DISCLAIMER: Look on first chapter.
I can't believe that I broke 100 reviews! And I'm nowhere near finished with this story. Haha. Thank you guys so much! Enjoy this chapter, because the story is about to go full speed ahead! I hope you continue enjoying the ride! :D Happy reading!
April 18, 2011 (Monday)
The Hummel House
Lima, Ohio
6:07PM
The drive to Finn and Kurt's house was only fifteen minutes, but Brittany had insisted on stopping to get food for the party and apparently, Santana knew just how grumpy she got when she didn't have her gummy worms.
Santana bought chips, soda, and lots of gummy worms for Brittany. Sam could've sworn he overheard the blonde say something about sweet lady kisses, but he saw the death glare on Santana's face and pretended that he didn't hear a thing. Sam had asked Santana if she would pick up Stevie and Stacey from the motel so his dad could get some work done. Santana did so because she thought the kids were cute and Brittany was happy to see them again.
Sam quickly explained everything to his father, who let him go—knowing that Sam would take good care of his siblings. Listening to Santana and Brittany chatting with his siblings was just as amusing as he'd thought it would be. Santana and Stevie shared a love of blunt speaking—their conversation was bizarre but hilarious. The two made snarky remarks back and forth to each other and Santana had a gleam of respect in her eyes by the time they got to Finn's house.
Stacey and Brittany were having a deep conversation about the importance of unicorns. When they pulled up to the nicely sized two story house, Sam felt a stirring of jealousy in the pit of his stomach.
The Hummel house looked nothing like his old home did, but seeing the house brought back memories of what he used to have—his own room, his own computer, and a mother. It threatened to completely erase the smile on his face.
Santana and Brittany had already grabbed the bags from the car and made their way to the front door with Stacey and Stevie following them. Sam acted like he was texting someone on his phone when Santana turned around to look at him.
"Are you coming or not, Kermit?" she questioned loudly as Kurt and Mercedes opened the door for the four that stood on the steps. Stacey jumped into Kurt's arms with a joyous cry. He smiled lovingly at the girl.
"I'll be there in a second," he called back, still looking at his phone. He heard Santana say whatever as Kurt led her, the kids and Brittany inside the house. He waited for a moment and heard the door close, before he leaned forward and rested his forehead against the roof of the car.
These moods always came so suddenly. It was the small things that reminded him of her the most and it was always unpredictable. Sam took a deep breath, just trying to turn off his thoughts, but he could see her clearly in his head. He remembered her laughter and how her curly blonde hair would bounce every time she sang and danced her way around the kitchen.
His mom used to be so happy. When did she lose it completely and change into the woman that could walk out on her family? He thumped his head against the roof of the car—unfortunately it was a bit too hard and his eyes watered from the blow.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath as he rubbed a hand across the sore spot.
"Sam?" The sound of Mercedes' voice less than a foot away made him jump in surprise. She looked amused when he spun around to look at her, but her amusement faded when she saw his watery eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he snapped irritably, "I was just playing Rambo with my skull for no good reason."
Mercedes' expression was incredulous. "Boy, you better watch who you're talking to that way," she snapped back, "I'm not Santana. I don't use my words when someone talks down to me."
Sam instantly felt guilty as Mercedes glared at him. "Now you can tell me what's wrong, or you can stand here and sulk on your own." Looking at her disappointed face, he avoided her gaze as he moved to the back of Santana's car and slid to the ground. He heard her sigh as she came around the side of the vehicle and looked at him, before she plopped down beside him.
"Sam," she said quietly and Sam dropped his head onto the back bumper of the car, "What's wrong?"
"I just can't stop thinking about her," he admitted, "And it always happens at the wrong times! It pisses me off that I can't enjoy myself without her face popping up in my head."
"It happens to everyone, Sam," Mercedes told him and Sam scoffed. Mercedes placed a hand on his arm. "I'm serious. We always remember the bad things that happen to us more than we think of the good times."
