When You're the Best of Friends, Chapter 3/?
Chapter 3: Enter Mercedes
Noah pulled into the school's parking lot in his beat up truck just in time to see Kurt getting thrown into the dumpster. Shit, he thought. He tried to get there on time to stop them, but they snuck in a dumpster dive on Kurt whenever Noah wasn't there. "Hey, punks, knock on someone your own size," he threatened as he left his truck. The football punks ran away and Noah rolled his eyes; it always played out like that yet they never stopped. Idiots.
Standing on the dumpster's ledge he looked down to find Kurt looking as nonchalant as ever. "Need some help, there?" he asked, reaching his hand down towards the smaller boy. Kurt took the hand-Noah was sure Kurt would take help from no one else, except maybe Hudson-and with Noah lifting him, managed to get out of the dumpster without a scrape.
"Thanks," he said as he sprayed some cologne he had in his bag.
"No problem," Noah shrugged. "Just wish I had gotten here early enough to stop it."
"It was nice how when I drove you to school they never had a chance to do it," Kurt replied, "But normally the bags are sealed so I don't get my clothes stained. Have you ever tried getting ketchup out of Armani? Ugh!"
"No, and I never plan to," Noah said with a laugh, swinging his arm around and pulling Kurt into a brotherly side hug. "C'mon, let's get to class."
-
"Have you ever kissed someone, Kurt?"
Kurt had to fight back a loud laugh. "If by someone you mean the tender crook of my elbow." Mercedes didn't seem to find it as hilarious as he did, "No, I haven't." Kurt watched as her eyes followed Puck and Santana kissing in a corner of the hallway. "Mercedes, do not look up to Noah and Santana of all people for relationship standards. Santana's barely anything but a booty call to Noah and vice versa." Kurt wanted to add that he knew Noah liked someone else anyway but he wasn't going to betray his best friend like that. Mercedes still stared at the two, causing Kurt to sigh.
"Come on," he said, pulling her away from the sight and down the hall. "What have you decided to wear to the spying session?"
Mercedes snorted, "What, is there a dress code?"
"No, but every moment is an opportunity for fashion," Kurt nearly exclaimed. "Honestly, I thought you'd be better about this than Noah…meet me after school and we'll go to the mall to get you an outfit." He bade her goodbye and left down another hallways, not even noticing the three Cheerios swooping down on Mercedes.
-
It was weird at first for Kurt to link arms with Mercedes; she seemed like a cool girl-at least now that she stopped dressing like a Technicolor zebra-but linking arms and cuddling and holding hands were all things reserved for Noah Elijah Puckerman. (Didn't the whole school know that? It wasn't like they were subtle about the touchy-feely aspect of their relationship.) But there the Glee club was at Carmel trying to find out if they could get their choreographer, and she grabbed his arm, and Kurt wasn't about to say no. So he kept it there, ignoring the slightly strange looks shared by Tina and Rachel, whatever those faces were for. Hey, every gay guy needs a fruit fly, right?
"Do you wanna maybe hang out sometime?" she nervously asked.
"Definitely, just let me think about what I have planned." Kurt thought through his schedule for a moment before turning to Santana, "Are you going to have sex-sorry, I mean go out with-Noah on Friday?"
Santana scoffed. "No, I dumped his ass; too low of a credit score."
Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Having to support your own credit card with a pool cleaner salary and donating some of that money to the family budget will do that to you," he replied coolly. Before Santana could reply, he turned his charm and smile back at Mercedes. "Noah's coming over Friday, then, so how about Saturday? There's a Liza Minelli marathon on TMC!" Mercedes agreed and Kurt couldn't help but notice Rachel and Tina share another look before Rachel ran up to talk to one of the Vocal Adrenaline stars.
Mercedes had left Kurt's side to stand with Tina and Rachel when Santana leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Looks like Puck's getting laid Saturday night by his boyfriend, Liberace."
Kurt stiffened and felt his eyes widen; a few years, maybe even months, from now he was sure he would find it hilarious that people could think that Noah and him felt anything but friendship for the other. But now he couldn't laugh when someone obviously seemed to know that he was…gay. Santana smirked as he gulped, flouncing back to her Cheerio friends. She was going to tell someone, wasn't she? Oh God…
"Hey, Kurt, c'mon," Mercedes said from Kurt's side, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the school with the rest of the Glee club. Kurt held her arm tighter for comfort. It may not have been Noah, but it was something.
