Nostalgia
Homecoming
Lima, OH – 2025
The doors of the Lima Bean once again opened as Santana Lopez came in with a nervous look on her face.
She scanned the place, looking for someone she knew, and sighed with relief after realizing there was no one who could recognize her from the past. She sat on her usual chair, the small sofa in the middle of the café, took a magazine, and started reading while inhaling the scent of the once-familiar coffee shop.
It had been years since she last set foot in the Lima Bean… years since she last set foot in Lima actually. After graduating from William McKinley High School, she moved out to New York and started a new life there as a law student in Columbia University. As she continued to become a successful lawyer, she grew more and more distant from her high school friends, and eventually lost contact with them.
One day, though, she receives a text from Quinn Fabray.
"April 12, WMHS Gym. High school reunion. BE THERE. We miss you."
It wasn't like she hated her high school years; it was one of her best years actually. She just got too caught up with all the law books and exams she had to take to get this far in her career. She didn't have time for nights out with friends, for drinking sessions, and even for just simple walks in the park. For Santana Lopez, time was too fast, and she had to run just to catch it.
But one thing she always had in mind was her days at McKinley. When she couldn't sleep, she goes back to those moments when she gave millions of names for Finn Hudson, all of them not pleasing. To those moments when she led the Cheerios to victory dozens of times, alongside Becky, of course. To those moments when she felt at home with the weird kids at Glee Club. To those moments, those special moments, with her.
And so here she was, sitting in her spot at the Lima Bean thirteen years later.
"Santana? Santana Lopez?"
She looked up from the article she was reading, something about annoying things people do at work.
"So you did show up."
She smiled her high school-Santana smile, looking at the brown eyes of the blonde. "Hey, Preggers."
"Not much has changed, huh?" Quinn smirked at the brunette's greeting. "So, what made you come back after disappearing so fast? Am I still really that good at persuading people?" the blonde laughed.
"Don't flatter yourself. Even if it was the hobbit who texted, I would still go to this stupid reunion." the brunette said, both of them drifting their thoughts to another brown-eyed brunette, much shorter than Santana.
Quinn laughed again. "So anyway, do you have plans for tonight? Rachel and I are inviting some of our friends for dinner. You know, the usual hungry pack – Puck, Sam, Artie. Kurt and Blaine will be there too, as well as Britt—"
Santana flinched at the last name. "I've got plans. I just got back and my parents must be dying to see me." the brunette laughed nervously. "Well, I really have to go, I still have to unpack my stuff. See you at the 12th"?
"Yeah, be there." Quinn nodded.
Santana quickly grabbed her bag and rushed to the door, but before she could leave, Quinn called back.
"Hey, Lopez!"
"Yeah?"
"Be there. She misses you."
The doors of the Lima Bean once again opened as Santana Lopez came in with a nervous look on her face.
She scanned the place, looking for someone she knew, and sighed with relief after realizing there was no one who could recognize her from the past. She sat on her usual chair, the small sofa in the middle of the café, took a magazine, and started reading while inhaling the scent of the once-familiar coffee shop.
It had been years since she last set foot in the Lima Bean… years since she last set foot in Lima actually. After graduating from William McKinley High School, she moved out to New York and started a new life there as a law student in Columbia University. As she continued to become a successful lawyer, she grew more and more distant from her high school friends, and eventually lost contact with them.
One day, though, she receives a text from Quinn Fabray.
"April 12, WMHS Gym. High school reunion. BE THERE. We miss you."
It wasn't like she hated her high school years; it was one of her best years actually. She just got too caught up with all the law books and exams she had to take to get this far in her career. She didn't have time for nights out with friends, for drinking sessions, and even for just simple walks in the park. For Santana Lopez, time was too fast, and she had to run just to catch it.
But one thing she always had in mind was her days at McKinley. When she couldn't sleep, she goes back to those moments when she gave millions of names for Finn Hudson, all of them not pleasing. To those moments when she led the Cheerios to victory dozens of times, alongside Becky, of course. To those moments when she felt at home with the weird kids at Glee Club. To those moments, those special moments, with her.
And so here she was, sitting in her spot at the Lima Bean thirteen years later.
"Santana? Santana Lopez?"
She looked up from the article she was reading, something about annoying things people do at work.
"So you did show up."
She smiled her high school-Santana smile, looking at the brown eyes of the blonde. "Hey, Preggers."
"Not much has changed, huh?" Quinn smirked at the brunette's greeting. "So, what made you come back after disappearing so fast? Am I still really that good at persuading people?" the blonde laughed.
"Don't flatter yourself. Even if it was the hobbit who texted, I would still go to this stupid reunion." the brunette said, both of them drifting their thoughts to another brown-eyed brunette, much shorter than Santana.
Quinn laughed again. "So anyway, do you have plans for tonight? Rachel and I are inviting some of our friends for dinner. You know, the usual hungry pack – Puck, Sam, Artie. Kurt and Blaine will be there too, as well as Britt—"
Santana flinched at the last name. "I've got plans. I just got back and my parents must be dying to see me." the brunette laughed nervously. "Well, I really have to go, I still have to unpack my stuff. See you at the 12th"?
"Yeah, be there." Quinn nodded.
Santana quickly grabbed her bag and rushed to the door, but before she could leave, Quinn called back.
"Hey, Lopez!"
"Yeah?"
"Be there. She misses you."