Pushing past anyone that got in her way, Quinn ran down the halls of McKinley High. Chewing on her thumb nail, she focused on making her way to Mr. Schuester's Spanish classroom. She needed his help. All day, Artie had been skillfully avoiding her.
He arrived at school in the morning minutes before the tardy bell rang. She could only wait for him for so long.
He avoided biology by going to the nurse's office and claiming he was suffering from a headache (damn Puck and his spreading of his slacker secrets).
He even went as far as spending lunch in the computer lab, far away from the cafeteria, while she waited despondently at his locker.
And then, when she was supposed to be leading Cheerio practice and he was supposed to be on the field for football drills, she hears from Finn that he didn't show and that he was heading to Coach Beiste's office instead? No, she didn't like that at all.
The consequences of running out on Ms. Sylvester didn't cross her mind even for half a second as she fled the field. If she was going to fix what happened between them, she would have to do it before it was too late. She had to put an end to their run and avoid each other game before what he thought of her was cemented for good. She wasn't like the rest of them and she wanted to prove it.
"Mr. Schue?" Quinn said, completely out of breath, as she rushed into Mr. Schuester's empty class.
"Quinn? Is something wrong?" Mr. Schuester asked using his concerned teacher's voice as he pushed a stack of ungraded papers aside. "Shouldn't you be with the Cheerios?"
She paused to steady her breathing before continuing. "I need to talk to you about the self-expression assignment."
"It's not due until tomorrow." He chuckled as he walked around his desk and took a seat on the corner of it. "Don't worry. You have plenty of time to-"
"No." She cut him off. "I mean, that's not what I was talking about. I already know what I want to sing." She tried to sound collected, but it came out more dejected than anything. "Can you help me with something…without…?" Anxiously, she bit down on her lower lip. "…asking too many questions?"
"Well, I can't promise anything, Quinn, but if what you need is reasonable. I'm willing to see what I can do." He offered a comforting smile. "Now, what's going on?"
Ignoring all of the pointed whispers that scattered the surrounding air, Artie wheeled himself the down the hallway towards Coach Beiste's office. He knew he couldn't avoid Quinn forever (he never intended to), but he wanted to put off what it would feel like to see her again for a little while longer.
As much as he tried not to, he still liked her and it still hurt.
Beyond that, he wanted to preserve what was left of his pride. Charity case, geek, socially inept parasite…ab-less; those were all things that never used to bother him. He used to hold his head high and be accepting of who and what he was. He took the constant bullying in stride; never letting it affect him too much. They were just insecure jerks anyways.
After what happened with Quinn though, he realized that he was letting women dictate his life and he was sick of it. He joined the football team for the wrong reasons. It wasn't going to help him get the girl he no longer had feelings for back and it wasn't going to help him keep the girl who he would be forced to see more often than he would be able to handle if he remained.
Football might have been fun, but it was pointless all the same.
"Abrams?" Coach Beiste acknowledged the saddened boy in the wheelchair as he entered. "Why aren't you suited up? I don't care if you're in a chair or not, you gotta do the drills like the rest of them."
"Um…" He forced himself to maintain eye contact, but he could do nothing about the twisting hands that rested in his lap. "I regret to inform that I must resign from the team. I thought it would help me get what I wanted or maybe that there was a possibility I deserved a place on the team, however…" He swallowed hard as the term 'charity case' reentered his mind. Adjusting his glasses, he pressed on. "It has come to my attention that it won't and…I don't."
"You know, kid." Leaning forward on her desk, Coach Beiste shifted in her chair. "I can't say I'm a fan of quitters. I don't like them and I don't encourage them." Her tone turned serious and expression resolute. "I also don't like it when one of my players believes they made it on the team for any reason other than they deserved it. I don't do hand-outs."
"I-I didn't mean-"
"But…I know a bad day when I see one." She examined his hurt filled eyes knowingly. "You're an asset Abrams and you're a part of this team. If you want to quit, fine. I won't stop you. Like I said, I'm not a fan of quitters."
