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Sylvester's School For Girls
Chapter 12
It had been a strange couple of months for Santana. At the beginning of the year she was the kind of girl that was getting drunk and being thrown into the back of a police car, but that was the old Santana. She is now the new Santana, the one that takes her school work seriously and has a girlfriend to keep happy.
Although that was going to be a hard thing to do in the upcoming weeks since today was the end of the school year. They haven't really talked about what was going to happen during the break, Santana would be heading back to Ohio and Rachel would be going home to Miami.
They could still be in contact easily enough, but how they're going to go weeks without physically being around each other is still unknown.
Santana is currently packing her clothes back into her suitcase. It didn't seem that long ago since she first arrived at Sylvester's School For Girls and was unpacking this very case.
"I still can't believe that you waited until the last minute to pack" Rachel says from her position on her own bed.
"Yes well not everyone prepares a week in advance."
The truth was that Santana didn't want to pack any earlier because then it would feel more real that she was leaving not only the school behind but Rachel too.
"Have you seen my blue comfy sweater?" Santana asks her girlfriend.
"Yes, it's in my suitcase. I hope you don't mind but I took it so I have something of yours for when I'm back home."
"Of course I don't mind. Does that mean I get something of yours?"
"I already snuck my 'I Heart NY' t-shirt in your suitcase this morning" Rachel says with a slight blush.
"Cool. So how was your meeting with Sue?"
"It was good. Since it's the end of the school year I get to decide if I want to continue as head girl. I can carry on for my last year or I can nominate someone else."
"I'm assuming you chose to carry on for another year."
"Actually, I nominated someone else and they accepted" Rachel explains.
"What? I thought you loved being head girl."
"I do but I have other things to concentrate on next year. I want enough free time to work on my college applications and I want to spend time with my girlfriend and friends too."
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
"I'm positive, besides I'm very happy with the person who will be taking my place."
"Who is it?" Santana asks.
"I'm not telling you. You'll have to wait for the end of year ceremony just like everybody else. Speaking of the end of year ceremony Mr. Schue wants me to do a quick sound check this morning."
"Will I see you before the ceremony?"
"I'm not sure."
"Okay then I'll save you a seat."
"The seats are assigned, but it wouldn't matter anyway as I actually won't be sitting with the rest of the students. As head girl I sit on the stage with Sue, that way I can read my speech quickly and efficiently" Rachel explains.
"Ah yes, the speech that you have been working endlessly on, all the while ignoring your girlfriend, but not letting said girlfriend read the finished draft."
"I was not ignoring you. I was just in the zone and you were trying to be distracting on purpose."
"Yeah that's true" Santana laughs.
"Just as before; you'll get to hear my speech along with everybody else."
"So your dads will be here today. Do they know about us?" Santana asks, trying to sound as casual as she possibly could.
"Yes. I told them that you and I are in a relationship. Why? Are you nervous about meeting them?"
"Babe, I'm not nervous about anything. I just hope they'll like me that's all."
"I'm sure they will love you."
"No my parents will love you. You're the head girl of a prestigious private school; you get good grades and have a killer personality. I on the other hand have a tendency to not listen to people and do what I want."
"You say that, but for the past few weeks I've been seeing a different Santana. You may still be a little brash but that's what makes you, you. Don't get downhearted about it, that's a good thing. I like your feisty personality" Rachel says.
"Thanks. That's one Berry down, now I have to work my charm on the other two. Although I don't think locking myself in the closet will help me with them."
"Very funny. So do your parents know about me?" Rachel enquires.
"They know, my mom started asking loads of questions about you. I've never told them about a girl before, so she treated it like a proud moment. It was a little bit awkward."
"I shall look forward to meeting her and your father too of course. It's nearly ten o'clock, I should go and find Mr. Schuster" Rachel says looking at her watch.
"Okay, I'll see you after the ceremony."
Santana stops packing her suitcase so she can lean over and give Rachel a soft kiss on the lips.
"Good luck."
"Thank you" Rachel says.
She gets off the bed and quickly gives Santana one last kiss before leaving the room.
