The War || Samcedes
Who: 10 year old Mercedes Jones and Sam Evans with Courtney Holland and James Matthews
What: Sam and Mercedes have a falling out when they each make new friends.
Where: School and Home
Notes: None
@thelegendevans
Sam was always happy to see Mercedes. She was his best friend in the whole world. He smiled at how excited Mercedes was but the smile faded when he met her new friend Courtney. Mercedes was his friend, and he didn't like how excited she was about Courtney. So he put on a fake smile. "That's nice Mercedes. My dad bought me a new Mario Kart game for my Nintendo. You want to come over after school to play?"
Mercedes nodded. “She has a pool too!” Mercedes said knowing Sam had to be impressed with that. “Mario Kart? Yes! Can Courtney come too?” She asked oblivious too Sam not being happy.
Her having a pool was cool, but Sam didn't want to admit that to Mercedes. Sam didn't want Courtney to come. But he didn't want to hurt Mercedes’s feelings when she was so obviously happy about a new friend. Why did Mercedes need a new friend anyway? "I only have two controllers though."
Mercedes shrugged. “You guys can play and I can watch. I know how to share, momma said I was the best at it. Let me go ask her if she can come over your place!” She said turning to leave but stopped. “Also she gonna sit with us on the bus!” Mercedes said happily. “
"But three people sharing a seat is crowded." Sam shouted at Mercedes, but she was already running off to Courtney. Sam turned around and sat on the curb waiting for recess to be over. He didn't like this new feeling of being replaced.
After school, Sam got on the bus and went to the seat that he and Mercedes always sat. He sat on the end so she can have the window seat. Normally they arrived at the same time, but today he got there first and looked eagerly down the aisle for her.
Mercedes and Courtney chatted away as they got to the bus. Mercedes and Courtney seemed to have a lot in common and she liked that about them. As they got on the bus, Mercedes lead them to Sam. "Sammy guess what? Courtney's mom is gonna take us to the Zoo. Sammy scoot over." She said sitting on the seat so Courtney could sit across from her. As they sat down, Mercedes bounced in her seat.
Sam's smile faded when Mercedes said they were going to the zoo. "I thought you were coming over to play Mario Kart." Sam slid over and couldn't help but think that things were changing between them and he didn't like that feeling one bit.
Mercedes nodded. “We are just tomorrow maybe… you can come too Courtney said her mom said we all could go as long as our moms said it was okay.” She turned to look at Sam and smiled brightly. “So we can ask as soon as we get home.”
"Oh, I forgot that me and my dad were going to throw the football around today after school. But have fun at the zoo." Sam turned so he could stare out the window.
Mercedes watched Sam but nodded looking back at Courtney. Sam was acting weird, she just didn’t know why. As they made it to their bus stop she grabbed Sam’s hand as she always did and pulled him off the bus with Courtney following them. “Courtney I am gonna go ask my mom right now and I will come right over.” She said pulled Sam towards their houses. “Sam, you sure you don’t wanna come? We get to get slushies.”
Sam wanted to go because he loved the zoo, but he wasn't in the best of moods and didn't want to bring everyone down. "I'm sure. Have fun for us both. Bye Mercedes." Without waiting for a response, Sam went into his house and went straight into his room to play video games. He needed a distraction.
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Mercedes walked over to Sam's desk with the picture she made. Art wasn’t her favorite subject but she was proud of her canvas. She made flowers and a blue sky. Plus a lot of green, Sam’s favorite color. “Sammy look at my picture I think its the best one yet.” She said holding it up.
Sam was drawing the Animaniacs, one of his favorite cartoon characters when Mercedes showed him her picture. “You draw really good Cedes. I really like the flowers. You should add some cows so they are munching on the grass.” Sam still felt worried that Mercedes was replacing him, but he wasn’t going to show her that. And besides, he really did like her drawing. “How was the zoo?”
Mercedes laughed. "Cows? I can’t draw cows." She placed her paper down. "It was awesome, we are going to the Fort after School," The for was Mercedes treehouse. No one but she and Sam had ever been there.
“Drawing Cows is easy. I can show you if you want, or draw them for you.” Sam’s eyes bulged when she said she was taking Courtney to the Fort. That was their special spot. “But you just met her. Are you sure she’s worthy of the fort?”
"Maybe show me later?" Mercedes nodded. "She is! You should come too and help me show her so we all can be friends!" She asked hopefully.
Sam’s eyes dropped to his drawing in front of him. “How do you like my picture? I drew the Animaniacs. One of my favorite cartoons.” Sam hoped that she wouldn’t mind him changing the subject.