Interrupting their discussion, a knock came at the door and one of the other football players walked in and handed Coach Beiste a note. After reading the note, she crumpled it up and tossed in the trash can. "Schuester needs to see you in the choir room. Says it's important."
Gripping his wheels, Artie nodded and headed for the exit.
"Abrams…" Coach Beiste spoke as Artie reached the doorway. "If you want to remain a part of this team, I expect to see you on the field tomorrow morning making up the drills you missed. Remember kid, I don't like quitters and I don't encourage them."
Artie didn't respond. He didn't think it was necessary. What was the point of being the charity case football player anyways?
Quinn fretfully paced back and forth in the choir room as she waited for the familiar sounds of Artie approaching. She hadn't been waiting for very long, but the entire time she waited she continued to flip flop between thinking her plan was a good idea to thinking it was silly and that she should just leave before she embarrasses herself.
"Quinn?" Artie's surprised tone pulled her out of her nerve racking thoughts. "What…? Why…? Where's Mr. Schue?"
"He's not here." Full of regret, she stared longingly into his eyes, those eyes that remained blue even when the skies were grey.
Hesitantly, Artie wheeled his way further into the room. "What's going on?" He had a hard time figuring out how he should act. On the one hand, the pang scratching at his heart was screaming at him to run away while on the other hand, his breath still abandoned him upon seeing her.
"I was thinking about what Mr. Schue said. He told us to find a song that expresses something we may not be able to express without it." Biting her lip, she moved over to the piano where her portable stereo was sitting and pressed the play button. "So…just...listen."
The opening notes began to fill the room and shortly after, Quinn's sweet voice broke through.
"You came with the season, as the first swallow sang
A brown headed stranger, with a five-letter name
dooo doo doo doo doo doo dooo
We planted our kisses where the wild berries grow
My feet sprouted wings and I flew all the way home
dooo doo doo doo doo doo dooo
My cheeks red like fire engines racing
Straight to the heat of your skin
And I know our-"
"Stop…please just… stop." Artie begged as he turned the music off. "I'm sorry Quinn, but…as nice as this is, it isn't going to work." He turned his chair away and began wheeling himself out of the choir room.
"Artie, wait!" Quinn shakily called out. "Let me explain."
"Explain what exactly?" He stalled his exit, but refused to face her again. Keeping his gaze lowered, Artie turned his head slightly and spoke over his shoulder. "You really hurt me, Quinn. You turned me into a chump. I like you. I really do, but…I can't forgive you. Not yet."
"Artie…" Chocking on his name, she stood frozen. She didn't know what more she could do. She messed up too much and she was losing not only someone she fell for, but her best friend as well.
No, she couldn't just stand idly by and be the scared little girl who doesn't try. Artie was worth more than that. Without a second hiccupping thought, Quinn tore out of the choir room. "Artie, wait!"
When she ran out into the hall, she saw Artie face to face with the pathetic bully who was responsible for the previous day's drive-by (walk-by?) slushie attack. "What are you doing?" She confronted the bully head on.
"Huh? Nothing. I heard my man here was thinking of quitting football. I thought we could discuss his options over a nice cold refreshment." Wearing an idiotic grin, the bully cackled.
"Don't." Well aware of the fact that it would cost her socially, Quinn placed herself between the bully and Artie.
"You protect geeks now, Fabray? What? Having a baby is so last year?" The bully taunted in a mocking tone. "Extra! Extra! The head cheerleader jumped ship and joined the geek squad everybody. Don't worry; there are enough refreshments for the both of you."
"Walk away, Quinn." Artie spoke gravely as he tried to push her out of the way, but she didn't budge. "This is how it is, remember? Walk away."
For less than a breath, Quinn began to falter, but then she remembered something Mr. Schuester told her when she was having a rough time the year before.
Those people didn't part when you walked down the halls; you moved them with your attitude.
