So, this story is going to take place over a period of one day, and each chapter will cover fifteen minutes of that day. We've still got a couple of chapters before the real story starts to unfold, but I'm taking my time with character development and setting this story up just right. I want to do this tastefully because I know how serious this subject is. I should update every other day or two unless I'm busy because this story has been running amok in my brain. Anyways, hope you enjoy. Any mistakes are mine, and I apologize ahead of time.
7:15 AM
As Santana drove down the street, passing the other larger houses in her neighborhood, she turned on the car radio and shuffled through the local stations. When she found one of her favorite songs, she turned up the volume and relaxed into her seat, bobbing her head up and down and quietly singing along.
When the Latina's BMW had finally met the crossroads between wealthy and slimy Lima, she instinctively took in a deep breath. Whenever she reached the intersection separating the two sides, she felt a feeling of filth crawl over and under her skin.
In suburban Lima, there were three separate districts that were lined up against each other. Santana lived in the far west region with the other wealthy families and most of Santana's friends. The middle-class citizens, which were the majority in Lima, lived in the far east side; this was also where Brittany lived and their high school rested. But, nestled right in the middle of the two sides, and by far the largest of all three districts, was the slummiest and run-down part of Lima. It stretched for a few miles across and held the majority of the blue-collar jobs in the town. The old train station resided here, as well as the abandoned glass factory and warehouse. There were blocks of automobile service stations and dirty bars and parlors. Small shops that sold cheap clothes and furniture were hidden down back alleyways, closed off from the majority of the public.
At the center of middle Lima, was a river that ran south, dividing the town exactly in half. The old Harding Bridge that had been built in the late 1890s was still standing, acting as a stitch that held the other half of Lima to the rest. Santana turned to look out the window as she reached the bridge, catching sight of a few kayakers who were paddling through the tall waters of the river. Because it was late March, the snow had almost melted completely, and was filling up the banks of the waterway.
Upon crossing the bridge, Santana noticed the red light ahead; this stoplight was one of the only ones in Lima. She changed lanes, pulling ahead of a black minivan on her left and stopping at the crosswalk. Out of habit, she turned to look at the vehicle stopped next to her. She recognized the driver and car immediately; it was an old white van that belonged to David Karofsky, McKinley's biggest fuck-up.
After David caught sight of the Latina to his right, he waved and smiled, deviously. Santana simply sighed and rolled her eyes, annoyed. She hated interacting with the lesser citizens of Lima; she felt especially dirty when she was within speaking distance of one of them. And David Karafsky was the worst of them all.
As soon as the light turned green, she put her foot on the gas and was speeding away, trying to get out of middle Lima as quickly as possible.
Santana continued down the main road, driving the last mile before she would leave the "slums". She passed the brand new Target store, which signified her entrance into the safety of the other side.
Santana continued on the street until she met the brick sign that read "George's Landing," and turned left into another suburban neighborhood. These houses were smaller and looked very similar. Their different colors were the only way to make distinctions between the homes of the middle-class.
The yellow one was first, then the green, blue, and white. Until, finally, Santana reached her destination and smiled. Brittany Pierce's house was a light beige color with a bright red front door. The front yard was simple, with one large oak tree to the far left that had a small swing beneath its branches. There were a few shrubs that outlined the walkway to the front entrance of the house. The grass was still brown from the winter, but was showing signs of returning to its true color. Santana had always wondered why a house that was so plain and ordinary could evoke such strong emotions for her. Though Santana knew she lived on the other side of town and loved the house that she grew up in, for some reason the Pierces' abode felt like a second home. Santana knew that comfort had something to do with her beautiful blonde-haired best friend.
Santana pulled into the driveway, right behind a green Ford Explorer. Just as Santana was turning off the engine and exiting her car to approach the front of the house, she noticed Mrs. Pierce open the glass door and walk down the steps, coming towards the Latina.
When Santana was standing in front of the middle-aged woman who looked strikingly similar to Brittany, she grinned.
"Good morning, Mrs. Pierce," Santana greeted.
Mrs. Pierce brought her hand to Santana's shoulder and ran her thumb in circles. One thing that Santana knew Brittany had gotten from her mother was her need for physical contact. The Latina seemed to think that they received some sort of comfort from a simple touch.
"Hi, Santana," she smiled at the brunette, warmly. "Brittany says she's not feeling well this morning and doesn't want to go to school. She told me to tell you to go ahead, anyways."
