Quinn and Artie
In this one –shot, they're still in high school. Sometime during Season 3, I guess it could fit, but no spoilers really, just that timing for the state of Quinn's friendships.
Disclaimer; On first chapter.
This is a QUINN / ARTIE.
Please read, enjoy and review
It's a Saturday afternoon and you run a hand over your face as you kick the covers off you. You haven't bothered to get out of bed, where you threw yourself as soon as you got home from school last night.
It's not like you hadn't anything to get up for. Nobody bothers to call you any more to see if you fancy going out on Friday nights. Sometimes, Santana or Brittney used to call you and ask but lately the calls have fizzled out. You get it – they're spending more and more time with each other, and Santana's going through a difficult time right now, she needs all the comfort she can get.
And you don't provide that any more.
None of those so called 'friends' you were in the Cheerios with bother to talk to you anymore. As soon as you got pregnant and your popularity fell, it was like you had something contagious, something they could catch just by speaking to you, let along hanging out.
As for your Glee clubbers. Sam might call occasionally but he's got Rory to hang out with now and you don't really want to call him up and cry about 'your white girl problems' to him. Plus you know how important it is to him to get to act like a teenager now after everything he's been through.
And what teenage boy hangs out with the girl he (sort of) proposed to, who cheated on him, then lied about it?
Rachel calls sometimes, but you think it's more out of pity than anything else, so you usually let it go to voicemail and she doesn't bother to leave a message. You know she'll be there for you if you actually need her, and sure it makes you feel guilty that the only time you seem to talk is if she's trying to talk you out of something but that's just how your friendship works, and why would you change that? Plus it's still hard to be around her after the whole Finn thing, which you know isn't her fault.
But still it's not easy losing the three guys you've spent your high school life being in love with to three girls who you used to think were so below you, who you wouldn't give the time of day to.
Which brings you to Puck; he doesn't call you any more since that whole demented thing about trying to get Beth back. Something changed in the way he viewed you, something you can't blame him for.
You're not that close to the rest of the Glee Club members, with the slight exception of Mercedes and even that bridge has been burned. Sure she still smiles at you but only if you smile first. Just like she only talks to you if you talk to her first. You like to think if you reached out to her, had a conversation with her, you guys could go back to the way you were when you lived with her for that brief period of time but whenever you work up the courage to do it, you just end up walking past her, your head held high not even glancing back in her direction.
Your thoughts are going in places that you don't want to think about so you jam yourself into your comfiest pair of jeans and throw a sweater over your head. You don't bother with makeup or even brushing your hair, just shove your feet into a pair of flat white shoes before you gather your purse and walk out the door.
You don't know where you're planning to go but whenever these thoughts enter your head the only thing that stops them is getting out of the house.
You walk for a little while, just around the local neighbourhood that you and your mum now live in. You haven't actually spent much time here since you moved, just the walk from the front door to your car and back again.
The car's the only thing you have to remind you of your dad, and even though that's a painful memory you love it, because even after everything your still daddy's little girl.
Plus it's the only thing you're mum managed to get for you in the divorce and it makes her happy to see you in it for reasons you can't quite fathom.
There's a coffee shop just down the road you remember. Turing your feet to walk in that direction then hurry inside once you find it. You didn't realise how cold it was outside.
It's only when you've got that giant cup of coffee in your hands and your looking around the warm shop that you realise there's nowhere to sit. You don't feel like going home just yet though, so you walk slowly towards the bench where they keep straws and stuff like that. Your pretty you could probably get away with just hanging out in a coffee shop stirring your drink for quite a while.
Five minutes later, and you're already bored. Your coffee is cooling and even though plenty of boys are looking at you, you have no interest in them.
A crowd clears out from a table, and you slide towards it before they've fully finished gathering up their coats and bags. You smile as you sit down; sipping your coffee before the quick spark of happiness fades.
Sitting at a table all alone just highlights how lonely you are. You don't need other people to see it too though, so you get up just as quickly as you sat down and start manoeuvring yourself to get outside.
"Yo, Quinn." The shout barley reaches you but you turn your head just in case, your green eyes alighting on Artie. He's sitting all alone at a table for two, empty coffee cups littering the surface in front of him. Several plates are stacked to one side and there's a sticky patch on the floor where one of the cups has fallen over, dripping its remains off the table.