The grand hall where the ceremony is taking place is quite full by the time Santana arrives. The majority of the parents and students have already taken their seats so that made it easier for Santana to spot her parents standing in the corner of the room.
It's the first time that she has seen them face to face since the day they dropped her off at the school. She didn't think that she would be that excited to see them but the huge smile on her face says otherwise.
"Mami, Papi!" she calls as she approaches them.
It's her mother that spots her first and pulls her into a warm hug.
"It's wonderful to see you Santana. I've missed you" Maribel beams.
"I've missed you too Mami" Santana says before pulling out of the hug and turning towards her father.
"Hey Papi."
"The house has been quiet without you Mija" Carlos says enveloping his daughter in a hug.
"You made it to the end of the year and I'm very proud of you for that."
"Thanks Dad."
"So Santana, where is Rachel?" Maribel asks.
"It's the first time you've seen me in months and you're more interested in Rachel?"
"Of course. Is she here?"
"No. She's behind the scenes somewhere; she'll be on the stage later when she reads her head girl speech. We should probably take our seats, they'll be starting soon" Santana says.
Santana follows her father over to their seats since he is the one with the seating plan and the information regarding their seat numbers.
Santana takes her seat in the middle of her parents and scans the room for any familiar faces. She sees Tina and her parents near the front and Quinn and her family a few rows ahead of her. She also sees two men sat on the front row that could be Rachel's dads, but she can't be sure until she actually meets them.
It's not long until Sue takes to the stage and stands at the podium.
"Welcome all to the last day of the school year at Sylvester's School For Girls. First of all I would like to welcome to the stage all of the teaching staff and our head girl; Rachel Berry."
The teachers enter the stage and each take a seat on the row of chairs at the back of the stage. Mr. Schue is the last teacher to sit down and Rachel sits on the chair next to him, leaving one chair spare at the end.
"It has been another successful year in terms of student progress. We set high standards at this school and I'm please to see that the students here are reaching that standard. For some, today is not just the end of the year; it's the end of their time here at Sylvester's School For Girls.
"We're going to start the ceremony with the graduation presentation. I'll call your name one by one and then you can come on the stage and collect your certificate from me before returning to your seat" Sue explains.
It takes around twenty minutes for each of the graduating girls to go up on stage and receive their certificates. It felt strange to know that in a year's time that would be Santana and her friends. When everyone is back in their seats, Sue takes up the podium once more.
"Congratulations to all. Now we're going to hear a few words from our head girl. Please welcome Rachel Berry" Sue introduces.
"Thank you Ms. Sylvester. Fellow students we are all here to celebrate the passing of another school year. Ms. Sylvester has already pointed out the fact that we have a high standard at this school and it's pleasing to hear that academically we are achieving that standard.
As head girl it is my job to be the mediator between students and the headmistress. I am very grateful that you have accepted me and have respected my position and I hope that you all feel that I have treated you with the same amount of respect.
The other part of my duties is to maintain the high social standards that Ms. Sylvester sets and I am pleased to say that these standards are also being maintained. Just like previous years, this year we have had no complains of bullying or any social problems between students. That is another statistic you can all be proud of, we want this school to be a safe place for every student and for another year it has been.
It has been an honor to be your head girl for the past two years. I have enjoyed every moment of it, but I have decided that this year will be my last. I thought long and hard about the candidate I would select as my replacement and I am very confidant about the choice I have made.
She is someone that will understand students' needs and I have every confidence that she will carry on the head girl legacy. So without further ado, please welcome your new head girl; Brittany Pierce" Rachel announces.
Rachel heads back to her seat as Brittany walks onto the stage with a big smile on her face and makes her way over to the podium.
"Hi everyone, I'm super excited to be your president. I want to thank Rachel and Ms. Sylvester for this opportunity. I promise to not to let you down" Brittany beams.
It's not the longest speech but Brittany doesn't seem to care as she walks over and takes the seat next to Rachel, prompting Sue to take up the podium once more.
"Thank you Brittany. Now we have a performance from Mr. Schuster's choir featuring Rachel Berry. Then we'll bring the ceremony to a close."