"Why, though?" Sam implored, "Why would our brains be hardwired to remember all the crap?"
"The bad things that happen to us—it builds character, and the good things—they're the moments that make all the suffering worth it." Mercedes said, "We don't always have the chance to see joy in our lives, but you should look for it in every moment. That joy; it's the reason people keep living."
"There's not a lot of it," Sam said bitterly and Mercedes laughed sadly.
"I know," she told him, "but that's what makes joy so great."
Sam looked at her like he'd never seen her before. What she was saying didn't make sense.
"Haven't you ever heard that absence makes the heart fonder?" Sam shrugged at her question and Mercedes rolled her eyes in fond amusement. "Think about the people who have had everything they've ever wanted—just handed to them. What kind of attitudes do they have? What type of relationships do they make? People who don't suffer—they don't live either. They can't appreciate something they've always had because it's never been taken away. It's why talented people usually hate themselves."
He had never heard anything like that before, but thinking about it—it did make sense in a very strange way. Sam looked at Mercedes. "How did you get so smart?" he questioned and Sam wasn't oblivious to the sad look that flashed in her eyes. She smiled at him dimly. It was a pathetic example of her usually blinding smile.
"Mercedes," he said and she shook her head.
"You've got enough on your mind," she replied and Sam stared her down.
"This friendship—it works both ways," he told her, "And even though I've got a lot going on in my head right now, there's always room in my noggin for you." She laughed lightly.
"Crazy white boy," Was her reply.
"Cede," Sam said sternly and Mercedes waved him away.
"I promise to tell you some other time," she said and Sam stopped himself when he noticed the semi-desperate look in her hazel eyes. "I just don't want to get into it right now. It's kind of a long story."
"Okay," Sam acquiesced reluctantly. He didn't like seeing Mercedes hurting. He would definitely be talking to her soon. And if it was a guy, he would beat the crap out of whoever it was. No one hurt his friends and got away with it.
"Come on, Blondie," she said regaining her humor as Sam stood. She stretched a hand out to him and he gladly took her hand and pulled her up. He tossed an arm over her shoulder as they walked up to the door.
"Thanks for talking with me," Sam told her and Mercedes smiled at him.
"You've got to stop thanking me for everything," she teased, "I'm going to grow a complex."
"What? I've got to show my appreciation," he replied.
"We're friends," she said, "You don't need to thank me every time we talk about something other than cherry juice boxes."
"I'll think about it." Sam responded and Mercedes turned her gaze heavenward in frustration, before they walked inside the Hummel house. A wall of sound met their ears. Sam could clearly hear Finn rocking out on the drums and he could hear them all singing the end of, "Forget You" by Ce-Lo Green.
When Mercedes and Sam walked down the stairs and into the basement—the Glee party was in full swing. "Finally!" Finn yelled across the room as he spotted Sam walking inside, "We can start the tournament."
A cacophony of battle cries came from the guys in the room—with the exception of Kurt who was cheerfully showing Tina some outfits in the new Vogue magazine.
"Wait, wait, wait Gigantor," Santana interrupted. "You promised that you would play 'So What' by Pink with me." Finn looked torn between disappointment that the tournament couldn't start—and excitement about playing a rock song.
Santana's fierce glare settled that debate though and he picked up his drumsticks. "Let's do this," he said with a grin. Santana waited until the beat started before she began singing. Sam walked over to check on Stevie and Stacey—they were sitting beside Artie.
"What are you guys up to?" he asked them as he bent down to lay a kiss on Stacey's head and ruffle Stevie's hair.
"Homework," Stacey replied as she scribbled on a math worksheet. Sam smiled in approval.
"Yeah," Stevie piped up, "They said we could have ice cream and pizza if we finished before seven-thirty!" Sam's brow furrowed. He couldn't afford to pay for any pizza—especially if they were ordering out. He pulled out his wallet and was startled when a chocolate-colored hand slapped his fingers.
"What are you doing, Blondie?" Mercedes demanded and Sam blinked at her.
