Author's Note: Feel free to make suggestions on what you might like to see in this. :) Thanks!

Part Four: Secrets, Secrets

During last period, Artie's teacher recruited Artie to take a note to the office. On the way there, he spotted Brittany staring into her locker. Even though he was on a teacher sanctioned errand and probably should have kept going, he slowed down, coming to a stop beside her.

"Hey, Britt…is everything okay?"

Pivoting on one foot, slowly, she faced him. "Yes. I was trying to find my pink notebook and I can't. I need it for class."

"Um…" Glancing into Brittany's locker, Artie spotted the pink notebook and frowned. "You do realize it's class time right now, don't you? And the pink notebook is right there."

Her eyes followed the direction of his point and she grabbed the bright pink notebook, clutching it to her chest.

"You're only fifteen minutes late, Britt. Want me to walk - er, roll you to class?" Tilting his head back, he smiled up at her, confused when she didn't return the smile.

"No." Biting her top lip, Brittany appeared conflicted before spinning around and rushing down the hall.

More perplexed then ever, Artie frowned, blinking several times. After a few seconds, he shook his head and continued with his original task. When he arrived at the office, he was surprised to find Quinn behind the secretary's desk, eyes on the computer's screen.

"Quinn?"

At the sound of his voice, she jumped, spilling a container of pens and pencils all over the floor. Issuing a few curse words under her breath, she bent to pick them up. "You startled me."

Pushing himself forward, so he could rest his arms on the desk, he asked her, "What were you doing?"

Stiffening, she clicked something on the computer, eyes once more on the screen. Without answering him, she scribbled words on a piece of paper, clicked again, then made as if to leave.

Frowning, he asked his question again, wide blue eyes locked on her face.

There was a slight waver in her voice as she replied, "Nothing…"

Narrowing his eyes, he regarded her suspiciously. "If you say so. I won't tell anyone," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Smiling at him, she muttered a small thanks, then hurried out.

Artie watched her, head cocked to one side, thinking about her smile, for some reason. It was beautiful, of course, but it was also genuine, a rarity with her. Too often, he noticed that her smiles were stretched, thin, forced. He was glad that he had been on the receiving end of one that seemed real. She had been gone but two minutes when the secretary returned. Apparently, Quinn had timed her secret mission, whatever it had been, perfectly.

Five minutes before glee club started, Quinn was standing near Brittany and Santana, next to their lockers, as they discussed their choices in evening gowns for the prom.

"Tight and white!" Brittany sang.

Raising one eyebrow, Santana wondered aloud if Britt had chosen that because it rhymed.

Nodding, Brittany said, "Yes, it rhymed! I think Artie will like my dress. Do you think he'll like it, Quinn?"

Drawn into the conversation suddenly, Quinn "huh"-ed, glancing at the other two girls. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Britt?"

"Britts," explained Santana, with a roll of her eyes. "Was asking you if you think Artie will like her tight, white dress."

"Umm…" Noticing Sam approaching,with Finn, as usual, glued to his side, Quinn gave a nod. "I'm sure he will. But his favorite color is red…"

"It is?" Removing a fork from her locker, Brittany began combing it through her hair, a skill she had learned from the little mermaid, as she often told both Quinn and Santana. "I didn't know that. But I want to wear tight and white!"

Under her breath, San muttered, "White's my favorite color…" just as Sam and Finn finished their slow meander down the hall, stopping in front of the girls.

"Hey, Quinn," Sam breathed, leaning towards her. "What's up?"

Grinning up at her ex and soon to be boyfriend again, she replied, "Oh, nothing. Just talking about our dresses for prom…"

Moving his lips closer to hers, he murmured, "Bet you'll be hot."

Not sure if he was going to kiss her, since they hadn't kissed for a few weeks, due to the whole Finn thing, Quinn pursed her lips and waited.

Pulling back, he winked at her. "Hottest girl there, I'm sure. Think Finn'll agree with me?"

There was no mistaking the drastic change in his tone, from light hearted to dark in a matter of seconds. "Um…what he thinks doesn't really…"

"And we're going to Mario's!" Quinn heard Finn joyfully proclaiming. "In a stretch Hummer!"

"Sounds like you're going all out," Santana said, trying to hold in her laughter, though Finn was oblivious to that.

"I am!" Finn responded, the grin on his face huge. "It's really-"

"Hi, guys," came Artie's voice from behind Finn. Peeking around the very tall boy, his eyes connected with Santana's, who glared, Brittany's, who bounced, and, finally, Quinn's, who shifted her gaze away from his. When she felt a tap on the back of her hand, she knew it was him, without having to look down. "You okay?"

"I'm…" Transferring her eyes to Sam, who was now joking around with Brittany, Quinn shrugged. "I don't know. I had hoped that things would work out with Sam but he doesn't seem ready to let go of…well, last month I admitted that I might still have feelings for Finn and Sam flipped out." She wasn't sure why she was sharing with Artie but, for whatever reason, it felt easy. And, anyway, he probably knew it all anyway.

As if he could read her thoughts, Artie bobbed his head up and down. "I heard about that. Sure you heard how pretty much the same thing happened with me but, you know, substituting Britt and Tina for Sam and Finn. I honestly don't think Brittany even cared that much but I think Santana convinced her to but…I'm not sure."

Quinn wouldn't put it past her sometimes friend but she didn't say that to Artie. "I guess you can understand what I'm going through."

"Yeah," he replied, lowering his voice. "I guess I can."

Reclining against the locker, that genuine smile started to creep across her face but it quickly dropped away. "And you won't tell anyone about me being in the office?"

"I won't…on one condition," he said, holding up his index finger.

Shocked, as she had expected him to automatically agree, she furrowed her brow. "Yes? What is that one condition?"

"It is," he went on, a mischievous expression on his face. "That you come with me tomorrow to look for a tux?"

The smile reappeared and this time did not vanish. "That I can definitely do, Artie."