"Hey. Mind if I sit?" You gesture to the empty seat opposite him and he nods.
"I wouldn't have called you over otherwise." You share a smile and you sip your coffee again before grimacing. You keep forgetting its gone cold.
"Want another one?" Artie asks and you nod. Why not? It isn't like you've got anything better to do.
"I'll go." You make to get up but he shakes his head, raising one hand and clicking his fingers twice before pointing to her. You don't know why but it makes you laugh.
"Look, I know it might be hard for you to get to the queue and back but that's a bit rude." He laughs too then.
"Coming from the girl who used to post messages like 'go back from where you came from' on Rachel's MySpace videos." The thought sobers both of you as you each remember what a bitch you used to be. Artie clears his throat. "Anyway it's not really being rude. See that blonde lady behind the counter?" He points at the woman who's grappling with the coffee machine and laughing at something one of her co-workers is saying.
"Yeah." You wonder if it's Arties new girlfriend and then wonder why you care.
"That's my mum. She's the manager here. I didn't have anything else to do today and she likes me to be in her sight. Still over protective you know." You nod lightly, eyes travelling back between Artie and his mum. "Anyway when we arrived this morning, I parked here and now whenever I finish a drink or want something to eat I just click – she doesn't mind. She says it's an easier way to know if I want something than getting me to go myself." A quiet sound leaves your mouth.
"Don't you get bored just hanging around here all day?" Artie shrugs.
"Sometimes. But you'd be surprised at the number of people who pop in for coffee – there are Glee members, AV club members, random people from school who don't mind me calling out their name. Some of them blank me but hey. I'm used to it." You want to say something, apologise for the people who blank him but then you remember that you're not one of them anymore. Your one of the ones who would sit in a coffee shop and be blanked now.
Artie's mum comes over and you smile and thank her for the drink. It's the same one you ordered not ten minutes ago and you wonder if she remembers what every person who comes in orders just in case they happen to be a friend of her son.
"No. I just recognise you from Artie's performances." You blink because you didn't realise that you'd spoken aloud and then you blush. Artie barley contains his laughter and you narrow your eyes at him, causing him to hold his hands up in surrender. "You're Quinn right?" You nod and she smiles but there's something hidden in it, that makes you wonder what Artie's told his mum about you. But you don't ask because that's rude and she walks away after ruffling Artie's hair, making his push her hand away and you chuckle into your coffee.
It's silent for a few moments and you can't help flicking your gaze back to him and then just as quickly taking it away.
If you look at him objectively as just a boy you realise that he isn't that bad looking, in fact he's kind of cute with the whole 'nerdy-chic' thing he's got going on.
Your next glance, your eyes flicker to his body and you let out a very un-lady like snort, placing your slim hand over your mouth as soon as the sound escapes. Artie looks up from where he's been staring at the table and you met his gaze. He's looking at you and there's something in his eyes that you can't quite read.
"What's so funny?"
"I just noticed how you wear animal sweaters like Rachel." It's true. Today he's got a red one on with little white reindeers on the front. "In fact I think she may have exactly the same one." He rolls his eyes.
"This is a boy once. And I don't usually wear animal sweaters; I much prefer shirts and vests." He takes a sip of his replenished drink. "Didn't you wear one once?"
"Yeah, because everybody else was."
"And doing what everybody else does is the most important factor in your life." The words slip out; you can tell he didn't think about them because of the horrified look on his face. "Sorry."
"It's fine – trust me I've had worse." You share a smile, both remembering harsh words being flung at you, or maybe the cold sting of a brightly coloured slushie hitting your faces. "What did you think I was laughing at?"
"I thought you were thinking about how different your life is. You know two years ago you would have been in here hanging out with those –"he waves a hand in the direction of the large group of people who have entered and find a table straight away because the world just works for them at this time in their life. "- and you probably wouldn't even know my name."
"How do you know that? I joined Glee Club; I would have known who you were."
"You only joined Glee to keep hold of Finn. If you hadn't been clinging to him to prove how much you were in love with him, to try and dispel guilt over what you did with Puck you wouldn't have joined."
