A/N: Thank you for the ideas! I'll try to come up with something using those ideas you gave me. And yes, sexual things will come soon, just not yet. Other ideas are definitely suitable for this story. So thank you for your participation. You can still leave more in the reviews. :)
From this chapter onwards, the update schedule will be irregular mainly because I end school at 9pm on Fridays which means it'll take me some time to read through what I've read and also because I might still be writing the next chapter. If you want to know when I'll be updating, you can visit my Twitter: FraesThatAgain. I'll try my best to update as soon as possible. :)
Chapter 10 – The Studio
You sat on the stool in the kitchen quietly smiling at yourself as you watched McKenzie cook something up for you. You rested your head on your palm as McKenzie's words zoomed by you. It was clear that you were deep in your thoughts because it took her three calls of your name and a spatula to your face to get you right back onto earth.
"Girl, what's up with you lately?" she asked as she turned back to tend her cooking. "You've been zoning out every now and then."
"It's nothing," you lied. "I just feel… at ease?"
It came out more of a question than a statement. It was like you didn't even know what you were feeling other than happy.
McKenzie set aside the saucepan and put out the fire before turning and leaning back against the counter with her hands folded. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, examining you from afar. It was probably the longest she had gone without saying anything.
"There's something you're not telling me," she stepped away from the counter slowly. "And I have a hunch it has something to do with someone."
You gave her a menacing look and snarled at her but McKenzie wasn't about to give up just yet. She somehow managed to look through you and your lies. She might look like a really carefree and fun person that doesn't at all look like she could tell something was up but she definitely knew something was not right.
"Santana," she dragged. "Tell me nothing happened between you and Brittany."
What? How? Were you that obvious?
Your eyes grew wide and you sat up straighter, taking in a gulp of air as you did so. You were screwed. This was not supposed to happen. No one was supposed to know about it. But before you could process your thoughts, the words just spilled out like water.
"Please, don't tell Quinn," you whispered as you begged. "She's gonna kill me if she finds out."
"Oh ho ho!" she jumped with joy, covering her mouth as she did so. "Details, Santana! I need details!"
You scrunched up your face and angled your body slightly away from her as you recalled the entire scene. "Well… we… she kind of kissed me?"
"Like on the lips or on the cheek?" she whisper-screamed as she shook your body vigorously.
"Lips," you replied just above whisper.
McKenzie's scream deafened you for a moment, causing you to cup your ears as you tried to quiet her down. Apparently, she was way more excited than you were, not that you didn't like the kiss but the fact that she was acting like a mother whose child had just spoken his first words. That was how happy she was.
After all the questions she shot you about how great a kisser Brittany was and what her lips were like, you tried distancing yourself away from her but she just kept coming back with more questions. You were starting to get annoyed by them so you told her off before apologizing for shouting at her. It did do the trick, though. She finally quieted down but that creepy smile was still on her face.
McKenzie's gleefulness aside, you felt relieved to have told someone about it. You trusted her enough to keep it a secret. McKenzie had plated your portion of the food she had cooked up and served it to you before sitting at her side of the island and fed herself.
"Where's Quinn?" you asked with your mouth full of food.
"I don't know, out with a friend or something," she shrugged, not caring much of where or who Quinn went out with.
Sam.
"When will she be back?" you added.
"No idea, why not you call and ask her?" she suggested like it was plain obvious.
You cleared your plate and left the empty plate in the sink before heading to your room to get your phone. You sat down on your bed and searched through your contacts. You took a deep breath in and called the chosen number. Five rings in and the person finally answered.
"Hey," you greeted lowly. "What are you doing?"
"Hi, nothing much," answered the voice you knew all too well. "Just taking a short break during class."
Class? She's still studying?
"Why not you swing by the studio and surprise the kids?" she suggested, sounding hopeful.
Right, dance class.
