of "God," Brittany and I change our direction and walk over to Coach Sylvester. We reach the platform just as Coach Sylvester takes her final step off of the platform.

"What are your names?"

Brittany and I both state our names to Coach Sylvester. She quickly looks over the lists on her clipboard until she finds our names and makes a few notes before looking back up at us.

"Keep up what you are doing and you may find yourselves privileged enough to be Cheerios one day."

While not completely a compliment, I assume that's about the best I'll ever get out of Coach Sylvester. She marches off; her march is the most awkward looking thing I have ever seen. Brittany tugs on my pinkie and pulls me in the opposite direction. When we reach a parking lot I'm pretty sure Brittany has no idea where she is going.

"Hey Britt, where are we going?"

"Apparently the parking lot. Where do you think we need to go for lunch?"

I couldn't help but laugh at Brittany's stating the obvious humor. After thinking about where we are and trying to remember the university map I looked up last week, I walk Brittany and I towards the campus dining hall. Thankfully, the dining hall is located next to the dorm we're staying in. Brittany and I have already spent thirty minutes of our two hour break and I want to be back on the practice field at least twenty minutes early, so we have an hour and ten minutes to eat and relax.

Even though I should be hungry, the hour long run made me pretty queasy and since I had no idea the type of work out to expect when we return to the practice field, I opt to eat light. I walk over to the salad bar and partially filled my plate with a healthy salad. I then grab a Gatorade and a bottle of water to have with my lunch. I definitely need to rehydrate. Brittany must have the same thoughts, as she grabs exactly the same thing.

Brittany and I sit down at the same table, across from one another and quietly eat our lunch. I scan the lunch room and notice that the varsity squad is the only squad sitting together, and also the only squad eating salads. Even the boys on the varsity squad are eating salads. Everyone else is scattered throughout the dining hall. The three boys on the sixth grade squad are eating together; they're downing slices of pizza. My stomach turns watching how much pizza these boys are devouring. Nina is sitting with four other girls; I don't know any of them. I guess they all had time to become friends while Brittany and I ran around the track. As I look around the dining hall I notice that Quinn is missing.

Twenty minutes later Brittany and I exit the dining hall. We both grab another Gatorade and bottle of water before leaving. Neither of us had taken something to drink to conditioning, which was not a good idea. We still have fifty minutes before we need, or rather I want, to be back on the practice field. Last week when I was researching the university campus, I remember seeing that there is this open area, near a reflection pond, on the campus where students go to study. I link Brittany's pinkie and lead her in the direction of the reflection pond. She squeezes my pinkie and follows me without question; I love how she seems to trust me so freely.

It takes us five minutes to walk to the reflection pond. When we arrive I sit down near the pond and lie down on my back looking up at the clouds. Once I'm comfortable I set an alarm on my watch to go off in forty minutes. I feel kind of geeky for having a watch with an alarm but it doesn't look like a geeky watch, like me this watch hides its geeky features well. Brittany lies down next to me and looks over at me and then up at the clouds.

"Look that one looks like a duck."

I stare up at the clouds and can't find a cloud that looks like a duck. I cock my head to the left and then the right. I squint and even try to open my eyes wide. No matter how I look at the clouds I can't see a duck. Brittany must see my confusion; she reaches over and grabs my hand.

"Here look," she raises our hands and traces the duck cloud with my pointer finger, "do you see it now?"

I nod my head. She has the most amazing imagination, the whole time I was looking for a cloud that looked like a real duck but the cloud she traced looks like a rubber ducky. I laugh at myself for thinking inside the box; Brittany is definitely an outside the box thinker. This is exactly the quality I like about her. Brittany is completely outside the box.

I wear boring black and white workout clothes, research campus maps a week in advance, make check lists and pack with precision. Whereas, Brittany wears neon colored workout clothes, randomly wonders around the campus unsure of where she is going to end up but confident in the direction she is heading, and just crams stuff into her bags when packing but making sure to pack everything she may need. She is everything I am not and I am everything she is not, together we are like the ultimate person.


This has been the longest week of my life! I have not been able to really feel my legs for two days now; prior to that my legs had been in excruciating pain, now they're just numb. Brittany and I slowly climb the stairs to our dorm room; we have thirty minutes before we need to be in the dining hall for Coach Sylvester's "end of cheer camp speech." I'd rather crawl into bed and sleep until it is time to load the bus in the morning but I know that if I want head cheerleader I have to attend this speech.

I feel like Brittany and I are hands down the best cheerleaders on the squad, we have finished every workout, we are always the first ones there and the last ones to leave. Quinn may have us beat on peppiness but other than that we crush everything else. For some reason though I'm nervous about Quinn, she is never around at lunch and one day Brittany and I saw her chatting up the head coach of the middle school squads as well as Coach Sylvester. I know she is up to no good.

When Brittany and I reach our room we slump down onto Brittany's bed. I am exhausted. I stand up and make my way to dresser, I have no desire to stay in these sweaty gross clothes another second. I pull out a clean outfit and lay it out on my bed while Brittany watches.

