Memory #1: First day of camp
Santana slammed the car's door, a thud echoing from the force with which it closed. She was upset, no, she was more like, furious, because her parents were forcing her to spend the summer at summer camp. The most that infuriated the Latina was that since the beginning of the year she had made plans with Quinn and Brittany. It was supposed to be the perfect summer, however she was in the middle of a forest on the outskirts of Lima, while her best friends were probably enjoying themselves at some party.
"Don't take your anger out on the car, mija." Luisa López said, as she got off the driver's side to go open the trunk.
The Latina snorted and crossed her arms, "The car wouldn't hit me with the chancla for hurting it, you would."
"Damn right I would." The woman replied, closing the trunk once Santana had gotten her things out.
As they searched for the camp director's office, Santana watched as children ranging in age from 5 to at least 14 ran around the area. It just so happened that the camp was run by Santana's older sister, which was why the Latina was there to, according to her parents, be disciplined. And the Latina didn't understand what all the fuss was about, if it had just been a party where things got out of control and the 75-inch television ended with the screen smashed. Of course Santana's parents weren't in Lima, and of course both adults had told the young woman not to party during their absence. So now Santana had to face two months of pure torture in which she would probably have to clean toilets, or latrines, or wherever those 350 kids shitted what they ate during the day.
When they finally found the cabin, Luisa knocked on the door and went inside when a voice said "adelante". Behind an elegant wooden desk was Estefanía López, the eldest daughter of the López family and the sister with whom Santana least got along. Estefanía had been the pride of her parents, she had good grades, she was beautiful, she behaved, she spoke five languages perfectly, and she also ran an educational camp for children with low academic performance. It went without saying that Santana was always jealous of her older sister because while during dinner Estefanía talked about how she was becoming a Latin version of Martin Luther King, Santana mentioned how many slushie attacks she had ordered. The cheerleader always felt that she was overshadowed by her sister's actions, by the perfection that she projected. And even though her parents had never mentioned it, deep down Santana knew that they wanted their youngest daughter to be like their oldest.
Estefanía looked over her reading glasses at the door and smiled when she saw her mother. "Mami! I told you to let me know when you arrived so someone would meet you and escort you here."
"Ay mija, no te preocupes. It was easy for us to find your office." Luisa responded, pulling her eldest daughter into a tight hug. ("Ay mija, don't worry.")
Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Yeah, we only got lost like eight times."
The older sister laughed, but Luisa glared at her younger daughter. "Cállate, Santana Marie. No me hagas sacar la chancla de mi bolso." ("Shut up Santana Marie. Don't make me get the flip-flop out of my bag.")
"Perdón, mami." Was all the younger Latina muttered as she glared at her sister who was biting her lip to keep from laughing. ("Sorry, mami.")
"I'm leaving you, mis niñas. I'll see you when camp is over." The woman turned around and looked at Santana with a look that made the girl's legs shake with fear. "You better behave yourself, Santana Marie."
Once the eldest of the López had said goodbye to her daughters, Estefanía approached her sister and gave her a hug. Santana tensed and returned the affection in an awkward manner. She wasn't used to such displays of affection, and she knew that it was partly her fault for being so hateful to her older sisters.
"You don't have to see this as a punishment, hermanita. And you have to learn to be a little more responsible when you throw house parties without permission. The idea is not to get caught." Estefanía separated from Santana, and the younger one snorted.
"Please, you spent the nights locked in your room studying. What do you know about not being caught disobeying?"
The older one smirked and opened her office door, "Well, mami and papi never caught me sneaking out my bedroom window to parties, did they?"
Santana looked at her older sister in astonishment, so much so that she didn't notice when she was left alone in the office and had to run to catch up with her sister. The older Latina gave her a tour of the camp and then took her to the cabin where she was going to stay. After all, Santana wasn't going to have to clean toilets or shitholes because she would be an assistant to one of the best counselors in the camp. Estefanía understood that it was the best way to implement some responsibility in her older sister, and she knew that the counselor was going to help her with that.
Estefanía gave three soft knocks on the door before opening it, "Hey, are you settled in yet? I want to introduce you to your assistant and roommate."
"Oh wonderful! I'm excited to meet your sister, Fanny."
Santana found that voice too familiar, but she wasn't sure who it belonged to. Also, she couldn't see the other girl because Estefanía was taller than her and she was also wearing heels, so Santana could only see her sister's back.