You looked over to the alarm clock and then to the door before accepting her offer. After hanging up, you sat there on your bed and a million thoughts washed over you. A smile slowly crept up on your face as you stood up and looked at yourself in the mirror. Your outfit seemed decent enough, especially when you had to ride your bike to the studio. You had on a pair of white skinny jeans and a grey t-shirt accessorized by a black scarf around your neck.
As you walked down the hall, you shouted at McKenzie, informing her that you were off somewhere and that she should stay in the house in case Quinn gets home. McKenzie was just visiting you for a week before she heads back up to Toronto to visit her family. You heard her groaned and apologized before walking out the front door and to your private garage.
You fished out your bike key and hopped on your black Ducati 848 Evo you bought two years ago before putting on your sunglasses and then your helmet. You inserted the key and twisted it, igniting the engine before you revved the motor. You slowly backed out of the garage, remembering to lock the garage after before speeding off to the studio.
/
You pulled up along the sideway and took off your helmet as you stared at the building. Paparazzi had already mobbed you and blocking your view of the building. The constant shouting from them were starting to get on your nerves so you just put on the helmet and zoomed to the parking lot just behind the building. Apparently, they were not about to give up just yet. They were running behind you and taking photos as they did so.
After parking, you got off your bike and quickly made your way to the studio. You watched Brittany's class from outside and waited for the right moment to come in. The students looked so invested in what they were doing. Brittany on the other hand was hard at work. You could clearly see how passionate she was. It was like she was born to teach.
You looked through the small window of the door as Brittany teaches and admired her from afar. After spending the last minute staring, you took out your phone from your pocket and began searching for her name. A smile instantly popped onto your face when you saw her last message before inserting something in the message box.
Santana: I'm outside.
You hit the Send button before looking through the window again. Brittany was still busy with the students to realize her phone was lighting up. It was when a student mentioned it to her that she went to read it.
"Santana Lopez's texting Brittany?" asked the same student to her friend. "Is that the real Santana Lopez or somebody else with the same name?"
You saw her friend shrugged and stared at Brittany intensely. Apparently, half the class had overheard her and was eagerly waiting for an answer from Brittany. Brittany on the other hand was still on her phone smiling at what could be your text. She looked up at the students before excusing herself for a moment.
You took a couple steps back as Brittany approached the door. You could already see her face lit up through the small window, making you return the smile. You made sure you weren't able to be seen when the door open to avoid any unnecessary screaming which could in turn attract the paparazzi who were waiting at the foot of the building. Brittany squeezed through the small opening before shutting the door behind her and went on to greet you.
"I'm sorry but there's like a hundred photographers outside the building," you said apologetically, creasing your brows at the same time. "I don't even know how I'll exit this place after this."
"Don't worry, there's a secret passage leading to the parking lot only a few people know, including me that we can take," she reassured you, her eyes so soft and full of adoration. "But before that, c'mon in. Greet the students. They're already wondering if you were the one who sent me that text."
Your lips curled up at the ends and you ducked your head a little before following her into the room. At first, the room was almost silent when they noticed you but then they burst out into a cheer, clapping their hands and repeating words of surprises over and over again. You almost forgot the first time you came here after you had wrapped up your tour. The first student you set your eyes on was Caleb, that sixteen year old boy who had slightly insulted you but was then quickly forgiven by Brittany. You smiled at him before calling him out by his name, making him blush hard. His guy friends were wooing at him and making comments on how you knew his name and what he did to you that made you remember it.
"Please, Caleb here insulted me the first time I came here," you smiled at the boys.
They instantly shut their mouths and stared at you. You almost laughed at how frightened they were. Brittany elbowed you in the ribcage, causing you to curl up in pain for a brief second. She shook her head at you before focusing her attention on the class.
"In case you were wondering, Santana Lopez came here at her free will," she announced.
"But how did you know she's coming?" asked a young female student.
"Good question," she replied. "I invited her here earlier."
"You have her number?" asked the student who saw your name on Brittany's phone.
