A/N: I love my reviews, thank you!

For the rest of the week, Artie worried about his fate with the glee club, making this the longest first week of school ever. He discovered that he and Olivia, the decider of his fate, crossed paths a few times during the day, particularly when she was finishing her lunch period and he was starting his. Beginning on Tuesday, this was their routine: Artie would pass by Olivia as she walked beside a friend who graciously carried both of their empty lunch trays. While the friend deposited the trays, Artie would steal a moment to talk to Olivia. The conversation was always the same.

"Decided yet?" Artie would say, and Olivia would reply with a shrug and a feeble apology. She knew exactly what was at stake for Artie if she didn't join. On Thursday, she told him that she was really sorry that Mr. Schuester wouldn't let Artie back on the team if she didn't join as well. Artie didn't know why Olivia would apologize to him for that. Afterall, he had been the one to screw everything up.

On Friday, however, he found out why Olivia suddenly felt a little guilty herself. Tina came rushing up to him before school that day, already on the verge of tears. For once, she was authentically disfluent as she sputtered out, "Sh-sh-she's not joining us, Artie. Which means you're not joining us! Oh, Artie, what's glee without you?"

Artie had to ask Tina to take a deep breath. Then he gestured for her to lean over so that he could hold her in a tight embrace. "It's gonna be alright," he soothed, rubbing her back, even though he felt like he was going to need someone to comfort him soon. What would he do without glee club? Over the past year, it had become a part of his identity. Without the club, he would have to go back to being that geek in the wheelchair... instead of that gleek in the wheelchair. It was almost too much to bear.

And as if finding out from Tina hadn't been bad enough, Artie was on his way to lunch when he rolled past the bulletin board where the sign up sheet had been. There, posted in its place, was a list of the students who had made New Directions. Last year, everyone who auditioned had made it. This year, as Rachel had said, Mr. Schuester was able to be more selective. Artie noticed that the club now had a whopping twenty-two members. And everyone who had been a part of New Directions last year was returning.

Everyone but Artie.

Lost in the surreal horror of this moment, Artie almost didn't hear Mercedes, Kurt, and Brittany approach. When he realized they were standing right behind him, the three friends had finished skimming the list and were now staring down at Artie, their expressions perplexed.

"Huh," Mercedes put one hand on her hip, frowning. "Mr. Schue forgot to put you on this list, Artie." She didn't sound very concerned. To Mercedes, this just looked like an absentminded oversight on the part of their teacher. Artie hated to break it to her.

"That's... not an accident," he began, reluctantly. He had deliberately been keeping his friends in the dark, something he should have known not to do, given his past experiences. Kurt and Mercedes exchanged worried glances, and Kurt was the one to demand an explanation. With a heavy heart, Artie poured out the entire story for his friends. At some point, Tina approached and silently joined the group. She stared at the list, sadness etched in her face.

"We have to do something," said Kurt, balling his hands into fists. For once, Kurt actually looked intimidating as he spoke. Artie couldn't help but be startled and maybe a little impressed. "We should... we should boycott the club!"

"Yeah!" agreed Brittany, perhaps a little too enthusiastic. "And Tina, Mercedes and me will girlcott the club." Her announcement was met with blank stares as her friends tried to decide if Brittany had been kidding. Brittany, however, appeared completely serious. "What? There's no reason to be sexist, Kurt."

"That's it," whispered Tina, disregarding Brittany's remark entirely. She was looking at Kurt, inspired. "We can cross our names off the list! I'll do it. Will you Kurt? Mercedes? Brittany? If we cross our names off the list, then that'll show Mr. Schue that we don't agree with his decision and maybe Artie can get his spot back!"

Mercedes, Kurt, and Brittany looked slightly less enthusiastic about the idea of crossing their names off the list. Artie wasn't thrilled about the suggestion either. Although it was nice to know Tina would go to such lengths to support him, he knew nothing good would come of it. If anything, it would just make Mr. Schue angrier.

"Guys," he said, feeling slightly choked up over this show of support but trying his best not to make things awkward. "I... I really do appreciate what you're trying to do, but don't you see? Even if you all cross your names off, Mr. Schue has plenty of performers for Sectionals. He still has more than he needs. And I know how much the club needs all of you. You can't do that for me, you just can't."

"Watch me," said Tina, uncapping her purple pen. It was times like this when Artie wished he could reach higher. He would have snatched then pen out of Tina's hand immediately. But there was no way for him to stop her in time. She was hovering over her name, about to cross it out, when something else interrupted her instead.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Mr. Schuester, coolly, causing Tina to work up a furious blush. Or maybe she was turning red out of anger, it was hard for Artie to tell this time. Either way, Tina backed away from the bulletin board, looking wounded. Wordlessly, Mr. Schuester took the pen out of her hand.

