I've never done it before but here's a disclaimer about what I don't own.
Also, this happens after Whitney and before the Prom.
"Duets"
Mercedes Jones looked at the word scrawled on the choir room whiteboard and turned to give her favorite singing partner a high-five.
"Look at giant and hobbit in a huddle." Santana Lopez smirked. "They should save their breath."
"What should we do? I think..." But Santana was frowning, processing something Will Schuester just said.
"Instead of doing the same old same old, I decided to get jiggy wit it." He laughed at his lame joke. "I'm picking your partners." That was such a great idea he'd had last night over dinner with Emma. Why not shake things up a bit?
Most of the class was frowning now. Those that weren't frowning were making overly dramatic sighs.
"Santana." Mr. Schuester said. He paused for dramatic effect. "And Rory."
Rory gasped, then he coughed like he was choking. Santana? That girl was distilled evil. He thanked God every day she never spoke to him anymore, he'd barely survived the one time she did talk to him.
"Oh shut up, Loch Ness! You're the luckiest man in this room." Santana snarled.
"Now San," Brit said, patting her lightly on the arm.
"Sorry." She flashed the world's most insincere smile. "It will be my pleasure working with you." What the hell is his name? "Rory. It's Rory, right?"
Rory nodded and counted off the days until his return to Ireland, not Scotland.
"Okay. So it's Tina and Blaine, Kurt and Quinn, Joe and Brittany, Puck and Sugar." Puck groaned loudly. "Okay Puck, since we're alll agreed that Sugar has some...ahh,.. vocal limitations you'll also be working with the rest of the Troubletones. Finn and Mike..."
Mercedes looked at who was left. Rachel, Artie and Sam. She raised her hand.
"Yes, Mercedes?"
"Mr. Schuester. Sam and Rachel have never performed together." Sam glanced at her and then returned his stare to his shoes, "I'd really like to hear that."
"Well thank you, Mercedes." Rachel chimed in eagerly. "I think we'd all enjoy that." Sam's a pushover Rachel thought. He'll sing whatever I tell him to. Artie? Complete wild card.
"That's a good idea, Mercedes," Will was pleased with how well he'd helped her with her attitude issues. -Dream on Will!- "but I want to team people who've never sung together and we all know how fantastic you and Artie sound together."
"Yes, but." Mercedes raised her hand again. "Sam and I sang together once." This attracted a lot of attention, all of it unwanted. Sam looked at her a full minute before reminding himself how fascinating his shoes are.
"In class? " Mr. Schuester asked. "Because I don't remember it." Maybe he hadn't done as good a job on her attitude as he first thought if she's trying to take the easy way out of this assignment.
"No, not in class" she mumbled, kicking herself. Damn! They're be an interrogation on this subject later, she was sure of it. When it comes to embarrassing questions she's Miss Popularity around here.
"Well then it doesn't count. Rachel and Artie."
Rachel looked at Artie who was smiling. She hoped that wasn't supposed to be his reassuring face cause if it was he's failing miserably. Rachel was right, it was his 'gonna school you in RB' face.
"And that leaves Sam and Mercedes."
Thursday at practice
For once one of Will Schuester's crazy plans worked out. He learned Blaine has a sense of humor and Tina's got mad ballroom dancing skills. They acted out a little skit while singing and dancing to I Won't Dance (Jane Monheit and Michael Buble). They're so cute together, and more exotic looking than Sam and Quinn. He's definitely going to use them more next year. Santana's choice, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll was totally inappropriate, and Ian Drury was English, not Irish as Santana insisted, but he found out Rory can play the piano. He discovered there's vocal talent in the Troubletones. Not Sugar, definitely not Sugar, but two other girls – a black girl named Patrice and a tall brunette named Gwen, were actually pretty good singers and the rest could at least carry a tune. To the amazement of New Directions they did an acapella version of Good Vibrations (Wilson Phillips).
"Excellent job Puck. And ladies, I hope to see many of you back here next year."
"We want to thank Blaine for helping us with the arrangement." Gwen said. This was the first time most of New Directions had ever heard one of the girls speak. They all, Puck included, blew kisses to Blaine.
"Thank you. Thank you very much." Blaine said in his best Elvis impression, the result of too much time in the same house as Sam.
"Thank you Blaine. I'm going to think about making you an assistant director. I forgot how well Dalton did acapella. Maybe we can use that next year." Mr. Schuester continued. "On Tuesday we'll have the last two teams. Rachel, Artie, Sam and Mercedes. Have a great weekend kids."
She could tell he was using the same brand of soap as last Spring. "Not that it's any of my business," Mercedes looked up to see Sam looking down at her. "But are we singing anything in particular next week? Row, row, row your boat comes to mind. I guess we could handle that without speaking to each other."
Mercedes was just about to apologize for that whole Whitney Houston incident but Sam had to go and piss her off again. Why is he so good at that? The first time he's spoken to her in three weeks and that's what he came up with? Whatever. "I'll send you something tonight." She brushed by him on the way out the door. Sam stared after her, rubbing his arm where they had touched, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. Damn that woman.
Saturday afternoon
"You're late." Kurt announced after lunch Saturday.
"Late for what?" Sam asked in irritation. He'd been sitting around all afternoon, listening to Kurt chatter about something he couldn't find space to store in his long-term memory.
