Anything but Ordinary Chapter 1, a glee fanfic

As I promised, I'm going to continue writing stories to make Naya Rivera always present with us. I must confess that I still don't assume what happened. For me, she is still with us.

Anyway, I must warn you that this first chapter will develop slowly. There will be Quinntana moments too, but MARTANA is the end game. I hope to convey that passion that 'Ineedtoleavethisite' made me feel when I read their stories. They really are amazing and I hope that one day she/he will continue to write about them because, seriously, it's amazing.

I must confess that I wanted to write something about them years ago but well... things happened and I never started. So I slowly started writing and believe it or not, it took me months to finish this chapter. I have a very crazy life, sorry, lol.

So... without further ado... I leave you and await your reviews :)

I don't own any characters, only my imagination.

Marley Rose

There.

She was finally able to take courage to write her name on that paper to enlist for an audition to join the Glee club. Immediately the brunette took the cell phone to take a photo and send it to her mother since she had told her to do it as proof that she had actually done it and had not lied to her.

Marley's mom kept hiding the truth that she was the girl's mother because she believed that this way her daughter would be more accepted. Who would want to socialize with her knowing that she was poor and on top of that her mother became the center of attention for high school bullying?

No one.

Marley didn't know how much longer she was going to put up with her schoolmates' meanness. There was a limit to everything. Even if it would cost Marley's lifelong dream, which was to sing, she needed to do something about it because there was first the welfare of her mother, who did her utmost to give her a decent life. If there really was an award dedicated to the best mother in the world, Marley wouldn't doubt for five seconds that her mother would be the winner. She really couldn't think of anyone else who was a better mother than that woman and felt more than honored to be her daughter.

But, first of all, nobody had warned Marley that her life was about to become one of those typical novels in which the main character is always confused by the typical bad boy and by another one who fits the descriptions of a good boy.

"Oh, shit. Sorry", When Marley turned to leave, she collided with a boy who hadn't noticed her presence, causing her notebooks and folders to fall to the floor. "I'm Jake by the way" he smiled as he handed her things.

He wasn't her type but, there was something attractive in the way he carried himself that she had only just noticed that day. He looked sure of himself and comfortable in his skin. It caught her attention and made him so much more attractive than she'd previously thought.

He was just sexy in his own way.

"Marley", she offered him a shy smile.

They continued to smile and look at each other for a few seconds until Marley reacted and left. Marley couldn't get that boy out of her mind for days.

But that wasn't the end of it. That had just been the beginning of a big problem for Marley.

She always laughed and even joked about it when she saw those cases on TV where the girl/boy was afflicted because she/he loved two people at once. And well...

Later she met Ryder Lynn.

Yes, he had an aura, but his appeal was about so much more than that. He was really a great guy. He was intelligent, they could chat about anything for hours, he was funny as hell, and he was a really down-to-earth guy. She'd enjoyed his company every day, so this built her interest over time.

What Marley didn't know was that her head and heart were starting a war for those two boys and between them too.

…

"Welcome to New Directions!", Will Schuester's happy voice echoed over and over in her head.

To say that Marley immediately fit into that group would be a gigantic lie. Why? For several reasons.

First, on the day of the New Directions auditions, Marley sang "New York State Of Mind", which shocked the Spanish teacher and the others with her talent and… to the surprise of the applicants to "The New Rachel", Marley's talent became something dangerous for them. There was so much tension and competition between them that Marley began to suspect if all the good rumors she had heard about the Glee club were ever true. In the end, she was accepted into the choir, which filled her with joy and excitement.

Later, Marley was sitting at lunchtime with the members of the choir and, witnessing live the taunts encouraged by Kitty and the jocks about her mother, was something that she detested so much and hurt her so deeply that she couldn't contain herself and came to her defense; Her reaction turned out to be a surprise to everyone and they couldn't understand why she acted like that.

"I thought you were different", Marley told them with a mixture of pain and anger reflected in her words before leaving the table and began to walk directly to the bathroom to refresh her face and tried to control her tears that were already threatening to fall down her cheeks, but she failed enormously.

She didn't know how she was going to lie to her mother that day when she asked how it went with her new group of classmates. Her mother had worked so hard over the years for her daughter to be accepted and her dreams come true, that Marley didn't dare hurt her by telling her it was all in vain. She didn't want to lie to her mom, but she didn't want to hurt her either. So…

Life sucked.

"You know, I almost forgot what it was like to live worried about the fucking school drama till I got here"

Marley heard a female voice from the bathroom door.

"So, what's up Gloomy Gus?", Marley immediately wiped her tears with her hands and shook her head, implying that nothing was wrong.

"What are you doing here, Santana? I thought you were in Louisville", Marley asked her with a frown as she found it strange to see the brunette at school, while she was trying to pull herself together.

"I was. As you can see, I'm here now. So, you gonna tell me what's going on with you? You're a good girl and something must have happened to make your eyes swell up like two tomatoes. Just cut the shit, will you? What happened?" The former cheerleader told her as she washed her hands and shook her head exasperatedly as if to imply that she should stop ignoring and avoiding her and get to the point.

"And how do I know you won't use it against me once I tell you?" Marley had heard a lot of stories about the Latina and the evil things she had done to extort people, even from her own friends.

"Just trust me" Santana said and approached the girl. Her chocolate eyes stuck intensely in her and by the firm posture shown by the ex-cheerio, her body affirmed her stubborn promise that she wouldn't go anywhere until Marley spoke.

"The guys in Glee Club started saying some pretty ugly things about the woman who works in the kitchen and they were being really mean. I thought they were different. That's why I joined Glee club in the first place", her eyes began to water again as she remembered what had happened at lunch and Marley hated to see how fragile she was at hiding those things. Especially since Santana was the person in front of her, having never seen her vulnerable or anything.

"Who? The fat women?" Santana asked and Marley stared at her with such anger that Santana began to smile triumphantly.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this if you're going to be–"

"Geez, kid. Calm your tits. I know you tested me and you're not being honest with me at all. Plus, you were waiting for me to say that. Now, are you going to tell me who she is to you? She seems to be someone close" Marley was about to lie to her when Santana raised her eyebrow by tilting her head, letting her know she knew what she was up to.

