Tina sat on the bleachers watching as the football players and Cheerios took the field, she didn't always watch the practices but they were going out to dinner with Mike's parents again, this time right after practice. She knew the widely waving blonde was Brittany, she waved back, she couldn't help but smile knowing Brittany as well as Mike would yell 'hi Tina' every time they ran by the bleachers.
Adjusting her black beanie Tina dug through her book bag, pulling out her math book and a clip board, she always did part of her homework when she stayed for practice, like Mike she maintained a perfect GPA, if it wasn't a perfect grade her dad would freak out like Mike's parents. Brittany was lucky her dad was different.
Hearing the pounding of feet coming around the track Tina looked up smile in place waiting for Brittany and Mike to wave and smile, Mike was smiling but he was pointing at her the new guy next to him looked up at her. Tina froze, recognizing the bright blue eyes immediately, he recognized her as well, practically running over Mike the new boy ran straight for Tina. "Tina!"
"Jason!" she hadn't seen him in years, since the last time he was in juvie and she had moved, almost dropping her clipboard Tina quickly put it down standing up.
He didn't run for the steps he just grabbed the fence and bounced over it. Mike stood stunned as the others ran around him, Santana's eyes never leaving the new boy's back if she stopped Sue would give her hell. Mike watched as the new boy easily lifted Tina with one arm, carefully hugging her as she laughed. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he set her down.
"I go to school here."
Mike stood at the fence confused. "Tina?"
"Oh." Dropping her hands from the boy's shoulders Tina beamed "I know him, we went to elementary and middle school together."
"Small world." Mike said softly.
"I should get back to running...I'll see you after practice?" he asked hopeful.
"Of course." Tina couldn't help but smile, "Have you seen Santana?" she asked as he jumped back down on the track.
"Lopez is here?" Jason asked grinning.
"You remember the Cheerios I was telling you about?" Mike asked. "The Unholy Trinity."
"Yea." Jason nodded not knowing what it had to do with his old friend. "You told me stay away unless they talk to me."
"The Unholy Trinity." Tina pointed to the trio leading the Cheerios around the track, "Quinn, Brittany and Santana."
"Our Santana?" Jason squinted.
"She's not the same girl we knew." Tina admitted.
Jason smirked taking in the Goth look and lack of stutter "Neither are you."
"True." Tina nodded before warning "Oh, be nice to Brittany or you'll piss off Santana, Brittany's a sweet girl." Mike nodded in agreement.
"Promise." Jason nodded.
Santana watched as Mike and the blonde jogged over to the team. "Good of you to join us gentlemen." Coach Beiste waited for either to comment.
"Sorry Coach." Mike and Jason apologized before Jason added "I was just surprised to see an old friend."
"Are you okay San?" Brittany asked, Sue was busy arguing with someone on the phone.
"Yea, I just thought I saw... never mind it couldn't be him." Santana shook her head.
"Looks like Tina knows the new boy." Quinn commented before turning away from the girls to yell at the Cheerios. "We're practicing catches, do not drop my flyers!"
Her attention quickly focused on the Cheerios in front of her before Santana glanced at Brittany, Brittany was too big to be a flyer so she would usually be a spotter during their practices, always for Santana. All it took was one time for them to almost drop Santana once during freshman year and the blonde refused to leave her side. Santana'd been like that with Tina in elementary and middle school, but high school the kids were vicious, so when Tina showed up a year after her Santana pretended to not know her even going so far as to threaten her when the younger girl pushed the issue. Santana had her hands full protecting Brittany, the blonde was too sweet for her own good.
Tina was leaned against the wall by the locker room doors waiting for Mike and Jason, she couldn't believe how much he'd changed gone was the short curly hair in it's place a buzz cut slightly longer than Puck's. "Trolling for a new boyfriend Chang, Michael finally get wise and dump your ass?"
Tina had learned to ignore the Cheerios as they filed out of the locker room, only Brittany and Quinn were nice, Santana would just nod, they really only spoke in Glee and then it was usually bashing on Rachel. Straightening up Tina smiled, walking next to Mike was Jason, grinning he swept her up into his arms spinning her around "It's so good to see you again." holding her eye level his grin changed to a smile.
"How did you two meet again?" Mike asked concerned that the other boy was still holding his girlfriend in his arms.
"Oh." Tina looked down at her forgotten boyfriend.
Jason gently put her down apologizing. "Sorry man." shoving his hands in his pockets he explained "We met when I was in first grade, Tina was in kindergarten, the other kids wouldn't let her swing, they were picking on her."
"Santana pushed them off the swing and Jason scared them away." Tina finished.
"Wait you knew Santana when she was in grade school?" Mike asked wide eyed.
"Yea." Jason laughed surprising Mike with his volume, Jason may have been soft spoken but when he laughed he was very boisterous. "Santana wasn't afraid of anyone."
"She was a bad ass." Tina nodded.
"Was? I'm still a bad ass Girl Chang, and who are you chico blanco?" Santana's hands were shoved in her jacket pockets, Brittany's arm looped through hers.
Turning around the towering boy grinned down at her "Hey Lopez."