She looked at it. "It’s awesome but Sam you draw real good anyways." She put his picture down. "Are you gonna come to the fort?"
Sam knew better than to think that she would just drop it. “I don’t know. If you want me to come then I will.” Sam went back to his drawing. Maybe he should give this girl a chance.
"Of course I want you too she's my best friend now too." Mercedes sat next to him. "Oh and guess what? Her dad is taking us to Disney on ice!"
That was it. Sam was not happy. Mercedes was his friend. Ever since Courtney came, it's like Mercedes forgot about him. "I can't. I promised to spend more time with Stevie and Stacy. Have fun." Sam got and began preparing to go home.
Mercedes frowned. "Sam why can't you play with them later?" She watches him gather his things, and the teacher calls for her to do the same. "We will talk on the bus." She said turning. As she walked away, someone bumped her. Seeing it was James she frowned. "Watchout!" James just shrugged and kept moving. Mercedes sighed going back to her desk.
Sam didn't want to talk about anymore. He needed a new friend since Mercedes had one. He knew he couldn't replace her but at least he could keep busy with someone else. He saw James stick his tongue out a Mercedes when her back was turned, and figured he could be a good friend. He walked up to James and smiled. "Do you like video games?" James looked at him and nodded. "Great! You're my new best friend!" James shrugged. "Okay." Sam beamed. "Good! Sit with me on the bus?" James nodded. "Ok." They both lined up and when they got on the bus, Sam sat in the seat that him and Mercedes usually sit and James sat next to him. Sam felt good about this.
Mercedes watched Sam lined up, she knew something was bothering him, she just didn't know what it was, so she figured they could talk about it on the bus. As she made her way to her seat, she frowned seeing James in her seat. Moving towards it she folded her arms. "That's my seat! You gotta move!"
Sam was telling James all about his games when Mercedes popped up. He could tell she was unhappy, but James was his new friend. James frowns at Mercedes. "Your name isn't on it. I can sit where I want." James doesn't move and Sam could see if he didn't interfere, things would turn badly. "Mercedes, James is my new best friend. He likes video games also."
Mercedes eyed James. "I dont care if hes your new best friend that my seat!" She insisted. "Move!" James continued to sit there and the driver told her to take a seat she grew angrier. "Move!!" James smiled sticking his tongue out at her. "Make me." The driver said to sit again. Court pulled Mercedes to her seat behind Sam and James and Mercedes sat back staring at them. This meant war.
Sam never saw Mercedes so angry before. It was just a seat. He felt bad that he let James take her seat, but she had Court now. "Mercedes is psycho. I mean it's just a seat." Sam startled at James voice. "If I were you, I wouldn't say that too loud. Anyway, are you coming to my house after school? We can play with my power rangers." As James and Sam continued talking, their bus stop came. Come on James, I'll introduce you to my mom and siblings. My dad is at work." The continued talking as they walked off the bus. Sam turned around and wave to Mercedes. "See ya later Merce."
Mercedes was livid, and when she was livid she was petty. The entire bus ride was spent plotting her revenge and now she was gonna get it. When Sam waved at her she rolled her eyes and stuck her nose up at him. He was no longer her friend. Courtney had to run home and change then she would come back over. Coming in the house her mom smiled. "Hey Merce! How was school?" Mercedes just shrugged. Amelia looked at her. "Where is Sam? Doesn't he usually come over after school? I haven't seen him in a few days." Mercedes folded her arms. "Sam's not my best friend anymore." She walked away and to her room, grabbing her supplies, then snuck into her brothers rooms for more ammo. "They wont know what hit them."
After calling James parents to let them know where he was, the boys immediately ran back outside to throw a football around. The twins were taking a nap and Mary didn't want Sam and James to wake them up. "How many little brother and sisters do you have?" James asked curiously. "Just two. They're twins." James nodded in understanding. Your mom seems cool." Sam beamed. "She's the best." Sam and James continued tossing the ball around not aware of any danger that may be brewing next door.
Mercedes had began to fill up the water Balloons when her mom let Courtney in. Once the girl's were done filling the balloons and water guns, they used the Forts dolly to lift it inside. Courtney looked over at Sam and James. "Are they gonna be mad?" Mercedes shrugged. "Probably but I don't care." Courtney nodded. "I don't care either." Mercedes grabbed the super soaker and pushed the bucket of balloons to the window. Grabbing two balloons she looked out of it. "Hey butt heads? This is for sitting in my seat!" She yelled unleashing the water balloons at Sam and James.