The choir, including Mercedes swiftly assembles on the stage with Rachel front and centre, wearing her mega watt smile.
"So please enjoy the sounds of the Sylvester School choir" Sue announces.
The opening notes to Celine Dion's These Are Special Times floats through the room.
In these moments, moments of our lives
All the world is ours
And this world is so right
You and I sharing this time together
It's song Santana has come accustom too over the past few weeks with Rachel's obsessive practicing. It didn't really bother her because Rachel had a beautiful voice and even though she has heard this song numerous times Rachel's performance still takes her breath away.
With each moment, moment passing by
We'll make memories that will last all our lives
As you and I travel through time together
Living this sweet dream
It might be because she's on a stage with music and a choir in the background that's adding to the affect it's having on her or maybe it's just finally getting the chance to see Rachel doing what she does best Santana doesn't know. What Santana does know is that she is proud of her girlfriend.
These are the special times
Times we'll remember
These are the precious times
The tender times we'll hold in our hearts forever
These are the sweetest times
These times together
And through it all, one thing will always be true
The special times are the times I share with you
"Thank you to Mr. Schuster and his choir" Sue says as the music fades.
"That concludes our ceremony for this year. I want to thank all of the parents for coming here today. I also have one last message to my students, to those returning next year I'll look forward to welcoming you back for another year at Sylvester's School For Girls and to the students that leave us today, remember that we have provided each and every one of you with the tools you need to build a successful future and I wish you all the best of luck."
Santana and her parents wait for a few minutes to allow the mass of people in the hall to filter out before they leave their seats. The hall starts to empty as some students and their parents leave but others stay and gather together to catch up.
Santana, Maribel and Carlos move to the back of the room so they can wait to meet Rachel and her family.
"So before I let you meet Rachel you have to promise not to embarrass me" Santana says to both of her parents.
"Honey, when have I ever embarrassed you?" Maribel asks.
"The list of times is so long, it would literally take me years to get through. Just promise me you'll act normal."
"Don't worry Mija we won't put her off, we'll leave that up to you" Carlos laughs.
"You're not funny Dad."
"I think it's sweet that you like this girl so much. Don't worry we'll be on our best behavior" Maribel promises.
Santana isn't too confident about her mother's promise, but it's too late as she sees Rachel and her fathers approaching them.
"Hey Rachel" Santana greets instinctively giving her girlfriend a brief hug.
"Santana, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez these are my parents Hiram and Leroy Berry."
"It's nice to meet you Santana" Hiram says, holding out his hand for Santana to take.
"You too" Santana replies, shaking Rachel's father's hand.
"Rachel, Santana has told us so much about you" Maribel gushes earning a warning look from her daughter.
"Don't worry it was all good, I assure you" Carlos adds.
"If it makes you feel any better Santana, Rachel has been talking about you just as much" Leroy says with a sympathetic smile.
"So Rachel, I see you have decided to give up being head girl" Carlos enquires.
"Yes. I wanted to concentrate fully on my studies next year since it's my last one. I enjoyed my time as head girl but I felt it was best to pass the torch onto someone else. I think Brittany will be a great head girl, she has plenty of optimism and I think it'll be god for her."
"She see's things that other people don't. I think you made a good choice and Brittany looked happy about it" Santana says.
"Well I'm glad you approve my choice, Sue seemed to agree with me too."
"So after we have finished here I thought that the six of us can all have dinner together before we go our separate ways" Maribel suggests.
"That sounds like a lovely idea" Hiram beams.
Santana smiles at Hiram's enthusiasm, however, her smile is short lived when she see's Quinn in the corner looking miserable.
"I'm sorry can you excuse me for a second?" Santana announces before leaving the group and heading over to Quinn.
"Quinn can I talk to you for a moment?" Santana asks.
"Sure."
"Don't be too long Quinn. We want to leave soon."
"Okay Dad."
"What's up Santana?" Quinn asks as she follows Santana to a quieter part of the hall.
"Nothing really, you just looked miserable. So they're your parents?"
