First story, I hope you like it. Take the time to leave a review if you like. Takes place starting around "Duets" and continues onward from there. - Sweep

"We will be the undisputed, top bitches at this school."

The words resonated in her head as she shut her locker. Taking a look in the direction Santana just went, she saw the Cheerio wordlessly strutting down the hallway. She was right. No matter how much she talked about being the best or coming from Lima Heights, she wasn't lying in this part. "The Boy is Mine" last year was something. So was their backup vocals together for that song of Rachel's a couple weeks ago. And they could do it again. They were the best, and together, they could blow everyone, even Berry, out of the water.

Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly texted Tina: Save me a seat at lunch, we have business to talk about.

"So what's the deal?" Tina asked as Mercedes slid into her seat, adjusting her bag to sit on the floor. Mercedes looked around the table at Mike, sitting beside Tina and chewing on his homemade Chinese. She gave him a little wave in greeting then turned back to Tina.

"Where's Artie?" She began nibbling on her beefsteak.

"I dunno, probably sitting with Rachel. You know how that situation is." Tina motioned over to Mike, who was wordlessly and obliviously shoving sweet chicken in his mouth. "You know we don't talk."

Mercedes just shrugged. She wasn't happy about that whole break-up... especially since now it was her usually ending up being Artie's friend. She knew that her and Artie didn't sit at lunch together. She had just always assumed that he sat with Tina.

"Now what is this business?" Tina shoved her arm.

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. It's about Santana." She laughed.

"Ooooh... did you catch her and Brittany? I always told you those two were-"

"No, it's not about Brittany." Mercedes stopped her immediately and gave her an odd look. "You know I don't believe that." Even if she had asked to make out with Mercedes. Twice. "No, actually Santana wants to be my duet partner." She shrugged her shoulders sassily and gave Tina a big smile.

"Really? That's- I mean... Really?" Tina's stutter might have been coming back.

"Yeah, really. And, you know, I kinda agree with her. You remember 'The Boy is Mine' last year? Yeah, that times three for the duet because this time we'll actually practice together and not send mp3's over email and we'll completely kick ass." Mercedes nodded vigorously, stabbing her corn.

"Yeah, well good luck for you. I know you can deal with Satan." Tina chuckled, taking a drink. "I only wish that I could get my duet partner to actually, you know, sing."

Mercedes glanced over at Mike as Tina shoved him with his elbow. "Hey!" He exclaimed, dropping the rice he had on his fork. "Not nice!"

"Yeah, well I'd be nicer if we could actually duet."

"Uh, Tina, not this again!"

"Yes this again! Mike, I-"

Mercedes happily tuned them out, finishing her corn and finally gnawing on the heaven that is tater tots.

"I'm in."

Mercedes could practically hear Santana smiling through the phone. "Good. Now I was thinking of getting a little Winehouse up in here-"

"Uh, Santana? Who said you were picking the song?"

Santana paused, probably for dramatic effect, knowing the Latina. "You don't remember last time? I picked the song. It was a success."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, laying back on her bed. "No, actually, you emailed me the song, saying, 'We're singing this in glee club, biotch.'"

"And was it not a success?"

She huffed. "Only because I was singing it."

"Whatever, Wheezy. Then what do you propose?"

"I was thinking Aretha, but I know you're not too down with that-"

"-Wheezy, please-"

"-So then I was browsing through my mother's old music and I found her old Tina Turner records."

"Keep talking."

Mercedes gave a cheeky smile, picking up the record from beside her. "There's a song on here called 'River Deep - Mountain High' that my mother absolutely raved about when I took it. Heard of it?"

"Yeah. Is that what you're proposing?"

"Precisely."

"I'll be over there in ten. You still live in the same house a few streets over, right?"

Rehearsing was no problem with Santana, as it turns out. When they had finally agreed on the Tina Turner song and got together and sang it, it sounded amazing. Or as Santana had said, mierda asombrosa, which Mercedes just waived off as some Spanish swear that she got off the internet.

Their choreography wasn't bad either, surprisingly; Mercedes had assumed the cheerleader would easily take over and demand to make the routine, but instead she let the dark-skinned girl have the rights and only bother to change things when she wanted to shake her booty more.

It was a fairly win-win night, and Mercedes was almost positive things were going to work out and they would win when even her father came in and praised them.

Mission accomplished.

"So, Wheezy, another rehearsal tonight at my place this time?" Santana had come over to where Mercedes was packing her bag after the math class had ended.

She blinked, shoving the bag over her shoulder. "Yeah, I guess, though we really don't need it. You know we're perfect." She said, giving Santana a coy smile and flipping her hair back as she began to walk out.

"Yeah, you know you're right." She laughed and stepped out.

Mercedes thought nothing of it. They would get together, they would be perfect, and they would win the Breadstix dinner. That's it.

But as she began to walk down the hallway, she glanced back over to where Santana was, now seeing Brittany and... Artie? And... what?

She watched Brittany and her "non-verbal" language to Santana for only a moment, watching as the blonde walked off, and then herself walked around the corner. What... what was that? Weren't Santana and Brittany friends? Why was she with Artie? And why did she motion to her chest like that-?

And then it hit her.

Tina's words echoed in her head. "Ooooh... did you catch her and Brittany? I always told you those two were-"

But she hadn't believed it, had she? Santana and Brittany couldn't really be together, could they? Or doing... stuff? They were just friends, cheerleaders. Maybe it was something...

There was something going on, definitely. That was the only conclusion Mercedes could come to. As she sat down for her Spanish class, giving a wave to Puck as he walked in, she could only think of how odd the whole thing was. It was only a few seconds - hell, she could have even imagined it - but it was definitely something between the two cheerleaders. And now Artie was involved.