Sam and James were having fun one minute and the next they knew, they were being attacked by water balloons and water guns. "What are you doing?!" Sam yelled while trying to take cover. "Man she's crazy. All of this because I sat in her seat?" Sam shrugged. "Stop talking and grabbed the hoses." James looked around before replying. "There's only one, what will I use?" Before Sam could reply, a balloon hit him square in the face. "That's it! James get the hose from Mercedes house. Will soak them from both sides." James nods and leave, but becomes target practice for Mercedes and Court. Sam got his hose and him and James started soaking up the tree house and Mercedes and Court. "Surrender!"
Mercedes and Court squirts them more but when they spray them with the hoses she screamed and Court dropped the gun and grabbed her hair. “My hair!! I just got it done! That's it.” She grabbed the super soaker and aimed at James’ head as Mercedes shot Sam right in the face. “You will pay!!!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
James laughed at wetting Court's hair but when she started shooting him and not missing he regretted it. Sam could barely see with how much water is in eyes because of Mercedes, so he felt no remorse about Courtney's hair. He increased the pressure of the hoes and blasted the whole tree house soaking both girls. "You started it, but will finish it!"
“UGH!!!” They both screamed deciding to abandon the tree house. They climbed down the back and Mercedes lead her to the mud pile that contractors left, her parents were having a pool put in. Hiding behind the pile, they grabbed handfuls of Mud and started throwing it at the boys.
Sam and James had big smiles thinking that the girls retreated. "Yea, that'll teach you to mess with us." The celebration was short lived when the girls began to throw mud at them. James turned to Sam. "What now?" Sam found some mud patches my the tree house the girls abandoned. "Follow my lead." Sam ran to the tree house, picked up some mud and began throwing it at the girls. James followed suit.
Amelia was in the kitching, working on dinner when a glob of mud hit the window. “What in the world?” She looked out of it and her eyes grew wide seeing what was happening. She ran outside screaming. “What are you kids doing?! Stop this now!” Mercedes froze seeing her mom. “They started it!” She said pointing to Sam and James.
"No, Mercedes started it!" James yelled. Hearing all the commotion, Mary came out. She intended on telling them to lower their voices because the twins were still sleep. But her mouth flew open at the scene in front of her. "Oh my god Sam. What did you do?" Sam didn't know what to say to his mother or Mrs. Jones. "I'm sorry for messing up your backyard Mrs. Jones." Mary shook her head. "Sam, sometimes sorry doesn't fix it." Mary looked at her son disappointed.
Amelia angrily moved towards Mercedes. "Mercedes Amelia Jones what has gotten into you! I have never been so disappointed in you then I am right now. This is a complete mess." Mercedes looked to the ground. "I'm sorry mommy I am but Sam-" Amelia held up her hands. "I do not want to hear it."
"Amelia, I don't know what has gotten into my son, but Dwight and I will pay for any damages." Mary was just confused. "I thought you two were best friends. Friends don't throw mud at each other. "She isn't my best friend anymore. James is my new best friend and Court is hers."
Amelia shook her head. “No Mary it's okay, they were fixing back here anyways I am more concerned with this. Mercedes you and Sam aren’t friends anymore?” She shook her head, “No he chose James! He gave him my seat!” She said defensively. Amelia rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I think I see what is going on Mary.”
Mary, understood also. “Yea, I’m starting to see also.” Sam didn’t think anyone would understand how he was feeling. “She replaced me with Courtney. It used to be just me and Mercedes, and then when Courtney came, she forgot all about me and liked her more than me. So, I got a new friend, and replaced her. I didn’t think him sitting in her seat would be a big deal, since there aren’t assigned seats on the bus anyway.” Mary just shook her head at Sam. She knew he cared for Mercedes, but she didn’t think he would get jealous of her making new friends. “Sam, Mercedes wasn’t trying to exclude you, in fact, she invited you, but you turned her down. You don’t own Mercedes. She can have a million friends, and still care about you, and want to be your friend.” Sam was still sad. “But she threw water in my face and mud at me for no reason!”
Mercedes folded her arms, she wanted to scream at Sam but his mom said what she was feeling. She was hurt that he thought she replaced him. "You stopped being my friend first! And gave my seat away I sat with you everyday since we moved here. I never gave Court your seat." She said her voice full of hurt." Courtney moved closer. "Mercedes and I thought we were all friends." She confirmed but Sam made her cry." Amelia sighed. "If you were hurt by Sam you should have talked to him, not spray him and attack him." Mercedes nodded still upset but knowing her mom was right.
