CH.3: The One With The High School

Morning Outside Lincoln High School.

Mercer steps out of the car, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Now he stands in front of Lincoln High School, the school campus stretches before him the large, intimidating and imposing building, full of students bustling around, chatting with friends and heading to class. He had been here since this is where every one at the orphanage goes, he has been coming here since the beginning, but the novelty hasn't worn off. He sometime see's Ross and Monica but never talked to them because one was one grade above and other below. Mary, noticing the tension on his face, gives him a supportive smile from the driver's seat.

Mary: " I'll see you later, Mercer. I'll be here at 3:00 to pick you up, alright?"

Mercer: nodding "I know, see you later."

Mercer gives her a small wave and watches as she drives off. He watches her car disappear down the street before turning back toward the school entrance. With a deep breath, he walks toward the building, blending in with the sea of students.

Inside the classroom.

Mercer enters his next class—Advanced Science—just as the bell rings. He's been attending Lincoln High since the beginning, but this is his first time in this class after the grade skip. The room is full of students who look slightly older than him, and he feels the weight of being the "new kid" again. And he was excited to meet Ross.

The teacher, Mrs. Keller, stands at the front of the room. Her voice cuts through the buzz of conversation as she smiles at the class.

Mrs. Keller: (she claps her hands a few times) "Alright, everyone, settle down. We've got a new student joining us today."

She gestures toward Mercer, who stands at the back of the class, adjusting his glasses nervously.

Mrs. Keller: "This is Mercer Wayne. He's new to our class, but I'm sure you'll all make him feel welcome."

Mercer: smiling "Hey, everyone."

The class nods and mumbles greetings. During the first break, as the class continues to settle into the lesson, Mercer notices two of the boys in the back sitting in isolation and approaches them. One of them, Ross Geller with curly hair and a friendly smile and the other was a very fat Brad Pitt whom he figured would be Will Colbert from the show, he went toward them and sat next to them and Ross introduced himself.

Ross: "Hey, you're Mercer, right? I'm Ross." (He gestures to his friend, who's taller and a bit more serious looking, but still with a warm smile) "This is Will."

Will: (nodding) "Nice to meet you, man. How's it going?"

Mercer: (shaking both of their hands) "Hey. It's going okay. First time in this class, so I'm just trying to keep up."

Ross: (grinning) "You'll be fine. We've got a pretty chill teacher, and the material isn't too bad. But, uh… if you need any help, let me know. I'm kind of the science guy around here." He gives a mock superhero pose.

Mercer: (laughs nervously) "Thanks, I'll definitely take you up on that." 

Will: (nods in approval) "We all help each other out. It's what we do."

Mercer: "I'm guessing since both of you are seated here in isolation, you guys are the outcasts of the class."

Ross: "Yea, they say I'm too nerdy and geeky to be friends with them and he is too fat, so we became friends."

The trio talks for a moment, Mercer starting to feel more at ease in the class. Just as the bell rings for lunch, Ross claps Mercer on the back.

Ross: "Hey, why don't we all go for lunch at the cafeteria? you coming, Mercer?"

Mercer: (grinning) "Sure, sounds great. Just let me round up what I'm doing." after a few seconds, he was done "Let's go."

In the cafeteria.

Mercer, Ross, and Will walk into the cafeteria, a lively buzz of chatter filling the space. Students are scattered around various tables, and Mercer can feel the energy of the room. As they make their way to a table in the corner, Mercer notices a familiar face sitting at a table nearby—a girl with dark brown hair and a warm smile, surrounded by two other girls. It's Monica Geller from his history class.

Mercer turns his attention to the food line, but he can't help but glance back at the table where Monica is sitting. His attention is caught by the way Monica is talking animatedly with her friends. He recognizes one of them—Rachel Green, a popular girl who always seems to be surrounded by her sisters. Meanwhile, at Monica's table, the conversation is just starting to pick up.

Rachel: (smiling curiously as she looks across the room) "So, who's the guy sitting with Ross and Will? He's new, right? But I feel like I've seen him before."

Monica: (glancing over at Mercer) "Yeah, that's Mercer. He's pretty smart, little bit of a loner. He's been at Lincoln since the beginning, but I think this is his first time hanging out with Ross and Will. Heard he skipped a grade."

Rachel: (nodding) "He seems... interesting. I wonder if he's one of those really quiet types who only talks when absolutely necessary."

Monica: (laughing) "I don't think so. Ross said he's actually friendly. He seems a little shy, though."

Rachel: (exchanges a look with her sisters) "Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Monica's two friends nod in agreement, and after a moment, they all start to head over to the table where Ross, Will, and Mercer are sitting. Mercer exchanged a quick glance with Ross and Will, sensing the tension. Rachel, with her polished confidence and her sisters in tow coming towards this way, seemed like she was used to holding the attention of the entire room. Mercer acted like he didn't know the three arriving blonds, the spoilt Green sisters Rachel, Jill and Amy.