Your eyes widened at her question. You quickly faced Brittany, hoping she wouldn't give away any answers that could possibly cause you to get grilled by Quinn. Brittany, however, just looked at her with the kindest eyes.
"That's not important," she answered. "What's important is that you guys got a visit from a celebrity. That kind of beats everything if you asked me."
You let out a sigh of relief. Thank god Brittany didn't answer that question. If she did, the students would have told someone who will then tell another person and so on. And this would be a huge problem because the both of you were already in a few rumours. A mistake right now could only cause more problems and you don't even want any more of it.
You spent an hour chatting with the students and answering their questions. Brittany had to wrap it up because she had to lock the room because the class was already over. You heard the students protesting to let this moment last a little longer but she was strict when it comes to her job. When she says it's time to lock up, it was time to lock up. No exceptions whatsoever.
Brittany pulled you to the side as she watched her students walk away. It was only when they had gone that she started a conversation with you.
"So I'll walk you to the parking lot?" she requested. "By the way, how'd you get here?"
"Bike," you shrugged. "But I don't think it'll be such a good idea going there right now... I kinda… attracted some unwanted 'pests'."
Brittany stopped dead on her tracks after hearing what you just said. She turned fully toward you and demanded an explanation from the looks of her face. It wasn't entirely your fault. Those people were too invested in stalking you. You can't even go out without being followed.
With a sigh, Brittany looked back at you and spoke, "you know what? We'll walk through the hidden walkway leading to the lot. I parked my car there. I can drive you back to your house and make sure those people are gone before I send you back here to pick up your bike."
You thought for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea but the fact that she had to drive to and fro was rather troublesome. You took in a deep breath and tried to think of some cleverer plan. And then it hit you.
"How about I drop by your place for a couple of hours?" you asked. "Maybe then it won't be so troublesome for you to come pick me up since I'm already at your place. This way you'll save gas and time."
"I can be down with that," she smiled, interlinking your pinkie with hers as she led you to some place you didn't even know existed.
It almost felt like you were taking the hidden staircase to your apartment. The walkway was just as empty and creepy as the hidden staircase. Heaven knows what people do in here. As you looked down at your hand, you couldn't help but grinned widely. It suddenly brought you back to the first concert but this time it was Brittany who held your hand.
Once you were at the ground level, Brittany peeked around the corners to check if there were any paparazzi lingering around the area. It felt like the stealth missions McKenzie always tells you about whenever she talks about the games she played. You were too distracted by Brittany's stealthy posture to even realize she was way ahead of you.
You tiptoed toward her, making sure to keep a lookout for any photographers. Brittany was already at the passenger's door when you arrived. She even had the door opened for you so you could just sneak in swiftly.
"Keep your head low," she whispered. "Stay out of sight."
You were halfway to her house when you changed your mind. You looked over to Brittany who had a slight smile plastered on her face even though it was barely visible. But you just didn't feel right going to her house. You took in a few deep breaths to calm yourself down before speaking.
"How about we just head to any café?" you suggested.
You saw how Brittany's brows suddenly creased like she was confused at the sudden change of plans. She looked at you through the rear-view mirror. From the nod she gave you, you knew she wasn't entirely sure or sold to the sudden change. As you turned the corner, you saw how tensed she was.
Did you say something wrong?
Brittany had pulled up at the café you grown to know very well. Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea was fiest introduced to you by Quinn when you first moved to LA. It had been awhile since you last been here. Brittany pulled the handbrake and stared at the stirring wheel. No, not at it, through it.
With a sigh, she turned facing you and smiled, "I thought I'd bring you to your favourite café."
You looked at her surprised. How did she know what your favourite café was?
"I read somewhere that you love their coffee," Brittany spoke softly, throwing you a small smile as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
You smiled back and unbuckled yours as you opened the door and stepped out. You almost forgot how aromatic the place was. It had a strong smell of roasted coffee that you've grown to love. You waited as Brittany locked her car and led you both to an empty table at the alfresco.
