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Staff week seemed to go by in a blur. Santana spent all of Monday and Tuesday getting re-certified in CPR and first-aid and going over supplies in the shed next to the lake. Wednesday consisted of meetings regarding responsibilities and programming, all of which were tedious. Santana wasn't in charge of the actual planning herself, but her boss wanted her there. She realized she should be excited to be part of the decision making process, but she really just found herself yawning and covertly rolling her eyes throughout the day.
Thursday rolled around and it was time for her to put all her training into action. The waterfront director got only halfway through her speech to the staff about helping out the lifeguards before everyone was scrambling to change into their bathing suits and hit the lake. They didn't need to be told twice to go for a swim, especially with weather this nice.
Dressed in a green bikini under a loose tank top and short shorts, Santana climbed up one of the lifeguard posts stationed on the dock. She slipped on a pair of sunglasses and felt at ease as the sun warmed her skin, whistle dangling around her neck.
"Hey San!" Jen and Samantha shouted out as they jogged up onto the dock that jutted out into the lake.
Santana laughed and waved before gently blowing on her whistle.
"You guys have to walk when you're on the dock" She chided playfully. "But thanks for the practice."
The girls smiled and hung their heads in mock shame before jumping into the water. A few other counselors came out, some choosing to lounge on the dock, others jumping in to swim where Jen and Samantha were treading water. Santana kept a watchful eye on everyone with the help of her co-worker Tom who was sitting on a lifeguard post across the dock. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two more people heading towards the group. The slightest wrinkle graced her brow when she recognized Dan and Brittany deep in conversation as they made their way up the small patch of beach leading to the dock.
As they neared, Dan looked up and grinned at Santana. From behind her glasses she watched as he turned to Brittany and said something, nodding his head in her direction. Brittany looked up and gave a small nod before her eyes darted back towards the ground. Santana wondered what they were saying and could tell the rush of heat to her cheeks was not sun-induced. She hated the feeling of knowing people were talking about her, especially in this case when she blatantly saw she was the topic of hushed conversation. It made her skin crawl.
Santana was now ignoring the people in the water, her eyes trained on the two walking down the dock. Dan dropped the towel he had been holding and called for people's attention. He postured at the end of the dock and kissed his tanned biceps before cannon-balling into the water, laughing at the shrieking girls when he came to the surface. Santana rolled her eyes at him but found herself smiling.
She felt her eyebrows rise involuntarily when her gaze fell on Brittany, who had also shed her towel on the dock.
The girl was absolutely stunning. Santana was about as confident as they came when it came to her body image, but she felt a twang of what must be jealousy in her stomach as she scanned the blonde. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the sun and even the tiniest motion caused the muscles in her back to flex. Brittany was also smiling as she stretched, pretending to need a warm-up for the jump into the water. Though unlike Dan, she did not need to call for people's attention. Her slender but toned frame, complete with smooth abs and legs that didn't seem to end, was enough to command the attention of everyone on the waterfront.
Santana realized she was staring again and sat back in her chair, shaking her head gently. Brittany dove gracefully into the water, barely making a ripple, and surfaced to join her friends who were now tossing around a beach ball.
Camp was eerily quiet that night. The director had given everyone the night off, saying they deserved a break after a long week of training and meetings. Jen had joked that it was the calm before the storm. Campers were going to be coming in on Saturday and after they arrived, nights like these would be hard to find.
Santana found herself sitting on a bench with a clear view of the lake; the only light provided by the moon that hung over the trees across the water. Once again she had turned down an invitation from Dan to hang out with everyone. She kicked herself for it and couldn't explain why she kept turning him down. He was really cute and sweet, even if he did go out of his way to make an ass out of himself sometimes. And cute boys aside, Samantha and Jen would be there. Her best friends who she never got to see outside of camp. Santana let her hair down and ran her hands through it, wondering why she chose the summer to start being a hermit.
"Hey there" came a quiet voice behind her that made her jump out of her seat. Still clutching her chest, Santana turned to see Brittany walking towards her.
"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me" She muttered, sitting back down on the bench.
Brittany grinned and sat down next to Santana. "Sorry"
"No you're not" Santana quipped back with a smirk, noting the grin on the blonde's face.
Brittany let out a small chuckle. A silence fell over the girls and they watched the lake and the small waves that lapped up against the beach. Santana grew uncomfortable with every minute of quiet that passed between them. She opened her mouth slightly, looking for anything to say to break the silence. Brittany beat her to it.
"So are you too cool to hang out with us or something?" Brittany asked, turning to look at Santana.
The question's tone wasn't malicious but Santana scoffed. Not what she had in mind for an icebreaker.
"Yep, that's it. I can't be seen with such low quality people during my free time. I have a reputation to maintain." Santana replied, putting on a mocking haughty tone while flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"Gotcha" Brittany nodded, turning back to the water.
Santana watched her, trying to get a read on the new girl. She waited for another question but none followed. She started to say something then hesitated. She wanted to ask what Dan had said about her on the beach earlier today but decided to leave it for now. Brittany looked over at her.
"But seriously, why don't you hang out with us?"
Santana sighed. "I don't know really. Just haven't been in the mood to be social lately. I feel less inclined to hang out when someone keeps trying to drag me into it."
"Like Dan's been doing."
"Definitely like Dan's been doing." Santana smiled at Brittany's observation.
"So you don't like doing what you're told."
"Basically"
"Let me guess, you also always want what you can't have, right?"
Santana thought for a moment, already knowing the blonde was spot on. "Yeah, I guess you could say that" She noticed the small smile on Brittany's face. "Something funny about that?"
Brittany raised her hands defensively but couldn't wipe away the smile. "Nope, nothing's funny. Just – trying to get to know you, Santana" she finished.
"I don't think I can be summed up with a few generalizations"
"I never said that" Brittany was looking at Santana, a smile still tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Good" Santana crossed her arms, battling her own smile.
Brittany stretched and yawned. She stood up and Santana admired her lanky frame in the dim light. The darker girl had always wished she was an inch or two taller, and found herself in heels more than she cared to be.
"I'm pooped" the blonde stated. "Wanna head back to the cabins? I'm in Seven"
Santana squinted at her watch, tilting it towards the moon. It was already 1:30. With a long day ahead of her, she stood up and stretched as well, noting how stiff her back was from the bench.
"Sure, I'm just a few cabins past you in Four"
The girls walked back along the main road encompassed in a silence that was fast becoming comfortable. Santana was still trying to figure out the strange blonde, but one thing she picked up on was the girl's tendency towards quiet. It was a nice change of pace from Santana's friends', and her own, typical non-stop talking.
They reached Brittany's cabin and said goodnight, both eager to get to their respective beds, knowing sleep would become a luxury in a couple of days.