"That dress looks hot on you, Santana." Ellie said, sitting in the dressing room at a boutique. Her words sounded encouraging but I could tell that she didn't think it was the absolute perfect dress.
"I always look hot," I remind her. "But this isn't the dress for me."
"God, you're so humble," Ellie scoffed.
I turned around and Ellie unzipped me. We walked out of the dressing room with the handful of dresses that I had previously tried on and the salesperson greeted us.
"Did you like any of those?"
"Um," I stalled. "This one looked good but we're going to go to another place, just to check the ones there."
"Okay, so you want me to hold that for you until tonight?"
"Sure, if it's not too much trouble!" I faked a smile.
"No, not at all. Hopefully, we'll see you back here!"
"Thank you!"
Ellie and I walked out of the store. I had tried on five dresses in that store. With all of the places that we've been to, I've probably tried on over 25.
"We're not going to find one today, Ellie."
"Santana, yes we are. I promise."
I just shrugged and got into the car.
"Hey, why don't we try the mall? Just to see," Ellie offered.
We'd been to every boutique within a 30 mile radius of Lima and still haven't found anything. I didn't need an expensive dress with a designer tag attached. I just wanted a dress so it was worth a shot.
"Sure."
We drove over to the mall and walked around for awhile.
"Let's go in here." Ellie pushed me towards this small store near a corner.
"I've never been in this store, there's no dresses even displayed!" I whined.
"I know, I know, I just remember Kelly was wearing this absolutely gorgeous dress from here. I'd never heard of the store either but… here it is. It's worth a try. What do we have to lose?"
"Good point." We walked in and I looked around, searching for any sign of prom dresses.
"Hello, can I help you two girls find something?"
"She's looking for a dress." Ellie pointed to me.
"Prom?"
"Yes," I answered.
Ellie interjected, "And it needs to be Prom Queen worthy, she's nominated... And she's going to win."
I stifled a blush.
"We have just the thing. Follow me." The lady smiled and walked towards the back of the store, it was bigger than I had thought. "We don't carry a lot of prom dresses, only one rack, but I almost guarantee you'll find one you love. We have poofy dresses and then some non-poofy dresses as well; it's whatever you're up for. We also keep some other sizes in the back. Let me know if you need one."
I smiled and thanked her. Ellie and I started looking through the dresses. I flipped through them relatively quickly and they were all pretty, I just couldn't see myself in any of them. Ellie took one off the rack.
"Santana. This one. Try it on now." It was a long, straight red dress that had a thick strap going across the back and over one shoulder. It was similar to my one last year but it wasn't completely the same. It was pretty, but I still wasn't feeling it. I would try it on though, just to make Ellie happy. Luckily, the dress she was holding was my size.
I put on the dress and adjusted it accordingly. It wasn't tight or too loose, one of the best fits that I've tried. I looked in the mirror. Whoa. This dress, it was something else. I immediately fell in love. This was the dress.
"Oh my God, Ellie!" I say, looking at her in the mirror. "I look really good."
"Yeah you do!" She confirmed. "This is the one, Santana. You have to get it. You know that no one pulls off the color red better than you."
I smiled and at the moment, I genuinely got excited for prom. The perfect dress is the best catalyst for a perfect night.
I changed and we walked out of the dressing room.
"How'd it fit? Do you like it?" The salesperson saw us from the corner of her eye and walked towards us.
"I love it," I say with a glow that I'm sure showed on my face. "I'm getting it; this is just what I was looking for."
"Ahh, I knew you'd find something! That dress is one of my favorites and I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about any girl showing up wearing that dress, that's our only size!"
I grinned, that thought always lurked in the back of my mind. She rang me out and I paid for my dress.
"Do you want to shop more and come back after to pick it up so you don't have to drag around a dress bag everywhere?" The salesperson asked.
"Ellie, do you want to continue shopping or go home?" My voice tone told her what the right answer was.
She chuckled. "I'm pooped, let's get out of here."
"I'll just take it," I said to the cashier. "Thank you so much!"
I was still ecstatic in the car from finding such a great dress. Ellie was in the passenger seat, texting and humming to the radio.
"Who are you texting?" I asked.
"Your girlfriend."
"What? I'm not even texting her."
She nodded. "I know. I told her about your dress. Actually, I'm teasing her because she really wants to see it, more specifically, see you in it… Or out of it." Ellie giggled to herself.
I rolled my eyes. "Don't even tell her what color it is!"
"I won't."
"Hey, speaking of girlfriends. How are you and Bryan?"
"Umm, we're okay." Her tone changed slightly.
"Did you have sex with him, Ellie?"
"And you call me the blunt one..."
"Ellie…" I said.
"No." She was being weird; I knew there was more to it.
"What are you not telling me, Ellie?"
She took a deep breath. "I, uh, well, we fooled around, more than usual. But I didn't have sex, it wasn't time for us and he knows, I just.. I had to do this so he would be happy. I really am happy with him and doesn't he deserve something?"
She had a point, not a very good one and not one I wanted to hear. I guess I was just scared about my sister growing up.
"I think that being with you someone as great as you is deserving enough, no matter the amount of intimacy in your relationship. Anyway, what kind of fooling around?"
She licked her lips. "I gave him a blow job."
It was hard to hear this coming from my sister. My Ellie. Sometimes, I would still look at her like she was a little kid again, like we were both little kids. It was hard for me to see the beautiful young woman that she was growing up to be and it was even harder to hear her so scared and so apprehensive about something she shouldn't feel like she had to do. It would be different if she didn't feel like she owed it to him. If she was just doing it because she wanted to, that would be like me, I suppose. But she wasn't. I could tell by her tone that she was clearly uncomfortable with it.
"Do you regret it?"
I glanced at her, she was thinking about it. "No, I mean, to a certain extent but no."
"Are you going to do it again?"
"I don't know," she broke down. "It was just gross and the whole time I was wondering if I was doing it right. You know? I don't know what he's thinking. I just don't know, Santana!"
"Why don't you talk to him about it?" I rationalized.
"I tried. He doesn't like to talk about it, he thinks it's weird."
I rolled my eyes. The more Ellie talked about Bryan, the less I liked him. "I don't know Ellie. Please, just.. don't let him push you into having sex because I know that if you don't feel 100% sure that he's the right guy and it's the right time. Sex is special and I want you to be able to see it but you won't if you're not comfortable yourself."
"I won't," she said confidently. "He's not… No. I know. But thank you, Santana."
"Of course, El. You know you can talk to me about anything."
"I know." And then in a softer voice, she repeated, "I know."
On a Saturday morning a couple weeks later, I woke up to my phone vibrating on my nightstand. I was with some friends the night before and probably stayed out a little too late. I was annoyed at the noise but I looked at the screen and my mood instantly changed.
"Hello?" I mumbled into the phone.
"Good morning gorgeous!" A cheery voice said on the other side of the line. "Did I wake you up? I know you didn't have practice this morning but you never usually sleep past 10."
"Long night…" I explained. "But there's no better way to wake up than hearing your beautiful voice."
"Stop, you're making me blush. What are you doing today?"
"Homework. But I can blow if off and hang out with a pretty girl named Brittany."
