Starting Over

A Gazillion Miles Apart

Arrival
Santana and her parents just arrived at their new house in California. Santana cried the entire way. She already missed her best friend.
"Mija, come on. We need to start unpacking." Santana's mother was standing outside of the car holding a box.
"I don't want to. I want Brittany." Santana crossed her arms and pouted.
"Baby, I know. But this is home now." Angel opened Santana's door and unbuckled her seat belt.
"No it's not. Brittany's my home. You took me away from my home." Santana hopped out of the car and ran into the house crying. She ran all the way upstairs to what she suspected would be her new room.
"Angel, I didn't think she'd take the move this hard." Maribel sighed.
"She'll be fine. Give it time." Angel took the box out of her hands and walked into the house. Maribel pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the number she had gotten so familiar with over the years.
"Maribel! Did you get there yet?" Susan spoke on the other end.
"Yeah. Santana is definitely not happy to be here." Maribel sighed. "I don't know what to do. I feel like she's going to end up resenting us for moving her."
"Maribel, you know she loves you. She just needs time to adjust to the change. Don't worry, it will be okay." Susan said softly.
"I hope so." Maribel whispered.
"Brittany's a mess over here too. She won't come out of her closet." Susan sighed sadly.
"I'm sorry for doing this to our girls."
"It's not your fault. There was nothing you could do about it." Susan tried to reassure Maribel.
"Honey, come help me with the boxes!" Angel called from inside the house.
"I have to go Susan, I'll talk to you soon. Thank you, for everything"
"Anytime you need me I'm just a call away, take care Maribel. Bye." They hung up and Maribel grabbed a box and carried it inside.
"I want Brittany... I want Brittany... I want Brittany..." Santana was sitting in the back of the closet crying hugging her knees to her chest.
"Mija..." Maribel walked into Santana's room and heard her crying, calling for Brittany. She opened the closet and clutched her heart at the sight of her daughter. She crawled into the closet with Santana and pulled her daughter into her arms.
"Shhh... Shhh... It's okay mija." Maribel rubbed Santana's back as she cried.
"Mami I want Brittany. I miss her so much. What if she forgets about me?" Santana sobbed into her mothers chest.
"Mija, I have no doubt in my mind that she won't forget you. She loves you so much."
"Promise?" Santana's crying was starting to die down.
"I promise. You know what? How about I give Susan a call and we get Brittany on the phone?" Santana instantly lit up.
"Okay."
"Okay?" Maribel pulled out her phone and dialed Susans number again.
"Maribel?" Susan picked up after the second ring.
"Hey, would it be okay if Santana talked to Brittany?" Maribel looked at her daughter and smiled sadly at her tear stained face and hopeful eyes.
"Of course! I'll go get her." There was shuffling on the end of the phone and distant voices before Maribel heard a tiny voice and put the phone on speaker.
"San-santana?" Brittany sounded so heart broken that it made Maribels heart break. "Brittany? I miss you so much!" Both girls started crying heart wrenching sobs. Maribel continued to rub hopefully soothing circles on her daughters back.
"I miss you too San. P-p-please co-o-ome b-b-b-baaack." Maribel could barely understand Brittany through her sobbing but Santana must've because she nodded vigorously and wiped her tears away, trying to regain her composure.
"I'm going to come back for you. I promise." Santana put on a determined glare. She had to be strong for Brittany. She had to be there and help her best friend.
"O-okay." Brittany sniffled.
"No more crying. It's gonna be okay. I'll find my way back to you. We still have to get married. Don't forget me, okay?" Santana said softly making Maribel smile.
"I'll never forget you San. I love you." Brittany's mother Susan ran her hands through her daughter's hair trying to calm her down. Santana's words seemed to be doing a lot more for Brittany than Sudan's.
"I love you too Britt-britt. I'll call you soon okay?" Brittany started to tear up again. She felt like her best friend was leaving her all over again.
"Don't go!"
"It's not forever Britt. It's okay." Santana tried to soothe her best friend, she was barely keeping it together but she HAD to. For Brittany.
"Fine. Bye San..." Brittany nestled her tear stained face into her mother's neck making her sigh sadly.
"Bye Britt." The call ended.
That year First Day of Second Grade: Santana
"Mija, have a good day at school. I love you." It was Santana's first day of school without Brittany and she was standing out so of her new classroom. The seven year olds called each other three times a week. Although they somewhat used to the distance they still had trouble being apart.
"Mami I don't want to go. Brittany's not there." Santana whined.
