"Are you serious?!" Marcy laughed.

Quinn frowned. "It's not funny!"

"It's a little funny." Karou said.

"It's sad is what it is!" Mercedes snapped.

Laura rolled her eyes. "What is wrong with you, Quinn?"

"That's really funny." London insisted.

"I'm with Mercy, it's sad." India denied.

Paris smirked. "So sad."

Quinn groaned. They were the only ones up early enough to go shopping. At the moment, they were in Forever 21 & she'd just told them her conversation with Puck from the night before. "Isn't anybody on my side?!"

"Nope!" Marcy & Karou said instantly. The others laughed.

"Why not?!" Quinn whined. "I'm not wrong!"

"You're so wrong, you're nearly right." Marcy smirked.

Mercedes put a hand over her mouth. "Quinn! You cannot make him bond with our family!"

"I don't care about him bonding!" Quinn snapped.

"Of course not!" Marcy said. "Your real problem is that he didn't want to do what you told him to!"

"That is so not true." Quinn scoffed.

"It's so true!" Laura pointed at her as it all clicked. "You want to boss him around & he won't go for it so you're mad!"

Mercedes slapped Quinn's arm. "What is wrong with you?!"

Quinn pouted. "He should do what I say!"

"No, he shouldn't! He's his own person." India chided.

"You'd never be happy with a broomstick so why are you acting like this?" Karou demanded.

"I'd totally be happy with someone who'd do whatever I said!" Quinn denied.

"You'd be bored silly!" Mercedes cut her eyes at her. "Stop doing Puck like this!"

"Or what?!" Quinn folded her arms across her chest.

"Or he's going to leave your ass for someone less dramatic!" Marcy spat.

Quinn gasped. "He wouldn't!"

"I would."

London & Paris fell out laughing.

"Do you want to test it?" Mercedes asked. "Keep it up & he is going to find someone less troublesome."

"Let's just get this out the way; Puckerman's hot." Marcy said. "He don't need you! There's got to be a million wallflowers wishing he'd look twice at them. Keep showing your crazy & he'll do more than look!"

"If I lose him to anybody, it better be Mercy. No one else is worthy." Quinn sniffed.

"Worthy of your sloppy seconds?" Karou raised a brow.

"She's saying she knows how valuable Puck is." Mercedes hugged Quinn. "Right?"

"I'm saying I don't lose. Especially to nobodies." Quinn corrected.

Mercedes pushed her away. "I don't want your boyfriend! Why do you keep trying to pawn him off on me?!"

"Because he listens to you! It's so much easier getting him to do what I want when I get you to get him to do it!"

Marcy, Karou, London, Paris & Laura laughed hard. Mercedes & India had their mouths open. "No, you didn't!"

"Please take him!"

"You just want Mikey!" Mercedes accused.

"He does what I say!"

"You can't buy that!" Marcy quipped.

"You're really going to be swingers?" Karou joked.

"Mike is not going to go for that." India rolled her eyes.

"You don't know one of his fantasies." Mercedes blew out a breath. "He's a freak!"

Laura plugged her ears & shook her head. "La! La! La! La! La! I can't hear you!"

London giggled. "He's a growing boy!"

"I'm not living through this again!"

Marcy snickered. "We're not playing the game!"

"I can never unhear that!" Laura shuddered.

"You?! What about us?!" Quinn yelped. "We had to listen to him & Puck describe in great detail how they wanted us!"

"How was our part any less revolting?"

Mercedes rubbed at her cheeks to scrub away her blush but it wasn't going anywhere. "Let's go get changed so we can go to another store."

The eight went to the dressing rooms & changed into their street clothes.

Paris was wearing a short sweater with red jeans & heels. London was wearing a sleeveless belly shirt with shorts & a fitted flannel red shirt with the sleeves rolled up & black knee high heeled boots.

Marcy was wearing orange jean shorts that she'd bought the day before with the green tank top & white sleeveless cropped jean jacket with black heeled booties. Karou was wearing black skinny jeans with a white button up, black tie & black blazer with heels.

Mercedes was wearing the black jean shorts she'd gotten the day before with the purple camisole & black sleeveless cropped jean jacket with purple heeled shoes. Quinn was wearing overall shorts with a slinky silver tank top & matching heels.

Laura was wearing a pink floral A-line dress with black heels. India was wearing a red polka dot silk button down shirt with the ends tied across her midsection & high-waist blue jeans with red pumps.

All eight decided to not buy anything & left the store to go to Hot Topic.

"So are you going to apologize?" Karou asked Quinn.

"No!" The straight blonde scowled.

"You should." Marcy commented. "Do you want him to find someone else?"

Quinn sighed. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Mercedes snapped.

"Fine! I'll apologize to the-"

"Be nice! He's your boyfriend!"

"Sweetheart." Quinn finished.

"How much you wanna bet that "sweetheart" was really that "jackass"?" Marcy teased.

London, Paris & Karou laughed.

"Don't give her any ideas!" Mercedes urged.

"To change the subject." India said. "China's getting in today."

