Two Ghosts

Chapter 22

If you would've told Santana Lopez a year ago that she would be spending her Friday in a janky bus full of rowdy high school cheerleaders who insist on bugging the crap out of her with their constant cheering and on her way to Cincinnati for a Cheerleading competition of all things while sharing a seat with her former girlfriend who is also her current co-coach, she would've told you to fuck off, loser because never in a million years...

Yet, here she is doing just that because apparently – even in death – Sue still had a way of making Santana's life a living hell. Although with Brittany by her side again, how bad could it really be?

She's come a long way since waiting on Karens back at the Spotlight Diner, but she can't say that becoming a Cheerios coach is fulfilling a lifelong dream. The hours are more reasonable than the doubles she use to pull, the pay's a lot better thanks to Sue, and she even has benefits now but she doesn't think coaching is something she'd consider doing forever. It's just nice to have a something stable for once, even if she has to put up with bratty teens for a few hours a day. They're not really all that bad when she thinks of it. In fact, she was probably worse growing up.

Santana surprises herself when she thinks of it, but she actually believes she makes a damn good coach.

She wonders when she suddenly became this person that was so involved but she thinks about the years she has spent on the squad herself and her brief time as a Louisville Cardinal and it's not really so surprising. Cheering has always been a big part of her life.

In a way, if it wasn't for Sue insisting she join the Cheerios, she would've never met Brittany. And again, if it wasn't for Sue and the Cheerios, she might've never reconnected with Brittany years later too.

To top it all off, she's wearing her Cheerios Alumni sweatshirt and reading through last month's issue of Inside Cheerleading. She swears it's purely for distraction purposes because she can only handle the girls' chatter for so long and she doesn't want to end up murdering anyone during the 2 hour drive.

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On one side, she and Brittany share a seat because Quinn called dibs on the last open booth and they're apparently 12 years old again and calling dibs is a thing still. Santana had grumbled about it while watching Quinn make a show of all the space she had, fluffing her bookbag as she rested back on it like a pillow.

Brittany only laughed at the pair and dragged Santana to sit down next to her.

"You should've got that booth, Britt," Santana urges then turns back to Quinn and says in a much louder voice, "Quinn's stubby little legs don't need all that room."

Quinn just smirked and raised both middle fingers up, the high back of the chair successfully blocking her from the squad's view. Santana pursed her lips at her friend's cockiness.

"It's okay, San, I like sharing with you." Brittany replied easily then came in close so that only Santana could hear, "Don't you remember all the fun we had on these long bus rides? We use to sit at the back and wait for Quinn to fall asleep..."

Santana's eyes go wide at the memory and she quickly turns to find Brittany grinning. There's a box of Dots in her hands and she pops one into her mouth, letting it bulge at her cheek.

The look is of pure innocence, but Santana knows better.

There's mischief behind those piercing blue eyes and Santana's not going to let Brittany get away with it. The tension has been pretty record-breaking over the last couple of weeks as they focused their attention on preparing for Sectionals, but being flirty with Brittany was always one of the easiest things to do, always one of Santana's favorites.