The Way We Were

The Way We Gleek Out

"I heard the glee coach got fired for touching the guys."

"I heard that he forced them to touch him."

"I heard that he made them touch each other and videotaped it."

Mercedes frowned as she heard that last bit of gossip. She was at her locker exchanging her books for second period when she'd overheard gossip about the glee club. It was weird and gross.

"I heard the first year Spanish teacher is taking over it. He put up a list and everything. It's on the bulletin board."

Mercedes made a considering face. She should sign up for glee club. She loved to sing. She sung all the time. She even planned on being a singer when she got older just like her grandmother even though her father thought it was a waste of time.

She closed her locker and walked to the bulletin board that held everything from club signup sheets to notices to fliers. She spotted the glee signup list a little to the right and on plain paper. She picked up the pen and signed her name. Mercy Jones.

Smiling, she walked away.

W.W.W.

Mercedes was a little nervous. She'd never had to audition before. Her name always got her in the door when it came to movies, commercials and photo shoots and when their mothers put them in beauty pageants, they only had to perform. She didn't even have to try out for church.

She looked around the table of JV squad members and sighed. She couldn't ask them about it. Cheer was as close to a real audition she had ever done and she'd been freaked out the entire time.

Plus, she'd had Quinn with her like she'd always had. She'd never done a single solitary thing on her own since meeting Mike and Quinn.

She sighed softly before seeking out Marcy at the freshman table. She was surrounded by Carly, Anna, Mari, Karen and Daisy. After Eliza outed her and Mal as teen parents, she faced a lot of backlash and the five had been in her corner ever since.

They also made it a point to freeze out Eliza and Cammi.

Mercedes was glad her sister had more "real" friends. Cheerleaders had a bunch of so called friends but they were mostly acquaintances that would stab you in the back at the slightest whiff of gain. Marcy already had far too few friends (especially with only two real friends the year before) and needed all the support she could get.

Mercedes looked to where the footballers sat. Mal wasn't facing a bit of recrimination but he was there for Marcy. He walked her to class and told everyone who would listen that he knocked her up so she couldn't leave him.

Mercedes smiled. Mal would always be her baby. Her gaze flicked to the JV football team and saw Karofsky, Azimio, Matt, Finn, Mike and Puck with a few other guys.

Mercedes melted when she clapped eyes on Puck. Now that they were official, she felt she could trust him. She understood what Quinn meant about wanting to be with Finn because she wanted to be with Puck.

So she made herself a deal. If she made glee club, she'd sleep with Puck.

Feeling better, she paid attention to Brittany's story about her fat cat, Lord Tubbington.

W.W.W.

"Mercy Jones!"

Mercedes walked on stage and stood in front of the mic.

"What will you be singing for me today?" The curly headed teacher was Mr. Shue. Mercedes tested out of his class the year before.

"Respect by ‪Aretha Franklin‬." Mercedes mumbled.