Santana awoke with a start; she looked around in a panic. She recognized that she was in her bedroom. Santana glanced at her analog clock and it read 6:30 a.m. and the alarm was going off. She felt around her chest and found it completely intact, no blood, and no bullet hole. She sighed and reached over turning off the alarm before she heard a knock on her door.
"Yeah?" Santana called. She saw her mother, Maribel, open the door with a smile.
"Oh good you're awake. Quinn called no too long ago and said she'll be here at 7, and I figured you'd like to shower before she got here to pick you up," Maribel said.
"Yeah, thank you," Santana said with a smile.
"Of course honey," she replied and started heading out.
"Mom," Santana called. Her mother turned around and gave her a questioning look.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I love you… just thought I'd tell you," Santana said. Her mother looked shocked before a warm smile graced her face.
"I love you too," she said back before walking out. Santana sighed. It was time to be herself.
At 7 Santana heard a honking from a car and knew it was Quinn. It was still before any of them were old enough to have their driver's license. She entered the back and was greeted by a smiling Brittany. They linked pinkies and rode to school. On the way Quinn turned around in the passenger and gave Santana a once over.
"What?" Santana asked.
"Nothing it's just… you look different somehow," Quinn said before turning back around. Santana rolled her eyes and sighed. That is one thing she noticed, she still has her seventeen year old body.
When they arrived at school, they all got out and Santana and Brittany obediently walked behind Quinn. Santana rolled her eyes.
So Quinn still thinks she's the hottest thing in the world.
Santana went through the day normally, other than not slushing anyone or insulting, until she and Quinn and a few other Cheerios were in the gym after school. Quinn pulled out her laptop and went straight to MySpace.
"Oh my God, look Santana Man-Hands posted another singing video," Quinn laughed along with the other Cheerio's.
"Come on Quinn, she… she isn't that bad," Santana defended Rachel, the words feeling foreign on her tongue.
"Oh please she dresses like a grandmother," Quinn said, confused by Santana, bigger bitch than her, actually defending Rachel. Santana rolled her eyes and took out her phone to look at. She heard Quinn click on her laptop and then Rachel's voice come from the speakers.
Oh shit
Santana thought looking at the time. Santana quickly stood and started down the seats of the bleachers.
"Where the hell are you going?" Quinn called.
"I have something for Mr. Schue!" Santana replied. She jogged down the halls and walked into the auditorium. She froze when she heard Rachel's voice sing. She slowly walked out to the seats and watched Rachel's audition. She finished and looked at Mr. Schue expectantly.
"Great Rachel!" Mr. Schue said clapping lightly.
"When are rehearsals?" Rachel asked immediately. Santana smiled at Rachel's eagerness.
"Well um-"
"Mr. Schue!" Santana called to him, walking down the aisle.
"Uh, um Santana is it?" Mr. Schue asked. Rachel glared at Santana while she made her way to Mr. Schue. Santana felt her heart drop at the look, but she had to remember, it was Sophomore year her reputation was already built.
"Yes," Santana answered.
"What can I do for you?" Mr. Schue asked.
"I would like to audition for Glee club. I forgot to sign up earlier," Santana replied.
"Oh, Well-"
"Auditions are already closed. Maybe next year," Rachel said cutting off Mr. Schue. Santana resisted the urge to snapback.
"Please Rachel, Mr. Schue…. Let me audition I won't disappoint you," Santana begged. Rachel's jaw dropped at Santana actually addressing her by her name and the popular girl begging to join Glee club.
"Of course you can, but practice times for Glee may conflict with Cheerios practice," Mr. Schue said.
"Then I'll quit Cheerios," Santana replied with a shrug.
"Why would you want to quit the Cheerios? Wouldn't you miss your popularity that you have established here in this school?" Rachel questioned shocked.
"I love singing and dancing way more that trying to get a bunch of people to bow down to me every time I walk down the hall," Santana said.
"Well if that's what you want to do, then go ahead," Mr. Schue said gesturing to the stage. Rachel walked down the steps and sat next to Mr. Schue while Santana took her place on stage.
"What will you be singing?" Rachel asked before Mr. Schue could get a word out.
"Um, Blown Away by Carrie Underwood," Santana answered.
"Alright go ahead," Mr. Schue said.
Dry lightning cracks across the skies
Those storm clouds gather in her eyes
Her daddy was a mean old mister
Mama was an angel in the ground
The weather man called for a twister
She prayed blow it down
Santana's rasp in her voice fascinated Rachel, she watched her with wide eyes.
There's not enough rain in Oklahoma
To wash the sins out of that house
There's not enough wind in Oklahoma
To rip the nails out of the past
Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away,
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away,
Blown away
Mr. Schue was astonished by the range and notes that Cheerio was able to hit.