"Why wasn't she in yesterday?" Marcy asked as she picked up a keyboard skirt.

"She couldn't get off work. & she has to leave Thursday."

"That bites." Karou stuck her lip out. "I haven't seen her since Christmas."

"Neither have I!" Laura was close to their cousin. "I miss her!"

"Well call her & tell her I'll pick her up from the airport." Marcy said.

"Sure. She won't get in until like lunch." India took out her phone.

"I'll pick her up & we can go to Sally's." Marcy lifted a shoulder.

"Okay, ready for the bad news?" Laura asked.

"Bad news?" Mercedes was confused.

"Joanna's coming today, too."

All of the other girls groaned.

"Why?!" Marcy snapped.

"To see you." Laura informed her.

"She doesn't want to see me!"

"Joey said she said she did. She's coming with Grandmom & Granddad."

Marcy almost threw a fit. "This is punishment for the nun thing!"

"It must be."

India sighed as she got off the phone. "Be nice. You know it's hard for Joanna to be."

"& I'm not!" Marcy sputtered. "But I refuse to get into a brawl!"

M&MC

Mercedes looked over the text on her phone in surprise. "Marce? Look at this, will you?"

Marcy walked over. "What is it?"

"Momma just sent me this text. She wants to make sure you & Marc know."

"Know what?" Marcy sat on the swing next to Mercedes. They'd taken the twins to the park the next day.

Mercedes showed her the phone.

Marcy read it over. "A picnic? Here? Saturday? Why?"

"I don't know." Mercedes took her phone back. It rang. She looked at her screen. "She wants us to spend time just the fifteen of us after being around the family."

"Whatever." Marcy rolled her eyes.

Mercedes's mouth twisted. "How are you dealing with her?"

"I'm not."

"I mean how is it between you? Are you cooling off any?"

"Nope." Marcy stood.

"Please don't run from me because you're mad at her."

"I'm not running! I'm going to get helado!" Marcy walked to the sidewalk where the cart was.

"Oh! Bring me back a fresca!"

Marcy rolled her eyes again as she asked the man in Spanish for a strawberry, a pineapple, a lime & a coconut. She handed over the money then went to the twins, who were playing on a slide. She unwrapped the lime for Mally & the coconut for Mickey before going back to the swings & giving Mercedes her strawberry.

"You know you wanted to get away from me."

Marcy gave her the evil eye. "I will if you don't leave me alone."

"I'm sorry. I just want to know how you are. You don't talk to anyone."

"What is with you & talking?" She opened her package & licked the top.

"Talking resolves things."

"Or makes it worse."

"Keeping things bottled up makes it worse."

"I believe in my own counsel."

"You just don't wanna talk."

"No, I do not."

"Fine. I guess I can't make you express your feelings." Mercedes sighed.

"That's just not me, Sis."

"I wish it were. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Don't you shop to avoid your feelings?"

Mercedes's mouth hung open. "I do not!"

"I think you do. Why else do you shop so much?"

"I like shopping!"

"It seems like an addiction."

Mercedes scowled. "It is not! Stop trying to turn this around on me! You're as bad as Quinn!"

"Has she apologized to Puck yet? It's been 36 hours."

"I don't know. She hasn't told me & I haven't been answering his calls."

"Why not?"

"Because if she hasn't, all he wants is to complain about her."

"& if she has?"

"Then I've been ignoring him for nothing."

"Call him & ask him to come over tonight. That way she has to apologize & this crap will be over."

"Do I have to?"

"It's the right thing to do."

Mercedes squinted at her. "The right thing for you to do is be with Mal."

"& I'm going away now." Marcy stood up.

"I'm team Malcy."

"One more time?"

"M-A-L from Mal & C-Y from Marcy. It's your ship name."

"That's terrible."

"It's better than Mikecedes."

"I don't think so…"

"I'm telling you. It is."

"Malcy sounds like fallacy."

"How do you think of these things?!"

Marcy shrugged. "It just does. You know what I want?"

"Food?"

"Yes! How'd you know?!"

"This popsicle made me thirsty, which made me hungry."

"Wanna go to Blue China for brunch?"

"Brunch? It's almost noon."

"I want hash browns."

"Is it because you're a bit hungover?"

"Girl!" Marcy took off her sunglasses. "I'm seriously dehydrated!"

"What are you going to get?"

"Coffee! & a lot of it!"

M&MC

Puck knocked on the door of the bustling household but didn't really expect an answer. He texted Mercedes that he was there & waited.

She came right away & let him in. "Hey!"

"I'm here."

She pouted. "No hug?"

He hugged her. "I'm not wrong."

"I never said you were." She let him in.

"But you were for ignoring me."

"I'm sorry. I have no excuse."

He looked around. "You're getting started already?"

"We've been listening to music & dancing since two o'clock."

"It's four."

"I know. We're going to go all night. Again."

"Why don't your neighbors call the cops?"

"Because we turn the music down at ten. Just enough to not be noise pollution. Where's your mom & sister?"

