All standard disclaimers apply.
Mike/Tina when you look at it as a whole. Artie/Tina a necessary part of the story.
The saying 'Time flies' definitely does not apply to the last day of school, Mike decided. His last-period English class hadn't even started yet. Summer was thisclose.
He looked at the clock for the seventh time in five minutes and groaned, continuing to tap his desk with a pencil. Tina, who sat in front of him, turned at the sound, a puzzled look on her face.
"Vacation. So near yet so far," he said to her.
Finn, who occupied the seat behind Mike, piped in, "I'm with you bro. Times like this, that universal remote in 'Click' would really be useful."
"Yup. I'm itching to get away from McKinley High already."
"Patience, Mr. Chang." Tina smiled at him. "You sound like you're whining."
Mike used the pencil to gently flick a lock of Tina's hair that had fallen across her face, watching it fall back. "That, Ms. Chang, is because I am. Yes, I am man enough to admit that I am whining."
"Don't drop the 'Cohen.' It defeats the purpose of hyphenated surnames," she said, looking pointedly at him as she tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear. "And calling me Ms. Chang makes people think we're related."
"You're not?" Finn asked.
At that moment, their teacher entered the room, prompting the students to pay attention to the front.
"Settle down, everyone." Mr. Harris opened his briefcase and took out a fistful of papers. "Yes, these are the creative non-fiction essays you did. I've already graded them."
Everyone groaned.
"This is what we're going to do, seeing how it's the last day of class. It's time for peer review." He stood and walked around the class, putting one of the submitted papers facedown on each desk. "You have your classmate's creative output. Write down your comments. Keep in mind that the assignment was to convey one's thoughts, so be honest."
Mr. Harris finished distributing the papers. "Constructive criticism, people! By the end of the period, give back your classmate's homework. Simple enough, right? Comment away."
Mike was about to tackle their last seatwork when he heard Finn saying, "Seriously man. I'm glad you're not related to Tina. I thought you were into incest."
He almost snapped his neck facing Finn, the paper on his desk forgotten. "What?" he asked in a furtive whisper.
"You dig Tina. It's cool," Finn continued. "Probably not with Artie, but I don't know if he knows. And it's not like they're in relationship heaven. Anyway, you two are cool dudes, you'll figure something out. Have a 'Halo' showdown or something."
Mr. Harris cleared his throat. Mike knew their teacher well enough to recognize that as a first warning, which ended the bizarre conversation with Finn. Who actually picked up on Mike's infatuation with Tina. Which meant it was probably obvious to everyone who knew Mike.
"Great," he muttered as he let his head fall on the desk. Maybe thumping his head another time would do the trick.
He felt Tina tousle his hair. "Hey, don't do that. You don't want to kill your brain cells right?"
Mike raised his head to look at her. God she was pretty. He just had to torture himself. He knew where he stood, but he kept doing this to himself time and time again. "I play football, Tee. Killing brain cells? Occupational hazard. My brain's used to it."
She tilted her head and looked at him. "I obviously can't stop you if you want to damage your brain, but think of how the kids at camp will be scared if you do damage to your face."
"Can't deprive them of a cute counselor, right?" he grinned.
"Work, people. You can talk all you want after class," Mr. Harris announced. Tina smiled sheepishly at Mike before turning back.
Like he hadn't been thinking about that ever since he found out. Summer with Tina as counselors at camp. She had been so happy when he told her about it at practice that she had hugged Mike, which had surprised him and the other glee club members. She blushed at her uncharacteristic gesture and laughed. Then she said it. "It'll be great, having a friend there with me."
Yup. She had made it official. Friend Zone. Population: Mike Chang. How he wished he was not there.
Even before that he had tried to reconcile himself with the fact that he could only be her friend. Sure, he didn't like how Artie treated her. Tina deserved so much more. But she had made her choice, and he respected that.
Artie was a lucky guy.
Mike sighed and got to work on the review. He turned over the paper given to him.
Scrawled at the top was 'Tina Cohen-Chang.' Just great. Fate was laughing at him. He started to read her writing assignment, determined to get it over and done with.
Maybe I've seen you before, but I wasn't really looking. Maybe I've already spoken your name, just not to your face. Maybe I've heard your voice, only to have it drowned by pointless chatter.
