"And so the guy goes "Puckerman, you are the worst golf player I've ever seen but damned if you don't got no moves!"."

Puck and Mercedes laugh.

"How do you get in these situations, Puck? Do you ever think with the head on your shoulders?" She smirks.

"I thought to take you out." Puck takes a sip of water.

"This is not a date." Mercedes arches an eyebrow. "We tried that, remember?"

"Yeah but that was two years ago. With everything with Beth and Q then Beth and Shelby and things with Satan and my need to be popular and feared... I treated you like a badass jacket that I could wear. It wasn't right. And I'm sorry."

"I used you too, Puck. I wanted someone to pay attention to me. After liking Kurt then finding out about him being gay, I felt so alone. I just wanted to be wanted." Mercedes took a bite out of a breadstick.

"I did. And I still do. You're smoking hot, Mama!" Puck reaches for her hand.

Mercedes moves it. "That would be nice... except I don't believe you." She stops him from speaking. "And I love Sam."

"But I have the guns!" Puck flexes his arms. "Ladies love the guns!"

She laughs again. "Puck, stop."

"Okay. Evans is your choice but if you ever decide to go for a man with color..."

Mercedes throws her head back and laughs.

"Or if he ever hurts you, just text me. I'll save you."

"Thank you. And I promise if anything happens between Sam and me, I'll run straight to you." She smiles. Never thought I'd be having this conversation with Puck!

He twirls pasta onto his fork. "So how are things with you and Sam? You didn't look too hot in Glee club."

"I don't know. I told him I needed space but then I realized I only wanted him so I sung that song for him." Mercedes pauses for a sip of iced tea.

"Which rocked by the way. I don't know who the chick is who sings it but you knocked it out the park."

"Thank you!" She smiles. "I texted him to see if he understood and he completely blew me off! Now I might be apologizing but this diva don't beg!"

"Look Mama, guys are weird. We're easy to get but not so easy to get. Get it?"

"Uh... no." She puts her fork down. "That makes no sense!"

"See he's playing cool. Making you come to him. He's spent all this time chasing you down just to have you freeze up on him. So now he's waiting for you to show him you want him." Puck chews with certainty.

"I guess that makes sense. So I just gotta keep showing him how much I care? I can do that." She nods and takes another breadstick from the basket in the center of the basket.

Glasses and silverware tinkling softly and the low hum of conversation around them are the only sounds as the pair enjoy each other's company.

"This is pretty cool." Puck announces suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"This. I don't think I've ever eaten with a chick that I wasn't about to bang later. Except for Moms and Lil Mama."

Mercedes raises an eyebrow. "That's gross."

"I like this better though. I mean we're talking about you liking another dude but the conversation isn't all girly. I don't feel like stabbing myself in the ears like whenever Berry opens up her squawk box."

Mercedes covers her mouth and laughs. "Rachel is a very hard pill to swallow and if you ever tell anyone, I'll deny it but she's grown on me. And she is majorly talented."

"So are you."

"You too! Sweet Caroline was amazing."

"Thanks!" He grins sheepishly and rubs his hand over his Mohawk.

"Hey, Quinn's baby daddy. Ms. Aretha!" Santana bounces up with a confused Brittany in tow. "Fancy running into you here."

"Santana. Brittany. Wanna sit?" Mercedes offers. She slides over to make room.

"Don't mind if we do." Santana sits next to Mercedes while Brittany moves to sit with Puck. "This is cray how you two are here while no one else from glee club is."

"Yeah, I thought Puckcedes was over." Brittany asks with genuine concern.

"We're not "together" together." Mercedes says. "We're here as friends."

"Like you and Sammy?" Santana queries.

Mercedes swallows. "Not exactly."

"Mind your own business, Satan." Puck warns.

"What?" Santana's eyes grow wide in innocence. "I'm just wondering exactly how "friendly" you two are." She snaps her fingers for the waitress and quickly orders for herself and Brittany.

"I used to think this place only opened for us but the sign says everyone welcome so I guess not." Brittany shrugs.

Puck rolls his eyes. What are they up to?

"Oh look! There's Q and Big Mouthed Southern Sam now." Santana points to the door of the restaurant. "How cute. Ken and Barbie are back together!"

Puck and Brittany crane their heads to look.

"That's not true, Santana." Mercedes argues. She bites her lip and frowns. Is it?

"Why don't you go over there and see?" Mercedes opens her mouth to object when Santana cuts her off. "Oh wait. I have a better idea. Why don't we just wave them over?!" She rises and waves dramatically. "Oh Sam. Quinn. Over here!" She sits as the two approach the booth. "What a nice surprise!"

Puck narrows his eyes. Satan's definitely up to something!

Sam Evans looks very uncomfortable. "Hey, guys. Mercedes."

"Sam." Mercedes searches his expression for answers. She finds none.

"Sam and I decided to have dinner to catch up. Like old times." Quinn purrs. She links her arm through Sam's and begins to lead him away. "See you all tomorrow."

Mercedes masks her pain as the former head cheerleader sashays away with her man. Ex-man, that is.

Puck frowns but doesn't say anything. Me and Evans are gonna have a little talk!

Santana watches Mercedes' face closely. She grins. "I'm suddenly starved."

MJ

"He was there with Quinn!" Mercedes moans into the phone.

"Maybe they were just catching up?" Kurt offers halfheartedly.

"But you didn't see her! She was hanging all over him like she did with Finn last year." She flips onto her stomach, ironing out a few wrinkles on her bedspread in the process. "And her voice was all like she knew something I didn't."

