A Thousand Years
Present Day
You know it's strange isn't it; you can hear a sentence so many times and never really believe it until the day comes when you are forced to deal with the reality of the words that have been said to you.
Today was that day.
Sam Evans felt as if his tie was choking his neck as he waited to go into the restaurant that held the night he had been dreading for so long. He felt uncomfortable and overdressed in his suit as he leant against the wall of the building.
"What's up with you Evans?" Noah Puckerman, ever eloquent, asked.
Sam looked down at the ground sullenly before shrugging at his best friend "Nothing" he mumbled, it was a so much of a lie that it actually hurt Sam's throat to say the words.
Puck gave him a disbelieving look "If you say so" he replied "You wanna drink?" he asked pulling a hip flask from his jacket pocket and offering it to Sam.
Sam wasn't usually a massive drinker but tonight he really felt as if he needed one. The liquor burnt the inside of his mouth and caused him to wince at its strength, one sip was probably enough to get him more wasted than he wanted to be. If he didn't keep a level head he wasn't sure what he'd do.
"Evening boys, you both look handsome" Quinn Fabray commented, looking effervescent in a sparkling pink gown that fell to the ground. It couldn't be denied that Quinn was hot, if not beautiful.
"You look beautiful Quinn" Sam told her, a smile forming on his lips.
Puck was practically shoving his eyes back in his head as he nodded at what he described as the former love of his life. "Yeh, you really do Quinn" he said giving her his signature smirk, that smirk was like breathing for Puck, necessary to stay alive. If only because it stopped women from murdering him.
Quinn smiled "So... anyone else totally dreading this?" she asked, her tone light, but that was a hint of seriousness to it.
Sam didn't reply but he knew that question was directed at him. Was it that obvious that he still had those feelings? Those feelings he'd had to hide for most of the last year and a half. Who knew high school was going to be this hard?
"Come on, you can walk me in boys" Quinn told them winking, clearly unaffected by the history she had shared with boys that she was now linking arms with.
Evidently tonight was going to be a classy affair, the room was dressed to perfection, and it was evident that no one other than the bride could have designed it. It had a Broadway theme, some people might have found that strange for a rehearsal dinner but Sam knew that this was perfect. Well expect for one thing.
The evening was definitely strange, a bunch of high school kids acting as if they were adults. It was peculiar that was for sure. If the rest of the glee club thought this was weird and they were just guests, how could the happy couple be feeling?
Sam found himself seated next to Mercedes Jones, a former flame (not that he got around or anything). It was nice to sit next to her, they had moved on since they'd been together the year before this one. He could tell that she also found the idea of a high school wedding a little difficult to accept, her ambition for herself far outweighed her need for a man in her life.
"You look gorgeous 'Cedes" Sam told her quietly as he sat down beside her, his arm hanging languidly on the back of her chair. Mercedes had adorned a midnight blue dress that hugged her body in all the right places, and wore her deep brown hair loose and curly. Just the way Sam had liked it.
Mercedes gave him a 100 watt grin "Why thank you Sam" she said "You're looking pretty tasty yourself right now" she informed him playfully.
Sam grinned, talking to Mercedes was always so easy, whether they were a couple or not. Mercedes was definitely Sam's closest female friend and he was glad that he was sitting with her tonight. He needed the moral support.
He could feel his mouth get drier and his stomach tighten as the time ticked by, it was getting closer and closer to when the bride and groom would be arriving. His hand was clenched tightly around a napkin that had been lying in front of him. Anything to distract himself from what was about to happen.
Kurt Hummel ran onto the stage, his usual enthusiasm shining through his smile as he shhhed everyone. "Now, I may have had problems accepting this union to begin with, but now I could not be happier in presenting my best friends, amazing duet partners, and most importantly the bride and groom; Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson!" Kurt shouted into the microphone as the room erupted into applause and the odd 'whoop' here and there.
Sam tightened his grip on his napkin as he tried to pretend that hearing those names with an and between them didn't cut into his heart like a knife through the stomach. He actually wanted to die, or throw up, or something that would force the pain from inside him to go somewhere else, anywhere else. That drink had not helped; in fact it just seemed to intensify the pain that was bounding around inside him.
Mercedes turned to him "Are you okay Sam?" she asked him, her voice held a tone that was mixture of sweetness and concern as she placed her hand on his arm.
Sam nodded slowly "Of course I am. Its fine, it's not like I didn't know they were getting married" he replied, his voice was strangled by his heart knowing that he was lying.
Mercedes gave him a look of understanding "Sam. I know that you aren't exactly handling this very well. But they love each other they really do" she didn't say that to be malicious Sam knew that, but it didn't mean that the truth still didn't suck.
"I know" he told her "That's why I'm still sitting here" he explained as he loosened his tie and tried to avoid looking at the stage.
He couldn't force his gaze away for long though as he saw her. Rachel Berry, she wore a simple black dress, that framed her figure exquisitely. It had lace detailing across her chest, and a pleated skirt that feel just to her knee. The dress was sexy but remained classy. She wore heels that raised her up to the height that would have made it easy for Sam to press a kiss onto her forehead. Her dark brown hair fell straight down hair back, her fringe pushed away from her face showing off her beauty to not just the room but the entire world.
Sam swallowed as he tried to remain composed. Shit. He needed a drink. "I'm going to the bar" he told Mercedes who gave him a worried look but didn't say anything.
Sam leant against the bar, and felt a pair of lips press into his cheek.
