A/N:
Unfortunately they never really mention Arties mom, so I kinda just left her out if he even has a mom…yeah.
Thanks again to my beta reader, who, with all the funny comments, keeps me from pulling out my own hair. That's always a plus, not sure the world is quite ready for a bald me just yet, so thanks a ton to xxXAngelDreamerXxx
SONG: I'm happy just to dance with you
BY: The Beatles
~*Artie*~
I sighed and relaxed back against my pillow, having just turned on the camera for the assignment Mr. Schue gave us. I smiled best as I could, and turned the camera to face me after giving it a glimpse of my entirely blue room. The camera blinked a red light a few times before calming itself and settling into a slow rhythm. I took a deep breath, really excited about starting my assignment.
"Hello my peeps." I gave a peace sign before continuing. "I've decided to show you just what it's like going through a day in a wheel chair. I know that we did that wheel chair assignment before, but that's not all a wheel chair can do. In order to really know what it's like to be in the chair, you have to learn from a professional. You all had the ability to get in and out of your chairs, I don't. That's why, embarrassingly, I need my dad," I turned the camera towards the corner of the room where my dad was getting out clothes for the day. He looked over and gave a small wave. "to help me out each day. I don't know where I'd be without him."
"Alrighty, are these good for today?" He asked, holding up shirt, pants, suspenders and gloves. My usual. I nodded happily.
"Oh, look what I put on my chair." I showed off the little clip stand on the side of my chair where I could set the camera while I wheeled around. I carefully hooked it up to it, making sure it would balance okay.
Before this dance is through I think I'll love you too
I'm so happy when you dance with me
I don't want to kiss or hold your hand
If it's funny try and understand
There is really nothing else I'd rather do
'Cos I'm happy just to dance with you
I was able to put on my own clothes, but my dad had to help me into the chair. It really sucked when I couldn't get in it by myself, and would be especially embarrassing to share this fact with the rest of the glee club, but I figured that we were all really close, none of them would laugh. I was able to wheel myself around now.
"Unfortunately, Artie's room is on the second floor and we're still building the room downstairs so I have to carry him down the stairs for now." My dad smiled into the chair camera before getting behind me and picking up the front wheels of the chair.
"I used to be scared to go down the stairs like this but I got used to it after a while." I explained. We made our way slowly down the stairs, the scenery blurring in the camera with each step we took. Eventually, we were down at the bottom, and I was able to move around by myself.
"What do you want for breakfast, kid?" my dad asked, ruffling my hair.
"Actually I'm going to the mall with the girls and Kurt today so we'll probably eat there." My dad rose an eyebrow at me in question but, didn't push the food any further on me.
"You need me to drive you guys or what?" He asked, pouring a bowl of cereal for himself.
"No, Mr. Hummel already said he'd take us after he picked Kurt up from Cheerios practice." I explained, resting my hands on the dining table as my dad sat down in his usual spot across from me.
"Right, tell Burt I said hello then." He said through a mouth full of cereal, and I nodded. "So how are your friends? I haven't seen Tina over in a while, you guys break up or something?" I couldn't help but blush when he mentioned her.
"No, dad, we're still going strong as ever." He nodded.
"And your other friends? That Rachel girl not giving you guys anymore trouble? Oh, didn't you say something about your gay friend getting a boyfriend?" I turned to look into the camera over my shoulder.
"Sorry, guys." I said sadly before turning back to my dad who was smirking.
"Just doing my job, kid." I rolled my eyes and myself away from the table telling him I was going to watch TV in the living room until they got here.
"I know it may be childish," I spoke softly as I used the remote to turn on the TV. "But I still really enjoy cartoons and little kid shows." I smiled happily when the theme to Spongebob carried throughout the room.
