Hi!
Chapter Fourteen
Monday morning arrived, crisp and bright with the promise of a new day. Mercedes had barely slept the night before, her mind buzzing with the events of the weekend. She couldn't help but replay the stolen kisses and whispered confessions in her mind, the touch of Sam's lips still lingering on hers. It was a whirlwind romance that had taken her by surprise, igniting a fire within her soul that she hadn't even known existed.
As she walked into school, Mercedes couldn't shake off the feeling that something was different. People were giving her curious glances, whispering amongst themselves as she passed by. Confusion washed over her until suddenly, students began approaching her one by one, their eyes filled with admiration.
"Mercedes, you were incredible at the party!" one girl gushed.
"Yeah, your voice is absolutely insane!" a boy chimed in.
Mercedes was taken aback, her heart pounding in her chest. "Wait, how did you..."
"The video Anthony posted, literally the whole school is talking about it." The boy informed her.
Mercedes's eyes widened in disbelief as she realized the extent of the video's reach. It had spread like wildfire, capturing the attention of not just her peers, but seemingly everyone in the school. She felt a mix of nervousness and excitement coursing through her veins, unsure of how to process this newfound recognition.
Word traveled fast, and soon Mercedes found herself surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers. They bombarded her with questions, wanting to know how it felt to become an overnight sensation, if she had any plans for pursuing a career in music, and even asking for autographs. It was overwhelming, to say the least.
Amidst the chaos, a familiar voice broke through the crowd. "Okay, that's enough! Let her breathe!" Sheila commanded, pushing people away.
"Yeah, the show's over." Tina said, waving her hand to shoo people away.
Sheila and Tina each grabbed an arm, forming a human shield around Mercedes. They cut through the crowd, leading her to a sanctuary away from the prying eyes and endless questions: the girls' bathroom.
Once inside, they locked the door and turned to face Mercedes. "Girl, you okay?" Sheila asked, genuine worry etching lines on her brow.
Mercedes let out a sigh of relief as she leaned against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall. "I... I think so," she replied, her breath hitching slightly as she tried to process everything. "It's just so much all at once."
"You didn't expect your talent would stay hidden forever, did you?" Tina said with a teasing smile.
"Apparently not," Mercedes replied with a little laugh, though it shook slightly with residual nervous energy.
"I mean, girl, Kurt said you were good, but that was... something else," Sheila said, her voice filled with admiration.
Mercedes felt a blush rise in her cheeks. She had always loved singing, but performing in front of others was another thing entirely. The party had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, spurred on by Sam's encouragement and the festive atmosphere. Now it appeared that moment had exploded into something much bigger than she could have ever anticipated.
Just then, Tina pulled out her phone, scrolling quickly before turning the screen towards Mercedes. "Take a look at this."
On the screen was the video they had been talking about. It was shaky at first, and the colors were distorted due to the low lighting. Yet there she was - herself - standing in front of everybody with a microphone in her hand. She watched as the video captured her belting out the notes of the song, her raw, powerful voice filling the room. Her eyes were closed, lost in the music, her body swaying gently to the rhythm. She saw Sam standing off to the side, his eyes never leaving her.
In that moment, she understood why everyone had been so amazed. It wasn't just about her voice or her singing; it was about the passion she poured into every note, every word sung. She was baring her soul for everyone to see, and people had responded to that.
Sheila whistled lowly, breaking the silence. "Damn girl, you really did bring down the house."
Mercedes passed the phone back with a soft smile. "I guess I did."
As she reflected on her performance, she felt something inside of her shift. The nervous energy faded away, replaced by a newfound determination. She had always loved singing but had kept it as a secret passion, afraid of judgment or rejection.
Exiting the stall the girls, were met by Quinn and three other Cheerios. "Well, well, well…" Quinn said with a smirk on her face. "Seems little miss shy girl, isn't so shy anymore."
Sheila rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, we do not have time to entertain you bitches again. Either run up or step!"
One of the Cheerios snickered. "Oh, she's gonna go all ghetto on us now." The petite girl mocked.