"Honey, I'm sure it was nothing." Blaine "Warbler" Anderson's voice crackles over the line.

"Kurt, do you have me on speakerphone?!" Mercedes shrieks.

"No!" A click is heard. "Ask Quinn tomorrow what's going on. I don't think she'd go after him knowing how you felt. Especially after that long winded speech about focusing on her future."

"I guess. Maybe you're right. Quinn's my friend and I was there having dinner with Puck." Mercedes detangles a lock of hair anxiously.

"Yes! No problem. Now let me tell you about my application for NYADA."

MJ

Mercedes takes special care with her beauty routine the next morning. She's wearing her favorite black jeans with the purple shirt her mom bought her for her birthday. She puts on dangling earrings and the cherry lip-gloss that tastes like real cherries that she knows Sam's totally into.

With her black and lavender boots shining as brightly as her freshly straighten hair; she puts on a jacket and grabs her backpack to head out.

"Riding with Kurt today! Be home after rehearsals! Love you! Bye!" She yells to her parents.

Kurt pulls up in his truck and lets out a long low whistle. "Look at you, Ms. Jones! Sam is going to lose his mind!"

Mercedes twirls in a circle. "I hope so, Kurt. I hope so." She opens the door and climbs in.

"So what's your plan?" He waits for her to buckle up before pulling off.

"Wait for Quinn by her locker. Then no matter what she says, go to Sam. I'm not giving him up without a fight."

Kurt whoops. "I'm so proud of you. I know you're mad over the speakerphone slip but Blaine and I are worried that you're being passive. You're Mercedes Jones. You are the ultimate diva." He snaps his fingers in quick secession. "Besides Rachel and myself of course."

"Of course."

"Have more faith in yourself and your appeal." He squeezes her knee.

She smiles. "Thanks, Kurt. I'm glad you're my friend."

Kurt pulls into a parking space in the McKinley High School parking lot. He turns off the car, grabs his Marc Jacobs bag and steps outside. "And I'm glad to be it." He breathes in the crisp February air and exhales heavily. "This is our year and nothing is going to get in the way of it."

He waits for her to exit the car then slips his arm through hers and makes a beeline for the entrance to the school.

"You're so right. I'm so sick of being in the background. For everything. Time for this diva to shine!" She lifts her chin.

Kurt opens the double doors. "Are you ready?"

Mercedes squares her shoulders. "Ready." She marches to Quinn's locker, where the blonde is fixing her hair.

Kurt passes by, waving encouragingly.

"Quinn!" Mercedes winces as she hears how loud she sounds. She lowers her tone. "Quinn. What's going on with you and Sam?"

Quinn looks at her strangely. "Nothing."

"But you were with him at Breadstix last night. It seemed like it was something." Mercedes plays with her fingers nervously.

Quinn shrugs. "Fine. Sam and I have reconnected." She smiles. "But I can't commit with only four months of high school left."

"What does that mean?" Mercedes is taken aback. Quinn isn't the noncommittal type.

"I mean I'm keeping my options open. Puck and I-"

"Puck?!" How is this even happening?

"Yeah." Quinn's smile widens. "We talked last night. After he dropped you off. We had a very interesting conversation." She nods. "I think you know how interesting."

"I never slept with Puck, Quinn. I told you that." Is this revenge from two years ago?!

"But you slept with Sam."

Mercedes is completely blown away. "He told you that?!" Her feelings are completely hurt. How could Sam tell Quinn that?

Quinn just smirks.

Mercedes can't take any more of Quinn's smugness. She storms over to Sam's locker where he, Mike and Artie are talking. "What the hell is your problem, Evans?!"

Sam's green eyes widen. "Mercedes."

"Don't you "Mercedes" me, you jackass! How could you tell people about what we did? That was special and private! You are worse than any boy I've ever met!" Mercedes can't control her temper and slaps him.

"Ow!" Sam falls back against the lockers. "What was that for?"

"For being a jerk. Don't ever talk to me again." Mercedes walks off.

Everyone in the hallway is staring at Sam. The girls are silently judging him while the boys are laughing at his humiliation.

"How did she even know I told you guys? Did either of you say anything?" Sam runs his hand over his tender cheek.

"I have a strict policy of not sharing guy talk with females. They simply can't handle knowing how we think." Artie Abrams swears.

Mike Chang Jr. shakes his dark head. "T told me she suspects you guys had sex but Mercy wasn't talking and she didn't want to be rude and ask. I said nothing."

"Puck!" Sam straightens angrily.

"Puck?" His friends ask in unison.

"He was at Breadstix last night with Mercedes. He had to have told her! I'ma kill him!"

"But you're not together anymore remember?" Artie brings up. "Why do you care if she's mad at you or that Puck spilled the sexy beans?"

"Because. I kinda... I'm not..." Sam blushes. "I love her. I want her so bad but she really doesn't want anything to do with me now."

"When Tina's mad at me, bad things happen. Are you sure you want to approach her in the mood she's in now?" Mike asks.

"I have to let her cool off. Then I'll explain… Crap, what am I going to tell her?!"

"Sam, listen up. There's only three things a man ever has to apologize for and telling your boys you hooked up isn't on that list. Romance her, sweet talk her. By the time you're done, you haven't apologized; you're back together and before long you're giving us more dirty details." Artie releases the brakes on his wheelchair. "Trust me on this, Sam. MJ'll get over it."

Sam sincerely hopes so.