I sat there for I don't know how long, not making a single sound. I told myself to speed that part up when I edited the video. Soon enough it was about ten o'clock when there was a ring on the doorbell. My dad had come in a while ago to tell me that he was headed out to the store, but I had only grunted and ignored him. So I still called out into the house to let him know I was going, even though he wasn't there. I opened the door to reveal a smiling gothic Asian girl with pink running through her dark hair. She beamed down at me, all smiles and sunshine for a girl obsessed with death. I looked behind her when a car horn honked and Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn all waved at me, telling us to hurry up. Mr. Hummel sat in the front seat with a very bored looking Finn Hudson.
I don't need to hug or hold you tight
I just want to dance with you all night
In this world there's nothing I would rather do
'Cos I'm happy just to dance with you
Just to dance with you
It's everything I need
Before this dance is through
I think I'll love you too
I'm so happy when you dance with me
Kurt and the girls helped me into the backseat of the car with them as Mr. Hummel helped put my wheelchair in the back, making sure to let me get my camera off of it before he did. The girls were instantly fawning over me, but I was more focused on Kurt and Finn. I couldn't help thinking it was about time Finn came out and started to date Kurt, and I couldn't be happier. Finn was really caught up in some game on his phone for a minute until Kurt reached up to the front and turned up the speakers, blasting a lady gaga song and making Finn jump three feet in the air. His expression was made of all glares as he turned the speakers way back down. The girls stopped messing with my hair and looked up to Kurt and Finn.
Kurt glared back at Finn, only his glare was a lot stronger than Finn's. His hand reached for the knob on the radio and cranked it up again. Finn, in turn, turned it back down. Kurt then turned it back up; and on goes this process, until it somehow ended with Kurt hitting Finn on the forehead and Finn turning the volume back up and sinking defeatedly back in his seat. The girls all giggled around me as Kurt sat back, triumphant, getting a high five from Mercedes. Quinn reached up behind Finn's seat and patted him on the shoulder lightly. When Mr. Hummel got back in the car he turned the radio down and everyone, even Finn, couldn't help but laugh at Kurt's defeated look.
"So are you staying at the mall with us Finn?" Quinn asked him when we got there, and Mr. Hummel was once again pulling my chair out of the back again.
"Not really my thing." He looked over at Kurt with a smile. "You guys go have fun." He looked over curiously at Mr. Hummel to find his complete focus on my wheel chair. Finn leaned over and I made sure to get Kurt and Finn's small kiss on camera, not sure just yet if I was going to keep it in our not. The girls all squealed as we made our way into the mall, asking Kurt question after question.
I had learned from many experiences that my only role while we were at the mall was to say that they all looked great in whatever they tried on, and to hold the bags. My small job was fine with me because it meant that I got more props from the girls, and continued to be inside their little clique. At one point they all insisted on dressing me up for awhile, promising me a pretzel afterwards. I had a struggle as they got me out of my wheelchair, and then came the embarrassing question on whether or not I needed help getting dressed. It was always awkward when someone asked me how I was able to do things that other people did in their daily lives.
After playing dress up with them for awhile I did get my pretzel. I was lucky enough to also get lemonade with it, and a speech on what they both did to my body from Kurt. Tina dragged us into the music store, where Quinn, Kurt and Mercedes shared a knowing glance and giggles as they remembered something that had happened in the past. The music on over head, The Beatles I'm happy just to dance with you.
"Oh, this should be my assignment song!" I declared, and got a ton of praise from it by the rest of the group.
Mercedes took Kurt's hands and pulled him off to dance around with her, Quinn joining as the gay ladies man spun them both around and showed off to the rest of the guys in the shop who were obviously jealous. I was shocked when Tina took my hands and swayed them back and forth between us, ever since I had confessed my dream was to become a dancer she had been pretty sensitive to the subject, and tried to make me feel included just as much as the others.
I turned my wheelchair wheels and swung my arms in the air, snapping. My action caused a giggle out of her and I took her hand, trying to spin her but she ended up having to lean down to go under our connected arms, giggling the entire time. Soon the rest of the group was over by us. Quinn and Tina each had one of my arms and Mercedes and Kurt were doing their own shakes to the music beside us. Sadly the song ended too quickly for my taste, but my growling stomach seemed pleased enough.
