A/N: Sorry it took forever but school got in the way :D I already have chapter 9 written out but it's not done yet. This chapter is sort of a filler chapter but this is where you'll meet a new character that I might include in a future arc. Hope you enjoy! I have about 13 days of senior year left so I just have to make it through this last stretch then I'm home free! OH AND DIVA! IAODHJCNKIOTWEYUGHBKJVNLA NAYA RIVERA3 but then I Do happened and my shipper heart went from IUDFSGCVHBKJIOUG to *slowly dying in a corner*
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"So are you going to tell us who this teddy bear is for?" Kurt asked as he snapped a picture of Santana holding the bear.
"It's obviously for Brittany," Quinn stated.
"My world doesn't revolve around her, you know," Santana defended herself.
"Whatever you say, Santana," Kurt snorted.
Quinn let out a chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"So maybe the bear is for Brittany. I bought my best friend a bear. Sue me."
"I don't know," Kurt said wistfully, "Teddy bears are sort of girlfriend territory to me."
Santana rolled her eyes but somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought about what Kurt said. Was this too much? She didn't want Brittany to get the wrong idea. But before she could respond, Kurt received a text and began to walk quickly.
"Kurt, what's wrong?" Quinn asked.
"Remember that shoot we're going to?" Kurt said.
"Yeah. Something about empowered young women of today or some weird crap," Santana replied
"One of the models decided to get measles. The day of the fucking shoot! This is a disaster," Kurt exclaimed.
Quinn and Santana exchanged worried looks as their friend furiously typed on his phone.
"Kurt! Thank God you're here. I'm one bobby pin away from having a nervous breakdown," Isabelle said as soon as she caught sight of Kurt.
"Do not go there! We're gonna be fine. It's New York City. How hard can it be to find a young hot woman with brains and talent?"
Isabelle nodded absentmindedly when she caught sight of Santana talking with Quinn in the background.
"Her. What about her?" Isabelle said, pointing to Santana
"What? Who?" Kurt replied.
He turned around and saw that Isabelle was pointing at Santana and Quinn.
"Which one? The blonde or the brunette?"
"The brunette! Way too many blondes out there."
"Oh," Kurt said, realizing Isabelle's sentiments, "Well, Santana is pretty I'll give her that. And she definitely has the attitude for the-"
"You know her?!"
"Yeah. We went to high school together! Come on. I'll introduce you."
They walked over to where Santana and Quinn were and the two girls stopped their conversation.
"Quinn, Santana, this is-"
"Isabelle Wright. What size are you? You looked like a 3, maybe a 2."
Santana and Quinn held out their hands but exchanged looks while Kurt let out an exasperated sigh.
"What she means is, how would you like to be a part of our feature for this month?"
"Who? Me?" Santana asked
"Very," Isabelle stated
"I don't think I fit the bill. Why not go for Quinn here? She went through a teenage pregnancy and got into Yale"
"Well, just go on and tell the whole damn planet, won't you?" Quinn scoffed.
"Oh no worries. We make no judgments here in New York," Isabelle said
"Nice to know. But Santana really is perfect for this feature," Quinn replied.
"No, I'm not-"
"She's taking up Political Science at the University of Louisville on a cheerleading scholarship," Quinn said
"She has a great voice, raspy and sultry. Sort of like a cross between Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys and Beyonce. That and she's gay" Kurt continued.
Santana's eyes widened in shock. Sure, people in college were more open but she didn't exactly go around parading her sexuality to everyone. Kurt must've noticed Santana's face because he turned to her with a smug look on his face.
"Relax, Santana. Half the city is gay. No one's gonna give you crap about being gay here."
"But that doesn't mean I'm gonna announce it to the whole damn city, Porcelain" Santana hissed.
"Porcelain?" Isabelle asked curiously.
"Santana here has a knack for giving us offensive yet creative and surprisingly fitting nicknames" Quinn answered
"I think it's part of the requirements for being head bitch," Kurt added.
Santana rolled her eyes but she couldn't hold back a soft chuckle.
"Thank you for that lovely backstory, Q and Kurt. But I highly doubt anyone would be interested in my sad miserable life."
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that. You'd be surprised at how many people will be able to relate to your story, Santana," Isabelle said.
Santana took one look at the three faces in front of her and she knew she couldn't this battle. She let out a deep sigh and turned to Isabelle.
