"Okay guys, it's coming down to the wire!" Mr. Schuester announced, as he walked into Glee rehearsal on Friday afternoon. "We have a very important decision to make."
"Yes, my wig is either gonna be Anna Wintour chic or Pam Grier fabulousness," Unique chimed in, without missing a beat. "I'm not ready to make the decision."
"Okay, so, we have two solos at nationals," Mr. Schuester went on. "And since Blaine was voted the new Rachel, obviously he's got one. So, who is gonna step up and take center stage?"
"I'd like to nominate myself," Tina spoke up, from where she was currently seated by the piano, facing the rest of them.
"Shocker."
That comment came from Artie. He and Tina had been fighting all week. After Kitty calmed down, she'd decided trying to stay out of their fight would be in her best interest. She really didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her status in glee club, not when she had two more years of competing with Marley for solos to look forward to.
"And you think you're gonna carry us to victory?" Tina said, coolly, glaring at Artie from across the room.
"Actually, Mr. Schue," Artie went on. "I think I'd like to compete with Tina for that second spot."
"Well, I think we should have a sing-off," Mr. Schue said, true to his usual form of making up plans for the day there on the spot. "Right here, right now. A little help, guys?"
They'd all been rehearsing En Vogue's Never Gonna Get It that week, so this was the song of choice. Kitty personally thought she and Jake would've been the best choices for this particular duet, but nevertheless, Artie could handle just about any song he was given.
As the song started, Tina and Artie were circling each other and being weirdly aggressive. Artie even shoved Tina aside as he launched into the first verse. Kitty was getting second-hand embarrassment just from watching this go down.
I remember how it used to be. You never was this nice, you can't fool me. Now you're talking like you made a change. The more you talk, the more things stay the same.
Not to be outdone, Tina gave Artie's chair a push as it was her turn to sing. What makes you think you can just walk back into her life? Without a good fight. I just sit back and watch you make a fool of yourself. She shook her butt at him. Cause you're just wasting your time... Another unwelcomed chair push.
Kitty glanced over at a clueless Mr. Schue, who still had no idea they'd been fighting all week, and seemed to think this was all just part of the song. Kitty gritted her teeth as Tina pushed Artie aside by his knees and knocked his glasses askew, as they launched into the chorus.
Doesn't matter what you do or what you say, Tina sang, as she persisted in steering Artie backwards by his knees, to which he reacted by shoving her off of him. Tina turned then and put her arm around Kitty, who rolled her eyes. She don't love you, no way. Maybe next time you'll give your woman a little respect. So you won't be hearing her say, no way!
Schuester stood up and got between them. "And now, it's time for a breakdown," he said, even though that was supposed to be Blaine's part.
This was everyone's cue to join them, which Kitty did, along with the others, but she was still watching Tina a bit worriedly. As the song wound down, Tina took it upon herself to push Artie by the knees, all the way across the choir room. Without warning, she sent his chair toppling over backwards. Artie landed on his right hip and right shoulder, hitting the floor with a hard thud and narrowly missing the drum kit.
At this, everything stopped. The music cut off and everyone fell silent. Tina jumped back and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
Sam, Ryder, and Mr. Schue all grabbed Artie at once, lifting him quickly off the floor and settling him back into his chair, before he could even move. Kitty edged her way over.
"Artie, I'm so sorry!" Tina cried. "I didn't mean to!"
"It's fine," Artie insisted, sounding like he meant the opposite. He didn't dare to look at anyone as dusted himself off, grabbed his wheels, and pushed himself out of there as fast as he could, saying, "I'm fine."
Sam immediately followed him. Kitty hung back a moment to glare at Tina, before following them, too. Sam already had a hold of Artie's chair and was pushing him, frantically assuring Artie they were headed to the nurse. Kitty caught up to see that Artie was massaging his shoulder and wincing in pain.
"I said I'm fine," he insisted, his bright red ears a tell-tale sign that what he really wanted was for Sam to leave him alone. "But if you need another excuse to visit that nurse, we'll go."
Sam either didn't hear what he said or pretended not to, as they approached nurse Penny's office and knocked. When she came to the door, Kitty could see that it flustered Penny to see Sam again.
"Artie fell out of his chair," Sam said, in a rush. "Or rather, he was pushed by a raging psycho chick."
As Penny looked her way, Kitty added, "And that raging psycho chick is not me," she said. "At least, not this time."
Artie was still massaging his shoulder, as Penny leaned over to take a look at him. "Come on inside," she said, as Artie hung his head and let Sam push him. "Anything else hurting beside your shoulder?"
"No," Artie said, briefly glancing back at Kitty before casting his eyes down at his lap again. His right knee trembled, at which point he let go of his shoulder and made a grab with his left hand to steady it.
"You have some medication for that here, I believe," Nurse Penny said, with a nod to his knee. She then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Or, if you feel okay, you could go on home and maybe call your regular doctor? School's already out for the day..."
"I'll bring him by your office again on Monday, if he needs me to," Sam volunteered, catching a look from both Artie and Kitty. "Anyway... I better go. Swim team practice. Later."
As Sam darted off, Artie unlocked his breaks, using the left hand to do each side. Penny gave Kitty a worried look.
