Hi all. Hope you like this update. I am writing as fast and as much as I can because in a month or so I don't know if I will have time to write as much as I can now. The chapters after this has a lot more interaction between the two of them so just hold on for me please (I promise). The end has a bit of Tina/Mike, Finn/Rachel, and Kurt/Blaine drama too lol. As always read, enjoy, and please comment.

Chapter 4: No More Drama.

"So Mercedes, have you started your application process yet?" Shane questioned during his regularly scheduled 10:00pm phone call. The thing Mercedes admired most about her boyfriend was that he was a very organized and reliable guy. Every night since the first night they met, he called her promptly at 10:00 to get the run down of her day. He was so exact you could set a clock to him.

"Actually, I have" she smiled on the other end as she finished her English homework. "But I still wanted to talk to you about The Plan" she interjected. It had been two weeks since school started and since they discussed their future together. "I remember the other morning you mentioned something about me and Finance? Where did you get that from?" she questioned.

"Yeah" Shane answered elated that she had at least started filling out her application. "Well, your father suggested one day while we were talking, and I figured you two had already worked that out."

"Uh NO" Mercedes pouted. "In fact he never mentioned that he had picked my MAJOR for ME" she huffed. She knew that he didn't see singing in her future, but to go so far as picking her major was infuriating. "I don't want to go into Finance" she announced, making a mental note to inform Mr. Julius Jones.

"Okay" Shane responded "I don't care what you major in, as long as you and I are together at The Ohio State. Heck take up cake decorating if you want to" he joked.

"Okay." Mercedes said content that she had at least put her foot down on some aspect of the plan. "So how was practice?" She questioned changing the subject.

"Good. Man Evans has an arm on him. I think he's going to do great in the game this Friday" Shane beamed enthusiastically.

"Uh oh that's good" Mercedes grumbled not really comfortable hearing Shane talk about Sam. "Are we still on for dinner after the game" she asked attempting to steer the conversation away from him.

"You know it!" Shane cheerfully responded. "Dinner at Bread Stixx and a movie with the most beautiful girl in Lima." Another thing about Shane is that he worked best with a set routine. Mercedes learned this after a year of dating. Their weekends usually went the same way. Friday was dinner and then a movie. Saturday consisted of an afternoon coffee date at the Lima Bean followed by a leisurely stroll around Lima. Sunday was church and Sunday night dinner, where he and her father watched whatever sporting event was featured on television. Mercedes didn't mind it, considering when she was single she spent her weekends completely solo.

"Okay, well, I'm off to bed hun" Shane yawned. "Good night and I love you" he sang.

"Night honey and I love you too" Mercedes sighed.

She hung up her cell phone and set her homework in her bag for school the next day. She sat quietly and thought about her future, a reoccurring topic recently. She knew senior year was important, and that she was expected to make major life decisions now, but how was that possible when she could hardly decide what she wanted to wear the next day to school? She knew her and Shane's plan sounded great when they made it, but now it still didn't sit well with her. How would she feel a year from now, after they have followed it? Would she learn to like it, or just end up even more lost and resenting him?

She walked over to her bed and snuggled deep under her covers. She sighed, staring at her ceiling. She had to figure this out soon, or her whole senior year would be ruined.

On the other side of town, Sam was up still struggling with the last of his homework. He was just about to give up when he heard a little fist rap against his door. He looked over at his clock which read 10:20pm.

"Come in" he yelled up stairs. He heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of tiny foot steps. When they stopped he looked up to see Stacie sleepy rubbing her eyes at the end of his stair way. She was clinging to Jeffery, her favorite stuffed elephant.

"Hey, what are you still doing up?" he questioned. "Its way past your bed time"

"I know "she sighed "I can't sleep" She walked slightly dazed over to his bed and plopped down on the edge. "What cha doing?" she asked as she gazed at him.

"My homework" he sighed frustrated.

"Still?" she questioned amazed seeing as she finished hers before dinner.

"Yep" he answered "I have practice, so I have to do mine later than you." He closed his book and placed all of his materials on the floor to be gathered the next morning. "So what's up, why can't you sleep?" Sam asked as he laid back, propping his head on his hand.

"You never took us to see Harry Potter and I wanted to see it" Stacie asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I didn't did I" Sam admitted. "What made you think of that?" he quizzed.

