Enjoy!

Book Twenty-Two: The Locker: Part Four

"Where the hell have you been?" They heard and looked in the direction of the voice and Mercedes let out a deep sigh.

"I've been calling you since school let out and then you didn't show up to your tutoring session and now I see you walking up with this shirtless kid. Where's your shirt?" Shane asked, moving down a step narrowing his eyes at both her and Sam.

"It got wet in the pool, Sam lent me his." She said nonchalantly as she walked up the steps passing him with Sam following but Shane stepped in his way.

"Don't you have something better to do than be with my girl?"

"Shane what the fuck is wrong with you?" Mercedes spat moving him out of the way and grabbing Sam's balled up fist tugging him up the steps. "If you must know he went with me because you damn sure didn't offer now did you?"

"You didn't ask me to come with you!" Shane spat back moving up a step but she put up a hand shaking her head. "Oh so you let the freshman come in but not your man?"

"Shane I'm not in the mood to fight and that's all we're going to do, go home and I will call you later." She said, sighing.

"I'll leave when he does." Shane replied looking at her then to Sam who moved down a step standing directly behind Mercedes, his expression was hard and his fist was balled up again.

"You fucking him?"

"Wow… I never gave you a single reason to think I would even think about cheating on you and you have the nerve to ask me that?" She said shaking her head, she was hurt that he would even think she would do that to him but to ask.

"What do you expect me to think? You show up hours after leaving school and you're wet not wearing your own clothes and he's shirtless and refusing to leave your side."

"That's what friends do Shane! He was there for me when you only cared about if I was carrying your damn child instead of caring about the person who you were so comfortable with trying to trap! Now Sam and I are going inside so I can change and go back to his house because I was invited to stay for dinner, what you do I could careless but this, you and I are on a serious break. Now leave." She said turning around and walking past Sam grabbing the spare key and holding the door open for Sam to come inside, she gave Shane one final look before closing and locking the door. She quickly turned off their alarm and shot Sam an apologetic look before taking off her shoes.

"I just need fifteen minutes, I want to throw your shirt in the dryer it got wet from my bra and hair." She said softly and started to walk away but he stopped her but gently grabbing her arm and pulling her into him.

He didn't say a word nor did she think she wanted him to but she was hurt by what just happened not once had Shane asked if she was okay and he sounded disappointed when she told him she wasn't pregnant. She had been holding in her tears but the levy broke when Sam whispered asking if she needed him to do anything, she let her tears fall and a soft sob escaped her and he just held her tighter.

"Come on, let's at least get a towel for your hair." He said pulling away and leading her upstairs to her room so she could get whatever she needed. He stood outside after she went into her bathroom waiting for her to change, when he heard her exit he turned and saw she had changed into a sundress. She smiled but was still crying which made him angry but he knew that was the last thing she need so he smiled back and decided to make her smile forreal, he grabbed her hand and placed her on her bed before looking around and noticing her sound system.

"Umm what are you doing?" She asked, watching him look through her large music collection before he found the perfect one for this moment. He put it on and turned, smiling widely at her as the music began to come out of the speakers and filled the silent room.

Listen baby, ain't no mountain high

Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough baby

If you need me call me no matter where you are

No matter how far don't worry baby

Just call my name I'll be there in a hurry

You don't have to worry

'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wide enough

To keep me from getting to you babe

Sam danced around singing along before standing in front of her and holding out his hand for her to join which she slowly accepted making him smile and pulled her off the bed. She slowly started to dance along with him before allowing herself to fully enjoy the silliness and let go of the stress from earlier finally. She stopped when Sam took the next verse, surprising the hell out of her at how good his voice sounded and she stood watching in amazement.

Remember the day I set you free

I told you you could always count on me darling

From that day on, I made a vow

I'll be there when you want me

Some way, somehow

"You can sing, sing. I remember you telling me but I didn't expect that!" She shouted, hitting his arm lightly. "Why the hell aren't you in the Glee club?"

"Same reason you aren't!" He answered grabbing her hands and dancing with her laughing as she rolled her eyes but he could tell she was feeling better. "Sing with me?" She just nodded and they both sang the chorus together laughing because they weren't trying to sound good at all but their voices sounded perfect together. Sam listened and watched in complete awe when she took over singing the rest of the song and he couldn't do anything but look at her with that goofy grin on his face.

