Abducted
Chapter Three
Santana doesn't usually have difficulty falling asleep, however, she had never been in a peculiar situation as this before. The first night at the Lopez's there was a few minutes in which she stared at the ceiling, feeling odd to be in a childhood room she had no memory of, but, eventually she was able to fall asleep.
Though, the last few nights, sleep did not come as easily, and when it did, Santana was experiencing odd dreams. Tonight she had hoped it would be different, but, once again she couldn't fall asleep. Normally the brunette would listen to music, and that would work, but, she didn't want yet another weird dream.
Instead of trying to get some sleep, she went downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water when she heard a noise coming from the back porch. Looking out a window above the sink, she saw Victor pacing and smoking a cigarette. Although curious, she didn't plan on joining him, but, Victor must have felt he was being watched. He turned towards the window, and waved Santana to go outside.
"Don't tell your…Maribel, por favor. I don't do this all time just when I'm stressed and this investigation into…" He paused. "Well…your…kidnapping…has my nerves shot."
Santana nodded slowly. "I won't tell." She wrapped her arms around herself from the chill in the air.
Victor finished off the cigarette, extinguished the butt then put it in his pocket. The teen guessed to hide it from his wife.
"Can't sleep?" Victor asked.
"No. I thought a glass of water would help." Santana decided a little white lie would be better than the truth. What could Victor do anyway?
Victor winced. "Sorry about that."
Santana frowned, confused. "What did you do?"
"Passed off insomnia to my daughter." He explained.
"Oh, yeah, that must be it."
There's a moment of silence, although, it's no longer as awkward as it used to be.
"Would you be interested in learning Spanish?" Santana shrugged. "Your Mami and I have thought about getting your Tio David, my brother, to give you lessons. Abuela will not be happy when she finds out you aren't fluent." Another pause. "She'll be here tomorrow for supper. Your…Maribel wanted it to be a surprise, and I thought it was a good idea, too, but I changed my mind."
Santana didn't know what to say, or how to feel about that.
"Both sides of the family want to see you again, but, a few at a time. We don't want to overwhelm you." Victor checked the time on his wrist watch. "Damn, it's late and you have school in the morning. Try warm milk, see if that helps."
"M'kay, thanks."
He nodded with a smile. "Sweet dreams." Victor kissed her forehead then went back inside the house.
Santana had a minute to herself on the porch, star gazing, and wondering what kind of odd dream she would have tonight before getting that warm milk, then finally, she went upstairs to sleep.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Santana covered her ears. She didn't care how pretty the fireworks are, they're too loud for her tiny ears.
"It's scary!" She shouted in Spanish to Puck.
"You're such a cry baby!" He scowled, showing no sympathy to his baby sister.
"I want Papi!"
"Then go, cry baby!"
Puck pushed Santana and she fell to the ground. She cried some more then ran through the large crowd in search for Victor, however, there are far too many people and she is too short to find her parents. Nonetheless, with determination, the little girl continued to weave and bob through the crowd.
The longer it took to search for Victor and Maribel, the more frightened Santana became. It seemed the crowd became larger and larger. The adults are just too tall and she is too little. Suddenly it's difficult to breathe, her face is hot, her knee is still sore from when Puck pushed her, and her body almost felt numb.
"What's wrong, sweet girl?"
The following morning Santana woke up in a cold sweat. It's the same dream she had last time. She had an idea what the dream is from; a memory, and not a good one. Santana recalled the investigator in New York told her she was taken in Puerto Rico in the middle of a firework show.
Although the fireworks were scary for a little girl, that doesn't scare her now. It's the end of the dream that gave her chills. That voice asking her what's wrong that scared her the most. Who did it belong to, and why did it scare her? It was just a kind samaritan, right?
Knock! Knock!
"Are you awake, sweetheart?" Maribel asked through the door.
Santana exhaled deeply. While she understood why Maribel had been hovering over her ever since the family reunited, it can be too much at times.
"Yeah."
"Okay, just making sure. Don't want you to be late for your first cheer practice."
Although Santana took the uniform before leaving coach Sylvester's office, she didn't give the cheer coach an answer to whether she would join the squad right away, and just as Quinn Fabray warned, coach Sylvester was very insistent on getting her to join.
That woman absolutely does not take no for an answer. It took three days before Santana finally gave in and she is officially co-captain, replacing Kitty Wilde.
