UPDATE AS OF 11/30/11: Technology hates me. I had the next three chapters all typed up so there was less time between updates, and I guess my laptop didn't like that because it went crazy. Fortunately, before it deleted all of my programs/documents/pictures/music/vids/etc. I got most of it on my jumpdrive- including the three chapters. Problem is, now I don't have any of the programs I could use to type up more chapters/upload them onto ff. And even if my laptop would actually let me SEE any of the things I put on my jumpdrive, I'd still need one of those programs to upload them onto here with. So until I get a new laptop or figure something else out, this story will have to be put on hiatus.
A/N: So… I'm not even going to get into the latest episode of Glee. All I've got to say is, I'm really sick of Mercedes haters posting their hate in my damned tracked tag! If you want to hate on Mercedes and stand up for Rachel for the exact(justified) reasons I dislike Rachel and stand up for Mercedes for, than fine. Be wrong on your own beloved tag. Stay off of mine.
Oh, and I forgot to say this before. I'm basing some of this on the storyline I'm going off of for my Mercedes RP character on tumblr.
One more thing. If some of this doesn't make sense? Tell me. I was trying to focus on writing it during Glee. Yeeaaaaaah. Bad idea, Melissa.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Duh. If I did… Mercedes would have a harem.
Chapter two: Let Me In
By the time lunch came along, the entire glee club had been informed of Mercedes' decision and took their turns getting all the information they could out of her; which turned out to be nothing because she did a pretty damn good job of evading them. She was never where she was at those given times. Which is why they now sat at their lunch table, discussing the recent turn of events.
"I just don't see why she would do that without mentioning it ahead of time. Now we don't have enough people to compete at Regionals!" Rachel complained and then muttered, "some friend she is."
Tina rolled her eyes and took a bite of her sandwich. After wiping her mouth with a napkin and turned to face the girl. "Come on, Rachel. She's our friend. Don't you care about anything but yourself?"
The girl in question scoffed. "Of course I do. The whole team is going to suffer if we can't compete. I was only thinking about the team."
"Sure you were," the Asian retorted. "That's why your first thought was to blame her for quitting instead of wondering why she would quit."
"See, that's what I don't get." Puck piped in, "Why would she quit? She loves Glee- or at least I thought she did."
The rest of the glee club nodded in response. They had all noticed that too. Mercedes was one of the originals. She always stuck up for them. She even convinced them all that they should be happy that they found a place to belong- people to call family. It just seemed out of character that after all of that, she would just up and quit. There had to be something else going on… something that none of them had noticed while off doing their own things.
As the rest of the glee clubbers tried to figure everything out, Finn kept quiet, trying to comprehend everything. Not in the "what does that word mean" type comprehension, because he wasn't as dumb as people thought him to be. Instead, he was listening to everything that was being said and coming to his own conclusion.
Just as he wasn't as stupid as everyone thought, he wasn't as oblivious, either. While everyone was caught up in themselves, he paid attention. Finn wasn't sure why, but he was enthralled by one Miss Mercedes Jones. Always had been- well, since the beginning of middle school.
Before his growth spurt, he was quite the little pipsqueak. All of his classmates had already grown a little during the summer, but Finn was stuck at his same height. That's when he found out just how cruel the people at his school could be.
The kids in his class were quite terrible. They had done just about every horrible, cliché thing in the books. From spitting at him or tripping him- up and down- the stairs to shoving him as they walked by or tripping him without the stairs. The kids of Lima Middle School were ruthless.
Then there was Mercedes. She was always there to clean off the spit or pick him up when he fell. If she was present while it was happening, she would yell at the perpetrator and make him leave.
His favorite part, though, was seeing her flash him a small smile every time they walked passed each other in the halls. Mercedes' eyes would sparkle and her smiles always reached her eyes. It became one of his favorite things.
When they got older, Finn got his growth spurt that made him taller than everyone else. Size alone intimidated all of his former bullies and granted him his popularity and a girlfriend. That's when he started seeing less of the girl. He'd always try to spot her before or after school and in-between classes, but his new girlfriend, Quinn, had always required his attention when they were together.
Soon enough, he almost forgot that she had existed. Almost. Every time his new found friends would bully others in his presence, he'd think of her. He'd do anything in his power to make them go easier on their victims. He couldn't stop them completely, because then he'd lose everything he had worked so hard for… but he couldn't just sit around and let them do their worse, either. He had this haunting feeling that Mercedes would be disappointed in him if he did, and for some reason that didn't sit well with him.
Until he joined glee club in high school, she was just always there in the back of his mind. Once he became a part of Glee, she was there at the forefront, but he couldn't do anything about it. He had to focus on Quinn and football and not getting his ass kicked for being in Glee in the first place.
Then Rachel came. She was always so bossy and demanding.
He couldn't help to stop and observe Mercedes once in awhile, though. Something about her just always left him wanting to know more. She was so mysterious sometimes. He didn't know what her family was like, besides her dad being a dentist and having an older brother; he didn't know anything besides the basics like her favorite color- Purple- or her favorite movie- Dreamgirls. Sometimes he spent entire class periods staring at or thinking about her, hoping he would find something about her he didn't already know- which was probably why he didn't understand stuff that was happening in his classes; he was always paying more attention to the diva than to his teachers.