"I'll drive him home," Kitty added, taking Artie's chair by the handles before he could argue with her. Artie sighed and resigned himself to being pushed out of the nurse's office.
The halls were nearly empty, save for one person. Tina was still standing there, leaning against the lockers as Kitty pushed him. "Artie, wait, I'm really sorry!" she said, as they passed. "It was an accident. You're still one of my best friends, Artie. I know you know that."
Artie reached to grab his wheels, as Kitty let go. They both turned to face Tina, Artie wincing slightly as he used his right shoulder.
"Oh, my god, you're hurt," Tina said, stepping towards him, looking like she might start crying.
"It's nothing," he insisted. "And you're still one of my best friends, too, Tina. But friends or not, I don't want to flunk a test just so you can be Valedictorian. Okay?"
"Well, you would just have to get, like, a B..." she said, but then shook her head. "That's not the point, though, the point is I shouldn't have asked you to do that in the first place and I'm really sorry. May the best grade win."
"That's more like it," Artie said, smiling slightly. "Also, you should know that Bree made Dottie make all the campaign posters. Bree made Dottie rig the bucket of red slush to fall on you at prom. And Kitty saved you, not because she wanted to go viral, but because... well, actually, I don't really know why..."
"Because you're his best friend," Kitty supplied. "So that means I guess we really ought to try to tolerate one another more, for Artie's sake. Besides, you're also what Bree likes to call my Sister from Glee Club. I just couldn't let that happen to one of my sisters."
Tina gave her a tight smile. "Thanks, Kitty."
"You're welcome," Kitty said. "Also, I never got to tell you this. But you looked gorgeous at prom. I'm really glad you won."
"Thanks," said Tina, genuinely smiling. Kitty forced a smile on her own face, too.
But don't you ever say that I'm using Artie again, she thought, resigning herself to being nice to Tina again but still not ready to actually trust her.
"Just don't get used to winning," Artie told Tina. "Because it's officially on for Valedictorian, Tina Cohen-Chang, so you best bring your A-game."
Kitty had a giant eye roll for this. "Can you both at least just agree to tell Mr. Schue you'd like to do a duet at Nationals?" she asked. "I don't know how many more weird sing-offs that end in bodily injury I can handle."
"I'm down for that if you are," Artie said, to which Tina eagerly nodded. She leaned over and hugged Artie, forgetting that he'd hurt his shoulder. She drew back quickly, as he'd winced and made a noise. "Oh, god, sorry!"
"I'm fine, just gonna go home and ice this," Artie said, and both girls knew enough not to coddle Artie. "We'll see you Monday, T. Have a good weekend."
As Kitty wheeled Artie away in the opposite direction, she leaned over and whispered in his ear. "She still hates me."
"She does not," Artie said.
Kitty bit her lip. She'd still never told him about overhearing their fight and hearing Tina say that Kitty was only dating Artie for some sick charity project. And she'd also never told him about her confrontation with Tina immediately thereafter. Apparently, some things were just best left unsaid, though. If Artie slept better at night, thinking things were just fine between Kitty and Tina, then fine. So be it.
"Anyway, you don't need to drive right now," Kitty told him. "I'm driving you home today. I have my learner's permit, I know how to get the hand controls on and off, and you're a legal adult, so you're allowed to be my passenger, it's fine. I won't wreck anything."
"I saw you drive that go-kart, woman," Artie said, shaking his head. "Okay, fine. You can drive us. I think I just pulled something when I fell. I'm just glad I've got a weekend to sleep this off..."
"Don't you mean to study?" Kitty asked him, quizzically. "If you intend to beat Tina and win the title of Valedictorian, Artie, then you can't afford not to spend most of this weekend studying. And sorry, not sorry, girl does not deserve prom queen and this. It's your turn, Artie."
"Damn, you're feisty today," he commented.
"Just call me your personal study buddy," she replied.
"Study buddy with benefits?" Artie twisted around to look at her, then winced, realizing he'd better twist the opposite way while his shoulder healed.
"Depends on how hard you study," was Kitty's reply, as she wheeled him around to the passenger side. "Get in and let me take that apart."
Artie let her boss him around, but not without chiding her to be more gentle with the chair as she dismantled it. It wasn't hard, given the number of times she'd watch him do it, but it did take her longer to do it. Then she'd removed the hand controls from the pedals, also getting the third degree from him on the proper way to remove them.
"Sorry, that stuff's expensive, okay?" Artie shot back, when she complained about his nitpicking. "And not everything is insured."
Kitty didn't make him study right away when they got home. He had to take something to mitigate the spasms in his lower limbs that started up again as soon as he'd tried to stretch out and relax. He ended up taking a large dose of that medication that always made him tired. After a little while, he'd fallen asleep, stretched out on his bed by Kitty, as she finished watching a comedy special on Netflix.
She took off his glasses, setting them aside for him, and brushed his hair back as he began breathing deeply. She bit her lip as she studied his face. He was a complex guy to love. But she couldn't help herself, she was falling in love with him. And she wasn't ready to let him graduate and leave. It was inevitable, though, that they wouldn't last. They wouldn't be endgame. He'd go off to film school, she'd date some transfer student who played football, and that would be that.
She closed her eyes as a tear traced its way down her cheek. "Don't go," she whispered. "Please. Not yet."