You're back! Here is chapter seven coming at you in HD. Enjoy. This chapter will pick up where the other left off, in Artie's point of view.
PS: I own nothing but my idea and OCs...much to my dismay.
PPS: There will be a lot of Rachel bashing in this story. I'm giving you a heads up and if that offends you, go back from whence you came.
Inside Is What Matters
Kurt and Mercedes chatted while we waited for Kay to come back down so I took the opportunity to call my parents and let them know that I wasn't coming home for dinner.
Kurt's Point of View
I watched as Artie talked with his parents about not coming home for dinner and I couldn't keep from smiling.
"This is great, Kurt. Just imagine the look on Kay's face when we-"
"Mercedes, we promised. Kay will just have to find out the old fashioned way, without our help." Mercedes gave me a look and I groaned. "I know. It took him this long just to tell us and we both know Kay won't say anything after what happened with Puckerman. We'll help, just not in the obvious of ways."
"Sometimes, Kurt, I swear we have the same brain."
Artie's Point of View
After quietly arguing with my parents and refusing to tell them when I'd be home, I threw my phone on the table which caught the attention of Kurt and Mercedes.
"Something wrong, Artie?"
"My parents. They're giving me a hard time about not coming home for dinner. They say I've never done it before and it's weird."
"So? Weird is good. Normal is boring after a while. Why do you think I don't wear the same outfit twice in one week?" I laughed but it was soon silenced when I heard a noise coming from the steps. I turned my head just in time to receive a sloppy lick on the face from a rather large dog. I heard footsteps come down the steps and there was Kay, looking rather irritated.
"I should know better than to leave this door open. Sorry about that, guys. JJ, Hale, go!" The two dogs ran upstairs barking at each other.
"I didn't know you had dogs, Kay. What are they?"
"JJ is a Great Pyrenees and Hale is a Bernese Mountain Dog. There is another one, who we named Cole, but he has a tough time getting up and down steps. They're my dad's dogs. He keeps them in his room and he just got home five minutes ago. Dinner is almost ready so you guys can head up now." Kurt and Mercedes got up off the couch together and headed up the stairs, leaving me alone with Kay. "Need help, Artie?" Not really but I like it when your arms are around me, Kay. I just nodded and sighed when Kay wrapped her arms around me to put me back in my chair. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No reason. Come on." I could tell she was a little nervous as she showed me to the elevator.
"Are you okay, Kay?"
"Just a bit nervous, is all."
"About?" Kay waited for me to roll into the elevator before she hit the 1 on the panel.
"You...meeting my dad."
"Oh. Is he not friendly with new faces?"
"Quite the opposite, actually."
"Then, why are you nervous?"
"He knows things." I was about to say something but the elevator had brought us to the main floor and Kay walked out rather quickly. "Hey, Dad." I watched Kay walk up to a not very bad looking older man and give him a warm hug.
"Hello, Kay." He looked past Kay and saw me, making me swallow hard as a wave of nervousness flooded over me. He whispered something to Kay and she just nodded sheepishly. "Hello there." I waved shyly as he strode over to me with a smile on his face. "You must be Artie. I keep hearing so much about you." He shook my hand and all I could do was nod. "I take it that you're joining us for dinner?" I nodded again. "I hope I'm not intimidating you, Artie. That's the last thing I would want."
"Well, I'm just...nervous, that's all. Meeting people isn't something I'm good at since I'm in a wheelchair."
"I don't see the wheelchair first, Artie." It took me a while to realize that he was speaking with a bit of an accent.
"You're one of the few, sir. Um, is that an accent I'm hearing?"
He smiled at me and I felt myself relax a little bit. "It is. My parents were English and Welsh, actually. I grew up there and moved here after I finished college. You're very smart, Artie."
My cheeks got a little red and I smiled shyly. "Thank you, sir."
"Please, call me Ben." I smiled shyly and Ben reciprocated the gesture.
"Guys?" We both turned to the direction of Kay's voice. "Dinner is ready."
"Coming, Kay." Ben motioned for me to go first so I nodded and wheeled myself to the very massive dining room where Kay, Mercedes, Kurt and Sid were already in. Kay moved a chair at the table, next to her, so that I could fit my wheelchair under the table. We smiled at each other and yet another wave of nervousness came over me. Get a hold of yourself, Artie. Just relax, think happy thoughts. The happy thoughts I started to think about all involved Kay and I felt my cheeks get hot again.
"Artie? Are you alright? You don't look so good." I felt Kay's hand touch my forehead and I jumped a little.
"Sorry. I'm fine. I just keep..." I glanced over at Kurt and Mercedes who had matching smirks on their faces. "Thinking too much. It's a curse."
"Oh. As long as that's all it is, go ahead and dig in." I nodded and started to eat the fish and chips.
"Wow. This is great."
"It should be, Artie. Kay made it." Kay began to choke on the piece of fish in her mouth, earning concerned glances from me and her father while Kurt and Mercedes were snickering.
"I'm...fine." Kay threw Kurt a dirty look, successfully silencing the snickering.
"You made it, Kay? I thought you said Sid made them."
"I only told you that. I don't like to admit that I spend so much time in the kitchen, is all."
"It isn't a problem, Kay. These are great." I gave her a sincere smile and watched yet another beautiful smile grace her pretty face. I could easily fall in love with that smile alone...and I think I was beginning to fall for Kay with every second we spent together.
-FIN-
That's it for this chapter. Again, I apologize for the fizzly ending. These chapters are very unruly and hard to control sometimes. Stay tuned for the next one.