As expected that did not go over well with said girl, and by extension, Quinn Fabray. The two blondes were attached to the hip, although, it appeared as if Kitty was more of a pet to Quinn than a friend.
Ever since coach Sylvester made the announcement that not only would Santana be joining the cheer squad, she would be co-captain to Quinn, both Kitty and Quinn had been giving the Latina a hard time. Whenever they get the chance to say something derogatory, or passive aggressive toward her, they do. Brittany, however, does not.
In fact, the tall, somewhat odd, blonde, is the only one from the entire squad that went out of her way to be kind to Santana.
After a shower, and blow drying her hair, Santana changed into the infamous red and white cheerios uniform then put her hair up in a perfect high ponytail, curling the end with a curling iron. The Latina put on some makeup before meeting Puck in the garage.
Since both football and cheerleading practices are at the same time, Puck had reluctantly agreed to take Santana with him to the high school. The drive is always awkward, and if it weren't for the radio, it would also be really quiet.
At the school, Puck went off to the football field whilst Santana took off in the opposite direction to the gymnasium. Coach Sylvester stood at the top of the bleachers with a megaphone. Usually it was the captain and co-captain to take role call, but, the coach believed the process would move more efficiently if she did it instead.
Once everyone was accounted for, coach Sylvester had the squad run laps around the gymnasium, though, she didn't tell them how many laps to run. Instead, the coach told them she would let them know when to stop.
Santana ran a steady pace along side Brittany. Quinn and Kitty, on the other hand, acted as though they were running in a race ahead of the pack.
"They're going to make themselves sick if they don't slow down." The Latina managed to say whilst running.
"Probably, but, they've always treated cheer practice like a competition." Brittany panted.
"I'm not surprised."
"Before you joined the squad they competed with each other, but, now they're going to be competing with you." Brittany paused to catch her breath. "Kitty is totally convinced that if she is better than you during practice, coach Sylvester will make her co-captain again."
Santana huffed. "So what you're saying is, Quinn, and Kitty especially, are going to make my life hell…even more than they already have." She added as an after thought.
"Basically, but, it's nothing you can't handle."
The brunette frowned, confused. "How would you know what I could handle? You don't know me." She pointed out.
Brittany lifted a shoulder. "Just do." She winked.
The wink momentarily caught Santana off guard long enough to let Quinn and Kitty run past her a third time. Both looked pleased with themselves for seemingly running better than Santana and beating her in a race that only they were in.
"Can we stop running now?" A red head cheerleader whined.
"No!" Coach Sylvester shouted into the megaphone. "You sloppy babies need discipline before you can practice any cheers or dance routines! You stop when I say stop!"
It only took two more laps for Quinn and Kitty to fall behind the pack. Both Santana and Brittany continued their steady pace at the front. By the seventh lap girls began to drop like flies. Too exhausted to continue running, they opted to sit on the bottom bleacher to drink water and catch their breath. The last ones to drop were Quinn and Kitty. The last ones standing were Santana and Brittany.
"Pathetic!" Coach Sylvester shouted at the girls sitting on the bleachers. "Take a five minute break then we can move on to more warmups! And I don't want to hear or see anymore whining! Save your tears for the pillow!"
Using a egg timer, coach Sylvester timed the break as she sat at the top of the bleachers keeping a watchful eye on the girls. Exactly five minutes later on the dot, coach had the girls doing jumping jacks, squats, lunges, even cartwheels and handstands before they start to continue learning new cheers for the first football game of the season.
Being the captain, Quinn was instructed to go off to another part of the gymnasium to teach Santana the cheers they already learned. If it weren't for coach Sylvester being in the room, Quinn wouldn't be so kind. She could lose her spot as captain to anyone just as easily as Kitty lost hers.
Once Santana had learned some of the cheers, she and Quinn joined the rest of the squad to learn a few other cheers and dances. Throughout practice Coach Sylvester continued to shout insults at the girls.
"Mediocre! Hit the showers!"
The girls went into the locker room to shower and change into a clean uniform. Santana doesn't understand why they have to constantly wear the uniform, however, she won't take the chance asking coach Sylvester, and had the feeling no one else on the squad dared to ask either. After getting dressed, Santana jumped as someone slammed her hand against the locker next to Santana's. She turned to see Kitty.