"Because Laura and Chantal were talking about it today in class and I couldn't because I never saw it. And you promised if we let you and Mercedes see it by yourself you would take us when we got to Nashville" she blinking her sleepy eyes. Sam grabbed her and laid her head down on his other pillow. He knew it was either that or carry her all the way back upstairs to her bed.

"Yeah I did promise you guys that." He sighed remembering the deal he struck with his younger siblings the day before they left. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Its okay Sammy" she yawned "Have you seen Mercedes?" she asked as she settled into Sam's bed. "I liked her"

"Yes" he answered "You know were in the same grade and we sing together" he explained.

"Can we go over her house again? She probably has the last part on DVD now so we can see it there like we did before we left" she rambled as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sam was amazed that she remembered going over Mercedes' house. He wished that he could just go and take the kids back over Mercedes house to hang out like they did a year ago. As he watched his little sister dream he wished he could explain why he and Mercedes weren't friends anymore. But, he couldn't totally explain it himself. He understood he didn't leave the situation well but he could not understand why she reduced their time together to a short lived friendship. And that upset Sam to the point, where for the past two week he hadn't even attempted to speak to her.

The tipping point was when Sam logged onto his refurbished Mac laptop his father bought him. He wanted to see some of the things he missed while he was away. He logged onto Jacobs website and found the video from the first day of junior year. That's when he saw it. Mercedes wrote him off as "So last June" like they barely knew each other. He was crushed and in disbelief. At the same time she was uttering those words, he was in Nashville writing her letters. As he drifted off to sleep he wondered if they could ever be friends again or had their relationship really just run its course.

"Ugh" Tina moaned as she sat down with a pout.

"What's wrong?" Mercedes inquired why her normally pretty up beat friend seemed frustrated.

"It's Mike. He and his parents are driving me crazy. They blame me for him not going to Harvard, and now every time I go to see him they are there hovering over us" She wined. "I need some alone time with him but I need a way to pry him away from them" she wondered out loud.

"Well" Mercedes brain stormed "why don't you two come to dinner with me and Shane! It will give you two times afterwards, if you say dinner ran long"

"That is a great idea" Tina cheesed "its perfect!"

"What's perfect?" Blaine inquired as he sat down

"Mike, Mercedes, Shane and I are going to go on a double date so I can have some alone time with him afterwards" Tina explained as she ran the plan in her head again.

"Oh cool! Hey you guys mind if Kurt and I tag along? We haven't had much QT since he's been working two jobs trying to save money for New York. A night out might be a pick me up for us" Blaine explained. Mercedes sensed something extra going on but figured she'd ask Kurt later.

"Sure! If its okay with Mercedes?" Tina answered looking in Mercedes direction.

"Of course!" Mercedes smiled "the more the merrier"

"For what?" Rachel waltzed in to serve her day as Mr. Schue's assistant.

"Mike, Tina, Mercedes, Shane, Kurt and I are going to dinner on…. What day?" Blaine quizzed

"Friday" Tina answered

"Right, Friday, after the game." Blaine repeated

"Oooh sounds fun. Well it seems like all of the Glee couples have been invited, that is except for me and Finn?" Rachel pointed out with a stiff look on her face.

"Well you two are more than welcome to come" Blaine said in an inviting manner "As long as it's okay with Mercedes" he said looking back at her. Tina and Rachel's eyes followed Blaine's.

Mercedes sighed. "Of course you and Finn are invited." All of a sudden her nice quite night with Shane had become a couple's event.

"Great! This will be a great way try to talk Finn into moving to New York with Kurt and me when we're ready" Ms. Barry beamed "We'll see you guys after the game on Friday."

"Great" Mercedes sighed as the bell rang and all of the other students filed into the choir room. Mr. Schue's lesson of the day was drama. "Funny" Mercedes thought. With all of the relationship problems drama should be the last lesson this glee club should be taught.

After class, Shane was waiting for Mercedes at the door, his regular routine. "Hey babe" he greeted her "how was class?"

"Fine" she sighed "I have something to tell you. We have company for dinner on Friday"

"Oh really?" Shane questioned.

"Yeah. See, Tina was trying to find a way to spend some alone time with Mike. So I suggested that they come with us to Bread Stixx after the game. But then Blaine said he and Kurt need a night out so I invited them too. Then Rachel heard that we were all going, and you know she doesn't like to be left out of anything so I invited her and Finn as well. And now well….. um we have a large party for Friday's dinner" she sighed as she finished her rambling rant.

