A/N: Fun fact, I actually took the being thrown in a pool experience from my own school experience when I was back in middle school. It sucks man, really bad haha. I'm glad that I was able to touch some of you in such a way, I felt pretty bad for Brittany myself):

Thank you once again to everyone who took the time to review, follow, and favorite! Your support is the only thing that keeps me writing so quickly and honestly, each one makes me so happy. I'm really glad you're enjoying this story as much as I am writing it!

Chapter Four – Why Don't You Like Me

Brittany walked into school Monday morning with her head held high, not acknowledging the snickers and insults flung her way, worse than ever before.

She knew the entire school was aware of Puck's party and their harassment, which the trio had later renamed as the 'unspeakable night', but she figured if she acted dumb, they would all go away with time.

She fast walked to Sam's locker, leaning against it and releasing a slow sigh.

" Already that bad, huh?" Sam smiled at her, eyes sympathetic.

Brittany gave a one-shoulder shrug but nodded her head anyways. " I just don't get it. What did we do, Sam? If I knew I would-"

" Brittany, stop," Sam cut her off gently, " what Santana did was beyond messed up. There is no excuse for it and none of this is your fault."

" Well maybe I could have-"

" No Britt, Sam's right." Rachel sidled up beside them, mimicking Brittany's position. " I do admit that the unspeakable night was indubitably embarrassing for us all, but what she did was entirely on her shoulders alone. I still can't understand what her problem is."

The three sighed loudly in unison, shoulders slumping from exhaustion.

" All this thinking is giving me a headache." Brittany closed her eyes and exhaled deeply through her nose.

" It will get better, Britt, I pro-"

Brittany suddenly felt cool drops of water mist her and she automatically recognized the feeling as slushie remains. But she wasn't dripping in it, so what the...

She cracked her eyes open behind her glasses, seeing a drenched Rachel and Sam holding their arms out to avoid the slushie dripping down their shirts and faces.

" Two dorks for the price of one, score!" Santana high fived Puck, who stood leering next to her.

Something snapped inside of Brittany at that moment. Instead of seeing her best friends, she saw every slushie ever thrown in her face. Every insult stabbing at her already fragile heart, being thrown into Puck's pool, every cold glare from Santana Lopez.

Enough was Enough.

" Who the fuck do you think you are, Lopez? Huh?" Brittany rounded on the girl, slamming her hands roughly against her chest, " Do you feel better now? Is the big, bad bully happy about her work?"

Brittany backed Santana up against the lockers on the opposite side of the hallway, a small crowd gathering to witness the bizarre fight.

Santana for the most part remained shocked into silence. Her widened eyes and dropped jaw would have been pretty comical to the blonde if she hadn't been so furious.

Now she knew how the incredible hulk felt.

She kinda wished she had Superman's powers though. Oh! Or Spiderman's! That would be so damn cool, slinging webs and shit and-

Focus Brittany!

Brittany shook her head and continued to glare at the brunette underneath her hands. " Why do you do this, Santana? Why do you feel the need to make our lives a living hell? What the fuck did we do? I'm so sorry for whatever it was I did, but you do not bring my friends into it. If you want to flip your shit about this, fine. But you even think of touching them and I don't care if you beat the shit out of me, I'll land at least one good hit in."

Santana's face had been wiped of any emotion at this point, staring blankly ahead and seemed to be blocking out Brittany completely, which only further pissed off the blonde nerd.

" I thought we could be friends," Brittany continued, suddenly getting quieter, " I thought maybe there was so much more to you than these...these horrible things. What you did Friday night was the worst thing you've ever done to me, and I'll never forget it. I just don't get it, Santana..." She trailed off, releasing her hold on the Latina and stepping back.

Her eyesight was slowly blurring, hot tears welling up and cascading down her face. She felt the irrepressible sob build in her throat but did nothing to stop it.

" Why don't you like me?" She whispered, slowly sinking to her knees and holding herself tightly, body finally wracking with heartbreaking sobs.

Sam and Rachel were quick to pick her up, leading her away from the gawking crowd who had become eerily silent.

One tear fell from dark eyes, followed by another, and another. Soon they were unstoppable. Santana pushed off the locker and pushed her way through the crowd toward the one person she cared about most, but hurt the worst.

" You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

" I swear to god, Sam, if you quote The Help one more time, I'll make sure you are no longer anatomically male." Brittany snapped through her tears, accepting the wad of toilet paper handed to her by Rachel.

Sam quieted instantly.

She knew she shouldn't be snapping at her friends, but everything she had been holding back had finally broken free, like a dam slowly collapsing to let loose its pent up pressure.

