She was gone.
Brittany got up, grabbed Liam and left.
She was gone.
Santiago was just sitting there. He didn´t know what has happened. Brittany looked at him in shock, when he told her to marry him. All he wanted was to make her happy. To support her and Liam, but all Brittany did… she just walked out on him.
Brittany got up, grabbed Liam and left.
He was alone. Alone. She didn´t even say goodbye. She just left.
Santiago felt like a ghost.
He just got up from the floor and turned off the TV. After that he just walked into his bedroom and lay down. He spent the next two days in bed, feeling completely beside himself.
He was sleepless. Insomnia became his new trade mark. Santiago was feeling himself becoming weak and due to pure exhaustion he passed out after three days of no sleep.
The Latino was well aware that Finn would return soon. He had to become his old self again or rather a depiction of himself. There was no way Santiago could be happy again.
When his roommate returned, Finn told him that he would move out by the end of the month. The Latino was glad, since this would only be two more weeks. He could easily afford the apartment by himself. Having nobody around was good for the Latino. Being on his own would be good.
The following days Santiago barely functioned. He pretended to be sick and spent most of his time in his room. He avoided Puck questions about him and Brittany the best he could. However, Puck became more and more persistent. One day Santiago almost yelled at him, telling him to stop the third degree and fuck off.
After that life seemed to go back to normal, as much as possible. He smiled at Puck´s stupid jokes. He helped Finn, carrying the boxes out of their apartment and into the truck. When Finn finally left with the last boxes, Santiago hugged him and went back into the apartment. Puck had no chance of following him.
The Latino grabbed a beer out of the fridge and wandered through the empty apartment. Finn took his furniture and Santiago made a mental note on buying some new stuff.
Sipping on his beer he walked over to the couch and opened his laptop checking online for a dining table and something to put into his former roommates room. It took some time and after a while he decided on a small table for four and some plain chairs. He didn´t need anything fancy. Just something to use a desk from time to time and for the meals he wouldn´t eat sitting in front of the tv.
Not knowing what to do with the empty room he closed the laptop and finished his beer. It was already untypical for him to drink at this time of the day, but he was surprised that he went for another one.
December came and Santiago hoped that Brittany would still watch. He played well. Brittany shouldn´t stop him from doing his job right. Still, he drew a B on his chest every time he scored. The fans went wild and when he sat in class girls were all over him.
He hoped that Brittany would answer his calls or messages, but nothing. She ignored him completely.
The blonde was just like Santiago totally confused. The weeks, 3 by now, were torture. She knew walking out of the apartment that night was stupid. She wanted to call, she really did. But the days passed and she didn´t know what to say. She couldn´t answer his calls. Because every time she saw his name, she was paralyzed.
She worked as much as she could to distract herself from the handsome Latino that kept her mind busy. Sugar wondered why Brittany worked up to 12 private dances a night, but then just shrugged it off. Dances meant money and Sugar loved money.
Brittany hated every single dance she sold. But making up to $3000 a night kept her going. She had a plan and she wanted to make it come true as soon as possible. Getting out of the Sugar Cube had to happen. The blondes´ thoughts went so far off leaving LA and moving somewhere else.
A new start was something could use. The fear of seeing Santiago again was too great. She had to let him go. His sisters made this clear and it was the best for him. He didn´t need a good for nothing stripper. She said to herself that this was the right decision.
One evening she was at home, Liam was already in bed and Quinn´s daughter was fast asleep on the blonde´s bed. She looked at some jobs which made it possible for her to afford online classes as well. She wanted- no- she needed to finish college. If this meant no going back to college then so it be. Online would be just as fine she thought. Her wild nights are over anyway. She is a mother and she had to be good for her son. Her son who reminded her of Santiago.
A soft knock was heard and Brittany walked over to the door and opened the door. Quinn stood there, blowing her warm breath into her cold hands.
"Hey, Britt" she said and walked into the apartment.
"Hey," the blonde replied "Beth is all tuckered out. If you want you can let her stay here".
Quinn wanted to seize this opportunity, but she was Brittany´s friend and she noticed her behavior. The blonde was totally standing next to herself. She was weird, more than usual. Puck would have to wait a little bit longer for her call.
"How about you and me have a little chat. You can tell me what is going on in your life. I mean you have been working like crazy lately." Quinn was not someone to beat around the bush. She wanted to know what was going, because by what Puck told her about Santiago, Brittany must feel like shit.
"I´m alright," the taller blonde said "I just want to save up some money to take online classes and get my degree." She was lying to her best friend. Quinn has helped her finding a job and has always helped out with Liam. Now, she was lying to the only person who she could depend on.
Quinn looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Really? So when can Puck and I plan on a double date with you an Santiago? I mean come on, when does a chance like this appear? You and me best friends, dating Puck and Santiago who are also best friends."
She saw how Brittany flinched. Santiago must have done something.
"We are busy. Well, he is. You know all the games and school." Brittany stuttered.
