Picture Perfect - Book 3 - Q.F.

Hold on to sixteen

"So it is true... The New Directions are so scared of losing to the Trouble Tones that they had to go all the way to Kentucky to bring back home the one and only Sam Evans."

At the sound of her voice, Sam smiled a bit, looking away from his locker where he had been stacking up his books to look at Piper, standing beside him by the lockers.

"Hello, Piper." He smirked a bit, pulling her into a hug and smiling when she giggled. "I've missed you a lot."

"I've missed you too." She said, hugging him back and stepping away from him a bit so their eyes were meeting again. "I can barely believe you're actually here."

"Yeah, Rachel and Finn went to pick me from Kentucky." Sam shrugged. "My mom and dad let me come back and finish school here. I'm bunking with Kurt and Finn at their house."

"Oh, then I'll be seeing you lots, with all the sleepovers I have with Kurt." Piper smiled as Sam chuckled.

"Can't wait." He said, as Piper laughed. "Now, I hear you're in another glee club, is that right? Did you really leave the New Directions?"

"Yeah." Piper nodded with a sad smile as Sam frowned a bit. "I went to the Trouble Tones with Santana, Brittany and Mercedes. I mean... I do miss the New Directions, sure. But the girls in the Trouble Tones are fun and Shelby is an amazing teacher."

"Well, good for you." Sam nodded at her. "Did you get a solo for the competition?"

"Santana, Cedes and I are singing lead for the song, yes." Piper said. "You?"

"A line or two." He said. "Quinn also got some."

"Oh, she told me." Piper smiled proudly as Sam shook his head fondly at her.

"Why isn't she in the same group as you?" Sam asked then. "I mean... You guys are dating still, right? She even told me she came out and stuff."

"Oh, yeah, we're dating still. It's just... It's a long story." Piper shrugged a bit. "She wanted to stay in the New Directions but she totally pushed me to go to the Trouble Tones, so I did. Besides, Mercedes would've probably killed me if I didn't go with her."

"Speaking of..." Sam smirked a bit as Piper raised an eyebrow at him. "How is Mercedes?"

At that, Piper gasped, widening her eyes a bit as she looked around and stepped closer to Sam so she could talk to him lowly without people listening in.

"Wait... Do you... Do you still like her?" She asked and when Sam sent her a bashful nod, Piper squealed quietly. "Oh, Sam... That... That is great. I... Oh, but we do have a problem, see? Because Mercedes... She got a new boyfriend. And... And he's actually pretty nice."

"She's got a new boyfriend already?" Sam frowned a bit as Piper sighed, noticing his disappointment. "Who? Do I know him?"

"Do you remember Shane from the football team?"

"Shane? Shane Tinsley? Linebacker?" Sam asked, widening his eyes when Piper nodded. "He's huge!"

"He is." The girl giggled a bit. "But he's really nice and he's really good to Mercedes, actually."

"Damn it..." Sam mumbled as Piper pouted a bit at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So... No hope for me?"

"I don't know." Piper admitted honestly. "But I will tell you this... She was really upset for a long time when you left."

"So she missed me." Sam said, as Piper nodded.

"She did."

"Does she still miss me?"