"She's my mother. If you–"

"And you are ashamed of her? You never speak about her or even mentioned her before" Santana frowned. Marley began to get exasperated, her hands making uncontrollable movements and her mouth opened and closed several times not knowing what to say.

"It's a long story"

"I've got plenty of time" Santana leaned over the sink and nodded her head, letting her know that she was waiting for Marley to start explaining.

"My mother raised me as a single mother", Marley began to talk as she stared at Santana, watching every reaction the Latina made to know whether she should stop or continue talking, but since the Latina only said 'ok', waiting for her to continue so that's what she did "we are poor, Santana. She has a problem in genetics that is fattening easily, and people today can be awfully bad. I had to move from several schools because I was bullied for all this issue and when I started in this school, she never wanted anyone to know that she was my mother ... maybe that was the only way to help me being more accepted in school. She works all the time to be able to buy me some moderately acceptable clothes and change her labels for better brand ones so I could fit into the Glee club and today–they just –" Marley was trying to control her lips which started to tremble, she wanted to avoid bursting into tears again.

"So, that's why you're mad at them. Ok" As Marley kept her eyes closed preventing the tears from starting to fall again, the brunette responded only that in such a peaceful and indifferent way that it caused her to open her eyes to look at her bewildered.

And, what the hell? Santana, as if nothing had happened, started walking to the bathroom door to get out of there.

Was she really about to leave as if nothing had happened? How dare she?

"Santana, where are you going? You're the first person I confess this to, and you say nothing? I don't know if I did right –"

"See you tomorrow, kid" And so, without further ado, Santana left in earnest, which worried the teenager. Maybe all she had to do was wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow was going to be a new day, and Marley was just hoping it would be better than this one.

…

The next day, Marley saw that everyone from the New Direction was waiting for her in her locker and Sam was the first to speak. He confessed that he did know what it was like to see his mother labeling her clothes with other brands and said that New Directions did not accept anyone because of labels but because of the talent and the kind of person they are. Marley was unconvinced when she saw that everyone had said horrible things about her mother, not just Sam, so the other members of the group approached her to apologize for what had happened.

It all ended with a giant group hug, making Marley smile.

Except for Kitty, who at the time was only thinking about how she was going to make Marley's life a living hell for stealing her boyfriend. Although nothing had happened between them yet, but a girl always knows when her boyfriend doesn't belong to her anymore no matter how long they stay together so–

While Marley was getting hugs and apologies from everyone, her mind was just focused on one thing.

Santana López.

She didn't know how, but surely Santana had done something to make this happen.

…

Marley was happy for the first time seeing that she had really made friends and you could say that Unique was her best friend. Even though Unique disagreed with her on her taste in boys and told her to not pay more attention to 'the most womanizing boy in the whole school', who would be Jake, they managed to have a very strong friendship. Although Tina had also agreed that Unique was right, Marley had made it clear to them that everyone deserves a chance, so she agreed to go on a date with him anyway. So, the girls had no choice but to respect her decision.

Jake took her to the movies and then they ended up having ice cream while walking aimlessly through the streets until they ended up arriving at Marley's house.

"You were totally drooling over that blonde" Marley remembered that Jake kept looking at the film very intently but was more than sure that it was because the girl was attractive, so she directly stated as she carefully observed the boy's reaction.

"What? I wasn't. I swear" Jake rolled his eyes when Marley smiled at him as her eyes told him 'don't lie to me'" Okay. Okay. But if I was drooling it was because a blue-eyed brunette had a beautiful smile and she was sitting right next to me" he really knew how to charm women with his words. And the worst thing was that it worked with Marley who was so innocent.

"I had fun. Thank you", Marley was smiling nervously because she didn't know how to answer him. She knew it was one of the typical phrases he had probably used with other girls, but she couldn't help but be flattered.

Before she walked away from Jake, the boy immediately grabbed her by the waist to attach her to his body, and so their lips met. Marley hadn't seen it coming, so her whole body felt paralyzed until her consciousness began to be alarmed by what was happening.

"We–we can't Jake. You're with Kitty and I'm not going to be–"

"I know. I know", his hands went straight to her cheeks to maintain eye contact between the two of them. "I'm gonna leave her", his voice promised and Marley could only get lost in his dark eyes. "I wanna be with you"

And Marley trusted his word.

When Jake started walking home, Marley turned her back to enter her house when a few steps caught her attention. Obviously, she thought he had come back to give her another kiss or do something cheesy (Which she loved) and her heart was already racing again, but when she turned back to meet him–

"Santana?"

Marley didn't want to be disrespectful but, in her mind, no one other than Jake had crossed her mind. And... in a way, she was disappointed. The girl was wearing a green dress with black stripes, long black boots and a black leather jacket with her hands in her pockets.

"Kid, he's not gonna leave her for you. You know it and I do. And when Kitty finds out that he was cheating on her with you, she's so gonna kick your ass"

"What are you doing here, Santana?", the teenager immediately frowned and crossed her arms into a defensive posture. There was really no need for the Latina to tell her that. Besides, it was nothing she didn't already know.

"I went out for a walk. I'm not stalking you or anything like it" Santana explained casually and when she saw that Marley did not believe her completely, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I don't give a fuck about what your decisions are. It's just– it's so clear what's gonna happen that I pitty you for that. You seem a nice child and you don't deserve this crap" Marley simply smiled sadly at the floor. She didn't know how to answer that.

"That almost sounds like you care", When Marley told her that, the Latina just rolled her eyes and started walking away into the street.

Marley honestly thought that Jack was a good kid, but he had a very complicated, difficult life and maybe he never experienced what it was like to have a person who loves him as he was and showed him love and cared for him in a healthy way. Maybe... maybe... she could help him to feel those things.

And that's where Marley was always wrong. She had to stop thinking that all people were good, that some needed help and that she could help absolutely everyone.

Like Santana.

And there it went again. Marley thought Jake was like the male version of Santana. She believed that Jake had been hurt and had put up walls to protect himself but that it was really just part of a silly act. He screwed a lot of girls but at some point, his heart was only going to belong to one girl and he was going to be faithful like no other. But in order for him to do that, he needed someone to give him that opportunity and obviously, Marley was going to give it to him.

