A/N: So, I basically introduced everyone in the first chapter, but in this chapter we'll get to know some more about Artie and Quinn. I'm planning on writing from Tina's, Artie's, Quinn's and Kurt's point of view (that's why they're tagged as the characters)
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Gossip Girl
Artie Abrahams couldn't remember the last time he was so nervous. Even when his physiotherapist had tried to make him walk, he hadn't felt like this. He had known that any attempt to walk again would fail, so in order to prevent a huge disappointment, he hadn't raised his hopes. But this was different. He was going to see his old friends again. Of course he had seen them after the accident. They had paid him a lot of visits, although those visits became more and more seldom last year. He had tried to convince himself that they were busy with school and their own lives, but he was afraid that his accident had not only destroyed his legs, but also his friendships.
He rolled his wheelchair down the halls of St. Jude's. The school had adjusted its entrances especially for him. Before there had been stairs. Now there were also ramps, so he could go to school here. He still couldn't believe the school did that for him, but he assumed his parents paid for at least half of it.
He was a little late for his math class, but the Headmistress had assured him that he could be late the first week, since the school was new to him. He thought it was a little exaggerated, but it was nice to look for the classroom without trying to avoid people's toes.
A little nervous, he knocked on the door as he arrived at the right classroom. Apparently, the teacher had had some instruction, because he opened the door himself and said: "Mr. Abrahams! I'm glad to see you."
Artie rolled his wheelchair into the classroom, where all guys were staring at him. Artie had expected they would be surprised, but they didn't seem to be. It confused him a little and he didn't know what do or say. The teacher pointed him towards his table and without looking at any of the boys' faces he rolled towards it. The table was in the front of the class and right behind it, Noah Puckerman was sitting. As soon as the teacher started to talk about what they were going to do this year, Puck tapped him on the shoulder. "You could've told us, you were coming back. Now we only knew because of the Gossip Girl blast."
That explained why no one had looked surprised as they saw him, Artie thought. "I'm sorry, man." He said, "I didn't know for sure I was coming to St. Jude's until a few days ago and then I had to buy books, a uniform and other stuff. It was too much of blur."
"It's okay." Puck said. For a moment Artie thought he would say something more, but he didn't. Artie was a little disappointed, but on the other hand, a friend had talked to him as if he had been gone for the summer instead of a year and six months. That was something.
During the first break Quinn Fabray sat down at their table in the courtyard with her two best friends, Santana Lopez en Brittany Pierce. "I wish I was in Barcelona." She said with a sigh.
"I wish I was in Mexico." Santana said. "My dad is still there, but he wouldn't let me stay with him."
"On the bright side, we're together again." Brittany said in a try to cheer them up.
Santana smiled. "How can you be so optimistic at the first day of school? You should be depressed like me and Q."
"I think it has something to do with Junior." Quinn smiled as Brittany's cheeks turned scarlet. Santana shook her head. "I can't believe you actually gave in to Junior. Come on, you could get so much better."
"S, be happy for her." Quinn ordered, "Junior is a great guy. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." Brittany said.
At that moment Quinn saw Mike and Matt walking into the courtyard. Mike obviously wanted to sit with them, but Matt didn't seem to like that. It surprised that he still wasn't over Santana. It had been four months and they had only been together for a few months.
Mike won the discussion and the two boys walked towards them. Now Brittany and Santana saw them too. A big smile appeared on Brittany's face and Santana almost choked on her lunch. Quinn tried her best not to giggle.
"Hey Britt." Mike said and he kissed her on the cheek like a gentleman. He sat down next to her, leaving the only available spot for Matt between Quinn and Santana. Uncomfortably he sat down, took out his phone and ignored both Quinn and Santana.
"Hey Mike." Brittany smiled. "How was your morning?"
"As good as you can expect on your first day of school." He said, "I long for afternoons in the Hamptons."
Brittany laughed as Mike winked and Santana rolled her eyes. Quinn felt the urge to slap her in the face. Why couldn't she be happy for their friend? Mike was a great guy and treated Brittany like a princess. What was wrong with him? To distract them all for a while, decided to ask Mike about the rumors. "Did you see Artie today? Gossip Girl said he is going to St. Jude's now."
Mike gave a nod. "I saw him and Puck had a class with him. He has to repeat his math class, remember? Apparently, Artie is a sophomore now. "
"So, it's true." Quinn concluded. It was weird that Artie was back. They had been friends before the accident, but afterwards she didn't really visit him. Sure, the first two months she had went to see him several times, but after that she had lost interest. She felt a little guilty, but she knew it had been inevitable. All the others had stopped visiting at some point. There was nothing to talk about. The only thing that Artie did, was lying in bed or learning how to use a wheelchair and he could read on Gossip Girl what they did all the time.
