A/N: Sorry for such a late update, the website wasn't being cooperative with me all day -_- but I finally got it up! And just in time for Christmas, although I'm kind of doubting you'll all be reading it today, I'm guessing you'll be pretty busy with your families as will I.

This next bit is important. I'll be taking 2 weeks off posting for this story; so January 7th will be the next update. Just have to catch up on school readings and that nonsense ;) But when we get back there will be some more interesting chapters coming your way. Merry Christmas everyone, and have a happy New Year. Mwah!

-B xoxo

April, 2021:

"Okay, awesome!" you beam, flipping the last page of the test answer booklet closed. "You all did really well on this test. I think the class average even topped last semester." You give the class a wink and put the booklet behind you on your desk before looking at the clock, "And we only have a few minutes before the bell and it's not like we're going to get anything done by then so I'm going to let you go."

"Thank Jesus." Mercedes says, Kurt rolling his eyes with a smile beside her as you narrow your eyes playfully.

"Mhm, get outta here." You chuckle and push away from your desk. You round it to your chair and minimize your email on your desktop, looking back at the students as they leave the room, and smile gently. You glance up when the bell goes off, and grab your phone, tucking it into the back pocket of your jeans and grab your knit cardigan off the back of your chair on your way out of your class.

You step out of your class, pulling your cardigan over your simple dark tank top, and pull the end of your ponytail out from under it, running your hand lightly over your hair to deal with any strays as you continue down the hall.

"Are you crazy!"

You lift your brows in surprise and turn around, walking towards the sound of laughing and lockers slamming, stopping in your tracks when you turn the corner. Your lips part in shock as you watch Santana and one of her Cheerios fighting in the middle of the hallway.

You watch as Santana shoves the girl back against the locker before the red head launches herself forward, grabbing a fist full of Santana's hair, pulling her backwards.

Your feet start to carry you over before you realize it, and you look passed the two teenagers fighting, seeing a group of jocks watching in amusement, laughing and pointing at what's going down. You see Kieran standing with his arms crossed, a huge grin on his face when Santana is pushed against the lockers once again, and clench your jaw.

"Okay, that's enough!" you shout, pushing your way through the formed crowd to get in the middle of the scene. "I said that's enough." you hiss, separating the two girls as they continue to try and go at each other. "What the hell is going on?"

"This pyscho bitch just attacked me." The red head scoffs, fixing her ponytail before crossing her arms and looking at you.

You narrow your eyes at her and then look at Santana avoiding your gaze, looking at the floor.

There is no way she started this.

You look back at the red head and nod to her things on the floor, "Pick up your things and go to the office."

"What? I didn't even do anything!"

"Really? Because I'm quite sure I just saw you fighting with another student." You say easily as the girl throws her hand out to Santana.

"She started it! So what she just gets off free?"

"I will deal with her as well."

"That's a total display of favoritism." She continues as if she hadn't just heard what you said.

You roll your eyes and stare her down, "Go." You tell her and wave her off. You and everyone else watch her gather her things, mumbling under her breath about you being a bitch before she heads to the office. You watch her go and slowly turn to Santana, arching a brow at her when she finally looks at you. "May I have a word with you, Miss Lopez?" you ask, glancing at the students still lingering behind with watchful eyes. "The rest of you can clear the hallways!"

They jump and all hurry to leave and you see one of the jocks, hit Kieran's arm, nodding for him to follow.

You eye your nephew before putting your hand lightly on Santana's back, leading her a few steps away.

"Do you mind explaining to me what the hell just happened?" you ask quietly, crossing your arms as you duck your head to catch her gaze.

"It was nothing. Just that bitch Audrey running her mouth." She shakes her head and you hum, glancing around the hall. You find Kieran and his friends still hanging around in the hallway, talking amongst themselves.

"Well she must've said something to make you attack her first?" you look at her pointedly and she rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "Santana, just talk to me." You say quietly, reaching out to touch her arm before pulling your hand back.

She looks at your through her lashes and glances around while shifting, "She was talking about things she didn't know about."

"Like?" you push gently.

"Like why I dumped Kieran and how he's the hottest guy in school and I must be totally gay because that's the only logical explanation." She scowls, looking at the floor, "And how it probably has something to do with my creepy obsession with a certain Biology teacher." She glances up at you and you wince, nodding.

