I apologize for how short this chapter is, I promise the next one will be super long I have so many ideas for it. Just a few notes for this chapter! So I skipped a few episodes lol. The End of Twerk and Puppet Master don't really have storylines for Sam and they completely freak me out so I decided to cut those. The Previously Unaired Christmas does not fit with the storyline of both Glee and this story so I decided not to add that episode as well. Also, Frenemies doesn't really concern Sam either so I cut that episode.
A Katy or a Gaga
It's hard to get used to. He and Finn used to send memes to each other all the time, and he keeps having to remind himself that when he sends them now, no one is going to reply back.
His parents decide to tell Stevie and Stacey since they had been kind of close to Finn too. Sometimes he would come over for dinner with Burt and Carole whenever he didn't have plans with Rachel and play with the two of them. Stevie is two years older than Stacey, so he somewhat understands what happens when someone dies, but with Stacey is tough. She had kept asking them where Finn had gone and why he wasn't coming back causing Sam to use the excuse of needing to shower so he could leave that conversation and go break down in peace.
Sometimes she crawls into bed with him in the middle of the night and cries because she misses Finn, once he gets her to sleep again he cries too.
But it gets easier, and at least he isn't going through it alone. There's this sense of loss all throughout town, and a bunch of small shops and stores have a sticker of Finn's jersey stuck to their windows.
The heavy feeling only grows at school. The small vigil students had set up by Finn's old locker remains, and principal Sylvester had put around a small fence-like setup so it doesn't get trampled by students while they walk through the halls to their classes.
It's hardest in the choir room. A lot of them had burst into tears the first time they saw the plaque Rachel had made. Tina still sheds a tear every time she looks at it on the wall. Everything has the scent of Finn. Sometimes when he looks towards the drums he swears for a second he can still see Finn playing them.
Yeah, it gets easier, but it never goes away.
xxx
The only thing they can really use to distract themselves now is nationals. Which is why he is so thrilled when Mr. Shue announces he has the list of competitors as soon as glee practice starts in the choir room.
But as soon as that excitement appears, it disappears just as quickly because Tina and Blaine start complaining about some show choir group he's never heard of before. What is it with every competition they face, there's some random new glee club somebody is freaking out about. One year it's Vocal Adrenaline, then it's The Hoosierdaddies, and now it's Throat Explosion? He can't keep up.
He grows even more lost as Tina calls him a Katy Perry. What does that even mean? He doesn't listen to any Katy Perry except for Teenage Dream because Blaine always seems to have it on constant repeat.
And now Mr. Shue has made a lesson out of it, of course he has. He doesn't understand how any of this has to do anything with being able to win nationals, but he's not going to argue.
xxx
He's at his locker when Penny approaches him. Shit, he completely forgot about Penny. He points out her new tattoo as a distraction so he can think of how to bring up the fact he was only really interested in her because she looks like his ex-girlfriend who he's still in love with, but doesn't want to admit he's still in love with. Yeah, he's not exactly sure that conversation will go over well.
But he guesses he doesn't need to because she starts to go on about how she's into Skrillex and has a musical dark side. After she goes silent he realizes that he was supposed to say something, but when he looks over at her she's looking at his True Jackson VP poster.
He can't believe she doesn't know about the show, but then he reminds himself that not everyone has a six-year-old little sister that watches kid shows and gives them posters of the shows to hang up all over their room and locker. He has to send a picture to his mom's phone every day so she can show it to Stacey and confirm that he still has the poster she got him with her tooth fairy money to hang up at school. She originally thought it would be better in the choir room but he was able to convince her down to his locker.
So maybe he won't have to end things with Penny after all because she looks completely disinterested in him now after seeing his True Jackson VP poster. He shakes his head and smirks as he walks to his next class. Stacey had been devastated when he had explained to her that he and Quinn were no longer dating, even if she didn't completely understand it. Of course she is indirectly fending off girls for him without even knowing it.
xxx
He and his fellow gagas decide to meet in the auditorium to start rehearsing for their performance. Blaine names him the leader of the group because he is apparently the "edgiest" between all of them because he was a teen stripper.