"Perhaps." Even though I couldn't see her, I knew she was grinning on the other end of the phone. "But I don't want to pull you away from your homework. You're almost done and it would suck to work this hard and not become valedictorian."
"Eh, I mean, I'd probably have to bomb a bunch of finals for that to happen. What did you have in mind?" I started to sit up in my bed and stretch the kinks out of my awkward sleeping position.
"Well, I still haven't spent any of this birthday money so I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the mall and I can spend it on you!"
"Hmm, I still on the hunt for some last minute prom jewelry. I'll go only if you don't spend it on me. Buy some new clothes. Treat yourself."
"We'll have to see about that. Tell you what, I'll pick you up in two hours, you can get some homework done, we can grab lunch, and then head over?"
"Sounds perfect. I'll see you soon."
I got up and showered, changed, ate some fruit, and started some homework. I was able to write a scholarship essay and read a few chapters of The Catcher and the Rye before taking off with Brittany. We actually decided on eating at the mall food court and then going from there. After a great lunch consisting of amazing Thai food, we embarked on a shopping journey.
"Prom's next weekend and you still won't let me see your dress?" Brittany asked as we walked past a prom display.
"No," I teased. "It's still a surprise. Plus, it ensures that you come to walk-in and Figgins is still freaking out that it'll be a flop. But don't worry, my mom hasn't even seen it. The only person that has is Ellie!"
"I know." She pouted. "She always teases me about it. I asked for a picture and she sent me a picture of her foot. I was sad, to say the least."
"Aww," I cooed, touching her cheek in sympathy. "Don't be sad, you have less than a week to wait. I'll just tell you that it's not yellow or blue or purple."
She rolled her eyes and hooked her arm through mine.
After going to a few stores, Brittany had bought some new clothes, we headed into one of my favorite stores and I was going to see if they had any jewelry that matched. I headed to the middle of the store and Brittany stayed up front, looking at some skirts. My dress didn't need a lot of jewelry and since it was one shoulder, it certainly didn't need a necklace. But then I saw a simple silver bracelet. It wasn't over-the-top but it would compliment it just right.
I finished paying and went to the front to find her again. I saw her from behind. She looked like she was still looking at clothes on the rack in front of her, so I went up behind her and put my free hand on her hip.
"Hey, finding anything?" I semi-whispered in her ear from behind.
I felt her jump, like she was surprised. Then I looked at her but then I saw that she was in a conversation with someone, or so it seemed. I quickly took my hand off of her, embarrassed. She was talking to someone. I vaguely recognized her from the Facebook creeping that I'd done. It was Lindsay. The Lindsay. Stay calm, Santana.
I silently congratulated myself for choosing a nice outfit when I changed this morning instead of the alternative sweat pants and swimming hoodie. I was wearing a signature boots and dress combo with a light cardigan over it. Classy as always.
I took a look at Lindsay; she was a little taller than me, Brittany's heigh and so pretty. She looked even prettier than the few pictures that I had seen when I was creeping on Facebook. Her eyes were a soft green-blue color but they definitely stood out. She was wearing a pretty blouse, skinny jeans, and riding boots. She was carrying a Louis Vuitton purse and her dark blonde hair was literally perfect waves down to the middle of her torso. She reminded me of Lauren Conrad when she was on The Hills. Yeah, she's that pretty. But I know she doesn't have the personality to match so it made me feel a little better.
"Speak of the devil," Lindsay said raising an eyebrow towards me. "You must be Santana." She smiled slightly.
I un-noticeably clenched my jaw and tried to return the smile. "Yes, I'm Santana. And you are?"
"Lindsay Graham," Lindsay said and extended her hand out for me to shake. I reluctantly shook it. "Brittany and I go way back," she added.
I raised an eyebrow.
"We dated in college," Brittany told me, although I definitely already knew. I wondered if she said it that way so Lindsay didn't know that Brittany had already talked to me about her.
"Wow, you're very gorgeous," Lindsay said to me while flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "I hope you don't mind me saying that. Brittany always did have good taste."
"Um, thanks." I tried to say it the least skeptically as I could. When in reality, I kind of wanted to go all Lima Heights on her. It took everything I had to not cause a scene.
"What brings you here today, Lindsay?" Brittany interrupted the awkward silence.
"Oh, just doing some shopping, I've been cooped up for a while studying and I needed to get out."
Brittany nodded. I could tell she was uncomfortable. "How long until your Master's?"
"Two more semesters hopefully."
Brittany nodded politely. "Have you seen much of the tennis team this spring?"
This conversation was either the most boring or the most awkward conversation that I've ever had to be a part of.
"Some. Sara is playing number one, I'm sure she's told you that. I see them practicing though and they're working real hard. Sara could make NCAA tourney in singles."
"That's good. And yeah, Sara told me about that. She's excited."
"She should be, it's the best time," Lindsay said, nostalgically. "Matt still owes me a rematch!"
Brittany forced out a chuckle. "Yeah, I'll make sure to tell him that." I knew she wouldn't.
"Have you two eaten lunch yet? I'm starving, I know Josh is, too."
"Josh?" Brittany asked.
"Oh, yeah. I'm here with my boyfriend, Josh, he's waiting outside. He's such a good guy, going shopping with me." The manipulation and jealousy that Brittany talked about was surfacing. It was subtle but I knew exactly what she was doing.
I had enough and I cut in, "We ate when we arrived."
"Well, that's too bad." A guy approached Lindsay, he was fairly hot and pretty buff. He put his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, here he is. This is Josh. Josh, this is an old college friend, Brittany, and her girlfriend Santana." I wondered if 'Josh' knew about Lindsay's history or if he was just there to fill a void.
"Pleased to meet you." He smiled politely at us and then turned to Lindsay. "Babe, I'm starving, can we eat?"
"Yeah, I was just asking them if they ate, they had. But we can go now," she told Josh. "Brittany, it was great running into you. Maybe we can catch up sometime?"
"Yeah, maybe. Have a good lunch."
"We will. It was nice meeting you Santana. Maybe I'll see you again."
I didn't say anything back to her and the pair smiled and walked away.
I glanced at Brittany. "Let's walk the other way so it won't be like we're following them; that would be awkward," Brittany said while watching them walk away.
"More awkward than it already was…?" I asked, walking with Brittany in the opposite direction as them.
She sighed. "I'm sorry. You could have lived your whole life never meeting her and it would have been fine. She was trying to make me jealous by calling you gorgeous and that Josh guy…" I could tell in the nonchalant way she said it that she wasn't jealous herself.
I took her hand in my free hand and interlocked our fingers. We kept walking, with no real destination in mind.
"Josh seemed nice. He was cute," I told her.
"I know. They've probably not been dating long. When I ran into her in January, it was another guy. She dates and then she gets tired of them and moves on. Except she'll do it in a way where she doesn't get labeled a slut. I guess I was the exception since we stayed together for so long."
Brittany wasn't mad, just matter-of-fact.
"Are you going to 'catch up' with her?" I cautiously said.
Brittany stopped in the middle of the mall. "Hell no. Honestly, I don't want anything to do with her."
I smiled. Brittany continued, "Besides, why would I waste time with her when I have such a hot girlfriend, who I am very proud of for keeping calm back there." I felt her free hand run down my arm, making me shiver.
"I am suddenly so turned on right now. If we weren't in the middle of a mall right now, I would rip off all your clothes and fuck you against that kiosk."
