Chapter 7 – Game on

Brittany…

It took several weeks for Brittany to really start feeling at home and comfortable at her new school. She still missed her old friends, her mom and her old room but it wasn't as hard anymore as in the beginning.

Her new friendship with Santana and Quinn was definitely helping. After they had that one little dispute about Blaine in the very beginning, they never fought again. They simply got along very well.

They ate lunch together every single day. They hung out after class several times a week and sometimes drove to school all together in aunt Patty's truck.

Brittany really couldn't complain since she had also developed a bond with Blaine. It was almost like she already had better friends than in all those years before… which made her kind of sad but then she forgot about it again whenever she saw Blaine or the girls waiting for her somewhere in the hallways.

What also made her friendship to the girls grow stronger was the fact that Quinn's pregnancy was starting to show and rumors took their turns.

One day it was Quinn having an affair with the young football coach, another day it was her doing it with four different guys at the same time and how everyone could have been the father. Brittany felt bad for Quinn because she knew what it felt like when the other kids were giving her weird looks all the time or when they evidently were talking about her during lunch at the cafeteria.

Santana and Brittany never left Quinn's side in the hallways. Santana even took a slushie for her… well… the slushie wasn't actually meant for them but a freshman who had been walking right in front of them.

Santana pushed Quinn away and therefore got most of it. Brittany knew from firsthand experience how cold those were. She helped Santana to get out of her sticky sweater when she joined her to the ladies' room.

"It was nice of you to shield Quinn from the slushie…" Brittany mumbled when she held Santana's drenched sweater in her hands and watched how the brunette stood in front of the mirrors in her bra. She put her long hair up in a bun before changing into a fresh shirt.

"It wasn't completely selfless. Quinn would have burst into a crying fit and you know how those are lately… she can't stop."

Brittany grinned knowingly when Santana took the sweater from her hands and stuffed it into her bag. She was kind of glad that the shorter girl was wearing a shirt now. She hadn't meant to but she sneaked a peek at her body and got caught by Santana's brown eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

She couldn't help it because she was standing right there and they had been talking so it was only natural to look into her direction.

It still made her somewhat uncomfortable when their eyes met.

"Sorry…" She mumbled but Santana didn't say anything in return. Instead she put her earrings back on and checked her appearance once more in the mirror.

"Can I go to the game like that tonight? I don't have time to go back home because I've got a shift after school." Brittany tried to figure out what Santana was talking about but somehow her brain wasn't working quite right.

"What game?" She wondered when they left the bathroom.

"The football game. Didn't we agree we'd all go there together tonight?"

Brittany blinked several times.

"I mean you and Quinn were talking about going during lunch but I didn't think I was invited, too."

Santana made an abrupt stop.

"Of course – you don't need our invitation to come to the game, Brittany. Whenever Quinn and I talk about plans we have then you're automatically included, silly. You belong to the term "we" now, ok? I'm sorry if it wasn't clear at lunch today." Brittany waved it off. "So…"

Brittany watched how Santana gave her a small shrug and a look from the side when they continued walking.

"When are you gonna pick me up?"

Brittany swallowed dryly because somehow that always happened when Santana looked at her like that. She had noticed it a couple times now. Santana would do something or say something and Brittany's brain went blank for a second. It went on vacation and left her looking stupid.

She didn't know why. It never happened with Quinn or Blaine. Just with Santana.

"Pick you… oh pick you up? After your shift? Yes… how about eight o'clock?" She stammered when they arrived at Santana's classroom. Santana was already half in there when she gave Brittany a funny look.

"Then we'd miss half of the game. It starts at 6.30. Maybe you could be there at six? I mean… only if you can have your aunt's truck."

Brittany pretended to be thinking for a moment. Maybe she was…

"Yep. That shouldn't be a problem. I'll be there."

Santana's face lit up. She gave Brittany a warm smile, then waved at her.

"Thanks, Britt."

Brittany awkwardly waved back at her and then walked away with a warm feeling inside her chest. She honestly couldn't wait to go see the game that night.

It was something she had wanted to do for a long time. Something about the atmosphere of those events and the way the cheerleaders did the dance routines… Brittany would have tried out in a heartbeat but she didn't bring up the courage to ask aunt Patty if she could join the cheerios. She was already spending so much money on Brittany.

