(Rachel)
Since I stopped taking dance classes because I decided to dedicate myself completely to my singing, I asked my parents for a crosstrainer so as not to lose my physical strength. Exercising is very important for health. My alarm clock is set to go off at six in the morning, when everyone in the house is still under the blankets, except maybe Papi, when he had an emergency to attend to at the hospital. So I head to the kitchen and whip up my banana protein shake to start the day in five minutes. I change into my workout clothes and head out for a 40-minute workout.
My initial routine didn't change even on the first day of school. I woke up even earlier, took the shake and worked out. While my sister always woke up after ten in the morning during our summer vacation, everything was peaceful inside the house. But I realized within the first few minutes that I would have to contend with a few additional elements in my morning routine: Santana in a bad mood was the main one. Another issue was regarding our bathroom.
"Santy!" I knocked on the door. "Are you gonna take a while? I need to use the bathroom too!"
"Go to hell!" She yelled from inside.
"Can I come in to take my shower?" I insisted.
My sister, when she felt like it, used to not respect my moment of privacy and would invade the bathroom when I forgot to lock the door. But if I did the same, I would invariably get into a fight. I didn't want fights on the first day of school. I heard the flush and not long after the door unlocked. Santana left smiling.
"The bathroom is all yours. Enjoy!"
The bathroom was all mine now that it was stinky. I hated my sister. Because of her, I would be going to the William McKinley High freak show instead of Carmel. I used the spray to improve the smell and waited five minutes before going inside to sanitize myself. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, used Listerine. It was my habit to put on my robe and only get dressed in my room. I ran into Santana again at the door. Unlike me, she had a habit of taking a shower and getting ready in the bathroom.
As much as McKinley wasn't the ideal school, it was still important to make a good impression. I chose my plaid skirt, my plain pink blouse, three-quarter socks and loafers. Nothing like having style and comfort at the same time.
"How horrible!" That's what I heard when I ran into Santana for the third time that day and I was starting to think that these encounters were good enough.
"How vulgar!" Not that she was vulgar. She was beautiful, as always. I just didn't think that tight skirt, boots and jacket were appropriate for the school environment.
"Watch and learn, dwarf." She turned around. "Although, after all these years, I think you're a lost cause for still wearing the same clothes you wore when you were eight." I rolled my eyes.
"Better my comfort than wearing a skirt so tight that it not only deprives you of movement, but forces you to pull the hem down every five minutes, unless you want to show your panties. Not to mention the care taken when sitting down..."
"Screw you!"
"I with you the same!" I flashed a bright smile.
I wasn't hungry in the morning and I waited for Santana and my parents to have breakfast. We said goodbye to my father and got into Papi's car, which would soon go to the hospital. Santana was now allowed to sit in the front seat, as was I, but guess who took the front seat without argument? I continued to go behind the driver's seat.
Papi stopped in front of the school. The movement was intense, and that part was nothing new. Only the people milling around were older and some of the kids, especially the football players, were terribly tall and older looking. I was only 14 and a freshman. I was never a popular girl, so I tried to look at McKinley as an opportunity to make friends, since my social ladder started from scratch at that school.
"Then?" I spoke with Santana before get into the new school.
"It's every man for himself now, Ray."
"I wish you good luck."
"Stay alive."
...
(Santana)
It wasn't just high school. It was a survival mission whose biggest gain was to climb the social pyramid, which guaranteed desirable immunity. To do so, it needed to identify who the main players were and the best strategies to follow. The queen bee was Frannie Fabray. I didn't know much about her, but like every Fabray, she was a bitch of the highest order. I wouldn't ally myself with her on principle, but providence dictates caution. No direct confrontations for now. Brittany and I needed to join the cheer squad to move up the social ladder, and looking for trouble with the mutt Fabray wasn't going to help.
"I didn't know they were allowing Chicanos at this school." I heard her comment as I walked down the hall. My blood boiled, but I had the emotional control to just nod and be on my way. One to zero for me, bitch!
I only had to worry about Frannie for two semesters. I heard that her friends weren't great and that many cheerios hated her, which didn't surprise me. So I didn't have to worry about them. There was Quinn Fabray, Frannie's natural heir. Even though Quinn had played dumb in Middle School, I was sure she'd show some claws sooner or later. I didn't consider friendship with her, but I wouldn't seek confrontations for now. Her possible and most likely squire was Amy. The girl wasn't bad and practically thought with her pussy. If I stayed away from the men she was interested in, I would be safe. Unless I had to face a confrontation for whatever reason: you never know.
