Quick notes:

-Thanks again for reviewing, it means a lot. Cause I know I fail as a writer and would like to improve.

-I truly hate when shows ruin my favorite ships (Degrassi, One Tree Hill...smh) trust that I have no intention on doing that, so please read on.

-You guys probably notice this by now but I use italics for songs, text messages and memories (or anything that happened in the past). And the second half of 3x14 doesn't exist in this world.

And copying and pasting this for clarification~
I deliberately write some chapters short or go back into the past (writing in italics to distinguish between past and present). I have many chapters planned and am building up to [it] by letting you see how the got together in their final weeks of school. Hope that made sense..

:)


Chapter 06.

Dressed in her red cap and gown, Rachel paced back and forth in her room as she held tightly to the white envelope. Her hands began to tremble as she positioned it to be opened. She slowly took in a breath, closed her eyes and finally let out it out before ripping the envelope open.

"What are you doing?"

The voice was warm and motherly.

Side stepping the question Rachel spoke softly, "I won't be much longer."

"Give me the envelope the Rachel."

She turned to the voice, "I just...I..I have to know.." she stumbled

Mercedes held out her hand for the envelope. She could see the resistance in Rachel's face but remained firm with her hand out. Giving in Rachel placed the envelope in her hand just before her room door opened and entered her dads.

"Oh my... My baby, you look so beautiful." Hiram complimented

"You're not supposed to say that. It's not even my wedding day."

"I can't help it, you look so beautiful."

Mercedes looked at her watch, "Ok. We've gotta get going!" she pushed Rachel out the door.

"I'll see you at the graduation!" Rachel from the hallway

They got in Mercedes car and Rachel immediately began interrogating her.

"What is the deal with you and Sam? You kissed, and broke his heart...and Shane's. So now where do you guys stand? And you can't lie to me, I saw the way you were staring at him at Nationals."

Mercedes didn't think too deeply or even at all about the question, "Nothing happened Rachel."

They drove the rest of the way in near silence. Once they had reached the school, they met up with their friends and family. Mercedes left the seniors and sat down a few seats away from Sam.

Rachel's dads each kissed her forehead and hugged her before sending her off into the crowd of students waiting to be called up to the stage to receive their diplomas. The graduation ceremony opened with Mercedes singing ever so beautifully an acapella version of Natasha Bedingfeld's Strip Me. Her glee club family lip synched the song as the lyrics resonated with them.

Take what you want, steal my pride, build me up, but cut me down to size...

Shut me out..

But I'll just scream,

"I'm only one voice in a million, but you ain't taking that from me."

She belted the chorus as the band and her church choir joined in. The audience erupted into a joyous roar of praise and claps. She tried to smile to the whole crowd but she couldn't help but stare at just one person, Sam Evans. He cheered her on so passionately, it made it nearly impossible for her to focus on anyone else but him.

She congratulated the 2012 graduates and walked off the stage to her seat. Principal Figgins introduced the class with praise for the achievements and began calling the names of the students.

"Julliard bound Tina Cohen-Chang..."

The audience applauded as Tina walked across the stage towards the principal. Mike clapped wildly as he tried to hold back tears.

"Also Julliard bound Mike Chang.." he continued, and once again their was an immense amount of cheer and applause. Almost all of the students had received their diplomas until there was just four names remaining.

"Finn Hudson"

Finn glanced behind him at his bride to be. She gave him a congratulatory nod and mouthed, "I love you". He walked up the steps and onto the stage to accept his diploma and thank the faculty.

"The New York Academy-" Principal Figgins began but paused shortly to turn around to Mr. Schuester who shook his head.

"Rachel Berry...Kurt Hummel..." he announced with short pauses in between the two names.

One after another, they walked up to the stage and across it, receiving their diplomas from him and shaking the hands of the faculty.

Mr. Schuester walked to the podium, "The Glee club would also like to recognize the achievements made by Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel, who were both finalists at NYADA and are waiting acceptance."

The audience once again broke out into cheer and clapped rhythmically.

Principal Figgins returned to the podium and announced, "Finally, Yale bound and your 2012 class Valedictorian, Quinn Fabray."

Her hair pulled back into a perfect bun tied lowly, she looked as elegant as ever as she walked up the steps to the stage.

"Thank you Principal Figgins." she said and turned to the audience, "How many times will we have had the door shut in our face and told we aren't good enough in our future?"

She paused to look down, "Too many times. In the Glee club, it was something we heard and knew all too well, but it wasn't something we accepted. We knew we were good enough, that we are good enough..."

Her speech was filled with words of opportunity and passion. She looked onto the crowd and began to wrap up her speech, "We cherished everyone's differences and I would like to ask my fellow graduates to take this mentality with you, wherever you go. There are far too many opportunities in the future to miss by being close-minded and afraid. Love and appreciate others for more than that what they are on the outside."

Sam and Mercedes exchanged glances and smiled warmly at each other as Quinn's words sank deeper into the the forefront of their minds and hearts. Her speech, though not about them, had reawakened their feelings for each other and attacked their hearts so perfectly it was impossible to ignore. Up to that point, Mercedes had been afraid of the way she felt about Sam and tried to keep those feelings to herself.

Ignoring the three bodies that separated them, Sam stretched his arm out towards Mercedes. She stretched out her arm as well, and grabbed onto the tips of his fingers and caressed them gently.

"To my friends of the 2012 graduating class. I wish you the best in all that you do."

As the newly graduated students gathered outside the school, it was apparent that Sam and Mercedes were not there.

"Where's Sam and Mercedes?" asked Finn.

Sam grabbed Mercedes hand and led her behind the school away from the crowd. The silence created tension within Mercedes as she followed him, her hands hot and clammy. She swallowed hard as if trying to push her heart back down her throat and into her chest from which it was trying to escape. They stood against the wall and he held tightly to her hand.

"I just wanted to talk to you privately" he spoke softly

She remained silent, breathing deeply in another failed attempt to get her heart to slow down.

"You look beautiful." he said as he pushed a few strands of hair from her face

"Thank you."

She couldn't bare looking into his liquid blue eyes, so she lowered her head, focusing on their shoes touching. He put two fingers to her chin and pushed her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"No. Thank you"

"For what?"

"For choosing me."

"My heart chose you." she confessed, "It chose you from the beginning of this whole Shane versus Sam mess and I couldn't stand to hold back the feelings anymore." her voice cracked towards the end.

"C'mon Mercedes, don't cry. I want to add this to one of my favorite memories of us, but I can't do that if you cry. I want to remember you in this moment, as beautiful as you are."

She held back the tears with a smile.

"And I want to remember that kiss"

"What kiss?"

"This one."

He lowered his lips to hers and pressed against them, her lips trembled weakly in his. He pressed harder and more passionately and she couldn't help but enjoy the closeness of it all, the way it made her feel. His lips moving remarkably in sync with hers, it was like a duet, the chemistry undeniable. He stepped back and asked her if the kiss was alright.

She tried to speak up, but with that, he took her breath away.