She grinned. "Santana! I love this side of you! It's so sexy."
"You like all sides of me." I put her hand on my butt. "Especially this side."
She laughed and squeezed my butt before we moved on.
We finished up at the mall, luckily never running into Lindsay and Josh again. Brittany got what she needed and I did as well.
On the drive home, out of the blue, Brittany asked, "Did you think Lindsay is pretty?"
I contemplated, wondering why she was still stuck on this. She was probably just wondering.
"Yeah, I do."
"Do you think I'm pretty?"
I was wondering why Brittany was asking this. She knew the answer, I made sure she knew every day what the answer was.
"No, Brittany. I don't think you're pretty. I think you're more than pretty. You're beautiful, crazy beautiful. You're gorgeous. You're perfect, Brittany. I'm literally crazy about you. Your smile, your blue eyes, your teeth, that cute freckle on the side of your forehead, it's so perfect. Even though you think your ears are too big, they're not, and I love them. I love everything about you. I never stop thinking of you. I love you so much."
She smiled. "I love you too."
"Why… why are you asking this?"
"I don't know. Curious, I guess."
I let her drop it and changed the conversation. I knew that wasn't the real reason but I didn't want to pry, she had some things to figure out on her own. I'd be there if she needed me and she knew that.
We got back to my house late afternoon. We weren't at the mall too terribly long, especially considering the amount of things we got.
"I'm so tired. I need a nap," Brittany said, pulling into my driveway.
"Come in, take a nap with me."
"I probably shouldn't. I have to be at the studio later tonight and you still have homework." She put her car into park.
"That's tonight. And you can go straight to the studio. You can borrow clothes if you need to. And I'll feed you before you leave. It's a Saturday, you need to come over. I miss you."
"You're so persuasive."
"Oh, am I?" I pulled her in and kissed her.
She pulled back with a huge smile on her face. "I'm convinced, let's go."
When we were back in my room, Brittany and I collapsed on my bed, completely exhausted. She scooted over to make room for me and patted the empty space. I laid down next to her and then eventually put my head on her chest and stomach. I wrapped a leg over one of hers and felt her hand on my back. She was tracing circles and patterns in my back. It was so calming, so intoxicating. I listened to her heart beat, to the ultradian rhythms of her stomach contractions. I could lie like this forever and never get tired of it. I could never get tired of her.
I heard a tone from her phone which was placed next to her on the bed. The consistent patterns briefly stopped, I felt her pick up her phone and the touch of her thumbs on her screen as she texted a reply. I think she fumbled with it more and I think she put it on silent. She started tracing patterns on my back again and I fell asleep just as I felt her hand go limp on my back.
I woke up a little while later. When we went to sleep, it was light outside, it was now a little darker and the room was dimly lit. I looked at Brittany, where my head was and looked to see if I drooled on her or something, I hadn't. I looked at the clock and saw that Brittany probably had to take off in an hour. I slowly got up and then a flash of color caught my eye. Brittany's phone was lighting up so I looked a little closer. Brittany had several unread messages, the content was hidden but one in particular was a number that wasn't saved and there were four unread messages.
Hmmm. Four texts from the someone who's number she didn't even save. I became a little skeptical. I'm sure it was Lindsay. I wanted to read the messages. I knew Brittany didn't keep her phone locked or anything. Even if she did, I know she'd tell me the code, but this wasn't my place to snoop. I trust her, I just thought it was weird.
I checked my own phone to keep myself from wondering. I saw just a couple messages, one about homework and one from Colby. I was still curious about Brittany's messages. I realized that she needed to eat and leave soon so I gently woke her.
"Sweetheart, you need to wake up."
She groaned and turned over. She mumbled, "I don't want to."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Can I just eat you?" She murmured.
I smiled modestly to myself. "You think you're so clever."
"I am." She slowly opened her eyes and smiled when she saw me. She reached over and grabbed her phone. I watched, intrigued, as she unlocked her phone and read her messages. She furrowed her brow and frowned. She didn't reply.
"Is everything alright?"
"Umm, yeah. Just, uh. Lindsay texted me."
I narrowed my eyes. A part of me wanted my prediction to be wrong. "Lindsay?"
"Yeah, she texted me four times since we went to sleep."
"...the hell does she want?"
She handed me her phone.
I read through the messages. Lindsay initiated the conversation Hey, it was great seeing you and your girlfriend at the mall. I really was serious about catching up. You up for it?
Brittany replied: I don't really think it's a good idea. I'm happy. I don't need you to mess it up.
Lindsay replied four separate times: I'm not the same person I was a few years ago.
Brittany, we went through a lot but above all, we were great friends. I miss it.
Just think about it. Please, you can even bring Santana if you want.
Brittany?
I rolled my eyes and handed her phone back to her. I studied her face. I couldn't read her.
"Hey, let's go downstairs, I'll make you something before you go to the studio," I said, trying not to show her that I was pissed.
"Okay." She got up and linked her arm through mine.
I started making her something quick, just a grilled cheese with some fruit.
"So are you going to reply?"
"No," she immediately said. She thought for a second. "Well, should I? Should I tell her again that I don't want to see her? The only reason she's texting me is because she knows that I'm happy with you. She doesn't want me to be over her, she wants to linger in the back of my mind forever."
I thought it over. "If I were in your shoes…Well, if I were in your shoes, bitch would know not to ever talk to me because—"
"Santana," she interrupted.
"Okay," I rationalized. "Since you're a lot nicer than me, I probably would text back. Tell her you don't want to see her. Because if you don't text back, she's going to continue to bother you."
"I guess you have a point. I just don't want to seem like I actually care. I know that sounds heartless but that's nothing compared to what she's done to me."
"Then just text back 'For the last time, no.' You know? Short and sweet. Or you could hand me the phone and I will definitely let her know that—"
"No, I'll just text her that." She laughed half-heartedly, got out her phone and typed a reply. I put a plate in front of her and sat on the counter so the plate was in between us. We both started eating until we heard her phone buzz. Brittany finished the bite she was on and wiped a greasy hand on my bare leg.
"Thanks. You're such a great napkin."
I rolled my eyes. "It's a good thing I love you so much."
She looked at her phone and read the reply out loud. "I'll never stop trying. Well, that's just lovely. I'm not texting back, it's not worth it."
Before I could say something back, we heard the door open. It was the steps of my mom and Ellie, I could tell by the footsteps.
"HEY!" I yelled across the house.
A few seconds later, they were all standing in the kitchen.
"Mija, get off the counter," my mom scolded. "Hello, Brittany."
I jumped off and took the rest of my sandwich with me.
"Hi Isabella. Hi Ellie. Did you win?" Brittany asked. Ellie just got back from a soccer tournament.
Ellie frowned. "We won the consolation bracket."
I laughed. "The loser bracket?"
"Shut up, Santana!" She walked over and took the rest of my sandwich from my hand. "We can't all be winners." She cheekily grinned.
"Well," Brittany said between her laughs. "I would love to stay and watch family fun night but I need to run off to the studio."
"Oh, here, I'll walk you out."
"No, it's fine." Brittany walked around and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Santana. Bye, Isabella. Bye, Ellie. Good job on the consolation bracket."
