Okay, so here's Chapter 2. Hope you like it.

TWO: A Most Peculiar Girl

A heavy silence hung over the Lopez household. Santana found it eerily quiet. Must be the absence of all the shouting, Santana thought sarcastically as she braided her hair. It's just not home without the shouting.

"I needz ta get to school, mum," she called, pulling on a baggy pair of cargo pants. Grabbing a hoodie, she stepped out into the dining room. The blinds were still drawn to a close, casting the room into soft shadows. Her mother was sitting at the dining table in her dressing gown and slippers, a haze of cigarette smoke surrounding her. The cigarette dangled between her fingers, forgotten as the last bit of tobacco blazed and faded into ash.

Santana threw open the blinds. The morning was crisp and bright, and even Lima Heights Adjacent with graffiti splattered over every inch of the walls and sidewalk seemed cheerful as autumn descended on the neighbourhood. The first of the leaves were starting to turn (not that there were many trees in Lima Heights Adjacent) and pepper the green foliage with their orange and yellow tones.

"Close the blinds," Rita grumbled, shading her face.

"But it's such a nice day," Santana said. 'I just thought…"

"You thought wrong. Just close the bloody blinds…actually just…just…go away. I don't feel like dealing with this in the morning." With a sigh, Rita stood and went into the kitchen. "Don't you have somewhere you need to be; school or something?"

"Fine, I'll get to school myself," Santana muttered to the thin air.

...

"Hey," the driver screamed, "why don't you look where you're going before you cross the street? Stupid bitch, you nearly killed me."

Santana quirked one eyebrow. "Maybe if your head wasn't so far up your ass you would have seen me."

She approached the car. The driver nervously shifted in his seat. "But-" he started before Santana cut him off.

"But, what…you're gonna pick a fight? Is that it? Cause I'll be more than happy to bring the pain. Just get out of your fucking car. Come one. Let's do it." The driver stared at her, speechless. "I didn't think so." With a toss of the head she strode off, leaving the driver reeling in her wake.

A few students glanced up to see what the hell was going on. Seeing Santana they quickly looked away again. She scowled as she strode up the path towards the school. The crowds parted before her. A few kids tripped over themselves getting out of her way.

That's right, Santana thought. Run in terror. 'Cause the Bitch is back.

A girl caught her eye, for just a moment. Blonde, oddly dressed with suspenders and multi-coloured high socks. She was like a breath of spring in the middle of autumn.

Santana snorted. So freakin' chipper. Disgusting.

The girl walked across the lot to her waiting friend; another blonde in what Santana could only call 'grandma clothes'. The two were obviously close. Even when they joined a larger crowd, they stuck together. "How sweet," Santana muttered sarcastically as she pushed past them. No one waited for her on the steps. For just a moment, she felt the slightest twinge…then she pushed it aside.

...

The bell rang for the start of first period just as Santana settled down under the trees. Hidden by a large tree and a gap in the windows, it was one of the few blind spots in the school where she could ditch class. She pulled the half-empty pack of cigarettes she'd swiped from her mum out of her pocket and wedged one between her lips. Her lighter flicked dully and the end of the cigarette smouldered. Sighing, Santana lay down on the grass, watching the clouds through a haze of smoke.

Footsteps crunched behind her. Santana lazily glanced up to see who it was. The same blonde girl from earlier that day was looking around uncertainly, a piece of paper in her hand. Seeing Santana, the girl hurried over.

"Excuse me," she asked, "do you know where-"

"Whoa, whoa," Santana stopped her short. "Who the hell do you think I am? You don't just come up and start talking to me."

"Do I need a special hall pass," the girl asked.

Santana stopped short, staring at the girl. 'Hilarious," she quipped. 'Frickin' hilarious." The other girl just looked confused. Santana sighed. "What are you looking for?"

"Ummm…room D11. I couldn't remember if it was inside the building or outside."

"Inside, definitely….it's just…you know…" She tried gesturing with her hands, but eventually admitted defeat. "Let me take you."

"Really," the other girl squealed, her face brightening up. Reluctantly Santana stubbed out her cigarette and stood. She was shorter than the other girl, and yet she felt like they were looking eye-to-eye.

She has such nice eyes, Santana thought to herself. Like the sky.

"Come on, it's this way," she said, leading the girl towards the school entrance. "Still, I can't believe you don't know where D11 is. I mean…aren't you a ninth grader as well? Didn't we have…History together last year, or something? You'd think you'd remember where the classes were by now.

Dear sweet Mary, she thought, shaking her head, I'm making small talk.

"I think we had English together," the other girl replied. "Unless you were my invisible friend from the basement."

Santana burst out laughing. "You're a bit strange," she told the other girl "you know that?" The hallways were quiet as the two made their way to class. "So anyway, what's your name, little Miss Strange."

"Brittany Susan Pierce," the other girl replied.

Santana bit the corner of her lip to stop herself from smiling. "Well, nice to meet you Brittany Susan Pierce. Can I just call you Brittany? That whole thing's bit long."

"That's what everybody calls me," Brittany exclaimed. "How'd you know? You must be like, psychic or something."

"No. I'm just Santana."

"Santa? I thought you were supposed to be all fat and jolly and-"

"No, I said Santana. That's my name. San-tan-a." They came to a stop outside the classroom. "Okay, we'll…here you are." Santana awkwardly gestured towards the classroom. "End of the line. All passengers off."

Brittany giggled. "You're funny." Before Santana could react, Brittany hugged stiffened and pulled out of the other girl's embrace.

"What the hell. Who said you could hug me?"

"I can't?" the other girl asked. "Why not?"

Santana shifted uncomfortably. "Whatever, just…you know…piss off. Don't you have class?" Brittany broke away after a moment and stepped into the class. Santana could hear the teacher berating her, asking her where she'd been.

Santana sighed. "It was my fault," she said as she stepped into the classroom, her inner voice screaming at her to just leave. "I kept her. It was my fault."

The teacher was a middle aged man, balding, with crooked glasses. "Ms. Lopez," he said. "I'm so glad you decided to join us. And here I heard I needed to watch out for you."

Santana stopped. "Huh?"

"Well, this is your class. Why don't you and Brittany take a seat at the back?" With that, he turned back to the blackboard.

I've been duped, Santana realised. I've actually been duped into attending first period on the first day of school.

With a sigh she followed the other girl and sat down at the bench. Brittany smiled at her as she pulled out a unicorn pencil case. Santana shook her head, grinning. She was one peculiar girl.