AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you to writer gigundoly for her contributions to the middle of this chapter!

Chapter 11: Leisure / Labor

ARTIE

By Monday afternoon, Artie was ready to relax.

The kids had returned from their weekend trip to Akron later than they were expecting the night before, and by the time he'd gotten himself showered and ready for bed, Artie was seriously exhausted. He allowed himself to sleep in the following morning and woke up feeling refreshed and recharged, ready to tackle the day's plans.

Except, he didn't have any.

For the first time in what felt like all summer, Artie finally had the chance to slow down. Between hanging out with Quinn, working with Ella on her tumbling, and taking a trip to see his dad, he'd been going, going, going with little time for himself. It was good to be busy, he felt, so truthfully, he only minded this a little bit. But as it was his last summer vacation as a high schooler, he knew that he should be enjoying it. After all, what was the point of having this nice, big, custom-built, in-ground pool in your backyard if you didn't spend all summer long enjoying it?

Quinn was babysitting until later tonight, Griff was at the law firm, and Seb had taken Ella along with him to some indoor cycling class that he'd signed up for, so Artie was experiencing a rare– but much-needed– moment of solitude. It had been a while since he'd gone swimming out back on his own. Usually, one of his siblings– or, as of late, more likely his girlfriend– were out here with him, but to have the pool to himself for a change was relaxing.

Artie loved to soak up the weightlessness that he felt in the water and the way that it stretched his muscles unlike anything else. It was the only kind of physical therapy he tolerated without a slew of complaints. He didn't need anyone's help in the pool; he could be completely independent there, and he wasn't half bad at swimming either, despite only using the upper half of his body to get around. He didn't often have the opportunity to keep up with his siblings– let alone excel at something athletic alongside them– so that was one of the many reasons Artie adored the water.

When Artie was younger, he'd done weekly aquatic therapy sessions, and it quickly became his favorite thing in the world. It hardly felt at all like therapy, and once his parents had been told about the long list of benefits that swimming daily could have for his body– such as alleviating the pressure on his joints and muscles, building muscle strength, and improving heart health– it just made sense to get rid of their old swingset he wouldn't be able to get much use out of anymore and put a pool in their backyard. The pool was a special oasis to him– it made him feel not so different from everyone else. And he didn't get to say that very often.

After he'd been out there undisturbed for a little over an hour, swimming laps and alternating through each of the strokes he could execute proficiently, Artie began to tire out. He swam to the side of the pool where he'd left his chair, swapping out his goggles for his sunglasses, before climbing onto a blow-up raft that had been floating. Once settled on top, he didn't bother suppressing the satisfied sigh he exhaled as he stretched out, intending to let his body air dry in the sun. He'd applied boatloads of sunblock before getting in the pool, so he hoped that would do the trick to shield him from the direct sun rays. If not, he was just gonna look like a lobster later on and have to lather himself with aloe vera tonight.

Artie's eyes were closed and he was deep in his Zen-like state when he was interrupted by the sound of voices and people entering the backyard. Artie pushed himself up so that he was leaning on his elbows and removed his sunglasses, hoping to see what all of the ruckus was about.

It was Sebastian and Ella, having returned from their workout class, accompanied by three of Sebastian's friends from The Warblers– Jeff, Trent, and Watson Price, the guy who used a wheelchair and had been inspired to try out for the team after seeing videos online of Artie performing with the New Directions. All of the guys had their swimsuits in hand with towels thrown over their shoulders.

"Oh, hey, Art," Seb said, the priceless expression on his face told Artie that he was surprised to see him in the pool. "I… didn't think you'd be out here."

Artie could immediately tell that Sebastian was panicking a little bit. It was well-known that Artie liked to keep some parts of his life private, and that included who got to see him out of his chair. The remorseful look on Sebastian's face showed that he knew he had screwed up by not giving Artie a heads-up that he was bringing the other guys over.

"Um, hey El, uh, will you bring these guys in?" Sebastian nervously stammered. "You can, uh, take them up to my room, and, uh, Watson–"

"Watson, Ella will show you to my room," Artie cut in, sparing Sebastian the chance to hesitate before suggesting it himself. That would have led to an even more awkward silence, and Artie knew what it was like to have people struggle to accommodate you on the spot. He wasn't gonna put Watson in that position, especially not when there was such a simple solution.

