AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you so much for all of your great reviews on the last update! Here is part two of the boys' trip to Ohio State to see Griffin. Another shoutout to Quartie4Life for her idea contributions to this story! :)

Chapter 37: Fight For Your Right (To Party)

SEBASTIAN

Surprisingly, Sebastian found the futon in Griffin's room to be quite comfortable when he woke up on Sunday morning. Or, rather, Sunday just-before-noon.

He rubbed his eyes before sitting up and glancing over to see that Griffin's bed (which Artie had taken over during their stay) was already crisply made with his clothes folded neatly on top. He could hear the shower running from the adjoining bathroom, and judging by the fact that Artie's chair was sitting idly outside the door, he guessed that that's what Artie was up to currently.

As Sebastian went to stand up, he noticed the iced coffee and breakfast sandwich by his feet- probably left for him by Griffin- for him to enjoy whenever he'd woken up. He glanced over towards the bed again to see that he'd left one for Artie on the bedside table as well, but Artie- who had probably already been up for hours, knowing him- had already finished it.

So far, Sebastian had been a pretty big fan of this trip. Griffin's friends were super cool, and they seemed to like him too. He liked the environment of the fraternity house, with all of the brothers milling around all the time. It reminded him of his days at Dalton Academy as a member of The Warblers. He loves being a student at McKinley now, and he knows he made the right choice when he decided to transfer, but being in this fraternity environment made him miss the brotherhood that The Warblers had shared, that much more.

Sebastian was thinking about this and finishing up his breakfast when Griffin strolled in.

"Oh, hey, you're up," Griffin said. "Morning."

"Morning," Sebastian replied before pointing at both the empty wheelchair and the bathroom door. The water had stopped running minutes before. "Artie?"

"Yeah, I just came to check on him," Griffin explained. "The bathroom's too tight for him to transfer into the shower from his chair, so I helped him in earlier. I'm gonna help him get out now, too." Sebastian nodded as Griffin rapped his knuckles on the door. "Hey Art? You decent if I come in?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Sebastian could make out Artie's voice.

Griffin turned the doorknob and slipped inside, returning a few minutes later with Artie in his arms before setting him down in his chair. He was mostly dried off, save for his wet hair, and had a towel wrapped around his waist. Artie's lack of clothes didn't faze any of them, as the line of modesty between the brothers had been crossed long ago.

"Are you guys ready for your tour today?" Griffin asked, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. Sebastian nodded eagerly, while Artie just shrugged as he put on his boxers and transferred from his chair to the bed to finish getting dressed.

"Well, I'm excited to hear all about it when you get back," Griffin told them. "I can't believe my brothers might be here with me next year."

Sebastian didn't want to say anything just yet, but he was pretty confident that he'd be able to make a commitment to the school by the end of the week. The junior colleges and community colleges that Ms. Pillsbury had recommended to him weren't all that bad, he supposed, but he had always pictured himself going off somewhere prestigious, like Yale or Princeton. But, alas, he had only sent in the Ohio State application, and he was so relieved when he received his acceptance letter in the mail, that he was about ready to commit on the spot. After today's campus tour, though, Sebastian was sure that he'd know for certain if Ohio State was the school for him.

Their tour was at one-thirty, so as soon as he and Artie were both dressed and ready, they headed downstairs. Since Sebastian's hands were free this time around, he scooped Artie up at the top of the stairs as Griffin followed behind them with Artie's chair.

Even though the fraternity house was on campus, it was still a pretty far walk to the admissions office, where they would be meeting for their tour, so Griffin gave them a ride.

"Call me when you're done and I'll come back and grab you," Griffin called from the driver's seat of his pickup truck as he waved his brothers off as they went to join the tour group that was assembling. Most of the other prospective students were here with their parents, but Sebastian and Artie had only each other.

As their walking tour of the university started, Sebastian couldn't help but marvel at how pretty the campus looked in the springtime. After growing up somewhere as diverse as Paris, then settling somewhere as bland as Ohio, Sebastian never would have imagined that he'd be choosing to stay in this boring state by his own free will. But the truth was, he found himself falling in love with the school. Even if this hadn't been his sole college acceptance, he was beginning to believe that he just might have ended up here anyway.