It took you awhile before the tension disappeared. Brittany was laughing to your lame jokes now. You realized that Brittany was the kind of person who doesn't hold on to grudges for long and she wasn't the kind that screams at others when she's angry or pissed off. In short, she was the complete opposite of you.
"Brittany?" said a voice from behind you.
"Hi Blaine!" she stood up as the person moved closer.
You turned around in your chair to see who it was. Apparently, Brittany was friends with your stylist's boyfriend. What a weird coincidence it was? Blaine finally acknowledged your presence and greeted you. You looked over to Brittany who seemed really excited.
"You know Blaine?" you asked her curiously.
"Yeah, he's Sam's best friend," she answered. "How'd you know him?"
"He's my stylist's boyfriend…" you stared at him.
This was starting to get awkward and weird way too quickly. Blaine's Kurt's boyfriend who happened to be Sam's buddy and Sam was Brittany's roommate. He was also dating Quinn. This was too weird for your liking.
You shifted uncomfortably in your chair and stared at your cup of coffee as Brittany talked to Blaine. Brittany had noticed how uncomfortable you looked and her smile instantly vanished. She reached across the table and layered her hands over yours, hoping to get you to look at her. You could see how worried she was but you just flashed her a smile. With a nod, she returned her attention to Blaine who was now awkwardly standing at the side.
"Well, she's here mainly because all the paparazzi stalked her to the studio," she said with a shrug. "And I had to sneak her out. We'll be heading there in a few to get her bike."
"How about I drive her there?" Blaine suggested, raising his brows and making them look even more ridiculous. "I know you guys were caught up in a few rumours recently. Why not I drive her there? So she won't be accused of any silly stuff like that."
Your eyes darted to him before it redirected to Brittany's. You could obviously see her sadness but there was some understanding in them.
"I'm okay if she's okay with it," Brittany faked a smile, locking eyes with yours.
"Yeah..." you said unsurely before repeating the word with much more certainty. "Yeah, he's got a point."
You felt horrible for leaving Brittany by herself at the alfresco. You saw how she just stirred her coffee lazily and how upset she looked. If Blaine said it was for the best, maybe he was right. Maybe you should try to keep a low profile whenever you're out with Brittany.
You walked alongside Blaine to his car which was parked at the far end of the road. Sometimes you wonder why people would torture themselves up this steep hill just to get to their cars. Halfway there, Blaine decided to start a conversation. You on the other hand was staring blankly at the pavement.
"So how are you and the gang?" he smiled. "Kurt told me a lot about how your first nationwide tour turned out."
"We're good," you shrugged. "Just trying to catch up with sleep and such. How's Kurt? I haven't seen him in a while."
"He's great," Blaine's face lit up. "He's happier now that his dad is recovering."
You mentally cursed yourself for forgetting that his dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. You just gave him a slightly nod and continued your walk to his car in silence.
It didn't surprise you so much when you found out that he owned a vintage Volkswagen Beetle. There was something about him that screamed hipster. He opened the door for you before going over to his side of the car and igniting the engine. The smile that was on his face earlier was long gone. He looked so focused on the road even before both of you set off. It looked like he was preparing for a race.
The short journey there was nowhere near exciting. You spent the entire time staring out the window with your head rested on the glass. All you were able to think about was what Brittany was doing at the café if she was still there. Blaine had already pulled up at the lot and was waiting for you to leave.
"Santana? Are you okay?" he asked in the most comforting tone.
You just nodded and cleared your throat before unlocking the door and stepping out. The most of the paparazzi had already left but there was still a handful that stayed behind because they were too soaked up in their jobs.
You approached your bike quietly but it soon turned into a mad rush when one of them spotted you. You hurriedly put on your glasses and helmet before zooming off.
/
It was already late and Quinn had yet to come home. McKenzie was spread out on the couch in the living room flipping through a magazine and verbally commenting on every stupid column she came across. You on the other hand was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling with your phone rested on your stomach.
Suddenly, you heard the front door unlocked followed by the couple's giggles. McKenzie nudged your body with her foot and pointed her thumb toward the source.
