Mercedes hated Spanish. Not to disrespect anyone's culture but she couldn't help but wonder what's the point of learning another language if the master one is English? She hated how it always sounded like everyone was speaking miles a minute and she couldn't catch a word. She hated how her teacher made her get a tutor after getting another 50% on a quiz. Okay, maybe Mercedes didn't really hate Spanish, but Spanish sure did hate her. Spanish loathed her with a passion.
"This is so stupid," Mercedes told her friend Kurt, while shutting her locker. "I'm not even doing that badly! I mean, 50% only means that I understand half of the material. To say that I just started learning this year, that's kinda good right?"
"Not if that means your GPA will go to shit." Kurt responded. "Mercedes, you're my best friend. I don't want you to have to go to another school because of this."
Mercedes, Kurt and hundreds of other opulent or academically gifted students attended Quetin Academy, one of the top Prep schools in Ohio. Mercedes has always been the top of her class at her old public school but going to Quetin has definitely given her the challenge her parents were looking for. She liked being pushed to stretch her brain and was doing quite well, she just wished she didn't have to be so challenged when it came to finding friends. Kurt came to her rescue when he noticed her red Chuck Taylors and her matching headband outside of her clashing plaid uniform. She complimented his conductor hat and messenger bag and they have been friends ever since.
"I won't have to go to another school Kurt." Mercedes held his hand. "I have 3.4. Even if I fail, I'll still have the required average to stay here. "
"But you won't fail, right? You don't need looking for reasons to get you to join that damn Choir group again."
Kurt and Mercedes walked together hand in hand to the library where her mystery tutor was waiting for her.
"So, who do ya think the tutor will be?" Kurt asked.
"I don't know. My bets are Mike Chang. He's super smart."
"And super handsome. Did you see that boy's body during gym class? Rude. Positively disrespectful." Mercedes laughed as Kurt shuddered and pulled her closer to him. "Mm, I'm getting the chills just thinking about him."
"It could be Santana though."
"Lopez? Oh God. Imagine what a nightmare that'll be."
"Why? It is her second language—"
"Yes, and her first is Bitch. She'll be meaner to you in private than she is in public. No witnesses. Girl is the devil incarnate in a Catholic uniform." Santana Lopez reinvented the meaning of bully. She made them look like fairies and flowers. Santana was mean and she was clever. There was a time where she induced a girl's gum with non-toxic glue. The girl tried to tattle on her for cheating, naturally Santana made sure she kept her mouth shut. She would personalize her efforts, once Mercedes opened her locker to have a bunch of tater tots fall on her with a note signed "With love". She had no qualms with her pranks being found out because there was nothing the faculty could do. Her father was a doctor and her mother was the mayor. Although they are divorced, the school gets funding from both parties and they can't risk it. Principal Figgins would give Santana a slap on the wrist and she would continue to rage. She was unstoppable.
Mercedes sighed, thinking about the torture that would be her existence if Santana was her tutor, "Look as long as I get an A, I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it." The two stood outside of the Library's double doors. As Mercedes was about to enter, Kurt stopped her and peered through the window trying to find any inkling of the potential tutor.
"Kurt, what are you doing?" Mercedes asked.
"You think I'm gonna let you deal with the wrath of Satan alone? No way. I'm checking the scene out. Cover me."
"It's a library, Kurt." Kurt disappeared. Mercedes stuck her face to the Library's window to see Kurt ducking and diving like he was on a real secret mission. That boy needs help, Mercedes thought. Suddenly, Kurt flew out of the door, clutching his heaving chest.
"So?" Mercedes anxiously rubbed her hands.
"Mercedes Jones, your tutor is Sam Evans."
Mercedes' eyes bugged and Kurt bit back a smile beginning to flail a little. Unable to control their feelings they jumped around and shared an excited scream, employing the librarian to come out and shush them. They apologized and quietly had a friendly slap fight, squealing. You don't understand: This was Sam Evans. Popular, smart, accomplished and well-endowed Sam Evans. Word in the halls is he's a player, but not because he uses and abuses girls. They come to him, knowing his repuation, more than willing to be another notch in his belt. Apparently, he is quite the lover and basically has a line of girls waiting to be his next victim. It is inferred that Sam Evans doesn't have a girlfriend because technically he's dating the whole school. Still, Kurt and Mercedes were infatuated.
"Are you sure? I mean, maybe he was studying—" Mercedes quipped.
"No, no. He had a cute little sign up that said, "Spanish Tutor". Mercedes, he's your tutor!" They jumped together giggling again. Kurt then cleared his throat and regained his composure. "Now go forth, my child. Go forth into the library and absorb the sexiness and the overall inconsiderate being that is Sam Evans. Then come back to the real world and give all the details!"
"I will!"