"Enjoy your co-captain title while you still have it. I'll do whatever it takes to get it back. Do not underestimate me, amigo."
Santana just glared back and crossed her arms across her chest in response.
"Don't let her get to you." Said Brittany as she suddenly appeared next to Santana. "She wouldn't risk getting kicked off the squad."
"Noted."
The pair walked to homeroom together. On their way, Santana caught a glimpse of Puck standing at his locker with a couple of football players. One of them she recognized from the gated neighborhood her parents lived at, but, she didn't know the other boy.
Unfortunately, they also run into Jacob Ben Israel.
"JBI, here with the new co-captain of the cheerios cheerleading squad." He said into a microphone whilst looking at the camera before turning to the Latina. "Do you feel confident you're capable of replacing Kitty Wilde and getting the squad their first championship in ten years?"
"What did I tell you about putting that microphone in my face?!"
JBI genuinely looked frightened thinking about the threat she made during their first encounter as he visibly gulped like a cartoon character. "I-I'm not scared." His voice wavered as he stuttered.
All it took was a death glare from Santana for the Jewish boy to squeak and run away with his camera boy.
"That was amazing." Brittany said in envy.
Santana had almost forgotten the tall cheerleader was still there. She blushed. "It's no big deal. Someone has to tell him off, he's a little cretin."
Brittany just laughed as the pair went to homeroom together.
As always the day seemed to move as slow as a snail, and it felt like most of her teachers had a secret meeting to give out a bunch of homework to entertain themselves. Now in biology, Santana is hoping Mr. Swinderman doesn't pile more homework on to what she already had.
"Okay, settle down. Today we're doing everyone's favorite lab…" He paused for dramatic effect. "Dissecting frogs!" There was a collective groan. "I randomly paired you all, so stand off to the side of the room as I shout out some names here."
Mr. Swinderman read off a list he made. The kids that got paired together sat at the lab tables. Santana waited patiently for her name to be called.
"Josh Coleman and Santana Lopez."
Santana didn't know who Josh Coleman was, but, then he stepped forward to sit at a free lab table and she recognized him from earlier when she spotted Puck at his locker. Josh and the tall, dopey football player were with him. Santana sat next to Josh with distance between them.
"Hey." Josh greeted with a grin.
Santana flashed a forced smile. "Hi."
There was a moment of silence, but, in the corner of her eye she could tell he wants to say something else.
"Are the rumors true? I saw on JBI's blog that you were kidnapped as a kid and now you're back in Lima."
Santana exhaled deeply. She preferred not to talk about this. "Yes."
Mr. Swinderman began passing out all of the tools they need to dissect a frog.
"That's so crazy." He said, amazed. "I knew your brother for just a couple of years, but still, he never mentioned having a little sister."
That didn't surprise Santana, though, she wasn't going to tell him that. Mr. Swinderman approached their table with a dissecting tray, scalpel, dissecting scissors, forceps, and of course, the preserved frog specimen.
"Be very careful with the scalpel. It's sharper than it looks." The teacher warned them before moving on to the next lab table.
Josh began asking Santana a ton of questions. Where she lived before she came back to Ohio, what period did she have study hall, if she had a boyfriend, all the while the biology teacher instructed the class on how to dissect a frog. Eventually Santana had enough.
"Are you slow at reading social cues? I'm not interested in your twenty questions game, I am trying to dissect this disgusting frog. Shut the hell up."
Instead of being offended, Josh smirked. "You have the same feistiness as your brother. He annoys the fuck out of me when he gets like that, but, it's very sexy on you."
Santana glared at the football player. "I'm about to slap you."
"Is there a problem, Miss. Lopez?" Mr. Swinderman asked, interrupting class.
"No." She denied, although, her face told the truth.
"Good. Cut down the talking and pay close attention. I don't need anyone being rushed to the hospital and neither does the school." He added the last part quietly, but, everyone still heard him.
For a moment Santana thought Josh would leave her alone so she could concentrate on the dissecting and the step by step instructions Mr. Swinderman was still giving the class, but, she was wrong.
"I'm having a party at my house after the football game tomorrow." He whispered. "The football team and the other cheerleaders will be there, before you say no, so, you may as well come, too."
A party with a bunch of douchebag football players, plus Quinn and Kitty, does not sound like fun, however, she knows there will be at least one person there she could hang out with, Brittany.
