Disenchanted
OK so after this chapter I am not as outlined, as I'd like to be however I do have the end game in mind…anyway thanks again for all the love and reviews….
Tina sat at the back entrance of McKinley High on Monday morning hoping that he would still use this entrance seeing as how now her friend didn't require the usage of the ramps to get into the school building.
Letting the warm spring air brush against her skin she began to listen to the muffled whispers coming from her fellow students…mostly the female ones about one mysterious hottie who had just exited that 'Hummel' kids car. Listening to them go on with their speculations about weather this guy was the 'gay kids' new boyfriend or some foreign exchange student or something she was finally greeted by a familiar pair of black converse sneakers sending a warm rush of familiarity to her spine.
From her perch on the bottom step she let her eyes ever so slowly move their way up his now standing figure (she was still getting used to that fact…Artie standing). She looked at the dark jeans that fittingly clung to his body, the crisp white T-shirt that showed off his lean albeit muscular upper body. Covering up the shirt was a chic black vest (of the non sweater variety). Finally her eyes locked on to his intense blue orbs, which were in the moment not obstructed by his usual thick black frames.
His beautiful smile crossed his lips as he saw her eyes lock on his.
"So I see you really were at the mall with Kurt on Saturday," was the first thing she spoke after a long bout of silence.
He nodded reaching out his hand to help pull her to her feet.
She smiled and mouthed a word of thanks to him before he nodded.
"Actually after all Kurt's poking and prodding it was if you can believe it or not, me that decided on this final look…."
He paused as she once again gave him the once over trying to ignore the occasional stares the other girls were giving him.
"But are the contacts too much?" he questioned.
"The better to see you're beautiful eyes dear."
He felt his face blushing…did she just say his eyes were beautiful?
"Seriously T, do I look ok?"
She smiled thinking she could formulate many adjectives on just how 'ok' he looked however she settled on just being her usual self in her response.
"Yea, you don't look too hideous, just promise me you won't become one of the popular kids and forget about freaks like me?"
Reaching out he ran a hand through her black and blue silken hair as he shook his head.
"First off you are not a freak…and second I could never forget you Tina."
Their eyes stayed locked for a moment and they seemed like maybe they would kiss right there on the steps of the school in some grand romantic fashion thus solidifying themselves as a couple.
However that wasn't meant to be as Mike's smiling face showed up behind Tina.
Artie was really beginning not to like this guy.
"Artie man is that you? I hardly recognized you without your glasses…anyway Tina guess what."
Looking from Artie who she kind of was wishing she could of kissed (in a kind of way she hadn't kissed him before) and Mike who she was slowly forming a relationship of sorts with.
"What?" she asked trying to sound enthusiastic.
"So remember that concert we were talking about Saturday?"
"You mean the sold out one?"
Mike's mouth turned into a grin while Artie just stood watching as the little scene played in front of his eyes.
"Well it turns out this friend of my dads works at the venue and not only was he able to give us tickets BUT he's snagged us backstage passes both of which being completely gratis now how awesome is that."
"Awesome," Tina replied wanting to toss her arms and hug Mike in the moment but not feeling comfortable in Artie's presence.
Her friend sensed this tenseness as he flashed a half smile.
"Don't mind me Tina, you can hug Mike if you want…it's a free country and it's not like you're my girlfriend or anything."
He bit his tongue cursing that bout of word vomit.
Meanwhile the tone Artie said his last comment cut Tina like the sharpest of sharp knives.
No, she wasn't his girlfriend and now judging by his hot new look chances were she'd never be more then his cute quirky Goth friend so why not embrace Mike…carpe diem right?
By then the bell rang and they headed to their homerooms waiting what would surely amount to a highly eventful day indeed.
XXX
When he 'walked' down these halls for the first time on Thursday he was still pretty much invisible however now…well Kurt was right in all his remarks that the right cloths made the right impression as he continually took in all the idol chatter all about the mysterious new guy was.
As he approached his locker just before free period he was shocked to find a familiar blonde leaning against it.
"Hey Artie," she spoke in her usual perky dream like voice.
He was shocked that she actually remembered his name though he assumed that the brunette that stood a few feet behind her tipped her off.
He watched as Brittany reached up and began to flirtatiously stroke his hair causing him to tense up with nerves.
"So I don't know if you're aware of this but you're hot," Brittany bluntly said causing him to silently smile at her, "anyway your one of the few people at this school I haven't made out with yet and I was wondering…want to make out."
He stood in a stone cold daze.
This couldn't be happening not now not to him.