"Hey S, I have a question for ya."

"What is it Brittany?"

"Do you want to have a movie night with me?"

This seems like an odd question, since our first night here, Brittany and I have watched a movie at the end of the day on my DVD player. Thankfully I brought enough movies to last the entire week without having to repeat any; I prepared for a boring movie watching week in case I had an awful roommate. But I don't have an awful roommate, I have Brittany and she is the best roommate.

"What I mean, is like, do you wanna push our beds together and like build a fort and watch a movie tonight, since it is our last night here and I don't know when I will be able to see you again before school starts."

She is perfect! Everything I want in a best friend and more.

"That sounds like a perfect way to spend our last night."

Brittany bounces up onto her knees and claps at my answer. Her perfection continues. She squeaks one last time before hopping off her bed. She runs over to me and gives me a giant bear hug and the walks over to her cheer bag. We both quickly freshen up and change our clothes before heading back downstairs and over to the dining hall.

Once again we are the first members of the sixth grade squad to arrive. Tonight the dining hall is set-up a little differently, instead of choosing to eat whatever we want the kitchen has made specific meals and are serving the tables. Each squad is divided into two groups and the groups are assigned different tables to sit at. Brittany and I are both assigned to the sixth grade "A" table. Also assigned to our table are Quinn, Samantha, and David. I'm the only one from my elementary school at the "A" table but I have Brittany now so it doesn't matter. It seems odd that out of the fifteen members that make up our squad only five of us are at one table and the other ten are at the other table. I am glad not to be at the "B" table because it is going to be crowded and being left-handed really makes eating at circular tables tricky.

Brittany and I look for our name cards on the table and I'm delighted to discover that we're sitting next to each other; I guess others have noticed that we are attached at the hip. Forty-five minutes later we have finished our meals and are becoming restless. Coach Sylvester must have noticed the restlessness flooding through the dining hall because she stands from the coach's table and walks to the middle of the room. She raises her bull horn, I'm pretty sure that thing is attached to her hip, it's like her Brittany.

"Alright, listen up you worthless sack of maggots. Everyone sitting at an 'A' table, nice work this week you're on your way to be good enough to make it as a Cheerio. For those of you sitting at a 'B' table you should just quit cheerleading, you're an utter disgrace to the sport. If you opt to continue this futile endeavor I recommend you look to your counterparts at the 'A' tables and learn what hard work actually looks like. Do not come back to my camp next year in such disgracing style!"

Wow, Coach Sylvester doesn't pull any punches. I look over to the sixth grade "B" table and can see that half of the girls are in tears including Nina. I almost feel bad for them, almost. This has been a week from hell, I'm pretty sure Coach Sylvester can run a Marine Hell Week and make plenty of Marines cry and drop out. But I've earned my position at the "A" table and I know I deserve to be here. Coach Sylvester turns her attention to the varsity squad and announces the name of the new Cheerios captain. Applause fills the dining hall.

My pulse begins to race as Coach Sylvester makes her way through the dining hall telling the name of the new captain for each squad. I feel Brittany grasp my leg, probably to steady my nervous bouncing, as Coach Sylvester approaches our table.

"Now the sixth grade team is a little tricky. I have seen a lot from this team and I know that some of you will become Cheerios and will win a national title. I believe that some of you are willing to do whatever it takes to be number one and I like that quality in my Cheerios; it is a quality that I myself possess. That being said I'm making a unique decision for this squad. This year the sixth grade team will have a head cheerleader and three captains. I want to explain this to you a bit. All three captains will assist with creating routines and judging tryouts for next year's squad. However, the head cheerleader will have the final say in any split voting. The three captains are Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce, quite the trinity I must say."

Brittany and I have done it, we have proven ourselves to Coach Sylvester and she is rewarding us for it. Now I just need that title of head cheerleader; I want the icing on top.

"I also want each of you to be responsible for unique aspects of the team. Santana your work ethic is insane; you're in charge of scheduling, workouts, conditioning, etc. Brittany you have moves that would make J. Lo stumble, you're in charge of creating dance routines and song selection. Quinn you have inspired spirit, you're in charge of creating cheers and yells."

Coach Sylvester is dragging this announcement out painfully slow. I have taken hold of Brittany's hand on my leg and I'm pretty sure that I'm squeezing it so hard that it may break. As soon as I loosen my grip Brittany squeezes my leg even tighter, I think she may want this for me even more than I want it for me. She told me days ago that being a captain or head cheerleader doesn't matter to her; she is doing this because she wants to make friends and she has already accomplished that goal. I love that the friendship we have established is good enough for her to consider her goal accomplished.

"The head cheerleader for the sixth grade squad is Quinn Fabray. That's it people, get to bed, buses leave at nine am sharp, if you're late you will be left behind!"

My face falls and my heart sinks. I wanted head cheerleader so badly and have worked so hard for it. I quickly recover my expression and put a smile on; I don't want everyone to see my disappointment. I congratulate Quinn on her new position and reassure her that Brittany and I have her back and that together we will create the best squad in the state. Brittany nods along to everything I said. After we congratulate everyone and are congratulated in return; Brittany and I leave the dining hall and head back to our dorm room.