"I have to pay for the pizza and ice-cream." He said and Mercedes raised an eyebrow.
"It's taken care of, Sam," Mercedes told him in a whisper. Not that anyone could hear their conversation over Santana's singing.
"I'm not going to have people paying for my family's stuff, Mercedes," he protested.
"Look," Mercedes told him, "We want you to relax and have a good time. Stop worrying about money. Burt and Carol insisted on paying for everything anyway."
Seeing nothing but honesty in her eyes, Sam relented. When he put his wallet away, Mercedes shot him a smug smile and Sam rolled his eyes. Soon enough, he was dragged into a fierce video game tournament that turned incredibly entertaining, because Puck hated losing, and he started slapping people as a diversion.
Sam couldn't help but laugh when Puck was playing with one hand and slapping at Sam's controller with the other. They ended up practically wrestling for the wireless controllers. Sam had Puck in a head lock and stole his joystick and made Puck's character start hitting himself.
Finn was on the floor, guffawing and Artie couldn't breathe he was laughing so hard. Puck elbowed him and Sam loosened his grip which gave Puck the upper hand. Sam ended up winning the match anyway. He threw his arms in the air with a shout of, "Victory, bitches!"
Of course, in all the excitement, he'd forgotten that his siblings were in the room, but he was reminded when a scandalized Stacey yelled, "Sammy, language!"
Sam blushed and his friends burst into laughter. Eventually, Sam lost to Finn and Finn had to play Artie. He walked over to the table where Mercedes, Rachel and Tina were doing homework and sat down, pulling his books out of his backpack.
"Gave up on the tournament?" Tina asked, and Sam shook his head.
"Nah, Finn beat me in the last round," he told her, "I had to do homework anyway." They smiled at him and got down to business. Periodically, he looked up to check on Stevie and Stacey but they were constantly being entertained by Glee members and when the pizza came—they were fed well.
He was struggling with a math problem and Mercedes helped him with it. The laughter and fun continued until almost eleven at night. Stevie and Stacey had passed out on the couch from playing all afternoon and Mercedes offered to drive them home.
When they got there, she helped carry them inside and Sam asked Mercedes for her phone number. She gave it to him and he told her to prepare to be texted obnoxiously every day. Mercedes just rolled her eyes and walked away, but not before they shared a hug.
April 20, 2011 (Wednesday)
The Music Shop
Lima, Ohio
4:17PM
Sam knew it was a bad idea—a terrible idea, even. He hadn't been back to The Music Shop in almost two weeks. He hadn't even been able to force himself to return after everything that had gone down with his mother. At first it was because of the official fact that he'd never see his baby again, but then he just got so caught up in everything going on around him that he'd hadn't had a chance to come by.
Now that he was standing in front of the window, he realized what a terrible mistake this whole excursion was. Seeing his guitar brought him back to his mother and his money problems—it wasn't the best moment of his life. Sam stood there staring for god knows how long. It was only when a woman knocked on the glass window from the inside—right in front of his face—that he snapped out of his trance.
He blinked at the sight of Miss Lynn standing there, watching him with a concerned frown on her features. She gave him a smile when she realized that she had his attention. And she beckoned him inside her shop.
Taking a deep breath, Sam walked over and stepped through the doors. "Why, hello darlin'," she greeted cheerfully and Sam had to smile at her.
"Hi Miss Lynn," he replied and Lynn grinned at him.
"How are you, honey?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips and looked him over. Sam blushed at the scrutiny. Silently, he hoped he didn't look too much like a dork. He was wearing a purple hoody with dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt.
"I'm doing good," Sam told her and she gave him a smile. "How are you?"
"Oh, darlin', I'm doing alright." she gushed, "I've actually had more customers come inside, but it's definitely not what it used to be. Especially since most people buy their music online nowadays." Sam watched her pick up a large cardboard box and he took it from her hands. She gave him a grateful smile, before picking up the smaller box that had been sitting next to the large one. "Thank you, Sam."
