Chapter 3: Trust Issues

Santana was reading the packet in her hand, a puzzled look on her face.

"What is this?" She turned a couple of the pages, "These questions have nothing to do with cheerleading and I'm positive the more ahead you get they aren't even in english anymore."

"I'm still on the first question."

Santana looks down at the first question on the packet. "Write down your full name?"

"Yeah it feels like a trick question."

"What do you mean?"

"It only has two lines, one for your first name and one for your last name." Brittany leaned over to whisper to Santana, "but I have a middle name."

Santana saw the seriousness in Brittany's face. "I'm pretty sure you can just leave it out. Just write down your first and last name."

"But then it wouldn't be my full name and I would fail the test." Brittany got a pained look on her face. "Then everyone will know that I'm so stupid I couldn't even answer my own name!"

Santana picked up on this. "You are not stupid Brittany. This entire packet is stupid. Here, " She pointed at a spot next to Brittany's first name, "write your middle name there."

Brittany put her pencil by her name but didn't write anything.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not 100% sure I know what it is"

"Wait, you do have a middle name right?"

"Me and my mom have 'S' for a middle name but I thought it was because we were related to Superman and had to be a shuttle about it."

"I think you mean subtle."

"But a shuttle can fly. Anyways I recently learned that I was wrong. The 'S' actually stands for something. It's a relief to have some difference between Britney Spears but I don't think I'll ever leave her shadow."

Santana chuckled. She didn't really follow Brittany's train of thought but that didn't matter.

"Ok," Santana took Brittany's pencil and wrote an 'S.' between Brittany's first and last name. Santana saw Brittany's last name and it clicked. " Brittany S. Pierce. . .Britney Spears."

Santana looked over at Brittany and smiled. Brittany just nodded her head.

"Ok ladies listen up!" Coach Sylvester boomed through a megaphone. "I have tents in the front. One per two people. And as you may or may not realize, yes, they are only intended for one but. . . I DON'T CARE!" She screeched. "So buddy up, grab your tents and follow me." Coach looked around. "NOW!"

Everyone quickly got up and started heading towards the tents. Santana and Brittany looked at each other and silently agreed to be partners. Brittany made her way over to grab one of the tents. As she bent down to get one she was bumped, she managed to find her balance and not fall to the ground.

"Oops sorry," Megan sneered as she grabbed one of the tents. Megan used to be one of Brittany's friends. Brittany notices Liz's group standing off to the side laughing. Megan grabbed a tent. "Didn't see you there." Megan turned around and was met with Santana.

Santana was smiling but Megan felt there was something unnerving about it. As though Santana was challenging her.

"I think you can apologize better than that." Santana said. Megan just stared at her. Santana nodded towards Brittany.

Megan turned to face Brittany ."Like I said, I'm so sorry Brittany. I didn't see where I was going."

Megan looked at Santana as though seeking approval. Santana did not look pleased.

"Here." she handed the tent she had picked and gave it to Brittany. Santana approved. And with that Megan quickly walked away.

"Thanks." Brittany said to Santana.

"Trust me she got off easy. She's just a pawn from the queen bee. I need to save my energy for her," Santana looked off to her side. Brittany followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at Liz. "I noticed her looking at our table. She must sense I'm a threat."

"Come on we should start walking." Brittany nodded towards Coach Sylvester, who was starting to lead towards a dirt pathway.

As they were walking Brittany decided to confide in Santana. "That girl you mentioned, her name is Liz. She used to be my best friend."

"Oh. I didn't know that. Why does she have it out for you?"

"That's a long story. And with all the little birdies around," Brittany motioned her arm around the woods. "It's not safe to tell it."

"I understand." Santana could sense that this was a sore subject for Brittany.

Brittany felt slightly guilty. Santana was her friend after all. She even stood up for her.

"It's not actually a long story. I just trusted the wrong person."

"I know what that's like. I know it too well. Gotta be careful who you trust." Santana didn't want to push for details. She figured Brittany would tell her when she was ready.

"So true." Brittany wanted to move away from the current topic. "I forgot to ask you where are you from? I haven't seen you around."

"I'm from a place called Lima Heights Adjacent."

"I've never been. Is it nice?"

Santana scoffed, "Yeah if you think the ghetto is nice and homey."

"Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine. We don't live there anymore." They arrived at a camping ground spot and some girls where already setting up their tents. "Ugh but I'll take Lima Heights over this crap."

Brittany started unpacking and laying out the tent to set it up. "What? You don't like camping?" she asked amused.

"God no. There's a reason why humans evolved and left this ancient practice of sleeping outdoors behind."

"That's probably why I love it. It feels like we are back in our natural habitat."

"Don't get all kumbaya and one with nature on me now."

Brittany laughed, "Oh come on. How about the smores and telling scary stories by the fireplace? That's fun."

"Yeah but I doubt there's gonna be much fun here." Santana sat on one of her bags and watched Brittany set up the tent. "Is that all of the tent?"

"It is." Brittany looked at it. "It isn't much is it? No way Lord Tubbington could squeeze in there."

"Lord Tubbington?"

"My cat."

"Exactly. These things are tiny not even your small cat can fit in there."

"I think you're being too kind to Lord T, Santana. I'll make sure to mention that when I write my letter to him." Brittany was almost done but needed Santana's help. "Can you hold this up for me?"

"Yeah." Santana got up and held the rod in place. "Do you go camping a lot?"

"We try to go every year when we can. My dad was pretty bummed he couldn't join me out here."

The tent was finished . Brittany and Santana took a step back to admire it.

"I'm pretty sure that is a child sized tent." Santana was not happy about it. "How are we going to fit all of our stuff in there and have room to sleep?"

"I guess we can sleep on top of our stuff."

"That sounds uncomfortable." Santana thought about it. "We'll have to leave our stuff in the tent during the day and our stuff out during the night. These bitches better not steal."

"I'm more worried about the woodland creatures that take your stuff to make gift bags for their sacrifices."

"Wait, what woodland creatures?"

Before Brittany gets a chance to answer Coach Sylvester appears with her megaphone. "I want you ladies to know that I am thoroughly unimpressed by your ability to set up camp. Now on to business. I have a list of activities I want to go through, but first we shall do the daily 5 mile run as a warm up. I do hope you have your running shoes on because I have no problem weeding out the weak and sending you home." She walked towards a golf cart and took a seat. "COME ON LADIES! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY! RUN!"

Without thinking Brittany and Santana did just that. Both of them knowing it was going to be a long day.