Heads up, whenever a conversation is italicized, its sign language, I hope that might make things easier for yall.
Mercedes can't sleep.
She knows why, she has something heavy on her mind.
Anger. She's angry. Why? Why do bad things always happen to Tana now?
She doesn't remember when Santana was born, she was only a couple months old, but she's always been trying to protect her. Even if the age difference was not even a year.
Mercedes remembers when they were younger, and her Mama was singing with her while playing the piano. She had to be only like 4 or 5. Santana walks in, struggles to get on to the piano bench, then looks at the music. Little Tana just starts playing her heart out.
That's when Mercedes knew Santana was gonna be special.
Even when Jake started talking, he could see Santana was special, he would tell her all the time.
Santana's still special, amazing, and talented now, even more than she was then.
Why can't anyone see that? Why do they always belittle her? Why do they treat her non humanly?
Mercedes feels sadness grow within her, she feels like she failed. She knows Santana can handle herself, she knows that she won't always be there for her. But this time, maybe if she came a couple of seconds earlier, she could of.
This situation was mild, compared to the other things that's happened, but it doesn't make it any less scary to see Santana crying and in distress when Mercedes barely knows what's going on.
Mercedes doesn't like violence, but she won't let something like this slide past.
She gets out her bed and tip toes across the hallway to Santana's room. Jake's gonna be awake, she knows him. He didn't leave the room earlier.
She slowly turns the knob and walks in, Santana's still sleeping in her bed, Jake's sitting on the floor, tapping his fingers in his lap, his eyes are locked on Santana.
"No sleep, huh." Jake looks up and nods.
"I'm too angry to sleep, Cedes." He whispers.
"Then let's do something about it, Jay." Mercedes smirks at him, Jake grins back.
Santana wakes up shaking with Mercedes and Jake wrapped around her, she sighs comfortably after the realization. She could tell it was early in the morning, but she couldn't sleep any longer. It's like her dreams were destined to torment with her.
She slowly untangles herself from their clutches and heads to get something to drink, she'll just get a head start this morning.
Santana decides on hot chocolate, she gets some milk and heats it in the microwave. She sees a candle on the island and shivers, she doesn't like candles. Santana quickly blows it out from as far away as she could.
She doesn't realize she froze until the beep of the microwave breaks her out of the trance she was in. She quickly moves and grabs the milk out.
As she pours the chocolate syrup in her milk, she just stares out the window, the sun slowly peeking through the horizon. Santana can't decide if she likes it here. It's just really small compared to Philly, like everyone knows everyone small. Yeah, her neighborhood in Philly was like that, but not the whole city. North Philly may not have been the nicest place to reside, but it was home nonetheless, and she misses it.
"No puedes dormir?" Tia asks, it startles Santana as she turns around. It took her a couple of seconds to process what she said, her Spanish is rusty. So she just turns and nods.
"How does toast and eggs sound, huh." She looks back at Santana to seek an answer. She smiles back at her. She's been very quiet, the only time she heard her speak was yesterday night, and Santana really only laughed. Maybe one day she would open up to her, she could only wish.
As soon as Santana got to school, she felt the piercing stares directed towards her. Jake and Mercedes were at her side, of course, but it didn't stop her from seeing anything. Word spread, she could tell.
It's not a new feeling, being watched, but it's not something she likes either.
She gets to homeroom with Cedes, and starts signing to her about how delicious breakfast was, even though Mercedes ate it as well. She hears someone clear their throat behind her, and her head whips to the direction. It's the pretty blonde cheerleader! Wait, did she just call her pretty?
"Hey Cedes! Santana, I, um just wanted to see if you were doing good…ya know. I was kinda worriedandthoseguysarebadandomgI'mramblingsorry." Santana smiles at her, it's weird, she can genuinely tell she's nice.
She turns to Mercedes and signs her to tell the blond that she's thankful, and that she'll see her around. There was something about her that made Santana very nervous, but also hopeful too. The girl smiles at her before walking back to her seat.
"What's her name?" She inquires.
"Who? Oh Brittany, her name is Brittany. She can dance for real, she's actually the instructor for the dance class me and Jake went to." Santana was wondering if that was her, she didn't want to guess though. But, her name was Brittany, typical white girl name, but it suited her quite well.
