-Chapter 12- Cuts and a call-
-Rachel pov-
"Alright so I have some two pieces and...we'll I only have two pieces" Santana looks through a drawer and pulls out a small two piece in red "This would look amazing on you!"
"Uhh yeah" I reach for the bathing suit but Santana moves it from me "Hey I need that to swim"
"And I bet you want me to leave you alone 'to change' as well right?" I look away from Santana but I can still feel her eyes on me "What are you hiding Rachel?"
"Hair?" I make the mistake of looking at Santana and I see her not amused "I'm gonna go check on the other two and come back!"
I try to run but Santana tackles me. I immediately feel my breathing going erratic but I can't get her attention. I push on her and Santana just thinks I'm trying to run. I need air..I need air!
I try to push her off again but it doesn't work. I look at her and try seeing Santana but all I see is him. Before I know it I throw a punch and scoot away. I roll myself into a ball and try getting my breathing back.
"What's going on in here?!" I look up and see Quinn checking a bleeding Santana while Brittany looks at me "What did you do?"
"Finn...all I could see was Finn" Brittany slowly walks over and then pulls me close to her "Tackled and all I saw was him"
"You tackled her?!" Quinn is now holding a towel to Santana's nose "How stupid are you?!"
"She's hiding cuts" my eyes go wide at Santana's words "I saw them on her stomach"
"So you tackled her?!" Brittany walks over toward Santana but gets held back by Quinn "Let go of me"
"I didn't mean to tackle her" Santana points at the bathing suit "Damn Rachel! I think you broke my nose!"
"I'm so sorry" I look at the ground in front of me "I just saw him and...and I had to get away"
"What's going on up here?!" We all look at the door at Maribel "What happened Mija?"
"I was on top of Rachel and she punched me to get me off her" Maribel looks at Santana angrily "We'll be fine! We are about to go swimming"
"Alright" Maribel gives me a small smile "Hope you have her a good one"
"Mami!" Maribel laughs as she leaves the room "I can try and find a swim shirt for you Rachel"
"No" I pick up the bathing suit and look at the bathroom "I-I'll be fine"
"I'll go to the pool with Quinn" Brittany gives me a forehead kiss "Be good to her San"
I watch Brittany leave with Quinn then close the door. The room is silent but I can feel Santana's eyes on me. I look at the bathing suit in my hand and take a step towards the bathroom.
"I have scars too" I stop walking and turn toward San "I was the only child in my class that had tanned skin..I didn't say Mexican cause I was born here but even when more popped up I still got judged"
"So you turned being bullied into bullying?" Santana shakes her head no and I scoff "How else would you describe it?"
"Protecting myself before someone could turn on me" Santana sits down on her bed and looks down at the floor "I was liked and in middle school I started cutting myself to release the pain...but it didn't actually help"
"I've seen your arms and legs Santana" she doesn't look at me and it clicks "Cause if it was there people would see you weak"
"It's littered all over my back and sides" Santana sighs "I understand being self conscious about them but...but we aren't going to leave because of some stupid scars that we caused! We are gonna be right here because now we are a family! So take of that stupid shirt an-and just open up that both of us are freaks!"
"San~"
"Don't give excuses Rachel" Santana is on her feet and she quickly throws her shirt off followed by her bra. I look at her and see the scars all over and then some on her breast "See you're not the only one that looks like a old cutting board"
"They used to call you flat chested didn't they?" Santana nods and I walk up to her. I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug "Thank you for sharing this with me"
"We are going to fix you Rachel" Santana wraps her arms around me and pulls me closer "If not we then I'll do it all by myself"
"I'm here for you too" We break apart and I take a deep breath "Please don't judge me ok?"
Santana nods and I grab the bottom of my shirt. I close my eyes and two it off. I hear her gasp and wait for a photo snap or laughter. I'm thrown off when I'm pulled into another hug.
"I'm gonna fix you Estrella" Santana puts her head on mine "You are never getting slushied or bullied on my watch"
"Thank you" We slowly break apart "I think we may be worrying everyone"
"I can get you a swim shirt if you want" I shake my head no and Santana gives my a playful shove "There's my brave girl"
Brave...I can be brave.
-Small time skip- Brittany pov-
"It's been too much time I'm going to get them" I watch Quinn start leaving the pool then freeze. Daniel drops his spatula, Maribels wine glass spills, Judys eyes bug out, Emma is just holding a confused Beth in place, and Shelby is tear eyed "Oh my"
"What?" I turn around and feel my air leave when I see her. So many scars...is that a huge one across her stomach? "Ra-Rachel?"