Not everyone always deserved it, but she did it anyway. Sometimes having a good heart had its drawbacks.

So that was why Marley had believed Jake and promised she would wait for him.

How silly of her to think the boy would do it, he clearly wanted to be with both girls at the same time. That was demonstrated when weeks and weeks went by and Marley continued to see them together in the halls of the school.

So, once again, Marley was disappointed and didn't know what to do about what she was feeling. It was a sense of loss for something she never had and… that was something she couldn't quite understand.

Although she could sense trouble from the very first time that they met up and she knew that once you develop feelings for someone who was in a relationship things were bound to go wrong, she still hoped it would be different. What on earth was she doing with him? She didn't have a clue.

Maybe when you fall in love with someone 'the reason' has no part in the whole process.

…

Ryder Lynn.

He was the typical captain boy of the football team, tall, with an athletic build, muscular and well-proportioned and that typical catchy smile. The fact that he could see Marley flattered her a lot, but for that very reason (he was a popular guy and she was a nobody), Marley thought he was too good to be real. He was respectful, thoughtful, chivalrous, and he was always there when she needed something.

He was the perfect guy to have a serious and trustworthy relationship, without having to hesitate and chase him to make sure he wasn't with other girls as he appeared to be very faithful and that was what Marley mainly looked for in someone else to be his boyfriend.

Fidelity.

Something that could not be found every day and should be valued more than anything in a relationship among other things.

Ryder took every opportunity to gain ground in the new Rachel's life and he slowly managed to succeed. He was a good kid after all, but what he didn't take into account was that for Marley it only meant a beautiful and valuable friendship that, from time to time, confused her and interfered with her feelings for Jake.

And that's when it all started to become a huge mess.

…

Marley had already lost track of the weeks that had passed since her date with Jake and was no longer looking directly in his direction. It hurt her just to see him walk in with Kitty, who he obviously hadn't left as promised.

It hurt her to know that she wasn't enough for him to change and open up to someone else once and for all, but what hurt her most were the lies and false promises he had made to her.

She couldn't understand how anyone could be with a girl like Kitty who always found something to humiliate everyone. For example, her new hobby now was chasing Marley and drilling her head with the idea that she was looking a little fatter every day, "thanks to her obese mother's genetics".

Luckily, there was Ryder who was a sunshine in her grey days and always made her laugh, making the disappointment of the other boy weigh less on her chest.

Lately the boy had made a habit of accompanying her to all of Marley's classes, carrying her things like a good gentleman.

"You sure don't waste your time huh", Jake approached her locker, behind her, taking her by surprise. The half-Jewish kid showed up once Ryder was gone. Marley immediately turned around to stare at him.

Just having him around clouded her mind and she just wanted to kiss him again, but she knew she couldn't do that yet.

"I've been waiting for you for a month and I haven't done anything wrong. How about you? Did you break up with Kitty yet?" It was not fair for him to come and claim things when he could not deliver what he had promised. When she met with a tormenting silence, Marley decided to withdraw from there.

"Thought so"

…

Later on, Kitty invited her and the rest of the glee club to the Left Behind Club, in order to prepare for the apocalypse. In the meeting at Breadstix, Kitty begins to talk about the return of Jesus and the rapture and describes the true believers being lifted up to heaven.

At the meeting, Jake apologized to her for letting her come to that. Marley then joked about Jake being half-Jewish, asking if he floats to heaven at half speed. When Kitty executed a fake rapture prank on Dottie Kazotori, Marley was incredibly upset about that so she told Jake that she didn't like Kitty and couldn't believe that he did. She stood up and left Jake speechless.

When Marley started walking away from the site, she noticed that Santana and Brittany were arguing.

While Santana was trying to convince a stubborn Brittany to abandon Kitty's club, Brittany said she wasn't leaving and that being left behind sucked, which was what Santana had done to her and it hurt her. The blonde left immediately, leaving the brunette bewildered.

Marley wanted to approach the brunette to ask her if she wanted to go somewhere and talk a little, but when she took two steps, the Latina immediately went after the blonde. And, well… she tried.

Now she understood why the Latina was in Lima. Marley had seen how Brittany had been inseparable from Sam lately and perhaps that threatened her relationship with Santana.

Maybe the next day, if she saw her, Marley would tell her that if she needed to talk to someone, she could trust her, like Santana did with Marley that time in the bathroom.

Marley didn't see Santana for months.

…

And then several months went by and Marley was still confused over the fact that Mr. Schue was leaving, and Finn was taking over New Directions until he returned from his sabbatical.

When Finn mentioned "Grease" as the next school musical, her eyes emanated a shooting stars shower from the happiness that she felt. That day was one of the best days Marley ever had and it turned out to be even better when Jake confronted his girlfriend to stop insulting her and since the blonde had no intention of doing so, Jake broke up with her in front of Marley.

As much as Marley knew that she had earned Kitty's anger and hatred in full and that she was probably going to do everything to destroy her for the rest of her life, she cared more about the fact that Jake did it just for her.

Once Kitty left, Marley told Jake that he didn't need to do that, but Jake responded that he actually did have to. She invited Jake to go over "Grease" music saying that she wanted to go for Sandy, but he promptly declined and said that he'd see her in Glee rehearsal.

'Baby steps' thought Marley with a goofy smile.

…

Marley swore by all the saints, angels and virgins who lived in heaven that she had not changed her eating habits.

She swore it.

What she couldn't understand was how she could keep gaining weight. Every day that went by, Tina tried to fit Marley into her outfit. It was embarrassing to see how she was the only one suffering from that problem.

This time it was Kitty who interrupted to get her costume fitting and started making jabs about Marley's weight saying that Marley has had some considerable weight gain. Which caused Marley to have almost a mental breakdown due to the stress and despair she was feeling.

It confused her even more when Kitty invited her to a slumber party, which Marley agreed to go to so long as Unique could came as well.

Little did she know that she would end up in Kitty's bathroom talking about bulimia.

And little did she know, thanks to her innocence, that the blonde's real plan was to humiliate and hurt her in front of all her friends. Or at least those she considered her friends. So, there was Marley… just standing with her arms attached to each side of her body, contemplating while Kitty performed Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee, mocking her as Brittany, Unique, Sugar, and Tina looked on.

