A/N: 2024 update of the original 2011 story/2022 update

Chapter 10: The Justin Bieber Experience

Everyone in the room froze, all eyes glued to Sam.

There was a long, pregnant silence before Rashad blurted out, "Wait, you can SING—OW!" He recoiled as Noelle's sharp elbow found his ribcage.

Sam chuckled, taking it in stride. "Yeah, I can. Cede can vouch for me." He glanced at Mercedes, who responded with a small, somewhat awkward grin and a nod.

"In that case…" Tiffany stood up, gesturing to the front of the room. "The floor is yours."

"Thanks!" Sam began unpacking his guitar.

As he turned his back to the group, nearly everyone swiveled their heads toward Mercedes, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Mercedes shot back a glare that silently screamed, 'WHAT?'

Once Sam had his guitar tuned, he strummed the first chord and began to sing. As the first notes filled the room, Mercedes was instantly transported back to a vivid memory—Sam in a purple hoodie, his hair flopping over his forehead.

The Justin Bieber Experience.

As Sam launched into his classic rendition of "Baby," jaws dropped. Andrew nearly toppled off the piano bench, eyes wide in disbelief as Sam's smooth, matured voice filled the room.

Mercedes felt a swell of pride as she listened, memories swirling in her mind. It brought her back to a simpler time when Sam's biggest priority was impressing a girl. But now, things were different. She could hear the maturity in his voice, a testament to the boy who had grown into a man through life's challenges, still holding onto that heart of gold.

Before she knew it, the last chord had rung out, and the room erupted in applause. Rashad was the first to stand, raising his hand enthusiastically. "I VOTE YES!" Others quickly followed, hands shooting into the air in agreement.

Tiffany laughed, "Okay, I didn't even ask for a vote… but damn, Evans, I didn't know you had that in you."

"He's the missing piece to round out our group for Upstaged!" Heather exclaimed. Upstaged was the national collegiate a cappella competition that the Goldtones participated in at the end of the year.

Joey gasped loudly, "Does that mean I wouldn't have to sing?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Well, Heather has a point…" Tiffany mused. "Sam, are you even available for that with all your football commitments?"

Sam shrugged. "I could check, but I'm mostly free. I just have off-season conditioning some days, and I can probably get a pass for the big events."

Rashad clapped loudly, "That settles it! He's in!"

Tiffany scoffed, "Last I checked, you weren't the leader of the Goldtones, Shad, but actually... you're right. We'd love to have you as part of the team, Sam." The rest of the group cheered in agreement, with Noelle dancing in excitement.

"Thanks so much, everybody!" Sam grinned widely, his gaze lingering on Mercedes, who had remained unusually quiet during the entire exchange. The look in her eyes was unreadable.

After the meeting ended, Sam naturally fell into step with Mercedes as they exited the music building. She remained silent until they reached her favorite bench. Finally, she spun around to face him.

"What are you doing?" Mercedes asked, her expression blank.

Her question threw him off. "I-uh…" Sam rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. "Can't I just want to join?"

"Why?"

"I miss Glee?" Sam responded, mirroring her frown. "What? I really do! Seeing Mike, Finn, and Kurt again made me miss those days…"

"And?"

"And what?" Sam asked, genuinely confused.

Mercedes gave him a wary look, her skepticism clear.

Sam sighed deeply. "If you think I'm trying something, don't worry. I'm not pressuring you into anything. That's the last thing I want to do because that's the last thing you need." His voice was gentle but firm, his sincerity evident.

Mercedes crossed her arms nervously, her fingers absentmindedly tracing over the scar on her arm. Sam noticed and, without thinking, took her hands in his, guiding her to sit on the bench.

"Mercedes…" Sam began, his tone serious yet cautious. "Remember when my whole world was falling apart in high school? When everything I knew was taken from me in an instant? Who was there to get me through it? You." He squeezed her hands gently.

Mercedes let out a shaky breath, the weight of his words settling over her.

"Let me be there for you this time… I owe you that."

"You don't owe me anything, Sam…" Mercedes' voice wavered, barely holding back her emotions.