Santana shifted her stance awkwardly as her bright, cheery attitude fell. She let Mrs. Pierce's words sink in for a few seconds and she frowned, wondering why Brittany was lying to her mother. Santana had seen the blonde at midnight the night before, and she was definitely not sick then.
"Do you mind if I go and talk to her for a few minutes?" Santana asked Brittany's mother, hoping that she would allow her to visit with the blonde.
Santana could see the hesitation within Mrs. Pierce's eyes, but waited for a response, calmly.
"Sure, I don't see why not. As long as your not late for school, dear," she said, patting Santana's shoulder.
Santana's face jolted up into a brilliant smile and she quickly wrapped her arms around the woman standing in front of her.
"Thanks, Mrs. P," she said before she practically ran into the house.
Brittany was lying on her bed, over the covers, with her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She was trying to find pictures within the rough face of the popcorn wall above her head. She had picked out a small patch that looked like a butterfly with a large horn. She had thought she had seen a unicorn once, but she could never find it again.
As she closed her left eye and tried focusing harder on the little bumps in the ceiling, she heard her bedroom door open. She didn't bother to sit up or turn her attention because she just assumed it was her mother, trying to convince her to get up and go to school again.
"Brittany Susan Pierce," she heard a velvety voice that did not belong to her mother, and jolted up, immediately.
"Get the hell out of bed. You're going to school," Santana demanded as she walked towards the large queen bed in the center of the tiny bedroom. She reached for Brittany's hand and pulled the blonde out of her sitting position so that they were standing face to face.
Brittany's face fell right away, and that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. After she had woken up this morning, she had felt a strange pain inside her that she couldn't describe. It was the strongest feeling of anxiety she had ever felt in her life, and for some reason, just the thought of going to school on this particular day had her reeling.
"I don't feel well, Santana," Brittany explained, whining. She fell back on her bed and sat upright with her legs dangling over the edge.
Santana focused on the girl in front of her. Brittany was wearing her favorite Superman pajamas that always made Santana extra happy. Her hair was down, falling gently at her shoulders, and her arms were crossed across her chest. Though the blonde still looked just as beautiful with a long, lean body and flowing, long blond hair, Santana sensed an odd countenance resonating from her best friend.
She fell to the ground, kneeling before the sad beauty in front of her. "What's wrong, Britt?" Santana asked as she placed her hands on the blonde's knees. She looked up at the girl with a clear worried expression painted over her face.
Brittany didn't know how to describe the feeling to Santana, so she just stared back at the girl who she loved more than anything else in the world.
"Come on, B. Tell me what's wrong," Santana begged, starting to worry that it had something to do with the two of them and their unclear "relationship status".
Brittany sighed heavily and closed her eyes tightly. "My stomach hurts," she answered, finally.
When she opened her eyes, she was looking into the eyes of a clearly concerned Latina. Brittany swallowed hard.
Santana then reached to put her palm to the blonde's forehead, checking to see if the girl was unusually warm. Brittany's skin ended up being colder than Santana's hand, so Santana gave Brittany a questioning expression. "You're not running a fever, B," she commented, lovingly.
"I never said I was sick, I just said that I wasn't feeling well," Brittany clarified. She didn't think she was sick, that's only what she had told her mother to convince her to let her stay home. She wasn't sure of the source of her apprehensive feelings, but she didn't have that bodily aching that she always got when she was truly sick.
"Then why are not coming to school?" Santana pressed further. She was speaking to Brittany in a comforting and loving manner, hoping to ease the obvious tension within the blonde. Brittany simply sighed again.
"It's like…this weird feeling," she started, turning her eyes away from the Latina and to her dresser mirror on the other side of the room. "I can't describe it, but it makes my tummy feel strange," she finished, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Santana didn't hesitate long, and before she knew it, her arms were wrapped around the weak girl sitting in front of her. Brittany relaxed into the comforting embrace and turned her head to rest in the crook of the Latina's neck. She could smell the cinnamon and lavender emanating from the skin of Santana and she closed her eyes, smiling at the wonderful scent.
After a few long seconds, Santana pulled back, but kept her hands at the blonde's shoulders. "There's nothing to worry about, Britt. I promise that everything will be just fine," she said, tapping her pointer finger on the nose of the blonde.
Brittany stared back at Santana, incredulously. She still found it hard to believe that the Latina could act so kind and loving around Brittany, yet so frigid and snarky when surrounded by their peers. She thought she knew the reason behind Santana's bipolar feelings, but she could never be sure.
