Chapter 1

I woke up with a start then cursed in frustration when I realized I had had this stupid recurring dream 3 nights in a row. It used to freak me out when I was younger but I had been having this dream for as long as I could remember now it was like my constant unwanted companion. When ever I felt sad, depressed or just lonely - there it was keeping me company at night. I checked the time on my phone : 3:56am.

I got out of bed with the intention of going to the loo only but I found it extremely tiring that after that dream I could never go back to sleep, so I went to the kitchen to get a little early morning snack. I opened the fridge and stared for a second at the yogurt then I reached for it, I closed the fridge and just as I was turning a movement caught my eye and I literally stopped breathing - only for a second.

"Finn." Phew! "You scared me."

"Er, you're always scared, Santana." He said nonchalantly with a shrug without looking up from the book in his hand.

"And you are always sneaky. What are you doing down here at night?" I asked folding my arms across my chest.

"Oh, I don't know, shaving?" He said sarcastically waving the book.

"So when you are in your room you are illiterate?" I shot back.

"No, I knew you were gonna come down here so I decided to scare you." He grinned at me.

He was adorable not just because he was my baby brother but he actually was very cute. But I never wanted him to know that.

"Well done then." I said then I remembered something he said. "Wait, how did you know I was going to be here?"

"You are having a series of That Dream. " he stated simply as if that explained everything.

I walked over to him and sat in a chair next to him.

"How the hell did you know that?" I asked him. How did he knows these things?!

"Because i'm not stupid, Santana." He responded still leaving me unanswered

"Really? Could have fooled me." I mumbled making sure he heard me. "Seriously, how did you know?"

He merely shrugged. "Well, it looks like my job is done here." He got up and stretched then he looked at me for a moment then his expression softened. "Ready for school tomorrow? Well, today."

I sighed heavily. It was the first day of my senior high school year and school had not been an easy ride for my brother and I.

"Am I ever?" I rubbed my eyes. And of course the best way to start a new school year was to not get enough sleep on the first day. Urgh.

"Don't worry it will be better this year. I have a feeling." Finn told me with a pat on my shoulder.

Of course it would be better for him, he was funny, people loved him. Me on the other hand, people hated me and i was trying by all means to stay invisible but no, someone always had to put me on the spot and embarrass me.

"If you say so, bro." I mumbled and I jumped off the chair, grabbed my yogurt off the counter and I turned to Finn.

"If mum asks, i'm telling her you ate the yogurt." I told him.

"What? Why?"

"That's what you get for scaring me." I stated brushing past him as I headed for the stairs.

"Don't be late for school." He called out behind me.

"Of course not, wouldn't wanna delay getting whiplashed now, would I?" I retorted with a smirk.

My life sucked.

That was the plain truth. My fate had already been decided for me before I was even born when my grandmother decided to be the town psycho. I don't remember her much but what I do remember was that she was always muttering something and writing illegible stuff on paper, walls or anything that could be written on. It was ridiculous. And it being a small town, everyone knew about her 'sickness' it made headline news for many years because my family practically founded the town. A lot of industries and some schools were founded by my great great great great? grandparents.

The Marino's town. I chuckled at that as I sat down on my bed and dug into the yogurt, it was strawberry, my favorite.

So my family was quite popular in the town so you would think that all of us would be great leaders or great minds or very much liked by everyone but that was far from the case. My grandmother's fiasco singlehandedly burned the family name down so every Marino who came after her was pretty much screwed. The Marino fias'cookoo', they called it and honestly, I don't really know what she did that was so horrible but rumor has it my gramps made her crazy. My parents obsoletely refused to talk about it. They didn't even acknowledge it. And it certainly didn't help that I was named after my granny and my gramps.

My full name was Santana Lilia Rochelle Marino. My gramps... Santanio Lucas and my granny Ro-fucking-chelle...Rochelle. I hated my names - all of them. Why would they name me after my insane grandmother and my sadistic grandfather?! But the good thing was granny was commonly known as Shelly so no one knew about that yet. But even though, we were the underdogs of the town, everyone was watching us waiting for one of us to go crazy again or maybe all of us. And I knew that their bet was on me.