"I owe you everything." Sam looked around, searching for the right words. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"That's not true."

"It is," Sam insisted, his voice unwavering. "Back then, I didn't think I was capable of anything. Did you know I was really close to taking a job as a stripper?" Mercedes stared at him, open-mouthed. "I know… But you made me look beyond my bleak situation and realize I could do so much more than just survive. And I'll never forget that."

The earnestness in his eyes took her breath away.

"So let me be here for you. I'm here with you. Whenever you need me. Any time, day or night. If you ever feel unsafe, I can be there in ten seconds flat. You can ask my coach—I've got a pretty fast sprint for a quarterback." He grinned, a grin that Mercedes couldn't help but return. "And I did some research. There are a lot of resources on campus. I'll send them to you."

Mercedes was touched by how far he was willing to go to help her—but on second thought, she realized she shouldn't be surprised at all. Sam had always had a heart of gold.

A cold breeze rustled through the trees, but she barely felt it. Sam's thumbs traced slow, comforting circles over the insides of her wrists, sending warmth up her arms. All she could do was nod, her emotions too tangled to articulate.

Sam continued, "And I promise, I won't take this anywhere you don't want to go."

Mercedes nodded again, but inwardly, she hesitated. What did she want? Did she want him? Did she want to be left alone? Did she just want to focus on school? This past semester at Richter had felt both like an eternity and a fleeting moment. Suddenly, Sam was back in her life like nothing had happened, yet in the years they had been apart, so much had changed. The good, the bad, and the terrible had all shaped her into a different person than she was in high school. And she wasn't sure what that meant for the two of them.

Later that evening, all the Goldtones girls gathered for a late dinner at a sushi joint close to campus.

"Y'all, I'm still not over it…" Madison shook her head in disbelief. "Who knew the quarterback could sing like that?"

Tiffany raised a hand in mock praise. "Mercy, I'm sorry, but if he wasn't your man, I would—"

"He's not mine!" Mercedes interrupted, her voice rising in protest.

Everyone at the table exchanged knowing looks, various degrees of skepticism written on their faces. Noelle snorted so loudly she nearly choked on her drink.

"Yeah, sure, he's not yours, and I'm Beyoncé!" Tiffany cackled, setting off a round of laughter.

"Stop…" Mercedes pleaded, covering her face with her hands.

"Anyone with two eyes could see what was going down at Club Red…" Stephanie fanned herself dramatically. A couple of the other girls whooped in agreement.

Mercedes sank lower in her seat, her face burning with embarrassment.

Heather wiped a tear from her eye, barely containing her laughter. "That boy has 'Property of Mercedes Patrice Jones' tattooed on his ass, I just know it."

Mercedes slid even deeper into her chair. Noelle leaned over to give her a hug but couldn't hold back her laughter.

Tiffany waved her hands, trying to calm the group. "Okay, for real, girls, stop, stop, stop. It's only because we love you, and we appreciate the new addition. Anyway! Back to Upstaged…" She suddenly adopted a more serious tone. "This is my senior year, my LAST year, so y'all better not let me down!" She wagged a finger at each of them.

"No pressure…" Madison mumbled behind her drink.

"We need some numbers that are going to take us to the next level!" Tiffany declared, banging her fist on the table, causing half of them to jump. "And no, we're not doing another love song." She shot a pointed look at Stephanie, who pouted in response. "Something they don't expect."

"Like a quarterback who can play the guitar singing a ballad or something?" Caroline suggested with a casual shrug.

It was as if a lightbulb slowly turned on above everyone's heads as the realization dawned.

"Alright, I see the vision," Tiffany nodded slowly. "A secret weapon… wait, I mean, Mercy's our secret weapon, but—"

"Duet," Caroline interjected, almost immediately.

Everyone's eyes widened. Stephanie jumped up and tackled Caroline in a bear hug, kissing the top of her head repeatedly. "YOU." Kiss. "LITTLE." Kiss. "TINY." Kiss. "GENIUS."

"Unique. Contrast. Drama. Chemistry. I love it!" Tiffany clapped between each word, her excitement palpable.

Mercedes looked around at her friends, clearly realizing this was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not.