"Late checking your email. You've been checking it every 15 minutes and it's been 18 minutes now. You're late. What are you looking for?"
An email from Mercedes. "Nothing." Sam answered. But maybe Kurt would know. "Kurt, did Mercedes mention what she wanted to sing next week?"
"Not a word. Haven't you guys been working on that?"
"No. I haven't spoken to her since that day she sang in class."
He looked at Sam, puzzled. "So how is the duet supposed to work?"
"She said she'd send me something."
"And she hasn't done it yet?" Kurt pulled out his phone to call the stubborn diva. "Give me a minute."
"No" Sam stopped his friend. "It's not that big a deal."
9pm Saturday night
Finally! Sam opened the video attached to the email.
"Hey! Sorry I'm so late, it took longer than I thought." Mercedes was sitting on her bed, talking to a webcam. She was wearing shorts and a tank top and her hair was slightly mussed, like she'd been running her fingers through it. At school she's always so pulled together, lately only wearing drab earth tones, he'd forgotten how adorable she can be.
She reached behind herself and pulled back a guitar. "I know!" She giggled. "It's the same kind as yours. I got it because...well, never mind why I got this particular one. Anyhow, after you left I kept practicing, I'm kinda good. Not as good as you but, still. My new teacher, this kid from band, he's not like you. He's all business, not like when we used to...damn it!" The video stopped and restarted. She was sitting on the bed, strumming the guitar.
"Hey, it's me again." She smiled, a shy sweet smile. Not the fake diva smile she uses lately. "So anyway, I picked this song because it reminds me of things. I know I made a huge mistake, but you. You also..." The video stopped and restarted. She HAD been running her fingers through her hair, she was still doing it. How could he have forgotten how sexy she is?
"Okay, starting over. It's not my usual stuff but Tim, he's the guitar teacher I mentioned? Well he thought I could play it. He doesn't give a shit about the words to a song, he only pays attention to how it sounds. He got invited to play at a coffeehouse and asked me to sing this with him. I think he just wants to make sure somebody's in the audience. You could come if you want, it's not like Tim and I are dating or anything. He has a girlfriend but she doesn't sing, that's the only reason he asked me. I think there'll be some of his band friends there, too. Like I said, he's not into lyrics but I thought...Jesus, this is taking all night! How about if I just cut the commentary and sing? Okay, your part is first." Sam listened to her sing.
Tuesday at practice
Sam and Mercedes didn't have any classes together so she only saw him once, briefly, in the hallway on Monday. On Tuesday in Glee club he was carrying his guitar. Good, at least he got that much of the message. He still hadn't spoken to her and he was staring at his shoes as Artie and Rachel performed. But Mercedes noticed he was wearing the Superman tshirt she bought him at that flea market last spring. And Sam noticed she was wearing the purple fringed leather vest he bought her that day.
The club never performed RB, not because nobody could do it. Artie, Mercedes and Santana had all proven their ability in that genre. Rachel couldn't do it and Schuester based their performances around her so therefore the club never performed RB in a competition. Artie must have done a Vulcan mind-meld or something because somehow he squeezed some soul out of Rachel. Too Much Too Little Too Late by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Deniece Williams was a brilliant pick on Artie's part, a super high soprano who's not quite as soulful as Mariah or Whitney but she gets the job done. Well played, Mr. Abrams. Well played.
Mr. Schuester beamed like he was hearing that type of music for the first time. "That was phenomenal! Artie, I'm going to think about making you an assistant director. Rachel?" he looked at his star student "Bravo!" Santana rolled her eyes and muttered in Spanish and was only calmed by Britt stroking her arm.
Ms. Pillsbury slipped into the back of the room and caught Will's attention. She tapped her watch. "Yes, we have just enough time for the last song then I have to leave for an appointment with our wedding planner. Sam? Mercedes?"
Mercedes pulled out the guitar she had stashed in the choir room earlier and joined Sam who was standing in front of the class. They stood with their backs to each other.
I've got this friend
I don't think you know him
He's not much for words
He's hidden in his heart away
Oh I've got this friend
A loveless romantic
All that he really wants
Is someone to want him back
Sam turned to face the class.
Oh, if the right one came
If the right one came along
Oh, If the right one came
along
Mercedes sang.
I've got this friend
I don't think you know her
She sings a simple song
It sounds a lot like his
Oh I've got this friend
Holding onto her heart
Like it's a little secret
Like it's all she's got to give
Then she turned to face the class.
Oh, if the right one came
If the right one came along
Oh, if the right one came
along
They faced each other and continued singing.
It'd be such a shame
(If they never meet)
She sounds lovely
(He sounds right out of a dream)
If only
(If only)
If only
Oh
Oh, if the right one came
If the right one came along
Oh, (I've got this friend) if the right one came
If the right one came along
Oh, (I've got this friend)
If the right one came
along
They finished singing and stood there, looking at each other.
"Well, kiss the woman, country boy!" Santana yelled.
"Oh, yeah." Sam laughed. He nailed the whole swinging a guitar out of the way action until there she was ripe for the kissing. Before he did he remembered the last thing she said on the video and smiled. "I miss you, too."
Emma was happy, watching to two teens kiss, listening to the catcalls from the rest of the class. Even the band kids clapped. Let Will think it was all his idea. This is how you get tenure she thought. Watch and learn, Will Schuester. Watch and learn.
I've Got This Friend – The Civil Wars