Disenchanted
Wow! Thanks for all the love guys. I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint. HOWEVER before I begin I just want to state a certain pairing WILL be end game so just be patient and learn to take the drama with the inevitable Artina outcome. Still don't own GLEE or my insane thoughts. PS lyrics used in this update are from 'Shark In The Water' by VV Brown….
XXX
Baby there's a shark in the water
There's something underneath my bed
Oh, please believe I said
Baby there's a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
Better be soon…
The sounds of his clock radio playing caused him to toss his pillow over his head making a soft groaning noise.
Why was it again he had the genius thought to go out on a school night?
Reaching over to place his glasses on his face he couldn't help but allow his gaze to fall upon a snapshot of him and Tina taken after they won Sectionals and causing a smile to cross his lips.
Tina was why.
He let out a sigh thinking about her when he suddenly realized something.
His foot was tapping along haphazardly to the music:
High in the sky
The song that I'm singing
A sweet little lie
A cry wolf cry
Rather have you lie
So that's why I'm bringing
Some tricks up my sleeve
For noticing me
This was surreal. Like Alice going down the rabbit hole, Dorothy landing in Oz surreal.
He began to let the image and words of Madame Larue fill his mind for a moment before he let out a chuckle thinking how the woman made a definite believer in him.
Sitting up in his bed he began to dance around to the song like a dude in some cheesy romantic comedy but how could he not. His wildest dream had come true.
After the song finished and some morning talk drivel came on he flipped off the radio and picked up his cell phone.
First instinct: call Tina and gush about this miraculous news.
However he couldn't bring himself to hit the call button as the thought of seeing his best friend and crushes face would be priceless.
Heading to his closet he grabbed cloths for the day (and making sure he picked his least dorkiest sweater vest for the occasion) headed into the bathroom to get himself ready for the day.
XXX
Standing in her bedroom across town Tina was already dressed for the day ahead, her late night not phasing her one bit as she was one of those crazy people who could function on a meager amount of sleep and NOT need the artificialness of caffeine to compensate things either.
As she stood looking at her reflection the Fortune Teller's words from the other night began to echo in her ears:
"…the one your meant to be with is the one that you least expect it to be…"
She shook her head. She doubted the fortune teller was trying to tell her that Finn Hudson or Noah Puckerman were her ultimate soul mates all though there were definite qualities in both of them that she saw as attractive.
No, it HAD to be Artie or Mike but which one.
Artie was her best friend, Mike was her kindred Asian spirit but which one was the old woman alluding too she wondered.
It was then her eyes fell upon the same photograph of the two of them at Sectionals.
"Artie," her thoughts spoke out, "they all already assume the two of us are a couple which means…"
She checked out her reflection once more. Vanity wasn't her thing and yet she couldn't help but smooth out her red and black plaid skirt and her black tank top while sucking in a nervous breath. She'd break though her shyness and ask him out before homeroom. That was her goal.
XXX
He practically bounced down the stairs two at a time so giddy that he no longer had to use that stupid ramp that had been installed to move him between floors all those years ago. He knew his mom and dad would freak when they saw him standing however soon he realized what day it was and that his parents wouldn't be home till later which meant his other best friend, Kurt Hummel was swinging by to pick him up.
Letting out a chuckle as he began to imagine his friends reaction to this turn of events he headed to the fridge and grabbed an apple to eat for breakfast before picking up his backpack that sat by the front door and headed outside just in time to see a familiar car turning the corner.
XXX
No, he couldn't be seeing what he was seeing. Maybe he hadn't gotten his full nights beauty rest or maybe it was the residual after effects of drinking one two many cups of his favorite herbal tea before he fell into that sleeping pattern.
No, Artie wasn't STANDING up leaning against the mail box at the end of the Abrams's drive way was he.
He watched as the young man with Artie's face and questionable fashion sense wave a hand to him, a huge familiar smile crossing his lips causing Kurt to roll down the window.