Marley walked out offended by Kitty and the rest of the girls.

Marley wondered a thousand times why people were so mean sometimes before falling asleep with tears streaming down her cheeks.

…

The following week was really … eventful.

Unique gave her the news that they pull Unique out of the play because her parents were worried about her safety after knowing that she has been bullied in the hallways of the school.

Marley was so infuriated and unhappy about it. It was so unfair. She asked her who was going to replace her and found out that it was going to be Santana. The only thing that she was sure was that Santana had an incredible voice and that surely, she was going to kill it on the stage.

But that was not the only thing that happened.

Marley no longer knew if it was nerves to go on stage or it was the voluntary impulse to want to puke to see if she could lose weight that had led her to want to vomit in one of the cubicles in the bathroom.

"Marley? Marley stop! Why are you doing that?" Ryder tried to stop her immediately once he discovered it was her who was gagging, retching and coughing endlessly.

"Why do you think? My mom's the town joke, and I'm going to end up just like her."

"Well, sticking your fingers down your throat is only gonna make things worse."

Marley straightened to her feet in resignation and went to the washroom to freshen up her face a little to calm her state of despair. It was obvious that he wouldn't understand her, least of all Ryder who was the boy who fit all the society's standards and Ryder was simply perfect as he was.

Marley wasn't that lucky.

She tried eating as healthy and as little as possible to lose weight but every time she failed. She tried to exercise as much as possible (like walking to and from school each day, doing loads of quiet exercises in her room) but she was still gaining pounds. It made her self-esteem even lower when she saw girls from her school post photos of themselves half-naked, and she spent (secretly) hours on end comparing and wishing she had their perfect bodies. She didn't talk about any of her home life or her feelings with her friends, but every time she did try to give hints on how she was feeling they didn't seem to care anyway.

She was so scared about people making fun of her about her that she started to wear a zipped up jacket. and whenever she forget her jacket on the way to school, she end up being really insecure for the whole day or she'll go up to the office and try to borrow one (on a very rare occasion when it's very, very cold though because the office lady thought she didn't need one and wouldn't let her have it). The looks she got from Kitty, who was always talking to other cheerleaders as they all turned to look at her, didn't help at all.

And She was so tired of it.

So tired… it was exhausting.

Marley was beginning to suspect that she was either going to fall into a deep depression or end up crazy.

She was about to kick him out when Ryder started reciting a funny story about his cousin to lift her spirits. It really worked and they ended up laughing at the tragic incident their cousin had.

"I would never use laxatives", Marley promised him with a smile, grateful to him for raising her spirits. For a few minutes, she felt her body relaxing a bit.

"Well, I don't want to kiss a girl who's got puke in her breath. Either on stage… or later", her best friend came up to her and made that big little confession, which confused Marley a little more because she could have said something at that moment... she could have let him know that she felt comfortable in the way they were now, but, at that moment... she felt another feeling inside which made her change her mood and become a little anxious.

Maybe she wanted to kiss him too?

"Now, come on. We're on five." Ryder decided to leave her alone for a moment while she fought with her mind and heart about what she was going to do.

Her mind kept repeating, 'It always ends badly when there is more than one person involved'.

She ignored it.

Of course, she did.

…

The performance was more than astounding, marvelous.

Ryder, Marley, and the rest of Grease's cast got a glowing review from a critic in the McKinley Muckraker, to which they ended throwing a huge night party to celebrate. Ryder stayed all night with her, without taking his arm off her waist and finding thousands of excuses to steal kisses from her.

Marley was so happy that she really thought she wasn't going to have another moment that would get over that day. That day definitely became one of those memories to remember forever.

They were so focused on laughing at how their partners were doing funny dance steps that they didn't notice anyone approaching them.

"Jeez man, you're so clingy that's already getting on my nerves. Let her breath a minute, would you? Go and refill our cups, I'll take care of your girl here. Now vanish…shoo shoo!" Santana put the two cups that she had in her hands against Ryder's chest, who immediately grabbed them so they wouldn't fall out and as he looked at Marley without understanding what was happening, the Latina began to push him so that he would go away and leave them alone for a moment.

"That was rude, Santana", Marley simply looked at the brunette with bewilderment. She honestly didn't know why she was behaving that way. Maybe it made her uncomfortable to see them so happy with each other while she was single right now? That would be very selfish of her.

"Whatever"

They remained in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes while Marley watched in the distance as Ryder waited to prepare the drinks.

"So, I see you still have two boyfriends and can't make up your mind which one you want. You know, this seems like living on a tv show, wait, what was it called? Oh! I remember now. Doña Flor y sus dos maridos. You're the new Florcita" when Marley turned her head to look at her, Santana was wearing one of her typical evil smiles. It was as if she was enjoying it. Her eyes were shining in a particular way and it seemed that her smile was getting bigger and bigger as she saw how she was making Marley uncomfortable. It was maddening.

"I don't –

"Then why is he looking at this direction every five seconds?" Santana pointed at Jake shamelessly and the boy started laughing out loud with another girl pretending to pay attention to her.

"I just need more time"

"Or you could fulfill your fantasies and have a threesome with them. Too bad Ryder is very pale, otherwise you could be the only cream of the Oreo in there"

And at that precise moment, Sam appeared running and dragging Brittany to where almost the entire group was dancing in the middle of the room. Marley saw Santana's face harden even more.

"Ugh, where the hell is my drink?" Marley could see how the Latina had become somewhat uneasy with the sight they were having at the time.

"You could go and claim her, you know? It's not too late." At that very moment, she felt some sympathy for the girl and tried to advise her to do something to stop her suffering.

"So, why do I feel like she's moving on too quickly? Huh?"

Marley eyes didn't miss the moment when Santana had to take a deep breath before speaking and she knew it was because the latina was so close to crying. Santana just smiled and she spotted Ryder approaching them with their red cups, she almost crushed into him as she stole her drink without saying goodbye and left the room.

"Wow, is she always like that?" Ryder asked her as he handed her drink. Marley just shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say and watched Santana walk away.

…

What Marley had never imagined was that her life could get worse.

