It's Called Being Sassy

Strong

Artie looks up when Marcy comes into the library. "Girl, where you been?!"

Marcy's about to tell him none of his business but remembers her vow to be more loving and also to claim Mal and Ellen. "I was at Ridgemore. I had to love up my boos."

He smiles as she sits at a table. "I know that's right!"

"Don't you have class?" She takes her books and laptop out.

"Yeah but talkin to you is better." He wheels up to her table.

She smiles.

"You seem a lot better than you have since I've known you."

"I think I am."

"Good. I was going to give you advice. MJ was worried."

"I'll talk to her before practice. But why exactly would you give advice? Are you the type to give it but not take it?"

"What? No. I take advice."

"Tana and Britt are still miserable and you still have a major chip on your shoulder."

He frowns.

"Look, I'm not saying trauma isn't difficult to get over but I am saying you have to try. If you want good things in your life. All the pain and hurt you have in your heart is weighing you down."

"But you don't know what I did." He turns red with the effort to not cry.

"You don't know what I've spent the afternoon doing. I can guarantee that if it's not the same, it's not worse."

"Oh yeah? I almost killed my little sister."

"How?"

He can tell she doesn't believe him so he whispers the entire story in shame. He keeps his head bowed to avoid her looking at him in judgement.

When he's finished, she lifts his chin. "You are a motherfucking hero. I don't care what you have to do but you better quit thinking you're anything less. Lila owes you her life. You're one of the best big brothers in the entire world and I will not have you going around thinking you're not."

He sniffles. "If I had just been watching her,-"

"You were eight! Eight year olds rarely do what they're told and even rarer have to prove how heroic they are as a consequence. You were smart and brave and if anyone says anything different, they're a fucking fool and we don't listen to fools."

"What if San and Britt don't agree?"

"Has someone not agreed?!"

He lifts his shoulders before nodding.

She's indescribably angry. "If by some fatal design, they don't agree that you deserve a purple heart, I'll set you up with Karou or Paris. Hell! maybe both!"

He smiles shakily. "Thanks, Boo Thang. The only person who was cool with it was Mike."

"Mikey's a genius. Of course he knows how amazing you are. Plus he's an amazing big brother so he knows your struggle."

"So you admittin it's hard to have little sisters?"

She lets him go and finally gets started on her work.

"That's not an answer!"

MJ

Mercedes sits next to Puck. He's suspicious over her calm demeanor when just that morning she was giving him wounded eyes. "Good afternoon, Noah."