It's Called Being Sassy

The Era of Merke

Tina takes Mercedes' elbow on the way out of their AP History class and guides her to her locker. "Cedes! I wanted to dish but I want to be respectful of your privacy."

Mercedes eyes her bestie. "What do you wanna know? How it is between Sam and me? Me and Quinn? Puck and me?"

"Kinda." Tina leans against her locker instead of opening it to get her books for the next class.

"What's "kinda"? I don't really wanna kiss and tell. I feel like I'm holding out on you though cuz you told me all about you and Mike but telling what goes on behind closed doors is what got me in trouble in the first place."

"Actually if you had told us, you wouldn't have confronted Sam. But I'm not saying it's your fault!" Tina rushes to reassure her. "I'm just saying it's us. Me! I'm just asking cuz it popped into my mind and it won't leave. It's driving me crazy!"

"T, breathe!" Mercedes laughs. "I can ask them how they feel about it and get back to you."

"Actually that's not my question." Tina plays with her fingers nervously.

Mercedes is wary. "What is your question?"

Tina smiles brightly. "I wanted to know which was your first? I know that Puck isn't the most celibate member of the male species and you're having sex now. I just wanted to know who was your first." Tina inhales sharply from lack of air.

Mercedes inhales sharply from the question. She opens her mouth to respond (some way) but Sam, Puck and Quinn walk up.

"What's up, Mama? We've been lookin for you everywhere!" Puck pulls on the back of her shirt to kiss her neck. Sam kisses her cheek while Quinn grabs her free hand and squeezes it.

"What are you guys talking about?" Santana and Artie arrive, dragging a distracted Brittany behind.

"Sup, guys!" Artie high-fives his boys. "Ladies."

"What's wrong, Wheezy?" Santana asks.

"Oh! Nothing!" Mercedes smiles haphazardously. "Just..."

"Is it my question?" Tina asks. "Do you not want to say in front of them?"

Mercedes shakes her head. I can't believe I never saw this coming! "It's not that exactly."

"What don't you want to say in front of us?" Sam questions, worried.

Puck picks up his line of thought. "Does it have anything to do with us?" He gestures between himself and the two blondes standing beside him. "Or everyone in general?"

"Yeah, forget I said anything!" Tina tries to retract but the damage is done.

"What is it about?" Artie wants to know.

"It has to have something to do with sex." Santana says. "It's the only thing to freak her out at school lately. Did you ask her a sex question, Fried Rice?"

"One, that was really racist. Two, I did but she doesn't have to answer it." Tina rolls her eyes at Santana.

"It's not a big deal. I just can't answer it." Mercedes shakes her head.

"Baby, you can if it's about us." Sam looks at Puck and Quinn. "We're okay. And it's Tina. She's not mean and we all love you. No one would judge you."

"I only asked who was her first. You can point if you don't wanna say out loud." Tina looks earnestly into her friend's face in an attempt to calm her fears.

At that moment, Mike walks up. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Mercedes is going to tell us who was her first." Brittany pipes up.