Ellie laughed and hugged her. "Bye, Brittany."
We all stood in silence until Brittany we heard the door close.
My mom spoke up, "So what did you two do today?"
"She took me to the mall and we just hung out and bought some stuff."
"Oh, that's exciting." Ellie sarcastically remarked.
"Well, then we saw…" I stopped mid-sentence when I realized I was about to talk about Lindsay to my mom. That conversation would turn into an interrogation really fast. Oops. "We saw a semi turned over on the side of the road."
My mom raised her eyebrows. Ellie could tell I wasn't going to say that.
"Oh, that's too bad, I hope everyone was alright. I didn't get a call from the hospital. Of course it would be the one day I am off…" She said while grabbing her phone from her hip.
"No, they were fine," I quickly said. "They were all standing outside like assessing the damage or whatever."
I cleaned up all the dishes and finished the conversation with my mom before retreating upstairs to finish off some homework. I heard Ellie tromp up the stairs and take a shower. Afterwards, she landed in my room with a towel wrapped around her hair.
"So, tell me what really happened."
"Uh, we ran into her crazy ex, Lindsay. Remember the one I told you about?" I briefly told Ellie about Lindsay. I didn't go into extensive details out of respect to Brittany. I just told her enough so she would know the story.
Ellie nodded.
"Well, then we came back for a nap and Lindsay texted her like 5 times wanting to catch up. I don't know, Ellie."
"You act like Brittany isn't head over heels in love with you."
I smiled. "You can tell?"
"Everyone can tell. I don't know what you're worrying about. Brittany is a big girl, Santana. If Lindsay has taught her anything, it's that Brittany can deal with her. She'll know what to do."
"You're sure."
"Positive. And besides, Lindsay, she doesn't even compare to you."
"How do you know?"
"Because you're my sister, you're Santana freaking Lopez. There's no one better than you."
I smiled. "I love you El. I just, I don't know what to do. You know, this isn't my place. I just don't want Brittany caught up in her again. She's... She's a horrible person."
"I know but give Brittany some credit, she knows how to take care of herself. She's not going to let herself be in a situation like that again."
I shrugged. "I sure hope so."
The week before prom literally flew by. No one wanted to do anything in class except talk about prom and their plans. Before I knew it, my makeup, hair, and nails were done and I was slipping into my dress. Kyle was due to pick me up in 30 minutes and we'd meet up with a bunch of friends to take group photos and then have dinner at Breadstix.
As I came down the stairs, I heard my dad grumbling about how 'this boy' better keep his hands to himself if he knew what was right.
I laughed as I entered the living room. "Papi," I said. "Kyle is a gentleman. He would never do anything like that. Besides, he knows about Brittany."
"Well, if he gives you any trouble, just tell him I'll see him at the hospital." He winked. "Get it? Because I could knock hurt him for disrespecting you but when he got to the hospital, it would still be me."
"Oh, Dad…" I said, rolling my eyes with a light chuckle.
"You look beautiful, Santana," my mom said.
"Thanks."
The three of us lingered around the living room until the doorbell rang. My dad got up to answer it and Kyle appeared in the living room, looking extra spiffy and very put-together.
"Well, don't you look handsome." I grinned and straightened his bowtie just a tad.
"You look stunning, Santana," he said. "Oh! I'm supposed to put this on you."
He held up what was in his hand, just a corsage box. Just as he was about to put it on my wrist, Ellie yelled, "Wait! I need to get my camera."
"Ellie!" I shook my head with a small laugh.
She eventually got the camera and we took a bunch of pictures before heading out. They followed us out to the most scenic spot in town to take group pictures with all of our friends. Dozens of parents and family seemed to be there with cameras in hand to take pictures. At first I felt like a movie star with all the flashes and pictures. Then it just got annoying but I kept smiling. After all of the formal pictures were taken, we kind of goofed around for a little bit and eventually made our way to Breadstix.
After eating a way too many breadsticks, we were finally headed to prom! We drove to the area specified for the walk-in and Kyle got out of his car and handed his keys to a valet driver. A valet driver! Figgins must have had big plans for this walk-in. Kyle walked to my side and opened my door for me, like a gentleman, held out his hand, and helped me out of the car.
He grinned. "You really do look beautiful, Santana. I've already had such a great time tonight."
I returned the smile. "Me too."
Kyle filled out a name card and we waited in line for our turn to walk. When we approached the announcer, he took our slip and nodded to us. We started walking.
"Our next couple is Mr. Kyle Kirsch and his date, Prom Queen nominee, Miss. Santana Lopez."
I put my hand around Kyle's arm and we walked down the makeshift aisle to bushels of cheers.
We had to stop a few times for some impromptu pictures by my family and his.
I saw Brittany standing with one of her best friends, Sara, the tennis player and a girl I didn't know. She was grinning at me and waving.
I waved back with a big smile.
"Is that her? Your girlfriend?" Kyle asked me through a smile.
"Yes, the blonde one on the left."
"Wow, she's beautiful."
I smiled at him. "She really is."
I tried not to stare too much at Brittany when I saw another familiar blonde standing next to the two girls. I did a double take. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Lindsay fucking Graham. I was legitimately perplexed. Brittany wasn't really showing any indication as to why Lindsay was at my walk-in or why the fuck she was with Brittany. I thought that Brittany had got all of the Lindsay stuff sorted out. I cocked my head ever so slightly towards Brittany and she acknowledged it but gave a look that told me not to worry about it. But I was worrying. Kyle nudged me out and we kept walking, smiling for pictures from others.
"Are you alright?" Kyle asked, snapping me out of my trance.
"Yeah, I'm great!" I lied; it wasn't anything he should be worrying about.
After what felt like an eternity walking in, we were finally into the gymnasium. I took a deep breath and looked at all the great decorations, it definitely beat last years.
"Wow, these look so great!" I tried to block off any Brittany thoughts; I had nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be fine. Brittany is a big girl. There has to be an explanation for it. Tonight is about Kyle and I though, I couldn't let it ruin it.
"I know, they do." We were talking loudly. The New Directions had already started rattling out their tunes. Although they were loud, they weren't that bad!
"LET'S DANCE!" I yelled and grabbed Kyle by the arm and shuffled towards the dance floor.
I found our friends on the crowded dance floor and started dancing. I danced with everyone and all their dates, not caring who it was. I didn't care who it was, I just wanted to dance. But then the dancing made me think of Brittany and how much she loves to dance. Subsequently, thinking about Brittany made me think about Lindsay. Then I just got flustered. This wasn't supposed to happen. Brittany is mine. Not hers. Lindsay had her chance is she screwed it up horribly. She broke Brittany's heart. Brittany would never look back. She loves me.
After what seemed like a half an hour of just fast dance songs, Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson took the stage singing a slower song. I looked around and saw Kyle who was walking towards me.
He held out his hand. "Can I have this dance?"
"Of course." I took his hand and wrapped my arms around his neck; his hands fell to my waist as we swayed back and forth to the beat.
"I don't know about you, but I'm having an amazing time. Probably the best dance I've ever been to."
"Me too! You know, it's nice. Besides graduation, this is the last time we're all going to be together, you know? And you know, you really are like the best date ever. I'm so happy that you asked me."
