She did not, as it turned out, have an opportunity to shove Artie Abrams underwater for a few seconds. They ended up leaving the pool at the same time as Kevin, and when they parted ways, he and Artie were still laughing about some obscure movie quote and Tina was completely left out.

When Artie finally emerged from the men's locker room, Tina was there waiting on him, tapping her foot. He didn't see her and began to wheel right past. She, in turn, grabbed his chair by the handles and yanked him back, as he yelped in protest.

"What was that about?" she demanded.

"What was that about?" Artie shot back, eyes wide with shock. It couldn't have been more clear that he had no idea he'd even done anything wrong, which only further irritated Tina.

"You don't get to do that," she said, using her ability to tower over him as an advantage, closing in on him and leaning over, poking her index finger right at his chest. "That guy likes me, okay? And I think I like him, too. And I'd like to go on a normal date that doesn't involve axes and you and Kitty."

Artie arched an eyebrow, pushing her hand off of his chest and wheeling back a pace. "So, go to dinner with him before," he suggested, as Tina took a step back herself. "Then meet up with Kitty and me. Come on, Tee, I'm not trying to ruin a date for you. I'd just like to see if... if I approve. I'm your best friend, right? Don't you care what I think?"

But Tina was shaking her head. "I don't think you get to have any say in who I date," she said. "Because, in case you forgot, I wanted to date you and you told me no."

"It wasn't exactly no," Artie muttered. "It was more like not now."

Tina didn't like that answer, though, and she turned in a huff and began to storm off. Only, with her weak ankle, she currently wasn't about to walk faster than he could wheel. He kept the pace right beside her and continued pleading his case.

"Tina, I thought I made it abundantly clear, that I need to work on myself a little right now," he said. "But I don't expect you to wait on me. And if you're not there waiting when I'm ready? Then that's my loss. Kevin seems like a great guy. All I'm asking is, if you do find a boyfriend, please don't shut me out again. You know what I'm talking about."

And she did. To pretend otherwise would've been an insult to him, and she knew it. "I was really young, you know," she said, softening at that. "Barely sixteen. I didn't know how to be best friends with my ex then, and sometimes I think I still don't."

Artie fell silent then and so did she. They were headed in the direction of the dorm, but she split off when they came to a crossroad. "I've got a shift at the coffee shop," she told him. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess? You did mean Kitty, right, that's who you're bringing?"

"Yeah, Kitty," he confirmed.

"She's not as awful as I used to think," Tina confessed, thinking back to she and Kitty's movie night and all she'd learned about the younger girl.

"Sooo, a-about that," Artie stammered, looking a little uncomfortable. "I wanted to get your opinion on something. Kitty asked me if I'd go to her junior prom with her, as a friend. She said she doesn't really like any of the guys there. Is that too weird?"

"Is it weird that you're twenty and going to a prom?" Tina echoed, smirking. "I don't know. Say that out loud and then answer for yourself."

Artie groaned. "Come on, Tina," he said. "I feel bad for her. She's just here to help her dad take care of her grandmother, she's homesick, she doesn't really know anyone, and she's going back to Ohio next year..."

"I get it, poor Kitty," Tina said, quickly, just to cut him off. "Okay, okay, I guess you'll need to rent a tux, then, and find out what color her dress is so you can get a matching corsage," she punctuated the thought with a giggle.

Artie groaned again. "Thanks," he said. "Well, enjoy your shift, and I'll see you around."

"See you, Artie."

As her shift ended around 8:00 that evening, however, it seemed like Artie planned on seeing her sooner rather than later. As she was getting off, she checked her phone and saw that he'd texted ten minutes ago: Outdoor movie by the dorm tonight. Want to go? Movie will suck but I'll bring grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit, and sodas. I know you missed eating dinner.

And that was how her Friday night date ended up being Artie, even though, no, they weren't together. Even though they were together.

But it was fun. Artie staked out a good spot and was already waiting for her when she arrived. Together, they sprawled out, side by side, on picnic blanket and enjoyed the meal Artie had put together. She thought about how he was always making her food, about how his outfits always matched and looked just as put together as this meal, about how he tended to accidentally interrupt girl talk...

"Artie, are you gay?" she blurted out, maybe a little too loudly, as the couple on the next blanket seemingly overheard her and tried to pretend they hadn't.

Artie turned bright red at this. "What?" He was already shaking his head, vehemently. "Uh, no, Tina. Remember how I slept with all those girls in New York? I'm very much straight."

"Maybe you're still finding yourself," she suggested, as she helped herself to Artie's grilled cheese sandwiches, which he'd used fancy cheese to make. "Maybe those were failed experiments."

"No," Artie said again, staring at her as if she'd lost his mind, asking him a thing like this. "Tina, what? No."

"It would really let me off the hook and soften the blow of your rejection," she teased now, and he playfully shoved her shoulder. "What? I'm used to getting rejected because the guy turns out to be gay. I just figured, given my luck, it was possible."

"Again, no," he said. "No, no, no. Remember? Lots of girls. Me. New York."

"Two girls," she corrected. "I don't think that word 'lots' means what you think it means."

"Well, you only got rejected by two gay dudes," he said. "Titus and Blaine, right? Two isn't a lot, in your case, either."

"I kind of counted Sam in that," Tina said. "We were being silly and flirty and something might have happened, I think, if it weren't for Blaine feeling left out."

