a/n: So I forgot in all my other Author's notes but I don't own Glee or any of the characters on Glee. No copyright intended. I do however own Aunt Ali, Diego, and Emmy. These are my OCs and I also own most of the events in this story. I also don't have rights to any lyrics or songs mentioned.Far Too Young to Die by Panic! At The Disco
Chapter 5: Far Too Young To Die
"Welcome to the cave" Santana props herself up against the headboard "Its not much. But Tia Ali worked hard to make this home." Brittany looks around. There's very few pictures- one of Santana with a boy at least five years older than them, one of Ali with Santana when she was just a few months old and one of Santana and a little red-headed girl.
"Who is she?" Brittany's curiosity is incurable and she doesn't hold back questions easily.
"The only other friend I've ever had" Santana doesn't elaborate and Brittany has to bite her tongue to hold back another question. "There's a photo album on the bookshelf. Bring it here and I'll explain everything okay?" Santana says after seeing Brittany's eyes unfocused with curiosity swimming through them. She pats the bed and leans on Brittany's shoulder as she opens the book."I was a chubby baby." Santana giggles lightly, but stifles it due to the pain in her ribs "You don't have to go through all the first year, life was pretty boring then. That's my parents on the next page though." Smiling back at Brittany are Jose and Maria Lopez, both infatuated with their new baby. Santana flips forward to a picture of her at three with a boy who looks to be eight holding her on his shoulders. "My cousin Diego, Ali's son."
"Where's your uncle?" Brittant blurts and covers her mouth quickly.
"Tia didn't ever get married. Diego was "born out of sin" according to my Abuelo and Abuela. They still loved him, he was a baby, it was not his fault. But Tia, she was given no help. Not to mention Diego's dad was white. I've never met him, but apparently he went to prison while Tia was pregnant. Probably a good thing since that guaranteed the child support was paid." Santana shakes her head "It surprised Tia that my parents even brought me to see her, but Papi insisted that every Lopez man deserved to have another to look up to." Santana huffed and flipped forward to the same picture of the little red-head girl.
"This is Emmy. We were best friends in elementary school. My parents loved her parents, and we were attached at the hip. But by middle school, my attraction to Emmy was more than just friends. Hers was too, but we didn't dare tell our parents." Santana shakes her head "we went to church together after all."
"San-" Brittany wants to explain that God isn't the problem but is cutoff.
"SHH, I'm telling my story" Santana pats her leg, letting her know she'll listen when she's done. "Emmy got real sick. At the time, I was too naive to grasp that I was going to lose her. She had cancer." Santana flips to a page where she has shaved half her head to support her friend "The treatments were good, but it was brain cancer. She died in surgery." Santana wipes a stray tear.
"I'm so sorry San." Britrang squeezes her and Santana nods.
"I cut myself off from the world. Emmy and I had other friends. But they left with Emmy. I had always been too shy to really establish my own personality. I was lost without her. Diego was the only person I talked to. He had known about how much more than a friend Emmy was to me." Santana smiles fondly at the memory and shows a picture of Diego with a fully shaved head "But my last year of middle school, Diego graduated and left for college. I had no one left. My parents didn't understand why I was acting so strangely two years after her passing, why I hadn't made new friends. Taking me to therapy went against God, so they took me to the pastor. Of course his holy water didn't do anything. I was depressed. I had social anxiety that had been dormant and unnoticeable when Emmy was around. You and her are the only two people outside my family I've ever been comfortable with." Santana flips to her first day of high school "And then it started. My parents banned me from listening to "the devil's music" when they found my MP3 player corrupted with limewire pirates of punk. Someone at school started a rumor I was gay, not thinking it was true. My parents forced me to date a boy to debunk the rumor." Santana cringes at the picture of her with her date to homecoming.
"San I really think we could-"
"Britt, I want you to know now. Before things get worse with whatever results. Trust me." Santana gets an answer in eye contact and continues "He invited me over to his house. My parents gave me permission to sleepover. He had a little sister who I could bunk with. Little did they know that his parents and sister were gone on a trip. I didn't know either, but when we got to his house and they weren't there, I knew something was wrong. He raped me." Santana doesn't shed a single tear, flipping past pictures of the two families together before stopping on a page where Brittany can see her smile that had faded before was almost completely gone. "He brought me to church the next morning, and told my parents his sister and parents left that morning for the trip. Three days later, I was sick, cramping and late. Within another week, it was clear to me and my parents. But rather than punish him, I was punished. They beat me. I punished myself. They beat me so severely I couldn't attend school someday, and by my 2nd month I miscarried." Santana shows pictures of fake happiness. Bruises barely visible under caked on makeup, sleeves always pulled tightly.
