Hey everybody! I am so sorry for the extremely long wait. My life has been really hectic lately and I haven't had much time at all. Thank you so much for all the favorites! I would also love it a lot if you left me a review. I wrote this story a while ago, so it's nice to hear what people think of the story and if I need to make any changes. I'll probably update this story once more today and then we'll see how it goes from there. Thank you and enjoy. ~Dreaming of Words
Chapter 2: Somebody's Eyes
To say that Artie was thrilled about her new "pet project" was a blatant lie. He was much, much less than thrilled.
"What do you think you're trying to do, T? By figuring out if Rachel and Puck are perfect together, you're going to break up two happy relationships and possibly catch two or more hearts in the crossfire," Artie shouted, his anger making the empty choir room crackle with rage.
"And what's to lose if Rachel and Puck are perfect together, Artie?" Tina yelled, her voice easily matching Artie's in decibel. "We all know how perfect Finn and Quinn were in the past. They can try again! And if it doesn't work out, there are plenty of other people in this school that they could go out with!"
Artie's eyes narrowed menacingly as his blood boiled. "I'm sure that you'd love to give Finn a try, huh T? You've probably been waiting for an opportunity like this, an opportunity to open your legs for Finn," Artie spat and Tina slapped him hard across the cheek.
Artie looked up at her in shock and began to apologize, "I didn't mean it, T, I should-" Tina cut him off with a hard look, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"I have tolerated a lot from you, Artie, but I won't deal with it, or you, anymore," she growled lowly. Artie swallowed thickly, her voice heavy with promise. "I am no slut, Artie; I'm not Santana. I am not the type of person who would let any random passerby that was hot have a go. Have I ever showed an interest in Finn while we were together? Did I ever once act like I was going to leave you for him? I don't even talk to him outside of Glee and I can count on one hand how many times I have talked to him during it! And before you say another word, I don't want to hear it."
Silence reigned as Tina stared steadily at Artie, her eyes steely. "Take a look in the mirror, Artie. Don't accuse me and say that I've been waiting for Finn when you're the one who would flip if Quinn even so much as looked your way," she murmured, the ice in her tone easily chilling him to the bone.
Artie sat there silently, unable to combat any of her words. They stung him, the truth hurting him in ways he hadn't thought possible. When Tina turned her back to him and began to walk away, he didn't have the heart to call her back. He had known their relationship was damaged; he would be the first one to admit that he still hadn't forgiven Tina for the fake stuttering, but he hadn't thought that they had become quite so estranged from one another. He hadn't thought that they had grown so far apart that the damage was irreparable. So he just watched her walk away.
Tina paused at the doorjamb, her nails biting into her palms hard enough to draw blood. "I loved you, Artie," she stated, her words mirroring Jesse St. James's when he had broken Rachel's heart and egged her in the parking lot.
He watched her hair fan behind her as she exited the room, the blue streaks in her hair reminding him of sadness and broken promises. He stared into space, the emptiness of the room pressing in on him, as he whispered, "And I loved you, Tina. I'm sorry."
As he rolled out of the room, he passed a newly non-pregnant Quinn Fabray humming to herself. He stayed back, simply watching her exchange her books at her locker. As she slammed the locker door, she put words to the song she was humming. "Somebody's eyes are watching," she sang quietly. "Somebody's eyes are seeing you come and go. Somebody's out there waiting for the show. You've got no disguise from somebody's eyes."
Artie kept watching her as she exited the school and felt the lyrics she had sung sting him just as deeply as Tina's words had. Artie knew that he wasn't truthful with Tina, and that's probably why her words hurt so much. He hadn't been real with her; he hadn't been the real Artie. And she had seen it, she had been watching. With a sigh, he turned and rolled down the handicap ramp and into the parking lot where his dad was waiting to pick him up. He turned back towards the school and smiled bitterly. "You've got no disguise from somebody's eyes," he sang quietly, then entered his dad's car and drove away.