After Brittany's announcement of her love for the ladies, the next couple months of Sophmore year went on without a hitch. There was one point when I found it a little weird with some of the questions or offhand comments the guys would make towards me and my feelings about Brittany being gay. Ultimately, I chalked it up to our friends just busting my balls for their own amusement.

Moving along...

Everyone that knew about Brittany's big news took it very well. Britt has always been such a free spirit that I don't think it really surprised anyone. For the time being though, everybody (including Brittany) decided that it would probably be for the best if she didn't tell anyone else outside of our group, unless she was asked. I mean, it would absolutely suck to feel like you have to make some grand announcement to the whole school, just so everyone could feel more comfortable. I can't even imagine being in Britt's shoes and feeling like she has to come out every single time she meets a new person, for fear that they won't immediately reject her for something that she has no control over.

Anyways, everything seemed to be going well until she happened.

Who is this she that I'm referring to?

Let me explain...

It all started during Homecoming weekend. For the first time in like forever, McKinley finally beat Carmel High in football. So, of course that could only mean one thing... PARRRTTTAAAYYYYY!

Being the nerds that we are, our group usually didn't partake in the festivities that the popular kids did. From what I've heard, usually there's nothing but beer and sex that takes place at these things, which none of us participated in.

Wow... we sound like a bunch of losers.

To put it in a less depressing way, none of us liked to drink alcohol nor did any of us have a significant other to even think about doing the other thing with. Really, the only reason we ever got invited to parties was because despite our geek tendencies, some of us were also jocks (which inadvertently made us sort of popular... sort of). While Brittany played volleyball and I swam, Mike and Sam were on the football team. Although Rachel and Mercedes didn't play sports, they were apart of Chorus and had been aptly nicknamed "The Divas" because of their killer vocals. They tried to get me to join before, but I prefer singing in the confines of my own house.

Anyways...

At said party, there was this girl that caught everyone's attention... especially Brittany's.

The girl had auburn hair that went passed her shoulders, gray eyes, fair skin, and was maybe an inch shorter than Britt. I have to admit... she was gorgeous. There was definitely no mystery as to why she attracted so much attention. She also looked so familiar, but I couldn't quite place her.

I knew that this girl had an obvious affect on Brittany, just by the way she started acting after making brief eye contact with her. Her palms started getting sweaty and she was barely listening to anything I had to say.

"Brittany!" I said a bit louder as I snapped my fingers in front of her face. It was a lost cause though cuz this girl had her in some type of trance.

Finally, I had enough of being completely ignored by my best friend so I decided to take another route. With one swift motion, my fist connected with her shoulder.

"Oww! What the hell San?" Brittany finally responds as she rubs her free hand over her shoulder that is probably stinging from the pain.

"Sorry, but I had to get your attention somehow," I simply state. "Dude, if you stare at her any longer, you might burn a hole through her skin."

"What? I wasn't staring," she guiltily replies while finally looking away.

"Why don't you just be normal and go talk to her?" I state simply.

"Yeah, right..." she scoffs.

"What... it's not like you're gonna propose marriage or something," I explain. "Just go say hi and strike up a conversation. What's the worse that could happen?"

"She could be straight. She could laugh in my face," Brittany begins to list. "I could die..."

"Way to be overly dramatic there, Pierce..." I state while shaking my head.

"Fine... if it will make you happy, I'll go over there and get shot down by a pretty girl," Brittany responds exasperated.

"Britt..." I say in a caring tone, "I know that you're nervous. This is a big step for you. You might get shot down; you might not," I continue as I lightly squeeze her arm. "Regardless of the results, I'll be right here waiting for you."

This seems to put her mind at ease for a moment.

"Thanks San... you always know exactly what to say," Brittany sincerely states as she pulls me in for a hug. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it," I genuinely reply while fidgeting with my glasses.

As Brittany slowly makes her way over to the pretty girl that everyone has been gawking over, the rest of the gang sidles up to me.

"Hey Specs, what's Britt doing?" Mercedes asks.

"I believe she's going to attempt to talk to a girl," I respond.

"What?!" Sam exclaims. "She didn't even tell me. I'm her wingman!"

"Hmm... how can I put this nicely," Mercedes ponders aloud. "You've got about as much game as Steve Urkel."

"Damn Cedes... that's cold-blooded," Sam responds. "I thought we were better than that."

"Just keeping it real, Trouty."

As Sam shakes his head at Mercedes, I feel Rachel's eyes on me. As I glance over at her, I see a sympathetic look on her features.