"And to your left is Hagerty Hall, part of the College of Arts and Sciences, and home to our Foreign Language Department and Film Studies Program," the excitable tour guide gestured to the booming concrete building.

"Hear that? Film studies," Sebastian nudged Artie, who just gave another unenthused shrug.

Sebastian began to wonder what had gotten into Artie, who was usually so talkative, exuberant, and prepared. On a normal day, the other boy would have memorized every factoid there was to know about the university, prior to his arrival. In fact, he could probably give the tour himself even better than the tour guide could, despite having never wheeled on campus before this weekend. Ever since they'd arrived in Columbus yesterday afternoon, however, Artie had a noticeable shift in his mood, to the point where it was obvious that he wasn't acting like himself. After pondering Artie's moodiness for a few minutes, Sebastian decided not to dwell on it. Everybody had bad days, and he wasn't going to let one of Artie's ruin this experience for him.

…

"To Sebastian!" Griffin called, raising his can of Natty Light in the air for a toast. "For choosing the best school to spend the best four years of his life at!"

The other brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon raised their own beers and red Solo cups and cheered in celebration.

Following the conclusion of his and Artie's campus tour of Ohio State, Sebastian had announced his plans to be a member of the freshman class in the fall. Of course, this was excellent news to Griffin and his friends, who had taken a particular liking to the younger boy and embraced having him around for the week.

There was no better way to celebrate than to throw a party, which, as everyone knows, is what frat boys do best. Coincidentally, the boys were already planning to host one that night (because Sunday night parties happen in college, apparently), so Sebastian was made the guest of honor.

"Need a refill?" Rob asked Sebastian, nodding to his empty Solo cup which had previously been filled with whiskey and a Coke. Normally, Sebastian was more of a wine kind of guy, but, as an aspiring frat boy, he supposed he needed to branch out and start drinking more beer and hard liquor.

Sebastian nodded and followed Rob into the house's kitchen, where the older guy sloppily poured him a second round.

"Who's this?" A very drunk blonde girl asked, clinging to Rob's arm to steady herself as she made eyes at Sebastian.

"This is Seb," Rob said. "He's Griffin Abrams' step-brother. He's gonna be a freshman here next year."

Sebastian gave a wave and a shy smile as he busied himself with taking a sip of his drink. As far as he knew, nobody at this party knew that he's gay, with the exception of his brothers, of course. Sexuality is just not something that commonly makes its way into a conversation in an environment like this.

The drunk girl picked up a Sharpie that had been sitting on the table for guests to write their names on their drinks, uncapping it with her teeth before sloppily scrawling her cell phone number on Sebastian's forearm.

"Thanks…" Sebastian grimaced before backing away to make his exit.

"Call me!" She slurred as he walked away, heading back into the living room to find Artie and Griffin.

The house was so jam-packed with people that he momentarily wondered if he'd be able to locate the other two in a timely manner. He didn't have to worry, though, because he could hear the Abrams brothers before he saw them.

"Let loose a little, would you?! Have a drink! Maybe then, you'll stop being so frickin' uptight!" Sebastian heard Griffin shout over the bass-boosted music. "You haven't stopped complaining since you got here!"

"Well, maybe it's because you haven't given me the time of day all weekend!" Artie yelled back. "Remember me? Your brother by blood? The one who used to be your best friend?!"

Sebastian watched from afar as Artie shoved the Solo cup that had been tucked between his knees (which Sebastian had watched him fill with only water) in Griffin's direction before swiftly pivoting his chair and storming off.

Griffin stood there, stunned, as he held his own drink and what was left of Artie's.

"What was that about?" Sebastian asked Griffin after he'd walked over.

"He's just being dramatic," Griffin rolled his eyes. "He's been acting pissy all weekend, but somehow that's my fault. I've tried to show him a good time since you've been here, but he's still not having any of it. And that's on him. I'm done trying to reason with him."

Sebastian pursed his lips and twisted them to the side, the way that Artie always does, as he listened to what Griffin had to say. He had been confused by Artie's moody attitude earlier as well, but he'd never have expected Griffin to say something like that. Sebastian had a feeling that the amount of alcohol that Griffin had consumed played a part in his harsh words about his brother.

Sebastian pointed at Artie's cup that Griffin was holding. "Drink some water. Sober up some. I'm going to find Artie," Sebastian said.