So she kept on dancing just for herself behind the trailer. It was enough after all…

/

That day she arrived right on time in front of Schuester's bar. Quinn was already waiting there, too so the three of them drove back to school right away and arrived at the football field perfectly early to get good seats.

Brittany found herself sitting in the middle between Quinn and Santana which kind of made her feel very special. They cheered loudly when their school's football team arrived on the field. Quinn giggled sweetly when Jake Puckerman blew a kiss towards her from the field.

Brittany couldn't help but find them both utterly cute. The fact that Jake stood by Quinn's side after she told him about the baby made Brittany happy. She was happy for her. Because she knew that Quinn was still very scared to tell her parents. Even if Brittany and Santana were going to be there for her – she was beyond scared of the consequences.

Brittany was lost in thoughts when suddenly loud music started playing and the cheerleaders ran on to the field. She wanted to applaud them but then she thought about how much she rather wanted to be a part of it. Because they had something that Brittany didn't. They were able to share their passion for performing with others who had just the same amount of love for dance. They were all in this group and together they looked phenomenal.

She felt a lump in her throat when she observed their moves and the big smiles on their faces. Their athletic bodies and the crazy moves they were able to do. How was she supposed to ever become this good on her own?

When she felt someone poking her left side, she forced her eyes to look away.

"Did I ever tell you that I really wanted to be a cheerleader?" Quinn asked with her eyes directed to the performing girls. "My daddy wouldn't allow it… now I don't even have to worry about it anymore because in a couple weeks I won't fit into any of those uniforms anymore."

Brittany watched the bitter smile on Quinn's face. She gently bumped against Quinn's shoulder to show her compassion. She hadn't known that Quinn wanted to be a cheerleader. What surprised her even more when she turned to her right side, was the way how Santana was gazing at them, too. Almost longingly… Brittany watched how Santana's upper body moved to the music hardly notable and a small but regretful smile graced her lips.

In that moment Brittany wanted nothing more than for Santana to be happy. She couldn't explain it but to see sadness on her face nearly broke Brittany's heart.

Brittany swallowed thickly when she steered her eyes back to the field. They sat there surrounded by cheering people who had the greatest of times.

"They suck so bad" Quinn muttered half-heartedly.

Brittany couldn't help but laugh. She tilted her head to the side and even though the three of them felt the opposite to Quinn's words, she nodded.

"Yup… they are absolute crap" She agreed and felt an unexpected twitch in her thigh when Santana's leg bumped against hers.

"They're the opposite of talented." The girl to her right joined their little rant with a hidden smirk in her voice.

Brittany shook her head at the way the three of them sat there all salty and couldn't admit out loud what they were truly feeling but that was ok.

She had found great friends. Sulking together kind of felt nice.

/

On the bright side, the game was really good. Their team won by far and everyone was ecstatic once it was over. Quinn was in such a good mood when they walked back to the truck because Jake hugged her in front of everyone to say goodbye.

Brittany and Santana had awkwardly been standing next to them and the rest of the football players.

"I think I'm ready to make our relationship official" Quinn said happily when Brittany held the door open for the two of them to jump inside her truck.

Santana always let Quinn sit by the window in case she got sick (which happened very often).

Brittany took the driver's seat and when her shoulder bumped into Santana's she felt that jolt again. She didn't really understand. Why did she always notice when their bodies somehow touched? Why couldn't she just – not notice? It wasn't anything special. It was stupid.

"Whatever feels right, Quinn. But I think it's a good idea to come clean. The rumor about you being pregnant is definitely unstoppable and it's taking weird directions. Yesterday I heard two girls in the bathroom discussing the possibility that you accidentally got impregnated at the gynecologist."

Quinn groaned at Santana's words.

"I know… I'll probably sit my parents down this weekend. Can I live with any of you in case my dad throws me out?"

Santana chuckled and Brittany was glad that she said yes right away. There wouldn't have been space for Quinn and a baby at the trailer.

They dropped Quinn off at her house a couple minutes later and wished her the best of luck. She promised to call Santana on the landline as soon as she had gotten it over with. Aunt Patty didn't have a phone so Brittany would either find out about how it went if she saw either of them on the weekend or back at school on Monday.

When it was just Brittany and Santana in the truck, they both fell silent for a while. Brittany listened to the song on the radio. It inevitably made her mind go back to the current dance number she had been working on.

"I'm glad Quinn's got Jake…" Santana mumbled after a while. Brittany only then realized that Santana hadn't scooched over but was still sitting in the middle.

