A/N:
I don't like to brag, but this is one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you all feel the same way. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Still don't own glee or its characters.
The next morning at school, Santana walked in as if nothing had fazed her with people finding about her and Finn. On the inside, she was a nervous mess. She hasn't spoken to Artie since last night. She would usually go to Brittany during these types of things, but that wasn't an option considering their ongoing fight. She knew she had to apologize to Brittany, but that can wait until she talks to Artie.
"Rumor has it that you also broke up Finn and Rachel." Some Cheerio said to Santana as she approached her locker.
Santana stared the three Cheerios up and down as if to size them up before turning her attention back to the far more interesting contents of her locker.
"First, it was Puck and Tina…now Rachel and Finn." Another Cheerio added. "I'm impressed."
Santana held her expression as if she didn't care, even though she didn't know that Rachel and Finn ended things. "Who gave you permission to talk to me? I'm no longer a Cheerio, which means I'm even more unapproachable than I was when we were on the same team." The girls just stood there staring at her, completely surprised by her reaction, or lack of one. "This is when you walk, or in your case wobble, away from here." She slammed her locker shut and stared the group of Cheerios down. "With the size of your thighs, it seems like they're letting anyone on the team now." She mocked.
"I'm glad to see that you're still a bitch, Santana." One girl commented.
"And don't you forget it." She stepped closer to the Cheerio. Santana was about to remind her that she was from Lima Heights adjacent, but Mercedes intervened.
"Let me talk to you." Mercedes pulled Santana away before things got too heated.
"What's wrong with you?" Santana pulled out of Mercedes' grip after they made it far enough away from those Cheerios.
"Don't pretend you're some badass. Just because you can see Lima Heights from your penthouse in a downtown high-rise, you are not actually from Lima Heights." Mercedes laughed.
Santana rolled her eyes. "That's why I said Lima Heights adjacent." She smirked. "But you might be right. I really shouldn't have more violence on my school record."
"How are things with you and Artie?" Mercedes cut to the chase. "You know everyone knows by now."
"I haven't actually talked to him yet" Santana revealed. "I have to figure it out."
"Well, you better figure it out soon because he's coming this way." Mercedes looked past Santana. "Good luck." She added before walking to her class.
"Hi." He said softly.
"Hi." She wasn't comfortable having a conversation in the middle of the hallways. "Can we go somewhere to talk?"
The bell rang before Artie could answer. "We'll have to wait, but I need to talk to you today." He asserted.
"Me too." Santana would usually cut class, but they had exams today. She bit at her bottom lip nervously before heading towards her math class.
"Hey…" Artie reached out to hold her hand. "Good luck." He added before giving her a cute kiss on her hand. She bent down and gave him a kiss on the lips, which he more than gladly returned.
"Thanks." She smiled. She couldn't help but think that things might not be as bad as she had imagined. She walked down the hall to her class and ignored all the looks she was getting from Quinn, Rachel, and Puck. She thought nothing of it. A few seconds with Artie was all it took to make her feel better.
After her exam, Santana felt good and not because she just killed her test, but she also felt good about her and Artie. All that worrying she did last night was in her head. She should've known that he was the understanding type.
She went to the girl's washroom between classes. When she walked in, she saw the three Cheerios from earlier with Quinn and Brittany. Santana stared them down again and caused them to leave the washroom. Santana smiled as they exited. She still had her bitchiness intact.
"Hi," Santana said softly before turning to face the mirror. "Brit, I want to talk…"
"Me too." Brittany replied.
Before Santana could reply, Tina, Rachel and Mercedes walked into the washroom.
"I'll come back later," Rachel said after spotting Santana.
"Come on, Berry." Santana called out. "Don't leave."
"I really don't want to be around you right now." Rachel shot back.
"I'm making an effort, Rachel." Santana said. "How often do I ask you to stay in the same room as me?"
"Really, Santana?" Mercedes rolled her eyes. "You're going to joke about this?"
"Don't waste your time on her, Mercedes." Rachel stated. "All of the guys in this school already have."
"Watch it, Berry." Santana defended. "I'm sorry that Finn lied to you, but do you really think it's my fault? I get that he's like the best thing to happen to someone like you, but it's such a cop out to blame me."
"I don't have time for this." Rachel turned around and was about to exit.
"Just deal with it, Berry." Santana couldn't hold back. "You're upset because you have to accept that you and Finn aren't perfect."
"I'll deal with it the same way you do. I'll hook up with some football player or something…" Rachel challenged.
"Like any football player would hook up with you."