He headed in the direction he'd seen Artie take off in, leading him to the bottom of the stairs, where he found Artie's vacant wheelchair, but him, nowhere to be found.

He could only guess how drunk frat boys would react if they found an empty wheelchair waiting to be played with, so Sebastian set his drink down on a nearby table and picked it up, bringing it upstairs with him in search of its occupant.

Just as he expected, Artie was in Griffin's bedroom. What he didn't expect, however, was to find Artie sitting on Griffin's bed and packing up all of his belongings.

"Hey, dude, what's going on?" Sebastian asked, setting Artie's chair beside the bed so that it would be accessible to him when he needed to move back into it. "Where are you going?"

"Home." The tips of Artie's ears were red with anger. "I'm going home. Ella is leaving tomorrow to spend Spring Break with our dad, and I'm going to go with her. I know you're having fun, so you're welcome to stay here, but I'm leaving. Tonight."

"Artie, don't leave," Sebastian tried to reason with him. "Nobody wants you to do that. Come on, dude, let's talk about this."

Artie stubbornly shook his head. "It's not like anyone would notice if I did. Nobody wants me here."

"Don't say that," Sebastian shook his head, taking a seat in Artie's chair so that they could be on the same level.

"Do you think that I like having to ask for accommodations all the time?!" Artie asked, the crack in his voice showing that he was closer to tears than the angry look on his face led on. "I don't! But my reality is that I won't be able to be independent without them, so I have to put my pride aside and ask for help. I don't like asking just as much as people like being inconvenienced, believe me."

He took a moment to let out a sigh and collect his thoughts for what he wanted to say next.

"And Griffin has always been so good about that. Even in situations where I am too embarrassed to ask for help, he knows, and he's never made a big deal about it," Artie told him as he began to get visibly mad again. "But this weekend, he's been too busy showboating you around to give a crap about whether or not I have a way to shower or enough space to go to the bathroom on my own."

Sebastian could practically see the steam blowing out of Artie's ears. He didn't get angry very often, but when he did, it was admittedly kind of scary. Not that there was much he could do to come at Sebastian who was currently occupying his means of transportation, but an angry Artie wasn't one anyone wanted to cross.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I've been a little on-edge since we've been here too," Sebastian said, earning him a skeptical eyebrow raise from Artie, who was still shoving things back in his duffle bag. "I mean, I've been scared that I'll get… I don't know, hate-crimed or something, if they guys find out I'm gay. I know how you feel."

Artie rolled his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. Griffin's been treating you like the damn golden boy. He'd have your back if anyone said anything. They've all but given you a bid to join next year. Besides, I didn't realize that your affinity for men has been hindering your ability to do much of anything on your own this entire weekend," Artie snapped. "Don't act like you know how I feel."

Artie glared at him and Sebastian felt himself internally cringing.

Sebastian knew that their situations weren't the same, but he was trying to show Artie some support by telling him that he understood how he was feeling, as they were both different from Griffin and the other guys. Though, maybe he should just stop doing that altogether, comparing his situation to Artie's. Because the sad truth was that Sebastian was able to hide it for the time being if he wanted to. Artie wasn't afforded that luxury. Artie didn't want Sebastian to pretend to relate to him, he just wanted his voice to be heard. It seemed like there hadn't been much of that lately.

"I'm sorry," Artie said after a minute, his face visibly softening. "You didn't do anything, I shouldn't be taking this out on you. Sometimes it's just… hard being me. I'm sick of being different."

To hear Artie admit something like this was a rarity, and Sebastian immediately felt for the boy.

Sebastian leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees so that he could look into Artie's eyes. "What can I do?"

Before Artie got the chance to answer, there was a knock on the door. Both Sebastian and Artie glanced in that direction as Griffin stuck his head in the doorway.

"Mind if I come in?"

"It's your room. What do I care?" Artie replied coolly.

"Seb, can you give us a minute?" Griffin asked, to which Sebastian nodded, standing up from his spot in Artie's chair and offering it up to Griff.

"I'm gonna go find Rob and Chase," Sebastian told them, making his way towards the door. "Holler if you need me."

