Chapter Three:
Church
The door to her bedroom clicked open, but Santana chose not to open her eyes. She had been wide awake since 5 am trying to pretend that today wasn't Sunday.
"Santana Marie. Get up and get ready. We're going to church." her mother scolded.
'Maybe if I lay here long enough she'll forget about me and I can sleep until tomorrow.' Santana mused privately. That is until her mother opened the door again and gave a sharp "Now!"
Santana sighed and rolled out of bed. There was nothing she hated more than going to church. It wasn't god she had a problem with; it was the stuffy room packed with people, the monotone priest, the Latin hymns that everyone pretended to know, and the judgmental stares of those who thought they were so much better Christians than everyone else. 99 percent of the time those were the people who were the most guilty. It didn't feel like a place full of gods love. Especially when their father seemed to favor lessons on damnation.
She dug through her closet looking through her things to find something cute enough to pass her father's 'feminine' requirement, while also not showing too much leg. The last thing she needed was the congregation thinking she was 'horny for Jesus' or something equally stupid. She pulled on an off white sun dress with a simple flower print and a tan belt the wrapped around the center. Getting her make up and hair done took a little bit more time for her to perfect.
An hour later Santana slipped down the stairs to grab a piece of toast and orange juice. Her father sat waiting at the edge of the table browsing through the morning paper.
"Is that what you're wearing to church?" he asked in an incredulous tone without bothering to look up. Santana glanced down at her outfit. Aside from a pair of jeans it was the most conservative thing she owned.
"Yea, is there something wrong with it?" She asked pulling out the orange juice and butter from the fridge. The elder Lopez didn't say anything. He merely turned the page. From upstairs the thudding of her brother's rambunctious foot steps could be heard as he hopped down the stairs in his nice dress shirt and red tie.
"Morning sis." he said kissing Santana on the cheek and stealing one of her pieces of toast from the toaster. When she began to protest he stuck his tongue out at her. "Deal with it. You don't need the extra carbs anyway." Santana rolled her eyes at his joke though the comment stung a little more than she wanted to let on. She let it roll off her shoulder as she bit into her breakfast and took a sip of juice. When Roman reached for her to share she pulled away.
"Get your own loser." said with a spiteful look.
It wasn't long before Santana sat in a tight little pew staring up at the mangled image of Jesus Christ. 'We're still sitting here after 2,000 years apologizing for something our ancestors did. Guy can hold a grudge.' she thought privately as a way to distract herself from the holier-than-thou eyes which liked to pan around the room every so often. She knew she really didn't have room to bitch. She was a Kenzi 6 lesbian after all, which made sitting here all the more uncomfortable. She always felt like an ant under a magnifying glass.
Santana stood with the congregation as part of a weekly ritual. She looked around and it didn't take long for her to spot Quinn Fabray ,with her own family, opening a hymnal. She felt a jab to her ribs by her brother.
"Ow what!" She snapped.
"Stop staring at your best friend and open your book. Dad's getting annoyed."
Sure enough her father sat at the end of their pew glaring holes at the back of her head. Santana gave a low sigh. More than anything she just wanted him to go back to work or find a motel to hook up with whatever secretary he was banging that week, things would be so much easier. Santana opened her throat and began singing several graceful melodies she didn't understand with the rest of the patrons. The father gave a last set of reminders and dismissed them for the day.
"Finally" Santana muttered under her breath.
She began to gather her things with the rest of her family when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Quinn stood with her typical neutral expression. It was one of the few things Santana found annoying about the blue-eyed blond because she could never read what she was thinking.
"My dad's making me go to confession. Do you think you can wait around, so we can talk?" Quinn asked with a hint of irritation in her voice.
"San you should totally go with her. I'm sure there are plenty of Sin's you'd like to confess."Roman nudged her with his elbow giving a small chuckle. Santana shot him a warning look just as their father began to watch the interaction.
"Sorry, we're going to my abuela's house. Can't we just talk tomorrow in the lunch room?" Santana asked just as impatiently. Quinn was beautiful, but her attitude made it hard for Santana to continue to care.
"Fine whatever. Tomorrow then." She huffed and stomped off.
The only part of her Sunday ritual that Santana didn't mind was the trip to her grandmother's house. Alma Lopez was a spry old woman with a sharp tongue and a sharper back hand. When she spoke the room listened and no one argued. She was the kind of woman Santana strived to be. The way she held fear and respect in the palm of her hand was something Santana did her very best to emulate in class. While she hadn't quite masted her grandmother's piercing gaze, the lessons she had learned so far proved quiet effective.