"Oh see these bitches think we playin." Tina said, puling off her earrings before starting to lunge but she was stopped just before she could reach the girl by Sheila.
"Whoa, Tina, chill. We're better than this," Sheila whispered, holding her back with a stern look.
Before the situation could escalate further, Mercedes stepped forward, feeling a flicker of newfound confidence. "Look," she told the Cheerios, "You can mock me all you want, but it won't change anything. I sang because I love it and it looks like people enjoyed it too."
Quinn looked taken aback for a moment before regaining her smirk. "Oh sweetie, we're not here to make fun of you," she said insincerely. "Actually we came to offer you something."
Mercedes frowned, eyeing Quinn skeptically. "And what would that be?"
"Well," Quinn started, exchanging glances with the other Cheerios, "We were thinking how great it would be if you joined us for the next pep rally. You know, show off your talent on a bigger stage."
The bathroom fell silent as they all absorbed Quinn's proposal. The surprise must have shown on Mercedes' face, because Quinn quickly followed up with a smug smile.
"I mean, if you're not scared, that is," she added, a taunting lilt in her voice.
Mercedes glanced back at Sheila and Tina. They were both staring at her, wide-eyed and expectant.
She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision. Then, looking directly into Quinn's icy-blue eyes, she said, "I'll do it."
A chorus of shocked gasps echoed around the bathroom. Even Quinn looked briefly taken aback before regaining her composure.
"Great," she said breezily, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "We'll see you at practice tomorrow then." And with that, they sauntered out of the bathroom leaving Mercedes with her friends in stunned silence.
There was a moment's pause before Sheila let out a low whistle. "Damn, Mercedes. You sure know how to shake things up."
Tina nodded, her expression filled with barely-suppressed excitement. "You're going to be singing at the pep rally! That's huge!"
Mercedes looked down at her feet, cheeks warm with a mix of embarrassment and pride. "I... I guess so."
"And you stood up to Quinn," Sheila added, her grin wide. "I'm proud of you."
"Yeah," Tina agreed, nudging Mercedes playfully. "Our girl's all grown up."
Mercedes laughed and shook her head, though she felt a warmth spread through her at their words. She had taken a step forward today - a big step - and it felt good.
A smirk appeared on Quinn's face as she strolled confidently, pausing briefly to adjust her ponytail. She pulled out her phone and quickly typed a text to Jen. Her plan was working perfectly.
Jen's reply came swiftly. "Awesome, I'll take care of the next phase."
Quinn chuckled to herself, excitement bubbling up within her. She couldn't wait to see how everything was going to unfold.
Quinn's smirk grew wider. The Cheerios were going to lead the pep rally, with Mercedes as the star attraction? This was going to be epic.
Meanwhile,Tina turned to Mercedes. "Are you sure you're up for this?" she asked. "I mean, it's one thing to sing at a party, but the pep rally is a whole different ballgame."
Mercedes chewed her lower lip in thought. She knew that Tina was right. The spotlight at the pep rally would be brighter, the crowd bigger. But despite the fear gnawing at her insides, she felt an undeniable surge of excitement.
"I'll never know if I don't try," she replied finally, determination filling her voice.
"That's our girl!" Sheila exclaimed, beaming with pride.
They heard the bell ring letting them know that they were now officially all late. "Shit, Senorita Nash is going to muy mad that I'm late again!" Tina said and Sheila looked at her amused.
"Bitch , you still can't speak Spanish? Don't you speak like six languages?" Sheila asked.
Tina rolled her eyes. "Having bilingual parents and hearing them speak in their native tongues don't count. I had to learn it by default and that's not the issue."
Sheila snickered. "What is the issue?"
"She said if I'm late again, she's knocking ten points off my final and I need all the points I can get so looks like I'm skipping today." Tina replied, throwing her hands up.
Mercedes felt bad that they were all late. "I'm sorry, this is on me."
"Nah, it's on those bitches but I'm down to skip too. Let me see where Harmony ran off to." Sheila said, pulling out her phone and texting her.