"Let's see if you think the same after spending a day with her."
The younger Latina slapped Estefanía on the back, and she laughed at the blow and at the other girl's indignant face.
"Come on Fanny, I doubt your sister is…" And the sentence stopped halfway because just at that moment the cheerleader had gotten tired of not being able to see the girl and with a push she went into the cabin. "Santana."
"Rachel…"
"Do you two know each other?"
Estefanía looked at Santana, and the younger Latina got nervous at her sister's look. Because one thing about her older sister was that she always found out when Santana was lying. Luckily Rachel intervened and began to tell Estefanía how they both went to the same school and were in the glee club. So, while Santana unpacked her things and arranged them on her side of the cabin, Rachel told Estefanía anecdotes without ever mentioning the bullying or the slushies.
When Estefanía left the room saying that she hoped to see them at dinner, Santana said nothing. First because her mind was totally blank, and second because Rachel Berry was wearing extremely short shorts. And Santana had the view of beautiful long tanned legs that made her think that maybe sharing a cabin with the diva during the summer wouldn't be so bad.
*
Memory #2: First day of class
It was 5:30 in the morning when Santana heard the alarm clock go off so loud it almost blew out her eardrums. Rachel got up as if she was used to waking up at that time every day, but it took the Latina a little more work. It wasn't like Santana didn't get up early, because Sue Sylvester's workouts were at dawn, but in the summer she preferred to sleep a little longer.
The previous afternoon, after Santana had organized all her things, Rachel took her to the dining room. And while Santana was sitting at one of the loneliest tables and away from the rest of the dining room, Rachel was surrounded by children who were fighting to sit next to her. Of course, all the kids had to pile into the front seats because next to Rachel was Estefanía and Joshua (Estefanía's right-hand man). It was amazing how different the diva looked there, surrounded by a bunch of kids and smiling like the world was going to end soon. That was a completely different Rachel Berry than the one Santana knew from school.
After breakfast, Rachel and Santana left the cabin.
"Where are we going?"
"We have to go to Fanny's office. She still hasn't told me which room we have."
Santana nodded, "How long have you been coming here?"
Rachel shrugged, "I started coming here when I was 12 and when I was 16 Fanny made me a counselor. What your sister does here is wonderful."
Both girls stopped when they heard a shriek, "Rachie!" And soon after, Rachel had a blonde clinging like a koala. "I was looking for you."
The Latina didn't know how the hell Rachel was still standing after being tackled by that blonde who was too familiar to her. And it wasn't until Santana felt the faint smell of incense that the Latina knew who the woman who was hugging Rachel was.
"Julia?"
Julia López, the middle sister. Despite not being as educated and well-directed as the eldest, she wasn't as derailed and disobedient as Santana either. The López's second daughter had slightly lighter skin than her sisters, olive green eyes, and from the age of 15 she had dyed her hair blonde; and even so, she was the living copy of Luisa López. And just as Estefanía was a revolutionary, and Santana was a Tasmanian devil (as her parents said), Julia was a hippie. The kind that always smelled of incense and drove those Volkswagen vans. At some point, she even smoked marijuana, which is why Santana accused her with her parents and which is why Julia was sent to a rehabilitation center, and the day from which both sisters started to have a terrible relationship.
"Santanita! What are you doing here?"
"If you'd bother to call and talk to me, you'd know why I'm here." Santana replied, crossing her arms and assuming a challenging pose.
The blonde laughed humorlessly, "Well, you can call too. My number is still the same, and from what I can see you're not missing your fingers."
Santana smiled sweetly and walked over to her sister, "I still have all my fingers but they cramp up every time I see your name in the contacts on my cell phone."
Rachel decided to intervene when Julia clenched her fists at her sides and made a move to move toward Santana.
"July! Why were you looking for me?" Rachel inquired, standing between the two sisters to separate them a bit.
"Right. Fanny said that you'll work with the Mariposa group." The blonde replied, and a smile played on her lips as Rachel squealed with excitement.
"Seriously?!"
"Seriously. Now, go with your butterflies, Miss Berry." Julia winked at Rachel, and the diva blushed. After years of working with the blonde, the diva still hadn't gotten used to Julia López's flirtatious nature.
Santana frowned when she saw Rachel's cheeks stained pink. Did her sister and Berry…? The Latina felt chills and a burning sensation took over her stomach. Julia wasn't a lesbian, was she?