Sure it was disturbing but no, I wouldn't go crazy I was very careful not to talk to myself and I didn't write anything on paper unless it was absolutely necessary.

Light was slowly starting to filter into my super sized room from outside so I set the yogurt aside then stood up and went to open my curtains and windows. Then I stepped outside on the balcony. Our property was huge. It stretched on and on and on. I thought it was kind of dumb to have all this space and not have a pool. So my dad built a pool - a huge one. My dad spoiled us, to say the least. He was very liberal with his money and didn't mind throwing it around everywhere if he felt like it so enter my Range Rover Evoque. It was beautiful in a mean guy kind of way. I loved it. It was my solace - when ever I felt bad about my name or anything I would just get in there and go for a really long drive. I would go for a drive now but I had to start preparing for school. I stood there for a few more minutes allowing the sun to filter my senses.

Naturally I had a beautiful big mane of curly red hair but that made me stand out too much at school so I ran a flat iron through it every morning so I could simply blend in.

"Santana, baby?" My mum called out from downstairs "Come on now, honey. You don't want to be late."

By the time she finished the last word I was entering the kitchen with my backpack carelessly slung on my shoulder. I was one of the very few people at school who still used two armed backpacks

"Morning, mum." I kissed her on the cheek.

"Sleep well?" She asked with a smile.

"Like a log." I replied smiling back. My mum knew about the dream, but that was another one of the things she decided to block out. If anything seriously bothered her she just blocked it out.

"Hie, honey." My dad said from the kitchen table and I walked over and kissed him too.

My dad looked like he had already been out of bed for hours, his red hair unkempt but that's how he always looked. Mum however, always looked neat and on point - always. She was so beautiful she looked like a painting. She had everything, jet black long gorgeous hair and wide blue eyes (which I inherited only mine were green like dad's) and she was tall - hell, she looked like a model. While on the other hand, I had red hair and I was  short, no wonder people didn't like me.

I grabbed a slice of buttered toast and munched on it.

Just then Finn walked in clearly having just jumped out of the shower his short cropped black hair slick and wet. He had mum's hair, blue eyes but dad's height and big muscle built. My brother and I were like chalk to cheese.

"Hey, mum." He said kissing her cheek. "Hey, dad"

"Hie honey." Mum said then she frowned at him. "I put out a grey shirt out for you to wear." She pointed out staring at his white tee shirt.

"What! So whose clothes am I wearing?!" Finn cried dramatically. He even looked mortified.

I rolled my eyes while mum and dad laughed.

"That was a nice shirt." Mum defended.

"I know, I will wear it tomorrow." Finn promised knowing fully well that they were going to the same conversation tomorrow.

Dad chuckled. "We will see about that." He muttered. "So which one of you ate my yogurt?" He asked his eyes on me.

"Why are you looking at me? Finn is the one who ate it." I said indignantly pointing at my brother.

"I have a weakness for yogurt." Finn said sarcastically causing me to throw a piece of toast at him.

"He really does, dad." I confirmed nodding solemnly.

"It seems, Santana that we have to buy you your own yogurt factory." Dad pointed out with a laugh.

I drowned the remainder of the milk in my glass then I belched loudly (to which mum cried "Santana!"). "Only if you feel obliged to." I grinned at him then I turned to Finn.

"You're late." I pointed out.

"I'm on time." He said with a smile.

"Not my time." I returned.

"Noone cares about your time." He took an apple and but into it.

"It will matter to you after I beat you to school." I smirked.

He laughed out loud. "Oh please."

"No racing to school." Dad stated without looking up from his paper.

"It's not a race, Dad. A race by definition is condition were two parties are in competition." Finn said slowly. "Santana is no competition."

Dad smiled and mum giggled. How dare they?!

"Mum, why are you laughing? I can be competition! I will be competition right now!." With that I ran outside to the garage and thank goodness it was open.

I jumped into my car and kicked the engine to action. I was determined to get to school before Finn. So I began driving through the yard to the gate.

Was the gate closed?

Darn it!

The gate was closed.

I rummaged my glove compartment for the remote but I couldn't find it.

"Ugrr why is it not open. Open!" I muttered in frustration.

Just then the huge gate groaned and started sliding to the side.

Oh.