"Food court?" Quinn suggested, and everyone except Kurt gave their yes's and excited woots. Mercedes pulled Kurt along with us, the fashionable boy obviously planning on just eating a salad.
I was shocked at what time it was when Kurt's dad called his phone to tell him that he and Finn were waiting for them outside. We all made our way slowly out of the mall, not really wanting the day to end. Sadly, the skies were already turning orange and pink as the sun set in the distance, partially hidden by the mall's large structure.
The girls helped me in and Finn put my chair up this time, Kurt going back there to 'keep him company'. I was sure that they'd be back there for hours since they were practically inseparable lately, and they had been apart for an entire day and needed to catch up with each other. Surprisingly they were back in the car within a minute. Finn once again ignored us all, and kept low in his seat as we all sung in our most terrible voices possible on our way through the drop off schedule. Mercedes was first to go, giving 'her boy' a sloppy kiss on the cheek, leaving behind a lip gloss mark, and a hug to Quinn, who was next to be dropped off. She had just recently moved back in with her mother. Then sadly Tina was next, she gave me a kiss on the cheek, and a small smile before exiting with a wave to the rest of the passengers. Then it was Kurt's turn to be outnumbered by his own gender. Finn turned on some rock song and turned around.
"So you and Tina are doing good then, huh?" He asked, punching my shoulder playfully.
"Yeah, you two seemed to be pretty cozy right next to each other today." Mr. Hummel joined in with his own little eye brow wag.
"Dad!" Kurt hissed from beside me
"Come on Kurt, it's just a little guy talk." Then we were all silent. Lately I could tell he and his dad were having problems with each other. He and Finn seemed to be spending an awful lot of time together, and Kurt was so obviously feeling more than a little jealous of his still-secret-from-their-parents-boyfriend. Finn gave his leg a pat but Kurt just swatted it away and looked out the window a bit moodily. Finn sighed and looked back at me, rolling his eyes.
The rest of the car ride to my house was filled with a few comments from Finn on my relationship, but Kurt's dad had shut up since his last comment. Kurt was silent the whole way until he bid me a good bye and a small smile. Finn hopped out to help me back into my chair, and set up my camera again. The air was thick as I could see Kurt watching us through the glass of the window.
"Sorry about him, dude." Finn said softly as we rolled up to my house. "He's just been a bit off lately with his dad. It'll all be better again soon." I made a mental note to definitely cut this part out of my video.
"Can I offer some advice?" He nodded above me. "I know Kurt fairly well, Tina and the other girls talk about him like he's their god, so I just want to say maybe try to hang with him a bit more than with his dad. Maybe go to the mall with just him, it might be more fun than you want to believe. Kurt may act like a girl a lot, but he's definitely not one. He's still a guy, maybe offer to let him watch a game with you or something. Or you could tell Burt to offer to watch a game with him, I'm sure he'd appreciate the olive branch you extend."
"Olive branch?"
"Uh, it's kinda like a peace offering." He made an almost silent 'oh.' But otherwise let it go.
If somebody tries to take my place
Let's pretend we just can't see his face
In this world there's nothing I would rather do
'Cos I'm happy just to dance with you
Just to dance with you
It's everything I need
Before this dance is through
I think I'll love you too
I'm so happy when you dance with me
After bidding my last farewell to Finn and the two Hummels in the car, I made my way inside, calling out for my dad. He helped me get up to my room where I got into pajamas, and quickly set myself up with my camera on my bed.
"Alright, that was my day, thanks for at least pretending to pay attention, Puck, and I hope you guys have had a good summer. This past year of glee club has been the best thing that's happened to me, so thanks for starting it, Mr. Schue, and thanks for having my back, guys." I gave one last peace sign before turning the camera off.
If somebody tries to take my place
Let's pretend we just can't see his face
In this world there's nothing I would rather do
I've discovered I'm in love with you
'Cos I'm happy just to dance with you
A/N:
Somethings in here were most definitely pointed towards my other story Gleeful Disaster so if you ever find yourself questioning more about a certain part then go read my other story and you'll find your answers there.
Review and send love!