Mercedes was pulled into a hug with Kurt then released into the library. The students' heads were down in their books while some of their hands wrote notes simultaneously. Mercedes tried to control her breathing and smoothed down her blue and green checkered skirt. Any minute now, she would be face to face with a boy-no, a man that she had an eye for. Besides Kurt, Mercedes had never had any boyfriends. That is, boys who were just friends or the romantic term. In fact, her only friend back at Welsh High was Tina, a girl with candy highlighted hair she was just thrown together with somehow. Tina and Mercedes were misfits of their school, making them boy repelled. Unfortunately, even though she learned how to do her own hair and started to wear makeup it was the same result at Quetin. No one had ever given her guy advice or how to deal with a crush, so she'd just have to wing it.
Mercedes stood in front of the boy, tugging at her blazer and pulling at her hair out of nervous habit. He was stunning. Blonde hair, thick lips, and beautiful green eyes that aimlessly stared into the screen of his phone. Sam was on his iPhone playing Temple Run before he noticed the girl gawking at him.
"…Mercedes?" He asked, taking out his headphones. I'll be anyone you want me to be, Mercedes thought. She realized her mouth was open and nodded quickly. Sam smiled and reached over the table, extending a hand. Mercedes savored his touch, feeling tingles from his fingertips. "I'm Sam." He flashed his pearly teeth and invited Mercedes to sit down.
Mercedes sat across from him and brought out her Adventures in Spain textbook. Sam opened the one he borrowed from the library and stretched his body towards the sky, releasing a yawn. She just imagined what is would be like to be the fabric of his white button, getting to feel every inch of his cut torso and to be groped by his hands and tucked, forced into his pants…
"I could be a shirt."
"What?" Mercedes' face sobered.
"What?" Sam nervously chuckled.
"I asked what you needed the most work on."
"…Everything." Sam's eyebrows raised and Mercedes shrunk embarrassed. It wasn't her fault Senor Schuester was a shitty teacher. In their after-class meetings, the same questions would always be asked.
'Why don't you ask questions in class if you're so behind?' I raise my hand. You don't always call on me. When you do answer my questions, you embarrass me.
'Why don't you come to me after school?' You aren't around because you don't pay attention to anyone who isn't the Choir.
'Spanish is an easy language. You're a smart girl, I know you can learn this. Why aren't you trying?' I AM TRYING, YOU PRETENTIOUS FUCK.
Calling her parents and coercing them to make Mercedes join the Spanish club, that she quit within a week, did not solve the problem. She even tried to withdraw but it was too late in the semester. Mercedes even went as far as enlisting Tina and Kurt to help her study, but she still got lackluster grades. Tina was fluent in five languages, due to her large family tree. If she couldn't get Mercedes and the language to make nice, how was Sam Evans supposed to?
However, in a turn of amazingly awesome events, Sam just quirked a smile and said "I guess we have a lot of work to do then." Sam's cheeks dimpled. "Let's begin with pronouciation. It's the most important part."
For the next hour, Sam tutored Mercedes in Spanish, while the only thing she could focus on was his lips. It was as if the clouds and cotton candy decided to make babies and the product was Sam's mouth. She could hear the words he was saying and process them as gibberish, but it was still the sexiest gibberish she ever heard. Mercedes watched his mouth move as she repeated him absently. While she pretended that she was stuck on the word "escritorio" (desk), one of Sam's assumed admirers interuppted Mercedes watching his mouth sculpt a beautiful O.
"Hey, Sam." The blonde put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and met her with the same grin that she effortlessly sported.
"Hey, Quinn."
"Watcha doin'?" Quinn asked softly, clutching her books to her chest.
"I'm just tutoring. This is Mercedes. Mercedes, Quinn."
Quinn sweetly greeted Mercedes, shifting her knees back and forth. Mercedes couldn't help but stare at her too. She was flaw free. Pretty, bronzed skin with hazel eyes and wavy blonde locks.
"Hi." Mercedes said back.
"So, do you have any plans after this?" Quinn inquired.
"No, I'm probably just going to do homework and some more SAT prep." Then Quinn's bare arm hung dangerously around Sam's shoulder, leaving the rest of her body to hover around him like a spider marking her prey. She leaned down, letting Sam sneak a peak down her Polo shirt and whispered something that made the boy blush beautifully. Mercedes saw the way her lips grazed the skin of his ear, making him visibly shudder. When Quinn was standing beside him again, he cleared his throat and said, "I'll see what I can do."
Quinn gave another innocent smile towards him and turned to Mercedes, "It was nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too." Mercedes said, meekly. Quinn sauntered away, swishing her hips. If she wanted a boyfriend, all she'd have to do is act like that Maybe if she did that, she could attract boys like Sam or any boys at all. Mercedes was not boy crazy and knew she didn't need a man to know who she was as a person but even with the friendships she had with Kurt and Tina, she was still really lonely. Sometimes, she was fearful of the future. She wondered if she could, would ever be loved for herself by a man without having to change. Can someone still want her as Mercedes and not someone else? Sadly, so far the answer was no because there weren't knocking down her door for a date. But that was going to change. She had a plan. Sam cleared his throat and patted his tie.
"Let's get back to the Spanish, shall we?"
"I want to be your next lover."
A/N: Some tweakage went to these chapters, the originals are on Tumblr. I really wanted to do a HighSchool!Samcedes. Reviews are wonderful. Thanks.