As always, thank you all for your sweet comments!
"So are you going to tell Brittany how you feel now that she's single?"
I look up through my eyelashes and find Sugar eyeing me curiously. "No," I answer, then go back to reading over my class notes.
Sugar scoffs. "Why not! It's the perfect time to do it. You're both single. You both have crushes on each other."
"She had a crush on me," I remind her.
"Stop acting like a child! Plus, you haven't changed much from freshman year, so why wouldn't she like you?"
I set my notes down on my lap and look up at her. "I've changed."
Sugar tilts her head as if saying, "c'mon."
"I have!"
"How?"
"How haven't I changed?" I've changed plenty since our freshman year of high school. I mean, if I hadn't changed, I'd still behave like a fifteen year old.
"Sure you have bigger boobs and wore a thong to a party that one time, but other than that you're still pretty much the same. You're still closed-off and stand-offish, and she's still sweet and full of life. She's exactly what you need."
"Who's exactly what she needs?"
Brittany is indeed still sweet and full of life, and she also still has the habit of appearing out of thin air. She sits between Sugar and I on the grass where we've been resting for the past ten minutes.
"No one." I try to play it off by smiling at her and offering her my coffee. "You look tired," I comment. She really does look tired. Her hair is up in a messy pony and her eyes look unrested.
She takes the coffee and sips from the plastic lid. "I am. I had to work yesterday and also stayed up most of the night finishing up a presentation." She tries to hand me back the coffee, but I refuse it.
"You can have it," I say.
"But it's almost full."
"That's okay."
"Thanks, Santana," she says, almost sounding embarrassed.
I enjoy her shy little smile for a second then begin gathering my stuff. "I gotta go. I have a study session in five minutes," I announce.
"Do you want me to walk you?" Brittany offers.
"That's okay, Brittany. Thanks though."
"She doesn't want you to disturb her study session with her boo," Sugar says in a mocking tone.
I narrow my eyes at her. I love Sugar, I really do, but sometimes I feel like strangling her.
"With who?" Brittany asks, and I can't tell if she's confused or intrigued.
"With no one," I say. "She's just a friend."
"But I bet she's hoping you don't stay friends for much longer." Sugar winks. "I can't believe she hasn't made a move on you. It's been weeks!"
"She hasn't made a move on me because it's not like that. You know we're just friends."
Brittany raises her hand as if she's in class and when I look down at her she asks, "Who are we talking about?"
"Her name is Sandra," I quickly say, trying not to give it much importance.
"And she totally wants Santana," Sugar chimes in. "I've seen her flirting with her, but Santana doesn't want to admit it!
"I'm leaving now." I turn on my heel.
"She totally wants to water your pleasure garden!" Sugar shouts.
/
The following night, after my shower, I get a text from Brittany.
Britt PierceUr not asleep yet r u?
'Not yet. Just finished showering. What's up?'
Britt PierceJust wanted to make sure that we're still on for the club this weekend?
'Yeah of course :)'
I get in bed and throw the covers over me.
Britt Pierce Awesome! You can bring ur friend if you'd like
My friend? I wonder to myself.
'Sandra? haha no that's okay but thanks'
Britt Pierce I'm cool with it and so is Sugar. We want to get to know her
'Don't tell me Sugar convinced you that I'm into her cause I'm not. Please don't believe what she says. I already have enough with her bothering me about it.'
Britt Pierce Okay if u say soooo
'When I find someone I like, you'll be the first one to know', I assure her.
Britt Pierce:) I feel special
'You are!'
Britt Pierce I'm blushing :p
We text back and forth for a few more minutes until she lets me know that she has to go make dinner for her cat. That makes me want to ask questions but I don't and wish her a good night instead.
/
When the weekend rolls around, Sugar picks me up in a rented town car which doesn't surprise me. I stopped being surprised at her outrages purchases when I found out that her motto was 'go big or look poor'. "What did you tell Brittany about Sandra?" I ask her as we sit in the back seat of the black sedan. "She seems convinced that I'm into her."
Sugar finishes applying her lipstick and smacks her lips a few times. "After you left, she asked about who we had been talking about. She wanted to know who I thought was perfect for you, so I told her it was Sandra."
"Sugar! Wha- what the hell?"
"It was either that or tell her the truth! Did you want me to tell her we were talking about her? Cause I can tell her!" She threatens.
"You know I don't," I say, annoyed.