"San I-"
"I attempted the day after Christmas. Diego had made it home for Christmas, but as punishment for my delinquency, I was barred from seeing him. When I woke up in the hospital, he and Tia were the ones beside my bed. I came out in the note I left. My parents called 911 and never said goodbye to me. Diego gathered my things for me, under the ruse of agreeing with them. After we had my stuff he told them the truth and man were they furious." Santana shakes her head at her cousin "I spent a semester in online school while I attended serious outpatient therapy and was finally diagnosed with depression and social anxiety. Tia cut ties with my parents and the rest of the family. She even offered to change both our names and Diego's to something other than Lopez, but Diego and I both said we'd get new names when we got married. She kept her name in some forms of spite." Santana laughs "But yeah. And now you're here and I'm just a lot better."
"Santana I don't even know how to say sorry right. I mean, God, I just-" Brittany sniffles "I thought this stuff only happened on Law and Order: SVU." Brittany hugs Santana who gently kisses the girls shoulder.
"No tears. Its in the past. La historia." Santana assures.
"You are so lucky I take Spanish." Brittany pokes Santana's nose "You know Santana Pierce has a nice ring to it." She laughs, before taking the album and putting it away. "You need a new photo album. For all the happy memories we are gonna make starting now. We need a picture together when your face isn't all busted."
"You don't like how tough I look?" Santana pouts.
"Not what I meant" Brittany kisses the pout away "You're a total hottie right now but I don't want to remember this."
"It's part of the story though" Santana teases "But me neither."
"Knock knock" Ali says outside the door.
"Tia, come in" Santana mutters "dork" under her breath as the woman sits in the desk chair.
"The police just called." Ali says "They gave me all the details. Unfortunately, your hunch was right Brittany. However, they know who it was. Noah Puckerman. Is that Puck?" Ali sees the anger on Brittany's face. "Calmate Brittany. He's in custody. As is David Karofsky, Quinn Fabray and a number of cheerleaders who are willing to testify as a plea. They want to know if we want to press charges."
"I'm not letting another guy get away with this" Santana sighs "I want to press charges on the boys and Fabray. They can do what they want with the scraps."
"They say that they should have enough evidence that you won't have testify for Puckerman or Karofsky. However Fabray is a long shot and likely a trial." Ali explains.
"What can they get her on without a trial?" Santana cringes.
"Legally, probably a mark on her record and some community service." Ali says "The school is debating in a course of action still, but Noah Puckerkan was suspended so he's been expelled for breaking his suspension and committing a crime, David Karofsky has also been expelled and they have dissolved the cheer team."
"Will she at least be suspended?" Santana is angry that things aren't simpler.
"Yes. The girls involved along with her are all on a week suspension pending extension or leading to possible expulsion. They have a PR nightmare on their hands. Sue Sylvester, the cheer coach however, is fighting for you." Ali says with surprise and the girls nod knowingly.
"Santana, you do know we are gonna have to use Plan B right?" Ali stands to leave.
"Yeah… I know. Can Britt stay the night?"
"If her mother agrees, yes. She'll have to go to school tomorrow though."
"What if someone attacks her?" Santana is immediately worried.
"Sue Sylvester will be escorting her around the school all day, seeing as her duties as cheer coach are suspended with her team." Ali assures and leaves.
"I hope I can stay" Brittany says "I've heard Plan B is awful"
"Me too. I'll probably be terrible company." Santana lays down completely, groaning at the pain.
"I wish I could take all the pain away." Brittany lays next to Santana, lacing their fingers together.
"You have emotionally. You're my hero."
"Emmy was so young…" Brittany muses.
"Yeah" Santana sighs "Far too young to die"
Brittany smirks and sings softly
Well I never really thought that you'd come tonight
When the crown hangs heavy on either side
Give me one last kiss while we're far too young to die.
Far too young to die
Far too young to die