The blonde had loved Santana since the first time they had laid eyes on each other in eighth grade. Brittany had just moved to Lima after her dad had been relocated for his job. She had been so scared that no one would be nice to her and make her feel welcome. She knew about small towns like Lima, where everyone already had their cliques and social groups. Walking down the halls of a new middle school like a lost puppy had always been her worst nightmare.
No one said anything unwelcoming to her, and no one stared at her like she was an alien from another planet, and that was nice. But to Brittany's dismay, not one person had even bothered to acknowledge her presence.
She had English first block with Ms. Bush and had been nervously standing in front of the classroom, while her teacher introduced her to the class. For the most part, all the kids were either ignoring what their teacher was saying and delving into conversations with their friends, or were nodding off into a morning slumber.
Ms. Bush had pointed to the back of the classroom to an empty chair, seated right next to a tiny brunette who was hidden behind the head of a tall boy. After Brittany approached her new seat and caught sight of the girl she was about to sit next to, the blonde's breath hitched suddenly.
She stood awkwardly as she took in the beautiful, large brown eyes that were staring back her with the same intensity she knew she was displaying. The Latina had been the prettiest girl that Brittany had ever seen. When she realized that she had just stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the brunette, she immediately popped out of her haze to take her seat.
The class went by excruciatingly slowly for the blonde because she felt the tension that was present between her and the gorgeous girl sitting to her left, constantly suffocating her until she was beginning to struggle with her breathing. She hadn't bothered to look back over to meet those deep brown eyes over the course of the class, but she knew that her table buddy was constantly shooting glances at her side. She could feel the strength of the glare coming from the Latina.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the period, she got up from her chair and leaned over to grab her book bag that was resting on the ground. When she stood back up, she was face to face with the mysterious, breath-taking brunette.
"I'm Santana," the Latina said, and Brittany could feel the breath of the brunette on her lips, sending a shiver up her spine.
Then, out of the blue, and startling the blonde more than the introduction, Santana smiled a perfect, glimmering smile that stunned Brittany in her place.
Though Santana didn't bother to say anything to the blonde the rest of the day, as well as the rest of the year, Brittany admired her secret crush from afar. Every once in a while she would feel the same stare on her that she had felt that first day. Though by the time Brittany always found the Latina in the crowd of people, Santana was looking somewhere else, Brittany seemed to think that Santana was watching her too.
For two years, Brittany continued to marvel the Latina. She noticed that Santana could be really cruel to people who were not as popular as her, but loyal and kind to her close friends. Brittany learned about Santana's family's wealth and status in the town. She watched as Santana turned from a small, petite girl into a hot and very attractive young woman.
Then, sophomore year, Brittany finally found enough courage to talk to Santana. Though their conversation was brief, the Latina had not said one mean thing to her. Brittany knew that this was her pass and the start of her acceptance.
They slowly grew from acquaintances sophomore year, to friends at the beginning of junior year, after Brittany joined the Cheerios with Santana. By the end of junior year, anyone at McKinley would have agreed that they were official best friends. Anywhere Santana went, Brittany followed. And as the two of them became closer, Brittany fell more and more in love with the Latina every day. It wasn't until the end of summer before their senior year that Brittany decided to take a risk and act on her feelings. To her wonderfully marvelous surprise, Santana hadn't pushed the blonde away.
For a whole semester, they fell under the category: friends with benefits. They would start by making out, which would lead to intimate and heated touching, and then to intense pleasure. Brittany had been sure that her wildest dreams had come true because she was having Santana in a way that she was sure no one else was or ever would.
And then came spring, and Brittany was slowly learning that she wanted more with Santana; she wanted everything. The sex was just as amazing and their friendship was stronger than ever, but Brittany still didn't know how Santana truly felt about her. Brittany knew that she was madly in love with the brunette, but she always felt this nagging feeling that Santana's feelings were not as strong.
As Brittany stared down at the brown eyes that she knew so well, the blonde found her way out of the memories of their past. She noticed the girl's worried eyes and wrinkled forehead. She could clearly see the adoration expressed on the Latina's face and smiled, trustingly.
"I promise, Britt. Everything will be just fine," Santana repeated.
Though Brittany had relaxed a little with the support from the brunette, she could still feel the uneasiness that rested within her. But, Brittany trusted Santana with her life, so she simply nodded her head and got up from her bed to change into her cheerleading uniform.