"Are you going out of business?" he asked in concern. He was one of those people who frequented the iTunes store but he loved going to actual music stores. It was a different experience than shopping online. And since he didn't have an iPod anymore it gave him a different perspective on the whole thing.
"Nothing that drastic, darlin'," she told him with a reassuring smile as she led him to the back room. He followed her into the room and watched as she used her foot to toe open the partially ajar door to the storage room. "I'm doing fine, but I'm going to have to rethink my business plans for the future. It includes a bit of expansion." She said and winked at him after she'd set her box down.
"Where would you like me to put this?" he asked and she pointed to a corner on the left hand side of the room. Sam walked over and put it down, before following her out of the room. "What do you mean expansion?"
"Well, I'm opening my own café—and it's going to have a stage for live music every week and I'm going to connect it to my music shop." Lynn said and Sam grinned at her enthusiasm. Lima was big on music—not really show choir but the idea was a good one and he figured it would do great with the teen crowd. It would give them somewhere besides Breadstix to go on dates.
"Any ideas for a name?" he questioned and Lynn gave him a big grin.
"It's going to be called Clarity," she replied and Sam made a noise of interest. It was a different name for sure, but it was catchy yet simple.
"When are you going to have it open?" Sam asked as Lynn walked behind the counter.
"Well, I already have the building—it just needs design and renovation work," she told him, before going over to check out the only customer in the store. When Sam joined her by the register, she gave him a smile.
"And how long will that take?" he asked. Lynn's eyebrows rose and she smirked at him.
"That depends on how long your father will take to come up with a design that I approve of," she told him and Sam's jaw dropped.
"What?" he asked, gaping. She laughed heartily.
"Your dad is my new architect," Lynn replied, "I hired him this past weekend. And with his advanced degree and previous experience, I thought he'd be perfect for the job."
"How did you know about his degree?" Sam questioned.
"I took a chance—hoping that he had some experience and God came through for both me and him. I just asked and he answered. He gave me a copy of his resume and I hired him on the spot."
Sam stared at her for a second. "Why did you ask him?"
Lynn smiled. "Because of you."
"What do you mean?" Sam queried.
"The day you walked into my shop, I got a conviction so strong—just to help you in any way that I could. And you were so sweet and adorable that I couldn't help myself." Lynn replied.
Sam stared at Lynn in disbelief. This woman went out on a limb for him? A kid she'd met once. When did people start being so nice? Was this what normal people did? Help people they'd just met randomly on the street? The sense of gratitude Sam felt was enough to prove overwhelming.
His throat got tight and he looked away from Lynn's soft expression. "Sam, darlin', what's wrong?"
"I-I just, uh," Sam tried to speak but his thoughts were moving so fast that they were practically incomprehensible. Lynn's hand on his shoulder brought him out of his head. He looked at her and she gave him a worried smile.
"Why don't I close up here and we can go grab some coffee at the café a couple of blocks over?"
"Don't you close at six, though?" Sam asked as Lynn grabbed her cardigan, purse, and keys from under the counter.
"Honey, I'm not in huge demand at the moment." She stated as she gestured around the empty store. Sam glanced around before looking back at her as she slid on her cardigan.
"What if someone comes by?" he asked concerned. "Don't you need the sales?"
Lynn gave him a fond smile. "I happen to think you are more important than one or two sales that I could make." Sam stared at the woman as she turned off the lights and activated the alarm system. Sam walked out of the door and Lynn changed the sign to closed, before locking the door and following him outside.
April 20, 2011 (Wednesday)
Lima Bean Cafe
Lima, Ohio
4:44PM
Sam stared into his caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream, chocolate syrup and graham cracker shavings. He and Lynn had arrived only a few minutes ago, and he hadn't known what to say.
Lynn solved the problem by saying, "Is everything okay at home?" The number one question Sam had been expecting and dreading at the same time.
