(Quinn)

After the emergency surgery to remove the appendix, Santana had been resting for a week and, by the looks of it, would stay at home for a while longer. I knew Brittany would visit her every day, and I was sure Rachel was responsible for taking her homework. Brittany wasn't the person with the best sense of direction, but she was the one who drove me to the Berry-Lopezes house, and left me with the impression that it was the only place in the world she would be able to go there even if she was blindfolded. I knew where Santana and Rachel lived, I mean: I knew their address. I just didn't remember passing that street before. That's why I was impressed with the beautiful house of modern architecture. My little house felt so American next to that.

The one who opened the door to us was the maid of the house. The woman gave Brittany a huge smile and indicated where Santana was. Brittany held my hand and practically dragged me into a large, well-appointed room (like everything else) that housed a huge television and home theater system. The sofa was spacious, made for us to be able to put our legs up, lie down, sleep. In other words, be comfortable. We found Santana sitting with her legs stretched out on top of the couch. On television, an episode of Lost was playing. I didn't think that greedy bitch liked to watch these things.

Brittany hugged and kissed Santana on the cheek as soon as she saw her. She immediately sat down next to Santana. I felt that the wounded beast didn't take her eyes off me, and I was cornered there not knowing what to do, where to look, where to put my hands. I started with the basics.

"Hi Santana."

"What are you doing here, Fabray?"

"Because we need to do a physics project."

"What?"

"You are my partner for the physics project and I came here to work on it with you."

"Are you my partner on a physics project?"

"I think that part is pretty clear, Santana."

"Why did you choose me as a partner?" Santana crossed her arms, even more suspicious, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Can I seat?"

"Make yourself comfortable." Santana had a suspicious nature. Sometimes this was necessary, sometimes it was just annoying.

"Your house is very beautiful... and big".

"Thank you… can you answer my question? What's your game, Fabray Jr.? You attack my sister almost every day. Your sister attacks me almost every day. And now this? Research partners? What's your game?"

"First of all, you're not the nicest person in the world and the classmates wasn't willing to work with you. No one is willing to be insulted by you. So I volunteered to be your partner because, despite everything, you can do calculations like no one else, and because it would be a good opportunity."

"Opportunity for what?"

"For us to get to know each other better."

"I know you well enough, Fabray Jr."

"You are wrong, Lopez. I am not my sister." I had to straighten my posture to be able to argue, and not get shooed out of that house. "If you give me a chance, I'll prove to you that I'm not as bad as you think, and that I can be a great ally."

"San...it was Quinn who took us to the hospital that day..." Brittany spoke softly, and I could hardly believe she was interceding for me.

Santana stared at me with fire in her eyes, as if testing me. Then she relaxed a little and waved her hand, as if in contempt.

"Okay, talk about the physics project first."

I took my notebook out of my backpack and showed her what I had thought of doing. We would have to build a structure in which we could show in a practical way some concepts of kinematics and do the related calculations. Brittany tried to follow along with the discussion, but I think she got bored and started scrolling on the TV before leaving the room. To where, I had no idea. She seemed intimate enough to be free to roam the house as she pleased.

"Our presentation is next Wednesday?" Santana complained after we discussed some ideas. "Why didn't you choose a more distant date?"

"It was a draw and I was unlucky".

"The only good thing about it is that we show the project right away... Dad is at home working in the greenhouse. He's the right person to help with this kind of project. He has woodworking skills and can make the contraption, you are responsible for the slides, and I take care of the calculations".

"Each one does their part and then we put everything together on the spot? I don't know if that would look good, and I have grades to keep, Santana."

"Okay… We can work here if you want."

"Santy!" Rachel walked into the room oblivious that I was there, which came as a surprise when she noticed her tormentor sitting on the couch. That was her home, her environment. Out of respect, I bowed my head. Rachel looked shocked, but soon regained her composure. "I didn't know that..."

"Quinn came to do a school project." Santana explained it like it was no big deal. "What do you want, Pikachu?"

"Quiero saber donde lo dejó mi ipod." Rachel started to speak in Spanish. I didn't even know she was fluent. I thought it was cute. That's something you can only learn from being close. At home, Rachel dressed like a normal person: she wore shorts, a Chicago T-shirt, and flip-flops. That simplicity made her even more attractive.

