Picture Perfect - Book 2 - Q.F.

Epilogue: Secret dates

Maybe it would have been a better idea to send Piper with Mercedes to grab their coffees instead of Sam. Or even Sam and Piper would be a better combination. But, considering they were already using Piper's car for their little adventure that day and Quinn was paying for the expenses with gas and food, it was only fair Sam and Mercedes did something for the pair of them.

Besides, they were having so much fun, laughing together in the backseat of Piper's car as Quinn tried to draw Piper's picture with her girlfriend's guidance, but failing miserably considering she had no talent whatsoever for it, that it didn't seem fair to them to pull Piper away from it just so Mercedes and Sam wouldn't be together at the Lima Bean.

See, there was the situation: Quinn and Piper were now officially dating and even though neither of the girls had bothered to make an official announcement out of it, the whole glee club kind of knew anyway. But, of course, as her best friend, Mercedes made a point of going deep into this and ask Piper for all the details she had missed. And so she gave them to her, telling her all about their conversation before Nationals where, not only had Quinn asked her to be her girlfriend, she had also admitted to love her. And, of course, Mercedes was excited, but her digging had backfired when, as soon as Piper was done with her own story, she pressed Mercedes for hers.

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Oh, please..." Piper rolled her eyes then. "You and Sam have been closer since prom. And don't think I didn't see him running to hug you after our performance at Nationals."

So that was how they found themselves in that situation: the four of them being the only ones who knew about each other's secret couples which, obviously led to a few secret double dates where they found out the four of them actually got along amazingly well.

"You really think they don't suspect anything?" Mercedes caught herself asking Sam again as soon as they were out of the Lima Bean with four drinks and two muffins to go.

"No one knows anything, Mercedes, would you relax?" Sam smiled at his girlfriend then, walking back toward Piper's car so they could meet up with her and Quinn again after having gotten them their orders.

"No, bub!" They could hear Piper giggling as soon as they opened the door of the car and slid on the front seats. "Not like this! You need to think about the shadows."

"Oh, I can't do this, I give up!" Quinn laughed, giving Piper her sketchbook back.

Grabbing it from her, Piper took a look at the attempt of a portrait that Quinn had managed there and laughed.

"You know, it's not that bad." She mumbled as Quinn rolled her eyes with a smile.

"No need to lie to me, angel. This sucks." She said, leaning forward a bit so her head was in between the two front seats. " Now... Which one is mine?"

"Here." Sam said, handing her two cups and a small package. "This is yours, this is P's and this is the muffin you asked for. Is it right?"

"Yeah, thanks." Quinn nodded, peeking at the muffin after handing Piper her drink.

"Hey, P? You know who we met in there?" Mercedes asked as Piper shook her head. "Kurt and Blaine."

"No way!" Piper laughed after taking a sip of her drink. "Did they see you together?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "We told them we met at the parking lot."

"And did they buy it?" Quinn asked.

"Not sure." Mercedes shrugged. "Sam says he doesn't think anyone suspects but you know Kurt..."

"Yeah, dude, he has a... Sixth sense or something, I don't even know." Piper giggled.

"Trust me... I know." Sam mumbled, as Quinn laughed.

"Oh, come on... We could all tell that hair color wasn't natural, Sam." She teased as the boy sent her a playful glare.

As Piper laughed, Mercedes sent Sam as small smile.

"I think it looks cute." She admitted causing everyone in the car to stop for a second and turn to her, surprised. Mercedes blushed a bit then, coughing awkwardly as Piper snorted a laugh. "Anyway... We had our coffee stop, so, where are we heading next?"

Sam chuckled then, leaning across the car to place a kiss to Mercedes' cheek — which only served to fuel her embarrassment — before buckling his seat belt on and turning on the car again.

"There's a new carnival just across the border in Indiana." Sam said. "We could go there so no one we know will see us."

And, at that, the three girls in the car, exchanged glances, before nodding.

"Let's go, then." Quinn decided, grabbing Piper's hand in hers as she laced their fingers together.

"I get to pick the music!" Mercedes called, as Piper kicked the back of her seat playfully.

"No way!" She protested. "This is my car! We're listening to my music!"

"Not that it matters much, but I'm actually the one driving." Sam said.

"Which is why you can't be distracted." Quinn smirked. "I say we listen to my music."

"Oh, of course you do, princess." Mercedes teased. "That's not how it works here, though."

"I'll have you know my music taste is incredible, Ms. Jones."

And as Piper watched Mercedes, Sam and Quinn interacting and laughing with each other, she couldn't help but smile. After all, there was not a better way for her Junior year to end than this.