"Good God that voice… I swear when you become famous you better send me at least one ticket to your concerts." He said smiling and moving a hair out of her face letting his finger graze her soft cheek before fully cupping it, he looked at her really seeing how beautiful she was before looking at her lips which she was currently nibbling on and he couldn't stop himself from slowly lowering his head almost capturing her lips. Right as he was about to kiss her Mia walked in talking a mile a minute before looking up.

"Well I'll be damned! What the hell is going on here?" Mia asked, scanning Sam's bare chest without a hint of subtlety and then looking at her sister with a raised eyebrow. Mercedes took a step back clearing her throat before rolling her eyes at her sister who was now giving her an amused look.

"Sam's just being a good friend, don't read past it and stop drooling over his body." Mercedes said, making Sam blush slightly but also smirk.

"Okay then why is your boyfriend sitting on the steps like a lost puppy?"

"Ugh… I told him to leave!" Mercedes said, grabbing Sam's shirt so she could throw it in the dryer.

"Why?" Mia asked, blocking Mercedes's way.

"I don't want to talk about it, now please move so I can put his shirt in the dryer." She said avoiding eye contact with her sister.

"Sam look at me." Mia said in a tone that made Sam nervous, he looked at Mercedes then when Mia snapped he looked at her and was immediately sucked in by her glare.

"What happened?" She asked sternly.

"Mia stop! I don't have to talk about it and you can't make him do it either, come on Sam." Mercedes said grabbing his arm and tugging but he was literally stuck in place.

"Sam baby, give me and my sister a minute. If you go across the hall I'm sure our dad has an old shirt hanging you can put on." Mia said, taking her sister's hand from his arm and pulling her back into the room. Sam just nodded and mouthed 'sorry' to Mercedes before doing what Mia suggested.

"Spill." Mia said once Sam was gone.

"No." Mercedes replied defiantly, folding her arms over her chest with a huff.

"You look like a three year old who didn't get their way. Come on sis you know you can tell me anything." Mia said, sitting down on her bed and patting the spot next to her.

"I just… I don't want to talk about just yet, okay?"

"Are you and Sam…? Like did I walk in on…? Like.. shit this is harder than I thought. Moma had the talk with you right? Like sex and stuff.. right?"

"Oh my God! That is the second time today someone has asked me if I'm sleeping with Sam! What do I scream slut?" She said getting a little choked up that her sister and boyfriend had such little faith in her ability to be faithful even if they were caught the way they were it still didn't mean she wasn't.

"No, no baby sis no… I mean can you blame me for asking? You two were clearly having a moment." Mia said, pulling Mercedes into her for a hug.

"He really is just a friend… that helped me tremendously today." Mercedes said softly.

"That doesn't explain Shane."

"I went to see if I was pregnant because he decided that he would try to trap me without-"

"YOU WHAT?! MERCEDES ALISHA JONES I SWEAR! What the hell were you thinking? Why did you have unprotected sex? You.. wait he did what?" Mia saw the tears rolling down her sister's face and cupped her face wiping the tears that were falling.

"I've been on the pill and I was about to change my birth control and we always used condoms… the bare skin ones so I didn't notice and I mean we were in the moment… when we you know that's when I noticed and he just shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal. I went today and made sure I was given the morning after pill too... Sam came with me because Shane seemed more interested in me actually being pregnant than caring that I have my own dreams." She said sniffling.

"Oh sweet girl… I'm going to beat his ass but I need to make sure you're okay first. Why didn't you tell me?" Mia asked.

"It all happened so fast and I just wanted to get looked at to make sure I wasn't and when he called after he didn't even ask if I was okay… he just wanted to know if I was and when I told him I wasn't he sounded disappointed. Sam took me and helped me feel better that's really all… and he told his dad I would be joining him for dinner so I came here to change because my clothes were wet from being in the pool. Shane was here, Sam was shirtless and he straight up asked me if I was fucking him. I told him to leave and that we were on a break because I can't trust him not to do that shit again… that's the truth." Mercedes said.

"I'm sorry I asked you that and you did right by doing everything you did as far as going to the doctors but you know moma is going to find out when the bill comes right?"

"I know and when that time comes I will be ready to say something… all this transpired so quickly and today has just been so hectic. I needed the break that Sam gave me… so please don't say anything to mommy until I do okay?" She said right as there was a knock and they both looked up seeing Sam standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets.

'Everything okay in here?" He asked, smiling nervously.

"Yes and thank you for being there for my sister. Keep being a good friend to her cutie." Mia said, giving him a peck on the cheek before walking out of the room.

xoxo