She heard those sirens screaming out
Her daddy laid there passed out on the couch
She locked herself in the cellar
Listened to the screaming of the wind
Some people call it taking shelter
She called it sweet revenge
Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away,
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away,
Blown away
Santana's voice dropped and it captivated Rachel. She felt her heart thud at the sound and blushed slightly, confused by the feeling.
There's not enough rain in Oklahoma
To wash the sins out of that house
There's not enough wind in Oklahoma
To rip the nails out of the past
Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away (blown away)
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away (blown away)
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday (blown away)
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away,
Blown away, blown away, blown away, blown away, blown away
Santana finshed panting while Mr. Schue and Rachel stared at her wide eyed.
"Good Santana," Mr. Schue said. Santana nodded knowing Mr. Schue wasn't really one to give compliments on performances. She walked off stage and walked out into the hall. She let out a nervous breath and leaned against the lockers.
Why was I so nervous?
Santana wondered.
"Santana?" Santana snapped her eyes open, not realizing that they were even closed and looked at Rachel.
"Yeah?" Santana asked softly, Rachel was taken aback by the softness that she had never heard from the fiery Latina.
"I just wanted to compliment you on your outstanding performance. I most certainly didn't expect that kind of wonderful voice to come from you. The rasp was especially amazing. I believe at some point in our school career that we should do a duet at my house for MySpace. Our voices would sound exceptional together. But I do understand the ridicule you would receive and I would understand why you wouldn't want to do a duet with me because quitting the Cheerios would already impact your reputation drastically and then doing a duet with me would completely-"
"Rachel!" Santana called with a chuckle. Rachel snapped her mouth shut and looked at Santana expectantly. "I'll do a duet with you," Santana said with a smile. Rachel's face lit up.
"Oh fantastic, I have the perfect song for-"
"Actually I was wondering if we could do "Because I knew you" from Wicked," Santana said. Rachel's face went into shock once again.
"You know Broadway musicals?" Rachel asked excitedly.
"I know a few," Santana with a smile and a shrug.
"That's so wonderful! Okay so how about tonight you come to my house and we'll start," Rachel sid excitedly. Santana smiled at the sparkle she saw in Rachel's eyes.
"Sure," Santana answered.
"Wonderful, here is my address," she pulled out a marker and started digging for paper.
"Just write it on my arm," Santana said, Rachel looked up at her skeptically.
"Are you sure you're not going to run to your friends and tell them that I defiled your body and have many slushies attack me tomorrow?" Rachel asked seriously. Santana stared at Rachel wide eyed.
"Well first just wanky… and second no I'm not going to do that. I'm turning a new leaf this year," Santana said with a smirk. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Well alright then," Rachel said. She grabbed Santana's left hand and pulled it up to her face. Santana felt electric shocks run through her arm and then course through her body. Rachel wrote her address and number.
"See you them," Rachel said with a smile before walking away.
After school Santana walked out onto the football field with her uniform in hand and her gym clothes on. She already knew and went through the repercussions of quitting the Cheerios. Quinn, Brittany and the rest of the Cheerios watched her with confusion.
"Lopez! Why are you not in your uniform?" Sue yelled.
"I'm quitting," Santana answered.
"But you're one of the star performers, why exactly are you quitting?" Sue questioned.
"Because my heart is just not into it anymore, and I'll only bring the squad down," Santana answered.
"I don't care if your heart is in it or not…. But I guess you bringing down the team would be horrible, get out of here, I don't want you on my field again," Sue said waving Santana off. Santana nodded, laying her uniform down and started walking away.
"Santana what in the world are you doing?" Quinn asked grabbing her wrist and spinning her around.
"Like I said, quitting," Santana said again pulling her wrist away from Quinn. Brittany ran up to them.
"Why?" Quinn pressed.
"Because I don't want to cheer anymore and be coaches lap dog," Santana said to her with a roll of her eyes.
"Who's number and address is that? Is it a boy's? Is that why you're quitting? So you can be with him?" Quinn fired out.
"Quinn," Brittany muttered.
"No, it's Rachel's and I'm heading to her house," Santana said, annoyed that Quinn just assumed it would be a guy.
"What! Treasure-Trail? Tell me you're planning on humiliating her," Quinn exclaimed.
"No, we're doing a duet," Santana snapped at her.
"I didn't think you could sing," Quinn muttered.
"Well if you ever paid attention to me at all since Junior High you would know that I actually like singing and that I'm even good at it!" Santana yelled. Quinn and Brittany looked at her shocked. Santana saw their faces and sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Look I'm sorry, to both of you. But I have something majorly important going on," Santana said and started walking away again before turning around and looking at her longtime friends.
"Oh and Quinn, even though I'm busy and we're really not that close anymore, you can still talk to me about anything, you too Britt," Santana said with a soft smile that her friends haven't seen in a long time. With that Santana walked away and headed to Rachel's.