"Hey, guys, what are you talking about?" Quinn's heart jumped as she heard Finn's voice. She turned around and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Behind her back she heard Santana making a vomit noise, but she didn't care. "How are you, honey?"
"Mwah, it's good to see everyone again."
"It's good to see me again, you mean." Quinn said with a smile.
Finn smirked. "Of course, it's great to see you again too."
They sat down at their table and Quinn had to sit on Finn's lap, because there wasn't room for another person. Not that she did mind.
"We were talking about Cripple Boy." Santana informed him.
The corners of Finn's mouth dropped. "Was that necessary, Santana?"
Santana shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's just weird he's in a wheelchair."
"He's still the same person." Finn defended Artie. Quinn found it cute how he stood up for his friend, but she had to disagree. "He isn't the same person, Finn. A wheelchair changes a person, whether you like it or not. He can't play football or lacrosse anymore. He's different."
"I can't believe he told none of us he was coming to St. Jude's." Mike said as he chewed on a sandwich. Brittany nodded her head agreeing.
"He told me." Finn said nonchalant. Taken by surprise Quinn turned her head in Finn's direction. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought you knew." Finn didn't seem to make a big deal out of it, but Quinn did. She was his girlfriend. This was important information and he had to share such things with her.
"I wonder why he didn't tell any of us, but you." Brittany said.
Quinn had a feeling she knew what was going on. Finn was the one that tried to drag her once a month to Artie, but she always had told him she was busy. He went every month and listened to Artie's stories and told his own, although they were all on Gossip Girl. She'd always thought of it as a waste of time, but apparently, Artie hadn't felt that way. But how could he blame them? While his life was practically paused, their lives continued. She was a busy girl. She was trying to become Queen of Constance and although it didn't seem to be a lot of work it was. She had to make sure, the girls liked her and that was exhausting. Artie couldn't blame her for not visiting.
A little angry she looked at Finn's face. He was also thinking about something. She could see it, but he didn't mention it as he spoke. He just shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, me too."
The first day of school was finally over. Artie never thought that it could be so exhausting to go to class. Maybe it was because he had done freshmen year from a hospital. It was also exhausting that he had to explain in several classes why he was in a wheelchair and still everyone kept staring at him. He didn't know any of his new classmates (except for the few that failed some classes) and being in a wheelchair seemed to scare them away. He hadn't talked to his old friends either. Puck mysteriously disappeared after math class and he hadn't seen any of them afterwards.
A limo was waiting for him in front of the school. It was design for him and he could get in himself. Still, that was complicated, but he didn't need help for it, so he would adjust. He was about to start when he saw Puck, Mike, Matt, Finn and Dave. "Hey guys!" He said.
The five boys turned their heads, but as they saw him only Finn smiled. The rest of them looked just uncomfortable. Finn walked towards him and the others followed.
"Hey, Artie, how was your first day."
"Exhausting." Artie said. "How was yours?"
Finn laughed. "Also exhausting. Everything we have to do this year..."
Artie laughed too. He looked at the others that smiled a little, but didn't seem to know what to say. So Artie decided to talk to them too. "What happened to your Mohawk, Puckerman?"
"Mohawk?" Puck was confused at first. "Oh, I shaved it off after freshmen year."
"Really? I never noticed." Artie said. Not that he had seen Puck often after freshmen year.
"Yeah, well, you get used to it very fast."
"He means he's still a lady killer without it." Finn said with a grin.
Now the guys laughed some more, but the conversation was still awkward. "What are you up to?"
"We...we're going to play some football." Mike said, "Sorry man."
Artie smiled, but on the inside it killed him that he couldn't go with them. Most of the time he accepted that he'd probably be in this wheelchair for the rest of his life. It didn't mind when he slept or ate or went to classes, but whenever he saw some guys playing football or a women jogging, he felt sad because he wouldn't be able to do any of that. Fortunately, he had learned to suck it up and tried not to show it. "That's fine. I think I'd fall asleep anyway."
"Next time." Finn said as they said goodbye. The guys disappeared and Artie got himself in the limo. With a sigh he closed his eyes. This was going to be a long year.
Spotted: Artie Abrahams failing at getting back in. Told you the Upper East Side isn't wheelchair-proof.