He convinced his fellow astronomy club members to help build the stage they are going to perform on because that's what Gaga does, she's all about performing and theatricality.
He also thinks it's a good idea to perform in front of the whole school so they can practice rehearsing in front of audiences for nationals. He picks Applause for them to perform because it seems the most opposite from Katy Perry's.
He gets Becky to help him promote this cool video he set up hoping it will encourage some students to come see their performance in the auditorium.
As excited he is to perform in front of an audience again, he is not psyched about these costumes. But he will admit he gave himself the most tame one, at least he thought he did. What he thinks are antlers that he's wearing on his back are super heavy and killing his shoulders, but at least he doesn't have to wear any makeup the way Ryder and Artie do. Or a wig like Blaine.
But then he sees Marley come out in a Katy Perry costume, and he's a little pissed. She's doing the complete opposite of their assignment. So as soon as their performance ends he walks right up to her and asks her where the seashell bikini he had picked for her to wear is.
And yeah, he's really annoyed Marley showed up on stage in a Katy Perry costume, but he doesn't think she deserves to be suspended for the rest of the week for it. He looks over at Blaine in a panic who seems to have sided with Mr. Shue, so he sighs and thinks of what Finn would do.
He wishes Finn were here so he could just ask him, but that's no longer an option anymore so he just has to guess, and his best guess is that Finn would talk to Marley.
So he follows Marley to where she ran off backstage to see why she was so uncomfortable wearing the costume he had set aside for her.
It takes him about five minutes to find her, but finally finds her hidden in a corner crying into the pink wig she was wearing, and he feels like a complete asshole for going down so hard on her.
"Hey." He says softly, not wanting to startle her as he takes a seat next to her. "Want to tell me what happened?"
She sniffles and he gives her a moment to collect herself. "I still have body issues. I know I let you guys down, but I just couldn't do it Sam."
And then he feels like an even bigger idiot because he completely forgot about her eating disorder. "Marley, why didn't you just tell me that you didn't feel comfortable wearing a bra? I would've gotten you another costume." He tells her and she quietly laughs while wiping away her remaining tears.
"I was embarrassed. No one else had any complaints about their costume so I thought I could do it, but then I put it on and I just couldn't and it was too late to say anything because our performance was about to start. I'm sorry Sam." She tells him, looking at him as new tears well up in her eyes.
"Hey, it's okay." He tells her, wrapping an arm around her to show her that he isn't mad. "But next time just say something okay? Even if it's right before the performance. Even if it means I'm the one who will have to wear the seashell bra and you will have to wear these twenty pound antlers."
She laughs and nods and he feels better knowing he was able to comfort her somehow. "But just so you know, there's probably nothing I can do about your suspension, even if I don't agree with it." He tells her and she sighs and nods.
"I know." She says while getting up and he follows. "I'm gonna go head home and start this suspension, but thank you." She hugs him which completely catches him off guard, but he hugs her back and watches her leave the auditorium.
A half an hour later he's back in the auditorium in his regular clothes so he can watch the Katy Perry's performance. He likes their stripped down performance, and if he doesn't focus too hard he swears he can see Quinn sitting on one of those stools singing along with them. Maybe that's why the two of them got along so well, they were both Katy's. Both Katy's, Ken and Barbie's; soulmates.
Movin' Out
Blaine begs him to go with him to New York to accompany him to his NYADA audition. He doesn't understand why he doesn't just ask Tina who will be a lot better at this than he would be. He's not even planning to pursue the art's once he graduates, instead focusing on football and astronomy. But he agrees because he knows Blaine wants him there and it does give him an excuse to skip a few days of school so he can go to New York.
NYADA flies them out for Blaine's audition which beats driving like ten hours to get to New York. Rachel had offered for them to stay at their apartment while they were in New York, and even though Blaine had loved the idea, Sam thought it might not be the best since Adam and Kurt are in a happy relationship and he's not really sure if Blaine is completely over Kurt.