"What do I have to do?" Santana sighed.
Quinn squealed and clapped her hands excitedly while Kurt and Isabelle let out sighs of relief. Isabelle pulled me in for a quick hug and kissed on both cheeks.
"Thank you thank you thank you! Kurt will bring you to hair and make-up. You and Quinn can go play dress up. I'm gonna go prep the photographers. We're gonna have to shoot at the studio to make this quick."
After an elaborate exchange with the stylist, Santana was finally done with hair and make up. The stylist originally wanted to give Santana the slutty college student look but all three friends immediately rejected the idea. Santana ended up wearing a loose button up polo with high waist jeans and stilettos. It wasn't too formal to make the Latina look like a stuck up but it wasn't provocative either. It was…just right. Just Santana.
"Hi, my name's Sarah. I'll be your photographer."
Santana shook the girl's hand and returned her smile.
"Sarah! There you are. Are you the one doing the shoot?" Kurt squealed as soon as he caught sight of the redhead.
"Hey, Kurt! Isabelle just called me in," Sarah said, "So, where have you been hiding this one?" she continued, pointing at me.
"Oh she's only visiting," Kurt said.
"Well I certainly hope you visit more often, Santana," Sarah said with a wink.
Santana nodded and smiled back. She couldn't deny the fact that she was flattered someone had shown interest in her. That and admittedly, Sarah was a pretty attractive woman. She stood at a height of 5'8" and had wavy auburn hair. Sarah had green eyes and pouty lips. Her voice was raspy, much like Santana's but it was lower and definitely had a sexier edge to it. [a/n: think Mila Kunis+Emma Stone+Megan Fox] Kurt couldn't help but smirk at the exchange between the two. He nudged Quinn who was toying with her phone and the two exchanged looks.
"How about we get on with that shoo?" Kurt suggested coyly.
"Right. So, uh, Santana, could you just do a couple of poses with the props? With the clear folders and books?" Sarah said.
Santana did just as she was told and carried the folders and books like she normally would. Santana wasn't exactly new to playing the camera since she'd done a couple of photo shoots before with the Cheerios but this was different. Back then, she was wearing the Cheerios uniform but now, she was naked. This time around, it was all her. Part of her was afraid but part of her was exhilarated. There was nothing to hide with and somewhere in the back of her mind, Santana couldn't help but think that maybe, she never even had anything to hide in the first place.
"These shots are great but I think we should get some candids and informal shots too," Sarah said as she browsed through the photos, "Kurt and…"
"Quinn," Quinn said with a smile
"Right. Kurt and Quinn, go join Santana in the shot and just have fun"
"How exactly do we do that?" Santana asked.
"Friday nights and the lights are low…" Kurt began to sing.
Santana's eyes widened as a smile spread across her face.
"Looking out for a place to go," Quinn continued.
"Where they play the right music," Santana sang
"Getting in the swing, you've come to look for king," Kurt sang
"Anybody could be that guy" Santana sang as she flirtily pointed to Kurt
"The night is young and the music's high," Quinn harmonized.
The trio sang and danced through the entire song like they'd been rehearsing for months. They fell back in to that old familiar pattern they'd come to share over the years. Several employees had stopped working and gathered around to watch their impromptu performance. By the time they finished, nearly everyone on the floor had crowded to the studio. Everyone broke into applause and the three friends formed a single line and bowed together.
"Alright, alright," Isabelle shouted, "Everyone go back to work!"
The crowd dispersed immediately and Isabelle walked towards the trio.
"That was amazing! I didn't know you guys were that good," Isabelle gushed.
"Show choir national champions, baby!" Santana replied
"You should see us with the rest of our glee mates," Quinn said.
"We're flawless," Kurt added.
"Well, it seems Sarah here took enough photos of you for an entire issue!" Isabelle joked, "How's about we get to that interview?"
"Sure thing. Let me go get my things," Santana said.
The Latina went over to get her bag beside Sarah's camera equipment.
"You were amazing back there," Sarah said
"Thanks. I'm sure you did some magic with your camera to make me look beautiful. God knows I need it," Santana replied.
"Oh I think you're fine on your own," Sarah whispered
Santana looked over at the redhead and grinned.
"And I bet you're dying to find out just how fine I am, aren't you?"
Sarah licked her lower lip and moved closer to Santana, slipping a thin card in to the brunette's hand.