Ella brought the three Warblers inside, and as soon as they were alone, Seb made his way to the edge of the pool and crouched down on his haunches.

"Listen, dude, if I had known you were already out here, I wouldn't have invited them," Sebastian quickly explained. "Ella and I got done with our spin class, and the guys called and wanted to hang out, so she suggested that I have them over for a swim. But I should have called you just in case, to see what you were up to. God, I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry."

As endearing as it was to watch Seb squirm like this, Artie could see that he was beating himself up for what was, really, just an honest mistake. Artie didn't own the pool, he knew that, and while swimming in front of strangers wasn't his favorite activity, he'd suck it up for today. He didn't want his step-brother to feel so bad about it.

"Hey, it's fine. I'm good. Go get changed. Your friends will be back out here soon."

"Okay. And, hey, at least you're not even the only guy in a… in…" Sebastian cringed as he allowed his voice to trail off.

Artie raised an eyebrow.

In a wheelchair, he wanted to finish, but he didn't, as Sebastian already had the good sense to look remorseful for saying too much. Not every thought he produced needed to come out his mouth, Sebastian was currently learning. As someone who had learned that lesson not too long ago himself, Artie could find it in him to be forgiving. Especially because the other guy kind of had a point.

Seb dropped it at that, just nodding and getting to his feet, turning to head inside before looking over his shoulder once more. "You sure?"

"Yes, positive," Artie answered. "Go."

Sebastian did as he was told, disappearing through the sliding glass door and running off to change into some swim trunks. Artie replaced the sunglasses on his face and sought to enjoy what he was sure would likely end up being his last few minutes of peace.

Artie attempted to mentally prepare himself to trade his tranquil afternoon in for the chance to be gawked at by the other guys for the way his body looked or the way that he swam. He had to admit, though, that the fact that Watson would be swimming in the pool too made things marginally better. To Artie, that meant he either 1) wouldn't get stared at in the first place, or 2) would get to split the unwelcome stares equally with the other paralyzed guy in the group. He could get behind that.

The more he thought about it, the more Artie was actually a little bit glad that Seb's friends were there. Aside from a few Facebook messages exchanged between himself and Watson, and a couple of quick face-to-face interactions, Artie didn't feel like he knew the Warbler guys all that well yet. Sebastian, on the other hand, had grown pretty close with members of the New Directions, especially the rising seniors. Artie was interested in getting to know his step-brother's friends and for the opportunity to see him through their eyes.

This was going to make for an interesting afternoon.

Ella must have had no interest in being part of this all-guy pool party affair, for she stayed inside. Jeff and Trent reappeared on the back porch first, shirtless and clad in swim trunks. Jeff had a chiseled body, but he was a little bit on the small side. Trent was kind of chubby, but Artie was glad to see that hadn't stopped him from taking his shirt off. Sebastian was the next one to come out to join them.

Taking it at a run, he did a huge cannonball into the pool, going right over Artie's raft, nearly toppling him in the process. Artie got soaked, which felt amazing in the heat of the day. Trent and Jeff froze on the spot, seemingly waiting for Artie's reaction. When Seb's antics prompted a laugh, however, they laughed right along with him and attempted their own cannonballs, using Artie's floating body as a hurdle.

"You almost landed on him, Trent!" said a fourth voice.

Watson had finally joined them as well, a towel lying across his lap. He wasn't wearing quite the same swimming attire as Artie– he wasn't fully decked out in spandex leggings under his swim trunks and water shoes. Artie didn't always wear the extra pieces (such as when he was only going in for a quick dip, intending to swim only a few laps), but he'd decided to wear them today. He was fully aware of how silly the outfit looked, but he tried not to care. His accessories served their purpose– allowing him to enjoy pool time without paying any consequences later on– so he dealt with the goofiness.

Naturally, Watson wasn't going to take a flying leap into the pool like the others had. As he went about his transfer, Artie diverted the attention from Watson's careful descent to the pavement.

"Hey, you guys thought about using any instruments this year?" Artie asked innocently, as he floated to the edge of the pool, grabbed the side, and pushed off to float back towards the middle. "The acapella tradition, I mean… I personally like it, but do you think it would be better if you adopted an 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' mentality?"