Mike was running late. At the very least, it was practice for him to run down the hallway without mowing down the other students milling around to get to his locker. Just his luck it was miles away from where his last class was. He shouldn't have left his football stuff there; now he had to hurry, or Coach Tanaka would make him do extra rounds. He definitely did not want to start the year that way. Mike spun the combination, grabbed his gear, stuffed his books inside, slammed the door shut, and ran.
He was halfway down the noise-filled corridor when he heard a voice and stopped.
From the auditorium. It was someone singing 'I Kissed A Girl.' He didn't really care much for the song. The girl singing was a different matter, though.
Mike opened the door a little and took a peek.
He had seen her around before, both at school and out (the Asian community in Lima wasn't that big). She went to the community center every weekend to help out. They weren't really friends. The most he had said to her was 'hi.' She always managed to squeak a 'h-h-hey' before running off. That was the one thing he was sure of: she was really shy. More than he was. That was one of the reasons why they didn't talk to each other. He didn't know she could sing like that though. She literally stopped him in his tracks.
"Practice starts next week. Great job, Tina," his Spanish teacher (and Glee Club director, as it turns out) Mr. Schuester said.
"Tina," he whispered to himself. All those times he had tried talking to her, he never got to ask her name. He really should break out of his shell and pay more attention to other people.
Maybe we walked the same street once, just in different directions. Maybe you sat at a bench minutes before I did. Maybe we boarded the same train, or stood beside each other at the station. Maybe I hailed a cab after you stepped out.
He knew it was different from football, but glee was too interesting to pass up. Mike actually enjoyed learning - and eventually teaching (those who couldn't keep up with Kurt's tutorial asked help from him instead) - the 'Single Ladies' routine. All those hours in his bedroom copying dance moves off the internet and making up his own paid off. Admittedly, he was flattered that Mr. Schuester told him he had talent. Not that he'd say so out loud.
Mike felt a little guilty, though. He tried to make small talk with all of the glee club members (Kurt and Mercedes were really friendly so he let them do the talking; Artie was his seatmate in History so it was easy enough talking to him; he didn't even dare try with Rachel, who had left the choir room in a huff), but he made sure he talked to one in particular after practice. He caught up with her near the school entrance, where she sat on the stairs.
"Hey. Tina, right?" If he had learned anything from his football teammates, it was to act nonchalant.
"Mike." She nodded, biting her lip. "Y-y-you know my n-name."
"Finn told me." He decided that she didn't need to know about the Katy Perry incident. He might come off as some kind of peeping Tom. He sat next to her. "Why are you still here?"
"Oh, I'm w-waiting for my m-m-mom. She said sh-she'd pick me up today."
"You were great with your solo today."
Tina looked up at him. "Th-th-thanks. I got lucky today, I h-hit the high note with 'Tonight.'"
"I'm not much of a singer, but I know singing like that takes more than luck," Mike replied.
She smiled. "Th-that's really sweet, Mike. Thank y-you." Tina looked down at her hands. "Kurt t-t-told me you're a g-great dancer. Good enough to be in a B-beyonce music video."
"I see my reputation precedes me," he joked. "Honestly though, this dancing in front of other people is new to me."
"You get u-used to it. Glee d-d-does that." Tina stood up at the sound of the car horn. "S-sorry, that's m-m-my mom. I have to g-go. Nice m-meeting you Mike!" She smiled again before going down the stairs.
Mike waved goodbye, waiting until the car disappeared from his view. He absently scratched the back of his neck. Not exactly the best first conversation, but considering the fact that he never spoke more than three sentences to most people, it was definitely progress.
Maybe I stood behind you in a line. Maybe we watched the same screening of the same movie at the same theater once. Maybe you sat in the seat behind mine. Maybe you liked the ending, while I hated it.
"...possibly moving next year. Nothing sure yet though, so it's just between us, all right? ...Yo. Chang."
Mike looked away from Tina, who had just walked away from the cafeteria line after paying for her food, Artie at her side. "Huh?"
Matt smirked. "Dude. You are checking her out."
"No." The lanky guy looked at him. "She just walked past!"
"Exactly. Tina happened, so you're non-functional."
A slight frown marred Mike's normally cheerful face. "Non-functional? I don't think so." He paid for the Gatorade he got and started walking to the auditorium for rehearsal that day. The same direction Tina had been going.
With Artie.
Realization suddenly hit Mike.
"It finally clicked in your brain," Matt remarked, laughing at the look on Mike's face. "It's cool, man. It happens."
