Mercedes Jones sat in the coffee shop, looking at Blaine Anderson and marveling at the changes four months could make. She remembered the first time she went out with Kurt Hummel and his new friend Blaine. Kurt barely knew Blaine and Mercedes didn't know him at all. Sure, she could fill a book with what she had heard about the fabulous Blaine Anderson, but she'd never actually met him. As a matter of fact, she barely recognized Kurt, her best friend of almost ten years, that day. Grandma Jones would have described Kurt as "smitten". Laughing hysterically at everything Blaine said, ignoring his oldest friend, it was-

"Earth to Mercedes" Blaine snapped his fingers in front of her face. "I asked you how long you've known Kurt."

"Sorry, daydreaming." They both looked over at the tall thin boy ordering coffee. Kurt was the best looking man she'd ever met and Blaine was right up there on the handsome scale. They were a great looking couple, prettier even than Sam and Quinn and that's a lot of pretty.

"Third grade. We rode the same school bus. Kurt's mom worked with my mom so one of them was always there to meet the bus. When Kurt's mom got sick he stayed at my house after school and all weekend when Burt wasn't home. That last month before his mom died, he practically lived at my house because Burt pretty much lived at the hospital. But Burt took him to the hospital every day so they could have family dinner together. Then after his mother died Burt got sick and Kurt lived at my house for a couple of weeks. Do you know who Hedy Lamar is?"

"As in Blazing Saddles?"

Mercedes laughed. "Blazing Saddles? That's good but you better keep it to yourself, if you want a long and happy life together. He'll sit through The Producers but that's about his limit on Mel Brooks. H E D Y. Kurt's mom looked just like her. That's where he got his looks."

"You must miss him a lot."

She thought about it for a minute. "Dalton saved his life, or at least his sanity. You make him happy."

"What makes you happy? Sorry if that's out of bounds" he said at Mercedes' unexpected frown.

"No, it's just, nobody's ever asked me that before." she smiled. "I'll get back to you."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kurt asked, sliding coffee cups to his friends.

"You." Blaine said.

"See, Mercedes. I told you he had excellent taste. Did you guys notice..Hey, they're playing our song."

"Wait! You two have a song?"

"Eight Grade Extravaganza!" they answered in unison before singing along with Aretha Franklin and George Michael on "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me".

"Girl!" Blaine exclaimed. "I expect that from Kurt but you're great! Why didn't you tell me she could sing?"

"I think I did." Kurt replied.

"But she's awesome."

"I distinctly remember using the word awesome."

"But that was phenomenal."

"You're right" Mercedes said. "He does have excellent taste."

A voice behind her said "If you sang like that during Sectionals it wouldn't have ended in a tie. No offense, Anderson."

"None taken, Cooper. Mercedes Jones, meet Ianto Cooper." Mercedes turned to see a boy wearing a Dalton uniform. Make that a boy with the most gorgeous gold-flecked brown eyes in the world who happened to be wearing a Dalton uniform.

"I just wanted to compliment you on your singing." he said, with an English accent no less.

"Thank you."

"And to ask how it is possible that we competed against you twice and I've never heard your voice before?"

"I ask myself that question every day. Care to join us?"

"I'd really like to but my sister's getting married Saturday and she's got me on a short leash. I'm not supposed to be here now, it's not on her schedule, but I couldn't leave until you finished. Nice meeting you, Mercedes. Anderson, don't forget, 5:30 Saturday. Bye, Hummel." he said, leaving.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. "I've been at Dalton for 4 years and that's the most I've ever heard from him." Blaine said.

"To tell you the truth, when you guys get rolling it's hard to get a word in."

"That woman just said I talk too much. Blaine, that's not true, is it?" Blaine laughed.

"Nice eyes, don't you think?" Mercedes asked Kurt.

"Didn't notice." he said, sipping his coffee.

"Oh, this must be love 'cause that's not the kind of thing the old Kurt would have missed."

"What's happening at 5:30 on Saturday?" Kurt asked, deftly changing the subject.

"Work. I'm singing at Cooper's sister's wedding."

"But I thought we-"

"Sorry, but lattes aren't free."

"I told you I don't mind buying."

"And I told you that's not the point." He gently took Kurt's hand. "That's one of the myths about Dalton, but not everybody there is rich. My father makes a point of telling me I can get coffee for free at home."

Interesting, but Blaine's financial situation was not her main concern right now. "Okay mythbuster - how about all the guys are gay at Dalton?"

Blaine laughed, "Let's just say the Dalton guy who just left is straight."

"And you know this, how?" Kurt asked.

"I asked him. I did notice those eyes." Blaine answered. Kurt made a wounded puppy face but the laughter didn't leave his eyes and he made no attempt to move his hand.

"He writes for the school paper." Blaine continued. "He interviewed me for a "Who's New at Dalton" story when I first came there. I worked the conversation around that way because I wanted to know. Plus, Dalton's a small school and he's friends with my roommate. He's had girlfriends, never boyfriends, since I've been there."

"Cedes, you have room for an abandoned stray on Saturday?"

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