Tora coming in with the best story!
Book Eighteen: Be Mine
Turning to leave, James walked out the door, and Sam moved to shut it. Mercedes stared at him. "What? What can you possibly say?"
"Merce…you look…"
Mercedes blinked, staring at him. "I look?"
Sam stared at her for a moment. "Cede, I…you look incredible. Not that you weren't beautiful before. But you are gorgeous."
She smiled as Sam looked at her. "But James-"
Sam cut her off. "Cede, you know James is just a jerk sometimes."
She shook her head. "No. He's right; what was I thinking? I look…"
"You look beautiful. Stunning."
She sighed. "Quinn and Unique did all this."
"Nah." Same said. "All Quinn and Unique did was pull that inner beauty out of you. You said it yourself. I wouldn't lie to you."
Mercedes shook her head. "I feel so ridiculous." She said softly.
Sam lifted her head. "You shouldn't. Don't let James or anyone else steal your shine, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay."
Sam took her hand in his. "Hey, what are you doing this weekend? I feel a romcom marathon coming on."
Mercedes sighed. "I have this Gala thing that I have to go to…I really don't want to go, but it's non-negotiable."
"Why don't you wanna go?"
"Sam, I gotta find a dress and a date, and I know nothing about both of those things."
Sam lifted her face so she could look him in the eye. "You have to find a dress, and I am sure Quinn can help with that, but you have a date."
She looked at him. "You don't have to give me a pity date, Sam."
"Please, you are pitying me. I don't want to spend my weekend alone; the best way to get a man to notice you is by showing up with another man."
Mercedes smiled. "You are a great friend, Sam. I am lucky to have you."
No. I am lucky to have you. Now go back in there, hold your head up, and tell your brother to shove it."
Mercedes laughed, moving to hug Sam. As he wrapped his arms around her, he held her a little longer, enjoying how she felt in his arms, not knowing that Mercedes was feeling the same way.
Mercedes smoothed down her curls as she walked into her parent's house, wearing a blush crop top sweat suit, one of the cute outfits Quinn and Unique had left her, and a pair of white K-swiss.
"Anybody home?"
"Well, if it isn't my missing daughter." Ava Jones said with a smile, stopping when she got a good look at her daughter. "Whoa, who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?"
Mercedes smiled, shaking her head. "I don't look that different!"
Ava laughed. "The last time you wore anything bright and shiny, you fought against it in the second grade. And I can't remember the last time I saw you without braids! You are beautiful, Merce, but damn, my daughter is gorgeous!"
Mercedes blushed. "I finally let Quinn and Unique give me a makeover. Can we not make a big deal out of it?"
"Uh huh…" Ava said knowingly. "So who is he?"
Mercedes took a seat, shaking her head. "I don't know what you mean."
"I am your mother, and I know you. No way you get all dressed up for yourself."
Mercedes was about to speak, but the door opened, and James and Sam walked in with Kitty and Bree.
"Cede, wow…you look…" Sam said but caught himself and just smiled. "What are you doing here?" Sam asked, hugging her.
She shrugged. "Ummm, well, I don't know if you know this 'cause you are here more than me, but this is my parent's home." She teased, moving to hug James. "Why are you guys here?"
James hugged her back with a smile. "We were grabbing a tent from Dad."
"A tent for what?"
"We have a camping trip with the girls coming up," James added as Sam stared at Mercedes.
Ava stood. "Yeah, let me show you guys where your dad put all his camping gear." James tapped Sam's shoulder as they both followed Ava.
Kitty folded her arms as she stared at Mercedes. "I don't know what game you are playing at, but hands off my boyfriend."
"Excuse me?" Mercedes asked, shaking her head. "What is wrong with you?"
"We were supposed to go camping this weekend, then Sam changed things for you. I had a full-on spa weekend planned for next week and lost my money. Do you think Sam's simple ass is gonna pay my daddy back for that? No." She growled.
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Poor you. I don't even know the problem; I never asked Sam to change anything for me."
"And yet he did so he could take you to that stupid Gala because your pathetic ass can't find a man low enough to take you. I am so sick and tired of you changing my plans. It's so obvious you want him, but it doesn't matter. You can change your clothes and fix your hair, but you will still be the loser you always were."
Mercedes folded her arms across her chest. "Is that a fact?"
"Yeah it is actually." Bree laughed. "Awww, are you gonna cry like you did in high school?"
Mercedes sucked her teeth. "No, but I have a feeling you two are about to."
