Two Ghosts

Chapter 12

In a perfect world, Santana would never have to see Sam's face again after her humiliating argument and it would never have to be brought up again, but sadly that world doesn't exist. In the real world, Santana has to own up to her mistakes and deal with her shit even if she'd rather not.

"Hey Santana," Sam says with his hands dug deep in his jeans pockets. He gives her a friendly smile but there's a slight uncertainty in his eyes as he stops at the bottom steps of the bleachers.

Santana instantly feels a little guilty for the unnecessary amount of distance he keeps between them, but that's fair when the last time she saw him was in the parking lot after practice and she went completely off on him and Brittany. Since then, she hasn't seen him around so she hasn't exactly apologized to him either.

So she swallows hard and smiles back, "Hey Sam. How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm good. How are you?" Sam smiles too and nods to the crowd of dancers, "Why aren't you out there?"

Santana shrugs because even she doesn't have a reasonable answer, "You here to see Brittany?"

"Kinda. Mr. Schue invited me for the Glee Club performance later but I saw you sitting alone over here so I thought I'd say hi." Sam answers and Santana hates how he is still a genuinely nice guy, it makes her feel even more worse for going off.

"That's cool." Santana nods and they both look out at the bonfire, an awkward silence falling around them. All the things left unsaid weigh heavily on Santana's shoulders until she can't take it any longer.

"So.." They both say in unison.

Sam chuckles and Santana shuffles uncomfortably in her seat.

"Is this weird? This is weird." Sam mumbles awkwardly.

Santana smiles weakly and remembers a very brief time back in high school when they dated, Santana obviously didn't have real feelings for him and she just used him for his status and to cause a little drama, but the person she was then to who she is now is so different. She played him like a toy, but now all she can think of is how wrong she treated him.

She inhales deeply and turns to look up at him, "So, about the other day in the parking lot. I was clearly in the wrong for saying what I did. I-I didn't know anything and I-"

"Don't worry about it," Sam stops her as Santana begins to fumble for the right words. There's a kind smile on his face, one of understanding, as he climbs a couple of steps closer.

Santana's brows scrunch in confusion but then it clicks.

"Did Brittany talk to you?" Santana asks and Sam nods as he settles in the spot next to her.

"Yeah, she told me a couple things." Sam replies softly.

Santana sighs and lowers her eyes, "I'm sorry, Sam. I shouldn't have been so harsh when I didn't know what was really going on. That wasn't cool."

"Hey, it's alright." Sam chuckles and nudges Santana's shoulder so she looks up at him, "I kind of missed your witty insults. No one has called me Trouty Mouth in years."

Santana chuckles too and she feels a little more at ease.

"I haven't had the chance to say this, but I'm really glad you're back. I know I might've had something to do with you two not keeping in contact over the years and I hope you know that was never my intention," Sam says and Santana stiffens at his serious tone, "I've been by her side through some of her really rough times, but I know a piece of her always wished it was you instead of me. Not that she said that, but you can just tell sometimes. I could just tell. She doesn't open up to me about things like she would with you. She barely talked about MIT or her parents or you," Sam pauses and scuffs his shoe against the ground, "She's kept a lot of things to herself, bottled up, so I guess I'm just trying to say be careful with her."