Enjoy!

Chapter Three

"Hey Cedie let me help you." Quinn offered innocently when Mercedes walked back into the living room with the pizzas.

"I think we just need napkins and some drinks right?" Mercedes asked not wanting to be alone with Quinn at the moment.

"Okay I'll help you get it!" She insisted and Mercedes just nodded before putting the pizzas down and shooting Sam an annoyed look before following Quinn into the kitchen.

"There should be a tray you can use for-"

"How long?" Quinn asked, ignoring what Mercedes was saying.

"How long what?" She asked careful not to look guilty.

"You and Sam, how long have you two been creeping around my back?" She asked moving closer to Mercedes, narrowing her eyes at her. Mercedes was momentarily stuck in a confused and shocked state that she didn't realize Santana walked in and said her name.

"Cedes!"

"Huh? What?" Mercedes asked looking at Santana then back to Quinn who was still waiting on a response.

"I asked if you needed any help." Santana said, keeping her eyes on Quinn.

"Oh umm… we just need to grab the napkins and drinks." Mercedes said looking at Quinn who hadn't changed her expression.

"Oh well me and Quinn will grab them, go ahead and get you some pizza." Santana replied walking over to her and gently nudging her out of the kitchen leaving her and Santana alone.

"Whatever you were about to do, understand Wheezy's my girl and I won't hesitate to beat your ass." Santana said moving closer to Quinn when Mercedes was gone.

"I was only asking her a simple question and it has nothing to do with you so back off!" Quinn bit back, not giving into Santana's threat.

"I'm only going to say this once, you question Wheezy and I start questioning Puck and Finn." Santana said before grabbing the tray and drinks then walking out with a smirk on her face leaving Quinn slightly shaken up.

She grabbed the napkins and walked back into the living room noticing everyone was having a fairly good time. She smiled when she saw Sam and Mike joking before hearing Tina and Mercedes's infectious laughs. She wasn't sure why she asked Mercedes that but she knew deep down that Mercedes wouldn't do anything to hurt her so she decided in that moment to heed Santana's warning and enjoy the night.

"Okay guys I think it's time for a little truth or dare." Puck said and everyone all agreed. "If you don't want to do the dare you have to take a shot" He added, earning looks from everyone before they gave in.

"Alright truth or dare Quinn." Santana said and Mercedes felt the tension starting to grow based on her tone.

"Truth." Quinn answered confidently.

"What took you so long to get here?"

"I was with my mom." She answered with a smirk.

"Is that what we're calling that now?" Santana muttered.

"Okay my turn, truth or dare Sam." Quinn said, catching him off guard.

"Dare."

"I dare you to point out the best kisser being that you've kissed all the girls present."

"Wait, you kissed Tina?" Mike asked, confused.

"It was before you two started dating…" Sam admitted and Mike just nodded.

"We're waiting." Quinn said teasingly.

"You obviously." He lied wanting to say Mercedes.

"Are you saying that because I'm your girlfriend and you don't want to hurt my feelings or because it's true?" Quinn questioned.

"Both?" Sam answered and everyone groaned.

"So there's someone else who's-"

"Okay truth or dare Hot Moma?" Puck asked, trying to stop whatever was about to happen.

"Umm dare…"

"I dare you to take your shirt off." Puck said smirking and she shook her head.

"I second that!" Santana said, earning laughs from everyone.

"What? No!"

"It's not like I haven't-" Puck started before she shot him a dark look. She narrowed her eyes at Puck, a look he understood very well before slipping her shirt off and earning a whistle from Santana.

"I knew they would look amazing but damn girl."

"Okay whatever, who's next?"

"Oh me! Truth or dare Mercedes?" Brittany asked and everyone shot her a confused look.

"Fine, dare." She said figuring it would be easier to avoid the truth by doing random dares.

"I dare you to kiss Puck again but this time you have to really mean it."

"Umm okay." Mercedes said a little confused but it was Brittany so she walked over to Puck who just smirked.

"This should be interesting." Santana said looking at Sam who tried to look completely unaffected by what was about to happen.

Mercedes allowed herself to be pulled in by Puck before he kissed her deeply and she kissed him back but she didn't feel anything and just wanted it to be over. When she pulled away she noticed the look on Puck's face that concerned her before looking back at everyone else who all were sporting looks.

"Okay let's just watch another movie or something because I'm over this game." Puck said behind her and everyone else nodded in agreement, she looked at Sam who also was sporting a look that concerned her but she told herself she wouldn't worry about it and started to follow everyone over to the couch before being grabbed by Brittany.

"You and Sam had more sparks." The blonde whispered, giving her a sweet smile.

"I-" She tried to think of something to say but nothing came out.

"It's okay, it'll be our secret."Brittany patted her shoulder reassuringly before joining the others on the couch. Mercedes felt a mix of relief and anxiety wash over her. She appreciated Brittany's discretion, but the night had already revealed more than she'd have liked. She took a deep breath and forced a smile as she sat beside Sam.