"I'm sorry, I –"

"Britt–ah, Ms. Pierce," she shakes her head, "it's not your fault. At all." She says and you frown faintly, checking over her before picking off some dirt from her shoulder. "It's that ass and his group of followers." She mumbles with an eye roll, smiling faintly as you brush off her shoulder.

Your hand stills as you run over her words, and you tilt your head with your brows furrowed, "That ass? Wait…Kieran?" you ask quietly, looking over to the group of jocks remaining at the lockers, Kieran nodding and grinning at whatever one of them is saying.

"He's just being a dick. I mean, I can't really blame him, I did pull a bitch move dumping him over text–"

"No, Santana." You cut her off firmly, "You aren't going to blame yourself for this. I don't care if you had 'we're over' written in the clouds after he fumbled the ball at the championships and it was broadcasting live throughout the nation. He doesn't get to be an ass because he's embarrassed or hurt." You say through gritted teeth, looking back at him as the group starts heading to the cafeteria.

You turn to head after them and pause, turning back to face Santana with a wince, "I need you to go to the office and just tell Donna I told you to sit there until I come to get you. I can't have anyone thinking you really do get special treatment."

"You could always tell them Coach Sue threatened to tie your tubes if you sent one of her captains to the office." She smiles sweetly. You stare at her with your mouth open and she chuckles, shrugging, "Just something to think about."

"Just…go wait for me."

"Always." She smiles and turns as you smile to yourself, glancing around the hallway.

You slip pass some students standing directly in front of the entrance way of the café, and pull your cardigan closer to your body. The place was filled. You don't remember the last time you actually came in here but you can definitely tell there are way more students now than there were when you were in your senior year.

You crane your neck, searching for that table, the popular table, and frown when you find it near the back rather than closer to the food like when you attended here.

So much has changed, it's ridiculous.

You spot Kieran sitting on the edge of the table, his feet on the bench as he steals some fries from a girl's plate. She giggles and he grins slyly, nodding his head at her. It makes you want to vomit but you settle for an eye roll.

This was not the same Kieran. And you don't know what the hell happened. I can't just be Santana breaking things off.

You clench your jaw as her reasons for breaking it off run through your head, minus the whole being gay and having feelings for you part. But the Kieran being a total dick part. You could slap him.

You watch with your arms crossed as Kieran pulls out his cell, leaning over to show some of the jocks something. The way they laugh, and the way the Cheerio's sitting around the table with them, glance at each other uncomfortably, instantly tells you it's relating their captain.

You never really understood the whole "seeing red" thing until now. You swear the edge of your vision tints red just a bit as you storm through the crowded café, over to the table of jocks and cheerleaders. You can see the slight relief on some of the girls faces as they watch you come up behind Kieran, most of the jocks faces paling as they quickly glance between you and Kieran snickering at his phone.

The second you reach him, you snatch his phone from his hands and tuck it in your back pocket, crossing your arms tightly over your chest.

"What the hell!" Kieran exclaims, looking at you. His eyes widen slightly at seeing it's you before they narrow, "Give me my phone."

"Like hell I will." You counter immediately, taking a step to the side, "Get up, I want to have a little conversation with you."

He furrows his brows with a small frown of confusion and shakes his head, "No, give me my phone."

"Kieran –"

"No, screw you." You lift your brows in disbelief and pull your head back, glancing around the table at the incredulous looks they're giving Kieran. "And whatever, don't give it to me I'll call dad and –"

"If you call him I'm still going to make him come down here to retrieve it and then I'll explain to him why I took it in the first place. And if any of you let him use your phone I'll confiscate it too." You say quickly and one of the boys you've seen Kieran hang out with in the halls, pulls his phone back, tucking it in his pocket. You offer a smile and everyone shrinks, nodding in understanding.

"What's wrong with you?" Kieran laughs, looking at you and you arch a brow.

"What's wrong with you?" he's grin falters. "Now get up."

"No, I told you I'm not –"

"Get up or so help me god, Kieran, I will drag your ass out of this cafeteria by your teeth!" you hiss. He swallows nervously and you grab his arm, yanking him in front of you before pushing his shoulder to make him continue walking. "Go."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" you hiss, shoving him into your classroom before you close the door.

He catches himself and looks back at you, fixing his letterman jacket while moving to one of the tables, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh really?" you ask with narrowed eyes, "You know nothing about what happened between Santana and Audrey? Nothing about what was being said? You had no part in it whatsoever?" you ask, your volume rising with every question.