"No tomé tu ipod." Santana said.

"Por supuesto que tuvo. Es lo que siempre hacen." Rachel put her hands on her hips. Another lovely gesture. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

"Bueno... La demanda em La casa de La piscina. Tal vez haya."

"Ok... Papi llamó y se quejó de que su telefono se desconecta o se desgarga, y didió que le advierten que no tome uma más anti-inflamatorios, que traerá outro de lo hospital."

"Los otros siguen siendo los mismos?"

"Él solo hablaba de La anti-inflamatorios. Liga y confirma, o esperar a que llegue a casa!"

Rachel turned her back and left the room. There was still no sign of Brittany, and that made me curious, but I didn't ask for her. I didn't think it was appropriate. On the other hand, I was dying to address another issue.

"Do you guys speak Spanish at home?" I understood nothing of the dialogue. I always chose French as a second language at school, even though I knew that Spanish could be more useful. I had a bit of my father's prejudice against Hispanics, and that contributed to lessening my interest in the language.

"Rachel and I are bilingual." Santana didn't want to explain further. It was her way: every time she asked a question, she answered me just enough.

"And... Santy?"

"Childhood nickname. Only Rachel calls me that." Santana frowned in warning. It wasn't good business to keep asking personal questions. "Let's get down to business, Fabray Jr."

Santana turned off the television and I helped her up from the couch. She walked unaided, but she moved carefully, smoothly. There were certain postoperative precautions despite the simplicity of appendicitis surgery.

When I do group homework at home, I use the dining room table. Not the Berry-Lopezes ones: they had a library. I was amazed at the space. It was a dream to have a private library that really had a lot of books, was spacious and comfortable. I guessed three thousand titles into the Berry-Lopez holdings. There was a four-seater round table in one corner, and two armchairs in the other corner.

"There's white paper and pens on that door over there." Santana pointed to one of the lockers. I pointed for confirmation, then crouched down and opened the door. They had normal stationery stuff lying around like a ruler, reams of paper, markers, pens, crayons, and labels. I grabbed some white papers and pens. "Do you think we're going to need the computer now?" Santana took my textbook as she sat down at the table.

"Perhaps."

"Mine is on my bed. Could you get it? I have to go up and down stairs as few as possible!" I gestured that yes, I would. "My room is the third door on the left. It's the last door, just in case."

The staircase led to the living room, which had a good view of the dining room. I saw the maid using the product on the furniture. I waved at her, and she returned the smile. I found it curious that I still didn't see any sign of Brittany or Rachel.

"Where are the other girls?" I couldn't hold back my curiosity and asked the maid.

"Britt must be in the greenhouse with Hiram. I think Rach is over at the pool house bugging the piano." She said. I found it strange the degree of intimacy she referred to the people in that house. No maid could do that in the Fabray household.

"Piano? Rachel plays the piano?" It wouldn't surprise me if she plays since she's so involved in music. Well, I played the piano reasonably well thanks to the two years of lessons I took as a child.

"She bothers the piano." The maid smiled. "Rachel plays really badly, you know? But Hiram is an excellent pianist. You must see when he plays for Rachel to sing. It's so beautiful!"

"I'm sure it was great. Thanks." I was curious to see such a scene. I wished that one day I would be allowed to attend one of these performances.

I go upstairs. The house was so well apportioned, and I had no trouble finding Santana's room. There was a wide hall on the second floor that divided rooms on the right, which were at the front of the house, and on the left, whose windows faced the backyard. The first door on the left was open. It was a room with yellow decor and musical posters adorning the walls. It belonged to Rachel, without a doubt. I was tempted to go in and explore, but I was afraid of being caught or of Santana getting suspicious because of the delay. The second door appeared to be a bathroom and the last one was Santana's room. The room's decor was dark and chic. I couldn't help but also notice the unmade and messy bed. It reflected Santana's personality well: sophisticated and disorganized at the same time. As she said, the notebook was on the bed. I tried to get back to the library as soon as possible.