-
"So Santana broke up with me," Noah sighed sitting on the Hummel's couch.
"Woah, Déjà vu," Kurt deadpanned, not looking up from the magazine he was reading in cross-legged lap. "I do admire the fact that you actually tried to make it a relationship, though, since people don't accept the idea of friends with benefits that well around here."
"Yeah, well…" Noah trailed off, not knowing how to respond to that. "It was for a stupid reason though."
"Your credit score?" Kurt supplied. When Noah gave him a look that asked how he knew that he said, "Santana told me when I was asking her if you would be busy tonight or not. Mercedes wanted to hang out."
"Awwww, Li'l Kurtie's got a date!" Noah said in a baby-talk voice, reaching forward to pinch Kurt's cheeks.
"Stop it, you brute!" Kurt yelled, whacking his arms out of the way. Noah kept moving towards him, though, so Kurt kept squirming until he accidentally fell off the couch. Puck punched the air and whooped in victory, lying down on the couch to claim it as his. But he didn't notice Kurt reach up before it was too late and his stomach was being tickled mercilessly.
Few people (Kurt) knew about Puck's not so badass ticklish spot on his stomach, but once someone (Kurt) found it, that someone (Kurt) would use it mercilessly until that someone (Kurt) was victorious in whatever they were fighting over. And this was no exception; before long, Puck was strewn across the floor, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, even though Kurt had stopped his attack a few moments ago and was now lying his head on Noah's chest, trying not to laugh his ass off.
After a few minutes the two finally pulled themselves together. "So what are you going to do now that you and Santana are no more?" Kurt asked, not lifting his head from the strong muscles of Noah's chest.
Noah pulled his arm around Kurt's shoulder to help support the weight. "Y'know how that Glee club guy has a music group with Coach and the pedophile teacher?" Kurt made a small noise of affirmation, allowing his hands to dance along Puck's upper abs. "Well, y'know I love some cougars and I know old people love groups like that, so…I joined."
Kurt darted up and sat to face his best friend. "Wait, you won't join Glee club, even though the girl you like is in it and your best friend is in it, but you'll join Acafellas? Seriously?"
With a sigh Puck pulled himself up into a sitting position. "You know I can't steal Quinn from Finn, that's wrong on like a hundred different levels, so of course I don't want to put myself around her." Kurt rolled his eyes but nodded in agreement. "Coach is already pissed off enough that Finn has some conflicts with glee and Coach likes him more, so I'm not going to risk it. And, well…this one will get me laid."
The last comment earned him a smack on the arm but Kurt decided to let the subject go. "Well, invite me to your first concert, I guess."
"This Sunday at the PTA meeting," Noah answered with a small smile. "Too bad I'm not playing guitar for it…total panty wetter." Before he knew it one of the throw pillows-he's certain he only knew that term because of Kurt-was hitting him across the face. Oh, Kurt was so going down.
-
"Oh no ohnoohnoohnoohnoohnoohno…" was the first thing Noah heard when he pulled into the Glee club car wash. Kurt was bent over the hood of his car, cried out and looking so hopeless.
"Hey, hey, hey, shhhh…" Noah mumbled as he pulled Kurt into a hug, praying that none of the window shatterings had caught onto Kurt's outfit. A while later Kurt finally started breathing evenly and he pulled away from Noah. He still looked horrible and completely miserable, but at least he stopped muttering the same words over and over.
"C'mon, Kurt, it'll be okay. I'm going to go tell that Berry chick that you're leaving. Then we'll get to your dad's and get a tow truck, okay?" Noah said gently. Kurt nodded, took Noah's keys, and went to sit himself down in the old beat up pick up.
"Your friendship is very sweet," said a voice from behind him. When he turned around he found none other than that Berry chick standing there with a crooked smile on her lips. "Especially since you're the residential badass and he's so flaming he shouldn't be allowed near gas stations-not that I have any problem with that, since I have two gay dads; you see they mixed their sperm together and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know how you were conceived; I think all of Lima does."
Rachel pouted for a minute before talking again, "Well, I was just going to say it's funny how close you guys really are. I mean, everyone sees you have lunch by yourselves together and hug and stuff, but seeing it in action when he's in shock is pretty touching." Rachel smiled, "Well, I got to go back to work, Puck. Wish I knew what happened to his car, but at least he's okay." She looked over at his car and turned back to him, "You know, you could always go ahead and get your car washed while you're here; it's all for a good cause!"
