I love the holidays. The feeling of the sunlight striking on my skin, the waves caressing my toes, the nice mojitos flowing down my throat as I get my tan on, the hot girls passing by in the most scandalous bikinis : that's what holidays are. The perfect mix of warmth, rest, and sexiness.
Basically heaven on Earth.
That's why for the past twenty-three years of my life, I have spent all my school breaks - including Winter Break - travelling to some warm destinations to escape the coldness of Ohio, then of New York. The Caribbean, San Juan, Barcelona, name it. I've gone all around the world and all I can say is that summer should be the only season. Seriously, what's the point of winter? Sure there's Christmas, but that's basically it. And since I've spent almost all my Christmases in Porto Rico with my Papi's family, I can guarantee that the sun and the freaking Christmas spirit aren't incompatible with each other.
So when my best friend, Quinn Fabray, offered to go somewhere together during Winter Break, I jumped on the occasion and proposed to go to Florida. And when I say 'jumped on the occasion', I mean literally jumping on a table covered with holiday flyers. And maybe knocking it down. Perhaps on the feet of a guy that was passing by.
It was not my proudest moment, okay?
Anyway. As I picked up some brochures about Arizona off the ground, Quinn bent to take some too. So you might think she took brochures about Georgia or something, brochures about some warm and pleasant place. As any properly constituted person would do. Oh boy… How wrong you would be…
'Cause that bitch picked up the Colorado one.
But not only did she took it, in less than two days, she booked two complete weeks of vacations in that freezing state without consulting me! As a surprise!
Let me repeat, that bitch!
And I can see you coming, little filthy lecturers. 'She just wanted to be nice!', 'You should be grateful she has planned everything for you!', 'You're such an ingrate spoiled rat, Santana!',… But let me stop you right there, motherfuckers.
Because while I'm forced to go on this trip with Quinn, I could have spent the holiday with my family in Hawaii. The island where the temperature in December is about 70 °F!
But apparently, not everyone can understand how superior that is. And by not everyone, I mean my supposed best friend, who booked us a night flight to go fucking skiing in the Colorado mountains while I could be on a beach with a tropical flowers necklace and a coconut bra!
So here I am, sitting next to this traitress on a plane to the American Antarctica, but without the actual penguins (which would be pretty awesome if they were there, just saying). And since we're both in college advocating our independence, we're obviously in Eco class on the cheapest plane ever that might crash any minute.
Seriously, I'm pretty sure I've seen a piece of the wing fall during the takeoff.
And don't get me started on the toddler that haven't stop crying - like literally agonizing - for the past hour!
So yeah, that's not how my first week of Winter Break is supposed to go. Right now, I should be in my fluffy bed under a hundred plaids, sleeping until one in the afternoon. Or maybe I should be drinking 'til death at a frat party on the NYU campus. Who knows, perhaps I should be screaming for dear life while a gorgeous one-night stand is knuckle-deep inside me?
(Third option is definitely my favorite.)
All I know is that I should definitely not be flying to Denver Airport at five in the morning to go freezing my ass off in the mountains like a Saint Bernard. Even though those barrel necklaces are kinda cool, I guess… But that's beside the point!
Cherry on top, Quinn took the seat by the window because she booked everything for the, I quote, "best trip of our lives" and left me get completely crushed between her and a guy who smells like a Planet Fitness locker room.
Once again, that bitch!
So while she's looking at the moving landscape through the window, I'm left staring at the back of the seat in front of me, my left hand clutching my phone whose battery has been dead for a long time now. FML.
"Stop pouting, S. You look like a five years old." Quinn sighs, looking slightly annoyed.
"Shut up, Barbie. You're the one to blame."
Quinn rolls her eyes, her bitchy attitude resurfacing. "Oh, please. You act like I forced you onto this plane with a gun."
I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest. "Pretty close to it, actually. You stayed in front of the dorms door with a fucking baseball bat in your hand to make sure I was making my suitcase! I felt like the FBI was about to come and get me!"
"Well it's not my fault you tried to leave five times! You were literally doing parkour in the hallways!"
"I wasn't trying to leave, I was trying to escape, smartass."
She sighs again. "God, Santana, you'll survive. It's just skiing."
"That's exactly the problem! What's next? Climbing Mount Fuji?"
Understanding that attitude won't lead us anywhere - I'm the HBIC, duh -, she tries a softer approach. "I just thought it would be fun to try something different this year. Besides, the mountains are supposed to be beautiful in December."
"Yeah, beautiful if you're into risking your life careening down a mountain in the middle of nowhere strapped to a pair of sticks," I respond.