He debated on lying for a brief moment, but when he looked up and met Lynn's eyes, his small ability to be deceptive completely disappeared. He sighed heavily and slumped back in his chair.
"Things are," Sam searched for words, "different."
Lynn tilted her head to the side and Sam closed his eyes. There was something about Lynn that just made him feel safe—safer than he felt with Mercedes even.
"Sam?" she asked and he cracked. The whole story came pouring out in vivid detail. He told her things that he hadn't even told Mercedes or his father. He started at the move to Lima from Tennessee and how his mom lost her job. He talked about falling for Quinn—even the promise ring he gave her and how she stomped all over his heart by cheating on him with Finn. And then he talked about Santana and how she used him for making out and popularity.
He told her about how he'd been feeling like an outsider in his own family because his parents had been caught up in all the drama. He spoke about how his mother slowly pulled away from them all. He even admitted that he'd slept with Santana and how guilty he felt about it because he'd never been that into her. She was hot sure, but he only dated her to gain status. And now he suspected she was lesbian and he wondered if it was his fault.
Then he talked about people in Glee club, but when he mentioned Mercedes, Lynn's face lit up. And she told him about him being Mercedes' pseudo-aunt. Sam was surprised, but then again he actually wasn't. Now that he thought about it—Miss Lynn and Mercedes had similar outlooks and demeanors. When he started talking again, Lynn just listened and he slowly told her about the situation with his mother.
The curly-haired woman wasted no time in taking his hand in hers when he told her about how she left and his less than great reaction to it. Sam's eyes were red and his mouth felt dry by the time he finished speaking. He felt especially vulnerable because she now knew things about him that he hadn't told anybody else. It didn't help that the topic was a raw wound being poked at.
"Can I ask you something, Miss Lynn?" Sam asked quietly and Lynn nodded.
"Of course you can, darlin'," she replied, "You can ask me anything."
"Why did she leave?" Sam whispered. And this, this was the heart of the problem. Every single day, Sam wondered why. Why would she walk out?
"Was it me, Miss Lynn?" he asked, the back of his eyes prickling. "Did I do something wrong? I know I should've done more, but I was trying so hard and I didn't know what else to do. I should've done something—"
"Oh, no, no, baby, no," she interrupted Sam and grasped both his hands. When Sam glanced at her, Lynn looked horrified—her eyes were huge and teary. "You are not to blame for any of this, do you understand me? I can't tell you exactly what your mother was thinking when she walked out on her family, but I can promise you that she's gonna realize what a mistake she's made somewhere down the line—if she hasn't already."
Sam tried looking away from her, because he couldn't prevent the tears, but Lynn stopped that immediately.
"You look at me, Samuel," she demanded and Sam instantly obeyed. He had never heard such a firm tone in a woman's voice before—he certainly hadn't expected it from the small lady sitting in front of him.
"You did nothing wrong. You are an amazing child, and you've got a wonderful heart, darlin'."
Sam couldn't stop his cheeks from flushing red at the compliments and Lynn smiled at him.
"Not many teenagers have the heart to walk into a stranger's store and sell something so precious to them for their family's happiness. Looking at you, I can tell that you think you're selfish and worthless and useless, but you aren't. I haven't seen such love and potential in someone in a long time. I don't know what your mother was thinking, but she obviously forgot that there is more to being a mom than giving birth."
Sam could feel her earnest words soothing doubts that he'd held for so long. "You really think that about me?"
"Yes," Lynn told him, "I wouldn't have said it otherwise." Sam gave a tearful laugh and Lynn squeezed his hands. He glanced down at his watch absentmindedly and freaked when he saw that it was almost seven o'clock at night.
His shift started at 7:15. Cursing under his breath got him a stern look from Lynn and he apologized for his rudeness. Laughing at his blush, Lynn paid for their coffee and they walked outside. Luckily for him, the pizzeria was only two blocks away from here and he wouldn't have to go far.
