Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any songs performed in this story. This is purely a work of fiction.
A/N1: I most likely will not update after this for at least a week as I'm going to the beach. I might decide to actually hand write a chapter or two while I'm gone and then type it up when I come home but idk. We'll just see. I just wanted to let everyone know that I wouldn't be updating for a bit.
A/N2: To Phoenix, who reviewed the last chapter, I sincerely wish I could message you, but since you're a guest I have to thank you in a note in the chapter. So thank you. Your review made me feel so much better and is the reason I started working on this chapter when I did instead of waiting. So, again, thank you.
On Sunday morning Des made pancakes. She looked around in the cabinets and the fridge.
"Oh sweet merciful Lord, we're out of regular syrup," she said.
Santana laughed.
"Is the sugar-free really that bad?" she asked.
"It's horrible. But it's okay. I can make syrup."
Santana looked skeptical.
"It's easy! It's not, like, maple-y but it's like the butter flavored kind."
Santana still didn't believe her. Des smiled and dug around until she had all the ingredients.
"Come here, I'll show you how to do it," Des said.
Santana got up and went over to the stove. Des placed a pot down and grabbed the brown sugar. As she poured, she told Santana what to do.
"Brown sugar. White sugar. Corn syrup for thickening. Butter for flavor. Vanilla extract for flavor. And water."
She turned the stove eye on.
"Can you go in that drawer and get me a whisk?" Des asked, nodding to the specified drawer.
Santana handed her the whisk.
"Thank you, darlin'."
About five minutes and three pancakes later Santana was almost in a food coma.
"Can I get you anything else?" Des asked.
Santana shook her head and put a hand on her bloated stomach.
"You're going to make me fat if I move in with you!"
Des just smiled and shook her head.
"If my Granny got a look at you she'd force feed you an entire fried chicken," she said.
"Ugh," Santana groaned.
Des cleaned the dishes and dried her hands. As she turned to face Santana, one of her roommates walked into the living room. She had long dark hair, thick but well-groomed eyebrows, a long pointed nose, and hazel eyes. If she saw Des and Santana she didn't show it. She dug around in her purse and lifted throw pillows from the couch. She grunted in frustration.
"Have you seen my keys?" she asked Des without looking at her.
"Sure haven't. Did you check the bowl?"
Des moved to help.
"I'm going to check my room again. Dig in the couch cushions," the girl told her.
Santana frowned as the girl stomped off to her room. Des shoved her hand into the cushions of the couch and groped around. A few seconds the girl came back out.
"Found them," she said, walking to the door.
She left the apartment without a backward glance. Des put the cushions back in order and came to sit beside Santana.
"Okay, I know you're like a mother hen or whatever, but I can't believe you just let that bitch treat you like that," Santana said angrily.
Des frowned.
"I know. I just hate being mean."
"It's not mean, it's sticking up for yourself and demanding the respect you deserve."
Des shrugged making Santana purse her lips grumpily.
A few hours later Santana and Des went over to the coffee shop. Des' two other roommates had come home from some go-sees and been loud despite the fact that Des was obviously trying to do some work.
Des ordered a coffee and Santana got a smoothie. They went and sat at a table near the door.
"You drink a lot of coffee," Santana pointed out.
"It's why I'm so short," Des joked, taking out her planning notebook.
Santana sat quietly as Des worked. She didn't mind being quiet, though Des insisted she could talk and plan at the same time. Des was one of the only people that Santana felt comfortable sitting in silence with. Besides, she could use this time to think about her decision. Or at least she would have if Calli hadn't walked in.
Des' back was to the door, but Santana knew that her hair was unforgettable. Calli's head immediately turned in Santana's direction. A pained expression crossed her faced, but she quickly turned stony. Sensing the tension, Des looked up to see Santana looking at someone behind her. Des turned and Calli shot her an icy glare.
"Hello," Des said cheerfully, unaware of who she was speaking to.
"Hi," Calli replied flatly.
"Des, this is Calli. Calli, Des."
Santana twisted her hair nervously while a look of comprehension dawned on Des' face. Her cheeks went pink and her mouth formed a perfect circle.
"Oh. Nice to meet you. Santana's told me so much about you," Des told her, holding out a hand for her to shake.
Calli just looked at her extended hand with contempt and Des quickly withdrew it.
"Funny, she never mentioned you," Calli spat venomously.
Des smiled patiently, though her cheeks got pinker and pinker by the minute.
"Oh gosh, those muffins look delicious. I think I'll go get one," she said awkwardly.
She scurried off to wait in the line (which was at least a dozen people long) and left Santana and Calli to talk.
Calli sat down, looking upset.
"Kurt told me you've been staying with her," she said, frowning.
"Rachel and I got into it and I went to stay with her. We're fine now but I...well, a room is coming available in her apartment and I was thinking of taking it..."
Calli didn't look pleased to hear it.
"Why? I mean, if you and Rachel aren't fighting anymore, why move out?"
Santana bit her lip. Why did she feel so compelled to defend her decision? She was an adult.
"Because...It would mean I have my own space. It's not that far from them so if they needed me or we just wanted to hang out, we could."
Calli drummed her fingers on the table.
"Any other reasons?" she asked.
"No, not really. I guess I'm hoping that Rachel and Kurt and I can get along better if we're not together all the time," Santana told her, shrugging.
"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me about her," Calli said sadly.
Santana sighed.
"I didn't think it was a big deal. You and I hadn't been together that long, I didn't think you'd want a list of every person I consider a friend."
"You told me about Brittany," Calli pointed out.
"But that was different. You had the right to know about Britt because we were together before and I was in love with her. And because we're still best friends. But Des and I have nothing going on. She's just a friend who happens to give really good advice and make the best pancakes I have ever eaten in my life."
"If she's just a friend, why did you choose her over me?"
The question knocked the wind from Santana. How was she supposed to answer that? There were plenty of reasons floating around her head but she didn't think Calli really wanted to hear them. Instead, she shrugged.
I know this is a super short chapter right before a hiatus. I'm sooo sorry. I'll update as soon as possible.