Chapter 37: Sweet Summertime

ARTIE

"Knock, knock," came a familiar voice as the door of Artie's bedroom opened just enough for Quinn to stick her head inside. "I let myself in, hope that's okay."

"It's more than okay," Artie told her, unable to prevent a wide grin from spreading across his face. "I'm so happy to see you. Come'ere."

Quinn slipped inside, cracking the door behind her (she knew his mom's rules too well by now– they could be alone in Artie's room all they wanted, but the door had to stay open!). Artie enveloped her in a big hug before patting his lap and gesturing for her to take a seat. To his delight, she didn't hesitate to join him. Their reunion felt just as sweet as he had expected it to.

"How are you, Mr. Director?" she wondered. "I wanted to see if you needed any company while you are all holed up in here, editing away. And I knew you could probably use a pick me up."

She set an iced coffee and a to-go bag from Dunkin' Donuts down on his desk, correctly assuming that he hadn't devoted much time to eating yet today. He'd been far too focused on meeting the self-imposed deadline he'd set for finishing up his project. They had just about a month left of summer, and Artie wanted to be able to host the first official screening of the movie for the cast and crew before they all split and went their separate ways. That meant that in order to make that happen, he had to spend a lot of time focusing now.

"Thanks. I feel like I haven't slept in, like, four days, but otherwise, I'm fine," he told her. "Better now that you're here."

"Well, I promise that I won't distract you," Quinn replied. "I just missed you. How was Akron?"

"Surprisingly good," reported Artie, beginning to recap his weekend away for his girlfriend at lightning speed. "On Friday, we got in around dinner time and my dad grilled for us. Then on Saturday, before the Indians game in Cleveland, we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Did you know that my dad's lived there for eight years and he'd never been? We got to see all of the exhibits on the new inductees, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns n' Roses."

"Whoa. You must have loved that."

"I did," Artie confirmed. "My dad and I were in heaven, but I think Griff and Seb were counting down the minutes until we were in the ballpark for the first pitch. Then, yesterday, before we drove home, we went fishing out on the lake."

Of course, Artie and Quinn had texted one another throughout the weekend, but it was much easier to recount all of the details for her in person than it was over text.

"We fit a lot into the couple of days we were there," Artie said. "All of my favorite activities that I do with my dad whenever I go out to visit. I'm glad I got to share it all with Sebastian, too."

"Sounds awesome," Quinn said, planting a kiss on his cheek, causing Artie to immediately blush. He wondered if he'd ever get over that. "I'm glad everything worked out."

"Me too. I think I owe my PT big time for being the one to suggest that I invite Seb to come along," Artie acknowledged. "I was skeptical at first, but I shouldn't have been. He's good."

"And, let me guess," Quinn said, playfully rolling her eyes. "You've been sitting here ever since you got back?"

Artie laughed. "Pretty much."

"Well, can I see what you've been working on?"

"It's still a pretty rough cut right now," Artie warned her. "I need to make all of the transitions smoother, and put the finishing touches on it, but I suppose that I could use the fresh perspective of a new set of eyes. Mine are fried."

As he started the project from the beginning, he wanted nothing more than to explain why he'd made every decision that he had, but he also wanted to let the work speak for itself.

"I'm glad we did those reshoots for the Newsies scenes. The shadows were weird on the day we filmed originally, see?" Okay, so Artie wasn't able to bite back every comment that came to his mind. "Kurt just blends in with the ensemble dancers. That wasn't what I was going for– I wanted him to be in the spotlight. This is the first day, and this is the second. See the difference?"

He clicked a few buttons on his keyboard and the footage from both shooting days began to play side by side. But when Artie looked over to see if she understood the point he was trying to make, he found that Quinn was not staring at the computer monitor, but at him. She had a soft smile on her face, almost as if she was keeping a secret. "What?"

"Nothing," she told him, shaking her head and giggling at the way he'd caught her watching him. "You're just cute when you talk like that, is all. I like it."

"You do? Really?" Artie asked, glancing at her skeptically. "Most people find my commentary annoying. Sebastian tells me that I need a mute button. Or a shock collar."

"It's adorable," she confirmed, causing Artie's face to heat up. "Listening to you talk about something you enjoy and you're passionate about will never be annoying. Not to the right people."

Artie smiled shyly at her. He was sure that she didn't know how much he needed to hear that, and how much it meant to him. Especially after being shut down numerous times in the past by others. Quinn never failed to remind him that he didn't need to change– he could just be himself, and that was enough for her.

Then, when they got to the end and they were watching the Footloose number, Quinn even surprised him by making some commentary of her own.