As soon as I step into our dorm room I feel Brittany's arms wrap around me. It is the softest hug I have ever received. I instantly feel comforted and supported.

"I'm so sorry S, I thought you had it for sure. You worked so hard, you deserved it."

"It's okay Britt, I'm pretty sure Quinn bought the position and I never want to earn something that way. We all work for things in different ways; Quinn just does it with her daddy's wallet, no biggie. I'm a captain and that's good enough, especially since I get to be a captain with you!"

Of course I am disappointed and I know Brittany can tell that I am but I don't want to ruin our last night at cheer camp. Plus it would be okay, Quinn may have the final say but I have Brittany's vote along with mine so we'll be okay. I'll just make sure to befriend Quinn and together we will rule the squad and the school together. What did Coach Sylvester call us, oh yeah a trinity. We will be one hell of a trinity, an unholy trinity at that.

Brittany looks at me with a sadden face as I walk away from her and towards the night stand that rests between the two beds. When she sees me moving the nightstand she gives me this adorably inquisitive look. I continue my work knowing that she will catch on to what I am doing, as soon as she remembers what she asked earlier. Once I start to scoot my bed towards hers she jumps up and down in excitement.

"I almost forgot S. I am so glad you remembered."

Brittany and I push the beds together and use some extra blankets to build a dome type cover over the bed. I am really not sure how she is able to create this fort but she does it; another Brittany skill, fort building. We snuggle up to each other as I put in the "Pacifier." I have never really snuggled with another person before, I really like it, or maybe it's just because it is Brittany. Before the movie starts I send my mom a quick text letting her know when I will be at the high school so she will know when to pick me up. The movie starts playing and I start feeling sleepy.

"Hey S?" Brittany nudges me waking me from my sleepy state.

"Yeah Britt?"

"Can I have your number so we can talk and maybe hang out this summer?"

How have I not thought about giving Brittany my phone number? I plan everything out and am always the first person to think about important things like this. I mean this morning I spent our free time packing my bag neatly and then switched to Brittany's stuff and packed it as neatly as possible considering the infinite amount of stuff she has.

"Of course you can Britt, but only if I get yours as well."

Brittany hands me her cell phone and I text myself a quick message and sent it to my number. When my phone receives the message I text her a quick message and hit send. Now we have each other's phone number. I nestle my head back down onto her shoulder and fall asleep in a matter of minutes.


In the morning I wake up on my left side facing the window of the dorm room and Brittany is lying right behind me. Her body following the curve of my body; I'm so comfortable I don't want to move. Unfortunately, the blaring of my alarm brings with it the reminder that I have to get up and get ready to leave. Thankfully all the packing is finished we just have to return the room to its pre-fort building condition, get dressed, and eat breakfast before loading onto the bus. I roll over to face Brittany, she looks like sleeping beauty as she takes soft breathes in, I hate to wake her but we have to get up if we are going to make it to the bus on time. She stirs for a moment wiping the sleep from her eyes. When she opens her big blue eyes and looks at me I can't help but smile.

We both get up and rearrange the room, giggling as we try to put everything back perfectly, I'm pretty sure that I am way more concerned about everything being back in its perfect place than Brittany is. Once the room is restored to its original condition Brittany and I get dressed, grab our things, and head down to breakfast. It's a great morning but as time wears on the realization that Brittany and I will be separating for the first time in a week hits and I instantly feel sad. I'm not ready to go home, not that I want to continue at this cheer camp from hell, I'm just not ready to leave Brittany.

The bus ride to the high school is quiet and solemn. Brittany and I sit next to each other and instinctively she wraps her pinkie around mine. Brittany leans into me and places her head on my shoulder. We ride the entire way to the high school in silence. I cannot help but feel like I will be leaving my best friend when we arrive at the high school.

The bus comes to a stop in front of the high school and I can see my mom waiting patiently next to her car.

"Hey S, you're my best friend and I'm going to miss you."

My heart leaps in excitement when I hear Brittany utter these words. She does feel the same way I feel; we have become best friends.

"Me too, Britt. I'll text you though and maybe we can go back to school shopping or something. I'll talk to my mom about it."

"That sounds like a great idea S."

We step off the bus and gather our cheer bags. I give Brittany a hug goodbye and we walk in opposite directions towards our parents' cars. As I place my cheer bag into my mom's car's trunk I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I remove my phone and read the text message, "Hey bestie, don't forget me! Miss you already, can't wait to go shopping! Let's get matching backpacks!"


Hey readers! I did not have a BETA to review this chapter. If you would like to BETA this story message me. I do have one BETA already but she is super busy so I am looking to take on another BETA. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Initially I posted only one story with both POV's. I have decided that it may be confusing for readers if I continue with it in such a way. There are now two stories:

My Love for Him Led Me to You – written from Santana's POV

Your Love for Him Led You to Me – written from Brittany's POV

These are the comments from the story when the two POV's were part of one story. (I don't want my readers to think that I do not value their reviews, because I do).