The first day we met, on my first day of school at McKinley, I was wearing a little black beret. I was standing against the wall, observing all the new faces, when you walked up to me. There was a blonde next to you who gave me a smile.

"I'm Quinn," she said. "You must be new."

"Brittany S. Pierce," I introduced myself, looking at you instead of Quinn. "It's my first day here." Quinn started talking again, but my attention was on your dark eyes that floated above mine and lingered on my hat.

You hadn't said a word, not even when Quinn gestured to a group of people standing in the grass and told me to join you all, but I could see the amused little smile on your lips as we walked over.

X

It took me three days to learn your name, Santana.

Any free time I had was spent with you, Quinn, and any others that decided to hang around, but it wasn't until lunch on the third day that I heard Quinn say your name. She was saying something about the guys playing football a few feet away, but all I caught was her saying Santana, because you weren't paying attention.

I didn't even find it weird that I hadn't wondered about it before, because all I could think about was how much I loved it the instant I heard it.

For the rest of the period I looked at you and thought Santana; for the rest of the day I looked at you and thought Santana.

(I couldn't stop looking at you; I couldn't stop loving your name.)

X

We exchanged words and looks, but it was never anything big. You were popular, and spent most of your time talking to Quinn or laughing at the others. I was okay with just listening to you speak, but I cherished the moments when your words were directed at me.

It was about four weeks into the school year when you first said anything.

I was standing in the usual spot, waiting for everyone to show up, a brown trapper hat with gray faux fur atop my head. You walked up and smiled at me, but didn't say anything right away.

But your eyes wandered to mine and you eventually said, "Nice hat." I didn't say anything back, though, because Quinn appeared at your side and immediately started talking. I only smiled back at your smirk.

The second time you said something, I was wearing a blue and white snap-back.

"Really?" you said, one of your eyebrows raised.

When I wore my fuzzy yellow hat with ears on top, you were quick to point it out, even with the others around. "I can't believe you," you said, and I could see your dimple-bound smile fighting its way to the surface; I giggled.

"What's so funny?" Puck asked, looking at you funny; but you were laughing too much and I couldn't talk over the sound.

You made fun of my hats.

It was never in a mean, bully-type way; you were just playing around. You were teasing me, and I smiled every time. It made me love my hats more than I already did.

X

I had been to the movies along with you and Quinn a few times before, so when I got a text from you asking me to go, I was elated you asked and didn't think much of it.

I was the first to arrive, because I'm always early or late and I didn't want to keep you waiting.

Seconds after I'd stepped into the building, my knit white beanie was snatched off my head and I spun around to retrieve it from the thief, but my frown instantly molded into a smile.

It was you.

You were standing there fiddling with my hat, giving me that small, shy smile you always did when it was just me and you.

"Hi," I said, not even having the chance to ask about Quinn before you asked if I'd already bought a ticket. "No," I told you, because I was so happy when you asked me that I completely forgot to find out what we were watching.

You nodded, just barely, and then we were walking back outside. When we got to the ticket booth, you bought two tickets for Brave.

I was surprised by your choice, because it didn't seem like your kind of movie—not the type we usually saw, anyway. You turned around and handed me a ticket and I smiled, searching, because we always bought our tickets separately.

You spoke again in the snack line when I started to argue because you wanted to pay for that, too.

"I got it," is all you'd say, pushing my hand away before grabbing our large soda and extra-buttered popcorn. (You and Quinn didn't usually get snacks, only water; but I did, and I made sure to share.)

You never gave my hat back; instead, you stuffed it into your jacket pocket without a word. We sat through the movie side by side, talking quietly—but only about the movie.

It was when we stepped out into the cold night air that my hat made a reappearance. You looked down at it in your hands, and then shot me a smile. You stepped forward, arms raising slowly, and placed my hat back on my head. You stepped back.

At the end of a movie, we always left.

So I asked, "Where are you parked?"

You only shook your head, and then you stepped forward. Your arms raised and I smiled, for some reason, at the thought of you taking my hat again.

You didn't take it, though. Your fingers simply curled around the tassels hanging down, and tugged. I just looked at you for a moment, and then I accepted the request and allowed you to pull me down close.

I felt your breath, warm against my face.

You kissed me.

"This was a good date, Britt," you said.

I usually rode the bus to school, but on Monday morning you showed up at my house. We hadn't talked since saturday.

It was early, because you were there before the bus-and the bus was always there super early. You looked great, though; you always did.

We had time, so I invited you inside. You told me you didn't eat breakfast, but I didn't want to eat alone so I managed to get you to eat a bowl of cereal.