[and a small bit of Brittana for good measure]
Santana steps out of her car for her first day on the job. Her mother has forced her into getting a summer job for 'experience' or whatever. Santana is sure that that saying is something parents use just to get their lazy boned teens out of the house. She was planning on working on her tan all summer, but instead, she's dealt the task of making pool i.D.'s and checking said I.D.'s. All day long in a room watching people walk by her ready to go sunbathing and swimming. At least, she reasons, the stupid office is air conditioned.
After getting her name tag and ugly ass park shirt on, she makes her way to the front office of the pool. Just outside on a bench are five of the pool's lifeguards. Two of them have been here since she was a toddler and her house didn't have a pool yet. Three of them are from school which only makes this job more annoying. Mike and Finn, two of the school's jocks, are passing a football to one another even though they're only sitting barely ten feet away. The other two, a guy in his thirties who every one calls Mr. Schu because he used to be a teacher at McKinley and it’s a hard habit to break. The other woman, Holly Holiday, the towns own wild child. She may be forty years old, but she still goes to frats and talks like a teenager.
Brittany S. Pierce, also known as Quinn Fabray's arch nemesis and by proxy Santana Lopez's as well. It's been a while since Santana has had an actual conversation with her, but, they tend to be able to be civil when in close proximity. They sort of have to considering they are both on the Cheerios.
Santana walks right by them, not even bothering to say hello and make pleasentries because she literally just saw most of them last weekend at a party. When she walks into the office it is nice and chilly. April, the town drunk, is sitting at one desk pouring the rest of her flask into a coffee mug and a bright smile on her face as she does so. In the other corner is Rachel Berry.
Rachel Berry is one of those girls that no body likes, almost zero people tolerate and who everybody ignores. If they can help it.
"Hey Santana." Rachel says all bubbly. Santana bites her tongue and forces a smile. Rachel's own, sincere smile, fades when she takes in Santana's outfit. "Aren't you going to get in trouble for this?" Rachel wonders as she tugs at the part of Santana's t-shirt where there used to be sleeves.
"It's a million degrees outside. I'm sure they'll get over it." Santana scoffs and slaps Rachel's hand away from her personal space.
"You're not off to the beach, you're at work." Rachel points out, realizing the cut off sleeves are less to worry about compared to the short shorts and the way Santana's tied her shirt up at the bottom revealing her midsection.
"Dwarf," Santana sighs. "Is my ensemble going to affect the way you do this meaningless job?" She quirks an eyebrow as she sets her things down.
Rachel huffs, never being one to accept a brush off easily. Eventually she sucks it up and goes back to her desk. Santana's taken the first two hours or checking people in and filling out stupid papers for their passes. She figured the more the day goes on the more irritable she will become. Better to get faux kindness out of the way sooner.
"Hey Santana." She looks up and sees Mike Chang. She smiles, mostly because she has to considering she is going to see him for the next few months every single day. "You got the sign in sheet?" She looks around for the sign in sheet for the life guards. She sighs as she slides it across the counter and hands him a pen. "I didn't know you were working here." He comments as he fills out all the boxes.
"Yup." Her lips pop and she rolls her eyes.
"Well, at least it's air conditioned." He says before handing the pen to the next life guard.
Luckily, Finn signs his stuff out in silence, only taking a little too long because he is gawking over at Rachel behind Santana. She rolls her eyes again at how obvious he is and how annoying they would be if they ever actually got together.
Yeah, she laughs in her mind. Like that would ever happen.
She thinks the train of lifeguards is over until there's a tap of the pen on the counter. She looks back up and finds Brittany Pierce standing on the other side of the counter. They make eye contact, but it's short lived because they both quickly look away.
"Didn't know you were a life guard." Santana says and she catches the slight twitch in the corner of Brittany's mouth.
"Didn't think you'd ever have a summer job." Brittany bites back rather quickly. Santana can't fight the smirk that takes over her lips. "Guess we're both full of surprises." She says, pressing her lips tightly together and raises her eyebrows.
When she's done, she holds the pen out to Santana instead of dropping it to the counter like everyone before her did. She looks up and into Santana's eyes, waiting for her to take the pen back. Santana slowly reaches out for the pen only gripping the end with her two fingers.
"Good luck." Brittany says with a light tap of her hand to the counter. Santana doesn't say anything because Brittany is walking away before she can.
"Didn't you two used to be friends?" Santana shivers at the sound of Rachel's voice. "I always wondered what happened." She says and Santana just ignores her, hoping it will go away. It does. Eventually.
At 4:30pm Santana is clocking out. However, she has no idea how this ancient contraption works and all it keeps doing is beeping at her. She's two seconds away from just walking out and dealing with it tomorrow when a long arm reaches across her.
It's Brittany and she easily slides her punch card in and out with a simple click then she puts her card away.
"How'd you do that?" Santana asks in a quick breath and with wide eyes. Brittany chuckles and takes Santana's card from her hand.
"You're holding it the wrong way." Brittany tells her and she turns it right ways before slipping it in and having it make that perfect click. "See." She shows her and Santana nods, taking the card back and puts it on the wall with the rest.
"Yeah." Santana sighs. "Thanks." She half smiles at Brittany who had been smiling kindly at her, but then rolls her eyes.
"See ya tomorrow." Brittany shakes her head and walks to the door. "Hey," She stops at the door and turns to look at Santana. "Two years ago we started this thing where, after the first and last day of the season we go to the diner. It turned out to be an every other week kind of thing." She says and Santana stays standing there just staring back at her. Brittany chuckles and shrugs her shoulders. "These are long, hot, days Santana. It's just a way for us to chill out and wind down."
"Uh, well, I have plans." Santana stutters out. Brittany smiles and nods.
"Sure." Brittany says and it comes out sounding like she doesn't believe Santana or she really doesn't care.
Maybe it's a little bit of both.