"Hey stop staring like that" Santana's puts a protective arm around Rachel's shoulder "It takes a lot of courage to wear a two piece for the first time with these scars"
"Sorry Mija I just" Maribel wipes her eyes "I just thought you'd be the last one I'd ever have to see like that"
"I-I know this isn't what anyone expected to see" Rachel takes a deep breath and Santana squeezes her shoulder to comfort? I should be comforting her "I just wanna be back to normal again and this could be a first step in fixing my broken pieces"
"Oh baby" Shelbys runs over and hugs Rachel "You look so beautiful and you are so brave doin this!"
Another person comforting my girlfriend. It's not their fault though I'm still just in the water. I'm still just looking at her like an idiot. I get nudged by Quinn and I finally move out of the pool.
I slowly walk up to Rachel "Rachel" She bites her cheek and doesn't make eye contact with me "Princess?"
"I understand if you wanna break up and I don't hold it against you" A tear drops and hits the ground "I really would be fine"
"I'm not leaving you and I doubt you'd be fine if I did" I crouch down and kiss the long scar "I'm with you no matter how many scars you have"
"Really?" I make eye contact with Rachel and nod. I get pulled up and into a hug "Thank you"
"You don't have to thank me for liking you" I pull back and give her a quick kiss "No how about we swim huh?"
We all head back to the pool and it's pretty calm after that. I catch myself looking at the scars every once and while. I shake my head every time and go back to swimming. Eventually we get called for lunch and get out.
"I don't know many vegan meals yet" Daniel hands Rachel a big salad with fancy looking cucumber slices "But I do know how to make a mean salad!"
"I'm sure whatever you make is wonderful" Rachel takes a bit and her eyes roll into her head "Better then wonderful"
"I'm a Doctor" Daniel sits down and smiles "I am precise about everything"
"That only this doctor" Maribel smacks Daniel who laughs "But I still somehow love him"
"Because He's a lopez" Santana and Daniel high five "We are lovable by nature"
"More like cockroaches you can't get rid of" Maribel gives Quinn a high five and Santana pouts "You know I still care about you babe"
"Babe?" Santana's eyes how wide and Quinn goes pale "Seems like we need a door policy talk"
"You guys aren't mad?" Maribel and Daniel look at each other and shake their heads no "Oh wow I thought you'd hate me!"
"Mija you can follow religion and still love your lesbian daughter" I see Shelby look down at her plate "Shelby are you ok?"
"My parents walked out on me when I told them I was lesbian" She scoffs and smirks "I told them later I was gonna give birth to a child and they kept wanting to meet the dad...they flipped their kid when two gay men walked in the house"
"I have grandparents?" Rachel's eyes are filled with hope "Can I meet them?"
"They don't talk with me sweetie" Shelbys pushes food around on her plate "I'm not even sure if they are still alive"
"You gotta talk with them again Shelb" Judy gives Shelbys closest hand a squeeze "I'll go with you to see them if you want"
"I guess I can try the number" Shelby stands up and takes a deep breath "I'll be back"
-Shelby pov-
I walk into the house and close the door. I look down at my phone and my hand shakes. Moron and Deadbeat are their names in it. I take a deep breath and remember why I'm doing this.
"For Rachel and Judy" I push the call button and put the phone up to my ear. On the second ring it's picked up "Hel~"
"Shelby is that you? Gregory she's still alive! It's our baby girl!" Theres shuffling on the other side of the phone before mom speaks again "You actually called! I-I've been by this phone waiting for so many years! I change the phone but I always kept the number just in case!"
"I'm glad to hear you're happy to hear from me right now" I take a deep breath and look out the window at the laughing group "I'm still a lesbian just so you all know"
"I don't care!" What? "I haven't heard from my only child in years because of that! I stopped caring and I just am glad that you are ok! Oh do you still have the girl you gave birth too? I never see her on your Instagram when you post"
"There's a lot that happened after you both left" Sielcne falls upon their end "But I have her back and another girl"
"Well then get them over here!" My dads voice comes through the phone "I don't wanna miss anything more from their lives!"
"The oldest is a lesbia~"
"Shelby if you warn us like we are gonna lynch our granddaughter I'm gonna lunch you" there's my dad "Now you ma will send you our address and we want you to come over for dinner tomorrow night ok?"
"Ok" I swallow back the tears "I-I gotta go"
"We love you dear"
"I love you both" I hang up the phone and jump when arms wrap around me "I'd rather not be hugged"
"To bad" I smile when Judy kisses my cheek "You're stuck with me"
"They want to meet the girls tomorrow at dinner" I face Judy and smile "They don't care I'm a lesbian...at least thats what they say"
"Take it and run with it Shelby" Judy grabs my hands "You can have your parents back"
"I know" I look and see the girls back in the pool "Let's go back to having fun ok?"
"Ok" Judy grabs my hand and we walk back to the door "You gonna be ok?"
"I think so" I take a deep breath and nod "I think so"