"Santana, eat up. You're too skinny!" Alma ordered setting a plate of chorizo and beans in front of her, before heckling her brother about sitting straight.
Everyone sat at a small kitchen table with a tacky old cloth draped beneath their plates. No one dare speak unless spoken to, which amused Santana greatly. This was the one place she felt comfortable. It was no secrete that her grandmother favored her above all others and doted on her often.
"I hear you have worked quite a bit Tonito." Alma said without looking up at her son.
"Yes, Ma'am." was her father's short replay.
"Making a lot of money?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
" That is good. Now if only you had time to take care of the children you've fathered and your wife, then your life might measure up to something. " she quipped.
Santana nearly choked on her lunch. Navarro Lopez frightened most people on a good day, but his mother was right there to shut him down every time. He looked stunned and angry, daring ether of his children to look up from their plates. Finally he spoke.
"A-a man must make sacrifices to keep the house hold a float mama."
Alma gave a stiff chuckle.
" Is that what it's called these days? I've very disappointed in you Tonito. I expect a change for the sake of my grand babies."
Santana bit back a small smile as she glanced over at her brother who was doing the same. The level of awkward had risen about ten points, but it was well worth it after the horrible dinner they had to endure just a night ago. Roman tossed Santana a small wink and she couldn't help, but be reminded of how much she truly adored her brother. He knew just what to say even when there was nothing to say at all.
Monday was even more dull in usual. Santana found herself staring blankly at the white board as Mr. Hampton broke down the biological structure of a cell. Instead of note taking, her college rule note-book had become filled with doodles of non-nonsensical shapes and pictures. Her mind wandered aimlessly until it eventually landed on the blonde from Friday nights game.
Santana was starting to wonder if she had dreamed the whole thing. Had this girl been some fantasy she had dreamed up out of sexual frustration? In her mind the girl had grown into something perfect. A flawless person made just from her day dreams, but Santana knew better than to fall for the games of her mind.
"She's probably not even that pretty. She sure as hell didn't wink at you. She probably has some weird gross habit like picking dirt from her finger nails or something." Santana told herself on the way to cheer practice Wednesday afternoon.
"Lopez if you're not going to be on time you can at least act like you're paying attention. Take a lap. I'm sick of looking at you" barked Sue, her cheer coach. She jogged around the field still thinking of things that could possibly be wrong with the girl she had only briefly met, each accusation growing more and more outrageous.
Santana reached the finish where the other girls stood stretching. She was about to join when Quinn pulled her aside. She fought back an eye roll. 'Why wont anyone just leave me alone today?' she thought incredulously.
"What has gotten into you lately?" Quinn hissed in the shadows of the bleachers. "You don't return my texts, you're late for practice, and you look like you're in a different place all the time."
Santana gave a cold shrug.
"I've just been off my game since we lost the last match it's no big deal. I'm fine"
"Well hurry the hell up and get back on your game! I need my co-captain if we have any chance of beating those Oakwood bitches next month."
Santana crossed her arms and gave Quinn a very annoyed look. Under other circumstances she might not have minded being so close to the bitchy girl under the stands, but after the week she had it was just another thing to piss her off.
"I'll be really, just step off." She bit back.
"Do you remember how Red mentioned having a secrete weapon this year? Well I did some digging and it turns out one of their new transfer students is like one of the top dancers in the state. They're having her design some kind of crazy routine. We need to find a way to shut them down hard and I'm counting on you S." Quinn whispered placing a had on Santana's shoulder. She could feel her nerves vibrate, but she pushed them away as though they didn't exist.
"Fine. I'll see what I can do." Santana huffed, turning back to warm up with the rest of the girls.
Friday came far too quickly for the young cheerleader. She stood on the field in her red and white cheer uniform staring across at the Allen East High School cheerleaders. No matter how hard she tried their ugly army green uniforms didn't magically turn to the rich dark blue of Oakwood.
The game began and she clapped and cheered with the rest of her team as tackles and touchdowns were scored. She looked across the field at the sweaty men hitting each other like wild rams seeking glory. It reminded her that Saturday was almost hear and she had still not asked Puck to come over yet. Her stomach twisted at the thought.