"Sam, don't you have something to say to Mercedes?" Mary didn't want to see their friendship dissolve over a misunderstanding. "I'm sorry Mercedes." Sam felt embarrassed so he ran to his room, and shortly after James followed. Mary looked at Sam's retreating form sadly. She turned back to Mercedes. "He'll come around. He's a little embarrassed. Why don't you come over tomorrow after school for some cookies and milk and you and Sam can talk things through?"
Mercedes felt tears come to her eyes and turned to go inside with Courtney on her heels. Both parents could hear Mercedes ask Court why Sam hated her so much." Amelia sighed. "Those two, what are we gonna do with them?"
"I think this will make their friendship stronger. It's clear that they care about each other a lot. Just give it sometime I guess." Mary hoped time was all they needed. "Anyway, I have to get started with dinner. And I meant what I said about Mercedes coming over for cookies and milk, if she wants to of course."
“I will make sure she is there, they are too close to let them define their friendship.” Hugging Mary, Amelia made her way to Mercedes room, she and Court were in the bathroom washing off the mud. Amelia sighed as Mercedes looked at her. “I am still very upset with you girl's but I do understand what happened.” Mercedes looked down at her hands picking at the mud. “He replaced me.” She said softly. “Me and Court wanted to include him but he replaced me…” Amelia moved closer to hug her. “Sweetie boys are complicated at this age, well at every age. So just go over there tomorrow and give it time.”
After Sam and James washed up, Mary called them to help her with dinner while the twins sat in their high chairs. "So Sam, I'm sorry you and Mercedes had a falling out. But you do understand that she wanted for you to also be friends with Courtney. And you know she wouldn't replace you right?" Sam nodded. "I want to be her friend. It was just hard sharing her. She's my bestest friend." Mary smiled sadly at him. "Maybe you should tell her that tomorrow."
After dinner, james mom picked him up and Sam went to his room. He hoped that Mercedes would forgive him. He didnt mean for anything to turn into a fight. Sam wasn't the best at expressing himself, so he drew Mercedes a 'I'm sorry' card. He drew them on the Swings at Mercedes backyard. He was pushing her. That was the first time they played together. He wrote, Dear Mercedes, you are my bestest friend in the whole world. I am sorry how I treated you. I should not have given James you seat. Please forgive me, Your best friend, Sam Evans." He climbed out his window carefully, and crossed the lawn to Mercedes window. He knocked, hoping that she wasn't sleeping yet.
After they got cleaned, Courtney headed home and Mercedes helped clean the windows. Once they were done and dinner was finished, Mercedes made her way to her room. She hated that Sam seemed to hate her now, and gave James her seat. Right now she just figured she had a hard time letting go when she was hurt, in the future she would learn it was just her petty nature. Getting ready for bed she heard a knock and went to the window. She saw Sam and folded her arms. “What do you want?”
Sam could see that Mercedes was still mad at him and he couldn't blame her. "I made you a card. Just wanted to say I'm sorry. I leave it out here if you want to read it." He turned to leave letting his card do the talking for him.
Mercedes watched Sam walk away and opened her window fully to take the card. She read it and smiled. Sam knew her and knew what she liked. She didn’t go after him, she would talk to him tomorrow.
The next day, Mercedes was happy to make her way over to Sam’s. She was ready to forgive him and move on and maybe they could all be friends, well everyone except James, she hated james. She knocked on his door and waited for him to answer.
Mary took the cookies out of the oven and went to answer the door. "Hi Mercedes. Come in." Mary closed the door behind her and called Sam. "Sammy. Mercedes is here!" Sam came bouncing to the front door. He was happy to see her but he didn't know what to say. "Well, I'll let you two talk while the cookies cool off." Mary made her way to the kitchen. "Um, I just want to say sorry for being jealous of you making new friends." Sam felt embarrassed, but at least he got it out of the way.
Looking at Sam as she came inside she searched to see if James was there. Mercedes heard his apology and sighed. “I am sorry for squirting you and throwing mud...at you...though not sorry about doing it to James.” She said honestly.
A small smile came across Sam's face. "So can we be friends again? James won't sit in your seat anymore." Sam felt bad that Mercedes was still mad at James. It was his fault that James sat their. He'll just tell James to apologize the next time they see each other.
Mercedes hesitated for a moment then smiled softly. “Yes we can be friends again.” She said moving towards the kitchen. She would tell him not to let James near her seat again tomorrow for today she was happy with it being just the two of them.