Brittany cleared her throat.

"Yeah. Me, too. He's a really cool guy. Quinn is very lucky to have him."

"Totally… he's like the only one though."

"I know, right? All the other football players seem like complete idiots." Brittany agreed. "Did you hear them burping at each other when we were standing next to them?"

"Did I hear it? My ears almost fell off out of disgust." Santana confirmed. "Were they trying to impress us?"

Brittany shook with laughter.

"I guess, so. But it was stupid because I only wanted to run away as fast as I could."

"Me, too" Santana chuckled.

Two minutes later Brittany stopped the truck in front of Santana's place. She stopped the engine this time. She didn't stop it when they dropped off Quinn but somehow it felt like the evening wasn't quite over, yet.

"Where would you run to?" Brittany dared to ask. She saw Santana's confused face when she looked to the side. "You said you wanted to run away, too. Where would you go?"

Santana smiled when her eyes roamed over the darkness outside.

"Where I'd hide from stupid boys?" She mumbled. Brittany chuckled at the way she said it.

It wasn't even cold in the truck but Brittany felt her own body somehow trembling. Sure, it was getting fresh outside because it was dark but it wasn't cold. Still she was trembling just a little bit.

"I'd run out of town where there are no houses and no cars. I'd just run into the wild. I always wanted to do that."

Brittany pressed her hands flat together and hid them between her thighs. She felt the urge to somehow keep them warm or keep them still.

"You always wanted to run in the wild?"

She heard Santana's shy laugh.

"Why not? I think it'd make me feel free for a bit. Of course I'd have to run back eventually. Iker can't even prepare a bowl of cereal."

Brittany knew Santana was trying to make a joke but within the same train of thought she realized that it must have been the truth.

"Where would you go to?" Santana wanted to know. Brittany thought for a moment.

"Well… I guess I'd take Patty's truck and just drive real far without even looking at the road signs. I'd drive until I'd be too tired and sleep in the back of the truck. I'd sleep under the stars before getting back on the road in the morning and drive until I'd reach a big city. There I'd try to get a job and make some money so I could pay for dance classes."

Brittany realized the trembling had gone when she looked down at the hands between her thighs.

"We're not really talking about running away from boys anymore, are we? Because that would be a crazy long trip." Santana said with a grin in her voice.

Brittany couldn't help but laugh, too.

"I guess not…"

"But it does sound appealing." Santana added. "The thought of getting out of here. Can I come?"

Brittany looked to the side. Santana's brown eyes were already gazing back at her.

"Sure" Brittany breathed. "And uh… your brother can totally come, too."

Santana's lips curled into a thankful smile.

"Great. I'm sure he'd come in quite handy. He could beg for money in the streets in case your job didn't work out. People can't resist him. He'd probably make a fortune within a short time."

Brittany shook her head at the thought but couldn't suppress another giggle.

"That would be terrible. But I guess we could always use a backup plan."

"Yeah… speaking off. I should get inside. My brothers are probably still up although they should be sleeping. Thank you for taking us to the game. I had a great time."

Brittany was caught off guard when Santana gave her a hug. She didn't think about the possibility of hugging to say goodnight. When they said goodbye to Quinn, Santana and her hugged, too. Since Brittany was sitting on the other side Quinn blew her a kiss and waved.

Brittany thought that hugging was just something that Santana and Quinn did because they were definitely closer than Brittany and either of them. So when Santana leaned in and wrapped an arm around Brittany's shoulder, she held her breath.

She reciprocated it rather clumsily. At least that's what it felt like.

"Sleep tight" Santana almost whispered when she finally scooted over to the other side and opened the door. Brittany nodded.

"You, too" she said with a thin voice. She kind of wished the night wasn't over, yet.

They smiled at each other once more before Santana walked off towards the house.

Somehow it always felt different when she said goodbye to Santana to when she said goodbye to Quinn. There was something regretful about it.

Maybe it was because she was worried about her more. Quinn seemed to have a stable home. Even if she was scared to tell her parents the truth about her pregnancy. She still had both her parents and they were able to give Quinn everything she needed.

Santana on the other hand didn't have both her parents. Just like Brittany…

She had to take care of herself and her siblings. Brittany only had to take care of herself.

She watched until her friend climbed the few steps to the front door. Santana quickly threw a glance over her shoulder before stepping inside. Only then Brittany started the engine and took off.