"If I agree, will you leave me alone?" She whispered back.
"Sure, sugar lips."
Santana glared at the football player. "Don't call me that and, fine, I'll go to your stupid party. I'll get your address from Britt."
As promised, Josh left Santana alone for the rest of the lesson. By the time the bell rang, she was happy to get out of class as she rushed out to avoid Josh, getting the sense he wanted to talk to her again. Next class; history with Mr. Johnson.
This class had been difficult for Santana to find, she usually always got lost, but, in the end she somehow always got lucky by running into someone willing to help her. Usually Kurt or Mercedes. However, this time that doesn't seem to be the case. Somehow she ended up by the library and she knows that's wrong. Giving up, she went inside to ask the librarian.
The Latina weaved through the rows of shelves and tables to get to the front of the room where the librarian was when she heard it. Although, quiet, she could still hear someone swearing up a storm in frustration. Santana peeked through a shelf to see Brittany sitting at one of the tables. The blonde appeared to be doing some homework with difficulty. Santana rounded the book shelf to see if she could help.
"Hey, Britt." She greeted the tall girl as she sat opposite of her. "Is this your free period?"
Brittany nodded. "I have English next so I'm trying to finish this homework from last night, but, I still don't get it. Edgar Allan Poe is a confusing man."
Santana smiled sympathetically.
"Is this your free period. too?" Brittany asked hopefully.
The brunette shook her head. "No, I'm supposed to be in Mr. Johnson's history class, but, I always have a hard time finding it. Usually Kurt or Mercedes help me, but, I don't know where they are today."
"I could help." Brittany instantly offered.
"Thanks, but, honestly it would just be a waste of time, I'm already late." She paused and suddenly became shy. "I…I could help with your homework."
"Thanks." Brittany ducked her head.
Santana read the homework sheet then explained to the blonde what simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole are, then helped her fill the work sheet. By the time they finished the bell rang.
"Sorry you missed your class."
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad I could help."
"What do you have next?"
Santana looked at her schedule, still haven't memorized it yet. "PE." She said, her face scrunched up like she smelled something bad.
"Oh, then I guess you know where the gym is." Brittany looked and sounded disappointed as is if she were hoping Santana wouldn't know where to go so they could walk together.
"Not from here, I don't." Santana lied. The gymnasium is one of the few easier rooms for Santana to find, though, it did help that the gym is large and practically in the middle of the building.
Brittany smiled. "The school is pretty big. That's why I use stickers." She said as the pair began walking together.
"I remember." Santana smiled.
The two cheerleaders spent the short time walking the hallways to get to know each other better.
"I never been outside of Lima." Brittany said in envy. "New York City sounds beautiful and scary at the same time."
Santana chuckled. "That sums it up perfectly."
"Lima must be so boring to you in comparison."
The Latina shrugged with one shoulder. "I can't say it's exciting, but, I do like some of the people here."
"Yeah?"
Santana nodded. "There's this one girl in particular that's really nice and pretty cool."
Brittany chuckled as she turned her head before Santana could tease her about the not so subtle blush. After a moment the blonde grabbed her hand and went in the opposite direction.
"Where are we going?"
The two weaved through the crowded hallways, hands still linked.
"The gym, we're just going a different way."
As if going through a maze they zig and zag before they finally reach the gymnasium.
"Why did we go the long way?"
"JBI."
"Oh, no explanation needed." Brittany chuckled. "Thanks, I'll see you around." Santana turned to go inside the gym when Brittany stopped her.
"Wait, are you going to Josh's party tomorrow?"
Santana smiled. "As long as you're going."
Brittany nodded shyly. "I'll be there."
"Cool." Santana smirked. "See you there."
Brittany used a pen to write the home address of the Coleman household then Santana went through the gymnasium doors and crossed the basketball court to the girls locker room to change into the PE uniforms. Somehow she was the first one there even after taking the long way. Getting dressed, Santana sang You Outta Know.
Unbeknownst to her the gym teacher, Mr. Schuster was inside his office that sat between the girls and boys locker room and Santana was just loud enough for him to hear her so he had followed her voice to the locker room and waited for her by the door.
"Shit, you scared me." Santana swore as she exited the locker room only to practically run right into Mr. Schuester.