We spent the next hour getting as much progress on the project as possible before we each left with our individual assignments. Mr. Berry appeared accompanied by Brittany to help us. But Brittany got bored and she said she was going to make lunch. Mr. Berry made sketches of the device we were to assemble and explained how it would work. Santana listened almost solemnly while I tried to concentrate, but I felt a great sense of embarrassment and shame. Here was the man my father sought to assault whenever he had the opportunity. And on the opposite side wasn't only a Fabray, but his youngest daughter's biggest tormentor. However, Mr. Berry ignored everything and only cared about helping us with school, something my own father never did for me. Or my mother.

There was a break for lunch, which was another different moment. The Berry-Lopez behaved differently from the Fabray. Mr. Berry, Santana and Rachel talked easily about general matters: television, school, small happenings in Lima. Even the maid joined in the conversation, something impossible in my house. Brittany explained recipes with an eloquence I never imagined she was capable of, and Rachel smiled easily. True, she avoided looking at me, but she was smiling and laughing.

Doctor Juan Lopez arrived in the meantime. He was visibly tired after facing the shift at the hospital. He was a good-looking guy who must have been in his mid-40s. When I saw him kissing his husband on the lips, it looked strange. I had never seen two men kissing in front of me: it was a scene that seemed like fiction to me, something on television. What seemed most strange was not the fact of seeing two men kiss on the lips, but because Juan Lopez and Hiram Berry didn't seem to match each other.

I noticed that Santana was the female copy of her doctor father. She has the same in skin color, and especially the shape of his eyes. This made me observe Hiram's face better: neither beautiful nor ugly, white, straight dark hair in a longer length, light eyes, small body. Rachel didn't look like him, except for her nose. Rachel didn't look like Dr. Lopez, except perhaps for the brown eyes? It was easy to identify Santana's biological father. The same didn't happen with Rachel. Perhaps she was similar to her biological mother.

Doctor Lopez walked over to Santana and asked questions as if he were still in the office. As they were speaking in Spanish, I didn't understand any of the content, but I knew it was surgery related by the way he was touching her, checking her eyes and body temperature. Rachel also interacted by speaking in Spanish, while Mr. Berry just smiled at me.

"Don't worry, I also feel left out when these three start speaking only in Spanish."

"Did you never learn to speak the language?"

"A thing here and there just to not be so oblivious."

After lunch Santana, Brittany and I went back to the library. Our project was all underway and I had to leave because of the late hour. But I still needed to achieve one more goal, and I waited until I was alone with Santana and Brittany to talk about it.

"I have a proposal for you two." I said while packing the materials to leave. "Something that interests us directly."

"I was wondering when you were going to start talking about your second agenda, Fabray Jr.." Santana grumbled. "A snake like you always has ulterior motives."

"Do you want to hear it or not?"

"Speak!" Santana sat down at the table. It didn't seem like she was that interested in listening.

"I know how to get Brittany and I back in the cheerios, and kicking my sister out in the process."

Here are the facts: Brittany and I got kicked out for dropping out of practice, but not Santana because, of course, she got sick and it wasn't her fault. Sylvester said that she would not overturn Frannie's decision, and that I should find a way to get back on the squadron, knocking Frannie out in the process. It forced me to think of something because, let's face it, being a cheerio was like having a McKinley shield. I became invisible for a week, and I didn't like the feeling of insecurity that the lack of uniform provided. Also, Brittany was set to be yet another victim of slushie attacks. Under these circumstances I understood that I really needed to find my way back to the cheerios, and that I needed to dethrone my sister.

"I need you two to stay by my side at school. Frannie is a person who only maintains command on the strength of the Fabray name, because my father is one of the sponsors of the team. Turns out, there is another Fabray who dances better, has more empathy and is not a sociopath."

"Who?" Brittany asked, and I saw that Santana held back a laugh. Santana couldn't laugh anyway, or it might tear the stitches from the surgery. I would be laughing myself, if I wasn't trying to convince Lopez.

"Frannie does have a very fragile command." Santana commented.

"In fact. I love my sister, but I have to admit she's out of control. Besides, I need my uniform back, and the only way to get it is to take down the majesty."

"And what do I have to do with it? Watching you Frannie squeal will be great, but I don't want to be a part of it. I don't know if you're that much better than Frannie either."

"But if I go back to the cheerios, I'll be captain. That means you'll be my right hand and Brittany will be back too. It's a good deal for the three of us. I need the toughest and the most talented cheerio by my side. And the popularity you're going to achieve would make you both untouchable." I glared at Santana. "You would no longer be at a disadvantage to Andy. You could get even."