Tina looked to Mercedes. "You skipping too?"
Mercedes nibbled on her bottom lip. "I mean… I never but I also don't want to be here with all of this but…"
Tina smirked. "You wanna see Sam." She teased playfully.
Mercedes blushed, trying to hide her grin. "I would like to see him yes." She admitted.
Tina and Sheila shared a glance before bursting into howls of laughter. Mercedes rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her lips, a blush warming her cheeks.
"Don't you two start," she warned, waving a finger at them. But that only seemed to egg them on.
"Oh, Sam is going to have a field day when he hears about this!" Tina exclaimed, playfully nudging Mercedes.
Sheila bobbed her head in agreement, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I bet he's going to be more excited than us."
Mercedes shook her head in amusement. "You guys are impossible," she sighed, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.
"No worries, girl," Sheila said, leaning towards Mercedes and resting an arm around her shoulders. "We got your back."
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of Tina's phone buzzing. She picked it up and laughed as she read the text.
"Well," Tina said, glancing up at them with a mischievous smile, "Harmony's on board for the skip-day plan. She's already at the mall waiting for us."
Mercedes blinked, surprised at how quickly this had turned into something like a spontaneous celebration. "We're going to the mall? All of us?"
Tina and Sheila both nodded, grins still firmly in place. "Of course," Tina said as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "Where else would we go on a day like this?"
Mercedes shrugged, her nervousness slowly giving way to excitement. "Why not? Let's do this!"
Sheila clapped her hands together in glee. "That's what I like to hear!" Then she looked at Mercedes seriously, "But remember, girl, tomorrow we've got to start practicing for that pep rally."
Mercedes nodded, laughing lightly. "I won't forget." With a confident smile, she added,
"After all, it's not every day you get to sing at the pep rally, right?"
Tina nodded, "Exactly and for some reason, I feel like the Quinn girl has alter motives… we can dive deeper when get to the mall. I'm shooting the guys a text to meet us there."
"Period! Let's get the hell out of here before Figgins catches us!" Sheila said looping an arm around Mercedes. "Besides, we get to see you and Sam make googly eyes at each other again."
The bathroom echoed with their laughter as they gathered their things and headed out. The hallway was deserted and quiet, a stark contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of students rushing to classes.
Meanwhile, Quinn watched from afar as they left the school building. She fought back a smile as she sent another text to Jen. "Phase two begins now."
Quinn was determined to make this pep rally a night to remember, one way or another. She sauntered away, her heels clicking against the polished school floor as she headed to an afternoon meeting with the Cheerios.
As they left the school premises, the girls reveled in the freedom they felt. Their laughter filled the air, a sweet tune that matched perfectly with the sunny day. Mercedes was in the middle, flanked by Sheila and Tina, their arms linked together like a trio of inseparable sisters.
In no time at all, they reached the mall which was bustling with activity. Tina had not been joking about Harmony already being there; she was sat outside their usual haunt, Café Bistro, with a huge grin on her face.
"Look who decided to finally join us," Harmony drawled sarcastically as they approached.
Tina rolled her eyes playfully while Sheila responded with a laugh. Mercedes simply shook her head and took a seat next to Harmony, her heart beating wildly with excitement.
This was her first time skipping school, and she was thrilled. It was like the day had taken on a new and unexpected shape, more vibrant and exciting than the usual monotony of classroom lessons.
"Well," Harmony began, shifting to look at the three of them with an arched brow, "Aren't we the picture of rebellion today?"
Sheila laughed heartily at that, slapping her hand on the table. "Hell yeah, we are! And it feels damn good."
"Okay, so what's next?" Tina asked as she looked around the bustling mall, her eyes bright with anticipation. "I mean other than window shopping and stuffing our faces."
Harmony smirked mischievously as she pulled out three movie tickets from her bag. "How about catching a flick? The latest Scream just came out."
Sheila whooped in excitement while Tina high-fived Harmony.
Mercedes felt her spirits soar. She hadn't even thought about watching a movie in the morning on a school day. "You guys really planned this out, didn't you?" she asked, half in disbelief and half in awe.