" I'm done with her, you know? She may be a beautiful face with a good name attached, and once upon a time I might have thought she was something more. Stupid, right?" Brittany sniffled self-deprecatingly, shaking her head back and forth.

" No, Britt. Not at all, actually," Rachel gently brushed back a few loose strands of her blonde hair, " You just see the good in everyone, no matter how abhorrent their behavior is. If she can't see how perfect you are, it's her loss."

Sam nodded along with the tiny diva. " She's right, you know. You're too kind for your own good sometimes. What's that quote you used to say," Sam paused momentarily in thought, " Oh, right! A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference."

Brittany's blue eyes watered slightly at another Pooh Bear quote her father fed to her every night before bed, when he'd tuck her in and read to her before she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The sound of the bathroom door swinging open caused all three of the nerds to jump slightly, Rachel more dramatically than the others.

Because come on, it's Rachel.

" You two," Santana gestured to Sam and Rachel, " out. Pierce and I need to talk."

" Where do you get off telling us what the hell-" Sam started angrily, but was cut off quickly by the clearly distraught Latina.

" Look guppyface, you're not even supposed to be in here right now. This is the girls bathroom, and unless those rumors about you are true, which wouldn't surprise me actually, you are not a woman. So out." Santana finished, hands landing on her hips.

" While I do admit that Sam shouldn't be in here right now, he wouldn't have to be if it wasn't for your appalling behavior earlier. Leaving Brittany with you is the last thing we would do right now." Rachel spoke up, voice dripping with anger she never even knew she possessed.

Guess big things do come in tiny packages.

Santana rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the broken blonde sitting on the floor, back pressed against the bathroom wall, her pale arms protectively holding herself together.

" What do you want, Santana?" Brittany asked weakly, rubbing her running nose against her wrist.

" I...I just...I wanted to apologize." Santana stated quietly, looking vulnerable for the first time since Brittany had found her sobbing.

Sam and Rachel shared incredulous looks. Santana Lopez was apologizing?

They would definitely be on the lookout for flying pigs.

" Oh, well that's great. Can you please go now?" Brittany snorted, turning her head away from her friends and tormentor.

Santana looked at her, disbelieving the dismal she had just received. " Pierce, come on, it was just a joke-"

" A joke? Really, Santana?" Brittany shot up and felt all the anger in her system come bubbling forward, " Telling me I should be sterilized is funny? Or having my best friends and I thrown into a pool, that was just freaking hilarious. Breaking at least three pairs of my glasses, that one was a hoot."

The blonde nerd paced back and forth, oblivious to the three shocked pairs of eyes staring after her.

" Brittany-"

" Don't you dare call me that, Santana. Call me what you always do! Call me Pervy! Call me a freak, call me a pervert, a nerd! But don't you ever call me that." Brittany spat out venomously.

" I-it's...it's your name, though, isn't it?" Santana tried desperately to diffuse the situation. How the fuck did the nerd end up outsmarting the bully?

" Then why haven't you ever called me by it?" Brittany stopped pacing, staring Santana dead in the eye.

" What are you talking about? I-I have."

" Go ahead then, tell me. Tell me when you have."

Santana racked through her brain for any memory of using the blonde's full name, coming up with none.

" Exactly," Brittany continued after a momentary pause, " You can't. I accept this now, whatever this is. Bully me, punch me, throw me in pools, whatever. I'm giving you permission. I give up on you." Brittany latched onto Rachel and Sam's arms, pulling them out of the bathroom with her.

" You okay, Britt?" Sam asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

" Shit!"

" What? What happened?" Rachel asked quickly, searching for whatever made her blonde friend freak out.

" I forgot my backpack in the bathroom, I'll be right back." And with that Brittany turned around and pushed through the doors, met with a strangely familiar sight.

Santana stood holding out Brittany's backpack, tears streaming down her face.

" Uh, thanks?" Brittany murmured, taking it out of her hands cautiously.

She turned back around when a gentle whisper floated through the air.

" P-please, don't g-give up on me."

The blonde slowly turned around and leveled her best I-don't-give-a-fuck-look onto her bully of so many years.

" Where were you when I was constantly being slushied for four years, Santana? You threw me into a dumpster the day after my father died. You had the school toilet paper my house on my birthday. You told the entire school that I was a lesbian. It's too late, Santana."

And then she was gone, the door slamming hard behind her.

It was in that moment that Santana Lopez knew she would do whatever it takes to fix the girl she had broken.

A/N: I guess Santana finally realizes she can't treat anyone she wants however she wants anymore, huh? Hope you guys enjoyed this update! More to come(: Thoughts?