Holy crud, this one got long... NOTE: Someone asked in comments how Tina would use her school books if she was blind... you can't tell me you never had teachers who made you bring all your books to class even if they weren't being used...
Sam walked into the school, stopping at his locker to drop off his bag. Tina's locker was next to his, and she stood at it, helplessly running her hand up and down the pile of books. "Daydreaming, Tee?" he joked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Tina startled. "Damn it, Sam, don't do that!" she scolded him. "You know I can't see you there!"
Sam laughed. "What did you do, go blind?"
"Yeah. For today, anyway," Tina turned to face Sam, brandishing a red-tipped cane and pointing to the blindfold across her eyes.
"What the hell made you blind for the day?" Sam asked, his voice rising into a slight panic.
Tina laughed, shaking her head. "Have you been falling asleep in homeroom again? We've literally talked about this. Disability awareness day?"
"Disability awareness day…" Sam repeated. "So… you didn't actually go blind?"
"No, Sam," Tina sighed. "I'm not actually blind. If I was actually blind, what the hell would I be wearing a blindfold for?"
Sam shrugged. "To keep your eyes out of the sun while they heal from whatever blinded you?"
"You're ridiculous," Tina replied. "I'm fine. If you were actually listening to the announcements in homeroom for the past week, you'd know that Figgins' office is stocked with stuff for the day, so we can live out the day with a disability, try to understand what it's like. Something about being inspired by the Glee Club doing Proud Mary for Artie… not sure where Figgins got his time machine that he's only caring about that years later, but we'll take it. It's acknowledgement. Or something."
"You think Artie would teach me some neat wheelchair tricks?" Sam mused aloud. "I wasn't here when you guys did Proud Mary."
Tina shook her head. "It's not as fun as you'd think," she sighed. "You can go ahead, I'm sure Artie wouldn't mind showing you some things, but I give it 5 minutes before you're flat on your back in the middle of the hallway from trying to pop wheelies."
"Would it be cheating if I got up after I fell over?" Sam asked.
"I think you're allowed to do that," Tina shrugged. But they probably don't want you cheating too much, for the sake of having the experience… try not to fall over, and you won't have to think about it."
Sam laughed. "Telling me to try not to fall over is like telling a dog not to bark, and that's when I'm standing up."
Tina moved to whack Sam on the shoulder, slightly misjudging and swatting him on the chest instead. "Go get a chair, Sam," she dismissed him. "If you hurry up and get back here before first bell, maybe you can help me figure out which books I'm supposed to take where."
"They won't even let you look for things like that?"
"Cheating, Sam. Now go."
Sam walked to Principal Figgins' office, where he ran into Blaine, who stood there shirtless and wrapped in duct tape.
"What are you supposed to be?" Sam asked, suppressing a laugh at Blaine's current state.
"They've taped my right arm at my side, it's like I don't have one for the day," he explained. "I could probably use a little help getting my shirt back on, actually."
Sam grabbed Blaine's shirt off a nearby chair, guiding it over Blaine's head and watching as Blaine put his free arm through it. He turned to Figgins' receptionist. "Here to sign out a wheelchair for Disability Day?" He turned back to Blaine. "Figured Artie could teach me some cool wheelchair tricks or something."
"Do you have a death wish?" Blaine asked. "Might want to master steering before you ask Artie about tricks."
"It can't be that hard, a bunch of the other Glee kids did it for Artie before we were here," Sam retorted.
The receptionist came around from the storage area with one of the wheelchairs, and Sam slung his backpack over the handles before climbing in. "Walk with you back to the lockers?" Blaine asked.
"Sure," Sam replied. "Sure you don't want a ride?" he gestured to his lap. Blaine replied by whacking Sam in the shoulder. Sam shrugged. "Suit yourself." They worked their way back toward their lockers and Sam stopped short in front of the art room. "Actually, you go ahead, I have to get something. Tina's probably still trying to figure out her books, she'll need someone if I'm not back in time."
"Figure out her books?" Blaine asked.