"That sounds good… what's your plan then? Public humiliation?"

"None of that. Let's act discreetly. I have a compromising video of Frannie with her friends and jocks that I shot at a party last weekend. It was a favor that cost me $200. First, let's take an informal poll on whether or not the girls want Frannie to stay on as captain. In fact I've already canvassed the girls and most want her out before the championship finals. I will show this result to my sister at an opportune moment and I will try to convince her to resign and leave with dignity. But if she refuses, I need you to help me with a movie session."

"Oh… well, I can do the dirty work, Fabray, not least because it will be an honor to help destroy your sister. But with a few small conditions."

"And what else do you want besides giving Brittany her uniform back and going straight to the top?" I really couldn't imagine what Santana wanted.

"I don't like you or your family. Therefore, our alliance begins and ends at school. It doesn't mean we'll be friends or anything like that."

"Okay, it's a deal! Anything else?"

"You have to stop throwing slushies at Rachel."

"What?" Santana took me by surprise, and not in a bad way.

"I'm not saying to you like my sister when I want to throttle her every single day. I know you're vying for the attention of that asshole Finn Hudson and I respect the rivalry. But you're not going to throw slushies at her anymore. Never again! Forget she exists. Do that, make sure we're untouchable at that school and you'll have me as an ally. I'll be your best friend in that corral of losers."

"Alright! No more slushies on Rachel and I'll ignore her as much as possible." Santana had no idea how happy I was with this condition. Having to throw slushies at Rachel made me miserable. The deal gave me a good excuse to get it over with, and still protect my reputation.

"The terms of our alliance are set." Santana held her left hand out to me.

"Santana, you're left-handed and the world is right-handed!" She switched hands and greeted me properly, with her right hand. I did the same with Brittany, but she had a better idea: she joined all three hands in a team play pact. The trinity was formed that would fight to overthrow McKinley's old generals. An unholy trinity, I may say.

"Now I understand why you wanted to do the school project with me." Santana helped me with my stuffs.

"That's why, and because you're really good at calculus. Does it bother you that much?"

"No... I believe that your coming brought other benefits. Perhaps this visit of yours will make you less ignorant and intolerant now that you know that my family is as normal as any other... We are not cursed or lepers, as your father likes to rant."

"Your dads are good people!" I said softly, sincerely.

"They are the best." Santana couldn't help but smile. She really loved those two.

I had to go. I had hoped to catch a ride with Brittany, but she decided to sleep over at the Berry-Lopez house. From her behavior, so intimate, she must have had a drawer in Santana's wardrobe and her own toothbrush in the bathroom. I thought about walking back. I only needed an umbrella to face the drizzle that was falling at that moment, but Hiram was kind enough to offer me a ride. I got into the Ford Ranger smelling new and I was silent during the short journey.

"Mr. Berry, with all due respect, would you please drop me off at the corner of my street?"

"Are you afraid your father will see you with me?"

"I…I…" I was embarrassed at myself.

"Don't worry. I understand your situation. Your father would have a heart attack if he saw me with you. It could get you into trouble, and Russell would even threaten to sue me for attempted rape or something." He stopped the truck at the corner of the street as I asked.

"I'm sorry about that, Mr. Berry. I really am! I wanted you to know that I don't think like my father."

"I know you don't. Good night, Quinn. It's been a pleasure."

"The pleasure was all mine." I got out of the car and smiled gratefully at the man before turning my back and running the few meters that separated me from my house.

My stomach was full after the lunch I enjoyed earlier at the Berry-Lopezes' house. I had dinner with my family, but I ate little. My father was in a good mood because he closed a deal that would earn him good money. I took a shower and threw myself on the bed. My mind was busy absorbing the day's events. I barely saw the time pass. When I found myself, it was ten at night. I grabbed my headset and my computer. I logged onto MySpace. Rachel never failed: every week, at the same time, she posted a new song. The song at the time was "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles. I pressed play: "Close your eyes, give me your hand, Darling/ Do you fell my heart beating/ do you understand/ do you feel the same/ Am i only dreaming/ is this burning an eternal flame..."