Chapter 16 - Dance Off
Brittany was at the dance studio early. Today was the day of the annual Hip-Hop Dance Off at the studio. She had to make sure everything was ready to go before anyone arrived. The competition started at 10 o'clock with the 6-8 year olds. At noon was the 9-11 year old age group. Followed by ages 12-14 at 2 and finishing with 15-17 year olds at 4 o'clock. Needless to say to was going to be a busy day.
Before anything started Brittany had to order pizzas and make sure that they would get delivered at the correct times. She had to step up the tables for the pizzas. She had to put the sodas in the two coolers she had and get ice from down the street to put in the cooler.
She held this event every year on the same weekend two Saturdays before Thanksgiving. It was the last time she saw any of the kids from her classes before the holidays. All the classes for kids were finished and wouldn't resume until after the new year. She had a couple of adult classes that she still taught into December but this was it for the kids for a while.
Brittany had everything almost ready to go when a mother walked in with her son. The first to arrive. Brittany greeted them and then excused herself to go to her office. There was one more thing she needed to do before the competition started.
To Santana: Were you still gonna stop by the studio this afternoon?
She sent Santana the text message and put her phone in her pocket. She went out into the studio where more people had arrived. It was almost 10 and everything was set to go. Brittany sat down behind the judge table next to the two guest judges that she had brought in to judge the competition. "Let the competition begin." She said out loud.
The first part of the competition ended at 11:30 just in time. Brittany made sure that the pizza place was clear to deliver five pizzas at 11:30 and another five at four o'clock. Brittany headed to her office and sat down at her desk. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to see if she had any message. She had two messages a text from Santana and one from her mother. She read her mother's first.
From Mom: Just wanted to say hi. Can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving. Love Mom.
She sent her mom a quick text back.
To Mom: Can't wait to see you either. Love Britt
Brittany then read Santana's text.
From Santana: Be there around 4.
Just reading the text brought a smile to Brittany face. She couldn't wait to see her girlfriend. That was still over four hours from now but it didn't matter.
Santana walked into the dance studio just before four. She searched the room trying to spot Brittany. Brittany was standing in front of a table that had pizzas on it facing away from her. She walked up behind her and brought her hands up and covered Brittany's eyes with them. "Guess who?" Santana whispered into Brittany's ear.
Brittany spun around engulfing Santana in a huge hug. "You made it." Brittany leaned her upper body back away from Santana so she could look at her.
"Yeah I made it. I said I was coming didn't I." Santana looked at Brittany trying to figure out what Brittany might be 'you made it'. "Didn't you get my text." But Brittany wasn't listening.
"You're just in time." Brittany took Santana by the hand and lead her across the room to the judges table.
"For what?" Santana questioned the blonde.
"Duh, to help me judge the next round silly." She said as she takes a seat in her chair.
"Really?"
"Yes really. Now sit down."
Santana looked around before asking. "Theres no more chairs."
"I know that. I meant on my lap." She pulled Santana closer to her to encourage her to sit on her lap.
"Brittany wait. What about all the kids. Do they know? What are they going to think? I don't think this is a good idea." Santana worried.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. They won't care." She smiled at Santana trying to reassure her that it would be fine. "Plus I told them about you. Well the older kids that is. Now sit." She said padding her leg with her hand.
Santana warily sat down on Brittany's lap placing an arm around the blondes shoulder. "How is it that you are always so sure of everything? How do you always know everything we be fine?" She spoke into Brittany's ear so no one else could hear.
Brittany shrugged her shoulders. "I just know. Ok." She smiled at Santana then turned to address the room. "Ok lets get the next round started now."
When the competition finished Brittany got up kicking Santana off her lap so she could go over and congratulate the winner and present them with a trophy. Santana in the mean time walked over to the table with the pizza and got a slice. She watched Brittany present the trophy and say her goodbyes to her students who see wouldn't see for roughly two months.
When just about everyone had left Brittany looked around to see where Santana had gone. She didn't see her so she moved to look in the office. Sitting in the office chair was the brunette playing Solitaire on her phone. "Hey you." Brittany said startling Santana causing her to drop her phone.
Santana spun to face Brittany. "Shit you scared me." She stood and moved to where Brittany was standing in the doorway. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." She slipped her arms around the blondes waist around to her back pulling her closer so that their bodies were pressed against each other. "So is everybody gone?" Brittany nodded.