That is why Finn wasn't adding in on the conversation.
He had noticed a few things over the past few years of studying her. Like the fact that she got nervous every time she got up to speak or sing; like everyone was going to judge her. Sometimes when she's not paying attention in class, her mind seems elsewhere- and wherever her mind is, always makes tears come to her eyes. Or the rare moments when her smile fades and her eyes dull when someone mentions the way they look.
Now, he was just trying to piece everything together. If girls are complicated, then Mercedes is like a jigsaw puzzle that's missing a few pieces, Finn thought. Harder to figure out without those missing pieces- harder, but not impossible.
"Whatever Wheezy's got goin' on… it ain't good. My fellow undisputed HBIC cares more about the club than Little Miss Big Mouth over here," Santana's statement brought Finn out of his thoughts.
He looked around, searching for Mercedes. She never missed lunch. Never. It was usually when she and Tina caught up on all of the gossip and drama. She liked being in the know, and hated when she was left out of the loop. She'd never miss an opportunity like that. Especially since she didn't get her daily fill of it during second hour. "Where is Mercedes, anyways?"
Mercedes always prided herself on her ability to be stealthy; like a ninja- another thing people never noticed about her. That morning had been a fluke. If her damned locker would have opened in time, she could have dropped her books off and disappeared into the brain-dead of the hallway before Kurt had even seen her.
The way she had evaded the other gleeks was a testimony of that. Where they knew she would be, was exactly where she never was.
It was an art… ninja artistry.
Right before lunch, she had found her way to the auditorium. Even if she wasn't in Glee anymore for the time being, she still enjoyed the thrill and sense of comfort she got from singing on the stage.
She walked along the edge, staring into the non-existent audience. Once she got center stage, she closed her eyes and imagined there was a full house, all eyes on her. Spotlight shining down on her every step she took. It was like her performance during the Night of Neglect, only better because she was thin and didn't feel self-conscious or insecure.
She opened her mouth and let her voice soar over the seats.
What's the time?
Well it's gotta be close to midnight
My body's talking to me
It says,' Time for danger'
It says 'I wanna commit a crime
Wanna be the cause of a fight
Wanna put on a tight skirt and flirt
With a stranger'
I've had a knack from way back
At breaking the rules once I learn the game
Get-up life's too quick
I know someplace sick
Where this chick'll dance in the flames
We don't need any money
I always get in for free
You can get in too
If you get in with me
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna play?
Let's run away
We wont be back before it's New Years Day
Take me out tonight (meow)
When I get a wink from the doorman
Do you know how lucky you'll be?
That your on the line with the feline
of Avenue B
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna prowl
Be my night owl?
Well take my hand we're gonna howl
Out tonight
In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels to damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry
So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
And all the scars from the
Nevers and maybes die
Let's go out tonight
Have to go out tonight
You're sweet, Wanna hit the street?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight
Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me - out tonight
I'll let you make me - out tonight
Tonight - tonight - tonight
An unexpected applause brought her back to reality. "Why don't you ever sing songs like that in Glee? You'd kill 'em!" At sometime during her fantasy, Finn had come to sit in the middle seat of the front row and was now giving her a standing ovation. It wasn't like she didn't want him there… it's just that she'd rather have him there during the time her fantasy took place- when she didn't feel fat and disgusted with herself.
"Why are you here?" Mercedes let out a distressed sigh and sat on the edge of the stage. Finn followed suit, hopping up to sit right next to her.
"Because… you weren't at lunch. McKinley's resident diva and gossiper not there to hear the latest goings on? It's ridiculous and usually unheard of." It stunned Mercedes that Finn noticed she wasn't there. But then she just figured someone else had pointed it out and the momentary pause of her heart and loss of breath was back just as fast as it left.
After noticing her loss of composure, Mercedes resumed with her masquerade. "What? A girl can't get some rehearsal time?"
"Well… I guess, but if you quit Glee, why do you need to rehearse? Do you have something going on that you're not telling us? I mean, we're all kind of worried about you, Mercy."
Mercedes inwardly grinned at his little nickname for her. He was the only one that had ever called her that, and she kind of liked it. Like it was a personal endearment meant only for her by him.
She thought carefully about her answer. Despite her recent lying habit, she didn't like the thought of lying to Finn. Whether she was staying away from the New Directions or not, she was still in love with the guy. "I do have something going on. I promise, I'll be back to Glee once it's all over. But right now, I kinda wanna keep it a surprise. Don't worry about me, it'll all be fine." She reassured him, hoping it would be enough to keep him, and the rest of the club, off her back for awhile.
The five minute bell rang, signaling the need for both of them to get to class. Mercedes hopped off the stage and turned to Finn. "I'll see you around," she assured him while patting his leg before her nerves got the better of her and she immediately retracted her hand and started heading towards her next class.
"Mercy! Wait! We have next period together! Maybe I could walk you to-" But she had already disappeared before he could get it all out.