That was unexpected but welcome nonetheless.

I revved the engine and drove out of the yard speeding to school. And sure enough I got there before Finn.

Sweet victory.

I smiled to myself.

"Santana!"

My smile widened. Another one of my solaces. My best friend, Lola.

"Girl, how did you get here before Finn? Watchu do with him?" She asked raising an eyebrow. She was an exquisitely beautiful African-American. This year she was rocking short spiky black hair and thankfully she was as short as me but people adored her and I couldn't blame them. Lola's was literally a ball of fun. She was funny, loud and opinionated also she was a cheerleader. We met when we were both juniors and instantly became best friends and now here we are.

"Please, I left him the shadow of the dust from my wheels." I waved my hand dismissively.

"I will have to see that to believe it. Girl, you drive like a kangaroo." She shook her head then trained her eyes to the school gate as of she expected Finn to drive in immediately.

"I don't know, I would say more like a raccoon." I kinda liked raccoons.

"No, definitely a kangaroo." She confirmed with a nod of her head.

I shook my head. "Come on. Let's get to our lockers, don't wanna bump into any academic hazards today." I pulled her hand towards the doors

"Well, what about Finn?" She asked with a delicate frown.

"Finn is an academic hazard. To you at least." I watched her pout." When are you going to tell him that you like him? " I asked with a smirk knowing the answer to that.

Quickly she reverted her eyes from the gate and started walking quickly to the doors I had to run to catch up with my smirk in place.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She denied liking Finn all the time yet she drooled over him all the time too. It was too entertaining to stop watching.

I laughed. "Okay."

"Don't." She said with a smile of her own then she sighed. "I can't wait to graduate."

"Tell me about it." I muttered walking side by side with her.

"What's our aim this year?" Lola asked with a little side smile.

"Same as always, honey. Stay inv- awww!" Some eejit just knocked me in the stomach with a stupid ball.

"Didn't see you there, Santana." Teg, the stupid jock who hit me smiled at me then winked at Lola as he picked his ball to aim it at the next victim.

"Shitface." I muttered quietly catching my breath.

"Shitface!" Lola said it loud enough for him to hear then she turned to me."Are you alive? "

"Yes but he is not. In my head, I have killed him in three different ways." I smiled at my solace. She didn't know it but she really had the ability to calm me down - somehow.

She smiled back and patted my shoulder. "I think you will live. Let's go before we have a repeat. I see him coming back." She said pulling my hand.

As always, the corridors were flooded with students chatting, throwing a ball, fixing makeup, crying, all sorts of things. I was so over high school. I was a bit older than most people her, I was nineteen so maybe that's why I felt like I didn't fit in.. Either way it was my last year and when it was done all this will come to an end and maybe my life will finally begin. Finally we got to our lockers which were of course side by side but unfortunately academic hazard number one, Amy was standing by her locker which was close to ours doing her make up.

Lola and I exchanged a look then I brushed past her hoping she wouldn't notice me.

"Hey!" I heard Amy scream angrily.

I decided to ignore it and continue walking.

"Hey, crazy." She repeated still sounding angry.

"Who the hell are you calling crazy?" Lola lashed at her. I sighed as I turned around to face an angry Amy and equally angry Lola.

" I'm not talking to you, crazy #2" Amy said her eyes on me.

"Amy, I would gladly feed you to the dogs." I told her with a sweet smile causing Lola to laugh out loud.

"By dogs do you mean your family?" She smiled back at me.

I gasped and glanced at Lola for back up. "You are an airhead, Amy."

She said and I shook my head exasperated. Was that the best she could come up with?

"If I accept that will Marino stop existing? Her presence makes my skin crawl." She narrowed her eyes at me rubbing her bare arms.

"Maybe I should come closer then." I said taking a step closer to her while maintaining eye contact. The sudden crash of her compact to the floor broke our visual deadlock. She glanced at it then back at me after a second she turned on her heel and stomped off.

"That was fascinating." Lola commented opening her locker. "At that compact literally flew out of her locker to the floor."

I also opened my locker and took my history books. "Well, I'm glad it crashed or I would have smashed her face to the wall." I said still pissed off by the stand off. I sighed. "I will see you later I have to go for history."

