A/N: I forgot to leave one of these on chapter 1, but this is my first ever fanfic so please go easy on me. All spelling and grammatical errors are mine. I know the chapters are pretty short, so I apologize for that. See trigger warnings in story summary. Song by All Time Low

Chapter 2: Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)

"Good morning Santana!" Brittany said brightly holding out a cup with The Lima Bean on it.

"You got me coffee?" Santana took the cup and sipped "Caramel is my favorite. How'd you know?"

"I guessed." Brittany smirked "Are we friends yet?"

"Not yet. But this is a good first step." Santana closes her locker and Brittany gets a good look at the denim jacket she wears over a flannel, which she's deftly made into "emo sleeves".

"All Time Low?" Brittany grins "You've got good taste."

"How'd you-" Santana shakes her head "My jacket. I made it." she shows Brittany the lyrics she embroidered on the right sleeve Beautiful scars on critical veins

"Will you teach me how to do that?" Brittany really hopes Santana says yes, because then she can make something for tomorrow.

"What, embroider?" Santana arches an eyebrow "Isn't that something only a friend would do?"

"No, just like if we were science partners you're helping me with an experiment." Brittany smiles, and Santana knows that the girls is way too proud of that move.

"Smooth Britt, but fine. Library, lunch." Santana closes her locker and walks away, the eye on the back of her jacket staring at Brittany.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Santana wonders aloud as she sits down in the back corner of the library.

"Kids only come here to nap, new kid, thats why." A kid barks from where he sleeps between two shelves. She shrugs and pulls out her embroidery kit. She brings it and spends all of lunch working on it, usually outside under a tree, but she didn't want to embarass Brittany.

"Hi San." the aforementioned blonde says sitting across from Santana.

"Hey. So uh, how should I show you?" Santana asks.

"Do an example. Embroider my name. Brittany S. Pierce." she watches as Santana quickly weaves the needle through the fabric. Stitch after stitch, the letters swirl together.

"So basically, just do small, clean stitches. You can use pencil to trace a design, and it will wash right out." Santana says handing her kit to Brittany. "I have more at home. Keep it and practice. I want to see what you can do. But lunch is almost over."

"Okay...I'll bring it back tomorrow. If I'm borrowing your stuff does that mean?"

"No, not friends yet B" Santana smiles at the new pet name and the way a blush fills the freckled cheeks. Maybe she has some game.

The next morning, Santana is greeted with another caramel latte and an embroidered gift.

"For your locker, y'know, if we are friends by Friday." Brittany bites her lip as she hands over the embroidery ring. Under her name that Santana had embroidered, she had put loves and then under that Santana M. Lopez.

"How'd you know my middle initial?" Santana is starting to think Brittany either reads minds or is a stalker.

"It's on all your books" the cheerleader shrugs. Santana looks down, and Brittany is right.

"I'll put it up if you convince me. We aren't friends yet though." Santana carefully folds the fabric and hands the needle, thread and embroidery ring back to Brittany "My gift to you, science partner." Once again Brittany is left to watch the Latina float away into the masses of McKinley High.

At lunch, Britrany spots Santana under a tree. She walks over, and she can tell something happened since this morning.

"San?" she sits next to the girl who has her knees pulled up to her chest and noticed both earbuds in. She can tell the music is blaring so she moves to sit in front of the girl. Her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are streaked red.

"I'm n..ot..in..the...m...moo...mood for...t...twenty...que...questions B" she stutters out, her voice cracking.

"Only one, why are you crying?" Brittnay searches brown eyes for any indication of an answer.

"Its p...pers...personal." Santana shakes her head. Why won't she let the blonde in?

"Please?" Brittany pushes and Santana takes a deep breath nodding.

"Its...kind...of...long" she mutters through sniffles and lowers her voice "I'm gay and parents sent me here to live with my aunt, thinking it would straighten me out. My Tia doesn't care though. She's just happy to have another kid around now that hers is grown. Well, I guess word got out cause" Santana shows Brittany a picture on her phone of her gym locker. Painted in bright orange is DYKE.

"I'm gonna kill them." Brittany stands up angrily. Santana looks up nervously, and as soon as the cheerleader takes notice she kneels back down and whispers "I'm bi, by the way" and stalks off, because she knows the only culprit stupid enough to use the same color for all his defacings of school property. "PUCKERMAN!" She shoves the boy as soon as she sees him, her face stoic.

"Pierce, whats up? Finally want a piece of the Puckasaurus?" the boy with the mohawk smirks.

"In your dreams." Brittany shoves him again, and this time he falls to the floor. The other jocks don't dare to touch a girl. "Leave Santana alone or you will be kissing your family jewels goodbye" she sneers, landing a kick square between his legs. The boy whimpers like a puppy but squeaks "Who?"

"New girl. Black hair, emo, Latina?" Brittany says.

"OH the dyke, since when were you into" Brittany kicks the boy in the ribs "Alright, I'll leave Lespez alone" he snickers but is silenced when Brittany punches his jaw.

"MY OFFICE NOW PIERCE." Brittany immediately goes docile at Sue's voice "NOW BLONDIE." Brittany pushes through the circle of jock who immediately go to comfort their idiot friend. She follows obediently, head down.

"You promised you'd clean up your act." Sue says as she shuts the door "What changed?"

"She did" Brittany points to Santana who had seen everything transpire and was now nervously leaning on the wall across from Sue's office.

"Pierce, Cheerios can't just hit the football players. If they get hurt we have no one to cheer for." Sue shakes her head "I'm sorry, but your off the team"

"No warning?!" Brittany begs "Please coach I can't protect her-"

"Off the team. I know. I'm going to make sure both of you aren't getting slushied daily. But you were on probation Pierce. Go change." Sue's word is final, and Brittany drags her feet out of the office. As soon as she does, Santana is hugging her.

"We are friends. You're my hero Britt. And I'm damned if I do ya, damned if I don't" Santana smiles at her reference to the All Time Low song, but when she sees the girl still pouting it disappears. "What's wrong?"

"I'm off the team"