"You should really go to those classes with us Tana, or try to maybe." Mercedes asks. Santana stiffens, she just doesn't feel ready yet, but almost, with time maybe in a couple of months but not right now. She just can't.
"Maybe." She says that just for now, hoping it'll be a good enough answer. Mercedes knows, though, that Santana isn't ready, she doesn't wanna press her for answers.
Brittany's been on a high all day, and it's just because Santana Lopez smiled at her. She talked to Santana Lopez.
"Brittany you seem, awfully cheery, more than usually actually." Coach Sue asked, looking her down after practice.
"I'm just feeling good, Coach." She replies with the biggest grin she could muster.
It must have been a miracle, because she breezed through homework and helped Sam with his with no problem tonight. It's like something came into her, and that something was Santana.
Something about her was mysteriously sweet, she wanted to know her, and if her smiling made Brittany feel this way, then just wait 'til she had a full conversation with her.
On this day, Brittany Susan Pierce will learn sign language if it's the last thing she'll do. Just so she can talk with Santana.
It's been weeks and Brittany can't muster talking to Santana. Yeah, they smile at each other during classes and in the halls but she hasn't made one move. Sign Language was going decent, she was just starting to be able to have conversations. Sam even helped her practice. She just couldn't go up to the girl, and Brittany didn't know why.
The weather was getting cooler, and the leaves were starting to fall. Dance was going well, Mercedes and Jake were still proving themselves more and more every day. She found out that they both started dancing really young, but haven't competed really once. Brittany's really, really excited to see how things go.
Santana feels so ashamed, she's seen Brittany so many times and hasn't talked to her once. Yeah, they wave and smile but nothing else. Santana wants to do nothing more than to speak and say hi, but of course her voice wont fucking let her. One day, she will, she'll be normal again, and she will.
Mercedes and Jake have been planning for weeks for this day, just for this day. Those jocks won't know what hit them.
Karosky, Azimio, Puck, and Rick. Brittany had been willing enough to give them names. After this, they'll know not to fuck with the Lopez-Jones's anymore.
The plotting started at 6am this morning, when Jake and Mercedes headed to the school to start it off. They found out that all of the jocks come work out early in the morning, so in the deserted parking lot, only their cars were there. Mercedes only really meant to put flour in the gas tank, but every single one of them managed to leave their windows open, so she could resist putting flour in the vents.
Next, Jake went to the boys' locker room, and stole all the boys change of clothes and replaced them with ballerina costumes, that way, if they try to drive home to get clothes, they'll be blasted with flour and their cars won't be able to run well.
Lastly, in each of their lockers is a forged note, saying that each of their partners broke up with them. Yeah, it was a little overboard, but it should definitely do the trick. It was definitely worth it.
What Jake didn't know is that this would cost him.
It was the end of the day, and he was going to go meet up with Mercedes and Santana. He soon feels his collar get tugged and soon enough he's surrounded. Jake's 6'2, but with all these 6'0+ guys surrounding him, and him only being a freshman, there's no way he's getting out of this.
"So, a little birdy told us that you're the one who trashed all of our shit." Puck says, circling around Jake with a football.
"That was thousands of dollars in damage, to all our cars. We can't just let you walk free." Rick says, spit particles from his mouth launch on to his face while he speaks to him.
"Say it don't spray it." Jake whispers, but it wasn't as quiet as he thought he said it. A burning sensation hits his gut as he keels over. Soon he's getting swarmed with hits everywhere, and all he can think of is how much it's gonna suck waking up tomorrow. Soon his whole world goes black.
He wakes up and hears a voice, a girl voice. It doesn't sound like Santana, or Mercedes. He also can feel the vibration of his phone, which is probably Cedes calling him worried sick. But he can't get up, it hurts everywhere, bad.
"Hey…are you awake." The voice is soft, and calming. His eyes open to see a brunette girl staring at him.
"Are you okay? What happened? I just was walking by and I thought I saw something. That something was you." All Jake could do is nod as he tries to get up. He winces.
"Don't get up, you probably have some bruised ribs…..Can I maybe clean up your face for you?" Jake shakes his head slowly and she starts wiping his face, she hums a tune while doing so, and he can already tell this girls voice is beautiful.