Shane smiled at his girlfriend. He loved that she loved her friends so much. One of the things he admired most about her was her loyalty. "Its cool babe" he smiled "hey it sounds like fun."

At that moment Sam walked out of the choir room. "Hey Evans!" Shane called to him. Mercedes stiffened, not feeling like having a repeat of the awkward three-way conversation they had a few weeks back.

Sam turned to see Shane motioning to him to come over. He sighed and approached the happy couple. "Hey" he greeted Shane with a smile, not even acknowledging Mercedes. She felt slighted. He had been cold towards her ever since he found out about her boyfriend. She noticed that even when she was cordial to him, the most Sam would respond with short one word answers.

"Hey man you ready for Friday?" Shane asked in a pumped up manner.

"Yeah. We should take this win" Sam replied with a cool confidence.

"Yeah. I think we got em. Hey, Mercedes just informed me a bunch of us are going the Bread Stixx for dinner after the game. Why don't you join us?" Shane asked nonchalantly.

Mercedes froze. She could not believe Shane was inviting Sam to dinner with them. Even though she and he was never a "real" item, it was still very awkward.

"Uh sounds fun but I'm not sure I can make it" Sam hesitated. He was just getting use to the idea of Mercedes having a boyfriend. Going out to eat with them seemed like too much to handle at the moment.

"Come on man, it'll be fun, right babe?" Shane asked Mercedes.

"Uh y-y-yeah" she stuttered. "Fun" she gave a weak smile.

Sam eyed her suspiciously. He knew she couldn't possibly be okay with him coming to dinner. Just when he was about to refuse for the second time a voice came out of nowhere from behind Sam.

"We'll go!" Sugar said answering. Sam quickly turned around to see the petite girl smiling from ear to ear. All three of them stared at her. "Uh, thanks but no thanks" Sam said answering for himself.

"No. We're going" She insisted. "This will give you time to get to know me since you never called" she said towards Sam. "So he and I will meet everyone there after the game" she said cheerfully as she grabbed Sam's arm.

"GREAT!" Shane boomed "it's settled you're taking her and we'll see you guys there. Come on 'Cedes I got to get you to class" he ushered. Placing his arm around his girlfriend, he turned her around and directed her to class. She glanced back at Sugar with her arm around Sam and became slightly up set. Could he actually go for her?

"What are you doing?" Sam questioned Sugar when the couple was gone "we are not dating"

"Not yet. But we will after Friday" Sugar insisted with confidence.

"Uh no we will not. You're too young and, I'm sorry, too annoying." Sam hissed in a slight whisper.

"Yeah but I'm very rich and I get what I want. And since your only two years out from sleeping in a cheap Motel with your whole family, you should want to date Me." she said flat and emotionless.

"Yeah and I rather be sleeping there again than take you out" Sam sighed as he walked away from her.

"Well that can happen seeing as my daddy is golf buddies with your dad's boss" She threatened.

Sam stopped in his tracks and turned towards her. "What?" he demanded.

"Yep and he makes sure I always get what I want. So take me to Bread Stixx or be poor again. Your choice"

Sam sighed. His family just got back on their feet and no 95 lb little girl would ruin that for them. "Fine!" Sam huffed "JUST dinner"

"Yey." She smiled. She sauntered past him. "See I always get what I want" she smiled.

Sam was not amused or interested but he would do anything to protect his family.

By Friday Sam was ready to get out on the field and play out all of his anger. His pent up aggression helped him carry the Titans to a 35-7 victory. He had a phenomenal game but he didn't feel like celebrating. He dreaded the night ahead of him. He showered in the locker room and put on a nice button up shirt with a pair of kaki pants. He walked out to the car already regretting agreeing to meet everyone for dinner. When walked out to the parking lot he found Sugar dressed standing by his car, waiting by it for him. He walked up confused and sighed "What are you doing here?"

"I waited for you just in case you forgot to pick me up like my last date did." She said blankly.

Rolling his eyes he unlocked the doors for her to get in. He threw his bag in the trunk and climbed into his car. He started the engine and turned the radio up loudly, to avoid conversation with the annoying girl. He figured just because he agreed to dinner didn't me he agreed to talk to her.

As he drove to the restaurant Sugar turned the radio down. "Your poor, how do you have a car?" she asked rudely.

Sam rolled his eyes thinking to himself it was going to be a long night. "I worked all last year to get it. I raised half of the money, and my grandmother gifted me the rest" he answered in a short tone.