"I wouldn't have to lie if you just came clean. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Um how about getting rejected?" I say, incredulously.
"Even if she didn't feel the same, you know Brittany is super nice and wouldn't be a bitch about it. Things wouldn't change."
"Oh c'mon. You know they would. Maybe not for you or for her, but I'd feel uncomfortable around her, so it's better to just leave it alone. I don't want to ruin what we have now."
"See? You haven't changed a bit. You're still a scared little girl who's not willing to take chances."
"Shut up."
When the driver pulls up to Brittany's house, she's already waiting out on the curb in a sexy pencil skirt and blouse. I move over to the middle seat and she hops into the car.
"Hey!" She looks at us from head to toe. "You guys look super hot!"
"I know, right? We're going to get so many free drinks tonight!" Sugar says excitedly as if she doesn't have stacks of money.
"We're under age," I comment. "And you guys better not ditch me for some sleazy guys or something."
"Can't make any promises!" Sugar says.
"I won't ditch you," Brittany says in a kind voice. "I'll stay with you all night. I promise."
Her soft smile lets me know she's being 100% honest and causes me to grin. "Thanks, Brittany. I mean, that's if we even manage to get in. I don't trust Sugar and her contacts."
"Excuse me, but my contacts always come through. I've known the bouncer for years. He's a friend of the family and promised to let me in once I turned 18."
"How is a bouncer a friend of the family? Aren't all your parents' friends rich?" I ask.
"Of course they are. His parents are rich, but they disowned him for wanting to pursue a career in art and blah blah blah. You know that old story. He's one of those guys. A moron, if you ask me."
The driver makes a stop in front of the club and we follow Sugar out the car and to the entrance. I can hear the line of people trying to get in angrily yelling at us for moving to the front of the line, and I know Sugar is loving it.
The bouncer holds a hand in front of Sugar as soon as she nears him. "Back of the line," he says in a voice you'd expect from a man of his stature.
My short friend, who has just become much smaller now that she's standing near this man, looks up at him. "You're not Angelo," she says.
The bouncer shakes his head no. "Back of the line." He points his chunky finger to the line of people still shouting at us then crosses his arms again.
Sugar looks back at us and chuckles. "No, no you see… I'm Sugar, Sugar Motta." She waits for a reaction but gets none. "Angelo is my friend. You know him, right?"
He slowly shakes his head no once more.
"Well anyway, he was suppose to let us in tonight so if you will just-" She tries moving past him but the bouncer entirely blocks her way. Sugar gasps. She looks over her shoulder at the line of people and seems slightly embarrassed. "What do you want? Money? I can write you a check."
The bouncer gives her a blank stare.
I pull her arm towards me. "Let's go! This is embarrassing," I hiss near her ear.
She takes turns looking at both me and Brittany then pulls a pair of sunglasses out from her purse and slips them on.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"This place totally blows. Lets go somewhere else," she loudly orders then starts walking down the street with her hand obscuring her face from the view of the clubgoers.
Brittany and I quickly follow behind her. "I knew this was going to happen!" I say. "You just made us look like complete losers!"
Sugar stops abruptly and spins around causing both Brittany and I to collide with her.
"He must be new. That's why he didn't recognize my name. His fault. Nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Then why are you wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night?" I question.
She slips the shades off and puts them back in her purse. "Let's pick a different club."
I shake my head. "No, let's just go home. Call your driver back."
"Brittany, what do you want to do?" Sugar asks.
"Um… I guess we can find another place to go to." She glances at me. "Or go home?"
"Yeah, that's what we want to do, but what do you want to do? And don't side with Santana!"
"Well, we're already here and we did get all dressed up…" She looks at me. "We could just go hang out somewhere for a bit then go home."
"Let's go to a bar!" Sugar yelps.
I sigh. "We're not 21."
"But we look hot! All we need to do is get some sodas, make it look like we're drinking alcohol, and the free drinks will start pouring in."
I eye Brittany and she gives me a playful jab with her elbow.
"Fiiiineee!" I whine.
/
After walking for about 15 minutes, we finally manage to find a lounge where they don't require an ID at the entrance. We find a cleared seating area among the crowded room, but Sugar quickly leaves us when a guy who is clearly much older asks her to dance.
"Don't accept any drinks, Sugar!" I warn her as she leaves.
Even though the music is playing at a moderate volume, Brittany leans over by my hear and asks if I want a soda.
"Oh, yeah. I'll go with you," I reply to her.