"How ya holding up kiddo?" Rachel asks.

"What are you talking about?" I answer with a confused expression. Seriously, my friends are weird as hell.

"Y'know... Britt talking to that girl," she responds like it's the most obvious thing.

"What exactly are you trying to imply here Rach?" I ask, starting to feel slightly irritated.

Ever since Brittany came out, our friends have started making some odd - yet interesting - comments to me. It seems like anytime the mention of a girl that Brittany could possibly like comes up, everyone looks at me with sad eyes, as if I'm going to break. I don't get it.

"I think what Berry is trying to ask if it bothers you to see Britt chattin' up some girl," Mercedes states.

"Why would it bother me?" I inquire. "I'm the one that told Britt to man up and go talk to her."

After a collective look is shared between my friends, the subject is suddenly dropped.

"I'm gonna go find Mike and see if he's acting less weird than you 3," I state as I walk away before any of them have a chance to respond.

"Do you think she's really okay?" Sam questions with a concerned tone.

"I don't know. If she's not, then she sure does hide it well," Rachel replies.

"Maybe we were wrong guys," Mercedes chimes in. "Maybe we're all just imagining things that aren't really there."

"Not possible... 2 people can't have chemistry like that and not be into each other," Rachel affirms. "I don't know... maybe they just haven't realized it yet."

"Whatever the case may be, perhaps we should lay off of Santana," Sam states.

"I agree," Mercedes says. "Regardless if Specs is pretending to be unaffected by Brittany talking to another girl, we should give her a break."

"Yeah, and who knows... maybe Santana is already interested in someone but we've been too focused on the possibility of her and Britt being together," Rachel adds in.

The group mulls over the idea in their heads before they all decide that that scenario is highly possible.

Meanwhile...

As Brittany finally makes it to the pretty girl she's been staring at for the past few minutes, her words get caught in her throat as soon as the girl turns and makes direct eye contact with her. Seeing the girl this close up makes Brittany lose all of the genius inside her head.

"Hi," the girl simply says. When Brittany doesn't immediately respond, she continues. "Can I help you with something?"

"I... uh..." Brittany stutters out.

Wow... I'm coming off as a real moron, she thinks to herself.

As Brittany glances over to the previous spot she was occupying, she's happy to see her gang of friends with big smiles on their faces while giving her the thumbs up. This makes Brittany smile a little. She then notices that Santana is not with them and she wonders why. Before she can mull over it, her thoughts are interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but we're you saying something?" the girl politely asks.

Brittany then turns to face the girl again and opens her mouth.

"Yes... you look kinda familiar so I just wanted to say hi," Brittany says with a little more confidence. "I'm Brittany, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Brittany..." the girl says as she reaches out to take one of Brittany's hands to shake. "I'm Kelly."

"Do you go to McKinley?" Brittany asks once their hands detach.

"No, I actually go to Carmel," Kelly replies.

"Oh, so you're the enemy," Brittany playfully retorts.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Kelly giggles in response. "You play volleyball, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Brittany questions.

"I'm a cheerleader so I've seen you at a few of the games," she answers. "Plus, it's not too often that you hear a lot of buzz about a sophomore at a rivaling school."

"Oh, so people talk about me..." Brittany nervously asks.

"Yes, but the talk is good," Kelly assures as she places a comforting hand on Brittany's arm. This causes Brittany to smile and her face to heat up a little.

"So, what grade are you in?" Brittany wonders aloud.

"I'm a junior."

"Oh, that's cool," Brittany lamely responds. "Do you do any other sports?"

"Nah, just cheer. How bout you?"

"I'm also on the dance team," Brittany replies.

"Oh, I see..." Kelly states as she looks up and down Brittany's body, "that would explain the killer bod."

Brittany's face immediately turns red. In the past, she's overheard boys talk about her body, but she's never had anyone - let alone a girl - openly objectify her. It made her feel a little uneasy, but she tried her best to work through it.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to embarrass you," Kelly apologizes. "Let me make it up to you... perhaps dinner and a movie tomorrow night?"

"Wait... are you asking me out on a date?" Brittany blurts out, still shocked by the words that were just spoken to her.

"Yeah, unless you're not interested... or there's someone else?" Kelly carefully phrases.

"No, I'm single..." Brittany responds as she tries to figure out what Kelly was trying to imply. "I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Awesome! Give me your phone so that I can give you my number," Kelly states.

Once Brittany hands over her phone, Kelly quickly enters her number and then sends herself a text so that she can have the blonde's number too. What Brittany doesn't see is the questionable expression that graces Kelly's face as she views Brittany's wallpaper on her home screen.

