Ch. 2 Day One or sometimes the devil is in your corner

Sam narrowed his eyes as his history teacher stood in the front of the class and explained something he still couldn't quite comprehend. As if the subject wasn't hard enough for him back when he was actually 16, it was twice as hard now that he didn't remember anything about it. What had she just said about the French Revolution? All he could remember was that people got beheaded and that short dude with the cow lick took over. The bell rung and he stood, ready to leave the class as fast as he could but his teacher blocked his way.

Ms. Fitzgerald.

She was a mousy thing and last he heard, she was still teaching at McKinley, still mousey as ever and still 'pushing her students towards greatness' at least that's what the banner over her desk said.

"Sam, I wanted to talk to you about your last quiz... If you wouldn't mind staying behind to talk to me about it?" she said, her soft voice, barely audible.

He minded. He minded a lot because the more time he spent here, talking about a class he wasn't really taking, the more time was taken away from him to get Mercedes to fall in love with him again.

"Sure," he said impatiently, his foot tapping against the linoleum of the floor.

Ms. Fitzgerald pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and smiled softly. "Do you remember what you got on your quiz?" she asked, seeing that he was distracted once again. "Sam?"

"Huh." He was too busy staring out the door, waiting. "Um.. Yeah. Like a C, right?"

She shook her head. "D Sam. You got a D."

Hearing her tone pulled him out of his thoughts and he faced her, a frown on his lips. He'd almost forgotten how awful school had been and how he'd struggled a majority of his junior year.

"Oh... Okay... Do I need to do like make up work or something?"

"You're failing my class Sam. Make up work isn't going to help you." She sighed. "I understand having a learning disability is difficult but if you ever needed help, you could have come to me."

Sam winced and glanced down at the ground. He hated the term 'learning disability' it was just another label that made people look at him differently. He'd lived with dyslexia all of his life and he'd survived but high school was always the hardest time. It was bad enough he was trying to fit in without the label of 'learning disability' looming over his head.

"I think a tutor might help. A few of the AP History juniors offer tutoring for everyone else. I can give you their names if you like?"

He opened his mouth to speak but saw Mercedes walk past the classroom and lost all train of thought. If he remembered correctly, she had every AP class in high school. Including History. The idea hit him like a ton of bricks and before he could think about it, he was bolting out of the classroom

"Sam!" Ms. Fitzgerald called.

He stopped and spun around. "Um, I'm going to ask one of my friends in AP History for help. Thanks Ms. F."

He was not going to miss his opportunity, especially since his time was running out. Sam ran up to her, as she shoved books into her locker and heard her humming. It was the same song she always hummed, especially around the house when she was happy. He felt a pang of wanting to be back home and back in his time but shook it off, smiling as Mercedes turned to look at him.

"Hi," he grinned wildly and trying his hardest not to inhale her perfume. .

"Hi Sam," she said back with a bright smile. They stood in silence, Sam watching her and Mercedes watching him out of the corner of her eye. She pulled her books out for her next class and smiled softly. "You know Quinn's locker is on the other side of the hallway, right? You made the same mistake last week."

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah...I actually came to talk to you."

"Oh? Okay. What's up?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh..How was your day?" Be calm, be smooth, he reminded himself as he rubbed the back of his head.

Mercedes looked even more shocked as she shut her locker. "You came to talk to me about my day?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Why?" she asked, skeptically.

Sam shrugged. "Because we're friends."

She laughed, before shaking her head. "We're not friends."

"Sure we are," he said.

"No we're not. We're in glee club together. I don't even think you've said more than two words to me besides, 'can I sit there?' or 'can you move your bag?'"

Sam chuckled at her impression of his voice. "Well that's gotta change."

She stared at him as if he'd grown three heads and lifted up her backpack. "Are you feeling okay Sam? Because I heard there's mono going around and you might want to go get checked by the nurse."

She started to walk down the hallway and he followed, falling into step beside her. "I'm fine. I just realized you and I never talk."

She stopped and faced him. "Are you trying to get me to sing a duet with you because I already promised Santana."