"Sorry." He apologized. "I just…I heard you sing from my office." He pointed to his office door. "You're really good. Have you thought about joining the glee club?"
"I wasn't aware there was a glee club." She confessed.
"Do you have a school map?"
She shook her head. "Not on me."
Mr. Schuester quickly ran to his office. When he returned he had a school map and there was a red star marked on one of the class rooms.
"That's the choir room. If you're interested it's everyday after school."
"I'll think about it."
Santana put the map in her locker then returned to the basketball court. When more of the students began to show, she was happy to see Kurt Hummel. From the moment she saw him Santana knew he was gay and from the looks of it so did everyone else.
The poor boy was constantly bullied by the entire football team. It's often that he gets thrown in a dumpster or someone is throwing a cold beverage on him. Santana felt bad for him. It's a reminder that she can't let anyone know they play for the same team.
She also felt bad when Mr. Schuester announced they would be playing dodgeball. It can be a brutal game and with a few football players in the class, Kurt was their first target. Santana lasted in the game longer than him, but, eventually she did get hit. In the end it was the other team, in the red uniforms, that won.
At the end of class, Santana and Kurt walked together, though, eventually they would have to go their separate ways. On the way out of the double doors, Mr. Schuester stopped the pair.
"Don't forget to let me know if you'll be joining the glee club." He reminded her.
Before Santana could respond, Kurt cut her off.
"You can't join glee club it's social suicide."
Mr. Schuester exhaled deeply. "Thanks for that, Kurt."
He grinned sheepishly. Santana and Kurt then continued on down the hallway.
"Would it really be that bad if I joined?"
"Yes." He instantly answered. "Don't get me wrong, I love to sing, but glee club is at the very bottom of the social ladder."
Santana hesitated. "Aren't you already being thrown into dumpsters? How could it get any worse for you?" She asked gently, not wanting to offend him.
Kurt frowned and Santana attempted to apologize. He shook his head. "No, you're right. My high school career has been a nightmare so far, so, why not do something I love, to make it just a little bearable?"
There's a moment of silence between them.
"Did I just convince you to join the glee club?"
Kurt chuckled. "I believe so." They paused, reaching the point where they have to go their separate ways. "Thanks, San."
"Sure… I guess." She said as he walked away.
The rest of the day was uneventful. It wasn't until the drive back to the Lopez's (it does not feel like home to her) house does she remember Victor's mother would be visiting for dinner today. If Puck wasn't closed off from her, she would ask him what she should be expecting. Like always, Maribel asked Santana questions about her day, and as always, Puck got annoyed and rushed to his bedroom. Not knowing Victor told her already, she announced Alma, AKA Abuela, will be visiting.
Santana promised she would change into something nice after she's finished with all of her homework. It was a lot, but, eventually she got through it. As she stood in front of the opened closet door deciding what to wear, her phone alerted her of a new text from the group chat she had with Jessica, Madison, and Spencer.
The trio had been keeping her updated on all the drama from her old school and every once in awhile they let her know how much they miss her. No one in the cheerleading squad had said it out loud, but, they know it will be harder to win competitions without Santana, including coach Washington.
She was surprised to get another alert from a separate text from Spencer.
Spencer; i hope its okay ive been telling people we r in a long distance relationship
Santana let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know how Spencer would react if she admitted to him that she had done the same and had avoided telling him until now.
Spencer; do u think ur parents would let u come back 2 NY for the winter formal
Crap. She totally forgot about that.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Someone, Puck most likely, just knocked on the door. However, Santana is no longer in the Lopez home. She's three again in Puerto Rico on vacation with her family. A crowd had formed to observe all of the beautiful fireworks.
Although to her they were just loud and scary. Puck was calling her a baby, and Santana wanted her mother.
"Papi!"
She cried as she navigated through the crowd. Her dad always knew what to do or say to make her feel better, but, Santana couldn't find him. There are too many adults and she is too little. Instead of trying to find her father, she found a bench so he could come to her. However, that didn't work. Someone else found her.
"Santana!" Puck shouted through the door, bringing Santana back to reality.
"What?!"
"It's time to eat and Abuela is here!"
Quickly, she put together a outfit then got dressed before going downstairs to the kitchen where Maribel, Victor, Puck and Alma are already seated at the table covered with food.
