AN: Yes, folks, I am actually back sort of. The serious lack of Artie/Tina-ness in Season 2 has left me with major withdrawals, so to compensate I'm trying to kick-start this project again. No promises on speedy updates, but I am going to work on it.

"Taking Chances" - Tina-POV, set during the beginning of the pilot.

Taking Chances

Tina hesitated around the corner, watching him curiously. It felt strange, almost kind of stalkerish, but she couldn't bring herself to walk away, or even look away. He was simply sitting there, staring up at the sheet of white paper with a sort of thoughtful intensity that made his forehead furrow. The pen he was holding in his right hand was tapping out a rhythm against the armrest of his chair, one that she recognized but couldn't place.

This is ridiculous, she told herself, lowering her gaze to the linoleum floor beneath her boots. What was she thinking? She didn't know anything about this guy. Honestly, she wasn't even positive that she knew his name. She'd heard him called a couple different things, but since she figured his parents wouldn't be cruel enough to call him Wheels or Dead-Legs, she reasoned that his name might be Artie. Unless that was some sort of jock joke that she just didn't understand too.

They'd never actually even spoken before. She didn't know what he was like or who his friends were or if would ever be interested in a girl like her. Or if he was even into girls. What she did know was that every time he passed her in the hallway he smiled at her, even if she only saw it through the curtain of her hair. It didn't matter where they were going or how many seconds were left until the bell rang or even if there was still a shredded strip of duct tape wrapped around one of his tires. He would always glance in her direction and smile.

And that smile. God, it was the sweetest, purest smile that she'd ever seen. Beautifully white, it seemed to brighten up his entire face. Those big, blue eyes lit up like neon and seemed to almost sparkle. It was innocent and friendly and sincere. It was a real smile and that was what drew Tina to this boy that she knew nothing about. Because something in his face reached through to something deep within her and she just knew. Knew that he was someone she wanted to take a risk with.

Except first she should probably introduce herself.

Lifting her eyes, she saw that he was still sitting there beneath the sign-up sheet. He raised his arm with a pensive frown, but the pen in his hand hardly reached the bottom of the paper. Scowling, he lowered his hand and continued to stare at the page. He had just put his hands on the wheels of his chair to turn away when Tina leapt into action.

Walking quickly, she headed straight for the sign-up sheet and managed to reach it just before he turned away. His eyes flickered to her curiously and then he smiled again. Tina felt her insides charge with static. This was it.

"N-need a hand?" she asked, gesturing toward the sign-up sheet.

"Uh, yeah, if you don't mind," he answered. His smile had turned sheepish, his cheeks pinkening, and Tina returned the smile hesitantly.

"No p-problem," she said, digging a pen out of the pocket of her jacket. "I was just coming to s-sign up too. What's your name?"

"Artie Abrams," he said. Tina nodded and turned her attention to the paper. A-r-t-y-A. When she glanced back down to Artie he looked for a second like he was going to say something, then closed his mouth and simply smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No problem," Tina repeated. She quickly added her name to the line underneath his and then jammed her pen into her pocket again. Awkwardness sank in as she stood there, wondering what on earth to say next. She hadn't planned this far. She just wanted to get to know the boy with the heart-warming smile. Unfortunately for her she had momentarily forgotten that she had zero social skills, which were sort of necessary when it came to making friends. "So, uh..."

"What are you going to sing at the audition?" Artie asked and Tina almost sighed in relief. Thank God at least one of them knew how to carry on a conversation.

"S-something edgy," Tina said with a shrug. "I haven't dec-cided yet. Maybe Katy Perry or Lady Gaga."

Artie chuckled. "I never would've guessed you for someone who listens to Katy Perry," he said. "That's cool. I like her."

"What about you?" Tina asked. With his button-down shirts and pleated pants, she never would've figured him for someone who listened to Katy Perry either.

"I was thinking about going a little more classic," he said with a self-conscious smile. "The Beatles are kind of my usual stand-by. Either 'Across the Universe' or maybe 'Let it Be.'"

"I l-love the Beatles," Tina said, beaming.

Artie's eyes lit up again. "Hey, I've gotta head out and wait for my ride. If you don't mind hanging around, we can give you a ride home. Maybe we can talk music and help each other figure out what to sing for this audition."

Tina's heart leapt. This was it, the defining moment. She could either brush him off, walk away and forget that this conversation had happened. Or she could take that leap of faith, and maybe make the first real friend she'd had since she'd moved to Lima. A friend who was undaunted by her stutter and shared her passion for music. She looked down at Artie's sweetly innocent smile and knew her mind was already made up. Playing it safe hadn't gotten her anywhere that she really wanted to be. It was about time that she started taking some chances and risks with her life.

Returning his smile, she nodded. "Sounds g-great."