And then it just got sizably more surreal as Santana Lopez made her way into a closer proximity and soon one Cheerio's hand was placed on his left shoulder while the other one on his right. The girl's free hands linked to one another by their pinky's while devious grins crossed their faces.
He always knew that the two of them were joined at the hip…hell Finn had once revealed to the male members of the glee club about his 'double date' with the two girls at Breadsticks that was horribly awkward.
He listened to the two girls go on about how attractive he was and how they wanted to take him to the Cheerio's locker room for a hook up…he really didn't know how to respond to this and was thankful when a shrill familiar voice took over.
"Ladies."
"What do you want Berry," Santana snapped.
"Artie is already taken…"
Brittany looked to Santana.
"I told you he was secretly dating that scary Asian girl San."
Ignoring the blonde she looked to Rachel.
"He seems unattached to me."
"Well he's not unattached Santana, Artie is with me."
THREE girls fighting over him. He had to be in some dreamlike state. THREE girls! He was going to wake up soon and it would be back to Thursday and he'd be back in his chair. He really shouldn't have eaten that Funnel cake that close to his bedtime.
Looking at the sheet music in Rachel's hand he suddenly realized however what she meant when she said he was with her and so he decided to play along.
"Sorry,' he replied, "I forgot Rachel and I kind of have a date this period."
The two Cheerios pulled back pouting, telling them that if he changed his mind to call them and then they were gone leaving just him and Rachel in the hall.
"As Glee captain I've taken liberty of memorizing everyone's schedules and found it highly fortuitous that we share the same free period."
Artie nodded as he watched her ramble in her usual fashion.
"Anyway I kind of wondering if you wanted to go to one of the practice rooms and rehearse."
He nodded hoping that this was in fact the diva's intention though he didn't peg her for one to say they were going to work only to instead make out. That would go against the Rachel Berry code of professionalism or something like that.
"Rehearse," he repeated.
She nodded.
"I mean I doubt there is enough room to work on the choreography but at least we can get our vocals on the right track."
Artie nodded as they made their way to the practice room. As they walked he watched a half smile cross Rachel's lips as she must have finally noticed his new look or at least was finally making a comment on it.
"You look nice by the way Artie…" she complemented as she headed into the practice room and propped the music she had been holding on a stand which lead his eyes to wander.
A LOT TO SAY
David Gregory, Brittany Underwood & Jason Tam
Cocking an eyebrow up at Rachel he was curious as to her song choice as it was clearly something he'd never heard. However Rachel always seemed to have impeccable taste when music was concerned and so he trusted her a hundred percent.
"You like it?" she asked.
"Well…"
"It's from the musical Starr X'd Lovers that they did on the soap opera One Life to Live recently….yea I know what your asking Rachel why do you watch soap operas when it's like your living in your on personal one right here but the show had a way with music. I mean this wasn't the first time they did a musical episode; in 2007 they had one called Prom Night The Musical. Not to mention all the stellar musical guests the shows had through the years…I mean Snoop Dog being Bo Buchanan's good friend…ingenious Artie simply ingenious."
He just nodded. Soaps weren't' his thing but he'd take Rachel's word for it, and besides the song looked good and really that was all that mattered right.
He watched as Rachel reached over and flipped on a CD that was already in the CD player that sat in the room as an instrumental version of the song filled the air and he began to sing:
I've got a lot to say and no shoulder to lean on
No one for my soul to bleed on
And with the road in sight I feel the Earth moving
Too much here that I'm losing
He was completely and utterly impressed at the way his and Rachel's voices so seamlessly blended with one another and from the huge smile on the brunette's face he could tell she was impressed as well.
She grabbed his arm with this elated expression as they left the music room gushing about how amazing they were. A match made in musical heaven and how she had to convince Mr. Schu to give Artie more male leads in the near future….
XXX
From the end of the hallway Tina watched Artie and Rachel heading out of the practice room laughing and talking. She wondered to herself when the two of them got all buddy buddy with one another.
"Rachel and Artie," Mikes voice said from behind her, "I didn't see that one coming."
Tilting her head back Tina began to wonder if perhaps she was getting a tinge of jealousy in her system over the fact that Artie was with another girl. However instead of acting on anything she simply took Mike's hand and headed to her next class not looking back.
XXX
TBC
I know the end sucked and it wasn't half as long or eventful as the last chapter…so sorry. Anyway I have the ending pretty much mapped out like I said above now I just need some ideas to connect point A (where I am) to point B. The song used was called A Lot To Say from like Rachel said the One Life To Live musical Starr X'd Lovers and it's worth looking up the musical or at least the clip of this number on youtube. Also the full song will appear later on…eventually. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and subbed to this piece so far…keep it up..