"If I'm the best date ever, then you're like… well I don't know… but something even better." He gave me a little squeeze. "Hey, so back at the walk-in, you didn't sound alright. I don't want to pry but…"
"Uh, it was just Brittany was with her ex. At the walk-in. It's just sketchy because she supposedly hates her. Her ex is kind of psychotic. I just, I don't know."
He contemplated. "I'm sure everything is fine." He didn't say it in a condescending way but a caring, genuine way. "Do you trust her?" I nodded. "Then I'm sure there's an explanation. Do you want to check your phone?"
I forgot that I had him keep it in his pocket. "Yeah, that'd be great."
He handed me my phone and we kept dancing to the music while I unlocked it. I had a few messages to wade through but I found Brittany's conversation. There were two new messages from her. Hey, you looked absolutely stunning. I'm so proud to call you mine. Please, don't worry. I'll explain later. GOOD LUCK! XOXO. And then another message I know you have your after prom thing to get to but can you call me before?
I typed in a quick reply, telling her that I'd try to come over. I didn't know if I felt better knowing that she knew I saw Lindsay or if I felt worse because there was something to explain. But I did know that I had a great prom date dancing with me that I should probably be focusing on.
"So... Trouble in paradise?" Kyle asked.
"Uh, I don't think so. It's nothing to worry about now." I smiled at him and we danced until the song ended.
After that song, Kyle went over to get some punch, we were both parched.
"HEYY Santana! Are you having a great time?!" Jenna was screaming at me.
"Yes, Jenna. I am, except I may be deaf now. Are you having fun?"
"Amazing, Joey is such a good dancer! You should go dance with him!"
I grinned. "I already have!"
"How's Kyle as a date? You guys look like you're having so much fun!"
"I am! Kyle's a great date."
"Are you nervous?"
"About what?"
"Prom Queen."
I paused for a moment in thought. "Oh gosh," I finally said. "I totally forgot about that."
"Have you even voted yet?!" She asked, astonished.
"Umm," I thought for a moment. "Yeah, we did right when we walked in."
"Okay, just checking. I heard from a reputable source that you're the front runner."
"That's very sweet but I don't really think that the student body is going to vote me as Prom Queen… because of the lesbian thing and all."
"Santana. This is the 21st century! Most people are cool with it; we'll just have to see. But good luck! You'll definitely be the best looking one up there."
"Well obviously. But thank you, Jenna."
Kyle came back with two drinks, saw Jenna and offered her his drink, what a great guy. She declined though and went back to dancing. I took my drink and sipped on it and talked with Kyle while we both cooled off at a table from all the dancing. Pretty soon, Figgins was on stage and he was announcing the prom court.
"Good luck, Santana. I voted for you," Kyle said quickly wrapping one arm around me in a hug.
I went up to the stage when my name was called and patiently waited for Figgins to stop rambling and announce who won. I thought back to my freshman year when being Prom Queen was a dream and something that I wanted so bad for myself. It was weird to think about how much priorities change and even disappear completely in the matter of a few years. Honestly, it'd be cool to be Prom Queen but it wasn't going to make or break my senior year or my high school career. I would take swimming or Brittany over Prom Queen any day.
Figgins cleared his throat and announced Prom King first. It was Rick "The Stick" Nelson. Suddenly, there was nothing I wanted less in the world than to be Prom Queen. Being Queen with such a homophobic asshole King is not what I wanted.
Figgins started talking into the microphone again, "And your Prom Queen is…" Please don't say Santana. Please. "Miss. Santana Lopez!" Applause filled the large room as Kurt Hummel, last year's Prom Queen, crowned me.
"Come on, Santana. Smile," he encouraged.
So I smiled like I was supposed to but I just didn't want to share this moment with Rick.
"Now if we could get some music so the new Prom King and Queen can share a dance," Figgins murmured into the microphone.
I watched as Rick walked towards me and held out his hand. I took a deep breath and took it as we made our way to the dance floor. A crowd formed around us as we started to dance. I reluctantly wrapped my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my hips, further down than Kyle would have ever dared to put his hands.
I tried not to look at him and kept a fake smile the whole time.
"Congrats," Rick said. I met his eyes with mine before he continued, "Did you just sleep with everyone to get votes? I know it's easy for you, you know, since you like pussy and all. And don't act like you don't know that all the guys think you're hot." He kept his smile plastered on his face.
"Congrats to you too. And no, I won because obviously people actually like me."
"Oh, and I didn't win because people don't like me. I'm sex on a stick."
"Have you even had sex, Rick? And I don't see how anyone could like you, though. If I wasn't obligated to dance with you, I wouldn't get in a 6 foot radius of you," I said through gritted teeth.
He pulled me closer to where our chests were almost touching and the crowd applauded. More couples were starting to form around us.
"Stop. You're a fucking asshole," I said pulling back a little.
"What? You don't like that? What are you doing after after-prom? Is Kyle going to get it in tonight?"
That was it; I wanted to end this dance. I looked around, there was almost the whole dance floor filled with couples slow dancing.
"Are you sure you want to go there, Rick? Last time you went there, you got your ass kicked by him."
He scoffed. "That was not an ass-kicking. I would have easily kicked Kyle's ass but I have a future ahead of me. Anyway, how about instead of you and Kyle, let's let the King and Queen get down tonight, we can blow off the after-prom party and just have our own. I'll fucking turn you straight when I rock your world."
I was trying to keep my composure. I'd dealt with this before. What he was saying wasn't anything new or original. I'd almost gotten used to it. So I just rolled my eyes and started to pull away from him. He pulled me closer and didn't let me go. "Oh, come on…" I felt his hand run down my hip and on my butt. "I really want to see what's under this very pretty dress."
But then I didn't think I could hold it in any longer and before Lima Heights Santana made a special prom appearance, Puck meandered in behind Rick.
"Hey, Rick, congrats man," he said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Thanks Puckerman," Rick said to him.
"Do you mind if I cut in and dance with your highness here?"
Rick forced a nod because he knew he had lost. "Nope, not at all."
Puck took me in and we started dancing. It was too familiar, dancing with him. Memories flooded back to me of all the dances we had been to together.
He looked at me. "I could tell that Rick was being an ass."
"I was trying to stay cool and get through the dance without making a big scene," I told him. "I didn't know anyone could tell…"
"After a couple years of dating, I can definitely tell when something is wrong with you, no matter what type of face you put on."
I smiled. "Well, thanks for saving me."
"It's the least I could do."
"Were you able to spike the punch bowl this year?"
He grinned. "I'm about to." He opens his coat to show a flask. "After this, Sam Evans is going to create a diversion and then it'll be done, you'll see."
I laughed and said, "Good luck."
Then I rested my head on his shoulder for a few seconds. I saw Quinn in the corner of my eye. She smiled and nodded at me. The song ended sooner than I wanted it to and we both went back to our respective dates for the rest of the night.
After the last dance, all of the prom goers departed the dance. Kyle opened the car door for me and headed back towards my house.
"Do you want a ride back to the after prom party?" The after-prom 'party' was a school-sponsored event that all students are encouraged to attend. Its goal was to prevent real after prom parties. The PTA fundraised all year to put it together. There was food and "games" and other activities. There was like rock-climbing, bounce houses, laser tag, and sports. And at the end, prizes were given away for more of an incentive for the students to stay instead of party. It sounds lame but it actually isn't that bad and it's all free so it's not a big deal.