Of the men, I had to stay away from Harry Morgan, the eldest Fabray's boyfriend. Even though he was dating that bitch, he had a reputation as a womanizer. He flirted with anything that had a vagina between its legs, so be careful. Andy Mastrantonio was another popular senior who had a reputation for being a walking STD. I didn't quite know what to think of him. Ethan Jones closed the popular siege of the male seniors. He was said to be a quiet figure who didn't cause trouble. At least that's what Puck assured me. Puck was a sophomore I'd known for years from the only synagogue Lima has, even though he lived across town. He was the one who gave me valuable information about McKinley.
Unfortunately, I didn't have that much knowledge about other players. The freshmen would reveal themselves throughout the year. There were some obvious people to avoid, like my own sister. Rachel was an annoying loser at our old school and that wouldn't change at McKinley. There were a few other faces I knew, like that kid in the wheelchair. What was his name again? Well, he didn't interest me! I was also to divert my path whenever I saw Jewfro. He was ugly, extremely annoying, gossipy, depraved and obsessed with my sister since he was seven. By the way, Rachel, Puck, Jewfro and I were the only Jews in that school. All the rest of the boys who attended the synagogue were in Carmel.
Carmel's chess game would be simpler since most of my middle schoolmates went there. McKinley, on the other hand, had this defiant aura. I mean: I needed to build a good social ladder, protect Brittany, and fulfill the promise I made to Dad not to let my grades drop on purpose. I think the best policy in not revealing my Power Nerd side is to simply not bring the subject up to anyone at all, since I was enrolled in advanced math classes.
"Santana!" Brittany gave me a warm hug as soon as we met in the hall of the music and rehearsal room.
"Britt Britt. Have you managed to find all your classes yet?"
"No. I ended up getting confused and ended up in the school kitchen. Avoid eating the fries. I'm pretty sure that frying oil is a million years old!"
"I will remember this." I smile. How could I not? She was the nicest creature on Earth.
"I don't understand these symbols on my timetable. Everything is very confusing here."
"Let me see..." I took the paper from her and tried to do my best. I also didn't understand some of the acronyms on my timetable, but I was able to explain the simplest ones. "McKinley is a school divided into two connected buildings: the A and the B. We are in the B and all your classes are from here. From the next time you will have class on the second floor."
"How do you know it's on the second floor?"
"It says B220. B means block B, the number 2 means that it is a room on the second floor and 20, which is the twentieth from there."
"Oh!"
"Still confused?"
"A little."
"If you want, I'll take you there. It's a matter of pick up the pace. At the end of the week you will know how to walk through this school with your eyes closed."
Brittany nodded and we linked up our pinkies before heading back down the halls of the school.
"I heard the cheerios' auditions is in two weeks. I'll put our names on the list as soon as I can. You're already in, but I had to practice a lot this summer. Puck said that these lists for applying to clubs and trying out for teams are usually posted on the board outside the cafeteria. For the majority, just put your name and show up, but they say that the cheerios couch even requires a resume with a photo."
"What?"
"You know…. You need to write on a paper the most important things you've ever done and your best skills. Remember? Like that one you colored with crayons."
"Oh… that list… I don't know San… I don't think I want to be cheerio. They're mean and those girls from our old school couldn't even dance."
"The coach was national champion before accepting to work here for good money. They say it's the highest salary in school. Bigger even than the principal's! The team is very good and I hear the choreography is amazing. We should try."
"Okay..." We made it to her class. "See you later?"
"Let's meet at lunchtime. Ask where the cafeteria is and stay there until I get there, okay?"
Brittany smiled and kissed my cheek before walking into the home economics class. Brittany's parents helped her choose which classes she should take. As she didn't have many academic interests, so she was placed in school subjects mainly in the humanities. I know Brittany would do Spanish, English, PE, home economics, and a few mandatory classes.
The bell rang and I still needed to find my class: advanced math. The problem was that I wasn't used to the halls of McKinley yet and so I wasted my time finding the super nerd crowd there. I ran as best I could in my boots to the first floor of Block A. I forgot my tag and didn't even slam the door when I found the classroom. I went in at once and came face to face with a bulldog-faced middle-aged teacher and five other students: all boys, three of whom were Asian.