"But - Brittany -"
"You're not really in a serious relationship with her right?"
"Well, no. Just a couple of dates. Is there something wrong with me because I kind of feel I'm the third wheel?"
Matt chuckled. "Dude, it's Santana and Brit. Guys would kill to be in your position."
Mike shrugged. "I guess I prefer my dates one on one?"
"Okay, man." Matt asked, "So... Tina?"
"She's really pretty. Glee happened, and we're always practicing, right, and Mr. Schue often assigns us to be partners, like when we did 'Keep Holding On,' so we spend time together, and she's just fun to be with, and -"
"You must really like her. You're talking nonstop. So do you plan to do anything?"
Mike blinked. "She's with Artie."
"We're in high school, dude. They sure as hell aren't married. I say put up a fight."
Maybe I left the party moments before you arrived. Maybe you danced a few feet from where I was standing with my friends. Maybe we bumped into each other as we made our way to the exit. Maybe we've talked to each other just to while away the time. Maybe a friend of mine meant to introduce you to me, but totally forgot.
Something was wrong.
Mike sensed it. Tina acted the same way she always did, but he knew. He could see it in her eyes.
When she entered the choir room that day, he knew it had something to do with Artie. The other guy looked at anywhere but her, engaging Quinn in conversation. Tina kept quiet until Mr. Schue called her up to draw a name from the hat for the ballad assignment.
"Other Asian."
Mike frowned. Something was definitely wrong. He shot a small smile at her, but she merely nodded at him.
After the sample duet Mr. Schue and Rachel did, they were dismissed to work on their assignment. Everyone else went their own ways, presumably to work on their ballads. Soon, Mike and Tina were the only ones left in the room. He took the seat next to her, flashing his trademark smile. "Hey Tee. So... I'm a great listener."
"Huh?" She faced him, confused.
"Whenever you call me 'Other Asian,' you always stop yourself from smirking. When you drew from the hat, you frowned. Hopefully that's not because you got me as a partner," he tried to joke. "Anyway, you can tell me what's wrong."
"Oh. No, it's fine. I'm happy you're my partner. It's nothing, Mike." She tried to smile. "Really. We can work on the ballad now."
He couldn't stand it. "That can wait." He stood up, offering her his hand. "I think better when I'm eating. Come on. My treat. You can tell me whatever."
Tina looked up at him for what felt like forever. Then, she smiled for the first time that day and took his hand. "I'm thinking burgers."
"Done," he grinned.
What she needed most was a friend, and Mike understood that.
Maybe I've read the book you're currently reading. Maybe you love dancing just as much as I do. Maybe the song I've been humming today is the one you can't get out of your mind.
Everyone was in a flurry preparing for a run through of 'Hello Goodbye.' Mike stood backstage, his coat slung over his shoulder, waiting for Tina. They had been paired yet again. It was a ritual for the two, last-minute practice. She relished perfecting their routine, while he relished spending time with her.
Mike lived for those numbers. It gave him legitimate reasons to hang out with Tina after school. Artie had started giving him suspicious stares though. Mike knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, however, so he ignored the other guy.
Tina soon emerged from the girls' dressing room. Mike straightened up and remarked, "Why hello there, partner."
She giggled. "Mike, I don't think the cowboy accent is for you."
"Tough. We've established with the Hairography number that the hippie look isn't for me either," he deadpanned.
She stopped in front of him and reached up to his neck, loosening the haphazard tie. "You know," she said, looking up at him as she looped his tie, "aside from your standard jock fare - which I must say you pull off well – you shouldn't search for a new look."
Mike could feel her fingers graze his collarbone through the fabric of his collared shirt. "I shouldn't?" he asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked down at her.
"Definitely shouldn't," Tina murmured as she finished fixing his tie, lightly tugging it. "There. Put on the coat."
He did as she said.
"Yup. You definitely suit up nicely," she said approvingly. Then she paused. "Thanks for being my friend, Mike. I'm sorry you have to put up with my drama."
Ever since the ballad assignment, where she had confided in him about Artie and the fake stutter, Mike knew it was in his best interest to just forget about Tina. Save himself the heartbreak. But he honestly wanted her to be happy, and if that meant being the bigger man, he would do it. It was difficult trying to get over her, but he told himself he had to do it.