"No thanks. I, uh, I'm going to stop by Brittany's place and then head over to after prom."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'll see you soon?" He asked as he pulled into my driveway and put the car into park.
"Yeah, I'll be there eventually. Thanks again for a great night, Kyle."
"No, thank you, Miss. Prom Queen."
I laughed, gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and opened the door.
"Wait, here's your phone." He fumbled in his pocket and handed it to me.
"Oh! Thanks, I'll need that! I'll see you soon."
I got inside my house, it was a little past midnight and my whole family was up. Ellie had Blair over and they came into the living room, where my parents were watching TV, as I walked in.
Ellie squealed as soon as she saw the crown in my hand. "AHHH. Santana! I'm so happy for you!" She shook her head. "Man, I have a lot to live up to."
I smiled. My mom walked over and put her hands on my shoulders and kissed my forehead. "Santana, you looked beautiful. You still do." I saw my dad nod in agreement.
"Thanks. I love you guys." I smiled.
"So who won King?" Blair asked.
"Rick Nelson. That idiot hockey player." I frowned.
"You don't like him?" My dad asked.
"Not at all, dancing the coronation dance with him was like torture." I made a disgusted face. "Ellie, can you unzip me?" I turned around and faced her, she unzipped my dress.
I held it up to my chest so it wasn't falling down. "I'll be right back guys, don't go anywhere."
I ran upstairs and called Brittany when I got to my room. She didn't answer. I wondered if she had fallen asleep. I changed out of my dress and hung it up, put on some running shorts and a BHU tank top; luckily it was a really warm night. I didn't care that by now my hair probably looked like a mess, trying to tame it would have made it worse.
I ran back downstairs and chatted with all of them for a few more minutes about prom and all the fun I had. I looked at my phone, hoping for a text from Brittany but then I realized I should get going. I stuffed my phone into the waistband of my shorts.
"Alright, I better go guys. Thanks for staying up for me."
"Okay, Santana, be careful. How long does that after prom thing last?" My mom asked
"Um, I think 4 or 5."
"Alright, just come home sometime and be safe."
"Okay, Ma. I will."
I grabbed my keys off the counter and walked out to the garage. Right as I turned on my car, I got a text from Brittany, Sorry I missed you call. Can you come over before you go to your prom party thing? I texted back I'll be right there.
I drove over to her apartment complex. I was anxious. This was such a weird situation and I didn't know what to think about it. I trusted Brittany, of course. I just couldn't think of any explanation that would make sense.
I got out of my car and heard a voice calling my name, "Santana!"
I was startled because I didn't see anyone. I gripped my keys, ready to poke an eyeball out.
"Oh, don't be startled, it's just me, Lindsay... Lindsay Graham." She emerged from around the passenger side of my car. A streetlight above us illuminated her. What the hell?
"The fuck do you want!?" I asked her and then added, "Lindsay Graham." I said her name dripping with sarcasm because she acted like her first and last name were something to revel in and be awed at.
"Whoa, there." She put her hands up in front of her. "Now from what I thought, Santana Lopez was one of the nicest people I could ever meet."
"It's circumstantial," I said flatly, trying to walk around her.
"Hey, Santana," she called after me. "Did you have fun at your little high school prom?"
I turned back around. Maybe tonight was the night I would give her a little piece of my mind. I'd dreamed about confronting her but I never thought it would happen. "As a matter of fact, I did."
Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "Well, while you were being a slut probably dancing with everything that moves, I was having some fun with your girlfriend."
She was getting deeper and deeper under my skin. "Look, bitch. I have no idea what you're talking about, Brittany would never."
"Oh, but she did. You saw me."
"I'm sure there's a hell of a lot more to the story," I said, convincing myself. Lindsay did have a way of talking that was almost persuasive. I couldn't let her get under my skin.
"Maybe there is. But maybe Brittany lies to you. Maybe you don't even know the real story. Maybe, just maybe, your perfect little girlfriend is still in love with me. Is that so hard to comprehend? I mean, come on, you are still in high school."
For once, I was at a loss for words, I couldn't think of a comeback. "Shut the fuck up, you don't even know me."
She nodded. "Everyone knows Santana Lopez. You're the swimming star of this town. You swim breaststroke right?"
I mocked a laugh. "You think you're the first person to make that joke? Well you're not. Actually, it was Brittany's father who was one of the first people to say that. And then it got old. But you know what? While all you do is dream about having a second chance with Brittany, I get to live it. I'm with Brittany, I'm her girlfriend. You lost, Lindsay."
"Not quite. Yeah you may be with her now but what me and Brittany have, our memories, our experiences, our bond, she's never going to forget it and she's never going to have what we had with anyone else."
"Well that's good because I'm sure she doesn't want to be in another abusive relationship. I'm sure she just dreams of another relationship where the other person cheats on her and hits her with tennis racquets."
Lindsay narrowed her eyes at me. "Did she tell you what happened after that happened? I'm not saying that what I did was right in any sense but she hit me back, over and over again. But of course, she wouldn't tell you that part."
"Stop. I'm done. And you better be done too before you see a side of me that I know you won't want to see."
I didn't give her any time to say anything else and brushed past her, walking into Brittany's building and to her door. I knocked. Sara answered.
"Hey Santana. Wow, you still look really pretty."
"Thank you," I said shortly. "Where's Brittany?" And then I lost it. "Do I fucking know anything? Do I know the truth about anything?"
Sara's eyes widened. I could tell I scared her and I didn't mean to at all.
I retracted. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just, Lindsay is outside and she talked to me, I just... I don't know."
"What?" Brittany asked, walking in the room.
Sara said, "Well, I'm going to leave you two to clear things up. You can call me if you need me." Sara grabbed her keys and Brittany thanked her for staying with her.
"I'm sorry Sara," I called after her.
"It's fine," she said with a smile. "I understand. Bye Santana."
We both stood there until Sara shut the door behind her. Brittany looked pretty tired. She walked across the room to me and wrapped me in a big hug. I pulled her close to me and felt tears sting my eyes. Lindsay left me stunned. I love Brittany so much but I didn't know what to think anymore. I didn't know what to believe. Of course, I'll always believe Brittany over Lindsay but Lindsay really got to me. I was so upset.
When we finally did let go, she kept me in her arms and looked in my eyes. "Hi. You still look so, so pretty. I'm sorry. I can explain."
We went to her table and sat down.
"Did you win?" Brittany asked, possibly avoiding the subject at hand.
I smiled. "Yeah. But, so did Rick the Dick. That one guy who—"
"The asshole," she clarified.
I nodded. "But it's alright."
"I love you, Santana. I guess I have some explaining.."
"Yeah, possibly."
She took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes. So today, when you were doing all of your prom stuff, I actually had the day off, so I hung out with Sara. We went down to the courts at LU to play tennis and just hit around and guess who was there?"
"I'm guessing it was not Serena Williams."