"Let's go Santana! See you in the dining room at noon, July." The diva yelled, one hand waving goodbye to the older woman and the other dragging Santana toward the Mariposa cabin.
When they got to the cabin, Joshua was with the kids, who were more like a bunch of 12-13 year old tweens. The kids were making the poor man dizzy from all the questions they were asking him, and his eyes lit up when he saw Rachel. Not to mention all the campers, the diva just set foot in the cabin and all the tweens were surrounding Rachel. The singer was hugging them all the best she could and was telling them how much she had missed them all.
The Latina couldn't help but smile at that scene, since most of the campers were taller than Rachel and covered her with their bodies. Still, Santana could see the glint in the counselor's eyes and it made her think that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be Rachel Berry's assistant for the summer.
*
Memory #3: Amanda's breakdown
(TW: Suicide Attempt)
Three weeks. Santana had been in the middle of the forest for three weeks, and the reality was that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find how to hate working in the camp. The Mariposa group was wonderful and full of upcoming artists. Santana had managed to connect with each of the youngsters that were part of the group, except one; Amanda Campbell. It was the first time the girl had gone to camp, and both Santana and Rachel were having problems with Amanda's rebellious attitude.
After the first week, Santana gave up on the young woman, but Rachel was determined to find out why Amanda was so distant with everyone. So now, the Latina was lying on her bed with the fan hitting her face after taking a shower. On the other hand, Rachel was on her cell phone looking for information, any detail that could help her with Amanda.
It was half past eleven on an extremely exhausting and hot Saturday night in which the children and counselors had spent the whole day swimming and playing in the lake. Santana had acquired a beautiful tan, leaving her skin an even more caramelized color. Rachel's cheeks, arms, and legs were red from the sun, and the sunburn was so hot that she was wearing shorts and a spaghetti strap camisole. And the Latina wasn't blind, and Rachel had an amazing body.
There were three knocks on the door that snapped Santana out of her indecent thoughts, and Rachel from her reading. And without waiting for any kind of invitation, the door opened and Julia entered the cabin with Estefanía on her heels.
"We have a problem, Rachel." Julia said, her breathing ragged and her voice alarmed.
"What kind of problem?"
"Amanda is not in her cabin, nor in the vicinity of the camp." Estefanía answered.
"Fuck." You already know who muttered that.
Rachel fell silent, her mind racing a hundred miles an hour, trying to find something within the memories. Then her mind stopped on a specific memory, an interaction that ended with Amanda furious. That afternoon Rachel saw something when the young girl had taken off the pile of bracelets she always wore. Scars.
"We have to go to the suspension bridge. Right now!" The diva yelled, grabbing the safety harness and the ropes that must be used in that place from under her bed.
"Why do we have to go there?"
"I hope I'm wrong, but if I'm not, Amanda is about to kill herself."
The others didn't question Rachel and simply ran after her until they reached the suspension bridge. And in the middle of the structure that moved from one side to the other was Amanda. The young lady was on the second string of the bridge, looking down at the rushing river below.
"¡Ay Dios mío! ¡Ay Dios mío!" Julia exclaimed, raising her hands to her eyes so as not to see.
"Rachel, what do we do?"
"What do we do, Estefanía!? La mocosa está apunto de saltar. ¡Tenemos que salvarla!" Santana was pale, so pale that the tan she had acquired during the day was not even noticeable. ("What do we do, Estefanía!? The brat is about to jump. We have to save her!")
The diva sighed and hooked the safety rope to her harness and the other end to the rope that served as the bridge's handrail. "Don't worry. I'll take care of bringing Amanda back safe and sound."
Santana looked at her and could only say one thing: "Be careful, Rachel."
Rachel just nodded, thinking that Santana just wanted her to make sure to rescue Amanda. What the diva didn't know was that Santana was more worried about her than the camper. Because with each passing day, the Latina was able to accept that the bullying and the slushies had been caused by a crush she had on Rachel. She had been pushing away those feelings, trying to make them disappear, but now Santana didn't give a damn. She was in love with a girl and that girl was the amazingly talented and beautiful Rachel Barbra Berry.
The bridge was moving from side to side and Rachel's steps were a little unsteady, but little by little she managed to get closer to the girl. The camper was looking at the river, the sound of the water so loud that she didn't hear the counselor getting closer to her.