He gulped. "Don't worry, Tee. You know I've got you." He shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Well. We can dance this routine in our sleep."
Tina laughed. "Confident, aren't we?"
"Okay guys, let's go," Mr. Schuester called out. The others soon joined them, the air charged with excitement. It was their first number after bagging Sectionals, after all. "Places!"
They all stepped onstage. The number began, and for Mike, it felt like it was just the two of them on that stage. Midway through the chorus, Tina grinned at him, waving in time to the 'hello' in the song as she turned to switch places with him.
It wasn't in the choreography.
At that moment, Mike knew he didn't want to get over her.
Maybe I've come across your name on Facebook, a forwarded e-mail, or a fanfic review. Maybe I've seen it doodled on the restroom door or flashed in a TV commercial. Maybe you've glimpsed mine painted on a billboard, neatly printed on a discarded piece of paper, or scrawled on a raffle ticket. Maybe we both have that feeling of familiarity when we see each other's names or photos.
Maybe you even know who I am.
Artie had backed out of a dance routine with Tina.
Of course Mike couldn't say no when she asked him to dance with her. She apologized for the short notice, but he told her it was okay.
He didn't really know how to tap dance, but she didn't need to know that right? He went straight to the mall after he agreed to the arrangement and got himself a pair of tap shoes. They were to practice the next day, so he spent most of the night watching tap dance videos on Youtube and trying the moves in his bedroom.
After class the following day, Mike went to the school's dance room, where Tina was waiting for him. "I can't thank you enough for this, Mike," she said, walking to meet him at the middle of the room.
"Seriously, you don't have to thank me. I want to do this, Tina." He grinned. "So, how does the dance go anyway?"
A couple of hours later, and they were close to finishing the routine. "Okay, let's try it with the music one last time?" She asked.
He nodded, holding out his hand at the cue.
She took it without hesitation.
Everything was a blur to Mike except for the last part, when he took Tina in his arms and slowly dipped her, eyes locked, their faces mere inches apart. It took them a while to realize that the music had already stopped.
Tina spoke first. "...That was good."
Flushed, Mike helped Tina up and let her go. "I'm sorry. I was out of line. We missed the end. It won't happen again."
She suddenly held him by the wrist. "Mike?"
He was actually afraid to look at her. "I know. You're with Artie. I won't interfere." He kept looking at his shoes.
He could feel her staring at him. "I'm sorry." Tina leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
Mike breathed deeply. It would have to be enough.
Until then, maybe I'll just wait.
He had to say something.
Mike scribbled at the bottom of Tina's paper, and then folded it in half. The bell soon rang, signaling the end of class.
"Have a great summer guys. See you next year," Mr. Harris said.
Mike grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He waited for Tina to stand up. "Here," he said as he handed her the piece she had written. "I liked it."
She felt a blush quickly spread across her cheeks. "Really?"
"I could tell it came from the heart, just what Mr. Harris wanted. He gave you a good grade for it too. Look at your paper." He shifted his weight. "Well, I'll go on ahead. See you around, Tee." He turned as she unfolded the paper he had just given her.
It only took her a second to read Mike's handwriting. She read it again. And again.
Tina looked up and stared at Mike as he walked out the room, not waiting for anyone. He nodded to someone outside and continued on his way.
She hurried after him. "Mike," she called out before noticing who was waiting for her in the hallway. "Artie. You're here."
"You know my class is just next door. You were on the way. Otherwise I would've told you to meet me out front." He smiled as he asked, "Ready for movie night?"
Tina had a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let me guess. 'Coming Home.'"
"What else?" Artie grinned.
"My last class was good, not stressful at all," Tina changed topic. "Mr. Harris just returned our papers, some classmates commented."
"Huh," he said. "Well. What were you calling Mike for?"
"Nothing, just wanted to tell him happy summer I guess."
"You'll be at Asian camp together, you don't need to tell him that." He saw Finn emerge from the classroom. "Wait here, Tina. I'll just talk to my man Finn." Without waiting for a reply, Artie wheeled away.
Tina looked up in Mike's direction. He was nowhere to be seen. She unfolded her paper and read his comment one more time.
'I'm still here.'
Love it? Hate it? Review it! Very much appreciated.
Still on the fence as to whether or not I should add another chapter. From Tina's general perspective. Just to tie things up. Thoughts? :P
Constructive criticism please.
XOXO,
Ms Yu