It's Called Being Sassy

Will Come to the Light

Mercedes unlocks the front door. "Momma?" It's quiet. "Nope. She's not here."

She and Puck continue through the doorway. "Are you sure I parked my truck far away enough?"

"I don't know why you parked so far away in the first place. She won't be back for hours. We're not going to do anything, even if she comes home early. Which she won't." Mercedes adds hastily.

Puck visibly relaxes. "So where's the living room or kitchen?"

"We can go to my room. I'm going to need my computer and I don't want to lug everything down here."

Puck's eyes round.

"Do you want a snack? I can make something and we can take it upstairs. Or we can order something?"

"I'm okay for now. Maybe we can get pizza later?"

"Sure. I'm going to check for a message from my mom. My room's the second door on the right upstairs." She disappears into another room.

Puck grabs their stuff and bounds up the steps. He goes to the right. He opens the third door. It's brown and filled with sports equipment/memorabilia. Must be her brother's room.

He comes back past the second door to the first. It's green and filled with stuffed animals. I didn't know she had a little sister. Where is she? He can hear her moving downstairs and races back to the second bedroom. It's purple and filled with girly things.

Mercedes shows in the doorway seconds later. She pushes her sleeves to her elbows. "You can just put my backpack and stuff on the bed." She goes straight to her desk and boots up her laptop.

"Where do you want me to sit?" Puck asks, uncertain of himself.

She looks back at him. "On the bed if you want. If you sit on the chairs, we'll have to talk louder." She gets up and plugs her iPod onto the alarm clock charger and presses shuffle. Music fills the room.

She puts her purse up and her cell on her desk. She looks back at Puck and laughs. "Sit down!" She puts her hand on his chest and backs him into the bed. When the edge stops him, she pushes harder until he falls backwards.

He leans up on his elbows. "That's all you had to say. No need to rough me up!"

She laughs harder at his antics. She gets her homework out and puts up her backpack. She takes off her jewelry and spreads out her books. "My mom left a note saying she'd be back after midnight. I never understood why people want their florists at their weddings but..." Mercedes shrugs.

"Your mom's a florist?"

She nods. "Yup. Daddy's a dentist. That's where he is now. At a convention."

"Dentists have conventions?" That sounds very boring to Puck.

"I know. We went with him once and it was so boring! My sister fell asleep the minute someone talked to her about flossing and my brother complained the whole trip." She laughs. "Even my mom swore she was never going to another one."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"Marcy? Yeah. She's at a boarding school in Switzerland. Or is it a convent in Scotland?" Mercedes screws up her face. "I forget."

Puck wants to know more but more importantly, he wants to keep her talking. He's never realized how open her face is when she's excited. "What school does your brother go to?"

"Princeton. I miss him. He won't be back until spring break. Even then it'll only be for a couple days."

Her face clouds with sadness and Puck immediately wants to cheer her up. "How's Trig.?"