"Why do you even care?" he asks with a scoff.

"I care because Santana is an amazing girl and my nephew, who I praised constantly and bragged about to everyone, is turning into a fucking dickhead and bullying his ex because she broke things off!"

"We're just messing around. It's no big deal. I'm over Santana, whatever."

"No, this is a big deal. And this has been going on much longer than you're letting on." You scowl, "I know about what happened at that party. That after she told you she didn't want to sleep with you, you started acting like an asshole and got everyone else to join in with you. Does that ring a bell?" you hiss as Kieran gawks at you in surprise.

"When did – how did –"

"I'm a teacher, I hear things." You say quickly, "Apparently, Santana has more friends than both you and her know about."

"We were all drunk."

"That's no excuse for trying to humiliate and hurt her!"

"She did the same to me! When someone's girlfriend doesn't want to sleep with them everyone finds out and their life turns to shit!"

You shake your head incredulously and put your hands on your hips, "Are you serious right now? You're comparing friends poking fun at you to the entire team ganging up on Santana? Making accusatory jokes about her sexuality? Trying to force her to kiss another cheerleader? Are you fucking serious? Do you know how disgusted I am with you right now?"

He puts his hands in his pockets, clenching and unclenching his jaw as he glances around, having the decency to look ashamed of himself as you stare at him.

"Maybe your suspicions of Santana's reasoning are true. Maybe they're not. Maybe it's something different entirely. Maybe it's how you treated her. But let me say this." You pause, and look him in the eye, "Whatever her reasons are, you better damn well respect them and fucking respect her. If you ever loved her, you'll be civil and kind. You don't be a jackass to someone you loved. Especially to someone who has only ever been kind to you. I don't care if you're hurting or mad, you don't do it. That is not how you were raised. Do you understand me?"

He clenches his jaw, lifting his head to show you his bloodshot, watery eyes, and nods slowly.

"Good." You wet your lips and cross your arms once again, taking a breath, "Go finish your lunch." You tell him and he nods, keeping his gaze from you as he goes.

You pull his phone from your pocket and turn it off, tossing it in your purse, and sink into your chair. You let your head fall back and your eyes close when your phone buzzes. You jump and grab the device, cursing under your breath as you get up and leave your room.

"Hey, sorry about the wait." You say quietly after walking into the office. Donna looks at you and smiles faintly, nodding before going back to her computer. You lower your arched brow and look at Santana and Audrey sitting on the waiting couch, opposite ends of it, and clear our throat. "Have the two of you calmed down?" you ask and Santana glances at Audrey as the redhead nods quickly, wiping her cheeks.

You look between the two of them and nod your head, stepping to the side, "No more fighting." You say, watching Audrey jump up from the couch and grab her things while Santana moves much slower. "You're on the squad together. You should have each other's backs, not fight over some ridiculous gossip, or because of a guy." You say, giving Audrey a pointed look.

She nods quickly and swallows, looking back at Santana, "I'm sorry, Santana. Really. I just –"

"You're a freshman trying to make a name for herself, I get it." She waves her off and Audrey nods, smiling, "You're still doing an extra lap at practice." Audrey's smile falters faintly before she nods and hurries out of the office.

You look at Santana as she walks passed you wearing a smirk, and shrugs, "Still have an image to keep."

"Right." You chuckle, following her out of the office.

"So where'd you go after sending me off?"

You smile awkwardly and cross your arms, shrugging, "I had a little talk with Kieran…after embarrassing him in front of the café." Santana puts her hand out and turns to look at you with her jaw dropped, "It wasn't intentional. He was being difficult."

"Uh…just –" she glances around the hallway before grabbing your arm and pulling your into the janitors closet.

"What are –" you begin before you're pulled into a long kiss, your back slammed into the metal shelves cramping the place. You gasp and Santana shoves her tongue into your mouth, pulling you closer. "San–I can't–" you rush out, moaning when she presses against you, "We'll get caught…" you get out.

She hums and slows the kiss, pecking you twice on the lips before stepping back, letting you catch your breath. You swallow, and carefully wipe the corner of your mouth for smudged lip stick. "Well, that was…something." You breathe out with a smile.

Santana smirks and gives you a wink before slipping out of the closet.

A/N: January 7th isn't that far away :)

-B