She didn't want to admit to it. It would be completely blasphemous if she liked him. After all, this guy is the best friend of Kurt's bully. This guy helped bully Kurt, as a matter of fact. So how could she start liking him this way? Sure, he's funny, and sure, he was pretty good at doing 'Thriller' with them, and sure, he has a nice speaking voice… but are these really reasons for her to develop a crush on Azimio Adams?

Shaking her head at herself, Mercedes flips back her hair and lifts her nose into the air slightly. It's no big deal. She can brush off this crush no problem. She doesn't need a man, as she's repeatedly said. Even as Valentine's Day comes and passes, she proclaims quite proudly that she's a diva who doesn't need anyone.

But Mercedes Jones is many things, and one of those things happens to be romantically lonely.

She begins wondering every time she sees Azimio in the hallway or every time she skirts past him in class or at lunch what he might be like to the girls he dates. Or, really, if he's ever dated at all. Would he treat her right? Would he be an asshole? She wants to know.

Worrying her flawlessly glossy bottom lip, she goes to the one girl she knows has experience and will be too clueless to leak any information.

Brittany.

"Hey 'Cedes," Brittany smiles in her ditzy way. The blonde's face falls when she sees the anxious expression on the mocha girl's face. "Did your cat fall asleep like Sleeping Beauty, too?"

Mercedes frowns, looking taken aback. But she shrugs off the potentially troublesome and tragic statement and moves on. "Britt, hon… you've dated, like, every guy on the football team at one point, right? Or have at least made out with them?"

Brittany nods. "Duh, of course. That's, like, my Dobby."

"…You mean 'hobby?'"

Brittany gasps. "House elves don't like to be called that, 'Cedes! It's rude," Brittany adds in a whisper.

Forcing herself not to roll her eyes, Mercedes tries again. "Anyway, have you ever gone out with Azimio Adams?"

Brittany makes a face, the two gears in her brain grinding together as she thinks back to this. Her eyes go around in a full circle until they blink, she smiles lightly, and the pupils reconnect with Mercedes'. "Oh, yeah! The cute chubby one? Yeah, I dated him once. He dumped me 'cause he said he decided he didn't like dating 'skinny white girls.' But I don't get it; I only got covered in flour once when we were baking cookies together; that doesn't make me white all the time."

Ignoring Brittany's usual naïveté and weight-related remarks, Mercedes takes one detail into consideration to help her mission. "You… baked cookies with him?"

"Yeah, totally. His mom is one of those amazing cooks. She baked me all kinds of stuff, and her mashed potatoes are, like, the yummiest thing ever," Brittany relays with a serious face. "You should totally think about dating him, 'Cedes. He's real nice when he's not, y'know, picking on the Glee Club." She smiles easily again. She cocks her head to one side. "Hey, want his cell number? I keep every guy's number in case I need it or forget it. It helps."

Mercedes nods slowly. "Oh. Uh… yeah, okay. Thanks. But you know, I don't need a man."

Brittany makes a scoffing sound as she uses her phone to send Mercedes the contact information. "Oh, I know that. You're, like, Superwoman. 'Cept… Superwoman has horrible fashion sense and isn't as pretty or as bodacious-ly curvaceous as you are."

Mercedes smiles sweetly. "Thanks, hon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do."

Brittany waves as Mercedes leaves the choir room. "'Kay. See you, 'Cedes."

.o0o.

It takes a short while – Kurt isn't answering some of his texts as quickly as he does – but within the course of twenty minutes, Mercedes has convinced her best friend that it's okay that she's going to try this.

'Look, I know you dislike him almost as much as you hate Karofsky, but lately I can't get him outta my head, okay, bb? I promise I will end things if he continues being a jerk. It's just… he's the only guy who can handle this piece of sassy ass, and I want to test it out. KK? – Merce.'

'…Fine, you win, Mercedes. But only b/c I can't argue with you any longer, and if this will make you happy, I can't say I'm entirely against it. But if he does anything stupid, you can always tell me and I'll get Finn and Puck and Mike to kick his arse. – Kurt.'

Grinning to herself, Mercedes opens a new message and types in the phone number Brittany gave her. She bites her lips as she sends the text, wondering how he'll respond. They only worked together a few times in their school life; once in seventh grade for an English project, and twice in high school on two completely different occasions: 'Thriller' and something for chemistry class. But that's it. Does he even know who she is? – Well, it's kind of hard not to, since Mercedes makes sure to make herself know, but…

A text comes back, and with a lurch in her stomach and a skip of her heart's beating, she checks the screen on her cell.

A slow grin begins to consume her features, and heat rise to her face.

'Hey, Chocolate Mama. Sure, I'll go to Breadstix wit choo this Friday at 6. Hope we can get 2 kno each other much betta. – Az.'

She didn't want to admit it, but she likes him a lot more already.