If someone had told her that she was going to be the reason that Glee Club was going to be disqualified... she would never have believed it and might even have laughed.

But sadly, it was. That happened and she couldn't control it.

Everything began to spin senselessly, the floor looked like lava or quicksand (Marley couldn't make up her mind since her brain wasn't working well), her eyes were closing, and a strange sensation of heat began to suffocate Marley.

The numerous lights on the stage and the shouts of the audience were the ones that ended her lucidity and… then everything went black.

Marley felt a dark tunnel absorb her into a deep sleep from which it was very difficult for her to wake up.

…

Beep…

It was that sound that brought her back to the earthly world. Gradually Marley was hearing movements, other machine noises that she didn't know what they could be, and voices mixing in the distance.

With some effort, Marley managed to open her eyes a little to see that she was in a bed and in a room that immediately identified the place could be the hospital. Her head looked like it was about to explode and her body was very listless, she felt so… weak. And then she remembered what had happened.

Her blackout at Sectionals.

That moment was when Marley knew she had hit rock bottom. What she didn't know was how she was going to get out of there, until the least unexpected person showed up in the room where she had been admitted for a few days to get her body and health back.

"You look like the Grim reaper, Florcita"

Marley couldn't understand what was happening, her eyes were trying to adjust to the light in the room and her mind was just beginning to want to function.

"Before you ask, I'm here because, apparently, for Finnocence being a mentor means being a nanny, and well, I have nothing better to do and a small part of me feels bad for not helping you. Don't tell anyone I told you this because bad things are going to happen... and well... here I am" Santana had shown up with a bag that had Vogue magazines in it. Uninvited, she found a chair to sit next to Marley while she picked up one and began reading them.

"Ok?" was the only thing Marley could say. Her voice was a little raspy and weak. What else could she say? It was obvious that she couldn't contradict the brunette, not while her body was barely coming to life and her brain still seemed to be slowly awakening.

"So, I'm gonna tell you how this is gonna work. I'm not gonna deal with you, I'm not a babysitter and I think you're a smart little Berry. So, from now on I'm going to be like your shadow, I'm going to share all your meals to make sure you get back on your feet. I'm going to help you prepare for your next competition and remember your only job here is to make only one person look good, and that person is not you." Santana's index finger pointed at her threateningly.

"Me dumbass, ugh"

Marley didn't know whether to be grateful or worried about having Santana as her mentor. She thought she'll find out soon enough.

But for now, she plunged back into a deep sleep without warning.

…

"Maybe if you keep improving like you're doing these days, maybe you'll be home by the weekend." As her eyes tried to open and adjust to the light of a new day, her ears were attentive to what she had just heard. Luckily, she had the company during all those days of an already old nurse who treated her as if she were her granddaughter, so she was more than kind and careful with her. The lady had platinum blonde hair that was neither too long nor too short. You could barely see her eyebrows, which were so blonde that you could hardly see them. Her eyes were dark blue and her voice conveyed such peace that Marley really enjoyed her presence.

"That's fabulous news! Thank you very much!" saying it was good news wasn't enough. Marley couldn't wait to get out of that place. It wasn't because the care was bad, quite the opposite, but being home was always better than being in the hospital, right?

"But you need to eat, my little girl. Okay? I don't want to go back into a room and see your pretty face there because of a relapse." the good woman spoke to her, giving her a warm smile but letting her know she meant it every word.

"I'll try." Marley returned her smile.

Marley immediately smiled broadly when she saw Unique open the door to enter the room, after the nurse left with the tray on which she had brought her lunch. She was one of the few people who visited her almost every day. Soon Marley frowned as she saw that the girl was serious and even upset.

"So, when exactly were you going to tell me that none other than Santana fucking Lopez was now your mentor?"

"Unique, hi" Marley greeted her first but the other girl rolled her eyes, asking her to go straight to the interesting stuff. "I didn't think it was such a big deal to tell"

"What!? Marley, it's something much more than important! We're best friends, we're supposed to trust each other with everything." Marley could see in the other girl's eyes that she was really disappointed and sad.

"You're right, I'm sorry, but I really... I didn't think you'd be so alarmed to know that–"

"I don't trust her, Marley. You just see the best in everyone, but please don't underestimate her. That girl is a bad person and if she wants to do you a favor now... you should have a hundred eyes open because something is up or she will ask you to do something for her claiming the help she's giving you" Unique interrupted her apology. Marley could sense that her friend was really worried although for her it was an overreaction "She's the typical HBIC who always bullies us Marley. Even more so now that Brittany secretly married Sam because they thought the world was coming to an end. Everyone's talking about how she became the meanest person here, even more than Sue. Be careful."

"She did what?" Marley asked very confused. The only thing she knew at that moment was that Santana had traveled to Lima every weekend to fight for her relationship with Brittany and then she had stopped coming after their breakup. Marley knew the brunette was suffering from it when she saw the performance she gave as Rizzo on stage. Her voice had conveyed so much feeling that Marley could swear that even Brittany had felt it too when she watched her as her blue eyes almost tear up when Santana left her heart in that song. Marley could sense that her friend was talking to her with concern, so she simply nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll be careful with Santana."

"Did I hear wrong or did the nurse say maybe you could go home this weekend?" once her friend felt relaxed about Marley's promise, they changed the subject completely. Marley began to nod her head euphorically and Unique approached her bed to hug her tightly and share that joy.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear this! You must promise me that from now on you will focus on yourself and stay away from any stressful situation. You need some peace" Unique said seriously again and as Marley was about to make her promise, they heard noises outside the room in the hallway.

"Your boyfriends are fighting over who's going to read you the next book" Santana entered the room holding a tray with a couple of pills, a metal pitcher and a glass of water. Her eyes fell on Unique saying 'you were saying?' and Unique simply rolled her eyes in response.

"What's that?" Marley asked her curiously since no one had told her that she was going to start taking medicine and since Unique told her so many times to be careful with the Latina, she had to make sure she wasn't going to poison her or anything.

"The nurse gave me your medicines to test if your stomach can tolerate them, so they'll stop giving them to you intravenously. Thank God. It's about time, it looks like the needle's about to pierce your bones, girl."