"Yeah. They're only here to keep up appearances."
"What do you mean?" Santana asks.
"This is the only time during the whole year that I see them. I usually stay at the school during breaks, but that's not an option at the end of year. So my parents travel all the way up here and play nice with the other parents, then when we get back home they'll go back to ignoring me" Quinn explains.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'd rather that they stay out of my way. I'll never forgive them for what they did to Eton and I."
"Speaking of Eton, what's going on with you two?" Santana probes.
"We're going to keep in touch over the break and then pick things up when we come back next year. He wanted to see me before I go back home, but my parents arrived early and they can't know that he's here."
"At least you can talk over the break and rebuild your relationship slowly."
"Yes. Unlike you who is already meeting the in-laws" Quinn teases.
"We go to the same school; they were bound to cross paths eventually. We decided we might as well get the introductions over with now. We're all going for dinner later."
"Have you told Rachel about Eton and the baby?" Quinn asks.
"No, it isn't my place to tell her. She won't judge you if you do want to tell her though. She might have some advice for you, her situation is different, but she grew up without knowing her biological mother. So maybe she could give you some insight of how your child might feel."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks San."
"Rachel wanted all the girls from the dorm to get together to say goodbye. We should go and find them plus I don't like the idea of leaving Rachel alone with my parents for too long. God knows what they've told her."
Santana has never experienced something like this before, the feeling of being separated from someone she cared about so much. She didn't even feel this way when her parents dropped her off at the boarding school and said that they wouldn't see her for months, but the possibility of not seeing Rachel for just a few weeks makes her feel sad.
She can tell that Rachel feels the same way with the look on her face. They had just had a surprisingly good meal with both of their parents. Santana got on really well with both Rachel's fathers and Santana's own parents followed through on their promise and didn't embarrass Santana once.
They are now standing in the parking lot outside of the restaurant. Their parents had said their goodbyes and were waiting in their respective cars. The only thing left was for Santana and Rachel to say their goodbyes.
"I can't believe that this is goodbye for now."
"I know. We'll still talk every day, I know that it won't be the same but it's something."
"Maybe your parents will let you come and visit me."
"A week or two in Miami? Sounds good to me, anywhere would be better than Lima."
"I'll talk to my dads about it when we get back. A week or two of me moping around will probably convince them easily enough."
"Hopefully my parents will agree too, they think you're a good influence on me. They'd probably prefer I spend the break with you rather than Puck, they'll think he'll try and corrupt me again."
"Well I hope he doesn't because I like this Santana."
"Me too."
"We should go; our parents have been waiting for a while now."
"You're probably right. I know it'll only be a few weeks but I'll miss you. You've had a big impact on my life Rachel Berry."
"I feel exactly the same Santana Lopez" Rachel says, taking a step closer to Santana so she can pull her in for a hug.
Santana opens her arms to allow her Rachel to cling to her and rest her head against her chest. Santana closes her arms around her girlfriend's body. When Rachel looks up at her, Santana immediately leans down and connects their lips in a kiss.
Santana isn't sure how long they stand wrapped up in each other for, she doesn't really care. This might be the last time she can touch or kiss Rachel for weeks so she's going to make the most of it. However, eventually they have to pull away not only for the need of oxygen, but also because their parents were still waiting.
"I should go. Goodbye Santana" Rachel says.
She gives Santana one last kiss before pulling out of the embrace and walking away.
Santana walks over to her father's car and gets in the back seat. It's quiet in the car as Carlos pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road. Santana leans her head against the window as she watches the scenery go by.
"So I think it's safe to assume that you are returning next year" Carlos says.
"What?" Santana asks, he mind still on Rachel.
"I made a deal with you before you left remember. I said that you had to spend one semester here and then I'd let you decide if you wanted to stay or not. I'm assuming you've made your choice" Carlos explains.
"Yeah. I think being sent to Sylvester's School For Girls was the best thing that ever happened to me."
A/N That was the final chapter of SSFG, however there will be an epilogue to follow. Thank you to everyone that took the time to read and review this story and a special thank you to Beebeeborez for all of your time and effort.