…

ARTIE

Both Abrams boys watched Sebastian leave before turning their attention to the other. Artie sat on the edge of his brother's bed, his hands on either side of himself to keep his balance. He avoided Griffin's eyes, choosing instead to focus on where Griffin's sneakers were resting on the footplate of his wheelchair.

"Artie-"

"I'm sorry," Artie cut him off.

Griffin blinked a few times, stunned that his brother was the one apologizing, when that was what he came up here to do himself.

"I'm sorry that me being here has ruined your perfect weekend with your friends and Sebastian," Artie finished his thought. "I'm sorry that your friends don't want anything to do with your crippled little brother-"

"Artie!" Griffin gasped in surprise.

"No! Let me talk!" Artie shouted back. "Do you think that I like being a burden to you?!"

"You're not! God, Artie, you're not a burden," Griffin replied, appearing to feel instantly remorseful that his actions this weekend had made his brother feel like that. "I never meant to make you feel that way. Ever."

A silent moment passed between the brothers before Griffin spoke up again.

"I'm sorry I didn't better prepare for your trip here. That wasn't cool of me, and I'm sorry," Griffin said honestly. "My actions may not have shown it this weekend, but I was just as excited to have you here as I was Sebastian. You have to know that."

"Then why did you spend so much time with him?" Artie asked, mentally scolding himself for the emotional tone of his voice that had forced its way to the surface. "It's almost like if I wasn't here, you wouldn't have missed me. Or like you wouldn't have noticed if I left."

"Artie…" Griffin began, placing a comforting hand on Artie's knee and looking him square in the eyes. "I never, ever want you to feel like I don't miss you when you're not around. You're my brother. Nothing's gonna change that."

Artie bit his lower lip to keep himself from crying. Normally, a conversation like this wouldn't have taken such an emotional toll on him. After the events of this weekend, however, Griffin had hit a soft spot, saying things that he really needed to hear.

"If you want the truth, then the reason I was paying more attention to Sebastian is because he's coming here next year," Griffin explained. "He's going to be around these guys all the time, and I want him to make friends. You're his best friend right now, Artie, and I think we both know that you're not going to be coming here next year."

Griffin heaved an audible sigh.

"You can't be stuck in Ohio forever, Art. I won't allow it. Your dreams are bigger than that. Staying here would be throwing it all away, everything you've worked for. The goals that you've set for yourself demand to be chased, which means you'll be going to school somewhere far away. I'll miss you like hell when you're gone, but I know that's what's best for you. And I'll be cheering you on from here, you better believe that."

A small smile crept its way onto Artie's face. Hearing that kind of praise from someone he admired so much meant the world to him.

"I forgive you," Artie said after thinking over all that he'd told him. "But I'm still leaving. You and Seb and your friends can enjoy the rest of the week together, without me holding you back."

Griffin opened his mouth to protest that last comment, but Artie shook his head. "I'm going home, and I'm going to call USC and tell them that I'll be enrolling in the fall."

Griffin was right, his dreams were too big to stay in Ohio. He'd been debating which school to choose ever since all of his acceptance letters came in the mail, but he hadn't been able to shake the thought of the University of Southern California out of his head. Now he knew exactly what he had to do.

"How are you gonna commit there without touring the campus?" Griffin asked, momentarily forgetting about the task of begging Artie to stay in Columbus for the rest of his Spring Break.

"I've watched their virtual campus tour a handful of times, and I'll be able to see it all in person when the Glee Club goes to LA for Nationals in a few weeks," Artie explained, beginning to get more excited about his decision. "This feels right."

Griffin couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Good. I'm glad that you've found where you belong. You're gonna kill it there, Artie, really. You've worked so hard for this, and I'm so proud of you," Griffin told him. "But don't leave. At least, not tonight. It's late. Stay the night here, then you can go home in the morning, if you still want to."

After thinking it over for a minute, Artie nodded. Griffin was right, it was late, and even though his mood had improved considerably over the last ten minutes or so, he still wasn't so sure that it would be smart to begin on the one-and-a-half hour trek back home.

"Good," Griffin acknowledged his nod. "We good?"

"Yeah," Artie nodded again. "Thanks for coming up here. It means a lot, to hear all of that from you."

"Sure." Griffin stood up, clapping him on the shoulder with a soft smile on his face. "I mean it too. Love you, dude."

"Love you too."