The Latina explained as she approached Marley's bed, staring at Unique that had no intention of moving away from her friend and giving Santana room to come over and give her those pills.

"Unique", Marley shook her friend's hand that was resting on the bed near her left leg before Santana started to insult her and so she had to witness another fight but this time inside her room. Unique just snorted and left room for the cheerleader to help Marley sit up in bed and take her medicine.

"I gotta go Marls, take care" Unique told Marley and she just nodded her head as she tried to swallow the pills. 'I don't trust her', her best friend moved her lips so that only Marley would understand what she meant, taking advantage of the fact that she was behind Santana so she couldn't see her.

"Thanks, Santana"

Marley expressed her gratitude while the latina took her glass to place the tray with all the things on a table. The brunette simply nodded her head. Marley noticed that the Latina's eyes were staring at something very hard at Marley and when she lowered her face to see what it was, she noticed that her clavicle was too prominent and even pinkish due to the muscle weakness and the thinness of Marley. She immediately covered herself with the sheets and felt embarrassed about the state she was in and even disgusted with herself.

"You should rest" her mentor recommended her while she sat on a chair by the side of the bed, looking for her iPhone. Marley was trying to look out the window at what Jake and Ryder were doing in the hallway. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here they won't come and bother you" she said without taking her attention off her cell phone.

Luckily, she only had a few more days left there and then she could return home. Marley decided that once she was in her own house and resuming her normal routine, that was going to be the time when she would analyze what Santana had told her. But for now, she needed to enjoy the peacefulness and focus on her physical and mental recovery.

…

"Marley! Breakfast is ready!"

"Comming!", the teenager replied to her mother as she began to walk down the stairs wearing only one of her older, worn-out t-shirts that she used to wear to bed, trying to fix her hair that was unkempt from just getting out of bed.

Marley almost fell down the stairs when she saw Santana sitting down and putting jam on the toast she was holding in her hand.

"Oh my god! What are you doing here Santana?", her first reaction was to ask her what the reason was for her presence on a Monday morning at six o'clock, sitting next to her mother waiting for her for breakfast.

"I didn't know Ms. Lopez is your mentor, Marley" She had never seen her mother's eyes shine as happily as they did that day.

"It's just Santana, please" the brunette said sympathetically and smiling kindly at her mother, which upset Marley because she had never seen her act that way before.

"Santana offered to help you in Glee club, improve your eating habits and even get you into Cheerios. I even offered to pay her something in exchange for such dedication, but she refused at every turn. Isn't she an angel, Marls?"

Marley was just smiling uncomfortably trying to stretch out her shirt as much as she could to cover her panties when she saw Santana's eyes were hovering over her body. She knew that she was too skinny and she felt even more than uncomfortable with the examination that the brunette was doing to her since she had a body of a goddess and obviously in her mind she must have been thinking how disgusting her body was in such extreme thinness.

"I'm going to change my clothes. I'll be right back," said Marley, and she hurried back up the stairs. As she went into her room, she closed the door immediately and rested her back against the wood and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. She was a little embarrassed to know that no one but Santana had become the first person to see her humble and simple home, being that the Latina belonged to a very wealthy family and led a completely different life than she did. Besides, she had a body sculpted by Venus herself and now she could see how unattractive Marley was. Something that already affected her even before she was hospitalized. She had to work on her self-esteem and didn't know if Santana was going to be the best assistant in that. She also had to add that her mentor now knew what her life was like and had begun to interact with her mother, the person she loved the most in this world. Marley had heard all the rumors about how the Latina was one of the worst bullies in McKinley and was terrified of what she could do to humiliate her and her beloved mother.

The Latina in a couple of days had already known ninety percent of her intimate life that she tried so hard to hide so she could finish her studies in peace during all these years.

Marley had planned in her future, once she finished high school, to introduce her boyfriend of the moment to her true self, where she had grown up, how and her greatest treasure that was her mother who worked all her life so that she would never lack anything so that she could fulfill her dreams. One day that person, her true love, was going to know her whole life. Her true self. But there she was, with Santana spoiling all her illusions and threatening her inner peace.

Maybe Unique was right after all. Marley should have been more cautious around Santana López.

…

"Good morning chicken legs", Santana greeted her as she prepared a shake that looked pretty weird and gross to Marley. She was still having trouble acclimating to the idea of seeing someone else in her house every day and even more so to the idea that Santana was coming with good intentions to help her. Marley knew that she was the one who talked to New Directions to get everyone to apologize to her, but she also knew that the Latina could be quite evil. Everyone knew that phase of her, so Marley knew she had to have all her senses wide open around her.

"Can you at least be honest with me and tell me what you are doing here?", Marley decided to go straight to the point.

"Having breakfast with you before we start our new routine", the Latina replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What are you talking about?", Marley was puzzled by the routine the girl had just told her.

"Are you deaf or did the malnutrition atrophy your ears too?" the brunette turned this time looking seriously and somewhat annoyed. Marley couldn't hide that what Santana had just told her had touched her a little. How could she trust someone who took her problem as a joke?

"Stop being mean to me, Santana. I don't want your help if you're going to treat me like that. I've already have enough in my life right now with Kitty to put up with you too", Marley got up in a very bad mood and was about to go to her room when she felt a hand grab her arm to stop her.

"I know", the Latina stared sympathetically at Marley. Her eyes were trying to silently apologize. "That's why I want you to help you with getting in on the cheerios team. Besides, I was being an honest bitch. You already know that. Now, you're gonna eat those toast and drink what I've just made for us. I'm even gonna force you to open your mouth to show me that you've swallowed them if I have to"

Marley sat down again next to the brunette, rolling her eyes and having one of those toasts. She had no choice.

"What?", managed to say Marley in a voice drowned out by the toast she was chewing.

"I'm watching you. You haven't swallowed yet.", Santana explained to her without taking her eyes off it. Marley rolled her eyes and swallowed what she had chewed and opened her mouth to show her that she had eaten.

"Happy?"

Latina could be very intense and unbearable when she set out to be.

"Very much, you're gonna need to charge up because we're gonna jog for two hours as a morning warm-up"

'Oh my dear God' was what crossed Marley's mind. She was beginning to get the feeling that she was starting a new phase in her life.