"Amanda."
The young girl turned so abruptly that she lost her balance, but after a few seconds she regained it. "What are you doing here, Miss Berry?"
"I was going to ask the same thing." Replied the diva, taking another step and getting a little closer.
Amanda stretched out her arm with an open hand. "Stop! Don't take another step."
"Okay, I'm not going to move." Rachel stopped, looked at the river, and back at Amanda. The camper's eyes held a sadness that Rachel was all too familiar with. "Why do you want to do this?"
Amanda let out a bitter laugh that ended in weak sobs. "What's the point of living if everyone hates me?"
"Not everyone hates you, Amanda."
"How would you know? The students at my school walk away from me as if I had leprosy. They insult me, hit me, yell, and make fun of me. And finally, my parents can't stand to see me, that's why they sent me to this stupid camp. How can I think that someone cares if they treat me like this?"
Rachel looked at her sympathetically because she remembered, at some point in her preteens, feeling the same way as Amanda. As if life had no meaning, and she knew perfectly well how painful it was to reach that point of depression, and even more, how difficult it was to overcome it.
"I get bullied too, you know." Those words caught Amanda's attention. "Every morning I'm greeted at school with a huge glass of slushie that ends up in my face. They call me RuPaul, Treasure Trail, Midget, and once they said that I look like one of the bait girls on 'To Catch a Predator'."
The three sisters could hear the conversation, but Santana was the closest and she was the one who could see the sadness in Rachel's eyes. Of course, Estefanía and Julia knew better than anyone how much Rachel had suffered before she was finally happy. Many times the López sisters had hugged the counselor until she fell asleep. Also many nights, it was Julia and Estefanía who washed the clothes full of slushie and consoled a 14-year-old Rachel who was crying inconsolably because the girl she was in love with (a certain Latina) was her greatest tormentor. And God only knows how many times the sisters made her vomit up a bunch of pills or patched up cuts on her arms.
Rachel fake laughed and sighed, "And I better not talk about my dads, let's just say they're not the best at fathering. But look at me, I'm still here."
"And how do you bear it? How do you see meaning in life?" The camper asked desperately. "Because all I want is to sleep and never wake up again."
"Oh, honey, I've felt like that too, and I eased my pain in the same way as you." Rachel raised her left arm and revealed some scars. "But I always felt worse after doing it, like I was disappointing myself. Then I found music and this camp, and everything started to change."
The diva took the opportunity to get closer to Amanda. "You need to find something that you're passionate about, that makes you feel alive. Not all people hate you, just those who refuse to know you. And right here, just in front of you, you have someone who wants to know every little detail about you."
With each word Rachel moved a little closer to Amanda and the girl was showing more vulnerability. "Do you really want to know me?"
"More than that, honey. I want to be your best friend." The diva held out her hand. "Come down from there and let me help you find that something that will make you see the beauty of life."
Amanda started to turn around on the rope and reached out to grab Rachel's hand, but her balance betrayed her. The fingers of the youngest brushed against those of the counselor but did not get hold of each other. Amanda found no support and went backwards, but Rachel launched herself after her. And Santana felt her heart catch in her throat as she watched the diva fall off the edge of the suspension bridge.
"Rachel!" And in no time she was running across the shaky bridge.
"Santana! You don't have the security ropes!"
But that mattered little to the Latina, because all she wanted was to see that Rachel was okay. When she got to the middle of the bridge and leaned out, she saw Rachel's body being held by the safety rope while the diva held tightly to Amanda who was clinging desperately to the counselor's body. Rachel looked up when she heard a sigh and smiled at Santana, which the Latina shakily returned.
Minutes later, Julia and Estefanía managed to get Rachel and Amanda up. They were both taken to the medical cabin where the doctor checked them both and where Santana refused to part away from Rachel. Neither of them had serious injuries, Amanda was still in shock from how close she was to being swept away by a river, and Rachel had a horrible burn around her thighs and abdomen from the force with which the harness pulled her when she plunged into the void.
The doctor gave them painkillers, including Santana because the Latina's heart was beating at three hundred kilometers per hour. And that night, Santana, Rachel, and Amanda slept huddled together in the diva's bed. Santana would later say it was the painkillers, even though inside she was jumping with excitement from sleeping with Rachel Berry in her arms.