It's a picture of Brittany and Santana from the last day of Freshman year. Santana is giving Brittany a piggyback ride while the blonde is pumping her fist into the air. Both girls look so happy and in their own little world.

Kelly debates whether she should ask Brittany about who the other girl is. She observed Brittany talking to the Latina before she came over to talk to her. Kelly couldn't help feel a little jealous when she saw the blonde she had been eyeing reach over and embrace the tanned-skinned girl.

Needless to say, Kelly was pleasantly surprised when Brittany came over and attempted to talk to her. She could tell the other girl was nervous and was delighted to hear that Brittany was in fact single. For now, she decided not to pry about whatever relationship she and the unknown Latina have. If things go well on their date, then that's something she can ask about later.

"Alrighty, now you have my number too," Kelly says. "I'll text you tomorrow with the deets."

"Ok, cool... I can't wait,". Brittany shyly replies.

As Kelly waves goodbye and disappears into the crowd, Brittany makes her way back over to her friends.

"So, what happened?" Mercedes asks.

"I... have a date," Brittany casually responds.

"That's great Britt!" Sam replies giving her a fist bump.

"Where's Santana at?"

"Uh... I don't know," Rachel states. "She went to find Mike, but he's been over there talking to that Asian girl for the past couple of minutes."

Brittany then excuses herself from the group to go find her best friend.

I had been sitting outside for about 10 minutes when Brittany found me.

Initially when I left the group, I went to find Mike in hopes of having a normal conversation with him. However, when I found him, he had been chatting with this girl and I didn't want to mess up his game. I started to head back to my group of friends but when I looked up, I saw the pretty girl touching Brittany's arm. I don't know why, but somehow I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. After that, I decided to step outside to get some fresh air.

When I first saw Brittany, she had the biggest grin on her face. I love it when she smiles, especially when her little incisors show. Anyways, she then told me everything she had learned about Kelly and about how they were going on a date tomorrow. I was happy for her. I know that she's been getting anxious about dating based on the talks we've had. I can't really offer much advice since I've never dated anyone. At most, I just offer my support and try to share some of the advice that I've received from my parents over the years. They've been together for 20 years so I figured they kinda know what they're talking about.

The next day, we all helped Brittany get ready for her very first date. As much as we all wanted to meet this Kelly girl, Brittany thought that it would be for the best if she waited to introduce her friends to her potential future girlfriend. I guess I can understand that.

While Brittany went on her date, the gang and I had movie night at my house. In between eating and watching movies, Mike gushed about this girl Tina that he met at the party last night. She also went to Carmel and was in the drama club. Mike said that he had met up with her earlier on in the day for lunch and had a great time. He seemed quite smitten already, which is cool. Mike's a great guy and he deserves to have someone in his life.

It seems like slowly but surely, everyone in our little group is beginning to date.

Neither of them have said anything yet but I think it's only a matter of time before Sam and Mercedes realize that they have the hots for each other. Although Cedes can be quite bitchy almost all of the time, I think Sam does a pretty good job of calming her loud personality down. As for me and Rachel, I think we're both just patiently waiting for our special person to magically appear. Honestly, I have no clue on what I would even want in a potential mate. I've never given it much thought before because my time has always been consumed by school, swimming, and my friends.

Eventually though, everyone in our group will have a significant other. I just hope that I don't get left behind and end up all alone while everyone else is enjoying that part of being a teenager.

Surprisingly enough, throughout the evening, none of my friends questioned me about how I felt about Brittany being on a date. To be honest, I don't really know how I feel about it. Like I said before, I'm happy for her, but I'm kinda sad that she's not here to partake in our usual movie night. I guess that's something I'll have to start getting used to if things get serious between her and Kelly.

After we finished watching 2 movies, Brittany returned home from her date and told us all about it. She seemed really ecstatic about it while replaying each moment she spent with Kelly. The way she talked about her led me to believe that this Kelly person would become apart of our little group. Again, I don't know how I really feel about that since I haven't met this girl and don't know anything about her besides what Britt has told us. Plus, it's been a while since we've had a new member to our group. In any case though, Kelly deserves a fair chance. As long as she treats Brittany right, then I'll have no qualms with her.

After we watched our final movie, the gang said their goodbyes and went home. Brittany opted to spend the night, which I was fine with. What I wasn't expecting was Brittany's confession that she wanted to only share with me after everyone left. Britt told me that Kelly had kissed her goodnight, marking her very first kiss. She stated that it was very short, but very sweet. The way she described it and the dreamy look she got in her eyes made me somewhat envious to have someone that I could share those types of moments with.

