Sweetie Pie's Bakery

Left at the Hydrant

"What am I getting for my birthday?" Santana demanded, boring holes in the side of Quinn's head. The large windows opposite them were flung wide open, the noises of the city bellowing in the distance. A cool summer breeze drifted through the sweltering apartment as the sun burned in the sky.

"Nothing if you keep asking." Quinn quirked an eyebrow, staring straight ahead.

"What am I getting for my birthday?" the brunette repeated.

"I'm not telling you!" Quinn turned to stare indignantly back at her.

"Why not?" Santana pouted sweetly, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

"Because it's meant to be a surprise." She chastised.

"So I'm getting a surprise party?" Santana smiled excitedly, clapping her hands together, "Yey."

"No!" Quinn chuckled, dropping her head back on the sofa despairingly.

"Ugh. I promise I'll act surprised." She clasped her face in her hands, her mouth hanging open, "'Oh my God, Rachel! The Barbara Streisand collection! It's perfect! I've wanted this for so long!' See?"

"Don't be mean." Quinn laughed, "But I'm still not telling you. So you can get over it."

"Ugh! Fine." Santana rolled her eyes, turning to sit straight and crossing her arms petulantly, her ankles crossed on the coffee table.

"And don't be spoilt." The blonde turned back to the TV with a smug eyebrow quirk.

Santana's face twisted with a quizzical lip-curl as she focused on the screen, "Why is that man eating a sofa cushion?" She turned to Quinn, "What are you watching?"

"It's something about crazy addictions or something." The blonde raised her eyebrows, her face in a bewitched grimace. They stared at the screen silently, until a knock at the door stole their attention. "It's open!"

"I hope that's the girls, otherwise we're in big trouble." Santana observed.

"Nah, we'll tell them about the guy eating his couch." Quinn shrugged as the door handle rattled.

"Then hit 'em with a bat." Santana added, craning her neck round to watch as Brittany, Jess and Rachel filed in from the hall.

"Hey guys!" Brittany grinned, removing her zip-up and discarding it on a peg. The other girls followed suit and wandered into the living room.

"Hey, how's it going?" Quinn smiled politely from the sofa as Jess paused in the hallway.

"Hey. Good. Can I just...get some water?" The brunette was slightly red in the face, panting as she jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Um. Yeah, sure." Quinn replied, bewildered, but Brittany piped up as she dropped onto the chair.

"She's been dancing non-stop for the last two hours. Then she had to call the phone company before six so she could get reconnected, but she had to go home to use that phone so she ran all the way from the subway. She didn't have time to shower or get a drink before coming straight here." Brittany nodded solemnly as she finished.

"Showbiz is hard." Rachel added knowledgably, shaking her head. Jess slumped through into the lounge before collapsing on the sofa beside Santana.

"Oh my God, you smell like ass." Santana stated bluntly. Quinn snorted as Jess scowled.

"Well I'm sorry, I was rushing to enjoy the pleasure of your company." She deadpanned sarcastically.

The brunette beside her smiled sweetly, "You're welcome."