"Santana, honey," said Maribel, "This is your father's mother, Alma. Although to you, of course, she is Abuela."
Alma is a short, elderly woman with dark hair cut in a pixie haircut, and had the same eye color as Victor. The woman smiled and began to greet Santana in Spanish. Victor gently had to remind his mother Santana is not fluent.
"Not fluent?" She said in English this time. "How could she not be fluent, who raised my granddaughter? Rich, white people that thought adopting a little brown baby would fix their broken marriage?"
Santana stood up, her face hot from anger. "I don't give a shit who you are, lady! You don't know a damn thing about my parents!" She glared at Alma.
"She didn't mean it." Maribel said, trying to calm Santana. "She's just upset you don't know any Spanish and she tends to cross the line sometimes."
"Who are you to judge my parents?!" Santana continued, ignoring Maribel. "You look like like you ignore your mailman for years, and the first time you say anything to him, it's to accuse him of stealing your Christmas cards!"
"Enough!" Victor shouted as he slammed his hand against the table. "Go to your room, I'll deal with you later!" Santana just looked at him confused. "Now!"
Santana stormed off to her bedroom. She slammed her door shut and went on the bed, laying on her stomach; she cried into the pillow until she fell asleep.
She doesn't know how long she'd been sleeping, but, the brunette woke up to someone combing their fingers through her hair. She reluctantly turned on her back then opened her eyes. It was Maribel and she had a plate of food from dinner.
"You have to eat." Maribel said gently.
Santana sat up and took the plate, though, she didn't eat. "Is she still here?" She asked referring to Alma.
Maribel hesitated. "Yes." Santana exhaled deeply in disapproval. "She wants to apologize and get to know you again." She said carefully, not knowing how Santana will react.
"And Victor, is he going to apologize?" She added, seeing how confused Maribel was.
"He didn't say, but, I'm sure he will." There's a short pause. "You may not remember, but, you and your Papi share the same temper." She smirked at the memory.
"I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood for a family history lesson."
Maribel nodded in understanding. "Come down when you've finished eating."
The older Latina closed the door behind her. Santana looked down at the plate of food and decided she wasn't hungry anymore, nor does she want to go back downstairs to face that awful woman again.
Alma really crossed the line and seeing her wrinkled face is just going to get Santana mad all over again. Suddenly she felt the strong urge to escape the situation, but, how? She couldn't sneak out the front door, someone would notice her for sure.
Santana walked over to one of the windows. She opened it and poked her head out to determine if it was possible she could make the climb and jump without hurting herself. And if so, is she willing to go to such lengths just to avoid her ignorant grandmother?
"It's not worth it."
Santana jumped putting her hand over her heart then turned her head to see Puck sitting on top of the roof next to his window, smoking. At first she thought it was a cigarette but then she noticed how bloodshot his eyes were.
"First of all, you scared the shit out of me." Puck chuckled. "Second, how high are you?"
He threw his head back and laughed. "If I were to rate it, I'd say…a 6."
Both Puck and Santana laughed this time then Santana climbed on the roof and crawled over to her half brother.
"May I?" She asked pointing to the blunt.
"Sure." He passed the blunt to her.
"I think you've had enough, anyway." She pointed out. Puck just smiled and nodded in agreement. Santana took a few hits from the blunt, holding the smoke in for a few minutes in between each inhale.
Puck looked surprised. "You've smoked before." He said as a statement not a question.
Santana shrugged with one shoulder. "Just a few times." She confessed. "Is this sativa or indica?"
"Indica. Helps me sleep.…insomnia."
"Me too."
There's a comfortable silence between them. Santana can't help but wonder if it's the weed that helped Puck open up to her more. Ever since the family reunion he had been so closed off. She couldn't help but think he hated her, and for all she knew, he still does.
Being at the front of the house, they could hear the front door open and shut.
"She was pretty upset." Maribel said. "I don't think she'll come downstairs until morning."
There's a short pause.
"I understand. I'll have to apologize another time."
Santana could hear the regret in Alma's voice. She doesn't know if it's because she is already high, but, a part of her felt bad for what she said to the elderly woman.
"I feel bad." She unexpectedly said out loud.
"For what?" He asked genuinely confused, as if the incident in the kitchen not that long ago had been completely erased from his memory by the weed.
"What I said to Alma." Santana reminded him.