Finally it dawned on her. Artie wasn't Puck or Sam or any other boy in the loser school. He was Artie, the boy who she could be who she was (the head cheerleader and top of the food chain) and who she wanted to be (the normal girl without any worries) with at the same time. At that moment though, she needed to be Quinn: top of the food chain and bitch extraordinaire.
With neck extended and hands on her hips, Quinn kept her position between the two boys and took a seat on Artie's knees. Crossing her legs, she held her hand out expectantly. "You know what? I am a little thirsty after all." Confidently, she snatched the slushie out of the bully's hand and took a sip. "Actually, this isn't really doing it for me." Assertively, she stood on her tippy toes, brought the cup over the bully's head, and poured the contents out. The bully stood at a lost as slushie dripped sardonically down his face. "Hmm…that's better." With a haughty smirk, Quinn moved to grab a hold of Artie's handle bars. "C'mon Artie, I'm bored with this Lima loser."
Artie was beyond shocked. Quinn had just stood up for him (in an incredibly sexy and awesome fashion, he might add) and she didn't look as though she regretted it one bit. As soon as he found his voice, he glanced up at his blond, once again, princess. "You do realize you just committed social suicide, right?"
"No I didn't, but even so…" She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "…you're worth it."
At her words, Artie felt all the resentment and pain that built up wash away. She lead them out of the school and brought them to a stop at the very spot where they shared their first kiss; bottom step next to one of the bushes that lined the school's walls. "Come here." Artie tugged her onto his lap.
"Do you forgive me?" She questioned timidly as she chewed on her lower lip. He found it adorable again, just as he did all of the little quirks that made up the one and only Quinn Fabray.
"Are you going with Sam?" He asked even though he was scared of what the answer might be.
She shook her head and spoke definitively. "No."
"Are you going with me?"
Smiling, she nodded enthusiastically. "You were the only one I wanted to go with." She was blushing furiously, but her eyes remained trained on his. "Are you really quitting football?"
Artie dropped her gaze thinking that that was the only reason Quinn was considering going with him again. "Would it be a deal breaker?"
"No…" She responded instantly and brought her hand to his chin, turning his sight back to her. "…but I kind of like the idea of cheering on the sidelines for my boyfriend." The corners of her mouth twitched with the bright smile she was struggling to contain.
He didn't say anything. He simply tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. She said 'boyfriend' and that was…just…wow. He was her boyfriend and she was his girlfriend. It was settled.
Staring deep into her eyes, he leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against hers. Her charming vanilla scent and sweet flavored kisses assaulted his senses in an explosion of passion and emotion. There were no denials stirring between them or pesky interlopers getting in the way. It was just them…being together.
Artie felt like the prince to his princess and Quinn felt like everything was falling into place. Finally, they both got exactly what they wanted (even if it took a while for them realize what it was they wanted)…each other.
Ending the kiss, Quinn simpered against his lips. Sweetly, she rested her forehead against his and whispered, "I'm glad we were partners." She glowed as his eyes sparkled with happiness.
"Yeah, me too." He whispered back.
Wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist, he captured her lips once again and this time…neither prince nor princess ran away.
The End
A/N: So, yep. That's it. The end. Am I forgiven for all the Quartie trouble? lol
This is the first multi-chapter fic I've completed so yay on me! =) Thank you to all of you awesome people you have reviewed, favored, and/or alerted. Of course, thanks to all of you that stuck with this and read to the end as well! You guys rock!
What did you guys think? Liked it? Hated it? Sorta okay with it?
Song = "Bird of the Summer" by A Fine Frenzy. Now I know there is no way Glee would ever cover that song (it's not a single) and the song in its entirety doesn't really apply, but I thought the first verse was too fitting to pass up. "Brown headed stranger with a five letter name?" C'mon, how could I not use it? Also, as much as I wish I could take credit for the "eyes remained blue even when the skies were grey" line, I can't. It's a rewording of a lyrics from fun.'s "The Gambler." I love them (and The Format, Nate R.'s previous band) and wanted to throw a bit of them in. =)
Again, thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed the ride!