"No. Although I wouldn't mind getting the chance to sing with you before I have to go."

"Go?" she rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"I meant graduate," he corrected himself quickly.

She smiled softly, still wondering if he was serious or not. "Really?"

"Yeah. You have the voice of an angel," he spoke truthfully.

Her smile melted away, as if she still couldn't figure out why he was not only talking to her, but complimenting her. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, her eyes narrowing once more.

"I've never been better," he said locking eyes with her as the bell rung.

She stared up at him for a few seconds, as if she was seeing him for the first time and slowly shook her head, knocking her out of whatever daze his eyes had pulled her into. "That's the bell," Mercedes said, breaking their stare off.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Wait!"

She spun around. "Yeah?"

"You take AP History?" he asked, pointing at the book she clutched to her chest.

"Yeah... All my classes are AP, why?"

"Uh... Would you maybe wanna tutor me? I'm failing history."

She smiled and nodded slowly. "Ohh... That's what you wanted. You coulda came right out and asked Sam. Of course I'll tutor you."
"Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "We don't want you failing class."

"Great...Are you free tonight?" he asked quickly. "I'm really desperate and my test is Friday."

She did that adorable thing he was so used to seeing where she dragged her bottom lip through her teeth. He didn't know how long she'd been doing it but he knew each time she did, he'd kiss her, just to catch her off guard and make her laugh. "Well I have choir practice at 7 but-"

"Then right after school? I can give you a ride."

She frowned. "Um... Sam, you ride your bike to school."

"Oh. Heh, I think I have pegs on it," he chuckled nervously.

She laughed softly and shook her head. "Or I can just take you and your bike in my car."

"Perfect," he smiled, reluctantly stepping away from her.. "I'll see you after school then?"

"Yeah, after school."

"Why were you talking to Mercedes in the hallway?" Quinn asked, sitting next to Sam in her seat. Something was off with her boyfriend and she was going to find out what it was. Especially since he was the first one seated in the choir room when he normally was always one of the last. He wasn't even paying attention to her and she kinda felt offended by that. Normally he'd look at her like she was the only girl in the world but now, he was staring at the doorway as Mercedes, Tina and Lauren were giggling with one another.

'What?" he asked, looking up, wondering if Mercedes had always snorted when she laughed.

Quinn rose an eyebrow and followed his direct sight to the girls. He couldn't possibly be... No way. He wouldn't. "Someone told me you were talking to Mercedes in the hallway. Why?"

Sam shrugged. "We're friends."

"No you're not," she scoffed.

He frowned. "Yeah, we are, why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because you aren't. Sam, what's going on?" she asked, seeing that his eyes were still glued to Mercedes. She snapped her fingers and brought his focus back to her. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Cedes is just helping me with my history class."

"Cedes? You two are on nickname terms now. A nickname she hates by the way," Quinn frowned.

Sam finally looked at her and couldn't help but chuckle. She looked like she was a few seconds away from throwing a full on temper tantrum.
"What?!" she screeched. "Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing Quinn," he shook his head.

She rose a hand to her hair and adjusted it. "Well I could help you study if you'd just asked," she said, running her hand over his chest. Sam remembered how "studying" with Quinn had gone back when he was 16. They'd get through two questions, then wind up making out for the next thirty minutes and he'd spend the final ten minutes thinking of ways to calm himself down while she went on about not having sex and algebra.

It was pure torture.

"Uh... I just thought she'd help me because she's in AP History... And Ms. Fitzgerald told me to ask."

"Oh," Quinn nodded, still suspicious. "Well... Maybe when she leaves you can come over. I'll have the house to myself and I miss you."

Sam reached up and pushed her hand away from his chest. "Look Quinn, we need to-" He was so close to breaking up with her but what he wasn't expecting was to see Santana, walk through the door and give him a wink. He wondered for a moment if that Santana was the same one who sent him here and he walked over to her, taking the seat that was normally reserved for Brittany, all the while Quinn was calling for him. .

"Hey, that's my seat," the bubbly blonde cheerleader pouted.

"Sorry Britt," he nodded, turning to Santana.

