Another day at McKinley's highschool for Tina. After hours of classes and Glee practice, she was really glad the day was finally finished. She was already thinking about taking a nice, long, and relaxing bath since the second period. As she meddled with her locker, trying to stuff the thick Biology textbook between the mess, she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey woman, may I have a sec?"
She looked behind her and saw Artie on his trusty wellchair. He looked a bit nervous. They hadn't talked since Tina told the truth about her stutter. She was still hurt inside, but she tried her best to put a somewhat friendly expression.
"What is it?"
"I...I've been thinking about what I said about your stutter, and I feel bad for being such a jerk. I would like to properly apologize, so...can you come to my house this evening?"
"I...don't know." Tina averted her eyes from Artie's hopeful gaze, "To terr you the truth, werr, I'm still a bit hurt."
"Please? Give me a chance, woman. I'll let you use the kitchen if you want to. My parents won't be home tonight. But there are ingredients for sandwiches, so maybe you can make me some and we'll eat them together,"
"Werr..." Tina played with her hair. She never visited Artie's home before, although she had expressed passing interest multiple times. "Sure, I guess. Wourd 7 p.m. do?"
"It'd be perfect!" Artie's face was beaming with joy. "See you, woman!"
Although Artie couldn't see it, Tina kept looking at his back until Artie was out of sight. Her feelings were conflicted, but after she agreed to come, it would be unfair to bail out. But before that, she had to prepare one more thing...
With a loud crash, Tina's car successfully stopped, although it had cost Mr. Abrams his garage. Carefully avoiding the wreckage, Tina stepped outside of her car and stood in front of the front door. The Abrams' house was neat, with perfectly painted walls and beatifully tended garden with begonias as the main foliage. She rung the bell and waited.
A few moments later, she heard the faint whirs of Artie's wheelchair and the front door swung open, abruptly hitting Tina's face. She could only feel intense pain and by the warm sensation and smell of iron, it seemed that her nose was bleeding.
"That's for my garage, woman. Now, come inside. But don't stain the floor with your nasty blood, okay?"
Although everything looked as if they were tinted in a weird red color, Tina managed to make her way into Artie's home. Artie led her to the kitchen, clean and shiny, equipped with various modern appliances. Artie turned his wheelchair to face Tina, and said in his usual condescending voice.
"So, woman, as you can or cannot see, here's the kitchen. Everything you'd need should be in the cupboard or fridge. Now be a good girl and make me good fat sanwiches, understand? I'll be waiting in the dining room" he nodded to a door by the fridge, "Don't take too long, I'm starving already,"
Holding back her bitter tears, Tina proceeded to prepare the ingredients for the sandwich. She found them easily enough, and laid each and every one of them on the counter. A loaf of bread, sliced cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon strips...
She pulled the final ingredient from her skirt's pocket. A little bottle she borrowed from the chem lab earlier today. The label on it said KCN. She smiled and kissed the little bottle before putting it next to the loaf of bread. She nervously looked at the door to the dining room, but there was no danger to be found.
With years of experience, Tina skillfully made the sandwich in admirably short time, and the end result was a plate full of mouth-watering sandwiches, intricately decorated with tomatoes and lettuces. She stuffed the KCN bottle deep inside her pocket again, weighing slightly less than before.
Knocking the dining room door, Tina put on her best smile, hoping to look completely normal. Artie's funny voice immediately answered.
"Come in."
With a creak, Tina opened the door.
She nearly dropped the plate out of shock. Beside the dinner table, with one hand holding a wine glass filled with red wine, there was Artie. He was – Tina blinked a few times in succession out of disbelief – standing.
"Artie...you...your legs...,"
Artie chuckled and the look of satisfaction on his face sent a shiver down Tina's spine.
"That's right, woman. I'm just as normal as you are. Did you think you're the only one who can fake a disability?"
With her hands still carrying the plate – which took some effort, as her hands were shaking along with the rest of her body – she took a step forward.
"But...what about your parents? Do you trick them arso?"
"Not very sharp, are you? Well, I wouldn't expect anything more from your kind, but very well, I might as well tell you. I ran away from their house years ago. I'm living by myself now."
"But...why?" Tina's voice was hoarse, and she could faintly feel that tears were dripping from her eyes.
"To avoid suspicion, of course. No one would suspect the poor nerd on the wheelchair right? And everyone was so stupid to buy it – even the men!"
"I...I..."
Artie laughed. His laugh was somehow different from the laugh Tina was used to. It felt...cold and mocking.
"Oh woman...! No need to start faking your stutter again! Now give me those gorgeous sandwiches."
With tears still running down her face, Tina reluctantly walked towards the man she thought she knew so well. Was everything a lie? But before she could think about it further, she was standing in front of Artie. He looked down to the platter of sandwiches and picked up one from the top of the stack.
"Ah, glorious woman-made sandwich. It teases mey appetite so. But before that...would you be so subservient to taste it for me? You don't know what a woman might put in a sandwich."
Tina's heart froze. Artie was already holding the sandwich just about an inch away from Tina's face. Her brain quickly started to weigh her options. The kitchen door was two feet away from her. Can she make it?
The only sound was the clock on the wall over the dinner table, ticking, waiting.
Tina threw the platter at Artie and started to sprint with all her might. Running for her life. Born and raised in a city, she never had to protect herself from such primal danger, but now she fully understood how a zebra would feel as it was running from a predator.
The wooden door leading to the kitchen was her golden ticket to freedom; she would run far, far, away, go to the police, and everything would be fine. Tomorrow, she'd go to school again, go through the boring lessons, attend Glee club practice...and everything would be just fine.
She kicked the door open.
On the counters, everything she used to cook were still there, even though it must have been at least a year since she prepared the sandwiches long ago...
And then, she was pulled back into the dining room.
'What happened? Did I trip?'
It was Artie.
With surprising strength, the bespectacled boy had grabbed Tina's wrist and stopped her run for freedom.
"Woman...no, Tina...why hurry? You haven't tasted the sandwich..."
Artie pinned her down to the cold marble floor. Tina no longer recognized the face in front of her. The twisted face was vaguely familiar, the vile person looked just like her ex, Artie Abrams. Was it really him?
Artie grabbed Tina's nose with his free hand and pinched it. It didn't hurt, but as Tina continued to struggle, she quickly lost her breath. But...she could see the sandwich tucked in neatly behind Artie's sweater.
Her kicks and punches were meaningless, a futile effort. Artie was much stronger than her. Then, her instincts betrayed her. She opened her mouth, her lungs desperate for air...
Everything looked as if it was played in slowmotion. Artie pulled out the sandwich...
He stuffed it into Tina's mouth...and after a quaint bitter taste, everything was black. Tina Cohen-Chang was no longer there.