"Artie? Is that you."
He watched the man nod his head as he walked closer to the car.
"Oh my Gaga what the heck happened."
"A miracle," Artie said opening the passenger door and hopping in the car next to his good friend.
"To say the least, seriously what happened…have you been on some experimental drug protocol or something?"
"Something."
"Like…and don't try to dance around it Abrams cause I have ways of making you talk."
Artie just nodded.
"Well you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Artie nodded and as they drove to school he told him all about the Carnival last night and all that went down with Madam Larue all the while trying to read Kurt's face. He shockingly seemed pretty calm and collected about this.
"Wow," was all the usually articulate soprano could utter when his story was done.
"So, who else knows about this miraculous new development."
"Just you."
"Just me, I would of thought Tina would be the first one you called, and what about your parents I bet your dad had a coronary when he saw you walking downstairs this morning right?"
Artie sat in silence for a few seconds before he shook his head.
"My parents were already at work, and as for Tina this isn't something to tell someone…especially someone like Tina about over the phone."
Kurt just nodded when he had a stroke of genius.
"Mercedes and I should take you to the mall after school and give you a make over…you know a new look for the new Artie Abrams."
As Kurt went on and on about look ideas for his friend Artie's brain drifted to Tina and wondering what her reaction would be to the whole thing.
XXX
She was kind of glad that Mike had received the text she sent him just before she had left her home.
He was now leaning against her locker with his headphones in most likely working out some new kick ass dance routine for Regionals in his head.
"Sup Tina," he greeted her as he pulled out his ear buds and directed his attention to her.
Her shyness was beginning to take over.
"M-mike,' she began to stutter out making him realize she was nervous and so he reached over and placed a cool hand on her shoulder which soon slid over to her chin which then tilted her head upward until her gaze was directed right into his eyes.
"Tina you were the one who summoned me, I know I'm not as close a friend to you as Artie, Kurt and Mercedes are but if something was wrong you'd tell me…right."
"N-nothing is wrong."
He just nodded.
Well if nothing was wrong then she just had to be nervous about something…but what?
"Well then if nothing is wrong would you care to hang out sometime like maybe Saturday?"
Saturday, like a date? She wondered to herself all the while thinking how she dodged a bullet.
"Saturday is fine."
He nodded.
"So are you going to tell me why you wanted to talk now."
She smiled sheepishly to him.
"Actually I was kind of going to ask you if you wanted to hang sometime outside of school and dance rehearsals so you kind of beat me to it."
Mike just smiled telling her he'd see her around later to talk about their 'date.'
As he walked away she wanted to scream like a girly girl.
She Tina Cohen Chang was going out on an actual date.
She had to tell Artie when he got to school he'd completely freak.
XXX
After gracefully declining the idea of a makeover stating that just because he had functioning legs now he wasn't going to loose his 'essence' he and Kurt had come up with a plan. Tina normally waited for him in the back of the school by the wheelchair ramp so Kurt would drive his car over to that side of the school and park his car and there he'd make his grand entrance and if the timing would allow he'd literally sweep Tina off her feet and into an epic embrace that she'd soon not forget.
It played so well in his head. Happily Ever After was in his grasp he could feel it.
The car stopped and Kurt turned to him.
"Good Luck," he said as Artie opened up his door and stepped out of the car looking up the ramp to see if he could spot her.
He didn't.
His heart began to break.
He turned around to see Kurt had already driven away toward the student lot, which socked him cause he was a sucker for romantic endings.
Sucking in a breath of air he headed up the steps that sat beside the ramp he wondered if people were looking at him, talking about him. He didn't really care as the one person he hoped to see….
Had just about stepped outside when he reached the last step and soon they were eye to eye.
"A-artie."
He nodded.
"It's me Tee."
And the next thing he knew she had fallen back into his arms in a faint.
XXX
TBC
I was debating on adding more but I thought this would be a good end point. Thanks for all the reviews and support. Definitely keep them coming.