When Lynn was about to get into her car, Sam stopped her with a hand on her arm. She looked up at him with a curious smile. His face was on fire, but he would regret it if he didn't do this.
"Can I hug you?" he mumbled and Lynn's look of confusion turned into delighted amusement.
"Of course, darlin'," she told him as she opened her arms to him. Sam embraced her tightly.
"Thank you," he said when they pulled away. Lynn chucked the bottom of his chin with her hand and smiled.
"Anytime, honey," she replied. "If you need me, just stop by or pester Mercedes for my phone number."
He chuckled at that and watched her climb into the driver side of her car. She waved at him and Sam waved back, before she drove off down the street.
Sam glanced at the time and went sprinting down the street to the pizzeria, where both his job and his truck were waiting. He'd driven straight to work after dropping his dad and the twins off at the motel. Then since he was so early, he'd taken a walk and ended up at Lynn's store.
He was really happy that he did. And he hoped his boss wouldn't curse him out if he was late.
April 22, 2011 (Friday)
Pirate Pizzeria
Lima, Ohio
12:05AM
"You want me to what?" Sam asked incredulously. He had gotten off work five minutes ago and as soon as he'd gotten into his truck—Mercedes called him. Curious, he answered—wondering why she would call so late.
"I want you and your family to stay the weekend at my house," she replied and Sam's eyebrows rose on his head. "It's just two days, Sam, and my parents really want to meet you!"
It was still weird and he said as much. Mercedes sighed. "Look, I want your family out of that damn motel room for a couple of days, because I know you hate it. Please at least consider it?"
Sam was amused that she knew him so well already; though it probably wasn't hard to guess that he hated staying there. "Fine," he replied, "but my dad has to agree to this. I'll let you know in the morning and we'll figure it out from there?"
He could practically feel her smile. "Okay!" she said.
Sam couldn't stop his lips from quirking. It did sound like a good idea, and friends had sleepovers all the time—it just wasn't usually with a boy and a girl and their families. So far, being friends with Mercedes had been an adventure. She constantly made him laugh and she was easy to talk to about his problems.
He hadn't been able to figure out what had been getting her down lately, but if his dad agreed—this weekend would be the perfect excuse to get some answers from her. And if her family was anything like Mercedes, then he was in for a potentially awesome weekend.
"Tell your dad that there will be barbecue and swimming and vicious board game matches."
Sam started up his truck as he asked, "What kind of board games? Like Candyland?"
Mercedes snorted. "Monopoly is more the game of choice."
"Which version do you have?" he asked seriously, "And think about your answer because our very friendship depends on it."
Mercedes laughed on the other end. "We are a Lord of the Rings family, Blondie."
"Oh, you are awesome." Sam crowed into the phone. Now he was excited. He had yet to meet a girl with a Lord of the Rings version of Monopoly. How had he not spoken to this girl before? She could quote Braveheart and she owned the greatest version of Monopoly ever.
"You're just realizing that now, Sam?" she teased.
"Nope," he retorted, "Just be prepared to get whipped at Monopoly."
"Whatever you say, Blondie," she said, her voice amused. "Boy, you just wait; I will take you down and around town with my strategizing skills."
Sam laughed and Mercedes joined in. "I gotta go," he said, "but I'll call you in the morning."
"You promise to actually ask him?"
"Of course, I'm going to ask him. I have just been challenged." He replied.
"Ah, the gauntlet was thrown and now you must pick it up to keep your honor?" she asked.
She knew what a gauntlet was? Sweet Avatar, she is the most awesome girl ever.
"Something like that," he responded, "I'll talk him into it."
"Use the puppy dog eyes!" she told him, "And pout—it's very effective."
"Yeah," Sam said with a laugh, "for girls."
Mercedes huffed at him and he smiled. "Talk to you tomorrow!" he told her and Mercedes returned the sentiment. They hung up with a quick goodbye.
And Sam drove home—ready to beg his father to go to Mercedes' house.
REVIEW! I'd love to hear your thoughts! :) Until next time!