"Chasing Pavements," He musters out. The girl smiles at him.
"Yeah, yeah it is, sorry fo-"
"No, don't be sorry, it was beautiful…uh…I'm sorry, I don't know your name." Jake looks up at her.
"It's Marley, Marley Rose." She smiles back at him.
"Marley, that's a pretty name…for a pretty girl." He blushes, she does too.
Soon, Mercedes and Santana rush into the room, Marley must have answered the phone for him.
"Jake, Oh my gosh are you okay?" Mercedes rushes over to him, Santana looks at him with fear in his eyes.
"I'm fine, Cedes."
"You don't look fine, there's blood all over your face buddy."
"I think he's hurt his ribs, when he tried to get up he looked in a lot of pain." Marley added, looking at Mercedes.
"Thank you Marley, really." Mercedes says, the concern evident in her voice.
"Jake we need to get you in the hospital…like now. Fuck! We don't have the car."
Santana suddenly feels as if she can't breathe. Hospital? She doesn't like it there, she doesn't wanna go. Panic spreads through her body, she doesn't like this feeling, not at all.
Mercedes doesn't know what do, she looks in her contacts, who will have a car? She's barely friends with anyone here. But then she sees Brittany. Britt gave her number for extra practicing last week. Hopefully, she picks up.
"Hey Cedes, What's up?"
"Britt I need you right now, like right now, can you drive us to the hospital."
"What? Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"It's Jake, we found him beat up in the locker room and we need to go to the hospital right now."
"What? Okay I'm on my way right now." The line goes silent. Within seconds, Brittany's here with another blonde boy.
"I brought my brother Sam to help, if that's okay?" Mercedes and Jake nod. Sam gently lifts up Jake off the ground and heads out to the locker room into his car. Mercedes and Marley trail after him. Santana and Brittany are the only ones left in the room.
"C'mon San-Santana, I mean Santana." Brittany stumbles over her words, even with all the fears going on her body, Brittany saying that made her smile.
Being at the hospital was a lot harder for Santana to distract her fears.
Mercedes, Brittany, Sam, and even Marley were sitting down. But she couldn't, this place reminds her too much of the past. It makes her sick, nauseous even. It's been a couple years and she still can't get a grip. Jake and Mercedes are doing alright but of course she has to be the fuckup. The one that ruined everything. It's disappointing, she's disappointing. A tear slowly slips down, Santana can never be there for anyone, not even her brother, things always get in the way, her things.
Brittany looks at Santana with concern, the girl doesn't look very comfortable. She doesn't really know what to do, until she thinks of something, something that might work.
"Hey Cedes?" She whispers, Mercedes looks at her. "I hope I'm not overstepping or anything, but Santana doesn't look comfy here, I could maybe take her home? I mean Sam will stay here, and I'll be back after?" Mercedes looks down, pondering the question that was asked. It would help Santana, she wouldn't wanna force her to stay in a place where she knows she isn't very comfortable in.
"If you could, that would be amazing Britt." She grins at the blonde gratefully.
"I'm on it then!" Brittany gets up and goes over to Santana. This is her chance to try to sign, even if it isn't the best time to start.
"Um." She clears her throat, getting Santana's attention. She looks up at Brittany, curious.
"Hi, Can I…Take home? Fuck, sorry I messed up." Brittany groans, frustrated. Santana stares at her weirdly.
"You know sign?"
"I learned for…for you." Santana stares at her surprised. "Why? Why me?"
"Us…we..Friends? Sorry, not good at this." Santana smiled. No one's ever done anything so sweet for her, besides her siblings, in a while. Something moved within her, and she couldn't stop herself from giving Brittany a tight hug.
Brittany was startled from the randomness of the hug, but soon relaxed and let Santana in her embrace. It felt really long, so long that Mercedes was actually staring at her with a confused smirk. She didn't know what it was for though. She was focused on holding Santana, and she never wanted to ever let go.
Santana let go, and she started walking to the direction of the exit. Brittany followed her, feeling extra giddy.
I really hope you liked this, I feel like it was nice to add Mercedes's view, since I haven't really had her speak a lot yet, I'm gonna try to have each character have a moment like that. Just to state how the feel, I don't know yet though! :)