The room dimmed as Quinn started the movie, but the flickering light from the TV screen did little to lighten the mood that had settled over the group after the game. Mercedes found herself stealing glances at Sam, wondering what was going through his mind. He caught her looking once and gave her a weak smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Halfway through the movie, Santana leaned over to Mercedes and whispered, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," Mercedes replied, knowing full well that Santana could see right through her.

"We should talk later," Santana suggested quietly, eyes fixed on the screen.

Mercedes nodded silently, grateful for Santana's support but dreading another

discussion. The game had stirred up feelings she had been trying to quash, and Mercedes wasn't sure how to handle them.

The movie played on, a low orchestrated score filling the silence between them all. Quinn and Sam were wrapped in each other's arms, a sight that normally would have elicited a warm feeling within Mercedes. Tonight, however, it felt like a dagger in her heart.

Quinn caught Mercedes' eye and gave her an apologetic look, as if sensing the turmoil within her friend. Even Puck seemed distant, lost in his own world. As the hours passed by, laughter became rare, and the tension was almost palpable.

Finally, Quinn switched off the TV, uttering a quiet "good night" before disappearing into her room with followed suit shortly after with Tina, Puck and Artie both going off to their designated room.

Mercedes found herself alone with Santana in the dimly lit living room when Brittany offered to clean up the mess. Santana broke the silence first. "I'm not good at this comfort thing,"She started, staring at a spot on the wall, "But I think you should talk about it, whatever 'it' is."

Mercedes sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. She didn't want to burden Santana with her feelings, but the emotions she was holding back were becoming too big for her to handle alone. "I don't know..." she began hesitantly. "I don't even know when I started to realize that..." She shook her head. "I know you saw what happened earlier, before the party."

Santana nodded. "Yeah with you and Sam."

Mercedes paused for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to find the right words. "It…it's like there's this part of me that wants…wants something I can't have," she admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Santana pursed her lips and gave Mercedes a long look. Then she got up from the couch and approached Mercedes quietly. She bent down and picked up a stray popcorn kernel from the floor. Holding it up between them, she said, "You can't control what you want sometimes, Mercedes. But that doesn't mean you should suppress it because it's inconvenient, or because you're afraid."

Mercedes looked at the kernel in Santana's hand and then back up at her friend. "But what about Q?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Santana frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Here I am being all philosophical and you ask about her?" she asked, throwing the kernel over her shoulder. "Listen to me, girl," she almost pleaded, a rare display of vulnerability. "Quinn's not as faithful as you think and Sam's not the kind of guy to cheat unless out of the blue."

"Wait, what do you mean? Quinn is clearly in love-"

Santana shook her head. "She's in love with popularity and Sam's too nice to see that."

Mercedes sat there in stunned silence, trying to process what Santana was saying. Her mind, which was already reeling from the revelations of the night, seemed incapable of comprehending this new piece of information.

"Are… are you sure?" she stammered finally. "That's a strong accusation. I mean, Quinn and Sam…"

Santana sighed heavily and sat back on the couch beside Mercedes. "Look, I'm not pointing fingers or stirring up drama here," she said calmly. "I'm just telling you what I see. And what I see is a girl who doesn't know what she wants and a guy who doesn't know he deserves better."

Santana's words sunk into Mercedes like stones into a pond, creating little ripples of doubt in her heart. She remembered the way Quinn's eyes would always linger on the popular crowd at school, the way she would smile just a little bit brighter when they were around. She remembered how Sam would often look confused

when Quinn would switch between adoring girlfriend to queen bee in a matter of seconds. The pieces started fitting together, but she wished they didn't.

"But...why wouldn't he see it?" Mercedes asked, her eyes glossy. "He's not stupid, Santana."

"No, he's not," Santana agreed with a sigh. "But sometimes when you love someone, you don't see their faults or you make excuses for them. You remember how he always felt like an outsider before, right?"

Mercedes nodded silently. Sam had never quite fit into their group at the beginning, his laid back style was a stark contrast against the competitive nature that ruled their clique. Maybe that's why he was so drawn to Quinn, who had been one of the most popular girls in school.

"And Quinn gave him that acceptance," Santana continued as if reading Mercedes' thoughts. "In his eyes, she was his ticket to being somebody."

"But he is somebody," Mercedes said quietly. "To me..."

Santana shrugged. "Then do something about it." She encouraged before heading off to bed with Brittany in tow.

Mercedes spent a bit longer sitting there before finally powering everything down and making her way up the stairs. She hoped that sleep would bring some relief to her mind, but as soon as she stepped into her room, she knew it was wishful thinking.

"You know, don't you?" Puck asked.

well... let's see if she acts on the horrible advice Santana gave her lol