Quinn shoots me a pointed look. "You know Santana, maybe if you actually gave it a chance, you might enjoy yourself."
I snort in disbelief. "Yeah, sure. That's exactly what my abuela told me about men."
She rolls her eyes and mumbles. "You're impossible".
With that, she turns her gaze back to the landscape as the pilot announces through the speakers that we're about to land. While I buckle myself in, all I can do is hope that I will make it out alive, without a frozen toe or a broken bone.
Somehow, I doubt it.
At least the place that Quinn booked us isn't too bad. She quickly describes it to me in the cab and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. Basically it's a little chalet but it is attached (not physically, administratively I mean) to a bigger hotel that's a few feet away.
Sure, it isn't huge - hello, student loans! - but it is well laid out and well exposed to the sun (my abuelo taught me how to orient myself with compass directions and stuff in case of apocalypse (I'm not a geographical nerd or anything, just so you know)).
Back to the small hotel. There is a lot of wood - I guess it is just the mountain vibe - but it is still somehow modern. The kitchen is pretty small, but it's not like Quinn and I are gonna spend a lot of time in it. Quinn can't cook pasta for dear life and even though I can prepare a few things, it's the holidays so I don't plan on moving a single toe. I checked the bedroom as soon as we arrived and I have to say that the queen-size bed made me smile. Like molars on display, almost giggling kind of smile.
It also has this big black leather couch in the living room and it's the coolest thing I have ever seen. I'm not kidding, I need the reference. Like right now.
But mostly, there's a jacuzzi right on the terrace that's been calling my name since we arrived. I'm sure if I listen carefully, the bubbles would be whispering "Santana… Come… Bring your sexy ass in here…"
Or something like that, you get the idea.
So as I settle onto the couch, aka the embodiment of coolness, I can't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I would still prefer a villa on the Californian coast, but I guess I could have a pretty nice time in this chalet. Not in the mountains or in the snow, that's for sure, but some burning bubbly water couldn't do no harm, right? I mean, the jacuzzi's hot, I'm definitely hot, why not be hot together?
"Look at you, all smiling." Quinn gently teases.
As soon as she opens her mouth, the soft smile that was playing on my face disappears. It is immediately replaced by the scowl I have been wearing for the past hours as I respond, "Yeah, well appearances can be deceiving."
Yeah, I know this isn't the nicest reply in the world, and I could have make an effort since I wasn't even that upset right now. But what can I say? I have rage. And apparently, I'm not the only one.
"Seriously S, couldn't you be just a little happy? I've booked us an entire trip and all you've been doing since we've left New York is whine like a child! It's Winter Break, Santana. Do you know how expensive this shit is? I had to ask my parents some money for it and God knows I didn't want to! So now, you're gonna be grateful and a least pretend to be happy to be here because I didn't do all that for you to be a pain in my ass!" When Quinn achieves her speech, her cheeks are bright red and her pupils are dilated.
I have to hand it to her, this was unexpected. And I must say that being scold by Quinn Fabray is scary. No scratch that. It's fucking terrifying! So as I buried myself in the couch, all I can do is nod while my eyes are wide in sheer horror.
I pity her future children. They don't know what's getting them.
Seeing my acceptance, Quinn regains her composure and declares in a voice that wants to be calm but still carries the emotions of her outburst, "Good. I've booked a snowshoe trekking at one in the afternoon, so I'm gonna catch a little sleep."
When she's about to open her bedroom door, she turns to me and adds with a smirk, "You should too, you look like shit, Lopez."
She quickly enters her room, avoiding the pillow I throw at her (it was three feet on the left anyway).
As I am by myself again, I leave the love of life – I really like this couch, okay? – and go to my room too. When I get there, I spread out on the bed, not bothering to open my suitcase and put on more comfortable clothes. It's around 8 a.m. by now and I've been up since 10 a.m. the day before, so I'm definitely in need of some beauty sleep.
Just as I am about to fall asleep safely tucked under the large blanket, Quinn's words hit me (I'm a little slow sometimes, get over it). Why in the world would I go snowshoe trekking?
Fucking Quinn Fabray. What a bitch.
Distinguished greetings, yall! I've had this fic idea trotting in my head for quite some time, so I decided to take the plunge and write it. I hope you're enjoying it so far (don't worry, Brittany will make her entrance next chapter). I'm not sure how present and active the gleeks are on this app today, but if there are any readers, I would love some feedbacks!
P.S. : I'm not English and definitely not fluent, so if there are any mistakes, it's on me.