"Just her boyfriend," you whispered.
McKenzie immediately sat upright and tried peeking around the wall that restricted the view of the door. And as expected, you heard the smacking of the lips followed by shy goodbyes. Were you that lucky to have caught Quinn kissing Sam two days in a row?
Quinn walked into the living room with a smile as big as half her face and a heavy tint of red on both her cheeks. You repositioned yourself and sat leaning against the couch, smirking at her. You heard McKenzie stifling her laugh behind you, making you smirk even wider and Quinn blushed redder.
"How's Mr Muscle?" you teased.
"Shut up," she giggled.
"C'mon Q, how's your boyfriend?" McKenzie urged on.
"He is not my boyfriend," she countered. "We just went out a couple of times and besides, he's sweet... and cute."
You almost burst out in laughter upon hearing that. You had forgotten how Quinn acted when she likes someone because the last time she did so was ages ago. Quinn brushed it off and walked to her room, remembering to lock the door upon entering. You looked back at McKenzie who was still partly confused as to when Quinn even got herself a boyfriend.
The last time you remembered Quinn sharing a first kiss with someone was definitely not on her first date. It took her almost a month before she allowed the guy to kiss her. It made you question at how Sam was able to kiss her on their first date, if that was even their first date.
Quinn's personal life was soon forgotten and replaced by yours. McKenzie was shooting you questions about Brittany and how you two were doing. You wanted to lie and say it was as beautiful as Quinn's but it wasn't. Neither of you had touched the topic yet, and it didn't seem like you two would any time soon. Soon enough, McKenzie found your love life boring and rested on her back and continued browsing the magazine.
You looked down at your phone on the floor before picking it up and searching for Brittany's name. You contemplated on texting her but then decided to call her instead. You just wanted to hear her voice before you head to bed. It was like a lullaby to your ears. You stood up and headed to your room before hitting the call button and sat on your bed as you waited for her to pick up.
"Hello?" she spoke.
"Hey Britt, how are you?" you tried to sound as genuine as you could.
"I'm fine, you?"
"Great," you answered. "Um… I'm sorry you weren't able to send me back to the studio earlier… but thank you for helping me get away from them."
"It's okay," she responded, you could almost see her smile at the other end. "Uh… when are you taking off again?"
You took in a deep breath before sighing into the transmitter. Now that she mentioned it, you realized you only had a week before you head off to Europe for the European tour. Your smile was long gone and all you could feel now was sorrow. You told her the amount of time you had left and silence was all you could hear coming from the other end.
It felt too soon. Everything was moving too fast. It was just yesterday that she made the first move and now you realized that things won't be moving any further until your tour has been wrapped up. That meant staying where you two were for another month… unless you hire her, not as a dancer because it was far too late for that now but as something else.
You knew for a fact that Quinn would be bringing her Romeo along which also meant that Brittany would be home alone with her cat. If you were to bring her with you to Europe, that would mean Lord Tubbington had to come along. It wasn't such a bad idea because you could finally be able to meet him and if all went well, you could possibly be his best buddy. It was ironic because you weren't a huge fan of cats. You were a dog person and had always been one. There was something about cats that made them look bitchy.
"Um Britt?" you spoke. "Do you want to come with me? With us to Europe?"
There was a pause at the other end. You waited anxiously for her answer. It would be nice if she could come. "But I… Lord Tubbington? And Quinn?"
"He can come too," you replied before sounding more uncertain with your next answer. "I'll try talking to her."
"I still have to teach the kids," spoke a small voice. "I can't just cancel their classes like that."
Right, her students.
You almost forgotten that she had a real job now. Taking her away would only result in her getting sacked. But the worse was how much she actually loved her students and disappearing just like that for a month was far too long for her. You knew it wasn't about the money she was worried about but her students.
Without thinking, you blurted out the next few words that were totally irrelevant to the topic you were talking about. "Do you want to go out for a movie or dinner tomorrow night?"