Kitty smirked. "Oh? What? Gonna tell Sam and James on us? It's not like they will believe you; we have them wrapped around our fingers, and if you don't play your cards, right back the hell up. I will make sure Sam wants nothing to do with you ever."
Mercedes nodded. "No, please keep going; this is riveting."
Bree stepped forward. "How about I knock that smug look off your face? You are nothing, no one. You are the same nothing you were in high school. A bug we step on for fun."
"Great stuff, really, but there is one thing I know that you don't know." Mercedes smiled.
"Yeah, and what's that?" Kitty smirked.
Mercedes tilted her head to the side. "Karma is a real bitch."
Bree laughed. "For a smart woman, you are speaking pretty dumb right now."
"She's saying we can hear everything you two were saying," James stated from behind them.
Kitty and Bree turned, shocked to see Ava, James, and Sam staring at them.
"James, baby, did you get the tents?"
James cut his eyes at her as he looked at Mercedes. "Merce, you good?"
Mercedes nodded. "I stopped letting what these two vipers say affect me a long time ago."
Kitty moved to Sam. "Don't listen to her; we have been nothing but nice to her."
"Oh yeah, that sounded like you being nice. How dare you!" Sam spat.
"How dare I? No Sam! How dare you! Every time we turn around, you and James cancel because of Her! We were supposed to go to breakfast, but you canceled because Mercedes needed you. We were supposed to go camping this weekend, and yet you cancel it for her!"
Sam laughed. "You know what, we are done."
"No, we aren't!"
Sam walked over to Mercedes as James stared at Bree. "You were gonna put your hands on my sister."
Mercedes laughed. "She was gonna try, and then I would have had to kick her ass."
Kitty scoffed. "As if you could."
"Oh Kitty, while you were shaking your ass at cheerleading camp, I was boxing with James and Sam. So I wish you would put your hands on me."
"Stop it!" James roared. "Bree, answer me!"
Bree looked at James. "Your sister is a loser, James! You know it, and I know it. Don't hate me for calling a spade a spade."
"Calling a spade a spade? Are you serious? Get out. Get the hell out now."
"James…"
James shook his head. "No. If you think we can ever be together after you disrespected my sister, you are delusional. That's my family."
"James, I just meant, well, even you said she was lame a loser!" Bree defended.
"Don't you even try that?"
Bree moved closer to him. "Come on, baby, you know you can't just end this."
James glared at her. "You can leave on your own, or my mom can throw you out; from the look on her face, she is ready to scalp you."
All eyes went to Ava in the doorway. Bree and Kitty backed away slowly, neither wanting to deal with an angry Ava.
As they left, Sam looked at Mercedes. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "I never pretended to like them. I was very clear about that."
"But you never told us they were…"
"Bitches." Ava said, folding her arms across her chest. "All I need is three minutes.." She said, removing an earring. "You weren't the only one who took boxing."
James sighed, "I am going to take Mom to get a drink…she has that look in her eyes like she did when that girl pushed you off the monkey bars. But once she calms down, you and I are gonna talk Merce."
James walked out with Ava and frowned.
Sam moved closer to Mercedes. "I am so sorry they talked to you like that."
Mercedes didn't want to show how hurt she actually was. "Did James really call me a loser?"
"You are gonna have to ask him, but I don't believe he would ever hurt you like that."
"I wouldn't believe it either but he couldn't even say one nice word about my new look, he was popular and cool, always has been, and I am just me. Why wouldn't he think I was a loser."
"Merce, James loves you. He's your brother so he doesn't want to see you grow up. When you came out the bathroom he realized that he couldn't protect you anymore, that men would look at you, want you and his baby sister was actually a very beautiful woman, I am going through that with Stacey, but never would he think you were anything but amazing. And I am sorry those witches made you think otherwise."
Mercedes blinked back tears, shaking her head. "I stopped listening to those vipers years ago, but the thought that you or he think that I-"
Sam cut her off by taking her face in his hands. "Don't you for one second think that I would ever call you anything like that. I find you amazing, Mercedes, beautiful inside and out."
"Because of my new look."
Sam shook his head, "You were always beautiful, Mercedes; you just needed to believe it."
Mercedes stared at him as she caressed her cheek. "Sam, I'm sorry you lost your girlfriend."
Sam stepped closer to Mercedes, pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss. "I'm not."
Kitty a hoe anyway and Bree need to get her shit rocked. (Kesh here lol) Im invested just like yall! lol