After we talked for a little longer, Brittany and I finally went to bed. Usually when we sleepover at each other's houses, we cuddle but somehow if felt weird to do it now. Even though we've always been kinda touchy feely, it sort of felt wrong to get my cuddle on with her, knowing that she's dating someone now. I don't think Kelly would particularly care for that either, even though my relationship with Brittany is strictly platonic.

I wasn't quite sure on how to bring this issue up without disturbing our usual routine. Instead, I carried on like normal and waited until Brittany drifted off before I pulled away and put some distance between us. Eventually, I fell asleep with a million thoughts buzzing through my head.

After a few more dates, Brittany and Kelly became official. Since they went to different schools, the only time they really got to see each other was during the weekends, which sadly meant less time with the group. Mike had also began dating Tina and found himself in the same situation, only being able to see her on the weekends. Little by little, our group was changing and becoming smaller by the minute. I've never been one to fight change, but it just felt like too much was changing too fast.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could do about it.

One by one, the rest of the group met Tina and Kelly. I really like Tina. She's been a nice addition to our gang and I think she's a great fit for Mike. Kelly's okay as well, but I think she's a little too into her looks and social status.

I think it's cool that everyone at her school is cool with the fact that she's openly gay, but I feel like she tries too hard and unnecessarily flaunts her relationship with Brittany. She always makes comments about Brittany's body or how hot she is, which is a little upsetting to me. I mean, for the most part, I think she treats Brittany well, but sometimes I feel like Britt is just arm candy to her. Brittany is beautiful and deserves to be showed off, but I think there's a more tasteful way to accomplish that. Plus, I know that some of Kelly's comments makes Brittany a little uncomfortable based on how red her face usually gets. However, I think Britt's just too nice to say anything about it.

Anyways, the more attention that Brittany and Kelly got, the more people at school became aware of Brittany's sexuality. Most people were cool with it and didn't hassle Brittany, but others - such as the bitchy cheerleaders - made little comments here and there. None of them ever did anything besides run their mouths at the command of the head Cheerio, Kitty. Although none of that directly affected Brittany, it did affect someone very close to her.

This is where things took a very bad turn.

When Brittany first came out to her parents, they were very receptive and understanding. When Brittany told her little sister Lindsay, she had to be a little more tactful. Now, Lindsay's pretty smart for her age. Only being 2 years younger than us, she has a pretty good grasp on what the meaning of being gay was. Initially, she was fine with her sister's announcement. However, after Brittany started dating Kelly, that started to change.

Once Brittany started dating and word spread around the school, eventually the news made it to the middle school. Unfortunately for Lindsay, she shared a few classes with a girl name Taylor, whom had a big mouth. It just so happens that Taylor is Kitty's little sister. For an 8th grader, she's as bitchy as her older sister... and that's saying something.

Anyways, once Kitty found out about Brittany, of course she told Taylor and tasked her into making Lindsay's life a living hell. Again, nothing physical was ever done, but constantly being tormented and teased about her sister's sexuality begin to take a toll on Lindsay. Just because Brittany was gay and some people still teach their children ignorance, Lindsay's friends slowly started drifting away from her. It's not that they didn't like Lindsay anymore; they just didn't want to be associated with the girl with a gay sister. I thought that high school kids were brutal, but compared to some of these middle schoolers... unbelievable.

After Lindsay continued to get more flack from Taylor and everyone at the school started straying away from her like she had the plague, Lindsay began to resent Brittany. It was one particular evening when everyone was hanging out at Brittany's house that Lindsay suddenly snapped.

We were having game night when the incident occurred. During an innocent game of charades, Brittany and Kelly shared a quick peck. This was the first time that I had witness any type of PDA from them besides hand-holding and hugs. It was weird to see my best friend kissing someone, mainly because I had never seen it before. Anyways, this is where Lindsay lost her shit and stormed off.

Everyone in the group had started to notice the subtle changes in Lindsay's behavior whenever Kelly was around, but it wasn't until this point in time where she allowed her emotions to get the best of her.

Once Brittany saw her sister leave abruptly, she immediately got to her feet to follow her. I stopped Brittany and told her that she probably needed some space. I offered to talk to her, which Brittany seemed to be okay with. After I followed the same path that Lindsay had traveled, I found her sitting outside on the back porch.

"Hey kiddo, what's going on?" I politely ask.

