AN: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! :) I'm really having fun with this fic so far and yes, I promise there will be more plot twists. Also, I am trying to go with the episodes here, and these are just "cut scenes." I promise that whatever doesn't seem to fit will eventually work itself out, lol.

"Artie, if you really like her, you'll go after her." Kurt's advise kept pounding through Artie's brain the whole night and into the morning. He didn't sleep much, again, but that was the least of his problems. He could clearly picture Tina's smile, her shy laugh and the countless hours they'd spent discussing everything and anything. What did all that mean to her? Clearly not much. She liked Puck, that much was obvious. Artie stared up at the ceiling above his bed, wondering if he should just give up while he was ahead. He could go to homecoming dance with the girl from the AV club, or better yet, not at all. Artie sat up in his bed with a sigh. "Artie?" His mom's familiar wake up call came from down the hall, so obviously concerned. "Artie? Are you up?"

He answered before she could push open the door. "Yeah, mom, give me a few minutes, OK?"

"Alright," her voice hesitated. "Are you feeling OK? You can stay home today if you want."

Artie shook his head. Why did his folks always think -- but right then, a dull pain shot through his back, ending abruptly at the line where he felt no pain. It was nothing, he told himself, his tense muscles acting up again. "Yeah," he tried to answer his mom, but his voice actually cracked. "I'm fine."

He transferred himself into his wheelchair and got dressed as fast as he could, eager to show the world that he was fine. The pain lingered, but Artie ignored it in favor of another pain: Puck.

He finally wheeled himself towards the kitchen, consciously smiling despite his problems. Positive attitude, he told himself, you could be dead. His mother's sincere smile made it worth it. "Oh, good. I was just gonna come get you. We've got to head out a little early today. Your dad had a meeting at work."

"OK," Artie just shrugged, not really caring if he was a few minutes early for school. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she smiled. "Are you gonna be OK without breakfast?"

"What? Yeah, it's fine. I'll grab something in the vending machine." His mom was never like this he thought. Maybe he would finally be given some more independence, like deciding exactly when and where he had to be home. "So, mom, I was wondering, could I go to the homecoming dance?" Artie had no clue where the question had come from, but suddenly, he had to go to the dance. He had a strange feeling about Puck's true motives and he wanted to be there if they came crashing down. He would find a date, just in case. Someone who he knew would not be taken.

"What?" She said, completely shocked. "Absolutely not."

"But mom," Artie moaned. Just five minutes ago, he would have loved to have this excuse not to attend the dance, but suddenly, it was important. He had to see for himself what was going on. He had to go after Tina.

"No buts." She paused and gave him a look. "Is there a girl?"

"Yeah," he said softly.

His mother turned stone white, but before she could open her mouth, Mackenzie came dancing into the kitchen. "OK, I'm ready to go. I'm so excited," she smiled, twirling around, her backpack swinging out behind her, almost hitting Artie.

"Hey, watch out," Artie shouted, laughing as he rolled himself towards the door.

"Be careful," his mother muttered a little bit lower.

"I just can't help it! The mixer is tonight. I can't believe you're letting me go, mom!"

"Wait, what?" Artie stopped himself so suddenly that Mackenzie rammed straight into his wheelchair. "You're letting her go to that stupid 6th grade mixer at school? You didn't let me go!"

"You didn't want to go, if I recall." His mom said too quickly.

"No, but now I want to go to homecoming and you won't let me. What is this about?"

Mackenzie looked from her mother to her brother. "But Artie, this is different. I have to go. I'm not like you..."

"Makenzie!" Her mother threatened and turned from both of them, her eyes looking soft and distant. "Let's just go. Now."

Artie gave Mackenzie a questioning look, but the girl just shrugged and squeezed past Artie, out the front door.

"Excuse me?" Artie coughed softly, willing the girl before him to turn around. "Excuse me?"

Finally, she turned around, her hair parted sharply and pulled behind her ears, her thick glasses that she constantly pushed up off her nose. "How can I help you?" Susie Pepper asked gratingly.

"Um, yeah." Artie looked down in his lap. "I was wondering if you want to go to homecoming with me?"

Susie looked at him for about a second and suddenly burst out laughing. "Go to the homecoming dance with you? I've been humiliated in the school, but never quite so badly. You might think I like you because I scheduled 5 classes with you, even though you're only a sophomore. You may have even noticed that I sometimes hide behind bushes on your way home. But you're fooling yourself if you think I like you! I will never like another boy again after what Mr. Schuster did to me! So I don't know how you've deluded yourself, but Susie Pepper would never be caught liking someone who was 2 years younger than her and a cripple no less."

"Um, forget I even asked," Artie muttered, wheeling away. Would he ever catch a break?

As Artie wheeled himself towards math class, he couldn't fail to notice Puck laughing by his locker, Tina hanging off his shoulder. They were talking quietly, smiling sincerely at each other. Tina's face fell momentarily at the sight of Artie, but she soon turned around and kept talking to Puck. Luckily for Artie, Puck did not notice him.

A wave of pain seared up Artie's back as he entered the math class and he had to pause, just clear of the door. He sat up straight, trying to fight off the pain. His muscles were really a mess today, he thought, shaking his head and heading off to his seat. Mrs. Matthews began their math class as usual, one minute before the bell rang. She dragged on endlessly, explaining some new concept that Artie understood in minutes.

Artie stretched his sore back, hoping that Mrs. Matthews wouldn't notice. Thankfully, the teacher kept her back turned towards the board, restating some explanation. The pain died a bit with his movement, but soon enough, a new, terrible pain struck him. It came so hard and fast that it took over Artie's very soul. Something stabbed him in the back, like a thousand knifes bent on destroying him. The pain would not leave and finally Artie could not fight it anymore. His eyes closed on their own accord and he fell forward in his chair, unconscious.