"What was that, Chang?!" Mercedes pursed her lips at the smokin hot man.

Mike shrugged as if he had invented the signature give-zero-ducks gesture or made it more famous than Kanye West. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know what I'm talking about!" She pointed a finger at him suspiciously. "That ass tap!"

He simply looked at her.

She rolled her eyes before her expression softened. "So how'd it feel to see her again?"

"About as good as it did to see Sam." He replied not unkindly.

She leaned against a wall. "Do you think it's a mistake helping out on the play?"

He gazed down the hall, unblinkingly. "Maybe. But we gave our word. Artie needs us. Finn needs us."

She nodded. "I wonder what's up with him."

He looked at her. "I don't know. We're not as close as we used to be."

"I know the feeling."

"Quinn's just getting settled in Connecticut. Once she gets her bearings, you'll be golden." Mike swore softly.

Mercedes smiled. "That's sweet but I'm not talking about her. We talk on the phone once a week. We're both still getting used to not being in Lima."

He cocked his head in confusion. "Who then? Santana? I know you grew close last year."

"Actually we grew close after we fought about Puck." She admitted. "After the duets competition, it was just cemented."

"Really?" He looked shocked.

"Yup. She calls me more than Quinn! Not as much as you…"

"Hey I need my Mercy time!" He defended.

"You're worse than Puck!" She laughed. "He says he needs to squeeze me for good luck every morning before he takes his shower."

Mike knew damn well what the Jew was up to but kept his mouth shut. She would only freak out & be uncomfortable around the man after.

"Anyway. I'm talking about Kurt."

His eyes softened. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She took a page from his book & shrugged nonchantantly. "I figure we only had a season. It was a good run but why hold onto the past?"

"Am I your past?" He really wished he didn't ask that.

She snorted & slapped his shoulder. "Please! You, Quinn & Santana will be fighting over who gets to be my maid-of-honor. Or in your case, man-of-honor."

He grinned. "Good."

M&MC

"I'm so freaking bored!" Mercedes moaned into her phone.

Santana laughed. "Then go out, Chica!"

"I can't!" Mercedes pouted. "Midterms are tomorrow! I wish I didn't have so many back-to-back. I feel like maybe I took on too much."

"You wanted to do something worthwhile." Santana sang. It was something they did before a test. Moan & gripe about their academic load & mock each other for their dedication.

"How is being a doctor worthwhile?!" Mercedes wailed. That sounded stupid, even to her & Santana called her on it.

"Ask that of everyone who's ever been to the hospital."

Mercedes gave in. "Fine. But being pre-med seemed like a funny idea. I wasn't serious! Stupid counselor can't take a joke." She grumbled.

"Who jokes about pre-med?!"

"The kind of person who trips into pre-law!" She shot back.

Santana couldn't lie; when asked her major, she was confused. She didn't know anything about Kentucky or its schools. She didn't have a clear plan on what to do with her life. But when she saw the on-campus groups for politics, she became inspired.

Though poli-sci wasn't her MO, she knew she could win any argument. So when she'd picked up her new cheerleading uniform, she signed up for the classes necessary to become a lawyer.

"Can it, Aretha!" Santana yawned. "I'm actually having a bit of fun. & I'm learning a lot."

"Me too." Mercedes responded as if surprised. "I mean I could leave my bio class; but organic chemistry is bomb! Who knew?"

"Chang."

"Shut up!"

"You know you only signed pre-med for your bestie!" Santana smirked though Mercedes couldn't see her.

"I did no such thing!"

"Then why is it your major? A double major at that?" Santana waited. "That's right; Demon Dancer decided to make his daddy happy & doubled up so you did, too."

"Hey my performing arts major will look good to music execs!" Mercedes defended. "But I like doubling up. Mike may have done it first but I totally agree."

"Oh just hook up already, Brandy!"

"Brandy?" Mercedes got off her bed when her computer dinged.

"I saw that version of Cinderella." Santana taunted. "You sang Brandy's part during The Boy is Mine & you want to get your blasian swirl on. You are so Brandy Norwood!"

"One, that's a compliment, Satan!" Mercedes saw Mike wanted to video chat. "Two, that's not even true, Mike & I have been friends since before that movie came out!"

"Bet when it did, you acted out the scenes with him!"

"Quinn did, too! She was Bernadette Peters!"

"Figures she'd be the wicked stepmother."

"I'll pretend to ignore that while I give the best rebuttal for that comment, Lopez!" Mercedes typed a response to Mike, informing him of her current phone call. "My ex is his best friend & vice versa. That's really weird."

"If that's the best ya got, you better put your fingers back to the keys!" Santana sang.

"Drop it, Fall Out Boy!" Mercedes warned. "He wants to Skype & if you keep it up, I'll hang up on you!"

"Choosing a man over your friends?" Santana clucked her tongue. "For shame, Mercy!"

Mercedes tapped the keys & Mike's face was on her screen. Her breath hitched. He really was hot. "Don't start with me, woman!"

Mike chuckled. "Santana?"

She nodded. "Are you done being mean? Mike might want to say hi."

"Sure." Santana mused. "But you know he's coming to LA to visit you after Midterms are over. Don't rule anything out!"

"I'ma slap you!" Mercedes threatened. Both Santana & Mike laughed. "I'm putting you on speakerphone."

