Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a good spring break (I know I'm a little late) and I know this has been a long wait, but things for me, and I'm sure a lot of you, have been crazy hectic! I hope this post lasts you over for a while because I have lots of AP studying to do, but rest assured, come summer the updates will be in full swing.
On that note, enjoy and please review!
It was approximately 7:45 in the morning and Santana was happy to say that she was awake and not in a bad mood.
Progress, she called it.
She had been at the Institute for two weeks now and the raven-haired beauty could hardly remember a life before the Institute; life before Rachel more specifically.
Things had begun taking a weird turn. For the first time in her life, Santana's life had been taken over by laughter and friends and fun - the legal kind of fun. And with girls for that matter! Never before had she been around so much estrogen. But in all honesties, Santana didn't mind in the least. Quinn and Brittany were great; they all got along pretty well. If only she wasn't taking so long make a damn move on with Rachel.
Speaking of Rachel, Quinn, Brittany, and Santana were currently gliding through the hallways of the second floor, crazy patients and aids parting like the Red Sea as they passed them. It was a powerful feeling that Santana had never experienced before, though by the look on her face, it seemed as if this was an everyday phenomenon for the lustrous Quinn Fabray. Between the pursed smirk and the delicate hands on delicate hips, Santana could tell that Quinn was loving every second of the attention. Santana could help but roll her eyes and laugh.
Two more corners and the trio would reach their destination. It was Wednesday once more, another day off for the aid, and Santana had planned another adventure. This time however, her plan had been spoiled to the two blondes by accident, who then proceeded to begin begging for permission to come along. At first, Santana had been hesitant to say yes, as it was sort of just her and Rachel's special thing, but she didn't want her new friends to be deprived of the chance at escape.
Three swift knocks on the door and a particularly chipper Rachel sprung out from the other side.
"Good morning, lovely ladies!" Rachel beamed, and then looked around herself, making sure the coast was clear before continuing in a whisper, "Are we ready for departure?"
"We sure are." Quinn piped, while Brittany nodded eagerly behind her, her blonde ringlets bouncing in response.
"Then let's get going." The four girls proceeded down the hallway toward the elevators, trying to act normal. Santana jumped a bit when she felt something soft grasp her hand, only to realize it had been Rachel, who stared intently gazed up at her. Santana took a hard gulp while receiving an amused eyebrow raise from Quinn. Santana mentally flipped her off, however obvious to Quinn, who laughed in return.
The girls filed into the tiny elevator, quickly pressing the close button so they could ride alone.
"You told them what to do, right Rach?"
"Yes, Berry gave us extensive instructions to wait for you out in the garden by the gate."
Santana squeezed Rachel's hand gently just before the elevator doors opened to reveal the first floor hallway.
"Okay, guys, see you in a few." Santana waved to them as she stalked in the opposite direction. Santana put on her "calm, cool, and collected" face from her days of crime on as she walked past the front desk, waved goodbye to Olivia, and went out the front door.
Like the last time she broke Rachel out, Santana got that slight rush upon leaving towards the gate.
That glorious feeling of rule-breaking.
Ever since she was little, Santana was always going around, giving her mother constant headaches as she chased her around. What could she say? She lived for the rush. Only this time felt so much more amazing because instead of breaking the rules for her own gain, she was helping her friends out, which was definitely worth the rush.
"Guys are you here?" She half whisper, half shouted as she approached the vine covered gate.
"Yeah, we're here!" She could hear Rachel quip from the other side.
Santana took out her employee keys and opened up the gate to have two blondes and a tiny brunette swiftly run out to join her on the sidewalk.
Santana and Rachel had begun to walk towards the buses before they noticed Brittany running around the side of the street with Quinn on her back, screaming.
"Woo-hoo! Yeah! We are free, Britt!"
Rachel and Santana couldn't help but laugh at their friends.
Still laughing, Santana tried to suppress their noise. "Shh, guys. You don't want us to get caught and have your freedom taken away now, do you?"
"Chill out Lopez, you sound like Berry." Quinn giggled from Brittany's back.