Again, she nears my ear and tells me to stay put or else we'll lose our seats. I frown at that because I don't want to be left alone but she smiles and pats my leg before getting up and heading to the bar. As I follow her with my eyes, I notice a guy heading my way with a smug smile. "Hi!" He says in a voice much louder than Brittany's. "Can I sit?"
"I'm actually waiting for my friend."
He looks back at Brittany who's at the bar trying to get the bartender's attention. "What is she getting you? I'll buy."
"No, thanks."
"C'mon, it's no problem. One drink, no strings attached."
I shake my head. "I'm not drinking."
"Wanna dance then?"
"Not much of a dancer."
He smiles and nods. "This doesn't really seem like a place you should be in then."
At that moment, Brittany comes back with what seems to be two glasses filled with Coke. She hands me a glass and sits back down next to me before casually kissing my cheek. I turn to stare at her in confusion but she looks up at the stranger still standing near me. "Hi!" She say.
"Hey! I'm Brandon."
Brittany introduces herself and they shake hands.
"I was offering your friend a dance but she doesn't seem to be the dancing type. Please tell me you're not the same."
"I love to dance!" Brittany says excitingly.
"Really?" Brandon asks, just as excited. "Wanna dance with me?" He offers her his hand.
"Not today, sorry! I'm here with her," she informs him as she rests her arm around my shoulders.
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I borrowed you for a while," he insists.
"I sure hope she minds! She'd be a bad girlfriend if she didn't." Brittany pulls me into her in a playful manner and I giggle, but I really don't know why. Maybe I do it out of confusion, because I have no idea what's going on.
"Oh c'mon. Friends should let friends have fun!" Brandon argues.
"True. But we're not friends. She's my girlfriend," Brittany explains.
Brandon blinks a few times. I blink a few times. Brandon chuckles. I don't chuckle.
"You're telling me you're lesbians?" He asks.
Brittany shrugs.
"Oh, that's bullshit. If you don't want to talk to me just tell me. Don't make up some lesbian story."
"Look at her!" Brittany scans me with her eyes. "You're telling me you don't believe I bagged her as soon as she let me? She's hot!"
"She is hot and you're hot too, that's why I don't believe it. Lesbians are never hot."
"That's not true."
Brandon looks at me. "Is it true? Kiss her if it's true."
I panic.
"It was nice talking to you, but we want to be alone now." Brittany slips her hand down to my waist.
"Whatever. You guys aren't fucking lesbians," he says before turning back to bar and walking off.
Brittany removes her hand from my body and takes a sip from her Coke. I look at her without knowing what to say and she lets out a laugh.
"Ladiessss, look at what I got for you!" Sugar, who is being followed by the same guy as earlier, sets down two drinks down in front of us.
"We already have drinks," I say.
"No, these are real drinks. My new friend bought them for you guys!" She points back at the tall, skinny guy behind her. He smiles.
"Sugar, I-"
"Just drink them!" She commands.
Brittany and I look at each other and she shrugs before taking one of the drinks. I follow her lead and take the other. Sugar's friend buys us three more rounds, and I really wish I would have stopped after the first one because I am definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol now. My lips started to feel funny halfway through drink number three and now they're just numb. Brittany has been dancing on her seat for the entire time and has insisted that I go dance with her for the past hour. I do kind of feel like dancing now but I keep denying her request.
"How about now?" Brittany asks. "Can we go dance now? Please, Santana. Please. Please. Please."
"Brittany, go dance! It's fine. I'm fine. You go dance."
"I'm not going to leave you here! I told you I wouldn't."
I sigh, feeling guilty about holding her back. "Fine. Alright." I slurp the last of my drink. "Let's go."
"Really?! Woo!" Brittany quickly ditches her drink and pulls me by the hand all the way to the small dance area. There's some Top-40 song playing and Brittany doesn't hesitate to bring out her moves, and I mean moves. I had no idea she was such a good dancer. It's like she's good at EVERYTHING. She's got me feeling awkward and unsure about my own dancing skills which I know aren't the best but my insecurities quickly fade as the music and alcohol stop me from overthinking everything.