*
Memory #4: Bonding Campfire
Since the incident on the suspension bridge, Amanda followed Rachel everywhere, and wherever these two were, there was also Santana. The girl did not separate from the counselor because it made her feel safe, and she was afraid that if she walked away, the thoughts that led her to the suspension bridge would return. The Latina followed them because Rachel was capable of anything crazy for the children of the camp, and she wanted to make sure that her Rachel didn't get hurt.
It was the last week of July, and the last night of the camp. The next day, after the farewell party, the children would return to their homes and would not see the forest until next summer. For Santana it was a somewhat bittersweet feeling, on the one hand she could use her cell phone again after two months, on the other, she would have to wait a whole year to see the campers who stole her heart. Of course, she would never say that out loud because she had a reputation to protect.
Santana decided to stop thinking about that and preferred to focus on gathering all the campers at the campfire. Every year, on the last night of camp, everyone (including Estefanía) built a bonfire and slept under the stars. Once everyone was at the campfire, Santana made sure her sleeping bag was next to Rachel's. On the other side it was obvious that Amanda was there, and behind the three of them were Estefanía and Julia.
"Rachie, mi amor." The blonde smirked as she saw Santana's jaw clench and a possessive hand rest on Rachel's covered thigh.
The diva was unfazed by Santana's action, since the night of the suspension bridge, Rachel had discovered that the cheerleader's endearment language was touch. For obvious reasons, Rachel didn't mind that Santana was like that, and the Latina used her way of being as an excuse to be close to Rachel. But neither of them could deny, or hide, the tension that existed between them every time they were together. And Julia loved using her flirtatious nature and lack of shame to make Rachel blush and as a bonus to see how her sister seemed to think of a thousand ways to murder her.
"Make me a s'more? You always make them perfect, mi amor." Rachel blushed but agreed to make the s'more for Julia. And meanwhile, Santana glared at her sister.
When Julia had the s'more in her hands, she took a bite and, in the most vulgar, sexual way possible, closed her eyes and moaned. Rachel's eyes widened comically and her cheeks turned bright red, Amanda couldn't hold back her laughter and spit out the soda, and Santana frowned and crushed the plastic cup in her hand. Estefanía bit her lip to keep from laughing, and was grateful that everyone was deep enough in their conversations not to have paid attention to her sister's vulgarities.
"Si así preparas los s'mores, no me quiero imaginar lo que puedes hacer en la cama." Rachel began to stutter for an answer and Santana gasped in disgust at what her sister had said to her Rachel. ("If this is how you make s'mores, I don't want to imagine what you can do in bed.")
Estefanía slapped Julia's shoulder, "¡Para ya! La pobre Rachel está tan roja como un tomate." ("Stop it! Poor Rachel is as red as a tomato.")
Santana was about to insult her sister, but Rachel composed herself before the Latina could speak and said: "Cuando quieras te muestro lo hábiles que son mis manos."
("Whenever you want I show you how skilled my hands are.")
"Rachel!" Santana yelled in shock after several minutes of silence. Amanda burst out laughing at the Latina's reaction because she didn't understand half of what Rachel had said. Estefanía couldn't take it anymore and began to laugh out loud, and Julia was speechless because the diva always blushed at her insinuations but never responded.
Rachel simply shrugged and went to the center of the campfire to begin the first activity: horror stories. Several children ended up snuggling in the sleeping bags of the older ones because of the Santana story. Then, with a background guitar, they sang a couple of songs and improvised some telling anecdotes from the camp. And now everyone was chatting with their group of friends under the light of the moon and the stars.
"I'm sorry." Santana's whisper was so low that Rachel barely heard her, but between the two of them was Amanda snuggled against the diva's body and Santana didn't want to wake her.
"What are you sorry for?" Rachel turned a little and so she could see Santana's face.
"Everything I've done to you in school. I've been a bitch to you and I've never had a valid reason to be. And I'm sorry I made your school life hell."
There was silence until Rachel whispered to her: "You had your reasons. Even I have my reasons, or do you still think I'm as uptight as I act at McKinley?"
"Now that I know you, no. But you act like that at school because you're focused on what you want."
Rachel laughs humorlessly, "I'm actually afraid."
"Afraid? Please, Rachel, you have the talent and the ambition. If anyone is going to leave Lima after graduation, it's you."