"She's blind for the day," Sam explained. "Couldn't figure out which book was which. She asked me to help but she made me get the chair first."
"OK," Blaine agreed. "If you don't get back in time, I'll see you at lunch?"
"Yeah," Sam nodded. He turned the chair and rolled into the art room, where Mr. Castillo sat at his desk, reading a magazine.
Mr. Castillo glanced up. "Hello, Sam," he greeted him. "Here to work more on your project?"
Sam shook his head. "No, I just… needed a few materials for something outside of class. Disability Day project," he explained, wheeling over to the drawers. He opened a few of them, pulling out a piece of felt, construction paper, aluminum foil, a foam board, a swatch of fabric, a few small round raised stickers, and a roll of tape. "Thanks, Mr. C.," Sam nodded toward him as he wheeled himself out of the room, the supplies on his lap.
Sam rolled down the hallway, finally stopping at his locker, where Tina and Blaine still sat, waiting for the bell to ring. "Hey," he greeted them, pulling up next to Tina. "Back in time. You get your books sorted out?"
Tina shook her head. "I'm just gonna bring them all and ask someone in each class."
"That's ridiculous," Sam replied, lifting Tina's bag from the floor, the sheer weight of it sending him flying forward out of the chair as it slid out from under him, landing himself on top of Tina, who shrieked.
"Sam, did you just fall?"
"Yeah, because of your damn bag," Sam muttered. "Probably should have put the brakes on first. Am I cheating if I get up or can we count the first bell as the official start?"
Blaine laughed. "If I had both arms today, I'd help, but I think you can cheat just this once."
Sam nodded, reaching back and grabbing the chair, putting the brakes on and hoisting himself into it. "There," he said. "Didn't stand up. Only half-cheated." He pulled Tina's bag closer to him without lifting it. "Now about all these books, there's no way you're carrying this around, it's too heavy." He waved the pile of supplies in the air. "What class is first?"
"Math," Tina replied.
Sam found Tina's math text, notebook, and folder, and taped a piece of the construction paper to each. "Next?"
"Science." He taped the foil to the corresponding books.
"Next?"
"Gym, then lunch, no books. English with you guys after." He stuck the stickers to the English books.
"Got it. Then art with me, right?"
"Yeah." He took the fabric and taped it to the sketchbook in her bag.
"Lit with both of you after that, then history," Tina continued, Sam taping the foam to the literature books, and the felt to the history books.
"Done," Sam smiled. "All your books are texture-coded now. You don't have to hurt yourself carrying them all."
"Thanks, Sam," Tina smiled.
"Let me call you, I'll leave which one's which as a message so you can just check your voicemail if you forget."
Tina fumbled to find Sam's hand, grabbing it and squeezing it. "I love you, thank you," she said.
"Let's get the rest of these books out of here," Sam suggested. "What's your combo, I'll put them back for you."
Tina gave her locker combo to Sam, blushing profusely. "Thanks for opening my locker, I already used a cheat to do it myself this morning before either of you got here."
"And you told me no cheating? You little hypocrite, Tina Cohen-Chang!" Sam scoffed at her. He pulled out his phone and dialed Tina's, letting it go to voicemail as he put the books away, describing each one.
"And done," he smiled, filing the last away and closing Tina's locker. "First two classes are still in your bag, everything else is away."
"Got it, thanks, Sam," Tina replied.
The early bell rang, and Blaine leaped up. "I know we like to hang around, but we might need all 5 minutes to get to class today," he mused. He reached out a hand in front of Tina. "Need a hand, Tee?" he asked. "Right in front of you." Tina reached ahead, finding Blaine's hand and pulling herself to a standing position. She pulled out her borrowed cane and started down the hallway with Blaine and Sam behind her.
One distinct crash of metal on metal later, and Tina was dissolving into hysterical laughter. "Sam, you just hit a locker, didn't you?"
Sam sheepishly nodded. "Maybe?"
"I can't wait to tell Artie you wanted to do tricks."