We dance and laugh for the duration of a few songs until a girl who I've never seen before squeezes in between us. At first, I thought she was only making her way through the crowd but I then find that she has other intentions; she's dancing with me, and if it weren't for the alcohol, I would have backed off about five minutes ago. But I'm kind of drunk by now, so when the unknown girl does a 180 and begins moving her backside against me, I allow her. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said she wasn't attractive and didn't hypnotize me with her body. The music changes from pop to hip-hop making me snap back to reality just enough to remember that Brittany is still there. I look up, panicked at the reaction I might find, but she's smiling. She closes in on my new dance partner and together we make one hell of a sexy dance group. When the music transitions from one song to the next, Brittany reaches for my hand and leads me towards her until my chest is gracing her back. She holds my hand up against her hip and continues dancing in between me and our new friend who doesn't seem to mind changing positions.
As we continue moving to the music, I look down between us and gulp at the sight of Brittany's perfectly round behind pushing against my pelvis. It's embarrassing to admit it, but the sight of it drives me crazy, to the point at which I begin to get turned on. I grip her hip a little tighter and she responds by letting her head fall back on my shoulder. I want this moment to last forever, like for eternity, but of course it doesn't. Sugar comes crashing into us as if she's getting chased by vicious dog.
"Sugar! What the hell?" By now, I've let go of Brittany and we're both trying to figure out what's going on.
Sugar looks over her shoulder as a small commotion forms in the near distance. "We need to go."
The girl, who's name we never got, walks away.
"Bye!" Brittany shouts at her. "Thank you!"
"The driver should be waiting for us outside," Sugar quickly says. She looks over her shoulder again, and now there seems to be two guys pushing each other back and forth. One of them is definitely her friend from earlier. "Let's go!"
Sugar takes Brittany's hand and Brittany takes mine as we push through the crowd of people, some of which are still dancing, not noticing the fight that's about the break out. We make it back outside and climb inside our ride which is waiting at the corner. "What just happened?" I ask Sugar.
"Just some guys fighting over me," she says, casually. "Who should I drop off first?"
"I don't think I can go home like this," says Brittany. "My mom wouldn't be too happy if she found out I was drinking tonight."
"We should have a sleepover!" Sugar says as if it's the best idea she's ever had. "You guys can sleep at my house!"
"Well… I was thinking we could just drink some water and hang out for a while, but a sleep over sounds good. I can just text my mom and let her know." Brittany pulls out her phone and begins typing a message. "Oh, wait." She turns to me. "Are you sleeping over?"
"I- I guess."
She smiles. "Awesome."
When we get to Sugar's house, we all try to make our way up the stairs as steadily and quiet as we can. Sugar trips on the last step and her heel goes rolling down the stairs. We pause to watch as the pump rolls and comes to a stop on the cold tile at the bottom of the stairs. We then wait for any signs of having woken her parents but all is quiet so we continue down the hall and into her room. Sugar immediately kicks off her other shoe and collapses on her enormous bed.
"Sugar, are you going to let us sleep in the spare rooms or what?" I ask.
Sugar rolls over to the right side of her bed and pats the space next to her. "Just sleep," she mumbles, hey eyes closed.
"What? You have three spare rooms. Can't we sleep in those?"
She doesn't reply and instead hugs one of her many pillows close to her chest.
I look at Brittany and she shrugs. "I can sleep in the middle, if you want," she offers.
"Thanks." I close the door behind me and slip my shoes off. "What a great sleepover," I grumble.
"I think it is pretty great," Brittany says, removing pillows from Sugar's bed so that there's enough space for us. "We get to sleep on a huge cloud." She too takes her shoes off and lays next to Sugar.
I turn the lights off and walk towards the empty side of the bed, suddenly nervous. I take my time sitting down on the edge of the bed then slowly falling back on to the plush pillow. I can feel Brittany's eyes on me, but I continue staring up at the ceiling.
"Did you have fun?" Brittany asks in a soft, low voice. I can still smell the alcohol in her breath.
I nod. "Yeah, it was fun… Did you?" I glance at her for a second and see her nod under the white, moon light seeping in through the window. "Good," I say, looking back up at the green ceiling.
There's a moment of silence, and I begin to wonder if Brittany has fallen asleep but then she says, "I'm glad you decided to dance with me. That was really fun."
"Yeah, it was." I feel like I should add something to that. "Thanks for getting that guy off my back."
"You're welcome." I can't see her, but I can tell she's smiling by the tone of her voice. "It was my pleasure." There's another silent moment in which all I can hear is Sugar's light snoring, then Brittany takes a deep breath and exhales. "Good night, San."
A warm bursting feeling expands inside me at the sound of those three letters being said by her sleepy voice. "Good night, Britt."