"That's what scares me. Leaving Lima, getting away from everything that has made me happy. I don't want to lose my family."
Santana smiled, "I'm sure your dads already have an apartment in New York."
The diva smiled bitterly and turned around so she could see the stars. "I lost that family years ago, Santana. I'm talking about the family I have here, in this camp."
The Latina didn't say anything, but kept thinking about what Rachel had just said. Then she remembered the night of the bridge, and how the counselor preferred not to talk about her parents. "Do they physically hurt you?"
Rachel shook her head and after a few seconds she spoke: "Did you know that with the consent of parental authority a minor can be emancipated at age 16? I found out when my parents gave me the approval letter on my 16th birthday. Of course I was used to being alone in my house because they were never present, but that day everything became more real. At the age of twelve my dads stopped living in my house and I had to grow up before my time, I lost myself."
Santana went to speak, but the diva stopped her: "When I was already at the lowest point of my life, Estefanía found me. I'm more than sure that if it wasn't for your sisters I wouldn't be here right now. They rescued me, they gave meaning to my life, they made me want to live. That's why I'm afraid to leave, because I don't want to lose any of that."
Everything was silent, only some crickets could be heard in the background and the leaves crashing when the wind moved them. Rachel thought Santana had fallen asleep, but then she felt the taller one's hand grab hers.
"Don't worry, you're going to have me."
The next morning Santana made sure to hug her sisters tightly and thank them without giving any kind of explanation. Julia thought the world was ending and hell was freezing over, but Estefanía had a sixth sense. And she knew she was right when she saw that her little sister and Rachel seemed even closer than before. The bonding campfire never failed.
*
Memory #5: Last day of camp
"¡Mami! Gracias por hacerme venir a este estúpido campamento."
("¡Mami! Thank you for making me come to this stupid camp.")
Luisa was left with her back against the car when Santana lunged at her while repeating non-stop how grateful she was to her. The woman wondered for a minute if the person hugging her was really her youngest daughter, or if it was another girl who had mistaken her mother. But yes, it was Santana who was hugging her, and yes, it was her youngest daughter who was talking non-stop about things Luisa wasn't even understanding.
There was a sparkle in Santana's eyes that Luisa had stopped seeing since the young woman had started studying at McKinley, and that touched her. The genuine smile on her lips, and the enthusiasm overflowing from her daughter's body, two things the woman only saw when Santana talked about music. Her daughter looked happy. Very happy. And that made, in Luisa's eyes, her little girl look more beautiful than she was.
"Come on, mami. Quiero que conozcas a alguien."
the Latina said as she grabbed her mother by the arm and dragged her along the camp roads to where the children's field day had been an hour ago. ("Come on, mami. I want you to meet someone.")
Santana dragged her mother through every corner of the field until she finally found the person she was looking for talking with... with her sister Julia. The youngest's blood caught fire when she saw how her sister's hand caressed Rachel's arm. And let's not even talk about how her eyes lit up when she saw them realizing a hug that lasts longer than necessary for Santana's liking.
Julia saw her mother and smiled enthusiastically, then she saw Santana, who looked like she wanted to kill her, and her smile turned malicious. The blonde took Rachel's hand and intertwined her fingers with the shorter girl's. Luisa felt Santana's body tense, and then she felt her daughter's hand unconsciously squeeze her wrist. Rachel, innocent as usual, watched Julia with a frown and then looked forward and smiled excitedly when she saw the other Latina next to her mother. By the time they reached Santana and Luisa, the Cheerio had already let go of her mother's arm and was smiling goofily as she looked at Rachel.
"Hola, mami Luisa." Rachel exclaimed, earning a surprised look from Santana and a warm hug from Luisa.
"Rachel, mi niña! How have you been, cariño?" the woman inquired as she pulled away from the hug and grabbed Rachel's face in her hands to inspect it.
"I have been very well, mami Luisa. Enjoying camp and the company of his daughters as always."
"Do you two know each other?" After asking the question, Santana realized how stupid she had been. Of course her mother knew Rachel, if Estefanía and Julia had been taking care of the diva for years.
"You're kind of stupid, Santanita."
"¡Cállate!" argued the Cheerio. ("Shut up!")
"Please don't start, you two." Rachel looked at Santana and Julia with a raised eyebrow and both Latinas raised their hands in surrender.