"Yeah just about. Theres still a few kids talking out there." She motioned her head in the direction of where the kids where. "Why do you ask?" She added.
"I was just wondered what you had planned now. That's all." Smiling up at Brittany.
"Well I have to clean this place up before I can do anything else."
"Oh." Santana said disappointed.
"But I am free to do whatever after that. Would you like to help me? It will go faster." She lifted an eyebrow with the question. Santana groaned at the thought of cleaning. "Please." Brittany said pouting out her bottom lip.
"Well when you do that how can I resist." Santana kissed Brittany's bottom lip pulling it out further with her lips before letting go. "Let's get started."
They went over to the table with the boxes of pizza on it. Brittany pulled out two trash bags and handed one to Santana. "Here throw the empty pizza boxes into this bag and the empty soda cans into this one." She instructed. The kids had made a pyramid with there empty soda cans. Santana began deconstructing that pyramid. Brittany took care of the pizzas. There wasn't much left just a few slices of cheese.
"Brittany?" One of the kids spoke up. Brittany turned around to face the group of three kids that were sitting there.
"Yes Megan." She addressed the girl.
"So I'm gonna take a guess and say this is your girlfriend." She said pointing at Santana. Upon hearing what the girl had just said Santana stopped what she was doing. She didn't make a movement.
Brittany smiled at the girl and then gazed over in Santana's direction. "Yes this is my girlfriend." She took two steps so she was standing next to the brunette. She took in Santana's frozen state.
Santana didn't know what to do. So she just stood there with her back to the group of girls a soda can in her hand. Brittany took the can from her hand and set it on the table. She then took Santana's hands in her own and slowly turned her around so she was facing the girls. Brittany brought her arm around Santana's back and placed her hand on the hip that was opposite her. Embracing her in a sort of side hug. "Girls this is my girlfriend Santana." Brittany said with a proud smile on her face. Santana smiled at them but didn't say anything. Brittany continued. "Santana this is Megan, Lauren, and Tiffany." She looked at Santana and then back to the girls.
"It's nice to meet you." Megan said politely. "Brittany was telling us about you last week."
"Oh well theres not that much to tell." She said shrugging her shoulders.
"Hey." Brittany said. "There is too."
"Yeah Brittany wouldn't shut up about you." Lauren added. "About how awesome you are and that you're like a really cool DJ or something."
"Ok fine. That might be true. Whatever. So it doesn't bother you guys that your dance teacher has a girlfriend?"
"No it's cool. Why would it bother us?" Megan asked.
"I don't know. Not everyone is okay with it. And I know how judgmental and mean teenagers can be. I was one of them. I don't want any of Brittany's students giving her crap about it I guess. She told it was fine with you guys but I didn't believe her." She ended looking down at her feet.
"Well you should have listened to her cause she was right. It's not an issue." Tiffany told Santana. Brittany smiled at the girls as a silent thank you for the way they had handle this conversation.
Santana lifted her head to look at the girls again. "I guess I should listen to her. She always seems to be right. I don't know how but she usually is." Santana finished with a smile at Brittany that said 'forgive me for not believe you'.
"It was nice to meet you Santana." Lauren said. "But we should get going now. My mom is probably wondering where we are."
"See you after the holidays Brittany." Megan added.
"And have fun cleaning." Tiffany said as they walked out the door of the studio.
Brittany turned to Santana so that they were face to face. "See I told you they didn't care." She said before she leaned in and kissed Santana. "Now lets get back to this clean up." They walked over to the table to finish what they had started.
"So if you are not coming with me for Thanksgiving what will you be doing?" Brittany asked while she folded up a pizza box so it would fit in the garbage bag.
"Uh- the usual I guess. Puckerman and I have Thanksgiving at the bar. Well not at the bar. He lives upstairs. So there. He makes a turkey and I bring over stuffing and mashed potatoes. We end up watching football all day after we stuff ourselves full of food."
"Oh sounds like fun."
"Its not really but its better than being alone of Thanksgiving. It works well for both of us." Santana said throwing the last of the cans into her trash bag. "All done with the cans. You almost done with those boxes." She asked Brittany looking in the blondes direction.
"Just about. So what do you want to do after we finish?" She asked Santana.
"Well I have to be a work in little over an hour that doesn't leave much time for anything. What if we just go and have a couple drinks before I have to work? Is that okay?"