"Moms doesn't think she can party like you guys. She had to call into work yesterday. She was totally hungover."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "What about Nic?"

"Moms didn't trust her to stay away from alcohol."

"Have you heard from Jake?"

"Yeah. When they got to LA. He said he'd call back later."

"Do you want to see her?"

He lifted a shoulder dismissively. "I'd rather drink."

"If you go talk to her, I'll find you one of Daddy's beers." She enticed.

He sighed. "You're killing me, Mama."

"You're going to make up anyway. Just get it over with."

"I want that beer. Where is she?"

"In my room."

He went to the stairs & up them. He went to the second room on the right & opened the door. He saw Quinn in the window seat, drinking a beverage with cherries. She had her legs crossed & was checking her phone. "Hey."

She looked up. "Hi."

"Why are you in here alone?" He shut the door behind him.

"I'm not. London's in the bathroom."

"Oh." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

It was quiet for a moment but Quinn knew London would be done soon. She didn't want to do this with an audience. "I apologize for Monday night."

He blinked in surprise. He never actually expected her to admit to any wrongdoing. "What?"

"I was wrong to try to force you into doing what I wanted."

He almost fell over. "Oh."

Quinn looked at him. "Well?"

"Well what?" He was lost.

"Aren't you going to forgive me?"

"Oh! Yeah. Completely."

She sighed. "We're having a picnic on Saturday. Do you want to come?"

"Like a family reunion?"

"No. Like just us. The family is leaving by Saturday morning."

"Where will you be?"

"The park by the library on Main."

"I've never been there. The park or the library."

"It's literally right across from it."

"Okay. It'll be nice."

She smiled.

Two doors opened, one the bathroom door & the other the door to the hall. London came from the bathroom. "Hey, Puck!"

"Sup, London." He waved.

Mercedes handed over his beer. "Is everything good?"

"Yeah." He took it. "You're going to be seeing my mug Saturday."

"Yay!" She smiled. "So how are we going to plan to get Malcy together?"

"Who?!"

Quinn giggled. "Here she goes!"

M&MC

"I saw that!" Karou pointed to Mal.

He turned around. "What?"

"I thought you two weren't together? Why are you kissing in the hallway?"

Mal grinned. "You're seein things, Rou."

"I am not! I was spying on you the whole time!" Karou came from the doorway of Marcy's room.

"Perv."

"Don't change the subject!"

"So we kiss from time to time?"

"I know what you're doing, Chang. I'm not new to the game!"

He smirked. "What am I doing?"

"Giving her sneak peeks at what she could have. You think you can make her so used to this that she'll just fall into your lap easily."

"So? She's mine!"

"Dude. She's really pissed at you right now."

"Then why are my lips chapped?"

"Because she's never been faithful a day in her life."

"I think it's because even though she's mad, she knows that we're meant to be & can't help herself."

"It might be but she's not budging on this anger thing. I can tell you exactly how this is going to play out. You're going to get your hopes up & make demands & your heart is gonna break when she treats you like she's still mad. Cuz she is! Have her forgive you first. Your plan will work better."

"I don't have time for that. I have until her birthday to make her remember that she loves me."

"You have time."

"I have less than three weeks!"

"I just don't want you hurt." She folded her arms.

"I know what I'm doing." He left the hall & went downstairs.

She loved both of her cousins dearly but knew both were completely stubborn. Mal was going to push & Marcy was going to dig in her heels. Maybe if she couldn't talk Mal out of his plan, she could talk Marcy's sisters into tricking Marcy out of her anger?

M&MC

Nic sat on a sofa. "There's not a lot of people here. Not like before. Where did everybody go?"

"They're leaving. Some people could only stay a day. Some people have been here all week." Mercedes told her. "They've been showing up & leaving all week."

"Is anyone coming today?"

"No. They're all leaving tonight."

"Oh." Nic kicked her legs as the movie they were watching rolled on. "Are you going to miss them?"

"Of course. They're my family. But I'm kind of sick of having pizza for breakfast, lunch & dinner every night."

"That's awesome! I wish I could have pizza for breakfast!"

"It gets old fast." Mercedes giggled.

Nic didn't buy that. "Will you take me to the movies?"

"The movies? What do you want to see?"

Nic shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Why do you want me to take you to the movies?"

"So we can spend time together before you leave & never come back."

Mercedes looked at her in shock. "Why would you say that?! I'm coming back! & you're going to visit."

Nic made a doubting face. "I don't believe you."

"Haven't you seen me a lot in the last few weeks?"

Nic thought about it. "Yeah."

"I promise, you will see me. I'm not leaving until June anyway. & you can visit me any time. Our door will always be open. We'd take you for the summer if your mom would let us!"

"Really?" Nic's eyes were wide.

"Really."

"Even Quinn?"

"Even Quinn what?"

"Even Quinn would like me to be there?"

"I'm sure she would." Mercedes didn't want to lie but was sure Quinn would like to have Nic.

"Maybe my mom would say yes?"

"You never know."

Nic smiled to herself as she paid attention to the movie again. "I'll ask."