AN: Part two! Alright I also wanted to add really quickly that everything I'm putting in here about Jane Addams Academy is all just guesswork, (obviously since the episode doesn't premiere till tomorrow.) I chose Defiance, Ohio at random, because it was the next closest decent sized town to Lima. I do not know what the place would look like or how it would function, security and procedures-wise, because my knowledge of halfway houses is limited to wikipedia. If something is really off, I'm sorry. I want to have this whole story up before "Hairography" premieres tomorrow (so it doesn't ruin my visions for this story by showing me how wrong my assumptions are) and because of that I don't have the time to put much research into how halfway houses work. On that note... still hope you enjoy this!
Our actual performance was a bit of a blur for me. I was too busy being nervous to really let myself enjoy performing, not that I let it show. Like I've said, I've become a master at hiding things. I had hoped that maybe we would be performing second so after it was finished I might be able to high-tail it out before anyone recognized me, but I should have known better. Grace had offered, "guests first," and the next thing I knew I was up on the stage.
It felt like it had been forever since I'd been here, but it has really only been a few months. There's something comfortingly familiar in the place, except for the fact that I'm performing with an entirely different group. The stage lights make it practically impossible to see out into the audience, which thankfully stops me from looking for familiar faces. However it only makes it that much easier for them to see me.
As we're walking down off the stage, I keep my face down. I had met Grace's eye when we finished, and she'd just smiled and nodded. Maybe, just maybe…
"It's Ch-Ch-Chia!"
For a moment I forget everything else as I turn around to find the person who'd shouted. I know that voice, and that stupid nickname. I barely have time to get a look at the face before she throws herself at me, almost knocking me over as she hugs me. I can't stop myself from hugging her back eagerly.
When she finally lets me go, she steps back to take a look at me. She's let her hair grow out and it's pulled back into a braid, but other than that she's exactly like I remember her. "Eve," I say excitedly. We we're best friends when I was in Jane Addams, and she was the one I'd missed most after I'd left. "Oh m-m-my God."
"I'd say 'Oh my god,' I never thought I'd see you again after you left," Eve says. "This is so incredible. How have you been? What'd you go and change your streaks for? I liked the red." There's a hard edge to her voice, but I know she's just projecting. Eve is actually one of the sweetest, most loyal people I've ever known. She just acts tough; kinda like Mercedes.
This thought makes my stomach twist uncomfortably as I remember where I am. I look over my shoulder and see that all of the kids from glee, and even Mr. Schuester, are staring at us in surprise. Well more like shock, really. I feel nauseous for a second and I know I must look like a deer in the headlights.
"Um, Tina, do you want to introduce us to your friend?" Mr. Schue says, clearly trying to be the voice of reason in the middle of all the gaping students.
"Oh hey, I'm Eve," Eve says brightly, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Tina's my best friend, we were roommates when she was here."
Oh God… I close my eyes, not wanting to see the glee kids' faces as they exchange looks of confusion. I can only imagine what's going through their heads now. Tina was here? She's a juvie girl… She's a criminal… We made friends with a felon…
A hand touches my arm and I manage to look down. Artie's staring back up at me and I can't handle the look in his eyes: confusion, shock, sadness, and hurt. "Tee, what–?"
Brushing his hand away and shrugging off Eve's arm, I elbow my way through the group and run out of the auditorium. I can hear people yelling after me, but I tear down the familiar hallways without considering where I'm going. All I can think is that everything I'd been creating for myself over the last few months has just imploded. Why hadn't I just told them? But I already know the answer to that.
The guard sitting in her office by the front door must have recognized me as a visitor because she doesn't stop me as I run out of the doors. The school bus is still parked on the curb inside the gated fence but I make a hard right, almost slipping in the grass, and bolt around the side of the building. I know where I'm going before I've even really made the decision, and next thing I know I'm skidding to a stop underneath an enormous tree. Jumping up, I grab a hold of one of the branches and heave myself up. Several feet up, I settle myself into a natural hollow and curl myself up.
I'm shaking and it's not just because it's cold. I bury my face in my knees so I won't have to admit that I'm crying. I can't believe the mess I've gotten myself into. All I can think about is that look on Artie's face, like I'd betrayed him, and imagine that all of my other friends are probably thinking the same thing. None of them knew I went to a reform school. None of them knew I spent time in juvie. And none of them knew I'd been lying to them all this time.
I don't have to look up to know what the view looks like. I'd sat in this tree often enough on the free hours when they'd let us out to run. Eve and I used to sit up here because it offered a nice view of East Defiance down the hill, and we liked to look out at it and talk about what we'd do once we were out in the real world again. I realized that everything I had ever planned, all those ideas about starting over again at a new school and getting over everything from before Jane Addams, had just come toppling down on my head like a load of bricks. Shuddering, I tucked my face into my knees again.
I have no idea how long I've been sitting here, just that it's long enough for my sobs to have choked down. Now I'm mostly just shaking and feel really sick. I don't want to ride back to Lima with the glee kids. For a moment I consider walking into Defiance and catching a bus home, but my wallet is in my bag, which is currently hanging on the back of Artie's chair. I resign myself to having to face them for the trip whether I want to or not. Maybe they'll all be so scared or upset with me that they won't want to talk to me, and they'll leave me alone and not ask any questions. Oddly, this idea doesn't make me feel any better.