…

"First, we're gonna eat a light, healthy meal rich in protein, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables before each jogging session", Santana started giving Marley tips while stretching their legs before they started jogging.

"Second, go for distance rather than time - slow it down, be patient, and don't worry about your pace. And tell me every time you need to slow down, ok? I don't want you to faint on the pavement", Marley rolled her eyes when she heard the last.

"Third, keep an even rate of breathing while running and breathe with your belly—that is, take deep breaths into your stomach rather than shallow breaths into your chest"

"Stay hydrated while you run", the Latina showed her that she had a bottle of mineral water in her little backpack in case they felt thirsty. "And then I'm gonna help you stretch your muscles"

"Thank you, Santana. No. Really. I thought this was a joke and you were going to –", Marley decided to thank her once she saw how seriously Santana was talking to her. Perhaps it was true that she was doing it because she really wanted to help her, and Marley had to let her know how grateful she was for that.

"Make your life a living hell? Maybe. Only if you don't cooperate" The Latina completed her sentence with a broad smile. It was clear that she was going to enjoy doing bad things if Marley didn't cooperate.

"Just, thank you for everything you are doing for me", the younger girl told her again, ignoring how Santana was trying to threaten her. Marley stared at her trying to get the Latina to realize that she wasn't talking specifically because of that moment but also because she had helped her with her mom's problem. So, without thinking twice, she decided to go over and give her a hug even though she could sense how tense the other girl was. Was it that she didn't like being hugged? Wasn't she used to it? Marley didn't know what to think, but what she did know was that it was one of the most uncomfortable hugs she'd ever given anyone in her entire life.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go already", the Latina simply patted her on the back as if to say 'let go of me' before she walked away from her and started running.

Her mentor was definitely one of those people who were affected by bad people and who found it hard to trust others. She had a feeling they were going to be good friends after all.

…

Marley had to ask for a break after 15 minutes.

This was not going to be easy at all and she realized how fragile and weak her body felt.

"How does it feel to start a new life outside Lima?" Marley asked her as she tried to calm her breath. Her heart seemed to be beating so hard that it felt like it was about to come out of her chest or it was a sign that she was going to have a heart attack. She had never exercised as much as she did that day with Santana.

"Fucking amazing", the brunette answered her reluctantly and Marley couldn't resist and continue the conversation, she really wanted to get a little closer to the other girl. Not just have a mentor/apprentice relationship.

"Are you here because you missed being in Lima? I know that it may be hard staying away from here knowing that Brittany is–"

"First, stop talking like you know me", The Latina responded cruelly, but when she saw Marley's sad look, she let out a frustrated sigh and began to speak. "Things changed and now… I just don't know how to feel about it" Marley could see how hard the Morena was trying to open up a little, so she smiled sweetly in response that she could trust her and for some reason, she succeeded. "I thought that Kentucky was what I've always wanted but, turned out it wasn't, and I'm starting to doubt that coming to Lima was a great idea". Marley didn't know how to respond to that. Clearly the brunette felt quite lost and didn't know if it was something more personal, family or her relationship with the blonde... she just didn't know, so she decided to let it go. Maybe she shouldn't push it anymore.

"Every night I think about what it would be like to go to New York. Sometimes I'm scared, but I think the anxiety gets the best of me. To leave everything behind and go to a place where no one knows my past and just dedicate myself to realizing my dream… I think it's amazing"

"Yeah…"

The brunette just nodded her head, although she didn't really think so. Although the Latina always showed herself to be a very strong person and that she easily overcame everything, what she found most difficult and terrifying was the changes. And this year she was living constant changes leaving her puzzled all the time.

When they decided to stop to take a break for a second time, helping Marley to acclimatize slowly, Marley immediately recognized Brittany running towards Santana who was on her back. The brunette didn't know whether to warn her mentor or not, but when the blonde was approaching, she smiled at her, telling her not to say anything, so she decided to do nothing.

"So, I was thinking that we should go –Umph! What the–"

"Hi guys! What are you doing here?", Brittany had jumped over Santana to hang on to her, risking both of them falling to the ground. Marley could see right away how the brunette had tensed up in front of the blonde and was trying to get rid of her. She had never seen Santana so uncomfortable and acting so strange before. Even with her, Santana had never behaved like that, even though they were just beginning to know each other a little more.

"Hi Britt, uh… Santana is my mentor and she offered to train me a little as you can see", Marley decided to break the silence. Seeing that the brunette had no intention of talking to the blonde.

"That's very sweet of you San", Brittany flattered Santana as she untangled her arms from the petite one, realizing that the Latina had been trying to get rid of her all along. It was as if the blonde was burning her and Santana couldn't stand Brittany touching her. The blonde looked into her eyes smiling sadly and Santana became even more serious. Marley realized that she had already been left out of the conversation and began to slowly withdraw to give the former couple time to talk. Marley started walking towards a tree that was a few feet away to give them space and find an excuse to stretch out a little. Every now and then her eyes would peep in the direction of the girls and she could see the mixture of anger and pain that Santana conveyed with her body language alone. Not to mention the ice-cold stare she gave Brittany, who was only trying to break down the barriers that Santana had built.

"Just stop it Britt, I need some space now" Santana let go her best friend's hands, trying to keep her distance, while keeping her eyes on the ground.

"I want us to be okay again, I–" Marley watched as the blonde tried to approach the Latina, trying to hold her face with her hands so that Santana would look into her eyes even for a few seconds. As if she needed her to see something in her own eyes.

"I'm not okay! Can't you understand that?" What little patience was left in her mentor had been extinguished. The brunette's tone of voice pleaded with Brittany to leave her alone, to realize that she was really suffering and not yet ready to be her friend like before.

Marley watched as tears began to fall on the face of Brittany who was still shocked and frightened by the reaction she had gotten from Santana. Marley could tell she wasn't used to that treatment.

Santana let out an exasperated sigh and began to run away from the blonde.

Marley waited a few seconds and slowly trotted over to her partner who had her head down trying to wipe away her tears. She honestly didn't know what to do at that moment, but she believed that Santana was the person who needed her help the most at this time. Brittany... well, she had Sam for anything. Santana had no one. That was the difference.