"Hey!" Rachel laughed, feigning offense.
"Whatever, let's go ladies. To the buses!" Brittany ran them over to the bus stop, leaving Rachel and Santana to walk behind them.
"Wow, I mean I always knew must not be all bad inside when she was bullying me, but I never thought she could be so silly." Rachel commented sincerely.
"I get what you mean. She looks all intimidating, but she's just a goofball really. I think Brittany brings that out of her." Santana agreed.
"Well, then I'm grateful for Brittany," Rachel looked up intently at Santana, suddenly serious. "I really am happy that we are all starting to get along. For once, I am truly starting to enjoy myself. No more worrying about what happened in the past or what I can't remember. No more resentment for being stuck here. I never been more relaxed and I feel like I can finally let my hair down and enjoy life. I have friends now," Rachel grabbed Santana's sweaty palm, "And I have you."
Mother of God, Rachel…why are you doing this to me?
Santana tried to come up with a poetic and romantic response to that, but all that came out was, "That's great. I'm glad."
They had reached the bus where Quinn and Brittany were already seated inside and Rachel climbed up the steps to join them.
"What the hell was that, Lopez?" Santana muttered to herself as she made her way through the small walkway and sat next to Rachel in front of their friends.
This was going to be a tough trip.
After riding on the bus for five minutes, Santana felt her hair being pulled from behind.
"Santana, Britt wants to know where we're going." Quinn told her.
"I was going to ask you guys, actually. You said you were from here. Know any place worthy of going?"
Quinn's pretty face contorted into a puzzled one and she looked to Brittany for help. Brittany thought for a second as well before her eyes lit up with an idea. She lifted her hands in the air, putting her right hand flat, as if it were holding something, and her left hand vertical, as if it was supporting that thing. She then brought her arm backward and thrust in forward with enthusiasm.
"Oh, good idea, Britt. Brittany says we should go bowling." Quinn explained to them, noting the confused looks on Santana and Rachel's faces. They didn't quite understand Brittany-speak yet.
"I'm down with that, how about you, Rach?" Personally, Santana never really cared for bowling (wearing used shoes that are probably swimming with fungus? No, thanks) but she wanted their adventure to be about the other three having a good time. They could come go like she could at the Institute.
"Bowling?" Rachel questioned, her nose scrunched.
"You don't like bowling?" Quinn asked.
"No, I just don't think I've ever done it before." Rachel answered honestly.
"Well I'm sure San would love to teach you." Quinn smirked, not-so-subtlety winking towards Santana.
What was Quinn doing? What was her angle? It was started to freak Santana out.
"Okay, I guess that'll be nice."
"Then it's settled," Quinn voiced, "we are already only three blocks away."
Three blocks away, the girls descended from the bus and stalked together into the entrance of Lima Bowl Emporium. They got their shoes and secure their table.
Rachel walked up to the balls and attempted to pick up a pink one, only to have her arm yanked down, having not anticipated the weight of the object.
Santana couldn't help but giggle and smile at her. She looked ridiculously cute trying to muster enough strength with her petite body to support her pink bowling ball.
"San, help!" Rachel huffed in her direction.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Santana went over to her patient, still amused. She then proceeded to take the pink bowling ball away from Rachel, placing it down with the others.
"Hey, that was mine." Rachel pouted.
"First of all, that ball was way too heavy for you. You would have barely gotten it down the lane." Santana pointed down the balls. "See how they have numbers? That tells you how much they weigh. Since you're short, you should use the ones with the lower numbers." Santana picked an orange ball with the letter four on it and handed to Rachel.
Rachel made a face at the ball. "But the other color was much prettier…"
"I don't care. Now, what do you think you do?" Santana asked her, gesturing toward their lane.
"Do I hit those pin things?"
"Yes, if you hit some of them it's called a spare, but if you hit all of them it's called a strike. You want strikes. They're worth more points." Santana explained to her, then took her by the shoulders and placed her in front of the lane.