"Hello!" I smiled awkwardly and the teacher seemed to be considering whether to expel me or not.
"You are late miss."
"Sorry..."
"What is your name?"
"Santana."
The teacher went to the table to see the student's list.
"Lopez, Santana." I hated when people ignored Berry on my behalf.
"Yes, it's me…"
"This is the test that will tell me how advanced in math you are." He gave me a paper before I could even sit in that tiny classroom. "I expect a hit percentage of at least 50%. Less than that and you are out of this class and invited to attend regular math classes. You have 40 minutes to solve these equations."
You know what was most interesting? I was enrolled in a regular math class because of Brittany and Rachel, who struggled with the subject. So, I took another look at my classmates and saw that there was a boy who had a weird tic, he looked like one of those guys who would be able to figure out the god equation by banging his head on a door dressed in a Pikachu cosplay. I was in that class because it was the best McKinley could offer me, but I needed to hide it from everyone as best I could because being there could be a disaster for my social ladder.
"Ok losers, my name is Santana Berry-Lopez and I will be a cheerio soon. Therefore, if someone opens the mouth to say that I am in that class, this person will suffer the consequences." I said before I even sat down, to the teacher's bewilderment.
I chose the seat in the class that was as far away from the others as possible. I looked at the teacher's puzzled face. For a moment I thought he was going to suspend me on the very first day of school.
...
(Quinn)
Of the many faces she'd expected to see on my first day at McKinley High, Rachel Berry-Lopez wasn't on the list. She was going to Carmel, the Jewish, nouveau riche, liberal, gay-tolerant school: the paradise of Democrats who made fun of red neck Republicans like us. But I had to admit, I was happy to see her crouched down in front of the locker, checking the password on the padlock.
"Damn it!" She grumbled. I decided to approach.
"Problems?" Rachel looked in my direction and she was surprised to see me. Then she rattled the padlock again.
"The password they gave me doesn't match. Typical."
"I can help if you want."
"I can't tell if this number is a 4 or a 9. Anyway, I tried both ways and it didn't work."
I took the paper with the code and it was worn and handwritten. Rachel was right: it couldn't read well.
"Is this a 6 or a 5?" I showed her the paper.
"I'm trying the 6..." Rachel took the paper and tried to make the combination again. She got it right. "It was a 5!" She cheered.
"Mission Accomplished. Now you have your locker."
"Thanks, Quinn."
"You're welcome." I walked away.
"You..." Rachel said a little louder, causing me to turn my attention back to her. "Would you like to have lunch with me? Here there is still no captive table and we could share one." It was the strangest proposal I've ever had, but Rachel wasn't a girl with many friends and maybe it was logical to make misplaced approaches.
"It's not that I wouldn't like it, but I agreed to stay with my sister and her friends." I would much rather keep Rachel company. At least I thought the diva tantrums Rachel had were funny. She was cute. But I was under the hawk eyes of Frannie and her squad of underlings. Fostering a friendship with Rachel would break rule #1: stay away from the losers. It was obvious that Rachel would be framed in this class because of the horrible clothes she wore and her attitude.
"Ah, cheerios. You will be one just like your sister, if I remember rightly."
"That's it." I remembered the conversation we had in the cafeteria months ago and curiosity came to me. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course!"
"Why aren't you in Carmel?"
"Because I am the one who suffers when my sister decides to be altruistic. Santana is here to help Brittany, and my parents think I should be a part of this experience as well."
"I am really sorry."
"Family: there are certain things that it's better to accept than try to understand." Rachel looked very upset about her fate. I nodded. I knew very well what she meant by that.
"Well, I..." I pointed down the empty hallway. "See you around."
"Certainly… and thanks again for your help."
Once I was watching the pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I like the scene where she is approached by Cordelia Chase, the popular girl, and follows her through the halls. Willow Rosenberg appears drinking water from the fountain and is chased away by Cordelia. But Buffy and Willow exchange significant looks in that scene that makes the slayer choose the nerd and, by extension, the bottom of the social pyramid. She becomes an outsider and doesn't regret it.
Frannie is Cordelia Chase. Rachel is Willow Rosenberg. But unlike Buffy, I choose Cordelia and the path that leads to the top of the pyramid. I was a coward.