Quinn POV

The next morning I padded into the kitchen, still fully waking up. Surprisingly, Santana was already up and was slumped over a bowl of lucky charms. She always resorted to lucky charms when something was wrong.

"So I take it that it didn't go very well getting your demo out?"

"No," Santana huffed. "They wouldn't even take a copy. At least pretend to care...dumbasses," she muttered.

"I'm sorry S. One day it's bound to happen for you. You have too much talent for the world not to hear it. Oh yeah I almost forgot, this…" I said handing her $100 from my purse "is from Dani. She sends her apologies for your shirt."

Santana didn't seem bothered by the gesture, but she did take the money. I had a clue as to where her hostility towards Dani was coming from but I didn't dare say anything about it when she was in one of her moods. I'd have to broach that conversation carefully.

"Have you seen my camera S? I can't remember where I put it down when I came in last night..." I said as I checked the most likely hiding spots.

"Nah sorry. Why do you need it anyhow? I thought Saturdays you had free from the magazine."

"I...uhh..." well this wasn't going to go down well "Dani asked if I'd take a few shots for a project she's working on." I was well aware my voice was low and hesitant, it got that way when I was scared of waking a dormant Snix from her cage.

"Right, have fun with that," S replied, rolling her eyes in the process. Not the reaction I had expected, but I'd take the easy exit.

"Dani, you look great!" I told her honestly. She had wanted me to meet her in some industrial warehouse, and while I was wary at first, I was beginning to see the appeal. There was such a diversity of architecture; brick, concrete, walls covered in graffiti, it would make for some great shots. Dani had a clear vision in mind, apparent from her choice of outfit. She wore combat boots, a pair of ripped black jeans, a loose white tee with an image of David Bowie in the middle, with a flannel over the top. My eyebrow instinctively quirked at her new haircut, she now sported an undercut on the left side of her head. Dani must have noticed my staring.

"Yeah..." she said rubbing at the now spiky hairs, "I was feeling spontaneous after my show last night. The world is beginning to dig into my entire life, including my sexual preferences anyway, so may as well give them something else to talk about right?" She chortled. Dani definitely wasn't a run of the mill celeb.

"I wondered...not that I mind..." yeah smooth Quinn.

"I like the ladies." She told me adamantly, not a hint of insecurity in her voice. I liked that, I liked her, she was good people. "Always have, I've just never had anyone so interested in who I date before. This is all a bit new."

I figured this photo shoot was Dani's way of creating her image, instead of letting it be dictated by the media, that was admirable. By the looks of it she had enough courage and creativity to do this on her own.

"Yeah..." I began, not really sure what I was going to say but feeling like I needed to fill the silence before she thought I was a homophobe or something. "I mean I've experimented, one night, and while it was great it wasn't going to work out."

While Dani looked interested in the story behind that she didn't pry. Instead we just got to work. Dani was very easy to work with; she had ideas of her own but also took direction well. We were laughing and mucking around like old friends in no time. We wrapped two hours and about 400 photos later. Dani talked me through a bit of her ideas for the photos and I assured her I'd edit a few of the best that day so that she could get to work.

"Come by about...five" I said working through all the things I had to do that afternoon in my mind.

"Awesome. Thanks Quinn!" She said hugging me briefly.

Dani POV

At 5:05 I knocked on the door of the address Quinn had given me. I expected a bubbly blonde to answer my knock but instead a smiling Latina did, only her smile fell from her face at the sight of me.

"S-Santana?" I stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." Her voice was cold and icy. "What are you doing at my door?"

"Quinn told me she'd have some photos ready for me to pick up. I don't know why she gave me your address though..."

Santana let out an annoyed sigh. "We live together." Ah that explains it, though it does seem like an unconventional friendship, Quinn being so peppy and kind and Santana...not so. Santana left me in the doorway as she went about looking for something Quinn might have left. I got the idea Quinn wasn't around. I didn't think I was invited in so I just waited in the hallway until Santana returned a few minutes later, thrusting a cd into my hand.

"This is probably it. Next time maybe you could come at a time when Quinn is actually here," she seethed, "I'm not her messenger."

I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from reacting to the hostility but then I thought no, there is no comprehensible reason for her to be so bitter towards me and I'd rather just confront it.

"Have I done something horrible to you Santana? Something offensive or unkind that is eating you up? I don't understand why you're like this?"

Santana seemed surprised that I wasn't backing down or shying away as I had in our previous encounters. I don't know if she was impressed at my boldness or just more annoyed with every word that came out of my mouth.

"Like what? I have no responsibility to treat you in any way, we're not friends Dani. If you're going to be in the music biz you may as well get used to not everyone liking you and falling at your feet. Hell, even I know that about 90% of the people I encounter won't like me." I couldn't help but think, despite her attitude I wasn't one of them, I still wanted her to like me as I did her. "I'm too strong, too brash, too...whatever. You just have to decide what's more important, being liked or being yourself."

And with that she shut the door, literally in my face. Instead of returning her hate I kind of admired her words. Santana was wise; a bit of a bitch, but wise all the same. There were things I could definitely learn from her, if only she'd let me get close enough to see them.

A note to readers - it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there, as well as considerable time to write a story. All I ask is for some feedback - it only takes a moment but it means the world to a writer - surely you can understand. If there remains no reviews after this chapter I will assume there is little interest in me continuing the story and I wish all of us well on our separate journeys in life.