"It's okay, you can have it," Brittany grinned before going up the steps to sit next to Tina.

"Not nice Trouty," Santana pouted.

"So it is you?" he narrowed his eyes.

She shrugged. "Yes, I am me and you still have the face of someone who ate everything they were allergic to. Get out of my face, would ya."

"No, I mean you sent me here," he shook his head.

"And you haven't progressed much in the half a day you've been back. Mercedes thinks you're crazy, Quinn is being Quinn and you're failing history. Remember when we used to study together?" she asked, sliding a hand down his chin.

"Ew," he cringed. "Worst week and a half of my life."

"I rocked your world Trouty. You were just too girly for me," she shrugged.

"Says the lesbian that likes girls."

"Shh," she silenced him. "I haven't come out of the closet yet... Well been pushed out yet by Finn the tin man. Remind me to go back to the day and cut him."

Sam rolled his eyes and barely looked up when Rachel started making one of her many announcements. "Why are you here?"

She crossed her legs and flashed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Did you honestly think I'd miss out on all the fun."

"So you're just here to watch me fail then?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Contrary to what you believe, I actually wanna see you win this. You're an ass for being a shitty husband but you made Mercedes happy. And that's all I ever wanted for her."

"Why do you care so much? I mean you and Cedes barely even talked after we graduated.. You didn't even come to the wedding."

Santana shook her head. "One, you two eloped and sent us all emails and two, we actually talked almost every day after you two got married. We'd text, email. I'd ask her about some song I was trying to write, she'd ask me why she wasn't allowed to have both the career and the family. She'd tell me to stop being so generic in my writing, I'd tell her that sometimes the things we want require a sacrifice... She was my best friend when all of you stopped talking to me."

"It wasn't that we stopped talking to you but... We all lost touch Tan... I mean Blaine and I used to be best friends and the only time I talk to him now is when he sends me a formal email. At least with Puck we grab a beer every once in a while when I'm in town..."

Santana shrugged nonchalantly. "That's what happens with high school friendships. The real ones stay around for years after but the fake ones fall apart immediately. I haven't even spoken to Barbie in years," she sighed before waving her hand. "But this isn't about me. This is about you and you doing what needs to be done... You have two days left... Get on it."

The classroom gasped loudly and all eyes went to Sam. For a minute, he thought someone had guessed he was in fact from the future, reliving his life but it wasn't likely. But he couldn't tell why the hell everyone's eyes were glued to him.

"Oh, and you're welcome," Santana whispered in his ear before having the same shocked expression as the rest of them.

"Wha-"

"Quinn Fabray is a boyfriend stealing whore!" Rachel shouted.

"Shut up Rachel," Quinn snapped, looking back at Sam with remorseful eyes. "I'm so sorry...Finn and I..."

Finn and Quinn? He wondered with a perplexed look on his face. Those two hadn't been used in the same sentence since... And then it hit him. He remembered in real life why he and Quinn had broken up. It was because she'd cheated. Sam had to resist the urge to cheer because Santana had just given him a get out of jail free card and he was tempted to kiss her for it.

"You cheated," he said almost cheerful. He earned a few confused glances and tried to pretend to be upset. "Oh uh... I mean. You! Cheated... You... Vile woman."

Santana rolled her eyes and looked away in second hand embarrassment.

"Now Sam, let's calm down," Mr. Shue said taking a cautious step towards him.

Sam stood, ignoring his teacher all together and pointed a finger at his now ex-girlfriend. "I'm done with you, forever."

He was over-dramatic but none the less got his point across by storming out of the choir room. He gave Santana an appreciative nod, knowing that this had her written all over it. Maybe, just maybe he might make it back home with a little help from a cheer-leading outfit wearing angel with invisible horns.

The bell rang and Sam had never been more happy to get home. Between everyone's pitiful glances towards him, he was painfully reminded what it was like to be in high school again. Everyone knew everyone elses's business unless you fought hard to keep it quiet. He walked over to Mercedes locker and leaned against it while she grabbed her books.

"Hey!" he called, a little too chipper.