"Oh. When I get a car mine will be brand new." She sighed. "My father has already promised it to me. You know he gets me-"

"Anything you want" Sam answered in a mocking tone. "I know. You've said it more than once" he huffed pointing out her reoccurring them. He reached over and turned his radio back up and drove faster to the restaurant to get the night over with.

They were the last to arrive. Everyone else was already seated and thumbing through their menus. When Sam walked over to the table he greeted Mike and Kurt with a hug. The rest of the table looked surprised to see who Sam showed up with.

"Oh Sam" Kurt said surprised and confused "I didn't know you and Sugar were….uh dating"

"We're not dating -this is not a date" Sam insisted.

"We're not dating yet" Sugar smiled sure that her personality was enough to win Sam over.

"We're not dating" Sam repeated for good measure. He sat down and realized he was seated right across from Mercedes. For a quick second their eyes met, and then they both look down into their menus.

"So how's school?" Kurt questioned Mike attempting to get off of the subject of Sam and Sugar.

"It's good" Mike sighed. "I'm already taking some of my major classes."

"Yeah, the ones your father picked out" Tina said under her breath. Mike shot her a look and she grinned at him as if she said nothing.

"Well are you taking any dance classes?" Blaine questioned

"Next semester I'm making sure to take some but this semester is all about academics" Mike answered.

"Spoken truly like Mike Chang….. Senior" Tina jabbed under her breath.

"Not now Tina" Mike said through grit teeth. Tina relented not wanting to fight in front of their friends.

"So Sam, how is it being back?" Mike asked changing the subject.

"Pretty good" Sam responded looking up from his menu. "I'm getting used to the changes" he said as he shot Mercedes a look. She looked up in time to notice him looking at her when he answered.

"Speaking of changes, I was thinking of having Mr. Schue do My Fair Lady as the musical this year. That or Oklahoma" Rachel interjected.

"Uh no, I'm not feeling either one of those" Mercedes said turning up her noise at the thought

"Well why not?" Rachel questioned puzzled.

"Yeah why? Is it too last century?" Sam questioned in a mocking tone.

Mercedes shot Sam a look in disbelief. "No" she said with an attitude "I just feel we should do something more modern, young, or fresh"

"Oh like Wicked?" Kurt asked, his eyes gleaming at the thought of helping direct.

"Yes, along those lines" Mercedes agreed with a smile.

"Les Mises would be good" Blaine shouted out.

"And you would make a great Jean Valjean wouldn't you. With all of your talents and good looks and all, 'Perfect Blain'" Kurt chimed in smiling at his handsome boyfriend in a slightly sarcastic manner. Blaine rolled his eyes as their relationship problem became much more apparent to Mercedes. Kurt still felt threatened by Blaine's talent.

"Or Hairspray would be fun" Tina suggested.

"Hey babe" Shane interrupted in an attempt to cut down all of the musical talk "What are you getting?"

"Yeah" Finn interjected. "Plus not everyone feels like talking about musicals all night" he added in Rachel's direction.

"Well" Rachel sighed "If certain people would just open their mind to the possibility of leaving Ohio, then musicals wouldn't be so threatening." She said in a stiff and angry tone.

"No one threatened by the talk of Musicals, they just may be sick of being hit over the head with the same subject over and over again" Finn sighed.

"I don't know. Probably my usual" Mercedes answered Shane attempting to avoid Rachel and Finn from arguing at the table.

"You sure hun?' Shane probed

"Yeah I'm sure" Mercedes reassured her boyfriend "you know it's my favorite"

"You sure it's your favorite?" Sam questioned in a tone with a tinge of bitterness "you know sometimes people change their minds fairly quickly"

Mercedes shot Sam another dirty look and said in a slightly angry voice "I know what I like when I like it." She them smiled at her boyfriend who was too busy going over the menu to notice the slight tension between her and Sam. The rest of the table was dealing with their own relationship baggage to even notice their exchange.

"So you guys almost ready for New York?" Mike questioned in Finn's direction.

"Oh I'm staying here" he responded

"Yep he just refuses to even TRY to go" Rachel huffed

"Because that's your dream" Finn whispered in her ear

"But it's also my dream for us to stay together" she shot back "Don't see you supporting that one"

"Well New York was a blast, seems like its fun to live there" Mike grinned.

