Chapter Eleven: Questions, Revelations, Denials
The whole weekend, Artie could not stop thinking about Quinn's face in the moment when she had ended their…situation. It made him feel sick to his stomach. Plus, he missed her. When the kitten his parents had gotten for him over the summer did something cute, which was often, he immediately had the urge to call or text or email or send a message on Facebook and tell Quinn all about it. Instead, the Sunday after the break, when Dot played with a piece of rolled up paper for two hours, he called Brittany. Though she loved cats and small animals of any kind and was willing to talk to him about it, it wasn't the same as talking to Quinn about it or anything else.
When school rolled around on Monday, she avoided him but, then, he didn't make much of an effort to talk to her either. He wasn't even sure what he would say. Of course, Puck, being Puck, noticed and, once glee club let out on Tuesday, asked Artie if he could talk to him.
"Everything okay, little master?"
Shrugging, Artie stared at the black and yellow gloves on his hands. "I don't know."
Pulling a chair over, Puck sat down in front of Artie. "What's up? Something happen with you and Quinn?"
Not willing to look into Puck's eyes, Artie gave another shrug and murmured, "She said we couldn't be friends with dental benefits anymore because she thinks I have feelings for Brittany."
Raising an eyebrow, Puck didn't say anything for a minute, watching as his friend shifted uncomfortably in the silence. "And you do," he said at last.
"She was my first love," Artie almost whispered, wringing his hands. "That doesn't go away easily."
"Wouldn't think it would but let me ask you some things, Abrams." When Artie gave a small nod, letting Puck know he was okay with being asked "some things," Puck went on. "Who's the first person you think about in the morning? When you go to bed at night? Who do you wanna make happy? Who cares the most about making you happy? Who makes you feel like a man?"
Swallowing, Artie thought about Puck's questions. He wasn't thinking about the answer to each one, though, because he knew, without hesitation, that it was Quinn. She always popped into his mind when he woke up and she was in his mind as he drifted off to sleep at night. He'd do anything to make her happy, even though he hadn't been making her that happy of late. He knew how important to her it was that he was happy too. And she definitely made him feel like a man. Tina had made him feel like a boy. Brittany had made him feel like an inadequate half person. But Quinn made him feel like he could be and do anything he wanted. She made him feel like someone finally and actually believed in him (besides his parents). Believed in him as he was and not if anything ever changed about him. And, yes, made him feel like a man.
Closing his eyes, he wondered if he'd made her feel similar things about herself. He hoped he had. Nothing else seemed to matter as much as that.
And that's when he realized.
Eyes popping open, he almost yelled an exclamation of gibberish. Shutting his mouth tight immediately after, so that his lips were in a straight line, he moved away from Puck. "I have to find Quinn," he said, breathlessly. "I've been so stupid and blind and I need to tell her!"
Watching Artie roll out of the room, Puck half smiled before casting his eyes at the floor. The questions he had just asked Artie ran through his mind and he answered them for himself. Rachel, Rachel, Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.
Too bad she wouldn't answer those same questions with Noah. Except he wouldn't want her to answer Noah to the one about feeling like a man. Smirking in spite of his hopeless (ly in love) situation, Puck thought about Rachel's reaction if he asked her if he made her feel like a man. First, her eyes would go wide and her mouth would drop open. Then she would lightly smack his arm, which he would pretend hurt, while grinning and trying not to laugh. After she had composed herself, she would inform him that, no, he made her feel like a woman, a blush coloring her cheeks once she realized what that implied. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he started to envision her kissing him after such an exchange before mentally kicking himself. Was he actually fantasizing? And not even about anything explicitly sexual!
"What is Berry doing to me?" he muttered, stomping out of the classroom.
Unbeknownst to Quinn, Artie was desperately searching the school grounds for her, since he had seen her car in the parking lot and knew she was still there. He had called her twice and text messaged her three times but Quinn had ignored them all. She really didn't need his apologies or his pity. They would only make the hurt that much worse.
"That boy is crazy," Mercedes was saying as the two girls primped in front of the bathroom mirrors in preparation for heading to the mall. "You're way better for him than -"
"Please, 'Cedes," Quinn practically pleaded. "Can we not talk about this?"
Sighing, Mercedes applied some lip gloss and nodded. "Alright, girl, if you say so." Pausing, while searching for her mascara, Mercedes glanced at her friend's face. "Sam and I decided to tell everyone."
Grinning, trying to momentarily forget her own problems, Quinn said, "That's great! I'm glad."
Out of one of the stalls came Rachel, making both girls jump as they hadn't realized another person had been in there. "You and Sam decided to tell everyone what?" she asked, while washing her hands.
Shaking her head at Rachel's sudden appearance, Mercedes told her, "We're dating. We have been for months."
At first, Rachel appeared somewhat shocked then a smile spread across her face. "That is fantastic, Mercedes! I am so happy for you!" Bouncing toward Mercedes, she enveloped the other girl in a hug, squeezing tightly. Once done with the embrace, Rachel stepped back and directed her eyes at Quinn. "I couldn't help but overhear you discussing Artie as well. Are you two…or were you two dating?"
Eyes watering, Quinn shook her head, looking at the tiled floor of the bathroom.
"But you have feelings for him, don't you? I'm assuming he doesn't share your feelings or -"
"What do you know?" Quinn snapped, narrowing her eyes at the smaller girl. "Considering you're dating Finn while obviously carrying a bonfire-sized torch for Puck!"
When Rachel started to protest, Mercedes decided that was her cue to slip out of the bathroom, unnoticed. She figured she'd let them handle it and stand right outside the bathroom door just in case the conflict escalated. She wanted to be there to stop them from killing each other if claws were extended.
"I am not!" Rachel cried, placing her hands on her hips. "Noah and I are just friends!"
"Sure you are," Quinn sneered, knowing she was upset at the situation with Artie and sort of taking it out on Rachel. "You have feelings for Puck but you insist on holding onto your relationship with Finn, even though you know he's so wrong for you."
Mouth agape, Rachel furiously shook her head. "That's so…no, you're not…" But Quinn was already leaving, not caring to hear Rachel sputter her denial. Hanging her head once the door was shut behind Quinn, Rachel muttered, "I do not have feelings for Noah," wondering who she was trying to convince since she was all alone in the bathroom.
Artie was just about to give up when he spotted Quinn and Mercedes down the hall, walking toward the exit that led to the parking lot and away from him. "Quinn!" he called out. "Quinn!" Putting his hands on his wheels, he was prepared to race after them when Brittany popped up seemingly out of nowhere.
"Artie!" she cried happily, bending at the waist to hug him.
Patting her back, he scanned the hallway beyond her. When he saw that Quinn was gone, his heart sank within him and he responded, bleakly, "Brittany." It was more than apparent, with Brittany there before him, that he had been a complete idiot about everything. The times he actually thought about her were few and far between, mostly when he was in her presence, but he had been unwilling to let go of the past and, because of that, he might lose what he had had with Quinn. He might miss an opportunity to see what more it could become. "I have to -" he started to say, when Brittany shouted, interrupting him.
"I found a doctor that's going to fix you!"
Staring up at her, Artie blinked a few times before he was able to speak. "You…you what?"
"Sanny and I will help raise money so you can afford it. Then we can all go to Mexico and you'll be able to walk again."
Some kind of elation spread through his body. He was going to walk! And then dance! With Quinn. He wanted to hold her in his arm, dance with her…and tell her he loved her.