"Trouty mouth" the slick dulcet tones of Santana Lopez filled his ears. "You look happy" she murmured quietly with a hint of sarcasm, a smirk was hidden vaguely behind what was supposed to be a sincere smile.
Sam gave her a look "Do you want a drink Santana?" he asked ignoring what she had said.
Santana nodded "Always" she replied her lips forming their natural pout. "Is Brittany here yet?" she asked, her façade faltering a little bit as she talked about the girl that everyone knew she was in love with in spite of the fact she had failed to admit it.
"I haven't seen her yet" Sam replied honestly. "I'm sure she's coming" he added as if to reassure Santana.
Santana returned to her pouting expression "I know she will" she replied forcefully, as if she wasn't asking because she really cared, just out of indistinct interest.
"What can I get you?" the bartender asked. He looked as if he would definitely want ID. Sam wondered if the guy was gay and if he could flirt his way to getting served but then he recalled who was standing beside him, someone who could even turn a gay man straight. Santana.
Santana already had her game face on "Hi" she said, her voice taking on a husky tone not dissimilar to one of those that you would hear if you dialled a certain phone number. Not that Sam had ever needed to call one of those.
The bartender blinked at her "We would like two vodka and tonics. They sort of need to be double as well" she told him, leaning against the bar so that her boobs started to spill out of her dress. She never ceased to amaze Sam.
The bartender grinned "Sure. On the house" he told her, as he went to prepare the drinks his face flushed.
Sam raised an eyebrow at Santana who just shrugged "If you're going to look like this, then you may as well use to your advantage" she said simply "Besides if it had been a girl serving, you would have been pouting those pretty lips of yours and tensing your biceps" she said giving him a look that told him that she knew she was right.
Sam smiled "Whatever. I'm just thankful for the drink" he muttered.
Santana looked at him "Man hands, I don't know how she does it. What is about that mini Streisand that manages to attract so many guys?" she asked not really expecting Sam to answer.
"She's different, she's special" Sam whispered into his glass before taking a long drink.
Finn Gangly Hudson had taken to the stage, whoever thought giving him a microphone was a good idea was obviously more drunk than Sam. He had a stupidly happy grin on his face that made Sam just want to hit him. There was a time he and Finn had been friends, that was long over now. They just rubbed each other up the wrong way, so kept their distance most of the time.
"I just want to thank you all for coming tonight" Finn bleated into the microphone. "And I'd like to dedicate this song to my beautiful fiancé" he added projecting a lame smile in Rachel's direction. Sam couldn't see her face, but he hoped she thought this was a cheesy as he did.
Sam hadn't realised there would be singing as well. Fantastic. He had been drinking steadily for about an hour now and was well on the road to being totally off of his face. That still didn't stop him for feeling though, what drink was going to do that he wondered. This led him to seek out Puck for another swig from the flask.
Puck gave his friend a look that said that he thought this was bad idea "Are you sure, you smell pretty ripe already" he told him with a slight frown creasing his forehead.
Sam raised his arms in an 'I don't care' sort of fashion "I'm sure, Puckerman" he replied his words only slightly slurred.
Puck handed him the flask as the first notes of the song started. Sam took a large gulp not noticing the burning sensation quite as much the second time around.
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
Sam felt as though he was going to throw up, and it wasn't because of the drink.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The world was definitely not feeling wonderful to Sam right now.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.
It would be a miracle if Sam didn't laugh out loud at this song choice. He started walking towards the door.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
Sam stood just outside the restaurant his head pounding, maybe from the drink, maybe from the hurt, he wasn't even sure anymore. He leant against the cold bricks outside, trying to hold back tears that were full of the dark bitterness he had been holding inside for so long.
"Sam" his heart literally started beating faster, as if it needed twice as much work to even hold a conversation with Rachel now.
"Rachel" he replied, he spoke slowly. He really didn't want her to think that he gotten drunk at one of the most important nights of her life. He never wanted Rachel to think badly of him.
She leant against the wall beside him, her arm almost touching his "It's kind of stuffy in there" she remarked casually, letting a breath out that she seemed to have been holding in for a long time.
Sam wondered if she meant that it was warm, or this whole occasion was stuffy and uncomfortable. That it was all too much to take in one dose "Yeh I guess" he mumbled carefully.
Rachel stared at her him, the dark brown of her eyes burning into him where he stood. "Do you think I should be doing this?" she asked him quietly, her eyes becoming watery.
Sam looked down at her, how could she actually be asking him this, of all the people that she could have asked. Her entire family was in that room, all of her best friends, everyone she loved and cared about, and she chose to ask Sam. Was it because she knew that he thought she shouldn't be doing it. Did she just want someone to tell her what she already knew? That this was mistake and that it was too soon. Or did she just want simple reassurance that this wedding was okay that marrying Finn was the right decision for her. Sam had no clue what Rachel wanted to hear right now and that scared him. Because he wanted to know everything about her, everything about the way she felt and what she wanted her life to be.
To truly understand why Sam couldn't just answer the question, you needed to know a little more about the last year and a half of Sam Evan's life. The year and a half that he had spent loving Rachel Berry, against the odds, and against his own better judgement.
AN -
Here's a few bits of information to help makes things a little clearer in the story.
This prologue is set in the present, as in right now, before the wedding episode airs. Obviously a lot of things are different in the present in my story. But don't worry the rest of the story will explain how it came to his point, and then we will see what happens in my version of the present.
Also I'm still working on my other story (I've written quite a bit of it now, so I feel ready to start writing this one)
I would love to read some reviews on this as well, because I am really excited for this story, I hope you are too!
