Chapter 1
*Artie's POV*
The second hand on the clock ticked by; each small noise made the sweat on the insides of Artie's palms thicker. His mother's long nails rapped against the arm of the oak chair. His father's foot tapped the floor. After minutes that drug on like hours, the too familiar doctor walked into the small office. He removed his white jacket and sat at the desk across from the nervous teen.
"Hello Artie, nice to see you again. We have some news to tell you from your recent evaluations," he said, picking up a manila folder. Artie swallowed the lump in his throat, ready to hear the worst. The doctor cleared his throat and began speaking.
"Your glee club activities will not be restrained. In fact, your mobility has improved by nearly 35%. Contrary to what we originally thought, I am going to encourage you to continue participating in glee club," the doctor explained with a large smile. Artie let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and received large hugs from both of his parents.
"Thank you so much Doctor Stive, I really appreciate everything you have done all these years. ," said Artie, shaking his hand.
"You are very welcome young man. It has been my pleasure to see you grow into the mature young adult you are today. You can go ahead and exit while I talk to your parents," Doctor Stive suggested. Artie shook his head in pure happiness and rolled out of the small office.
He passed the colorful children's ward while making his way down to the lobby. Realizing he had some time, he wheeled himself into the desolate ward. He passed the hallway where the playroom was. Memories of his own flooded back from his youth of the many days he spent in there himself. As he got to the large window, he noticed a short, red headed girl standing on the stage. She was his age and noticed her lips moving in a smooth and graceful manner. Artie entered the room, listening to the angelic sound the girl produced. In the back of his mind, he knew he recognized her from somewhere. Young children sat on the ground surrounding the stage, hypnotized by her voice; the same voice that now captured Artie.
I'll spread my wings
And I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
As the music came to a slow end, the red head smiled and bowed. The kids below her clapped and cheered. Artie found himself clapping and smiling at her breath taking performance. Taking this into thought, he approached her.
*Kelsi's POV*
Kelsi's signature smile spread across her face as the last instrumental note rang through the small auditorium. She raised her head from her bow and looked across the crowd of clapping kids. Near the doorway in the back, she caught a glimpse of a boy in a wheelchair clapping too. Before she had time to think, the children were hugging her and hanging of her limbs.
"You're so good at singing Kelsi! I wanna be just like you!" giggled a small blond girl.
"Aww, thank you Chelsea, you are so sweet!" she exclaimed back, hugging the small girl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy in the wheelchair approaching her. At closer inspection, he recognized the boy from school. Having had a crush on him since she moved to McKinley, she felt herself growing s pink blush.
"I just want to say that was a beautiful performance. You nailed that song, probably better than Kelly herself," joked the smiling boy. Kelsi laughed out loud, feeling her smile grow and her blush get hotter.
"Thank you very much. It's just a hobby that I use to help entertain the kids here. It's nice to meet you, I'm Kelsi Ross," she introduced as she stuck her hand out.
"My name is Artie Abrams, very nice to meet you Kelsi," he said as he shook her hand. Something about the way his skin felt on hers made Kelsi more excited to get to know him. She let go of his hand and went to picking up the toys around the room. Artie joined her, wanting to speak to her more.
"I've seen you around school. I moved here at the end of freshman year, so I don't know many people. Aren't you in glee club?" she asked, already knowing the answer. As he placed the toys onto his lap, he prepared his answer for her.
"Yes I am, and I was going to ask you if you were interested in joining," he said with high confidence. She turned around and looked at Artie with wide eyes and a huge smile. She was jumping for joy in the inside, yet trying to be cool on the outside.
"I don't know if I could balance it with my job, volunteer work, and football. I know I'd really love to go," she said, grabbing the toys lying on Artie's lap. He placed both his hands around hers, looking her directly in the eyes.
"Please Kelsi, it would mean the world to me if you tried to make it," he said, almost begging her. They both felt a spark fly between them as they touched and looked into each other's eyes. She knew at that moment she had to make it work.
"I promise to show up tomorrow. Thank you very much for the invitation Artie," she said as she leaned down and hugged him. Artie felt himself blush and deep tomato red as he hugged her back. They said good-bye and Artie wheeled out to his car where his parents were waiting.
*Artie's POV*
"So Artie is there anything you want to do to celebrate your good news?" asked his mom as they drove down the highway. Artie peered out the window, stuck in day dreams and reliving what happened a few moments earlier. Only one thought ran through his head.
"I'm going to marry that girl someday"
*Kelsi's POV*
Kelsi walked into the house as the clock struck nine. She closed the door and turned around to find her middle aged mother waiting in the door way. Her curly, graying auburn hair sprung out in all different directions. Her plump figure approached Kelsi with a stone-cold and angered expression.
"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded out of Kelsi. She shed her jacket and hung it on the hook behind her. She knew she would say the wrong thing no matter how she put it.
"I was reading the children bedtime stories and singing lullabies to the infants," she answered, preparing for her punishment. Her mother grabbed her wrist, squeezing tighter than a police handcuff. Her long manicured nails pierced Kelsi's pale, white skin. Droplets of blood began to stain her mother's nails.
"Quit lying to me you little bitch. You just spend all your time there to avoid your responsibilities at home. That's why you went out and got that mediocre job making sandwiches all day. That's also why you joined your schools useless football team. I don't see why I even let you leave the house. What's next for your avoidance excuses, joining a convent?" she asked with acid dripping of her tongue. Kelsi knew the answer coming would burn holes through her mother's remaining sanity.
"As satisfying as that option sound, I think I'll pass. Instead, how about I join the schools glee club. I, the biggest failure of a daughter ever, got an invitation to join because of my angelic voice. The best part about it, you still can't do a thing about what I join!" she spouted back. Her mother's face grew red and hot. Kelsi could see the last string of sense snap inside her mother. At that instant, she felt a large, meaty hand slap across her face. The stinging sensation launched her backwards. As she was recovering from the hit, her mother bent her over and shoved her knee into Kelsi's stomach. She couched and gasped attempting to catch her breath. Before she could stand back up, her mother pushed her onto the ground and kicked her in the stomach. Her mother looked down at the crumpled, crying girl and proceeded to spit in her face. Kelsi began coughing and spitting mouthfuls of blood onto the rug she landed on. Her hands clenched her swelling and bruising stomach, attempting to keep herself and contained as possible.
"Hope it was all worth it you little hoe. Oh, and before you go to bed, clean that rug. I don't want your filthy blood staining it. It's worth more than you'll ever be," she said with almost a calm and sarcastic tone. Kelsi waited for the parental demon to ascend the spiral staircase, heading to bed for the night. She lay on the ground for several more minutes, writhing in pain and crying. In the back of her mind, she knew all the beatings would pay off one day.