Sebastian could likely appreciate that Artie made this comment from a place of wanting to see The Warblers succeed– yes, even though they were the competition! After all, he now had a brother on their team. But Artie noticed the looks on Trent's and Jeff's faces said he'd clearly crossed a line with his comment.

"It's been a Warbler tradition for over fifty years!" Jeff exclaimed, aghast.

"All the judges' comments we've ever read say that they like the acapella," Trent added, also looking like he felt personally attacked. "It sets us apart, makes us unique. That, and our Warbler uniforms, which they also like."

Watson was paddling over now, having found one of Artie's pool noodle chairs, making himself at home in the water. "I agree with Artie," he told them. "It couldn't hurt to mix it up a little bit, surprise 'em…"

"Not while I'm Head Warbler," Sebastian said. Artie could tell that he wasn't necessarily opposed to Artie and Watson's points, he was more just aiming to calm down Jeff and Trent by placating them. "We're known for that kind of stuff, and it's served us well all these years. What if we were to stray from tradition and lose at Sectionals? I'm not going to have that loss reflect poorly on my reputation."

"Still," Watson said, holding his ground and turning his nose in the air. "I feel like the acapella is what keeps preventing the team from heading to Nationals year after year. Judges know what to expect from us, and acapella is really a hit or miss these days. I know I'm only going to be a junior next year, and you guys will be seniors, but I just don't want to look back on my time as a Warbler and wonder if we sabotaged ourselves by being too stubborn to change with the times."

Jeff and Trent exchanged a glance and still didn't seem too convinced. Sebastian just looked bored by this conversation. Watson didn't seem to care much about the staunch opinions of his friends, which Artie felt the need to commend by nodding along to the points he'd made.

Aside from their few casual conversations, Artie didn't know much about Watson. Despite that, though, Artie had gathered that Watson's disability was pretty similar to his own. Along with this observation, Artie was able to notice with new eyes the way that Watson moved with such an air of confidence among these other guys. Artie couldn't help but loosen up a little bit as well. When Artie saw Watson ditch the floaty device he'd been using, instead opting to join the others treading water, Artie did the same.

He realized that he had been right about the fact that having Watson in the pool alongside him meant that the usual amount of curious stares he received was drastically reduced. It was either that, or these Warblers just weren't the type of guys who would stare at him in the first place. Maybe they'd been raised to be better than that.

As Watson floated lazily on his back in the water, Artie got an idea.

"Hey Watson," Artie called out, looking to change the direction of the conversation once more. He'd unknowingly hit a sore spot within the group with his innocent question earlier about the Warblers' use of acapella. "I'm used to being the judge of my siblings' pool races, or just simply coming in dead last. What do you say we have a race now, fair and square?"

A wide grin spread across the other guy's face. That was when Artie knew that he'd read both him and the situation correctly. He'd gone out on a limb and guessed that Watson may have had similar experiences around able-bodied friends and family members as he had, and based on the way that Watson nodded eagerly at Artie's offer, he seemed to be right.

As thrilled as Artie and Watson both were to have found a worthy opponent, Sebastian, Jeff, and Trent appeared equally as excited to watch this race go down. As Artie and Watson took their mark, holding onto the edge of the pool in the deep end, the three of them gathered all of the rafts, tubes, and noodles that were currently floating on the surface and herded them toward the sides to make space.

Their playing field was level, since neither boy could effectively push off of the wall using their legs. When Sebastian let out a loud whistle to start the race, both Artie and Watson tried to be the first to use their arms to achieve the ideal amount of rhythm in their strokes– one that would allow them to gain the momentum needed for a successful race.

It was a close race, but to Artie's excitement, he'd been the one to come out on top. However, it was necessary to note that Watson really was only a stroke or two behind. What separated the two swimmers were mere seconds.

"Okay, that was a lot closer than I was expecting it to be," Seb noted once Artie and Watson had exchanged a high-five when they'd reached the shallow end.

"What, you underestimated us?" Artie teased, always happy to show off to others the different ways he could express his natural athleticism. It was a rush and high like no other he'd ever experienced. He turned to Watson then and said: "He's right about that being a close race, though! Do you swim a lot?"

Watson nodded. "Some. I don't have a pool in my backyard, but I did a lot of lessons as a kid, and before long, that turned into swim team."

"You were on a team?" Artie asked, intrigued. "An adaptive one?"