"Laters." Lola waved and we went in opposite directions. Lola and I hardly had classes together which is why I was vulnerable during classes when she was not here. And I hated first classes of the year, it meant new teachers and that was meant terrible stuff for me.

I sighed looking at the name of the history teacher. Mr McLain? Had never heard of him.

I finally reached the class and sure enough sitting behind the teacher's desk was a young-looking blonde good looking man I had never seen before. I slipped quietly into the class and sat by the window at the back.

To my annoyance Amy walked in together with her boyfriend Teg and academic hazard 2, Kiki and 3, Sandie. Urgh.

"Settle down." Blondie said with an english accent to quieten the class. Sure enough people settled down at looked up expectantly at him.

"My name is Mr McLain. Call me Mr Mc. I will be taking you for history." He said and he walked around the desk and sat himself on top of it.

"I will not tolerate any form of nonsense or unnecessary noise or bribes and I do not," he pointed at the blushing and giggling girls in the front row, "date students. Failure to complete assignments and tests will result in detention." He looked over the class. "Are we clear?"

"Sure."

"Yeah."

"Whatever."

Answers were chorused.

"Okay," he grinned showing an amazing perfect smile and I literally swooned. Had never had a crush on a teacher all my life. But he, well, he was gorgeous.

"Alright. Let's begin..."

He proceeded to to ramble about things I didn't hear because I was too busy oogling him and daydreaming. I wondered what it would be like to kiss those sexy lips - well considering I had never been kissed before, I wondered how it would feel to be kissed period. No one wanted to kiss the potential town psycho so...I was a nineteen year old virgin.

If he was new in town then maybe be he didn't know about my family... I thought to myself. It would be nice to have a first kiss from the hottest man I had ever seen. It would be a dream. I wanted -

"Santana!"

"What?!" I barked at Anna who interrupted my day dream.

She merely nodded towards the front and I followed her nodded and found my eyes clashing with Mr McLain's. My heart slammed against my ribcage when our eyes met. It was like there was an invisible force pulling me. His expression however remained inquisitive.

"Santana?" He took a paper from his desk and scanned it while mumbling something under his breath. "Santana Lilia Rochelle Marino." He looked back up at me with a crooked smile on his face. "Boy, your family sure didn't run out of names." At that, the class broke into gales of laughter.

I narrowed my eyes. I hated people making fun of my names. I started feeling traces of anger rise in me as people continued to laugh at me.

"Wait a minute..." Mr McLain suddenly said and the class fell silent. There was something about him that made people sit up and take notice. Right now he was looking down at the paper in his hand. "Rochelle Marino. Rochelle Marino."

No no no no no...!!

"You are Rochelle Marino's grand daughter!" He announced. "Shelly Marino." He looked straight at me again and I wanted to die! "Am I right?"

"Oh my gosh!" Amy gushed putting a hand over her mouth. Naturally everyone turned to her. "You were named after your psycho dead grandmother?!"

I felt as though someone was pulling out my hair one strand at a time. Everyone's attention turned to me and people who were sitting close to me shifted their chairs away from me. I gripped my desk tightly.

"She was a crazy witch and Santana is going to be just like her!" Some one yelled.

"She already is!"

"Eew! That's why she's so gross."

"We shouldn't be forced to breath the same air as her, we don't wanna end up like her!"

"Rochelle? More like Rocrazy!"

"I knew it!"

"Mr McLain, kick her out of class."

My brain was in turmoil as the class got even wilder. I could hardly breath as i fought to put my anger in control but this time I just couldn't keep it in check it was like a greater power and taken control of me. I started hearing that scream which characterized my dreams. I looked around the class trying to find the source but everyone was staring outside the window so I too followed their gaze and immediately noticed that the sky was getting dark rapidly like a tornado was quickly forming just above the school. But somehow it didn't scare me as the scream continued roaring in my very soul.

"Now now settle down." Mr McLain decided to take control of the situation. "I'm sure Santana's insanity won't affect us all." He said going being his desk

That was it. I stood up and as soon as I did I felt an uncontrollable wind gush past me and suddenly, the teacher's desk screeched as it skooted backwards towards Mr McLain trapping him against the wall.