"I love – I loved Finn." He nods, tells you he knows that you did but that your reasons for joining Glee weren't because you wanted to spend more time with him which is true.
"Didn't you join the football team because you wanted Tina back and you thought the way to do that would be by gaining abs?" You ask him tilting your head slightly. He shrugs.
"Yeah. But she dressed up like a cheerleader because she thought Mike and Brittney were cheating on us." You smile, because he is a little bit like Tina, sometimes. Sweet and caring. "Which is stupid because Mike isn't like that. They make such a good couple." You detect something in his voice, something that sounds a little like jealously.
So you ask him about it and he admits he is a little jealous of Mike, but it isn't because of Tina. He got over her a long time ago – he wouldn't have dated Brittney if that had been the case. (It causes you a brief squeal of discomfort when he's talking about dating someone when you might still be in love with someone, but you squish it.)
"It's because he can dance. At one point I wanted to be a dancer." He laughs a little, and you smile gently because you can tell how much it matters to him to admit that. "But now I've found directing and I love it, love the whole bossing people around thing. The jealousy is still there though – something that's rooted in me." You get it – having something so rooted in you that it will never go away no matter what happens.
"You'll be an awesome director." And he will be. Because he doesn't have a problem telling people what they need to do, or insulting someone. He reminds you a bit of Santana in that way, the way he isn't afraid to say what he's thinking (although he would probably say sorry if he really offended anyone.)
"I know. And the voice in my head telling me it's all rubbish is totally worth it." You grin again, because he knows how good he is and isn't afraid to voice it – like Rachel although he doesn't make you want to ram something down his throat. "Plus people coming up to me afterwards and telling me how amazing it was just gives me a glow." Once again you nod, because you understand that – nothing compares to the praise you got after coming off the cheerleading field. "And I've never had that before – it's not like I get praised for my singing." He laughs and you know it's something that doesn't really bug him, but it makes you think of Mercedes because she's got an amazing voice as well but since that's what she wants to do with her life it hurts when nobody praises her.
"Why is it I've never realised how much like the other Glee members you are?" He raises his eyebrows at you, looking mystified.
"How am I like Finn, Sam or Puck?" He throws at you. You take another sip of your coffee and eye him.
"You're on the football team, you're a little bit goofy – don't try it I saw you swapping impressions with Sam last week – and you…" you pause.
"I'm a badass?" He offers and you can't help the bubbling laugh that flies from your mouth.
"You're a wannabe badass. I heard about the date thing with Santana and Brittney and the lemonade spiking at the prom." He smiles then too.
"Okay I'll accept wannabe badass." A pause. "So how am I like you?"
"That's easy. Overcoming a massive thorn that life throws at you." You don't say any more on the subject because it's still too painful to bring up even to someone you consider yourself close to. "And you're like Blaine because you don't judge people on what they look like, the whole thing with Becky proved that –" he shifts a little, "and like Kurt because you both have things about you that make it easy for people to pick on you and yet you're both so strong." You have to blink furiously to dispel the tears that have suddenly gathered in your eyes, because you realise you could fit yourself in there with them, quite easily.
"Hold up. How am I like Brittney?"
"I have no idea. But you dated her so you must be a good guy cause Brittany wouldn't date – and I mean date not just sex – anyone who wasn't amazing. Plus I heard about that magic comb story. That was really sweet."
You go to drink your coffee again but it's all gone. And suddenly you're looking at Artie and realising that he's like the best bits of all your fellow Glee clubbers, (apart from Rachel's fashion sense) but with other bits that make him a bit flawed like a normal human.
And you remember how much you love all your fellow Glee Club members.
And then it's like the glasses slip and you blink and then something like an invisible wall melts between the two of you and you want nothing more than to lean across and press your lips to his and kiss him.
But you don't, because you don't know how he would feel about that, how he feels about you, so you push your chair back and make some excuse about how you should be getting home.
He catches your wrist as you pass him and tell you that he's glad you spent your time here with him, that he had a good time and you smile and tell him that you did too, better than if you'd been fake smiling and bitching about random people who attend your school who you don't even know.
You walk out the doors, shuddering as the cold hits you, but can't resist a look back at him.
Now you just need to figure out how to tell him, you love him.
The Fairy tale was falling in love with your best friend, something that always happens in the stories I read.
