Lost Melody - Brittana

Chapter 21

Brittany sat across from Finn, her eyes scanning his pale face with concern. Something was off about him, she noted, but she didn't want to push him to talk about it if he wasn't ready.

"So, what are you going to do?" Finn's voice broke the silence, his tone weary.

Brittany shrugged, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "I don't know, but I just want to be alone," she admitted softly.

Finn shook his head, his movements sluggish. "If you wanted to be alone, you wouldn't be with me," he replied, a hint of slurred speech in his words.

Brittany's frown deepened at his words, sensing something wasn't right. She reached out to touch his arm gently, but Finn swallowed hard, trying to suppress the sick feeling in his stomach.

"After school, talk to Santana. Then you can come by mine if you want," Finn suggested, his voice barely above a whisper.

A small smile tugged at Brittany's lips as she appreciated Finn's offer. "You're the best," she said sincerely, pulling him into a hug.

Finn winced slightly at the sudden movement, turning even paler, but he managed a gruff smile. "I try," he replied softly.

As Brittany pulled away from the hug, she gave Finn a reassuring nod. "I'm going. Love you," she said, before turning and walking away.

Finn watched her go, feeling a mixture of relief and nausea wash over him.

Brittany stood on the porch, shifting nervously from foot to foot before knocking on Santana's front door. It had been a strange few days, and she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to say. The door swung open almost instantly, revealing Santana with an eager expression, which quickly faded into mild confusion.

"Oh," Santana said, her excitement visibly dimming. "Hey, Britt. What's up?"

Brittany frowned, her brow furrowing. "Why did you run down the stairs?"

Santana glanced back inside the house, her cheeks reddening slightly. "I thought it was my DoorDash order."

"Oh ok," Brittany replied, feeling a twinge of disappointment. She paused for a moment, then looked back up at Santana.

"Why did you knock? I mean, you practically live here," Santana added, trying to lighten the mood.

Brittany chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes darting to the ground before she gathered her courage to meet Santana's gaze. "Can we talk?"

Santana's smile dropped, replaced by a serious, almost worried expression. She nodded, stepping aside to let Brittany in. "Yeah, of course. Come in."

They moved into the living room, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. Santana motioned for Brittany to sit on the couch, and then took a seat beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence filled with the distant hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the wall clock.

Brittany took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "I've been feeling... weird lately," she began slowly, her eyes focused on her hands clasped in her lap. "Like something's off between us."

Santana's expression softened, her eyes searching Brittany's face. "What do you mean?"

Brittany finally looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and sadness. "It's like we're not on the same page anymore. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like something's changed."

Santana's heart sank as she looked at Brittany, her usually bright eyes clouded with confusion and sadness. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice gentle but filled with concern.

Brittany sighed, looking down at her hands. "I don't know," she said slowly. "But over this week, I've just been feeling weird, like everything bad that's ever happened in my life just hit me all at once. It's really confusing."

Santana moved closer, their knees touching, and gently intertwined her fingers with Brittany's. "Is that why you've been acting off?" she asked softly.

Brittany shrugged, shuffling slightly in her seat. "Maybe," she admitted, not meeting Santana's eyes.

Santana hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is it also why you quit soccer?"

Brittany scoffed, a bitter smile twisting her lips. "I've never even liked it."

Santana frowned, brushing a strand of hair out of Brittany's face. "But you were all over it last month," she said, her voice tinged with confusion.

Brittany shook her head, her eyes finally meeting Santana's. "I only joined it for my dad, for his attention," she said quietly. "But, you know, it didn't work."

After a minute of comfortable silence, Santana hesitantly broke it. "So, what are the bad things you remembered?" she asked gently.

Brittany hesitated, her eyes flicking away. "Um, you know, just stuff," she said softly.

Santana took the hint and nodded, squeezing Brittany's hand reassuringly. "If you want to talk to me about it, you know you can. We are..."

Brittany turned to Santana, her eyes searching. "What are we?"

Santana paused, her mind racing. "I don't know," she admitted.

Brittany sighed, a mix of frustration and sadness in her eyes. "We make out, go on dates, and act like a couple, but you've never asked me to be your girlfriend."

Santana shifted awkwardly, trying to find the right words. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Brittany cut her off.

"Don't blame it on your ex because we both know it isn't true," Brittany said firmly.

Santana faltered, the words she had been about to say dying on her lips. She took a deep breath. "I guess I was swept up in the excitement of finding someone as good as you," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Brittany stayed quiet for a moment, processing Santana's words. "So, if I were to ask you right now to be my girlfriend, what would you say?" she asked, her voice steady but her eyes filled with uncertainty.

Santana looked at Brittany, her heart pounding. "I'd say yes," she said quietly.

Brittany's face broke into a wide smile. "So, would you want to be my girlfriend?" she asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Santana nodded quickly, a matching smile spreading across her face. "Yes, I'd love to," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.