Luisa just laughed. "I see that you have these two under control so I'm going to look for Estefania." The woman hugged Rachel once more and said, "It was good to see you, mi niña. I hope that your presence is more constant around the house during this school year." She murmured the last part so that only Julia and Rachel could hear, and then the woman walked away.
"Well girls, I have to go now." Rachel started to grab her backpack, but Santana stepped forward and grabbed the larger suitcase before Rachel could.
"I'll help you with your things, Rach."
The little diva smiled brightly and sent a wink to Julia, who mouthed "Get your girl." before turning to look at Santana and nodding for her to follow her. Both young women were contemplating the forest, nervous to be alone. They were so close together that their arms touched each other as they walked.
"So, how is it possible that my entire family seems to be caught up in your charm and I never found out about it?"
Rachel snorted and adjusted her backpack before taking a few steps ahead of Santana. She turned around so she could look at the Latina and continued walking backwards.
"What can I tell you, Santana? Apparently I am the López' kryptonite." she responded, shrugging her shoulders and letting out a giggle that Santana found adorable.
"Not every López, Berry. Try to exclude me from that plural."
"Whatever makes you happy, López, but I remind you that you were the one who ran across a suspension bridge without the safety equipment to make sure I was safe."
Neither of them saw the oak root sticking out of the ground, just as neither of them had noticed that Julia had been following them through the trees. Rachel stumbled, and Santana, with agility worthy of a cheerleader, dropped the suitcase and grabbed Rachel by the waist, preventing her from falling. The smaller girl's body was completely pressed against the taller one, and in the process the diva had wrapped her arms around Santana's neck.
"I told you. I am the López' kryptonite." Rachel murmured, and Santana smiled before she began to inch closer.
Her intention was clearly to kiss Rachel, but Julia, who was still hiding in the trees, knew that wouldn't happen. Rachel put her finger against Santana's lips just before they touched hers.
The Latina looked her in the eyes and Rachel smirked before leaning close to the taller girl's ear and whispering: "I don't kiss before a first date."
She let her finger slide over Santana's lips before turning around and starting to walk away. Rachel moved her hips more than normal, and she did it with all the intention in the world because she knew that the Latina was looking at that area. Santana bit her lip, watching intently as Rachel's butt moved from side to side under those khaki shorts that looked like a second layer of skin. Halfway there the little diva stopped, looked over her shoulder at Santana and raised one of her eyebrows, demanding some kind of answer.
"Diner on me… tomorrow?" Santana asked, finally getting out of her transe.
"You can pick me up at 6." Rachel shrugged as if she were disinterested but a small smile still tugged at the corners of her lips. She turned around and as she continued walking away she shouted: "!Y no llegues tarde, López!" ("And don't be late, López!")
The Latina watched Rachel walk away and get on a... a bike?! She took a deep breath as Rachel's leg lifted and wrapped around the motorbike until she was sitting up. And she let out all the air when the diva started the bike and made the engine roar before leaving the parking lot.
"About time you got the girl, hermanita." Julia put her arm around Santana's shoulders and began to drag her towards where her mother and older sister should be. Meanwhile, Santana was smiling stupidly.
She was going to have a date with Rachel Berry.
*
Bonus
Memory #6: First Date First Kiss
Santana was nervous. She had been searching through her best pieces of clothing for half an hour to find the perfect outfit for her date with Rachel. And there was the other detail, it was already 5 in the afternoon and the diva had been clear when she expressed that she did not want her to be late to pick her up. The mountain of clothes on the Cheerios bed was so high that every time she threw another blouse it would slip and end up falling to the floor where another mountain of clothes was forming. Since when did Santana López get nervous? Easy, since she was going to have a date with her crush.
"Mija." Luisa knocked on the door before opening it and sticking her head into the room. She almost had a heart attack when she saw the mountain of clothes and the mess that was in the place. "Santana, what's wrong?"
"¡No sé qué ponerme, mami!" Santana exclaimed as she threw another piece of clothing, this one falling over the head of the bed. ("I don't know what to wear, mami!")
"Mija, I'm sure Rachel won't pay attention to what you're wearing." Santana shook her head and brought her hands up to her face to cover her eyes that were filled with tears. Luisa had never seen her daughter in that state, not even when she sat down with everyone to tell them that she was gay. "What's wrong, Santana?"