She laughed half-heartedly. "Lindsay was playing tennis with another girl currently on the team, Emily. They started playing with us and it was whatever. It was kind of awkward and I felt really weird, like all of the memories of the hours where I completely learned this sport just to play with the girl who I loved came back to me. I needed to get out of there so Sara and I left and just went back here to chill. Then Lindsay started texting me. I ignored it at first. Then she kept texted me and wouldn't leave me alone but she was sending weird things like 'I need your help.' And 'I'm in trouble.' Obviously, I didn't believe her but I texted her back asking her what was wrong. She said she needed to talk to me and if I was here. I told her that I was but I was about to leave. We went down to the parking lot, to head over and she was there, like, in her car, waiting. I told her I didn't have time for this and that we needed to leave. She asked me where I was going and I told her. Then she followed me."
"Wait, are her and Sara friends?"
"I mean, at first they were good friend but then they just had a teammate relationship. But Sara doesn't really like her because of what she did to me. But Emily was still with her so I couldn't be rude."
"Alright. Go on."
"Well, we got to walk-in and we found a little spot to stand and wait. Her and Emily followed us and were standing with us. You guys weren't exactly the first couple to walk in so there was a lot of down time. Sara and Emily were talking doubles strategies for their upcoming match and Lindsay was talking about how seeing me at the mall and playing tennis again made her realize how much she missed me. She said she made such horrible mistakes and would do anything to turn back time."
"Was she being genuine?"
"Hell no. She just couldn't stand me with someone else. She kind of did this with other people I was with after her but it was never this bad and stalker-ish. When we dated, I never imagined she would be like this. She's a completely different person." Brittany was sad. She looked dejected and regretful of everything that happened.
"It's not your fault, Brittany. You didn't know. What happened after I walked in?"
"She started making comments about how you were probably in there cheating on me and all this other stuff. I was getting so pissed off."
"Brittany, I'd never.."
"I know. When we drove back here, I let her in for just a few minutes. I don't know why, a lapse of judgment." She sighed. "She talked about all these memories of us, it was just.. too much to take in. It's always too much with her. It's always too intense. I told her she needed to leave, that was a few hours ago."
"Well, she must have waited a few hours because we a little conversation."
Brittany's face fell. "Oh, I forgot that she was out there. What happened?"
I told Brittany everything and ended with, "Was there another part of that tennis racquet story that you didn't tell me? Like did you hit her back?" I didn't ask it in an aggressive way. I wholeheartedly believed Brittany told me the entire truth. And I believed that Lindsay said that just to mess with my head, I just wanted to be certain.
Brittany shook her head. "No, honestly, Santana. I know how Lindsay is, how convincing she can be. I...I never hit her back. Please believe me."
I nodded. "I didn't think you would. You're not like that."
"Santana, I'm so sorry. I.. you… you don't deserve this. I never wanted you to get wrapped up in all this stupid drama. Are you mad at me?" She asked me with her eyebrows knitted together and her glass blue eyes fixed on mine.
I slightly smiled. "Not at all. It's not your fault at all. And when you look at me with your piercing blue eyes, I just melt. I could never be mad at you for something that is totally out of your hands. I'm just a little frustrated."
"You have a right to be. This shouldn't have happened."
"It's out of your hands, Britt. Not your fault. Besides, I tried to set her straight. And I love you."
"And I love you too. And that's all that matters."
Brittany glanced at the clock, "Look, you better get to your thing. Come over tomorrow?"
"I would love to."
The next morning, I woke up to the pain of a bobby pin digging into my scalp. I didn't even remember coming home after the party. I looked at the clock, it was almost noon. I guess my parents didn't wake me up for church. I needed the sleep anyway.
I got up and took out my hair. My hair fell down in a crispy, tangled mess around my shoulders. Makeup was smeared all over my face. I took out a wipe and tried to take off most of it.
Brittany texted me to come over ASAP. I quickly took a shower and changed and threw my hair in a bun. I texted Ellie, they were probably eating lunch after church, that I'd be home sometime before 8; I didn't know how long I'd stay.
As I drove over to Brittany's apartment, I thought about how much our relationship has progressed. I used to only want to see Brittany when I looked my best. When she was student teaching, I picked out my clothes every morning with her in the back of my mind. In a way, I guess I wanted to impress her. Now, driving to her house in the same clothes I wore the night before because I was in a rush just to see her, I didn't care. She's seen me naked; surely she could see me in shorts and a tank top. I knew she didn't care either.
I pulled into the lot and scanned it for any traces of crazy Lindsay. I walked into her apartment, it was unlocked. I saw her lying on the couch with her iPad and laptop, she was also watching TV.
"Surrounded by enough technology?"
"Not quite. My phone's on the table, will you go get it for me?"
"What do you say?"
"Pleaseeeee." She pleaded and put her hands together and pursed her lips.
"You look so cute." I walked over to the table and grabbed it.
I walked over and gave her the phone and she started messing with it. I went to the kitchen to get something to eat, I was starving.
I came back to the living room with some dried fruit. She closed her laptop, put the iPad on the living room table, and turned down the volume on the TV. I sat down on the couch by her feet and she draped her calves over my lap. I put my hands on her legs, in between bites of food, and felt how smooth they were.
"Hi," I told her after a few moments.
"Well, hello there. You smell good."
"Thanks. I shower, unlike some people in this room."
She snickered. "Yeah, I only take yearly showers. But, I have a confession."
"Mhmm?" I was still touching her legs, memorized. I felt her sculpted dancer's calves.
"I texted Lindsay, like a little earlier."
That caught my attention. I cocked my head at her. I didn't want her to talk to Lindsay. I wanted it to be all over.
"Can I see?"
She unlocked her phone and got to the conversation.
Brittany initiated the conversation You really have no right to wait outside my apartment for hours to harass my girlfriend. It's so freaking immature of you. What do you even want?
Lindsay replied, I didn't wait for hours, I left and then came back and she happened to be there. And honestly, I don't think that I was the one doing the harassing last night. But I don't think you two are good together. I want you to know I've changed, we should try it again.
There's no way that is happening. I thought we were really done with these games like two years ago.
We had so much fun playing tennis yesterday. It was just like old times. You can't deny you didn't feel something because I know you did.
You know what I didn't feel? You hitting me with a tennis racquet.
Brittany, please, I'm sorry, that was years ago. Why are you with her? She's like 14.
She's freaking 18 and it doesn't even matter. Obviously, she's still way more mature than you. Stay the hell away from her and me.
Okay. But when she breaks your heart, don't deny that I warned you. I'll always love you Brittany.
The feeling isn't mutual. For two years, I let you fuck with my life. If you really loved me, you would stay away. You have a boyfriend, you should be happy, not lamenting on a relationship that happened two years ago.
I am happy. I want you to be happy with me.
Drop it, you and I know it's not happening. Look, just stay away from Santana and I. Please.
Fine. But remember, when she breaks your heart, I'll be here to pick up the pieces.
And that was the end of the conversation. I exhaled. On one hand, I felt relief. On the other, I was just scared. I know Lindsay isn't like psycho crazy who would kill me or anything like that. I just didn't like the fact that she was obsessed over a lost relationship.
However, Brittany stood her ground, for both of us. I'm pretty sure Lindsay got the message.
"I'll never break your heart."
"Of course you wouldn't," she agreed with a smile."
"So is that closure for her?"
"Maybe. I mean, I don't think she'll be texting or calling me anytime soon. And then we're both moving in a few months, it's not like she can stalk me or you in Hamilton."