"Yeah, well if you move there and never come home there's another thing your parents can blame me for" Tina sighed. Mike looked at his girlfriend and sighed.

"You two aren't moving together?" Shane questioned Finn and Rachel "See that's why you need a plan 'Cedes. Now aren't you happy we have one?" he questioned his girlfriend

"Plan? What Plan?" Tina quizzed

"Our life plan" Shane beamed. "We've agreed that we are going to Ohio State together. Then married with kids after graduation or me getting into the NFL, whichever comes first."

"Ohio State?" Sam questioned "Since when do you want to stay here? In Ohio?"

Mercedes shot Sam another dirty look. "Since I agreed to it that's when" she answered shortly.

Sam sat back and put his hands up. "Like I said, I'm adjusting to the changes"

"Excuse me" Mercedes said standing up from the table. "I have to powder my nose." And with that she rushed off to the ladies bathroom. When inside she placed her hands on both sides of the sink and took a few deep breaths. She knew Sam coming was a bad idea. This nice friendly dinner was slowly turning into a dysfunctional family outing. "Pull it together Jones" said to herself in the mirror. She knew the only way to fix her personal situation was to confront Sam. As she was leaving the bathroom she ran into Sam in the hallway headed for the Men's room.

"Sam" she stopped him as he opened the door "What was that?" she questioned

"What was what" Sam answered in an annoyed tone.

"That. The snide comments and attitude" she whispered "What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. Problems are so two years ago" he answered sarcastically with an eye roll.

"Well I have a problem with the vibe you are giving me" Mercedes whispered, stepping closer to Sam

"Why should you have a problem? You have a Plan right? You weren't replaced after two week" Sam hissed "you where referred to as so last June like you were a pair of old sneakers. You weren't played off as some charity summer time fling! So what problem could you possibly have?" He questioned, slightly raising his voice.

"So that's it? So you're mad because I moved on?" Mercedes shot back in a slightly louder voice."Well let's see Sam, I was the one who was left standing on her door step emotionally exposed when you ran off. And I was the one who had to find out you left in a note when you didn't have the guts to tell me you were leaving to my face. Oh and I was the one waiting for you to contact me when you never did. I was the one who-"

"Ahem" a voice cut through the anger causing both angry parties to pause. They were both so wrapped up in their discussion; they didn't notice their argument had become dinner theater. They looked up to find a pair of baby blue eyes bouncing back and forth between them. Mercedes heart sank.

Kurt stepped between the bickering couple very nonchalantly. "Sam, Sugar is wondering where you are. And knowing the measures she will go to, to get what she wants you may want to head back to the table, before she wonders into the men's room."

"Thanks Kurt" Sam said angrily. He headed to the table only breaking eye contact with Mercedes when he turned the corner.

Mercedes knew Kurt had questions for her about what he had just heard.

"Mercedes-"Kurt began but Mercedes didn't feel like talking about it at that moment.

"Not now Kurt" she sighed as she headed for the table, leaving her friend in the hallway, with his questions.

The rest of evening was filled with tension. It seemed like their dinner had turned into couple's therapy. Between bites the evening was filled with long, awkward pauses and backhanded complements. Mercedes spent the rest of the night avoiding eye contact with Sam and Kurt.

"You okay?" Shane question near the end of dinner in a whispered tone. "You've been pretty quiet tonight."

"Oh I'm fine I'm just ready to get to the movie" she said faking a smile. In reality Mercedes was really ready to get out of the restaurant and away from all of the tension.

"Oh a movie sounds nice" Sugar butted in smiling at Sam in a suggestive manner. "We should-"

"NO!" Both he and Mercedes yelled, starting the rest of the table and most likely the rest of the restaurant.

"Uh no" Sam said in a softer tone. "I'm tired and you're like a sophomore so I'm sure you have to be home soon. Plus you only said dinner" Sam whispered.

"Um I'm ready to go" Mercedes said jumping up from her seat "you ready Shane?" She questioned as she began walking from the table. Shane quickly stood up, pulled his money from his pocket throwing it on the table for both dinners. "It was a lovely night" he said quickly and followed behind his quickly moving girlfriend.

When they got into his car Mercedes exhaled. She felt like she could finally breathe away from everyone. "What's going on?" Shane questioned. "Why did you run out like that?"

"I was just ready to get to the movie" She smiled sweetly. But honestly she was just ready to remove herself from the situation. She just needed to get away from Sam so she could think clearly.