The Model & The Singer

Chapter 36

A/N: The singles from Mercedes' album and the videos Sam and Mercedes will be doing are/will be created by me.

 At First Sight' - first single

'You, Me, We' - second single

'Happy Forever Ever' - Third and final single

Warning- This chapter has Sam talking about dealing with BDD (Body dysmorphic disorder), bulimia, and anorexia.

The next day woke up to see he left the TV on. There was some entertainment news about excitement for Mercedes' new video. He smiled at the positive remarks and learned how successful it was. Millions of views and likes on her official online channel. The correspondent mentions some posts about what they loved about At First Sight, including model, turned actor, for the trilogy of videos, Sam Evans. 

He grabbed the remote to listen more, happy to be mentioned in the segment.  They talked about how everyone loved the chemistry between him and Mercedes. And his acting was stellar. Then they began to mention some comments saying he'd be perfect if he was more ripped, hairier, taller. 

Sam's smile fell before he stopped listening to grab his phone. He went onto the video's page and scrolled past the positive and good comments in order to read the bad and negative ones.  He spent all morning to the late afternoon reading each and every one. It was when he started to get a migraine from it all that he quit reading before tossing his phone onto his bed.

He shook his head and decided to go take a shower to clear the thoughts slowly creeping up to the surface. As he cleaned his body, his brain started to tell him that his hands felt a bit more fat in places that should've had none. That his thighs needed to be more muscular in tone and wider. His body was too smooth, not manly enough. His back should be ripped and until it is, no taking clothes off in front of people. They'll judge and complain.  His body was completely fine. No, it needed to be more than fine, it needed to be perfect.

Sam was done with the shower and in his bedroom, staring at the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom's door. He began to inhale and hold his breath while turning around clockwise. After exhaling, he turned back towards the mirror and stared at his nude body. He stood there so long staring at his reflection, Sam decided that he needed to make some changes to his body and soon. The video for You, Me, We would start filming in two weeks.

Two weeks later, the night before the filming of the next single's video:

Sam tiredly walked into the kitchen for a glass of water.  He glanced at the refrigerator and the cabinets that held food and drinks along with the dishes. There were chained and locked up. Only one glass was allowed to be out and remained on the counter. Sam sluggishly walked to the counter and reached for it. He used his free hand to turn on the faucet, making sure the water room temperature. He let the water cover the bottom of the glass before turning the faucet off. It wasn't even half a glass. Just enough for one swallow to wet his throat.

He went back to his bedroom to stand in front of the mirror, as he did for the last two weeks and stripped his clothes off.  He didn't trust the scale he had ordered next-day delivery off Prime a week ago. It just kept lying to him. Saying he was ideal weight and BMI was average. He threw it in the trash after that first week. Because days after, it said he was losing weight and his BMI was below average. 

Sam could see key areas that needed more improvement. He had spent the last couple of weeks doing research on pectoral implants for his chest, implants for his biceps, triceps, his back, and even creating a six-pack. Then watched videos on hair transplants for his entire body. He realized those commenters were right. He did need to improve.  His phone rang again like it did every day. Just like clockwork, Mercedes was calling him. He went to the bed and picked up the phone before answering it.

"Hello," He said softly. "Sam, your parents are back from their anniversary trip," Mercedes said on the line. "I told them you were contagious and didn't want to get anyone sick." She said, repeating what he told her weeks ago. "So, has the doctor cleared you for tomorrow?" Mercedes asked in concern. "Yeah," He said before sitting down on the end of the bed.  "I'll be ready and almost perfect for you and the video," Sam said in a clear voice as tears quietly fell down his face.

"Sam, are you sure you don't want your mom or me to come and nurse you?" She asked him. "I'm sure, Diva. I need to get some sleep. Love you." He softly spoke. "Love you too, Sam," Mercedes said before he hung up. He dropped the phone back onto the bed before holding his head in his hands to continue crying.

The next day, at the studio

Sam arrived early at Hudson-Hummel Studios feeling better than he did yesterday. He parked his truck before noticing only two other vehicles next to his. An SUV and a brand-new jeep. He got out and locked up before walking inside to where the video was going to be filmed.  Sam realized that it was very quiet for a Monday and filming started today. "Hello!" He called out while walking on set. "In here, Sam," Mercedes said in reply. He walked in to see Mercedes sitting in a living room set, along with his parents, his siblings, Santana, and Brittany.

His green eyes went wide in surprise then narrowed in confusion before speaking up. "What's going here?" Sam asked while walking up to her before glancing at the others. "I thought we were filming today." He said before standing in front of her. "Why are they all here?" He asked Mercedes seeing tears falling from her eyes. "Diva? Are you okay?" Sam said with concern.

"There's no filming today, Sam," She told him. "I canceled it because there's something more important to work on." Sam sat down in a sofa chair while he looked to see sadness or tears on the faces of his family. He focused back on Mercedes. "What?" He asked softly. "You relapsed, Sam," Mercedes said in a broken tone. "This is an intervention." He tried to say no but sighed in defeat. 

"How did you know?" He asked in a broken tone. Mercedes shook her head while wiping away her tears. "Aside from the fact you haven't come over to spend time with your sister and brother. Or me. Or check on San, Britt, and the babies. Or how about the fact that you didn't want to be babied by your mom since you were sick. Something you told me you used to love as a kid." She said, feeling hurt while continuing to speak to him. 

"Oh, I know. It was the specialists and plastic surgeons contacting me about the many surgeries you signed up information for." She told him while narrowing her brown eyes at him. "Sam, when you signed up for consultation each time you had to put in insurance information. That's for a list of plans they come with plus vetting you." Mercedes informed him causing him to cringe.

Sam closed his eyes for a second and groaned internally then lightly shook his head at the bonehead move that got him caught. He opened his eyes again to look at Mercedes staring back. "Basically you getting caught is how I found out," She told him, guessing his thoughts. "I  contacted everyone here and hoped we got to you in time. But apparently, it wasn't soon enough." Mercedes said in a sad tone. "I just needed to get your parents back quickly and made sure San and Britt had someone watch the babies. Right now, they're at my house with Emma, Tamara, Quinn, Finn, and their baby boy."

"What does this mean for the video?" Sam asked her. Mercedes grew angry and stood up to walk up to him.  "Who gives a fuck about the damn video, Sam!" She yelled at him. "I love you and care about you, dammit!" She said hitting him on his arm. "The video isn't more important than you!" Mercedes told him before reaching up to cradle his face in her hands. "Every part of you is wonderful, beautiful, perfect just the way it has always been." She said before bringing her face lower to gently kiss him then letting his face go to gently hug him.

Once she let him go and stepped back to sit down, his dad spoke up. "Sammy, what have you done since you relapsed?" Dwight asked his eldest son, in a hurt tone. "I can guess how this all started too," Santana chimed in. "That damn segment about the first video's comments." She said. He hung his head in shame before nodding. "You're right San." He said while looking back up. "Dad, I've been checking out places on my body that need improvements," He said before cringing at his statement. "I mean that I thought would need some changes to. Since I hadn't eaten yet, I starved myself, and weighed myself, would only drink sips of water." He listed out what he had been up to in front of the people he loved more than anything in the world.

He knew that since it had been years since his relapse, he was going to have to be supervised. He didn't know if it was rehab or if he was going back home with his parents. Sam would learn that once the intervention was over.