"You know, Chia, if you're gonna hide in a tree, it works better if the tree still has leaves on it. You're not exactly – camouflaged up there."
I freeze at the voice but don't lift my head. Of course, it would have to be the last person I want to find me bawling my eyes out in a tree. Well maybe next to last.
"Tee, are you going to come down? I really can't follow you up there and that sort of sees like an unfair advantage, don't you think?"
Oh great, there's the number one person I don't want to see me like this. "G-g-g-go aw-way," I say bitterly, embarrassed at how bad my stutter is giving me away. It's not hard to tell I'm upset when two words take two minutes to get out, not to mention that I'm shaking so bad I'm gripping the branch in front of me to not fall out and my throat is all thick so my voice is cracking too. Well, and then there's that whole business with running out of the school like I was being chased by the devil.
"Seriously, do you think anyone actually listens when people say that?" Eve asks. Her tone sounds annoyed but I know that's just how she covers for being concerned. "Now get your ass down from there or I'm coming up after you and dragging you down. And you know I can do it."
"W-why are you guys h-h-here?" I ask sullenly, not answering her.
"I thought that was obvious," Artie says in that flat tone of his. It's weird, because no one else seems to be able to tell, but I can always hear the emotions he tries to hide behind the monotone. Right now, he's scared. "We came to get you. We would have been here sooner but we had to argue your friend's case with the security lady."
"Grace had to step in and vouch for me," Eve explains. "All I had to tell her is that I knew this was where you'd be and she let me through. Wheelie boy here offered to be my guard, make sure I don't make a jail break."
Even though I'm trying very hard to act unaffected by them, I can't help a small smile as I imagine Artie trying to stop Eve running off. It's a pretty amusing idea.
"Come down, Tee," Artie says gently. "We just want to make sure you're okay."
I don't turn to look at them, but I climb down out of the tree, standing against the trunk and still facing away from them. Both of them seem to sense how I'm feeling because neither of them approaches me. "I'm f-f-fine," I say finally.
Eve snorts. "I would not consider the way you're acting right now very f-f-fine," she says. I hear Artie make an indignant noise at the way she mocks my stutter but she ignores him. "What, are you ashamed of being friends with a girl like me or something?"
Before I realize it, I spin around on my heel. "No!" I say loudly, horrified at the idea. "N-no, Eve, how c-c-could you s-say that?"
"Well that's sort of how it's coming across," Eve says, her tone indifferent but her eyes hurt. "You were perfectly f-f-fine until I introduce myself as your friend and then you bolt the hell out. How am I suppose to take that? Don't want your new friends to know you actually made friends in juvie?"
I can't answer, my tears bubbling up in my chest so I can hardly breathe, let alone speak, but Artie covers it for me. "None of us even knew she went to juvie," he explains in a low voice. "She, uh, she never told us."
Eve looks up at me in shock, her mouth actually open. "Wait, that's what this is about?" she asks faintly. "You're flipping out because you didn't tell them you went here? They don't know you were locked up?"
"Well we do now," Artie says in an undertone. Eve kicks his wheel without looking at him and he makes another noise of annoyance.
"Why not tell them? It's not like you did anything wrong," Eve continues. Artie looks like he's about to make another comment, glances up at Eve's scowl, and then shakes his head and bites his lip. I know what he's thinking; to end up in juvie I obviously must have done something wrong.
"Y-you kn-now how other p-p-people are, E," I say desperately. I feel like I'm being teamed up on and I need to know someone understands what I was thinking. Artie won't understand, he never could, but Eve's been through this before. "Th-they judge. Assume th-things."
Artie looks confused but Eve nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, okay, I get that," she agrees. After a glance at Artie she continues, "So the people who aren't like us discriminate. They assume because we made a mistake we must be bad people. They find out that just because you were one of the ones who got caught you must be the worst of them, and they push you away because of it." Artie's eyes widen and I know she only elaborated to key him in on what I meant. I'm grateful, because I don't want to have to say it. "But you know what I say, Chia? I say to hell with them. If these McKinley geeks – no offense, Wheelie – don't want to give you a chance to explain yourself, then who needs them?"
"Tina." Artie's voice is so soft I almost don't want to look down at him, but I can't help myself. I both love and hate just how sweet and understanding his face can be. "You know I'm not going to judge you, I never have. I just want to know. You don't even have to tell me now, if you don't want. I'll wait, and I'll make sure the others leave you alone if that's what you want. But I just – we all just want to understand."
"Tell him, Chia," Eve says in a level voice. Her expression is firm but her eyes are gentle and supportive. "He's obviously a good friend, and must think he's your knight by the way he charged – er, rolled – after you." Artie blushed but kept my gaze. "You owe at least him that much." I am shaking again and Eve reaches out to take my hand, pulling me closer to them. "Don't worry, I'm here for support."
"And so am I," Artie adds, holding out one of his hands too. I manage a faint smile as I take his hand, and then nod.