"OK, this is the place" Rachel beamed up at Finn as they stood in front of the pawn shop.
"Why am I here again?" Mercedes said, un-amused at being dragged to another Finchel excursion.
"We feel this particular event requires your specific talents Mercedes" Rachel says in her most polite voice.
"Why? Just because I'm black and the guy who owns the pawn shop is black you assume we know each other?" Mercedes countered with a raised eyebrow.
"No! You know one of my father's is African American and I would never be that racist. I merely assumed that you two were related because you are both…how should I put this…husky."
"You know what, I'm gonna go inside with Mercedes, she shouldn't have to do this alone" Finn said with an apologetic look to Mercedes. Rachel will probably never realize that the dopey look from Finn is the only reason Mercedes allowed her to live after that comment.
"Wait, are you suggesting that I stand out here alone…in the cold."
"You have a jacket Rachel, you'll be Ok" Finn said in an attempt to placate the Jewish American Princess.
"No, I'm coming inside with you. I am not going to stand out here in the cold just to get robbed by some Hoodlum. Plus, you'll need my expert negotiating skills if we hope to get Sam's guitar back at a reasonable price." Rachel huffed as she entered the store first. "Excuse me sir, I would like to look at that guitar over there in the corner please."
The middle aged man begrudgingly put down his news paper in order to get the guitar case of the shelf
"That'll be 150" the owner said.
This was a problem seeing as how the glee club kids only threw in 10 bucks a piece, meaning they were 30 bucks short and would not be able to get Sam his guitar back.
"Let's see the guitar first" Mercedes interjected.
The man opens the case
"150 for what? You trying to run a scam here?"
Both Rachel and Finn stood dumbfounded as Ms. Jones went to work on the old man.
"You see this here, ink stains on the strings. What's that over there, a dent? And it looks like someone carved their initials on the bottom. This thing is a hunk of junk. Come on guys let's go on Craig's list and find a real guitar. "
The old man smelled a sale walking away and quickly made another offer.
"120" The man said
"60" Mercedes countered.
"Are you crazy?" The owner asked.
"You must be crazy if you think I'm paying over 100 for this block of wood." Mercedes declared.
"Fine, 100, and I can't go any lower than that" The owner pleaded.
"We'll take it!" Finn and Rachel said in unison as Rachel put the money on the counter and Finn grabbed the guitar case.
The three teens celebrated their victory at breadsticks with the money left over from the sale. Well, Finn was celebrating Mercedes and Rachel was trying to redirect his attention back to her.
"That was amazing Mercedes" Finn said, still in shock.
"Hey, I'm just doing me." Mercedes said in a cocky tone.
"Yes well done Mercedes, your performance reminded me of a young Barbara Streisand in-" Rachel was about to spew out some Barbara movie trivia but Finn cut her off.
"What are you doing this weekend?" Finn asked the chocolate girl sitting across from him.
"Nothing, just going to watch Bad Girls Club Marathon with Kurt and Blaine." Mercedes responded.
"Would you mind going back to the pawn shop with me? He had some sweet looking action figures and I know that guy wouldn't dare rip me off with you there. So what do ya say?" Finn asked with pleading eyes.
"Cool." Mercedes said nonchalantly.
"It's a date." Finn said.
Finn was too busy falling in love with Mercedes to realize that Rachel was burning a hole through his cerebral cortex with her death glare.