The Latina removed her hands from her face and looked up at the ceiling before taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "I want everything to be perfect. No, I don't want it to be perfect, it has to be perfect, mami. I've been... I've been a bitch to Rachel. I need this date to be perfect for her."
"You haven't realized, have you?" Julia was standing in the doorway.
"Realize what?"
The blonde walked into the room and stood next to her mother. "That Rachel has had a crush on you since middle school. That she has done the impossible to protect you. That she has always supported you and defended you despite how much of a bitch you have been to her."
Santana looked at her mother and she smiled sadly at her, because all of that was true, and Luisa had also witnessed everything Rachel had suffered. The Cheerio began to think and look back on her life. Rachel had been the only one who believed him when everyone thought she had leaked the set list. She had been the one who consoled her when she didn't win prom queen in Junior year, and told her that she had voted for her. And she also protected her when Azimio tried to force her to do things she didn't want to do.
"You don't know how many times Estefanía, mom and I wiped away her tears. Or how many times we washed her clothes full of slushies, the slushies that you ordered. She always thought she didn't have a chance with you, Santanita."
Estefanía entered the room. "You have to realize that this date is already perfect for Rachel. Because it's with you."
While Santana was deep in thought, Estefanía walked over to the mountain of clothes and started going through them until she found what she was looking for. "Here. Rachel has always liked the way this dress looks on you."
"Leave your hair down, Santanita. She's always said your hair is too beautiful to be stuck in that tight ponytail."
At 5:56, breathing heavily from running, Santana was ringing Rachel's doorbell with nerves in the pit of her stomach. She had left her hair down and it fell in soft waves down her shoulders and back. The red dress Estefanía had given her was mid-thigh, and Santana was fixing the hem when the door opened.
This was going to be the end of Santana López.
Rachel wore a light, almost imperceptible layer of makeup. Her hair, like Santana's, fell in soft brown waves that perfectly framed her face. The little diva was wearing a skirt that was tight and ended mid-thigh, leaving her perfect legs exposed. On top, Rachel wore a corset-style top that hugged her waist perfectly, accentuating all of her assets.
She looked beautiful. She looked perfect.
"You look…wow." Santana stammered, her cheeks turning pink from her lack of articulation.
Rachel thought it was adorable and giggled. "You look wow too, Santana."
The Latina smiled and extended her arm with her palm open for Rachel to take, and so the shorter one did. They walked to the car and Santana opened the door for the other girl to get into the passenger side. When the door closed, the tanned girl took a deep breath and walked to the driver's side.
The ride was quiet, Rachel and Santana talked about banal topics, never mentioning school or the glee club. The night was about them, so there was no need to talk about bitter topics like these. Santana looked proud when Rachel got excited about being in a vegan-friendly restaurant, and shrugged it off. The diva told her that she could order anything on the menu, but to her surprise, the taller one chose to be supportive of her beliefs and ordered a vegan dish.
Dinner was incredible. Between laughter and stories of a young Rachel being a student at Estefanía's camp. That night Santana felt like she was meeting the real Rachel Berry. And although she had fallen in love with the one who demanded solos and spoke in paragraphs, the Rachel who used teenage words had a charm that drove Santana crazy. In the end, what Rachel had said at camp was real, she was the Lopezes' kryptonite.
When they arrived at Rachel's house, Santana accompanied the diva to the porch of her house. They both stood, looking at each other, both wanting the same thing but without the courage to do it. Rachel was not going to take the first step, because she had been in love with the Latina for years and had done everything possible to win her over, this time it would have to be the other way around. Santana knew she had to do it, because otherwise the heat and itch she felt inside wouldn't let her sleep.
"Que se joda." The Latina grabbed Rachel by the waist and pulled her closer. ("Fuck it.")
The Latina's lips crashed against the diva's in a kiss that, although calm, contained a hint of desperation. Rachel wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and let the young woman kiss her as she pleased because she would be lying if she said she didn't find that exciting. Santana broke away from the kiss first and, with heavy breathing and swollen lips, rested her forehead against Rachel's.
"I hope this is not the last one. Good night, López." Rachel muttered before walking into the house and leaving Santana with a goofy smile.
Estefanía and Julia did not receive answers when they questioned their little sister about the date, since Santana was walking with dreamy eyes on her way to her room. When she had her pajamas on and was under the warmth of her sheets, the Cheerio took her cell phone and decided to send a message.
To: Rach
You were right… You are my kryptonite.