"Artie," he said, causing Artie to tear his eyes away from his poor, panick-stricken Tina. "I don't know what you said to Olivia, but it looks like you're forgiven. I got a note on my desk from her today. She told me that her decision not to join has nothing to do with what you said. And furthermore, she said that she wouldn't be able to stand it if I kicked you out. So... "

And with that, Mr. Schuester added a twenty-third member to the list, putting Artie's name at the bottom of the list using Tina's purple Sharpie. The five friends stared in amazement and relief. Artie choked out a "thank you," which his teacher received with a curt nod. As soon as Mr. Schue walked away, they all gathered in a group hug, lauging out of relief. Tina even cried.

"I still don't feel right about this," Artie said, staring up at the list wistfully. As he wondered why he couldn't feel more cheerful about being back in New Directions, her face appeared in his mind. It wasn't right of him to let her give up so easily. "Guys, we have to do something about Olivia..."

Tina shrugged indifferently. "If she doesn't want to join, she doesn't want to join. Personally, I think she's crazy to pass up the opportunity, with talent like that. But we can't force someone to join. I mean, what are we going to do? Threaten her with a slushie facial if she won't come to her senses?"

Artie suddenly grinned and Tina was worried that she'd said exactly the wrong thing.

"... got an eighty-two on the Algebra test, but I think I could have done better if I'd studied," Olivia was saying to her friend at lunch. She took one last bite of the chocolate cake that her mother had prepared especially for Friday. The hot lunch today had been chicken spaghetti. Her mother always made sure that Friday's meals were the best. As she glanced up to ask her friend how she'd done on the test, she caught sight of something troubling. Five members of New Directions approached her table, all of them carrying slushie cups.

"'Liv, I think these upperclassmen are friends of yours," said her friend, Courtney, who eyed Finn with admiration. Like most of the freshman and sophomore girls at McKinley, she thought Finn Hudson was totally dreamy. Finn, however, was looking at Olivia with a mischievous glint in his eye. With him were Kurt, Mercedes, Brittany and Artie.

"Uh, hi, g-guys," Olivia squeaked out. She certainly wouldn't go so far as to refer to the members of New Directions as friends. They were merely people she'd admired from afar, which definitely didn't qualify as friends. "What's with the, um, slushies?"

"New tradition," explained Kurt, looking at her seriously as he held up his cup like a prize. "Anyone who earns a spot in New Directions, but then refuses to join us gets a face full of the cold stuff. So, even though you seem like a nice girl, we're going to have to slushie you. I recommend closing your eyes as it tends to burn if it makes contact. Oh, and we'll give you a few seconds to remove any accessories that you'd like to salvage. That adorable scarf, for instance."

"You aren't... serious?" Olivia began, her eyes darting between all the faces until they landed on Artie. "I've already told you, Artie, what my mother thinks about this whole business of giving out slushie facials, haven't I? You don't actually expect to get away with it, do you? She shut them down before. She'll do it again."

"Oh, no, she won't," said Artie, most assuredly. "It just so happens that I've explained to her what we're doing, and she completely agrees with my decision to slushie you. It isn't fair of you to tease us with that awesome audition of yours and just walk away after you've finally been given a chance. We won't regret hitting you with a slushie half as much as you'll regret missing out on everything glee has to offer you. And I'm not just talking about competitions, Christmas parades, and school assemblies."

"And if I refuse, I get to wear that drink you're holding?" Olivia replied, appalled. "Really, this is how you persuade me?"

"Nope," Artie replied. "This is how we persuade you." Artie glanced over his shoulder, gesturing to Tina who stood a short distance away, locked in a heated debate with Rachel. Tina responded to his gesture with a thumbs up, and then practically dragged Rachel, who looked considerably less enthusiastic, over to the table.

"Tell her what you told me," Tina insisted.

"I said... " Rachel shifted her weight uncomfortably, and it looked as though it cost her a lot to say it. "... I said that if Olivia doesn't join us, we're losing out on a really strong female vocalist. And also... " Rachel paused, her expression changing. Artie was reminded of the time Rachel had allowed the solo to go to Mercedes. Even she had to admit that Mercedes had blown her out of water. It looked like history was about to repeat itself. Rachel smiled now, poised but gracious.

" ... also, I've never heard a better rendition of Don't Rain on my Parade."

Olivia's expression softened at this. She blushed and looked at her lunch tray. "Coming from you, Rachel?" she began. "That means a lot. I didn't know you that was your solo, by the way. Someone told me afterwards. I'm sure if I heard your rendition, I'd say the same thing about you. But... but thank you."

"Well, she doesn't look convinced, guys," said Finn, cheerfully. "Slushies on three! One - "

"WAIT!" Olivia held up her hands, dissolving into giggles. "Wait, wait, wait! Don't slushie me, please! I'm in! I'm in! Just let me stay dry!" As she said this, the seven returning members of New Directions all cheered. Artie immediately proposed a slushie toast, and they all clinked their cups together before drinking in honor of their newest member.

"To Olivia!"