Thanks to everyone who's reviewed XD I officially love you.
Warning: There's some swearing in this. There might have been swearing in the other chapters but I can't remember.
Chapter 3
The next morning, rather strangely Quinn thought, found Santana waiting with a face like thunder for her at her locker.
"Morning sunshine," the blonde Cheerio said chirpily at the scowling face beside her. "To what do I owe this honour?"
"I uh... I need your help."
"Seriously?"
Santana nodded dumbly, her teeth gritted.
"At last, its about time," sighed Quinn with relief.
"What?"
"It was getting kinda ridiculous."
The look on Santana's face read 'huh?' So Quinn expanded on her train of thought.
"You want help finding a song to sing to Brittany to tell her how you feel," Quinn spelt it out for her.
"Hell no! I wanted you to come with me to buy a duck." Quinn stared blankly at her, not believing what her ears were telling her. "I was gonna get her a duck, to say sorry properly," explained Santana.
Quinn rolled her eyes with disgust slammed her locker shut and and turned to storm away.
"Wait!" called Santana. "For fucks sake alright, yes, I need help finding a song." She admitted quickly seeing her only ally about to walk away from her.
"And why are you asking me?"
"Because.. you know we go way back."
"And?"
"And you're the only person I trust with this, with B."
"This is killing you isn't it?" Santana nearly snarled at Quinn but managed to grit her teeth and just glowered instead. "How gay are we going?" Quinn dared to ask.
Everyone in the vicinity of the two scarpered as they caught a glimpse of Santana's glare which emitted the power of a thousand suns. It would have killed Quinn instantly if she hadn't built up an immunity to it years ago.
"For christsake Q, shut up!" She hissed looked around the hall paranoid that the entire student body was listening intently to this awful, awful conversation.
"C'mon, its me, your oldest friend."
"Not gay at all!"
"You cant actually bring yourself to say it out loud. Chicken shit."
"Fine. For crying out loud, just a little bit gay."
"It's taken you long enough, maybe this will be all be over soon."
"What are you blabbering on about?"
"You know, you two finally getting it together."
"Will you shut up with the speaking sentences out loud!"
Quinn was giving her an appraising look. "You'd better not screw this up, cos you do know she's the only thing on the planet which makes you bearable."
"Yes" sighed Santana in agreement.
"My place, tonight" said Quinn. "Bring your ipod."
"For fuck's sake," muttered Santana. "I don't see how this could get any more humiliating."
"Rachel will be there."
"What the fuck Q! Are you deliberately trying to torture me? Wait a second, this is a joke why the hell would Berry be at your place?"
"We're lab partners in chemistry. We've got an assignment to write up."
"So do it another time. This is serious stuff, what happened to ho's over homework."
"I don't even know what you're saying when you talk like that. And I cant, its got to be in tomorrow. I've been putting it off forever but you've just got bad timing, you know." At the worried look on Santana's face and sensing she might bolt at any given opportunity Quinn tried to placate her. "C'mon, it wont be that bad. At least she knows her music and can help."
The look on Santana's face was priceless. She mouthed the word 'help?' with pure horror at the thought of Rachel freakin' Berry's assistance.
"Do you want my help or not?"
The expression on Santana's face became even more outrageous at the ultimatum. If Quinn uttered another word or smirked she'd be dead this time and she knew it. Fortunately Santana caught a glimpse of tall blonde Cheerio in the distance at the end of the hallway and found herself counting to ten. The moment passed.
"OK, OK calm down," said Quinn, soothingly. "I know this is important. We wont tell Rachel what its for."
"I am not doing fucking show tunes," spat Santana. "And if the words 'Barbra' or 'future Broadway career' come out of her mouth I will not be held responsible for my actions."
She stormed off in Brittany's direction with a face like hell-fire and every single student and even a few teachers sprinted out of her way.
That evening Santana dragged herself reluctantly to the Fabray residence.
"You do realise that you don't have to do this?" said Quinn as she led her friend up the stairs towards her room.
"Q, I'm trying to psych myself up here. You know this is nearly impossible for me to do and now you're talking me out of it? Cos I'm down with that. There's an alternative?"
"I just meant you don't have to declare, you know what," not wanting to say the words out loud in case she scared Santana, "in front of the whole glee club. You could just talk to her."
"Talk! I can't say things, in words, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Besides, I'd just screw it up if I had to speak. I could still get her a duck."
"Will you please drop the duck idea."
"She'd love it."
"I know but that's not what we want her to love is it?"
"I hate you."
"I know. Be nice to Rachel," she said as she opened the door to her room.
Rachel stood up from Quinn's desk as the girls entered, keen to start the evening in the friendliest possible way before Santana or Quinn could get a word in. "Hello Santana. While I admit I did feel some reluctance when Quinn told me you would be joining us, I hope we can put aside out differences this evening and work together in a friendly and conducive manner."
Quinn elbowed Santana.
"I, uh, yeah. I just, ya know, wanted to apologise for earlier and hope that, uh, everything goes smoothly for sectionals, regionals and eventually nationals and then the world obviously."
