Two Ghosts

Chapter 13

In the weeks following the homecoming bonfire, Santana and the girls are more focused than ever on coaching the squad now that they perform at weekly football games. Thanks to Coach Beiste, the football team is actually pretty good so it's a real confidence boost for the squad because they're on the winning side. Santana remembers how disheartening it used to be when the team completely sucked in the days of Coach Tanaka and how they still managed to perform cheers about winning even though the Cheerios were pretty much the only team at the time with any significance. Whenever the current squad begins to get a little full of themselves, Santana and the coaches love reminding them of the fact that they were the trendsetters and that they shouldn't get too cocky because the weight of the Cheerios legacy rests on their shoulders.

In a way, that weight rests on Santana's shoulders too.

But the team works hard and they stay focused, so when Quinn receives word that they've earned a spot to compete at the sectional competition in December no one is that shocked. Afterall, the Cheerios have competed in every sectional competition since before Santana joined the squad. During their own reign, they placed first place in every competition aside from their junior year when they performed with the Glee Club instead so they're no stranger to the pressures of winning either. It's that experience that allows them to connect so much better with the squad because they can relate and they're able to coach in a way that lands better.

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It's the last day before school lets out for Thanksgiving break and the coaches decide to get together for drinks after Cheerios practice. They head over to Breadstix which has become their spot although it started off as a joke coming there because it's such a high school them thing to do. But Lima is still a small town and there's not much around in terms of nightlife so Breadstix it is.

Of course, Santana doesn't mind. New York doesn't have a Breadstix and she has kind of missed it.

They're sitting at their usual table outside, sipping on cocktails they found listed on the Happy Hour Specials menu, chatting about work and their plans for the break.

"I can't believe we're going to sectionals," Quinn says after the waitress sets down a basket of breadsticks.

"I know, right?" Brittany adds, "I haven't been to Cincinnati in forever, probably since high school."

"Same!" Quinn replies, "I'm getting nervous already, we have big shoes to fill."

Santana quickly grabs one like she hasn't eaten in days and starts nibbling on the end, "At least we don't have to compete with them. I don't think I could pull off the moves we used to do back in high school. Pretty sure I have permanent back problems now from being on the bottom of the pyramid."

Quinn chuckles as she reaches for a breadstick, "I don't think I'd be able to either, I'm just not that flexible anymore."

"Tough work being on top?" Santana teases and knocks her shoulder with Quinn's.

"You wouldn't know now would you?" Quinn quips back and Santana rolls her eyes.

Brittany snorts as she moves to take a sip of her cocktail, "No, she really wouldn't."

It's in the way Brittany says her comment and the smirk that follows that makes Santana's cheeks instantly flush as Quinn high fives Brittany from across the table, but she tries hard to play it off and act as though she's unfazed, "You guys suck."

"Anyway, what are you guys up to for the break?" Quinn asks.

"I'll most likely do some small Thanksgiving dinner thing," Santana says in between nibbles of her breadstick.