"Just leave me alone, Santana," she growls in response.

"Whoa... how about you take some of that bass out of your voice," I snap back. "You may be my favorite 8th grader, but I will hit a kid."

Lindsay chuckles at this. "I'm sorry... I just don't really feel like talking."

"That's fine. How bout you just listen for a little bit and if you feel compelled to chime in, then do so," I suggest. Once I see her nod her head, I continue. "So... I'm guessing you're not a big fan of your sister dating?"

She shrugs her shoulders.

"I wonder why that is..." I pose as I stroke my chin with my index finger and thumb. "I know that you were fine with Britt being gay when she first told you, so what changed? Is it the fact that she's dating Kelly?"

Lindsay shakes her head.

"Did someone maybe say something to you at school?" I question. When I receive no response, I know that I must be onto something. "Okay... so something happened at school. Have the kids been teasing you?"

Lindsay turns away from me and crosses her arms over her chest. I place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Linds... it's okay, you can talk to me," I state sincerely. "I wanna help."

"I don't think you can," Lindsay responds after a few seconds.

"Care to elaborate?"

"There's this girl named Taylor..." she begins. "Apparently her sister has a few classes with Britt and found out about the gay thing. Anyways, she told Taylor and ever since, she's been giving me hell about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Taylor told everyone in our grade that Brittany was gay and that it's like contagious or some shit like that," she continues. "Anyways, now none of the kids, not even my friends, will come near me cuz their afraid that they'll "catch the gay" or something stupid like that."

"So that's why you've been lashing out," I rhetorically state.

"Yeah... I guess you've noticed," she replies.

"Maybe just a little," I playfully respond.

"The truth is... I don't have a problem with gay people," she genuinely states. "I just never thought about what it really meant until Brittany started dating Kelly and I started to get all of this backlash. I don't know... I just wish that nobody knew and things would go back to normal."

"Are you saying that you would've preferred that Britt stayed in the closest?" I inquire.

"Yes... no... I don't know," Lindsay says, confusion apparent in her voice. "It would be much easier for me if she did..."

"Wow, Lindsay... that's a completely selfish thing for you to say," I respond with disappointment in my voice. "Do you know how incredibly brave your sister is for being honest with herself and the people around her? I'm very surprised that you would even think something like that, let alone say it out loud."

As I stand up from the porch, preparing to go back inside, Lindsay grabs my arm.

"San, wait... I didn't mean it like that," she rushes out. "It just sucks, that's all."

"I know kids can be horrible. Trust me... it doesn't get any easier once you get to high school. The thing you gotta remember is that none of these kids' opinions should mean anything to you. 10 years from now, the same kids that bully and tease others will be the same ones stuck in this God awful town, working menial jobs just to make ends meet, and are completely disappointed with their sad and pathetic lives."

Lindsay appears to ponder over what I've just said, letting it all really sink in.

"People are cruel and say awful things to each other. People change their views and opinions like they change their underwear. Throughout all of this, Brittany has been nothing but honest and consistent," I continue. "Are a few dumbass kids' opinions really gonna cause you to alienate your sister?"

"No... I'm sorry San, I'm being an idiot," she sadly replies.

"It's okay kiddo, but it's not me who you should be apologizing to," I say as I side hug her. "You're a tough kid... if the other kids at your school want to follow the lead of some bitchy 8th grader, then their just as sad and pathetic as that Taylor girl."

"I'll apologize to Brittany... and Kelly," she reluctantly states. "Could you please not tell my sister about my minor lapse in judgment?"

"Sure thing," I simply reply.

"Kelly's not too bad, but she's definitely not as cool as you," Lindsay randomly says.

"Well, duh... no one's as cool as me," I playfully retort.

"Too bad my sister isn't dating you... that would be awesome!" Lindsay casually states, catching me off guard.

As she walks back inside of the house, I remain standing on the back porch, thinking about what she just said. I'm confused yet intrigued by the idea, but it's not like it matters anyways.

Brittany and I are just friends. That's the way things were meant to be... right?

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the new update. This chapter is a little longer than the others because I wanted to build up for the next one. I didn't go into much detail about Brittany and her first date/kiss with Kelly because some of that stuff will be addressed in the next chapter. Plus, I'm not really a big fan of Brittany and Santana dating other people besides each other, but the Kelly character is necessary for the plot of the story. It will all hopefully make sense next chapter.

Till next time, stay classy!

-Kris

Disclaimer: Still don't own Glee. (Ps - please forgive any mistakes... I wrote this chapter on my iPhone.)