That was enough for Quinn: "Britt, you are my friend and I love you dearly. But I beg you to stop bullshitting me. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Brittany began to cry. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She couldn´t hold it in anymore. She felt like dry heaving at some point, breathing has become an issue. Quinn wrapped her arms around Brittany and tried to comfort her.
After almost half an hour Brittany was finally able to speak. Quinn brought her a glass of water and the blonde drank it eagerly.
"Tell me Britt," Quinn said calmly "I know that Santiago is in a bad place as well. Since his roommate moved out, Puck wasn´t at his place once and he looked like shit."
Brittany took a deep breath. She told Quinn everything. How amazing dinner with the Latino´s family was, how Maribel was infatuated with Liam and then the outfall. The reaction of his sisters and all the shit that went down. In between, Brittany had to take breaks, because emotion overcame her twice. She couldn´t believe that she had lost a man who wanted her and Liam. Brittany was trying to avoid the topic of Santiago asking her to move in and even proposing marriage. But there was no way that she could hide all of this.
Quinn was shocked. She never expected this. Santiago Lopez was no man to marry. He was a lady killer and had a different woman, or didn´t he? Quinn was interested, when she first found out about Brittany and him. Puck told her so much about the Latino, that he was anything but a ladies man. He was rather spending his time studying and barely hooking up.
Puck also told Quinn that he and Finn made fun of the bulky man for being such a pussy. Quinn usually smacked him for saying stuff like that. She thought Santiago was a romantic. She was ripped out of her thoughts when her cell phone rang. It was Puck.
"Hey, babe." She answered. Quinn needed a short break from all the drama.
"Quinn, I know I was supposed to come over tonight. But Santiago finally said he wanted to hang out." He was sorry, she could hear it.
"That´s great. You two have fun." She said and hung up. She then turned back to Brittany. "Well, Puck and Santiago are going to hang out. Maybe he will come to his senses."
Brittany wanted to call Santiago. But she didn´t know what to say. Quinn stayed for another hour, before carrying her daughter to bed. Brittany looked at the clock and grabbed her phone. She typed a message and sending it without thinking about it.
It read: I´m sorry.
Santiago was ordering his fourth beer of the night and danced without regret. A few girls were rubbing their bodies on his. Out of nowhere, a girl grabbed his neck and kissed him. Santiago kissed her back, who cares anyways?
Puck who was sitting at the bar saw it and jumped off his seat. He walked over to the Latino "San, I think this is a stupid idea." He said grabbing his shoulder.
"Fuck off, Puck. I´m single and allowed to mingle. So let me decide who I wanna take home and fuck," he turned back to the girls "who wants to get fucked by a star?" All the girls threw themselves at him. He was definitely drunk.
"Ok, ok. That´s enough" Puck said in anger. He pulled Santiago away, who dropped his beer and tried to free himself from Puck´s hold. Outside Puck let go of his friend and tried to hail a cab.
"What was that for?" Santiago said pushing Puck "I had a lot of fun in there." He had trouble standing straight. Puck just huffed, shook his head and tried to find them a cab. Another push, he ignored the Latino.
Another push and it was so hard that Puck almost stumbled onto the street. He turned around in anger. Now, it was his turn to push. Santiago was against the wall and Puck came close to him. Their faces just inches away.
"Let me tell you something San. I´m your friend and I´m trying to help you. Tomorrow morning you are going to thank me. And now, shut up, get into the cab and let me take you home. You are an idiot to believe that this behavior is helping in getting over Brittany."
A cab stopped and Puck pushed Santiago in it, following him. The ride to Santiago´s apartment took 15 minutes. When they finally arrived Puck payed the cabby and supported the Latino as good as possible.
Puck couldn´t believe what he saw. Brittany was sitting in front of the apartment a sleeping Liam in her arms. When she heard footsteps she looked up.
"Britt, what are you doing here?" Puck wondered how long she must have been sitting there.
"I was hoping to talk to Santiago, but he seems done for tonight. I´ll just go home." She said carefully getting up not to wake her sleeping son.
"Wait, I´ll walk you home, Britt. Let me just bring him to bed and then we can go. I don´t want you walking alone and I´ll spend the rest of the night at Quinn´s." Puck waited for the blonde to nod.
With that Puck opened the door and walked into the dark living room. Brittany followed and switched on the lights.
"Should I undress him or can I just drop him. Because he really pissed me off." Puck said and got a smile from the blonde. In this light, Puck could see the blonde´s face and how red it was from crying.
"How about you put him to bed and I undress him real quick." Brittany suggested.
Santiago was totally knocked out until he felt the button of his jeans being popped open. It was blurry, but he would have guessed it was somebody he knew. Or maybe he was dreaming.
"Britt? Is that you?" He asked into the room that only caught light from the living room. He received no answer. He fell asleep within seconds.
Brittany closed the door and walked back into the living room. Puck handed the baby back to his mother and together they walked out. Puck told the blonde what has happened and she listened. It was a twenty minute walk and Brittany needed this. The fresh air help her freeze the tears. She was so thankful for Puck and hoped that Santiago would take her back somehow.