So they decide to stay at a hotel, but he makes it up to Blaine by allowing him to completely stalk Kurt by spending time at their apartment whenever he possibly can and eating at the diner he, Rachel, and Santana work at while they're all working.
And when Kurt goes out with Adam, he drags Blaine out to visit other campuses like Columbia and NYU because he needs some safety schools. They also visit Stony Brook University and he introduces himself to the football coach there.
xxx
Even though he travels all the way to New York for Blaine, he doesn't want Sam around him while he's rehearsing, which makes no sense at all to him, but whatever. So he hangs out with Rachel at their apartment while Santana, Dani, Kurt, and Adam are on a double date.
"Are you excited to come to New York after graduation?" Rachel asks him while she fixes him up a plate of spaghetti.
"I mean a little, I'm also a little nervous." He tells her honestly.
She gives him a puzzled look. "Nervous? Why?" She asks him while taking a seat next to him.
"Like I know I got a full ride scholarship, but I'm still a little scared about the whole money aspect of living in New York. Blaine offered to share an apartment with me so I won't have to spend a bunch of money living in a dorm, but my family just got over their financial issues, so I can't ask them for money. And I have some money saved from my old pizza job and from working a few shifts at Burt's shop, but I still don't know how I'm going to be able to work a part time job and focus on school and football all at the same time." He tells Rachel while sighing, feeling a little embarrassed about telling her about his money struggles.
"What about modeling? That will give you quick cash." Rachel suggests.
"Male modeling?" He asks. He's never really thought about male modeling before. He does love posing for pictures, and he does have a rockin' bod. "I mean, I guess I could try it." He tells Rachel who squeals.
"Perfect! We can have a photoshoot in the apartment and get you some headshots." She tells him and the two of them arrange to meet back at the apartment tomorrow for the photoshoot.
xxx
He was expecting Rachel taking photos on like a Nikon or Canon camera and him posing in the clothes that he brought with him, not an actual photographer with a screen and professional lighting and cameras. If he's being honest he's a little awestruck right now.
Thankfully Rachel and the photographer are super supportive and he will admit, the shots look super great. He can't wait to show Blaine when he comes back to the apartment for dinner.
He gets a call the same day, which he finds so surprising but Rachel acts like it's completely normal. Rachel drops him off at some modeling company called Bichette which he knows he is going to pronounce wrong at least once.
The lady who he assumes is the head of the company is surprised that he's not an idiot for how pretty he is. He thinks that's supposed to be a compliment. Bichette he thinks her name is? Is a complete bitch and tells him he'll barely make any money, which doesn't make any sense to him because that's the whole point of getting this job is so he can make some extra cash.
And then she tells him he needs to lose ten pounds and he knows for sure this isn't going to work because he knows how dangerous that will be for him and how quickly he will start spiralling again.
He feels really disappointed when he meets Rachel outside of the agency, but she doesn't seem too bothered. In New York apparently you hear ten no's before you get one yes. She tells him not to worry, she will find him another agency.
xxx
Apparently Rachel, Dani, Santana, Kurt, and Adam have monthly game nights, which he is really excited about. His charade skills are top notch.
He helps Rachel set up the games and put a bunch of snacks in bowls. He grabs the board games from the closet because she's not tall enough to reach, which of course he teases her merceriosuly for.
He's setting up the games on the table while Rachel is pouring chips and popcorn into bowls when there's a knock on the door. "It's open!" Rachel shouts and he looks at her concerned. They live in New York and they leave their door open? He's going to have to talk to Kurt about that.
"I brought wine!" He drops the box of Snakes and Ladders he was holding. It's a Saturday night, he and Blaine had left on Thursday and leave tomorrow to make it back to school for Monday so he was hoping he wouldn't see her. But of course, luck and fate are against him.
"Oh. Sam." He hasn't seen or heard from her since he held her at the Hudson-Hummel's where they had awkwardly parted afterward and avoided each other for the rest of the night. He knows what she was searching for, and he wanted to give it to her, but it just wasn't the right time.
But here she is a few weeks later, her hair thrown in a bun on top of her head, wearing a grey Yale Lacrosse hoodie and baggy back sweatpants, holding a bottle of red wine in one hand and her phone, keys, and wallet in the other.
