"You look so nervous. You sure you're up for this?" Mercedes gave Sam a searching look.
"Yeah…well you know how much I've thought about this. I can't keep it locked away anymore." Sam bit his lip and looked down, shuffling his feet. He felt like he was about to be sick. He glanced around and realized how weird they were being, hiding just inside the entrance of this coffee shop.
Sam Evans and Mercedes Jones had met at this café to deal with some angst Sam had been coping with on his own for months. The two of them had been hanging out since the week leading up to prom, and they had soon become fast friends. No one else in glee club really knew about their sudden friendship, though. Mercedes and Kurt Hummel were best friends, and the special bond between those two was one of the main reasons Sam had gotten so close to Mercedes so quickly. She was the perfect person with whom Sam could share what had been weighing heavily on his mind for so long.
"Then I guess we better get down to business. There's no way in hell you're gonna feel any better standing in the door."
"You're right. You sure he's gonna be here, though, Mercedes? This place is kinda out of the way."
"We already been over this, boy. Am I his bestie or am I his bestie? He's been comin' here all the time since he transferred to Dalton. He's usually here with Blaine, but don't worry, that's why you got me here for back-up," Mercedes smiled up at Sam, reached over, and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before cocking her head and brushing her hair back, "Wait…see? I think I actually hear them now!"
Sam smiled weakly back at her as she whispered the last bit, and they both stopped a few seconds to eavesdrop on their friend.
"Wait, I don't get it, you don't seem that sad at all." Sam looked at Mercedes and mouthed Is that Blaine? She nodded.
"It was still amazing! I mean, I flew in a plane for the first time, I had breakfast at Tiffany's, I sang on a Broadway stage." There was a pause, and Mercedes glanced at Sam. She could barely handle the sappy look Sam wore when he heard Kurt talk, but she saw Sam's dreamy expression go stony moments later.
"I love you."
Sam felt like he was falling backwards forever. He did not come here to hear Blaine tell Kurt that. Sam could not even look at Mercedes. He knew if he saw the patronizing look of pity she must be wearing right now, he would not be able to avoid tears.
Mercedes whispered, "Come on, we're already here. Let's just get something to drink and leave," and she gently nudged Sam farther into the café. Neither of them tried listening to the couple's conversation as they hurried to get by unnoticed, but the long pause in the conversation they had overheard finally ended as Kurt responded to his boyfriend.
"I love you too," Kurt tilted his head and added more quietly, "You know, when you stop and think about it, Kurt Hummel's had a pretty good year. Oh, look who's here!" He had noticed Sam and Mercedes.
Blaine turned around and greeted Kurt's friends, "Hey, what are you guys doin' here?"
"Uh, just, ah, gettin' a coffee." Sam stumbled over his words as he grasped for an answer. After all, he and Mercedes had not intended to be there for coffee.
"We ran into each other in the parking lot." Mercedes tried reinforcing the nonchalant reason for their showing up with a grin and a nod of her head. It was forced, but Kurt and Blaine did not seem to notice.
Blaine was oblivious and gave his own answer for him and Kurt, "We're on our way to get some sheet music. Tomorrow's my audition for the summer show at Six Flags."
Sam heard but did not listen. He really did not care about anything Blaine was doing.
"—Whereas I'm spending my summer composing Pip Pip Hooray, a Broadway musical about Pippa Middleton." Kurt added his own plans for the summer.
Sam did not understand what Kurt had just said, but he knew Kurt cared about it, and that meant he cared about it too. "I-I have no idea who that is, but it sounds totally awesome," Sam said with a sheepish smile.
Mercedes laughed privately at Sam's blatant attempt at winning points with Kurt and gave him a couple playful taps on the arm to let him know she thought he was being obvious.
"We'll see you in class," she added, and she and Sam escaped. Blaine said goodbye then turned back to Kurt to continue their conversation.
"Do you think they know?" Mercedes quickly asked Sam as they walked away from their failed attempt to talk to Kurt.
"I don't think anybody knows."
Sam knew no one knew. He had been too careful. But he had not been able to help being carelessly flustered when they had overheard the couple's I-love-yous and when Kurt had spoken to him. Sam felt numb. He was glad he was not alone with this secret anymore. He reached over and grasped Mercedes' hand for emotional support and he smiled to himself as he felt her hold tighten momentarily to let him know she was there for him.
What was he going to do now? New Directions had not even placed at nationals, and after what he and Mercedes had just heard, he felt farther from love than he ever had since coming to McKinley. What a terrible end to the year.