Her glare disappeared, she knew that toothy grin, blue eyes and dimples "Jason? Jason Emmett?" when he just grinned more she pulled away from Brittany who was totally lost when Santana jumped into the boy's arms kissing him. Giving her a quick spin around Jason sat Santana back down looking at the two blondes, now holding hands he gave a friendly smile.
Tina stepped forward "Brittany, Quinn this is a friend from elementary and middle school Jason, Jason this is Brittany," Tina pointed to the taller of the two blondes "and Quinn."
"Nice to meet you." Quinn smiled.
"Nice to meet you too." Jason extended his hand to them, Quinn took it, Brittany shoved her hands in her pockets frowning. Santana slipped out of Jason's arms stepping next to Brittany, Brittany quickly linked pinkies with her.
"Britt." Santana nodded to Jason's outstretched hand.
"It's okay Brittany he's nice." Tina promised seeing the blonde hesitate, Tina'd heard the rumors, early on a few of the football players had messed with Brittany. Santana had handled them, viciously.
"Okay." Brittany nodded but kept her one hand in her pocket and she wasn't about to un-link pinkies with Santana. He dropped his hand, tilting her head Brittany quipped "You're tall like Finn."
"Um...Thank you." Jason hoped it was a complement.
"San, are we still going to Breadstix?" Brittany asked chewing her lower lip.
"You still have a thing for that place?" Jason chuckled, but stopped when he saw Brittany's expression.
"Always." Santana smirked before offering "You should join us, catch up on old times."
"Sounds like you two were already set to go, we can catch up later." he shook his head, he didn't know if Santana had seen it but her friend wasn't just frowning at him again, he'd caught a quick glare when he'd teased Santana about Breadstix. He waited until they were out of range before saying "I don't think Brittany likes me."
"I'd say she hates you." Mike said honestly, Quinn nodded in agreement.
"That's not true." Tina admonished Mike "Brittany doesn't hate anyone."
Mike snorted mumbling under his breath "Wanna bet?" glancing at the time on his phone he nodded towards the parking lot "Tina we'd better get going if we're going to make dinner with my mom."
"Okay." Tina nodded, "Oh phone number, I can give you Santana's too." Tina held her hand out for Jason's phone. Handing it to her he smiled, never taking his eyes off of her while she put in her number and Santana's. "Text me so I have your number." Tina said handing his phone back. Nodding he quickly texted her 'Hi.' Tina smiled hearing her phone ping "I'll text you later, we can get a coffee and catch up."
"Okay." Jason agreed "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Mike, can you help me with my math?" Quinn asked watching Tina for any kind of reaction "I think I have it but I'd like you to go over it with me just to be certain, if that's alright." Quinn rested her hand on Mike's bicep, Tina squinted her eyes.
"Sure, I'll call you after dinner, you can come over and we'll look at it." Mike agreed quietly.
Beaming Quinn kissed his cheek before bouncing away calling back over her shoulder "Thank you Michael Chang, you're my hero." he nodded pulling his car keys out of his pocket, he hadn't seen the looks Tina shot Quinn, but Quinn had caught them and was pretty sure if looks could kill she'd be dead or at least close to it.
"Are you okay sweetie?" Santana asked opening the passenger side door for Brittany.
"Tired, practice." Brittany mumbled.
Closing the door after Brittany slid into the car Santana blinked confused, Brittany lied...to her, Santana didn't care if Brittany lied to other people to keep their secret but she didn't like Brittany lying to her. Tossing both their bags into the back seat Santana closed the back passenger door, Santana would talk to her on the way to Breadstix, if that didn't work she had more tricks up her sleeve. Her phone buzzing before she reached the driver's side Santana checked it, surprised it was Quinn. Poking it she read the message from Quinn her expression changing as she read the words 'Brittany's worried the new boy will take your attention away from her'
Quickly texting Quinn 'K' back Santana tucked her phone away.
"Do you want to skip Breadstix and just go to your house, we can order pizza?" Santana asked sliding into the driver's seat, Brittany continued looking at her hands clasped in her lap. Closing and locking the car door Santana reached over covering Brittany's hands with her own offering "We could cuddle and watch tv."
"Okay." Brittany nodded.
"Okay." Santana agreed, giving Brittany's hands a squeeze she turned the car on.
Dinner with Mike and his mom was the same as it always was, Tina smiled and behaved as a proper young woman should, Mike was quiet and respectful neither mentioning Glee, and then Tina went home to do homework. She'd been home 20 minutes when she heard her phone vibrate against her desk, she knew it wasn't Mike.
'How was dinner?'
'Same, I'd rather go to Breadstix but Mike's parents like to support the Asian community. What'd you do for dinner?' Tina replied putting her phone back down.
'Pizza. What are you doing tomorrow?'
'Brainiacs practice.' she could imagine him laughing at the phone.
'What?'
'It's part of McKinley's academic decathlon club, it looks good on my transcripts, it's how I get to stay in Glee.' Tina explained. 'We're meeting at 9, we should be through by 12.'
'Lunch?' he asked.
'Sure, we can catch up.'