Harmony shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, we couldn't let your first time be anything less than perfect, could we?"
Sheila chimed in, "That's right! We go big or go home, baby."
Mercedes laughed, her heart full of warmth for these girls who were more than just her friends. They were her family away from home. "I guess I'm really lucky to have you all."
Tina gave her a soft nudge. "And don't you forget it!" She said playfully. "But for now, let's enjoy our freedom!"
Sam had barely made it to the parking lot before he was stopped by Carly, one of Jen's best friends. He tried stepping around her but she refused to let him pass.
"What do you want?"
The brunette shifted before looking up at him. "It's jen… I worried about her."
"Okay? What does that have to do with me?" Sam asked, growing annoyed.
Carly nibbled on her lip. "She's not acting normal… she's convinced that you two are going to get back together and are going to homecoming."
Sam looked confused. "I've been very clear with Jen about us not getting back together and I have absolutely no intentions of going to homecoming with her. In fact, you can tell her that I intend on taking Mercedes. Now, I have somewhere to be." He replied, moving around her before being stopped again.
"Tell the sophomore not to do the pep rally…" Carly said before walking back inside the school.
Sam watched her walk away trying to figure out what she meant and wondering why Mercedes was involved in any form of a pep rally. His phone buzzed again and he looked at it smiling seeing it was a text from Mercedes.
MJ: We're going to see Scream.
SE: Nice, I'll meet you there.
MJ: okay! See you then.
With a chuckle, Sam climbed into his truck and decided to wait until he saw Mercedes in person before asking about the pep rally.
As he drove, he thought about what Carly had said. It didn't make sense - Carly and Jen had been super close all year. Why would she want to sabotage her friend's plan?
The mall was brimming with life when Sam arrived. He maneuvered through the crowd and finally spotted Mercedes and her friends outside the movie theater, their laughter ringing out above the chatter of other shoppers. Their eyes met and a smile spread across his face.
"Hey ladies," he greeted casually, wrapping an arm around Mercedes' waist as he joined them. "What's the plan?"
Sheila looked at him. "Where's Jake and Mike?" She asked and Tina pinched her arm. "Ow! Bitch did you just pinch me?"
Tina smiled before turning to her friend. "Yes and I'll do it again. I didn't text Mike or Jake because we three have to go find me some shoes…" Tina said through gritted teeth.
Sheila looked at her for a moment before smirking. "Ohhhh that's right, cause you needed some shoes for that thing and Harmony needed a book… right, right."
Harmony nodded. "And you needed some thongs for Jake, remember."
Mercedes snickered and Sam scrunched his face playfully before leaning down so that he was at ear level to Mercedes. "I think your friends are trying to ditch us so that we're alone."
She looked up at him. "You think?" She whispered back and he nodded.
"They're not being subtle at all but I'm down if you are…" He said, looking at her, smiling. "I wanted to talk to you about something anyway."
Mercedes blushed. "Yeah? What's that?"
Tina, Harmony and Sheila watched them before slowly backing away, leaving them in their own little world. They laughed as they walked away, happy their plan worked.
"Now, let's hope he doesn't choke when he asks her to homecoming." Tina said, shooting Mike a text.
Sheila nodded. "And it gives us time to figure out what that Quinn bitch has planned."
Harmony looked at them confused. "That wasn't included in the text, I thought she was handled?"
Tina shook her head. "Well, let's just say that bitch plotting and we need to be doing the same."
preview:
"This is an automatic call from the office if McKinley's attendance department. We are calling to inform you that your child, Mercedes Jones, was not present for home room. If your child is sick or the absence has been approved please disregard this message."
Lena listened to the message twice before deciding to call her daughter but when it went straight to voicemail she figured she'd give Maia a call and see if she decided to take Mercedes with her to get her things from school.
I just wanted to say I've read all your reviews and well wishes. Thank you for being patient with me and yes, I'm finally ready to get back into my stories. Thank you for all the love following my brother's passing. I love you alll. -Kesh