"Right. That's good. Does she know you're going there? I'm pretty sure she knows I'm going there."
"I'm not sure. She'll find out somehow but she's still not finished with her Master's and she wouldn't transfer. She's had this planned out since before she even knew me."
I slightly smiled. "That's good to hear, kind of gives me a peace of mind."
"Yeah, me too. Anyway, I didn't get to hear all about prom last night with all of the frenzy, tell me all about it!"
I told her all about it, I didn't leave anything out. She was interested, wanted to know every detail. I told her that I danced with a million people, she wasn't mad. She definitely understood.
"I'm glad it was such a great night for you! Speaking of coming over to my place, are you wearing the same clothes you were in last night?" She grinned.
"Uh, no."
Brittany arched her eyebrows together.
"Okay, yeah. I was in a hurry after I showered and I changed really quickly." I wasn't embarrassed at all. I knew she was just messing around.
"Oh, that's the excuse? Changing fast?"
"Yeah pretty much." I smiled.
She questioned, "What?"
"I bet you could get me out of these clothes just as fast as I got into them, maybe even faster."
"Is that a proposition from the Queen?"
"No, it's a royal decree."
Before waiting for her reply, I shifted over her. I put one of my legs in between hers, held her face, and kissed her. Her lips parted and I felt my tongue on hers. We kissed passionately for a few minutes, both wanting more from each other.
I felt her reluctantly break the kiss and pushed me up. I looked in her eyes.
"Let's go to my room."
I got up off her and made an "Ooof" sound.
"Are you okay?" She asked, grabbing my hand and leading me to her room.
"I'm just a little sore, you know, from all the dancing." I said when we were both inside her room.
"Sore, eh? Anything I can do to help?"
"Perhaps a backrub."
"Well... Anything for the Queen."
Brittany sat down cross-legged on the bed, her back towards the headboard. I sat in front of her with my legs sprawled out in front of me. I felt her lean forward and put two warm hands on shoulders. She pushed her legs in front of her so they were touching mine. She scooted forward, closing the distance between our bodies. Her hands were massaging my back, they were firm yet gentle. Her hands made their way down my back, massaging every knot on its way. I've had many sports massages over the years and honestly, they didn't compare to the way Brittany's hands worked their way through all my kinks.
I moaned when she worked one of them out on my lower back. She put her hands under my shirt and touched my back, skin to skin. She worked her way up and gently pulled my shirt off. I felt her lips kiss my unclothed shoulder, near my bra strap. She touched the undersides of my breasts, flirting with my bra until I couldn't take it any longer.
"Take off my bra, now."
She unclasped my bra with ease and gently threw it on the floor.
She put both of my breasts in each hand and squeezed them, almost like she was massaging them as well.
I felt one hand move further down toward the hem of my shorts.
"May I?" She whispered in my ear. I felt her hot breath sting my neck and became so instantly turned on.
"You don't even have to ask."
Brittany kissed all around my upper back and settled on a spot on my neck. I felt one hand slip under my shorts and underwear. The other hand was playing with my breasts. Her hand approached the recently wet spot between my legs.
"Oh my gosh," She whispered, in between kisses, "You are so sexy, Santana."
I put one both of her hands on her legs, bracing myself to what was to come. Brittany slipped two fingers inside of me. She moved them in and out, gently as first, then more rapidly. At times, she would keep them in there and move them around. She knew exactly where to go, what to do.
"Ahhh, Br—ii—tttt. Don't- stop." I moaned.
"Never."
Brittany cupped one of my breasts with a hand and squeezed. I felt myself floating up to a euphoria that only she has ever taken me to. Every movement she made, everything she did, made my body want her more, made me want her more. Her lips grazed a sensitive spot on my neck as she gently bit down. She kept her teeth to my neck as she continued to take me up, higher and higher. I leaned back, as she reached the top and felt an explosion through my body. A wave of pleasure ran through as all my muscles tensed and then went limp.
I leaned back into her, throwing my head back onto her shoulder. Brittany removed her hand from underneath my shorts and released the grasp her teeth and mouth had on my neck. She held me close, her arms wrapped all around me. As soon as I got back to reality, feeling the sensations in my body return, I twisted around and put my hands on her shoulders. We were now face to face. I gently pushed her down and climbed on top of her.
I put a leg in between hers and pressed down. Brittany moaned and shut her eyes. I gently kissed her on the lips before pulling at the bottom of her shirt. She lifted her arms up in compliance and I slipped it off. I kissed the top of her breasts and fingered the black straps of her bra. I reached behind her, unclasped it, and took it off.
I kissed my way down to her breasts. I sucked on her left nipple and massaged her right breast in my left hand. I kissed down her stomach, near her belly button.
I started to pull her pants down. After I finished taking off her pants, I examined her lace underwear. I kissed the inside of her thighs and right above the hem of her underwear. I put my hands on the top of them and lightly pulled them off. I heard Brittany exhale.
I climbed back up to where her head was on the bed and kissed her neck while my hand was fumbling with her center. My body was right on the side of her. I gently maneuvered a finger inside of her and felt around. She was so wet and I was able to put another finger inside of her. I listened to her breaths closely as I circled around inside of her and gently but forcibly went in and out of her. Her hips buckled and leaned against my hand. I leaned up slightly for a second and looked at her, while keeping my momentum. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing so hard. I felt her hands on my back, her nails gently digging in as I got closer and closer.
After a few more moments, I felt Brittany tense. Her nails dug further into my skin and then after she reached the precipice, I felt them loosen.
"Shhhiittt, Santana," she moaned.
I took my fingers out and sat up right next to her. She was just looking at me. I sucked my fingers with a little grin. I tasted her; it was a taste that I'd grown fond of, that I loved. I laid down next to her. She wrapped herself around my arm and kissed my shoulder.
"Am I getting better?"
"You're fantastic every time but it always gets better. You're a fast learner."
"I did some research."
"Research?" She cocked her head.
"I mean like, I know by now what gets you going... Like research of Brittany. Brittany-ology." I didn't care how stupid I sounded. I knew Brittany did care.
"You are such a dork." She placed a small kiss on the tip of my nose.
After a few more minutes of laying in bed, we finally decided to get up. Brittany watched me as I got dressed and I went to the bathroom to pee. After I finished, I looked at myself in the mirror.
"BRITTANY!"
I heard quick footsteps coming towards the bathroom.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asked me, with a panicked voice.
She walked in, wearing only underwear and a bra. I pointed to the bright red mark on my neck through the mirror. She's done it many times before, this one was just really prominent. "This."
She smirked. "Oh, so you don't want me to do that anymore?" I felt her hands on my hips and her cheek against my shoulder. She grazed the mark with a finger and sent a tingle down my spine.
I contemplated. "Hmm, I'll just cover it up. It was worth it." I took my hair down and started braiding to the side.
"Your hair is so soft." She put a hand through it. "Come to the grocery store with me, I'll make you dinner, and then you can go home since you have practice in the morning."
"Is that a demand?"
"It's a suggestion."
"You had me convinced at the prospect of food." I smiled. She pulled the side of my head towards her and kissed my temple.
I am so sorry for the delay. This was a tough chapter to write and I wanted it to be as close to perfect as I could get it.
Thanks so much for reading and your patience! :)