"I guess that sounds easy enough." Rachel held up her ball by her chest for a few seconds, and then hesitantly threw her ball down the lane. The orange ball hit the lane with a loud thud and started rolling more and more to the left until it eventually fell into the gutter. Rachel turned around with her arms across her chest, "This is hard." She concluded.
Santana laughed, "It's okay, Rach. It takes practice."
The Latina took a sideward glance at Quinn and Brittany, who were laughing and throwing their own balls down the lane, wrapped up in their own attention. Santana was kind of glad, though. Sure, she liked having them around, but she really liked having this moment with Rachel alone, just the two of them.
"Come help me, San, please?" Rachel pleaded.
"Okay, you know I can't say no to the pout," Santana came up behind her, "Here, stand here like this." She moved Rachel's hips with her hands, angling them just right. "Now, you have to bend real low, while you lift your arm back, you get...um, more momentum that way." Santana talked right near her ear and guided Rachel's arm backwards. "Then you aim at that very point of the pins and…" She guided Rachel and she threw the ball forward, this time flying straight down the middle and hitting downs all the pins.
Rachel wormed her way out of Santana's arms to jump up and down with excitement. "Oh, my god Santana I did it! That was amazing."
Santana shrugged sheepishly (sheepishly?) at her patient. "It was nothing."
"Oh, I beg to differ, San, according to what I just saw, you are quite the helper." Quinn sauntered her way over here, wearing that same smirk from earlier. "Do you want anything Rachel? I was just going to grab Santana to get us some food."
Rachel shook her head. "I think I'm okay. You go ahead; I'll just keep practicing with Britt."
"Sounds like a plan." Quinn replied and took Santana's arm with her towards the snack line.
Once they were out of the line with their food gently placed on their table, Santana finally decided to speak, not being able to hold it any longer.
"Okay, Fabray, I don't know what you think you're up to but it's time to stop." Santana said, semi-threatening.
"I don't know what you're talking about, San." Quinn replied innocently.
"Cut the crap, I can see right through you. You may have Rachel fooled and Brittany wrapped around your finger, but you can't fool me."
"I'm just giving you two the obvious push you need is all. You guys will never get anywhere at the rate you're going." Quinn laughed.
Santana was frozen from a mix between fear and bewilderment. "Wh-? How did you know-"
"How did I know that you're gay?" Quinn smiled at her, but in the sinister, conniving way Santana thought she would. It was more like an admiring smile, proud almost. "It was that hard to figure out. I see the way you look at her when she is and when she is not looking back at you. I may be blonde, but I am nowhere near dumb. Admit it, Santana. You want the Berry."
Santana shuddered and covered her ears. "Oh, my god, Q! Don't say that!" She looked around them, seeing if anyone, specifically Rachel was listening to her conversation. Luckily the brunette was still over by the lanes racing with Brittany.
"See, right there. You're doing it right now. You cannot look at her and not get all googly-eyed. You simply, can't. I am a witness to this and you must confess. You like Rachel Berry." Quinn interrupted her apparently obvious gazing.
"I do not, Quinn." Santana tried to scoff it off, but she could feel the heat on her cheeks.
"You so do."
"I don't."
"You do."
"We are five year olds."
"Maybe so, but you still like Rachel."
"I can't believe we are having this conversation."
"I can't believe you admit you like Rachel."
"I'm walking away now." Santana stood up from the table but was stopped when Rachel and Brittany approached them.
"Hey San, Q. How's the pizza?" Rachel asked.
"It's great, Rach." Santana mumbled but was once again interrupted by Quinn.
"I'm bored. Let's do something else."
"What? But this is fun!" Rachel complained.
"No, no, no. This simply won't do. I have a much better idea.
Rachel sat next Santana. "And what exactly do you have in mind, Quinn?"
"I know exactly what we are going to do. We, are going to go shopping and then," Quinn shifted her gazed from Rachel to Santana. "We are going dancing."
Are you shitting me, Fabray?
Hey guys, I know this was shorter than usual but like I said, I really am busy and I really wanted to give you guys something. So, I will update as soon as I can and also, my poll is still on my profile, so check it out. As always, please review!
-Katie