"Mija, Brittany's not here. She's in Ohio and we're in California. I know it's hard but please, go inside. You never know, you might make a new friend." Maribel said softly.
"I don't want a new friend. I want Brittany." Santana started to tear up so Maribel crouched down and hugged her daughter.
"I know, I know. But it'll be okay baby. I'll be right here when you get out of school and when we get home we'll call Brittany. Okay?" Maribel wiped away her daughters tears.
"Okay." Maribel hugged her daughter and watched her enter her classroom.
Santana's teacher greeted her as soon as she walked in.
"Hey, I'm Ms. Jamison. What's your name?" Her teacher crouched down to eye level with her. Santana glared at her teacher before speaking.
"Santana Lopez."
"Well Santana, let's go find your cubby and get you seated." Ms. Jamison led her over to a row of cubbies and took her stuff, putting it in the cubby with her name on it.
Then they walked over to a table with two other girls seated at it.
"Okay honey, this is where you'll be sitting for the year." Ms. Jamison smiled at her before leaving to greet the other kids entering the room. Santana sat down and sighed.
"Hi! I'm Jamie!" The small brunette greeted her.
"Okay." Santana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her.
"I'm Quinn." The blonde the girl gave her a small smile which Santana did not return.
"You don't talk much do you? That's okay. I'll still be your friend!" Jamie smiled at her widely.
"I don't want you to be my friend. Shut up and leave me alone!" Santana hissed at Jamie making her eyes well up in tears and run away from table. Quinn looked at Santana curiously.
"Why are you so angry?" Santana didn't expect this question. Was she supposed to answer?
"Uh... My mami and Papi moved me all the way here a gazillion miles from my best friend. It's fine though 'cause I'm gonna go back for her one day. We're s'posed to get married." Santana smiled at her last comment.
"But she's a girl?" Quinn cocked her head to the side in confusion.
"My mami said that if you love someone you should marry them so I'm gonna marry Brittany 'cause I love her." Santana stated proudly.
"My mommy said two girls shouldn't get married because it's wrong." Quinn said softly.
"Well your mommy's stupid." Santana glared at Quinn.
"Don't call my mommy stupid! You're stupid you big stupid head!" Quinn yelled at her.
"I'm not a stupid head. You are! Don't talk to me anymore. I don't want you to fill my head with stupidness." Santana put her fingers in her ears so she wouldn't have to hear Quinn. Quinn glared at her and leaned back in her chair crossing her arms. What Santana didn't know was, Quinn would become the closest thing to a best friend she would have in her years in California.
Still First Day of Second Grade: Brittany
"Mommy what if everyone calls me stupid. Santana isn't here to beat them up for me anymore!" Brittany cried into her mom's neck. They were standing in the corner of Brittany's classroom.
"You'll be fine. If they call you stupid ignore it. You're my little Einstein. Santana thinks you're brilliant too. What they think doesn't matter, okay?" Susan rocked her daughter in her arms.
"Okay. I love you mommy." Brittany rubbed her face into her mom's neck before letting her mom put her down.
"I love you too baby girl." Susan kissed her daughter on the for head before walking out the room.
"Brittany? Let's go find your seat. I already put your stuff away." Mr. Peters told Brittany. She nodded and allowed him to lead her to the table that contained a small girl and a boy wearing glasses.
"Hey guys, this is Brittany. She's going to be sitting with you." Mr. Peters gestured for her to sit down and walked away when she did.
"Is Santana here too?" The girl asked almost in fear. Just the mention of Santana's name almost sent Brittany into tears again.
"No... She moved..."
"Ohh, I'm Rachel. But you should already know that." The girl stuck out her hand. Brittany looked at it in confusion before shaking it.
"I'm Artie!" The boy smiled widely at her and she gave a small smile back.
"Hi." Brittany looked at the table sadly. She was really starting to miss Santana.
"What's wrong?" Artie asked her.
"I miss Santana. She's my best friend."
"But she moved. You need a new best friend." Rachel stated.
"No! She's always going to be my best friend. E'cept when we get married." Brittany got defensive.
"But two girls can't get married." Artie pushed up his glasses.
"I have two dads!" Rachel announced proudly.
"See, I can marry Santana. Shut up." Brittany glared at Artie.
"I'm sorry..." Artie sighed and looked at the girl.
"Okay." Brittany turned her attention to Mr. Peters who began to talk to the whole class.
A/N: It seems like these girls aren't off to a great start with making friends. I'm probably going to have two more chapters of them separate before Santana moves back. Also, in this fix Artie won't be in a wheelchair.