Brittany stuffed the last box in the trash bag then looked up at Santana who had moved next to her. "Yeah that's fine. Let me just take this trash out to the dumpster and we can go. Be right back." She flung two trash bags over her shoulder and exited the studio.
They walked down the block to NP's hand in hand. When they got there they took a seat at the bar and waited for Puck to come over to them.
"It's too bad that you have to have Thanksgiving with Puck. Not that there's anything wrong with him but Thanksgiving should be spent with family. It's too bad that you can't spend it with your family." Brittany said sadly.
"My family doesn't want me there Britt remember?"
"Yeah I remember. It just shouldn't have to be that way." Santana nodded her head at what Brittany had said. Maybe it shouldn't be that way but that's how it was. Puck came over saving Santana from this conversation about her family.
"What can I get you ladies?" He asked.
"The usual." Brittany replied.
"Same here." Santana said.
He came back with there drinks setting them down on the bar. "So what have you guys been up to today?" He asked wiggling his eyebrow at them.
"You're disgusting Puckerman." Santana groaned.
Brittany spoke up. "I had a dance competition at my studio today. And Santana came by a couple hours ago to help me judge." She said winking at Santana remembering the Latina sitting on her lap. "Then we cleaned up the studio and talked about Thanksgiving plans which I hear you are part of."
"Oh yeah. Every year me and Santana get together and pig out on turkey and potatoes and watch football. Will you be joining us this year?" He asked Brittany.
"No sorry. I am going home to visit my family. I go every year and stay for a few days."
"Oh where is it that you are from?" He asked genuinely curious.
"One of the suburbs of Pittsburg."
Santana sat there listening to their conversation. It was very similar to the one she had with Brittany a few days ago.
"So do you drive there or fly?" Puck asked.
"I drive I-"
Santana cut her off. "Why are you so interested Puckerman?"
"What? Can't I be interested in Brittany's plans?" He narrowed his eyes at Santana. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing. Nevermind." Santana slouched even further over.
"I think she's sad that she can't spend Thanksgiving with her family. I asked her to come with my but she won't. She said it was too soon and it would be weird or something. You best make sure she has a good Thanksgiving without me Puck."
Puck nodded. "I'll do my best Brittany."
Santana got up from her bar stool looked at Puck then at Brittany. "I'm gonna go get ready for work." She said and walked over to the DJ booth. Brittany and Puck both looked at each other with confusion written all over their faces.
"What is that all about?" Puck asked Brittany.
Brittany shrugged her shoulders. "Not really sure. She has been acting weird all day. I really do think it has something to do with Thanksgiving." Puck 'hmmed' in response. "Will you do me a favor?" She asked him.
"Yeah sure what is it?"
"When I'm gone at Thanksgiving look after her for me. Please. I am gonna be gone from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. I'm sure she will be bummed out so just keep her company for me especially on Thanksgiving day."
"No problem Brittany. I'll keep her company." He said with a warm smile.
"Thanks Puck. I gonna go say goodbye to her I have some stuff to do at home tonight." She got up off her bar stool and went over to the DJ booth.
Santana saw Brittany walking towards her. She gave the blonde a small smile as she approached. "Hey Britt what's up?"
"I just wanted to come say goodnight."
"You're not staying?" She asked frowning a little bit at the thought of the blonde leaving.
"Nope. I have stuff to do at home. Laundry actually."
"Oh ok."
"But I wanted to know if you wanted to come over tomorrow afternoon when you wake up." She asked rocking back and forth on her feet hoping Santana would say yes.
"I'd love to. I can call you when I get up. Give you a heads up."
"Sounds good." Brittany stepped close enough to put a hand on the small of Santana's back and kissed the Latina. Humming into the kiss before ghosting Santana's lips to say. "I can't wait." She pulled back to look into Santana's eyes before moving closer again and kissing her cheek. She whispered into the brunette's ear. "I love you." Then looked into her dark brown eyes again telling her she loved her without the need of words. "Goodnight Santana." She gave her a quick kiss before stepping back and smiling.
"Goodnight Brittany." She said with a little smile. Brittany left Santana standing there with her thoughts. God that girl is way to good to me. I don't know how she does it. I acted like a shit today and she just took it in stride. She really does love me. It's such a strange concept. Someone loving me.