Out of all the boys in her school why had she picked Noah Puckerman. The boy was as crude as he was stupid, not to mention his reputation for bedding girls on the first date. Santana could feel a small shiver crawl up her back. She couldn't ask Finn because of Quinn's on again-off again relationship with the small giant, Sam was a grade younger and only talked about comic book, Mike was seeing that other goth Asian chick whose name Santana conveniently forgot, and Karofsky was a big no because he was the biggest dick around. Puck was the only real option she had.
The game ended with another loss for the Titans, though it came as no big surprise. This time instead of making a beeline for the dressing rooms, as she usually did, Santana hung back waiting for the football players to leave the field.
'Fuck what do I even say? Hey Puck wanna be my fake boyfriend for the night? Yea because that doesn't sound totally gay' Santana thought helplessly as the players marched by. She was so caught up in her own thoughts she nearly missed Noah walking by.
"Shit. Hey! Puck!" She shouted awkwardly causing the mo-hawked boy to stop chatting with his teammates,as they walked, and turn to look at her. A sort of dopey smile crossed his face as he realized who had called him. Licking his lips and stepping away from his now smirking friends he approached.
"Hey, what's up Santana. " he said trying to sound smooth. Santana blinked a few times not really sure what was going on.
"C-can I talk to you alone for a second." Behind them a chorus of "OOo's" came from the other idiot Titans.
"Of course babe." He said walking back toward the field away from his friends. Santana's skin crawled with the way he called her babe, but she rolled with it. When no one could hear them she finally began to speak.
"So I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor. " she tried to ignore the way his eye brows shot up. "I'm having this family dinner where I'm expected to bring a date and well...I wanted to know if you would come. My brother is an idiot and told our parents I had a boyfriend-"
Noah held up his hand for her to stop.
"You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend for a night?"
Santana opened her mouth and closed it. She wasn't use to feeling this weak and helpless.
"Yes."
Noah looked her up and down for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
"There are worse broads I've fake dated before. I'll do it on a few conditions."
Santana's heart sank.
"One when we go back up to the school you have to let everyone believe that we made out for the last twenty minutes." Santana began to protest, but Puck cut her off " Two you have to be my fake girlfriend for the next week. Three you have to be my date to the winter dance next week. Those are my conditions. Take'um or leave'um."
Santana stood there looking dumbstruck. This was not how she pictured things would go. How had she gone from 'Head Bitch' of McKinley to yet another girl at the mercy of Noah Puckerman. It was embarrassing to say the least.
"Fine. Whatever, but you have to do exactly as I say tomorrow night and no fuck ups or the deal is off." She snapped back at him. Puck raised his hands as if to surrender.
"Whatever you say babe, but now you've got to seal the deal with a kiss." he pointed to a pair of sweaty chapped lips. Santana wanted to vomit and tell him to fuck off, but making a deal with the devil didn't work that way. She took a deep breath and leaned in trying to give only just a peck. Unfortunately Puck caught her by the next and made the whole thing much longer and even more unpleasant.
"There! It's done." Santana said backing away.
Noah agreed and headed off toward the boys changing room.
"You're not a bad kisser Lopez" he shouted as he went.
Santana cradled herself for a long moment. She could still taste the salty chapped mess on her own lips. She felt gross and wrong inside. Weren't girls suppose to like kissing guys like Noah Puckerman? She closed her eyes tight trying to wish away the mess of confused feelings she felt, but when she opened them again something odd caught her eye.
She looked up toward the bleachers a for a moment she thought she saw a familiar pair of bright azul eyes and blonde hair looking down at her, but when she blinked the person was gone. She felt a warm tingle fill her body, giving her the energy to head toward the car. She couldn't quite explain it, but she was almost positive it had been the girl from the other night, thought why she had been there was a total mystery.
'Had she been watching me? Did she see me with Puck?' the questions poured in. Santana didn't bother to get her things from the locker room. Instead she walked right to her car and drove home.
That night she lay in bed for the second Friday in a row, thinking passionate thoughts of this strange girl, and when she would see her again. This time she bit her lip and dove deeper into her panties with a firmer sense of exploration. She knew it was wrong, but tonight she cared a little less than before. Santana pushed away her negative thoughts, trying to simply enjoy herself . After the week she had endured, she had earned a little pleasure that night.
She worked her body over until all thoughts of Puckerman's kiss were erased and replaced but soft sweet ones from the girl she hardly knew. She kept going until she was to exhausted and sensitive to move. It was only then that her eye lids became heavy and she drifted off into dreamless sleep.
*A/N - Please Review. Hope you liked the chapter