"Oh, that." He lifted one shoulder. "Don't be. She can be a ignorant old hag. You were spot on about the mailman."
Santana did a double take. "For real?"
He nodded. "Mr. Smith had been her mailman for years. She wouldn't even look at him. He's black." He added to explain their grandmother's ignorance.
Her brows raised in shock. "Wow, what a bitch."
Puck nodded slowly in agreement. They sit in silence for a few minutes.
"You're hogging that." Puck said as he tried to take what's left of the blunt from Santana but she held it just out of reach.
"You're cut off. You had enough."
"The high is wearing off. Let me have a few more good hits."
Santana laughed. "No it's not! You can barely keep your eyes open!" She pointed out.
Puck continued to fight with Santana for the blunt. To keep it away from him she threw it to the ground. The football player pouted like a child.
"You wasted a perfectly good roach." He whined.
Santana just laughed and again they sat in comfortable silence for a moment.
"Why do you hate me?" The cheerleader blurted, feeling brave from the weed.
He didn't say anything as he was still gazing up at the stars then he turned his attention to Santana as if slowly registering that she was talking to him.
"What?"
She could take the question back, make something up, and he would be none the wiser. However, her curiosity got the best of her.
"Why do you hate me?" She repeated.
Puck looked surprised and maybe a little hurt at the accusation. "I don't hate you." He said looking down at his lap. "I think…it's…resentment." He said slowly trying to think of the right words for how he felt. "And maybe…guilt and…jealousy."
Santana is so surprised by, not only the honesty but, his response. She's speechless.
"When we were kids, it was just sibling rivalry. You had Papi wrapped around your little finger and I hated that." He confessed. "He was just starting to feel like my dad not just the guy Mami married but then you came along and…from my perspective it seemed he loved you more cause you're his, ya know?
"Really?"
Again, Santana is surprised. Ever since the family reunion Victor had kept his distance for the most part. Other than the first night at the Lopez home, it had been Maribel asking her all of the questions, usually, about school.
She also felt sympathetic. That must have been terrible as a little boy to believe he wasn't loved as much as a younger sibling.
He nodded, now gazing up at the stars again. "You were a total daddy's girl." He smirked at the memory, however, it quickly faded. "But now…I guess it's mostly guilt and jealousy. Papi and Maribel don't seem to notice me unless they need something from me now that you're here. Makes me jealous and resentful." He admitted. "It's not your fault. I know it's my problem."
Santana nodded slowly. "Is that why you've been so closed off and…"
"An asshole?" He turned away from the sky and toward Santana, smiling.
"Yeah." She chuckled.
Puck shrugged with one shoulder. "That, and the guilt." He looked back at the stars. "I don't know how much you remember from that night, if at all, but, I was such a jerk to you. I usually was." He rolled his eyes then cleared his throat. "You were scared of the fireworks cause they were so loud, you didn't like that." He paused momentarily.
"You wanted Papi. I called you a baby and told you to go back to where Papi and Maribel were cause I didn't want to deal with you anymore since you wouldn't stop crying." Puck looked back at Santana with unshed tears. "It was my fault you got lost in the crowd, it was my fault you were taken."
Santana didn't know what to do. Hug him? He doesn't seem like the hugging type. What could she say? She didn't know, she isn't good at comforting people, but, felt like she had to do something. So, she settled for an awkward pat on the back. Unexpectedly, it made Puck laugh.
"You're not good at this."
Santana laughed, too, and dropped her hand by her side. "I guess not, sorry."
"Looks like we have something else in common." Santana smiled in response. "Come on, we should go back inside. I still have homework to do."
"You still haven't done it yet?"
Puck chuckled as they climbed into his room through the window. "You sound like Mami."
Not knowing what else to say to one another the pair stood awkwardly in the middle of the bedroom.
"W-Well, I did my homework so I get to sleep now." She teased. "Hopefully this weed will help me fall asleep so I don't have to spend another night staring at the ceiling." That wasn't completely true, it had been awhile since she stared at the ceiling to fall asleep, she just wanted to break the awkwardness with humor.
"It will. Works for me every time."
"Cool…goodnight."
"Yeah, g'night."
Santana returned to her bedroom hoping the conversation she had with Puck will improve their relationship now that he finally opened up to her.
A/N: Let me know what you think. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helpful even if it's just to say 'great chapter'.