And there it was again, the pause you hated. You were starting to recall how nerve-wrecking it was to wait for an answer from her because you were too afraid of getting a negative response.
"I'd love to," replied the blonde.
Your doubts were now replaced with nothing but relief as you blew out a puff of air. You couldn't believe that you had just asked a girl out. It might have been accidental but the outcome was great. No, it was amazing. You'll be going out with the girl who made you believe that there is hope even after that nasty incident a few years ago. There was hope for you to start your life again with someone.
"I'll pick you up then?" you told her.
"But you don't know where I live," she added.
Oh crap, of course. She had never brought you to her house or told you her address. Well, that was embarrassing. She proceeded to tell you her address. You hurriedly grabbed whatever that was writable and can be written on.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" she said with utmost adoration she could muster.
Sometimes you thought to yourself, "how did you even manage to find someone like her?" You knew that this relationship at this moment was nothing more than friends but you were starting to lose yourself in the sea of emotions. You didn't know how you felt right now. Were you falling or were you just passing by?
You whispered a goodnight to her before locking your phone and lied down with your hands stretched across the bed. You couldn't wipe off the stupid smile on your face. Your heart was still racing and that feeling you had at the pit of your stomach was still stirring around.
"La buena vida," you spoke just above a whisper.
You stirred around in your bed as you rose from the best dream. You still had the smile you had on before you went to bed the previous night. The warm bright light shining in from your window kissed your face. You couldn't put a word to how happy you were that particular morning. Your heart started beating rapidly as soon as you thought of the particular blonde you were about to bring out later that night. It felt like the day you came home from the first national tour but better.
You jumped off the bed and bounced your way to the bathroom for a refreshing shower before heading down to the kitchen to find Quinn and McKenzie in their most natural habitat. It was no surprise when you found Quinn flipping over the bacon strips and McKenzie licking her cereal bowl clean before refilling it.
"Morning Santana," greeted Quinn whose back was still facing you.
"About time you got up," McKenzie rudely interrupted as she pointed her spoon to you. "I was dying of boredom."
You rolled your eyes playfully at her as you sat yourself down at the island counter. It was weird, seeing all of you sitting down for breakfast together. The last time you remembered doing this was probably years ago before you started this career. Ever since you started, you found it so hard to make time for breakfast because you were always rushing out to somewhere.
This last few days in LA wasn't as packed as the first few weeks. Quinn might have noticed how worn out you were and how badly you needed the rest which might have resulted in the decrease in interviews and photo shoots.
"Why the huge grin?" Quinn asked as she walked up to you and McKenzie with a plateful of her trigger food. "Did someone die?"
You let out a couple of sarcastic laughs before turning to the dark-haired girl and sending her a wink. You could see how her blank face slowly morphed, making your smile even wider. Quinn sat down as she chewed on a small piece of bacon as she awaited your answer.
"No, but someone lives," you said cheerfully. "How are you and Sam?"
"He asked me out for a movie," she replied calmly but you could see how hard she was blushing.
"You're going out with him again?!" McKenzie raised her voice and spoon. "You might as well move in with him."
McKenzie turned back to tend to her empty bowl before refilling it with more Honey Berry Crunch she had packed with her from Canada. Quinn, however, had her signature eyebrow arch and that slightly parted mouth. You just sat there not knowing if you should even attempt saying anything or just leave it as it was for the fear of Quinn suddenly flaring up.
"Uh, so..." you slowly tilted your head and narrowed your eyes. "Which cinema are you two going to?"
"Arclight, why?" she knitted her brows at you in question.
Damn it, Fabray.
"Uh, it's nothing..." you shrugged. "Umm... have fun with Froggy Lips."
You smiled before standing up and walking out of the kitchen and to your bedroom. You plummeted down on your bed and scrolled down your twitter timeline before remember why you came into that room for. You exited the application before opening Safari and searched for any venue as far away from Fabrevans as possible. Then, it hit you.
/