"I just… I'm gonna…" Marley only said almost in a whisper as Brittany sadly nodded her head, leaving the younger one to go after her ex-girlfriend. Marley apologized with a half-smile to the blonde and started running to catch up with her mentor.

Marley used all her energy to run as much as she could and while she looked around trying to locate Santana somewhere. It took her about fifteen minutes to find the brunette who was sitting in front of an artificial lake, with her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

Marley slowed down and walked slowly towards her. She could see the clouds were gathering, making the day a little greyer and making the situation sadder.

Great.

"Hey", Marley made her presence known before sitting next to Santana. "So, that was–"

"What are you doing here, Sticks? Isn't it your time to throw up or something?"

"Why can't you just be nice to me?" Marley was getting tired of dealing with the girl's reactions. As much as she knew Santana wanted to show that cold bitch side to make her go away and leave her alone, Marley deep down knew she was actually hurting.

"So why are you here with me if you know I treat you so bad? Huh? I'm the meanest and toxic person that you've ever met. I'm angry and moody all the fucking time, I'm a shitty friend, a bad influence on everyone and selfish and–and you… you are–", Santana burst into a fit of tears, sobbing loudly. "Everyone leaves me for someone better", the girl managed to say as the tears were streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably and Marley ran immediately opening her arms to Santana and crushing her body into hers. The brunette had such a... broken look. Her eyes reflected how her soul was slowly and painfully crumbling and collapsing. Perhaps her pain seemed so deep because Marley had never seen her like that before. Santana wasn't an open person, she didn't talk about her emotions, so Marley could sense that what happened with her ex-girlfriend was really tormenting her strongly inside.

"Hush", Marley leaned forward and enveloped her mentor in her arms "Stop saying bad things about yourself, Santana. I think you're tough, brave and an incredible woman. You've recently been through hard times and lost a lot of self-confidence and that's not the López I've met, ok? You're far from selfish, Santana." She paused. "In fact, you're the most generous person I know. Leaving your craziness aside, of course", she tried to joke around a bit to ease the girl's pain. Santana's arms were squeezing too tight in the embrace. Almost rough. Snuggling, her breath ghosted over the curve of her neck. Marley's body and brain were wide awake and so deeply confused about what she was feeling in that moment. That should've been her first clue about her. She ignored her initial instincts that day.

"You're amazing, Santana. I couldn't ask for a better mentor and friend. Yes, we're friends." Marley repeated again to affirm what she was saying when she saw that her mentor did not believe what she was hearing.

"I'm not the easiest person to make friends"

Well, that was true. How could she deny it?

"I know, but you're worth it" Marley tried to make Santana believe her and she hugged her again tightly.

"You're something else, Marley Rose" the brunette once told him that she broke the hug and wiped away her tears.

"So, do you want to tell me what's been going on between you two?" her eyes connected for a few seconds until the Latina resigned herself and began to speak.

"Long story short. Since I moved out from Lima, I noticed that we weren't happy. Distance was complicated and I saw Brittany falling into depression and– I–I thought the best thing was to break up and so she could focus on graduating this year and then… I-I thought she could move in with me and–" Santana swallowed hard, took a deep breath. Marley was rubbing her back, implying her to keep talking. Although she hadn't finished that sentence, Marley could tell that what she meant was that once Brittany could move in with her, they could resume their relationship and be happy together. "But evidently she got over our breakup and is now happily married to Vagina–"

"Santana", Marley interrupted her, trying to get her to stop saying those ugly nicknames but the Latina just rolled her eyes ignoring her. "What did Brittany say to you earlier that made you explode?"

"She told me that she missed me and that she wanted us to stay best friends" Santana said as he looked out over the lake. "She hurt me, okay? I know my decision may not have been the best, but I thought it was what we both needed at the time. At least I didn't take it as a definitive breakup... the idea was–"'the idea was to take some time to focus on our lives and then live together and focus 100 percent on our relationship', Marley was able to decipher the message implicit in that silence. "–And I don't know if I can be her friend. Not now."

Anyone who didn't know Santana, like Marley, and was only guided by the comments that were flying around about her bad reputation, would think that the cheerios co-captain would be the first to get over the relationship and get another girlfriend and not the other way around. But Marley was only now beginning to get to know Santana more intimately and had to admit that certain attitudes made her a little uneasy.

Before Santana ran away, Marley felt the need to get closer and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck in a friendly embrace. What amazed her was how tense Santana had become about what Marley was doing. Did she always react this way when someone wanted to hug her? Marley couldn't quite understand how some people are reluctant to show affection. How damaged can a person be?

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug to seal the friendship" Marley smiled back at her without taking her arms off her. "You need to relax and hug me back, you know? That's mostly how it works". She thought she was going to get an unfriendly response but, once again, the brunette surprised her by starting to relax her body and placing her arms around her waist.

"You need to let her go" Marley whispered in her ear and in response Santana hugged her tighter. Sometimes actions speak louder than words and Marley was sure that Santana meant to say, 'I know'.

They remained like this for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of the embrace and the enveloping silence of the park.

By the end of the day, Marley thought that Santana hugs were the best.

…

Santana started going to Marley's house to prepare breakfast every day, and so introduce her mother to the new diet that she also wanted to participate so she could support her daughter, too. Marley began to get up earlier to join in the preparation of breakfast and thus share laughter and joy with her mom and her new friend who never ceased to amaze her how Santana got along so well with her mother being that she was not at all the stereotype of the people that the Latina used to surround herself with. Maybe Santana wasn't what she appeared to be and that made Marley happy. It felt good to feel accepted.

While Santana was laughing out loud at something her mom was telling her, Marley was smiling and looking at them appreciating the moment and in an instant Santana turned her concentration on her and winked at her with a big mischievous smile.

"Your mom is amazing. I love her"

"I'm glad to know that. She really is amazing, huh? She's everything to me. I owe my whole life to that woman" Marley said, and Santana surprised her by hugging her tightly.

Marley promised herself to stop judging a book by its cover but by its content.

Like Santana.

Clearly Marley had in front of her a pandora's box full of surprises and that friendship was just beginning. Only she didn't know what would happen once she opened that box.

...

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