Scandal (A Brittana Fanfic)

Her Apartment

I've been smoking in the bathroom with the shower on. Supposedly, steam blocks out the smell and the smoke likes to travel with the steam towards the vent. At least, that's what Artie said. I haven't been caught yet.

Quinn actually comes up to me on Friday. 

"I miss you," she says. Her eyes looks a little better and her arm is no longer in that ugly sling. 

"Are you ready to apologize?" I ask. Quinn sighs. 

"I'm sorry. Really. What I said was wrong." 

"It was very wrong," I add on. 

We're in the hall, busy people swirling around us. 

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow? I know they predicted snow, but the roads shouldn't be that bad. I was thinking spa day?" Quinn asks. I smile, loving the idea.

"Sure, that actually sounds soothing." 

Then I see Ms. Pierce walk out of her classroom. Shit. I'm going to her apartment tomorrow. 

"Shit, Quinn, I can't tomorrow. I just remembered, I have a, uh, thing," I say. 

Quinn gives me a confused look, but I just turn and walk off. 

**********

It snows a lot overnight. 

Thank goodness for road plows. 

I'm at Lima Bean drinking my morning mocha when I see Quinn walk in. I try to hide, but she walks over anyways. 

"I thought you had a thing," she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I do. I actually should be going," I say, getting up. 

"Ok...well bye." 

I don't say bye back. 

**********

As I park into the lot of Ms. Pierce's apartment complex, I check myself in the side mirror. 

I'm sweating. I'm going to the most beautiful girl's apartment.

Looking now, my outfit looks dumb. It's below freezing, so I'm wearing my Atlana Braves hoodie and thick sweatpants. I feel underdressed. My hair is barely brushed and I have on a gray beanie. 

But it's too late to turn back. 

I ride up the stuffy elevator alone, wondering what to say when she opens the door. Should I say hello or just smile? Is my breath bad? Oh no...

All too soon the elevator doors are opening and her door is staring me in the face. 

Just knock.

I knock twice, not wanting to seem impatient. When the door opens, I'm greeted by a smiling face in black skinny jeans and a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt. Her hair is scrunched and she's not wearing her glasses. She looks amazing. 

"Horning! I mean, uh, I started to say hi but said morning, um, hello," I choke out. Ms. Pierce laughs. 

"Come in," she says. 

I step inside. Her apartment is quaint. 

"What happened to your glasses?" I ask. 

"Oh, I only wear those in public to look sophisticated. I can see fine." Ms. Pierce sits at the small round table in her kitchen alcove. She pats the seat next to her. 

I hesitantly sit. She opens up my Chemistry textbook. 

"I hate chem," I groan. Ms. Pierce smiles. 

"Well, we don't have to study yet. We could...get to know each other?" she says. 

My heart is beating really fast. "Like what do you mean?"

"Like ask each other questions. You go first," Ms. Pierce says. 

"Uh..." I watch as Ms. Pierce bites her bottom lip. Her bad habit. Adorable. "What was your first kiss?" I ask. 

She laughs. "Oh boy! Um, I was twelve. We were at the skate rink, how lame, and he cornered me after the couple's skate. It was so bad. He had peach fuzz and it felt like I was kissing a kitten's butt or something," she says. "What about you?" she asks. 

"Uh..." Quinn's the only person that knows, but I've never kissed anyone. I don't want to tell her that. She was a popular girl in high school. She got around. "New question," I say. 

"What? No! If it was with a girl, I don't care. Just tell me," she says. 

"Well, uh...she kissed me at a movie...and I was, um, twelve like you...and it was dark and..." Ms. Pierce is watching me intently. I sigh. "I've never kissed anyone," I confess. Ms. Pierce's eyes widen. Her lips curl into a smile. She's trying not to laugh. Her snickers can't be controlled. She starts laughing really hard. 

"Oh...wow!" she squeals. 

Heat is rising in my cheeks. I feel so embarrassed. I'm a senior who has never been kissed. Never had a date.

And she's laughing. 

I stand up. "I can't take this," I say. 

"Wait!" Ms. Pierce calls. 

I stomp out of her apartment. I don't even wait for the elevator. I run all the way down the stairs. I hear her running after me. 

I feel myself start to cry as I run into the cold of outside. 

"Santana!" Ms. Pierce shouts. 

I turn to face her. "What?" I ask. 

"I didn't mean to-"

"Yeah you did! You've been kissed multiple times! You've had sex! And you think it's hilarious!" I pick up a piece of ice off the sidewalk and throw it at her. It hits her in the hip bone. 

"Ah!" she winces. She holds her hip. 

"Shit," I hiss. I walk closer to her. "Are you ok?" I ask. 

"I don't know..." she breathes.

I lean down to examine the forming bruise and suddenly snow is being stuffed down the back of my shirt. 

"Got you!" Ms. Pierce laughs. 

I stand up straight. 

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" I shout. Ms. Pierce giggles and starts running. 

"You can't catch me!" she says. 

"We'll see about that!" I say. I sprint after her. My cheeks hurt from laughing. 

Suddenly I'm falling. I grab Ms. Pierc'es shirt and she falls too. She giggles. 

"Snow is seeping through my shirt," she says.

"Mine too," I say. We're really close together. 

I hear someone clear their throat. We both sit up. 

Quinn is standing by the road, arms folded across her chest. 

"How long have you been there?" Ms. Pierce asks, eyes wide. 

"I followed you, Santana, because I thought you were blowing me off on purpose. I was confused when I saw you pull in here. I waited and heard the whole conversation!" she says. 

"She's tutoring me," I say. Quinn laughs. 

"Oh yeah, that looked like tutoring!"

"I swear, Quinn, I would never do that with a student. I'm also straight, if that helps," Ms. Pierce says. Both sentences sting. 

Quinn rolls her eyes. 

"Whatever," she says. "I gotta go." She gets in her car and drives off. 

"Shit!" Ms. Pierce says. 

"Yeah, shit is right," I retort. 

"I think you should go," she says. 

"Um, but..."

"This was all inappropriate! Go! I'm done tutoring you!" 

So that's what being heartbroken feels like.