"HI!" Santana screamed.

Mike was even louder. "HEY!"

Mercedes shook her head at her silly friends. Quinn, Mike & Santana called her daily. They Skype'd her weekly. They even made plans to jet off & visit each other whenever possible. They were her true friends & she was glad to know who those people were finally.

Mike & Santana were taking about the nightlife in their respective cities when Mercedes got up to get something to drink from the mini-fridge. She was lucky she & her roommate had one. Some people didn't & had to store their food stuffs in the common area; that was not safe.

Once she returned to her desk, she noticed the quiet. "What's with you guys?"

"Nothing." Mike shook his head. "Santana said she was having words with her roommate & would call you sometime this week."

"Oh." Mercedes hung up her cell. "So how are the classes?"

He rolled his eyes. "Hard! Why didn't anybody tell me going to two schools would be so hard?!"

She burst into laughter. "You're messy!"

"Where's your roommate?"

Mercedes looked around as if to find the girl before remembering. "Still doing newbie stuff with her sorority. She may be a member now but they still get treated like pledges."

"Why didn't you join her?"

"I don't have time for that!" She was shocked that he'd ask such a question. "Between all my classes & working at the studio, I'm beyond busy!"

He grinned. "My bad, Merce. Where's Puckerman?"

She shrugged. "It's almost nine so he'll probably be back soon."

He shook his head. "I can't believe your roommate is cool with Puck living in her room!"

"She's real chill. As long as he doesn't bring women back or eat her food, she's good. He also can't go through her stuff but he already did that so that's a moot point."

"He went through her stuff?!" Mike's face was appalled.

She laughed. "While she was still explaining the rules, he started nosing around!"

"The nerve!"

The door opened & the man in question yelled, "Honey I'm home! Where's my dinner?!"

"At whatever restaurant you need to go to pick it up from." She replied dryly.

Mike laughed.

"What's up, buddy?" Puck strolled over to Mercedes & leaned into the screen.

"Sup."

"Go away, Puck. I'm trying to talk to my best friend." She pushed him away playfully.

"Hey! He's my- I'm not your best friend?" Puck pouted. "But I keep you warm through the night!"

"You sleep on top of me cuz you're a bed hog! Don't even try it!"

Mike threw back his head & laughed. They were like a sitcom husband & wife sometimes.

"But you be warm." Puck fished.

"Cuz you're like a freakin furnace!" She threw back. "I feel like I'm dying."

Puck stuck his tongue out. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I went to the dining hall." She rubbed her eyebrow. "You?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I got something a while ago. I'm tired so I'm about to take a shower."

"Don't take my body wash!" She warned. She turned to Mike. "He swears up & down my stuff is girly but he's always taking it!"

"I can't help it that you always put your stuff in my spot!" Puck defended. "She's the one who came up with spots & stuff but she always puts her lady junk in my spot."

"Why don't you just look at what you're grabbing?" Mike inquired, knowing full well Puck took her body wash on purpose.

Puck just looked at him. "I'm going to take my shower."

"Bye." Mike waved, reining in his laughter.

"Get out!" Mercedes muttered. Puck pushed her head lightly & left. She eyed Mike. "& you wonder why you're my favorite!"

He let go of his laugh. "Who needs TV with you two?"

"Shut up, Chang!" She raised a fist & shook it. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'm getting sleepy."

"I noticed you in your PJs." He noted, eyeing her polka dot pajamas.

"After I came from dinner, I took a shower & changed. I didn't know what else to do."

"Hey I'm in my night clothes!" He expressed. He showed off his dark red pajama pants & muscle shirt. "I'm just as boring."

"Who you callin boring?!"

He laughed. "Night Merce!"

"Night Mike&Ike!" She signed off & closed her laptop. She yawned & stretched before turning off the lights & throwing away her bottle.

"I'll make love to you. Like you want me to. & I'll hold you tight." Puck sang as he strolled back into the room.

"That was quick."

He shrugged his bare shoulders. "I wasn't really dirty."

"Me either. My shower was quick, too." She threw the pillows from the bed onto a chair as he put away his stuff. "Mike's right; we're boring."

"Mike said we were boring?" He smirked. "I bet he was going to bed, too."

"He was." She laughed. "He was talking about me & him. But you're boring, too! It's not even ten o'clock & what are you about to do? That's right; hop in the bed!"

He picked her up & tossed her in said bed. "But what I'm about to do in this bed isn't boring in the least!"

"Who said we're doing anything?" She sassed as she righted herself.

He climbed into the bed & crawled on top of her. "You know you want me!"

"Who lied to you?" She tossed back.

He stroked her thighs. "More like who told on you."

She shivered. "I'm not thinking about you!"

"My fingers are a part of me." He smiled smugly. Using those fingers, he walked up her shorts to the band.

She wiggled to get away from him. "You think you're all that!"

He said nothing as he inched his hand under her bottoms.

She ran her hands over his back & delighted in his shudder. "What was that? I couldn't hear you. Did you say something about liking my touch?"

He growled at her. "Don't start with me!"

"Oh, I can't start with you but you can touch wherever you want?" She taunted before his fingers finally reached what they were searching for. "Not fair!"

"I'm not trying to be fair." He kissed her chin. "I'm trying to get you off."