Ross: (pointing at the sisters) "Well, the one in the front is a friend of Monica's while the two behind her are her sisters." while staring lovingly at rachel

Will: (grasping the spoon tightly with anger) "More like a slave and puppet rather than a friend, she acts almighty as if the world revolves around her."

Mercer: "And I'm assuming, she did something bad to you, right?"

Will: "She is making my life here a living hell, she ruined my high school life."

Mercer: "Well, I don't know what to say but that won't happen again."

Mercer said as he saw Rachel And her sisters reach our table and settled on the other side.

Rachel: (smiling) "Hey, I'm Rachel Green, a friend of Monica's."

Jill: "I'm Jill Green, a sister to Rachel, also a friend of Monica's."

Amy: "I'm Amy Green, and I have to say you are are a little popular in school for skipping a grade and yet quite courageous to be associating with the misfits, now isn't that bad?"

Mercer: (giving a deadpan look) "Yeah, I think I'm good Right where I am. The name's Mercer Wayne, friends of the misfits, which also happens to make me a misfit."

Rachel: "Sorry about my sister, she can be a little sassy sometimes."

Amy: "No I'm not, I'm just telling him the truth, there are other people he could hang out with, people like Chip and not people like them."

 Mercer: (ahem) "If you don't mind, we would like to get back to our meal."

Rachel: "Won't be a problem if we were to join you, you see there are no more tables free."

Mercer looked at Ross and Monica as they looked at him while will was just burning in anger at the presence of the sisters.

Mercer: "You can join us but the one named Amy is going to have to find another place to sit down as we don't have any space for someone who doesn't not respect my friends."

Mercer said sorry to Will in his heart as Rachel looked at her sister Amy who was already offended by Mercer's words.

Amy: "Fine, who wants to sit with you anyway."

Amy said that as she walked away. The whole cafeteria was silent as this was the first time that they saw someone put one of the Green sisters in their place.

Will: (whispered to Ross) "One down, two more to go." said as he looked at Rachel and Jill

Ross: (whispered back) "Calm down Will, I think that's enough."

Monica: (gave him a sympathetic look) "Don't take it personally. That's just Amy. She's kind of… complicated and an airhead."

Will: (snorted) "More like a royal pain."

Mercer: "Don't worry about it guys, I'm ok."

Rachel: (turned to Ross with a smile) "How's the chess club going, Ross?"

Ross: "Good, kinda almost won a tournament, but lost because I didn't see my opponents move."

 Jill: (leaned forward with a bright smile) "So, Mercer, are you, like, from New York? Or from somewhere cooler?"

Mercer: "No, I'm from right here. I'm an orphan from the Lincoln Orphanage, so yeah, just been around for a while. Yeah, I skipped the previous grade because I already knew the entire curriculum, so yeah, skipped a grade."

Ross: (leaning in) "So, Mercer, how did you end up skipping a grade?"

Mercer: "I guess I just… knew things. Always been a little ahead."

Will: (raised an eyebrow, giving him a curious look) "You're… kinda mysterious, huh?"

Mercer: (chuckled, brushing it off) "Yeah, guess you could say that."

End of the School Day

The final bell rang, and students poured out of classrooms, eager for the freedom of the afternoon. Mercer lingered by his locker, waiting for Mother Mary's car.

Ross and Will approached him, both looking a bit relieved that the day was finally over.

Ross: (asked with a grin) "Did you survive your first day?"

Mercer: (laughed) "Barely. You weren't kidding about the Sisters."

Will: (rolled his eyes) "They have a reputation. You get used to it."

Just then, Mother Mary's car pulled up at the curb. Mercer's face softened when he saw her. She leaned out the window, waving him over with that warm, motherly smile that always felt like a balm after a long day.

Ross and Will looked over, curious.

Ross: "Is that… your mom?"

Mercer: (corrected gently) "Mother Mary, she runs the orphanage I stay at."

Ross: (nodded, processing the information, while Will looked impressed) "That's… actually pretty cool. She seems nice."

Mercer: (gave them a small smile) "She is. I'll catch you guys tomorrow?"

Ross: "Sure thing, see you tomorrow"

Mercer: "You too, later guys."

And he and Will waved as Mercer jogged to the car. As Mercer slid into the passenger seat, then put on his seatbelt.

Mary: (gave him a searching look) "How was it, Mercer? Your day in the new grade?"

Mercer: (shrugged, glancing out the window) "Not too bad. Made a couple friends, ran into some… characters."

Mary: (chuckled knowingly) "Well, I'm proud of you. You're strong, Mercer. You'll find your way."

 Mercer nodded, feeling a sense of comfort and grounding in her words. She was right. Whatever challenges lay ahead, whether it was the friendship of Rachel Green and his sisters or his own secrets. He had Mother Mary, his friends, and a purpose, even if he didn't fully understand it yet.