Artie had heard about those kinds of teams before. His aquatic therapist as a kid had once even suggested that he join one. There, he'd get to compete against other disabled kids, and it would be just like the swim team that his friends were on at the YMCA. He never followed up with that offer, but sometimes he wished that he had. Joining Glee Club and getting to be a part of a team again had changed everything for him. Artie wondered how much of his life would have been different if he'd done that kind of thing earlier in life.

"No, just a regular one," Watson answered. "My older sister was on the team at our country club, so my mom signed me up too. I think it was, you know, supposed to build my confidence or something."

Watson rolled his eyes while Artie nodded knowingly.

"While I'm still not so sure how coming in last place against all of the able-bodied ten-year-olds in Columbus was supposed to make me feel good about myself, it was still fun," Watson continued. "I was on the team with, uh, Jeff, actually." All heads turned to Jeff then as he nodded.

"Oh, no way, you guys go to the same club?" Sebastian asked, engaging comfortably in this conversation about an old money world that Artie didn't understand.

"Yup," Jeff said. "Since we were kids. We took golf lessons together too, back in the day."

"It's surprisingly easy to do from the chair if your clubs are the right length," Watson explained. Artie, of course, knew this already. He'd never played a round on a real course, but he'd always been pretty good at mini golf, which was similar enough.

Watson was sitting on the steps of the pool in the shallow end as he directed his next comment at Jeff. "And now you're the guy teaching the little kids! That's pretty full circle."

Jeff nodded again. "Yeah, except nobody warned me that little kids don't listen and just, like, do the exact opposite of what you ask them to do," he complained. "I didn't realize how hard of a job this was going to be when I signed up for it, you know?"

There was a chorus of mmhmms and yeps from the other guys– including Sebastian, which made Artie laugh. He'd certainly never had a job before, and Artie wasn't sure that he had any experience with kids either.

"Well, then that certainly doesn't sound like the job for Sebastian!" Artie lightheartedly joked with the blonde Warbler at his step-brother's expense. "I don't know how he is with kids, but he's not cut out for a life of labor, as I'm sure you know."

"And, that there, is where you are incorrect," Sebastian corrected, which caused Artie to make a face and tilt his head.

"Wrong about which part?" Artie asked, still as confused as ever. "The 'not being fit for work' part or the 'inexperienced with kids' part? Because both were pretty true, the last time I checked."

"The 'unemployed' part," Sebastian answered smugly, pulling an inner tube over his head and resting his arms on the outside of it. "For your information, I actually do have a job. While you were away over the weekend, I took some time to think about what Sam had said at lunch the other day, and I called him up and asked if his job was still hiring."

"At the ice cream place?" Artie clarified, unable to make sense of this surprise his step-brother was dropping on him so casually. "Are you being serious?"

"Jeez," Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You don't have to seem so shocked."

"Sorry, I-I'm just trying to wrap his mind around it, is all," was Artie's response, still quite taken aback by this news. "So, you're going to… scoop ice cream?"

"Yes, genius, I am," Sebastian replied, seemingly unbothered by the four stunned faces that surrounded him. "You were right, okay? I do need some work experience. And, sure, it isn't the most glamorous job in the world, but it'll look good on a résumé or a LinkedIn profile. To show I have some grit and a work ethic, or whatever. My first day is Wednesday."

"When were you going to tell me about this?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I don't know. When it came up in conversation. I kinda just assumed that Sam had already filled you in."

Artie shook his head. Last he'd seen on Instagram, it appeared that Sam was still pretty busy hanging out with Blaine and Tina. He guessed that there was plenty that Sam wasn't texting him about these days, not just about his job's newest hire.

"Well," he said, looking to push his astonishment aside and find some encouraging words for his brother about his newest endeavor. "I do think this will end up being some good experience for you, and there's no one better than Sam to see you through it. So, congrats, dude."

Artie stuck his hand out, rather formally, for Sebastian to shake, which he did, but not without a laugh at his step-brother's expense.

"Anyways…" Artie began as he moved off of the stair he'd been resting on and started to use his arms to tread water in the shallow end. He looked between the three able-bodied guys who hadn't had their chance to swim against him yet. "Anyone up for a race? Fair's fair, though, so you'll have to be down with swimming the para way… no legs allowed!"