"Why don't you call me and find out?" Sarah said before walking away with an extra sway to her hips.
Santana looked at the calling card with a huge smirk on her face. She slipped the thin card in to her pocket and went to find Isabelle.
"So, you're taking up Political Science in University of Louisville, correct?" Isabelle said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Yeah, I'm studying to become a lawyer." Santana replied.
Isabelle nodded and wrote down a few notes on her notepad.
"So, why Louisville? Is it because it's close to home?"
"Yeah, there was a person…people back home that I didn't really want to leave behind," Santana said as she recalled memories of a certain blonde back in Lima, " and I got a scholarship there so I figured, why not?"
"Ooh, right! You have a cheerleading scholarship. How'd that happen?"
"Well, my high school cheer coach—"
"Sue Sylvester, the toughest of the tough," Isabelle filled.
"Yeah," Santana chuckled, "Sue was definitely the toughest which is why I even got accepted in the first place. Her hardcore training definitely whipped me in to shape. I know they say college cheerleading is different from high school cheerleading and believe me it's true. Cheer under Sue is way easier," Santana joked.
"So your coach thought about signing you up for a scholarship? That's pretty sweet of her," Isabelle commented.
Santana clenched her jaw. She didn't think she'd have to speak about her.
"Actually, it wasn't Sue's idea. My..uhh…" Santana cleared her throat," my ex-girlfriend thought about it actually and she told Sue."
"Was she the one you were dating when you got outed?"
Santana cocked her head to the side and looked at Isabelle with a surprised look.
"I do research on all my subjects. It's nothing major though. Just the usual background on families and whatever comes up on Google,"
"Google huh? You saw the…"
"Yeah, but I didn't watch it. Not really my thing," Isabelle shrugged
"Good. Because this would've been awkward," Santana laughed.
"That's true," Isabelle laughed, "So what was that like?"
"It was…scary. I pretty much survived high school because everyone feared me. When I got outed, I was pretty sure it would all change and things would be different," Santana replied, seemingly lost in her thought, "And true enough, they were. It was hard, you know? My parents were supportive and so were my friends. But then, there were always…people who were just so…hateful. They were filled with hatred. And they wanted me to feel that hate, and I did. And it sucked."
"When did things get better?" Isabelle asked softly.
" Honestly? I don't know. There are still people like them. People who'd make rude comments or make a pass at me hoping for some threesome or something. But after I got outed, after some time, I just…stopped caring about what they thought. Because for the first time in my life, I was happy. I was free. I was…I was in love and I didn't have to hide. It didn't matter to me that people didn't like it. I was too engrossed in my own little fairytale," Santana said with a smile.
"So, this ex-girlfriend of yours…was it serious?"
"Yeah, it was…it was pretty serious," Santana said, feeling a lump in her throat form.
"Any relationships since then? I'm sure someone as attractive as you would've picked up someone by now."
"No, just living the single life," Santana grined, "I'm more of a one woman kinda girl"
"So I take it you believe in soul mates? Fate? True love?" Isabelle grinned
Santana met Isabelle's gaze head on then allowed her eyes to drift to the shiny bracelet on her wrist and back to Isabelle's gaze.
"I do," Santana admitted.
"Have you ever loved someone?"
"Of course. Believe it or not, I'm a very lovable person," Santana said with a wink.
"Have you ever been in love with someone?"
"I have. Only once though,"
"What was it like?"
"Like it was a once in a lifetime thing,"
Isabelle eyed the girl in front of her curiously but simply nodded. Before she could say anything, Santana's phone began to ring and the brunette immediately answered it.
"You got S-Lo. What's up?" Santana said
Santana's brows furrowed and her entire figured stiffened.
"I'll be on the next flight out." Santana said.
She put down the phone and turned to Isabelle.
"I am so so sorry for this but something came up and I need to go back home to Lima."
"Santana, what happened?"
"It's a long story. But Brittany needs me. I need to go,"
Without another word, Santana rushed off to the subway leaving Isabelle all alone.
"Brittany," Isabelle said as she wrote down the name, "Who are you and how do you fit in to Santana's life?"
A/N: There it is! I really wanted some Santana development in this chapter to prepare for future chapters. And yes, Isabelle will be playing a bigger role than in the tv series :D Leave a review please? They give me inspiration to write ;)
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