"I'm so sick of your insults. There is no way I can be civil with you." Rachel claimed as she turned to leave.
"Santana, you say some really nasty things some times. It's hard to defend you." Brittany stormed off, following Rachel.
"You couldn't have stayed quiet? It's one thing to defend yourself, but another thing to attack her." Mercedes added as she made her way out of the girl's room with Tina.
Brittany, Tina, Mercedes and Kurt were comforting Rachel by her locker.
"Listen, Berry." Santana said as she approached them. "I realize that I shouldn't have said anything. I should have known that you are still sensitive about this whole thing." Santana tried to apologize, but couldn't, especially in front of Cheerios and football players. She now had to work harder to uphold her reputation now that she's not a Cheerio.
"That's a sorry excuse for an apology." Rachel stated while slamming her locker shut. "But then again, why would you apologize? You're incapable of any kind of sympathy or human decency. I'm stupid to think that we were friends." Rachel turned to face Santana.
Everyone in the hallways stopped and was fixated on Rachel and Santana. Feeling the pressure of everyone watching, Santana couldn't hold back. "Friends? Who gave you that idea? You have no friends."
"Like you do?" Rachel yelled back. "Who are your friends, Santana? The guys you sleep with who don't call you back are not your friends. Well, unless it's a booty call!"
Santana tensed up, feeling a bit embarrassed. To be realistic, Rachel never stood up to her before. Santana wasn't expecting things to get so ugly.
"Calm down, Rachel." Finn said as he approached them and put a hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"Don't touch me, Finn." Rachel demanded, while flicking his hand away. "The one person I want to see less than her is you. I feel sorry for the both of you."
"You feel sorry for us?" Santana scoffed. "The only reason Finn was with you was because he felt sorry for you." She lied, but she didn't care.
Before Finn could defend Rachel, she spoke up. "And the only reason Artie is with you is because he feels sorry for you. Like all guys that you drive away, your boyfriend prefers Quinn over you. Out of pity, he doesn't want to be another guy who leaves you for Quinn."
"Rachel, please stop." Kurt pleaded.
"What?" Santana was confused and caught off-guard. She had no idea what that meant. "What does Artie have to do with Quinn?" She didn't have to wait for an answer. Santana spotted Artie and Quinn next to each other in the crowd of students. They were trying to make their way closer to Santana. The guilt on his face and the redness of hers said more than enough.
A million thoughts raced through her head. She didn't know what exactly happened between the two of them, but she knew something happened. That was all the proof she needed.
Naturally, people started sneering and speculating about what they think happened between Quinn and Artie. Most of them took joy in seeing Santana being knocked down a few pegs. She turned a light shade of red before quickly gathering her composure and putting her guard back up. She was not going to be embarrassed publicly without putting up a fight.
She pushed past Rachel and headed towards Artie and Quinn who were standing behind Rachel a few lockers down. She sensed Puck tense up as Tina, Kurt, and Mercedes looked on nervously. Their reactions only validated Santana's concerns. Something definitely happened between Quinn and Artie, and everyone knew about it. Without hesitation, and before Artie and Quinn could say anything, she pushed Quinn into a locker and slapped Artie with such force that his glasses to flew off his head.
Santana effectively silenced everyone in the building without uttering a single word.
With that, Santana exited the school. McKinley wasn't a very big school, but walking to the nearest exit seemed like an eternity, especially with the prying eyes of the whole student body on her. She finally made it outside and once she was out of everyone's sight, she stood up straight and took several deep breathes of the cold air. She needed to breathe.
Santana wasn't going back to school today. She was so humiliated. She refused to go back to her classes. She didn't want to deal with teachers, exams, glee club, and she especially didn't want to deal with Artie. She was going home.
She rushed to her car, but only when she was a few steps away from her car, she realized that her keys, bag and jacket were still inside her locker.
"Forgetting something?" She heard from behind her. "I might have broken your locker trying to get your things."
Santana recognized that voice without turning around. He was the last person she was expecting to come after her. Santana thought he knew better than to follow her after everything that just happened.
Today was a day filled with surprises for Santana. And he was no exception.
A/N:
I hope you guys love cliffhangers! This chapter was mostly Santana with a bit of Artie. I hope everyone noticed how quickly their relationship changed from the beginning of the chapter and how it ended up. They didn't have a lot of talking in this chapter, but their actions are much louder than their words. To be honest, I haven't started writing the next chapter, but I have a person in mind to follow Santana. I'm still working on the details. I hope to update soon. Comments/suggestions/predictions are always welcome! Until next time…
R&R, P&TY!