Rachel clapped her hands excitedly. "I knew it you love glee as much as the rest of us. Quinn says you've got an assignment for glee you might want our assistance with?"
"Rach," interrupted Quinn, trying to deflect Rachel's 'Rachelness' from the unpredictable Cheerio. "Lets just get on with this assignment and leave Santana alone for a bit and not irritate her further and if she wants our help she can ask."
Rachel nodded with a smile and Santana rolled her eyes, flopped down in front of Quinn's computer, plugging in her ipod.
Quinn looked up from her work at Santana scrolling through the music list on her computer. The past hour had progressed quietly, Quinn and Rachel discussing their assignment and Santana ignoring them, engrossed in the music with her headphones on. Rachel kept glancing over to Santana intrigued as to what the girl was doing and catching Quinn's eye who shook her head telling her to drop it. Santana would make the first move when she was ready. It was most definitely not a good thing to push her when she didn't want to be pushed.
"I didn't think you two were friends anymore," said Rachel.
"Oh, well we've known each other forever, we've gone beyond being friends. We love to hate each other."
"I see," said Rachel, clearly not seeing.
Santana turned around and frowned at the two girls, removing her headphones as she did so.
"I want to be perfectly clear Berry, that I am not asking for your help in any way."
Rachel stared back at her. "OK," she said hesitantly.
"What have you got?" asked Quinn, well used to Santana's ways.
Santana rubbed her eyes in frustration. "There is too much music on your computer Q."
"That would be because I uploaded my ipod," said Rachel. "I have an extensive music library as you can imagine with a song for any occasion." she said looking straight at Santana expectantly.
"Right."
They stared at each other. Quinn was trying so hard not to laugh, she had to settle for rolling her eyes and looking away from the two. This was killing Santana.
"Perhaps I could make a few suggestions if I knew what the assignment was for," said Rachel carefully not offering help outright.
Quinn looked at Santana with eyes wide and the ghost of a smirk on her face.
"I need to... make everything alright, with B."
"Oh," smiled Rachel, as though everything was now crystal clear. "You want to perform a song for her in Glee. I get it now."
Quinn raised an eyebrow. How much did Rachel get exactly?
"So what are you thinking?" asked Rachel. "Ballad?"
"Not my style," sniffed Santana.
"What about her favourite song?"
"I'm not singing Disney."
"How about something she'd love to dance to?"
"She listens to all this weird dance stuff. Not many lyrics in them."
"What about..." Rachel was interrupted by Santana.
"I've got a possible two songs. What do you think?"
"Lets see," said Quinn jumping up from the floor where she and Rachel had all their notes laid out. "Oh wow."
"Yeah, I thought so. I'll look again."
"Uh Santana," said Quinn tentatively. "As your sometime friend I've gotta say, you cant do that song." She pointed to one of Santana's choices.
"Why not?"
"It's, um, a bit much?"
"Don't be such a prude Q."
"Do you even know what that song is about?" Asked Rachel in a hushed voice.
"It's her favourite colour."
"Trust me just this once," pleaded Quinn. "You want to say what you want to say not give Mr Shue a heart attack."
"Too much?"
"Yes. And you're really going for the Van Halen version of that song?" She asked, pointing to the other song option.
"Yeah. Totally rockin'."
"Your penchant for 70's glam rock is shining through."
"Berry, don't push me. And it's glam metal, not rock."
"I like it, I think you should go with that one."
"Well thank you, Berry it's nice to have some support instead of Kill Joy here."
"Hey."
"I should be able to enjoy the song too, Q and not have to suffer through some stupid over dramatic crap."
"I agree. If the artist isn't enjoying the performance then the emotion and intent of the whole song is thrown out of balance and the message will be lost and the whole thing would be a waste of time." Rachel took a breath but Santana had had enough.
"And that's a wrap," she unplugged her ipod and grabbed her headphones.
"Do you want any assistance for the performance?" offered Rachel.
Santana sighed. It would be good to have more singers and musicians rather than a backing track. But she'd have to be nice to them. Seeing her hesitation Quinn and Rachel exchanged a glance.
"We could ask Finn to play drums and Artie on guitar," suggested Quinn.
"I'm not having wheels anywhere near me."
"Ooh, jealous much?" Snorted Quinn.
"It wouldn't go down well if I elbowed him in the head accidentally," said Santana seriously.
"I suppose," agreed Quinn. "You're really going to do this?"
Santana took a deep breath. "I am. There cant be any way she can get the message wrong."
To her unease, Rachel was giving her a soppy smile and looked like she was about to hug her. Santana's eyes narrowed. "I'm outta here."
"We'll discuss rehearsal and choreography tomorrow," Rachel called after Santana's fast retreating form. She turned back to Quinn with a huge grin on her face. "She's really going to do it?"
Quinn nodded and smiled happily. "I think so."
Songs were 'Pink' by Aerosmith and 'You really got me' by Van Halen.