Puck rolled his eyes and walked away. He went to his truck only to discover that Kurt was playing the mix CD he made Noah on his sixteenth birthday-there was no other way he had Wicked in his car. Wordlessly, Noah pulled out of the parking lot.
After a few moments with no talking, Kurt groaned in frustration. "I am never trying to make new friends ever again." He gave a small kick to the dashboard, and Noah barely managed to contain a laugh at how pathetic it was. "Freaking Mercedes just out of nowhere asked if we could become official."
"Wait…what?"
"Apparently she thought we were going on dates."
"But dude, you're so obvi-" he stopped that thought when Kurt sent a glare his way, "But why?"
Kurt shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. So I tried saying I'm in love with someone else and I was looking clearly at Finn but she thought I meant Rachel so…I just went with it. Then she took a brick and bust the window on my car!" Kurt put his head in his hands and almost yelled, "She hurt my baby and dad's going to kill me now."
"Dude, that's, like, a felony," Noah said in shock.
"I know…but I'm not reporting it; my dad can replace it for pretty cheap, I just may not see my baby again until I graduate from college."
"What are you going to tell him then? If you tell him the truth he'll want to report her or at least punish her."
Kurt sat up straight and looked out the window. "I'll just tell him one of those stupid jocks went too far."
They pulled into the driveway of the tire shop and sat there for a while as Kurt tried to build up the courage to go in. "Want me to come with you?" Noah asked.
"No," Kurt replied with a shake of his head. "You have Acafellas rehearsal to get to anyways. I'll be fine." He exhaled and finally got out of the car, waving goodbye as he walked into the garage.
Later Noah got a text that his dad took his car away just to get it repaired but if anyone asked it was because his dad found his tiara collection. Puck laughed aloud at that idea; if Kurt actually got punished every time his dad found a tiara in his room, Kurt would never be able to leave the house.
-
"I did tell you how great you were yesterday, right?" Kurt asked as he and Noah stood in front of his locker, Kurt fixing his hair and Noah eyeing the various Cheerios that walked by.
"Yeah, not that you needed to tell me, I know I rocked that shit," Noah said with a laugh.
"Too bad about Josh Groban, though."
Puck shrugged. "I'm not surprised, Mr. Ryerson is creepy and I didn't really believe him." It was then that he realized a girl with a guilty expression was walking down the hallway towards Kurt. "Dude, look," he said, gesturing with his head. Kurt tensed when he saw Mercedes coming towards him. Noah placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and leaned over to whisper, "Just remember that you don't have to tell her anything, okay?" Kurt nodded.
"Hey, Kurt," Mercedes said, "Um, hey Puck."
"Hi," Kurt replied, turning back to his locker to look through his stuff. Puck simply nodded his head in a greeting, not letting his hand leave Kurt's shoulder.
Mercedes looked at Puck as if she thought he would leave but eventually she realized that error of that thought and continued to talk to Kurt. "Look, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry about what I did. And I hope that you and Rachel have a happy life together. You'll have very loud babies," she said with a laugh. Kurt didn't seem to find it as hilarious as she did. Giving a small smile she started to walk away.
Kurt bit his lip before calling out for her, "Mercedes, wait." She hesitantly came back to him and Puck.
"Look, Mercedes, I lied. I don't like Rachel. The truth is…" Noah squeezed his shoulder and Kurt grabbed onto that hand with one of his before finally managing to say, "I'm gay."
The girl looked from Kurt and Puck in shock. "Kurt…why didn't you just tell me? Or at least the Glee club? You know glee is all about accepting yourself."
Kurt closed his locker and said, "I'm just not that brave, I guess." Puck wanted to argue that Kurt was talking a whole bunch of BS since no one was braver than Kurt, but he managed to stop himself.
"You can tell me anything, okay? I want to be your friend, even if you're just used to having Puck over here," she said. "Just trust me, okay, sugar?" Kurt nodded. She looked at Puck and added, "And we can try to be friends too, okay? You just have to be willing to let me borrow him for shopping trips every once in a while, okay?"
"Please do, oh my God," Puck begged. Kurt lightly smacked his arm and all three of them laughed. Kurt smiled as Puck draped his arms around his neck; yeah, it was always going to be him and Noah above everyone else, but adding Mercedes to his list of friends was one of the best decisions he made.
Then, without warning, Mercedes pulled Kurt into a hug, meaning that Puck's hand was now in between the two of them. Unexpected second base in the morning? God he was a fucking badass.