"Hey," she frowned. "How ya holding up?"

"I'm fine," he shrugged nonchalantly before remembering that he should be in mourning. His girlfriend did just cheat on him. "I mean uh... I'll be fine. Quinn made her choice."

"No offense to Finn but it was a stupid choice. I love Quinn to death but anyone can see that being with you would be better than dealing with the whole Finn and Rachel thing... She'll come around."

"What if I don't want her to?" he asked looking down at her.

She shrugged. "Then move on. I mean, it's high school, no relationship really lasts that starts there."

"We did," he muttered to himself.

"What?" she asked, shutting her locker door.

"I said are you ready?"

"Yeah... Come on. Maybe learning about America will cheer you up."

"I do love America," he nodded.

She gave him a thumbs up and led the way to her car. "Okay, don't judge my beemer. It's old but it gets me home and to school."

"No judgment," Sam muttered with the raise of his hands. He paused as they came up on her car and stared at it. Countless memories hit him all at once. So many of them from small, unimportant ones to big ones that shaped who he was today. Like the time after their junior prom where they got ice cream and sat in the back, talking about their future plans. It was the first time he actually saw her. Like really saw her for who she was instead of this big personality and big voice that intimidated him. Or the time where he snuck out of the motel and they'd drove around Lima before deciding to park in front of a small pond and have another talk. That was the first time he realized he liked her as more than just a friend and panicked because, what the hell was he going to do with those emotions. She probably didn't like him back and his history with girls was butchered. And there was the time where they'd driven to the top of the big hill that overlooked the town and sat on the hood of the car. He could still hear her laughs as he walked along the edge, waving his jean jacket around as if he were such a tough guy. Coincidentally that was the first time he did something that took every ounce of confidence in his body and he'd kissed her. At first she was baffled and just kinda stared at him, her lips parted in shock. Sam had wanted to run and hide or even laugh it off as an accident, as if his lips would accidentally touch hers for a few seconds. But then she'd smiled bashfully and shook her head before telling him he was a dork as he babbled on about nothing and kissed him back. So many memories all tucked into that one, mid sized car. Their first date. Their first kiss that lasted longer than a few seconds. Their first fight, over something completely stupid if you asked Sam. Their first make up after said fight. All of their firsts during their first summer together until that summer came to an end and he'd given her their last kiss after he'd told her he was moving. By the time he came back nearly a year later, her beemer was gone. But the memories weren't.

"Hey," Mercedes frowned, waving her hand in front of Sam's face. "Where'd you just go?"

"What?" he blinked.

"You just kinda... Went off to la la land... Are you okay?"

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah... I'm good. Just still reeling from the break up."

"I know that must be hard," she whispered. "But you'll be stronger because of it. Pain always makes you stronger."

He turned to look at her as she spoke. "Thanks Cedes."

"You're welcome. Now let's go learn about America," she cheered playfully.

"Yay," Sam said flatly before going to put his bike in the back of her car.

A/N: I bet you thought I was dead tho... HI! lol God, this chapter had to get split so the actual study session is next chapter. I didnt wanna do that with this story since it's only 5 chapters long but this was turning into like 5,000 words and I was like nurp, not happening. So yeah, next chapter will be the studying. Remember when I said all of this was written? I scrapped the entire thing because I hated it. I like reread it and scrapped it right when I was about to post the rest of the chapters. But now I have a pretty good outline for what I want it to be. So yeah... here ya go. Although I wanna show like Sam trying to get Mercedes to fall in love with him, I also kinda wanna show him re-falling in love with her (word?) he always loved her but like he kinda lost the essence a little after being together for so long as some couples do. So yeah, you'll get to see him kinda remember those things and reasons of why they're together in the first place. I'm really trying not to take forever on updating but between work and school, life is just so hectic, I dont even have time to eat (seriously yesterday I couldnt remember if I'd eaten or not) lol. So what do you guys think... shoot me some reviews, I love them. If you're even still here. And for those of you who are following AIL (go read it if you havent) Chapter 22 needs some polishing but it should be posted soon!