"Quinn, come in!" Rachel yells from the kitchen, completely oblivious to the tension between the two of them. Quinn just nods and walks right past him to Rachel. He can hear Quinn hissing something at Rachel. He knows if he tried to listen hard enough he'd be able to hear their conversation, but he's not exactly sure if he wants to hear what they're talking about.
Luckily for him, Blaine returns and he's able to show him the shots he took today and tell him about the bitchy agency he spoke with. Soon after that, Santana and Dani, Adam and Kurt walk in.
They all settle around the floor of the apartment and watch as Santana and Kurt fight over which game to start with.
"Before that, we need to decide what the teams are." Rachel points out.
"I think the teams are obvious." Kurt points out. He and Adam are sitting next to each other, Santana and Dani, Quinn between Santana and Rachel, Blaine between him and Rachel.
"Well I want to be on Blaine's team." Rachel objects and Quinn nudges her.
"Okay." Blaine shrugs and he glares at him.
"Okay fine, Q go sit to Blonde Bieber so we can start." Santana says and Quinn reluctantly gets up and sits next to him on the floor. She's not as close as he would like her to be, but he doesn't blame her, he knows she's probably still upset with him about the funeral.
"Lacrosse?" He asks, referring to her hoodie. She looks down at it like she completely forgot she was wearing it and then recognition washes across her features.
"Oh yeah, it's Alex's." She says like it's no big deal she's wearing another guy's hoodie.
"Alex?" Blaine asks, confused.
"Quinn's study buddy." Rachel teases and Quinn just rolls her eyes.
"We're just friends." Quinn argues and he clenches his fists.
"And I'm not sure why, I'm a lesbian and I can notice how mega hot Alex is." Santana chimes in.
"I second that." Kurt adds. He clenches his fists tighter.
"Let's just play." He suggests and ignores when Santana snorts.
He and Quinn dominate, of course they do. No one knows them better than the two of them. Quinn can practically read his thoughts and he can read her body language the way no one else can.
"What the hell!" Santana shouts once Kurt tally's up the points and announces that Sam and Quinn are the winners. "How did I lose to Juno and Kentucky Fried Stripper?" She cries and Quinn rolls her eyes.
"Maybe because those two things have nothing to do with our intelligence." Quinn snaps.
"Whatever." Santana grumbles.
"What can I say, we just make a great team." He says while throwing an arm around her shoulders. She gives a small smile, but he knows her well enough to know it's fake.
Trio
Tina has been bugging him and Blaine to do everything together as a trio ever since he and Blaine have returned from New York. She forces the three of them to perform a song together just for fun.
And it is fun, until Mr. Shue tells them they only have so much time left together as seniors before they go their separate ways and it's good that it's good they're making the most of it which causes Tina to burst into tears.
It doesn't sink in that graduation is so close until they get their caps and gowns. He tries his on in an empty classroom with Blaine which causes Tina to burst into tears again when she sees them while passing through the hallway.
Blaine tries to get her to stop crying, but she seems persistent that there's no way the three of them are going to stay close, despite the fact he and Blaine plan to be roommates.
Tina asks him when the last time was when he spoke to Mike or Puck, not even giving him a chance to answer her question before saying that he doesn't. Which is only partially true, he doesn't talk to Puck because it's a personal choice, but he talks to Mike all the time, he just doesn't tell Tina that for obvious reasons.
He lets Tina complain even though he knows that Kurt, Rachel, Santana, and Quinn all still keep in touch. Even though he thinks that Rachel and Santana are having some falling out right now.
But instead Blaine suggests an overnight lock-in which he admits is a really good idea. Much better than the advice he has in mind.
xxx
He knows Tina is going to be devastated as soon as Sue announces they can't do the lock-in. His suspensions are proved correct when he sees her sobbing in a corner in the hallway. He rubs her back while he waits for Blaine to come up with some sort of Blaine to cheer up Tina.
As soon as Blaine suggests that the three of them have their own lock-in, he comes up with how it can work, how they will come in through an unlocked choir room window.