"Ugh." Artie made a face. "Ménage a gross. How could I forget about that? Still, that doesn't count. I know everything about him points to the contrary, but Sam's straight."

The movie was starting, so they dropped the discussion of their friends at this point and paid attention to the screen. Well, sort of, because as Artie had predicted, it wasn't all that great of a movie. It was The Education of Charlie Banks with Jesse Eisenberg, and as Artie learned on the campus Facebook page, it had been selected because it was filmed at Brown University.

"I liked him better in The Social Network," Tina said, mid-way through the film. "And also, I liked Brenda Song being in that. Asian girl in a mainstream movie for the win."

"I think that's playing next week," Artie said. "Want to come back to see that? Maybe Lauren and Derrick would join us." He was shifting his weight awkwardly as he leaned back on his hands, she noticed, which was what he usually did when he sat on the ground for a long time.

"Want to lean on me?" she asked, to which he nodded and adjusted himself, so that she sat behind him, cross-legged, and once he was leaning back against her, she was tempted to play with his hair. Why, oh why, did he have to do this to her? Date her, but not date her. Her heart was so pounding hard, she thought Artie was going to notice. But all she said was, "Nice socks."

Artie's pants had hiked up, as they usually did, revealing some crazy rainbow striped socks. "Kurt sent me those last year during Pride Month," he said. "Okay, okay, so I see where you got the theory," he added, tugging his pant legs down. "But it's called being an ally."

"I do like them," Tina told him. "And sorry, didn't mean to make you self conscious. They're great socks."

When the movie ended, they headed back to the dorm together. Always together. Artie navigated his way up the new ramp as Tina followed along behind, her ankle feeling stronger all the time.

"Hey, can I show you something?" Artie asked. "It's in my dorm. I wanted you to see what I got for my birthday..." Artie always wanted money for birthdays now, so that's what everyone in his family had given him.

When she followed him to his room, she noticed Artie had found a way to make use of some of his extra space, which he had due to not having a roommate. A chairless desk held his laptop, plus two additional monitors and a microphone.

"The counselor I started seeing suggested that I find a creative outlet again," he explained. "We were taking about glee club and film school and he pointed out that I wasn't currently doing anything like that with my time. To which, I said what time? All I do is go to class and work on stuff for class. But then he said, if I made time to do something l truly enjoyed, it would probably help my general mindset. I got the new desk and these monitors and ordered some of the editing software that I'd started learning to use when I was in Brooklyn. I figure, I can still have this as a hobby."

"Artie," Tina smiled, running her hand over the monitors and admiring his set up. "I love that you're doing this. There's no reason you can't make time for two dreams."

"Want to see my first project?" he asked, eagerly.

"Please!" she said.

"Sorry, there isn't a chair for you," he said, turning his attention to the screen. "Okay, so, my grandfather may be seventy, but when I asked him if he knew how to digitally convert footage from VHS tapes, he did and he already had the software to do it. He's already emailed me all the footage from the tapes."

"That's gonna be you when you're seventy, too," Tina said, impressed.

" So, I'm going to do an autobiographical piece," Artie went on. "That's one perk of being out of film school. I've regained creative control over my projects. I've been toying with this one shot today..."

He pulled up the complete footage of himself from the summer before the accident, getting up on the water skis. It tugged at Tina's heart strings to see that again, but it was nothing prepared for what came next. With seamless editing, Artie had morphed this straight into the shot of him doing his first wheelie in the blue chair.

"Anyway, that's literally all I've done so far," he said. "I don't get much time for this, maybe a little before bed each night but... it's nice. I did miss working on films." He looked over his shoulder. "Tee! Stop crying!"

And she laughed, wiping away her tears. "Sorry, I just... I think that's really beautiful, Artie."

"You like it?" Artie was truly in his element when he was working on movies. "Check out the effect in reverse." He played it back for her, in reverse, so that he now went from wheelchair to water skis. "I think I'm going to use it both ways. You'll see."

I can't wait to see the finished product," Tina told him, thinking to herself that this counselor was pretty smart to recommend Artie get back to doing what he loved.

As she bid him goodnight and they parted ways, Tina tried to imagine how her date with Kevin on Saturday night could possibly top the evening she'd just had with Artie. She sighed, on the way back up to the third floor, hugging herself tightly as she went.

"What's up?" Lauren asked, seeing the expression on her face right away as she entered their shared room. Tina liked Lauren, but sometimes, she wished she just could return to an empty room and not have to explain herself.

"Artie stuff," was all she said, and Lauren immediately nodded with understanding. "Oh, um, I have a date tomorrow night with that guy, Kevin. Remember the one I told you I met at the pool? I think I'm going to ask him to take me to dinner beforehand, but then we'll be coming to Stumpy's. Are you working tomorrow night?"

"Yep, all evening," said Lauren. "I'll try to make sure you're one of my groups."

"That would be great," Tina said. Then she drew in a breath and sighed deeply. "That part of the date's going to be a double date. Me and Kevin, Artie and Kitty."

"How'd that happen?"

"My date invited him," Tina said, rolling her eyes. "And Artie thinks it's his duty as my best friend to come along and check him out."

"Is that what he told you?" Lauren snickered. "Man, that's the smoothest excuse for date crashing I ever heard. You want to borrow the punching bag?"

Tina shook her head. She wasn't mad, really, but she was definitely confused.