It seems to cheer Tina up, but he still buys her lunch for her to be sure.
xxx
He doesn't know why Blaine chooses to use one of the highest choir room windows to leave open. And of course Blaine chooses to go first, leaving him to hoist up Tina himself and figure out how to jump to the window by himself to get inside.
They break into every classroom they possibly can, and while Tina and Blaine are rollerblading through the hallways he walks into the astronomy room. He closes his eyes and flashbacks to two years ago when he had first moved here. Just a country kid with his guitar trying to woo the most popular girl in school.
And he was successful, living on cloud nine for the next couple of months. Everything always came back to this room. Where he first properly met Quinn for the first time, where he had given her the promise ring. When she would pull him inside of this classroom giggling and make out with him between classes. Where she had comforted him when he had told the glee club he wasn't hooking up with Quinn or Kurt, his family was just struggling. Their entire love story could be summarized by this room.
He steals little Venus and Mars sculptures, smiling back to their first ever conversation. He knows someone will probably notice the two little figurines will be gone, but no one will be able to tie it back to him before graduation so he's not worried. Maybe once he and Quinn get back together he can give her one. Probably Mars since he's more of a romantic than she is.
xxx
He doesn't even know why Becky at school this late at night. Is she always patrolling the halls? He was hoping Blaine or Tina would think of some sort of excuse, but they come up short. But then Tina announces she has to go to the washroom and he thinks this is his perfect escape, sorry Blaine.
"I'll walk you, you never know what could be lurking in the halls." He says once she gets up, she gives him an odd look but doesn't object. They walk out of the auditorium together and talk about possible songs for their setlist for nationals, and he brings up his idea of wanting to honor Finn some way. She tells him she thinks it's a good idea and he should definitely bring it up to Mr. Shue before heading into the girls washroom.
He sits in an empty classroom and while waiting for Tina he reflects on his time at McKinley. Although for a little bit it was hell, he does love it here and wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
"What are you thinking about?" Tina asks him while taking a seat next to him on one of the desks.
"Just about the past three years." He broadly tells her.
She just nods. "Quinn?" She asks.
"Her and other things." He tells her honestly.
"Who would have thought we would end up finding our soulmates in high school?" She asks him while staring at the chalkboard in front of them.
"You think Mike is your soulmate?" He doesn't say it like he doubts it's true, he's just surprised. He has a strong feeling that he and Quinn are going to find their way back to each other, but he isn't one hundred percent sure.
"I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. No one knows me better than he does." She tells him and he nods, he knows that feeling.
"Is that why you haven't been with anyone else?" He asks her, not trying to sound judgemental, just curious.
"That and there hasn't really been anyone else." She tells him and he nods.
She finally looks over at him, and for some reason he sees her in a different light tonight. Tina is actually really pretty, but he's always kind of seen her as either a little sister or one of Quinn's best friends.
Before he even realizes what's happening, he's leaning forward. He's about to move back and apologize, but then he notices that she's leaning forward as well. A then they're kissing.
And they don't stop until Blaine finds them and asks them what the hell they're doing. And now Blaine is freaking out at them and he's not exactly sure what is happening right now, but before he knows it Blaine is telling them that they ruined the night and is running out of the room.
xxx
Blaine ends up leaving shortly after that and Tina tells him that they both need to talk to Blaine about what happened tomorrow after he's cooled off. But it seems that the next morning Blaine is still mad at the two of them for ruining the lock-in, which Sam does not think they did but whatever.
He lets Tina take control of most of the conversation, although it doesn't work because Blaine seems to be more pissed than before. He sighs, he's just going to let Tina take control of this entire situation.
But she ends up telling him Blaine wouldn't talk to her for the rest of the day and that they'll try again tomorrow.
Blaine agrees to meet them in the choir room the next day and thankfully he forgives them and admits he overreacted, which makes him feel like a weight has been lifted off of his chest.
And then he finds out that nationals are going to be in Los Angeles, which lifts his spirits so much more because he's never been to LA before, and he knows another competition means seeing his dream girl again.