"The whole thing was wonderful, but I think this is my favorite part," she told him. "Look at the joy on all of our faces! It's radiating through the screen and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I think it'll come off that way to the admission directors at the schools you're applying to, too. It's like a big celebration, and the best part of all is that you're featured in front of the camera."

"You know, I'm happy with how it turned out, too. I wasn't sure about it initially," Artie admitted. "I mean, I like irony and the suspension of disbelief as much as the next guy, but a guy who can't walk taking the lead in singing and dancing to Footloose? C'mon. That's far-fetched, even for me. But you guys were right, something was missing from the original script, and this was it. So, thank you."

"No need to thank me," Quinn replied, shrugging. "The idea was all Sebastian's. He just needed someone to hide behind when he suggested it so that you didn't bite his head off." They could both laugh at the truth behind that statement. "But I agree with you that it was a pretty incredible suggestion."

"You seem to be coming around to Seb, huh?" Artie noticed, smirking at his girlfriend. "I remember not too long ago when you weren't the biggest fan of him. You're so vainnnnnn!"

By breaking into an off-key rendition of the iconic Carly Simon song, Artie recalled the time at the beginning of the summer when he'd strolled into the living room to find Quinn serenading a pouting Sebastian, which then resulted in an impromptu dance party. Quinn had held a grudge against Sebastian for his previous actions against the New Directions much longer than Artie had. Now it seemed that he was finally earning her trust.

"Alright, that's enough," Quinn told him, swatting his shoulder playfully. "If you must know, there have been plenty of moments over the last few months that have swayed my opinion of him a little bit. A moment of selflessness here and there wouldn't be enough to change my mind about him completely after all of the damage he's caused, but it has made me rethink a few things." Artie raised his eyebrows at what he was hearing. "I realized that maybe I judged him too harshly too quickly. It couldn't hurt to get to know him a little bit better. I mean, you love him, after all, so he can't be as horrible as he used to be, right? And we both care about you, clearly. I've decided that I should respect that."

"He does seem to care about me much more now than he has in the past, that's for sure," Artie noted.

Maybe a little too much, he thought to himself. The ongoing incident with Blaine, Tina, and Sam came to mind, though he would never tell Quinn that. He didn't need her to worry about him being left out, too. And he certainly didn't need her blaming herself for being the reason his fellow rising seniors assumed he was always busy. No, he'd just keep this thought to himself and stick to the positives.

"So, there you have it," Artie said as the movie concluded and the credits began to roll. "Remember, it's still a rough cut, so it'll look better by the time it's ready to be seen by the masses. I'm hoping to have everything finalized by the wrap party, fingers crossed," Artie told her, mentioning the party that he was planning to host later in the week to thank everyone who'd played a role in supporting his production. "I know that is kind of a quick turnaround, but I think I can do it."

"It already looks perfect to me," she replied, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

"Well, it wasn't just me," he reminded her, always too humble for his own good. "I had a lot of help, obviously. It wouldn't have been anything without the cast and crew. I owe all of you big time."

"You know that we're always happy to help," Quinn told him. "Ever since you first directed all of us in West Side Story and the Christmas special last year, I've known that you have something special. You're gonna make it big someday, I really believe that. We all do."

Quinn wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her temple against his as they both admired her name at the top of the cast billing in the credits. Making this movie had been a dream come true for Artie, but he could see that it had been a dream come true for Quinn as well. Seeing her name on the screen like that… she deserved it. All of his friends did. It had been a privilege to be able to facilitate this opportunity for them. It was only a matter of time before all of their names would be lit up on a marquee on Broadway or Hollywood Boulevard, Artie was sure of it.

"You were a big piece of inspiration for this, honestly," Artie told her.

Quinn smiled at him and cocked her head to the side. "Really? How so?"

Artie shrugged. "I was just, like, thinking of that conversation we'd had about how you had the potential to be a leading lady– in both Glee Club and the school musicals– you know? You just have this Old Hollywood type of glamour. Like Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor or Grace Kelly."

"Oh, Artie, I don't know about that." Quinn glanced at him dubiously, clearly flattered and maybe a little embarrassed by the attention, too.

"I do. And, I mean, I see it every day, but I wanted everyone else to see it too. So I kind of… based the script and the storyline around that. Seb made a great love interest, but you were the star. My goal was to showcase that," Artie said. "And when I'm done editing this, you'll get a copy to send off to all of the directors, instructors, and agents that will surely be banging down your door when you arrive on the East Coast in a few weeks."

Artie noticed the tears welling up in Quinn's eyes. She didn't say anything immediately, just hugged him tightly, which was an easy gesture to return. He didn't think he'd ever grow tired of holding her like this.

"Thank you, Artie," she said when she finally found the words. "That is so sweet. Seriously, I think that may just be the most thoughtful thing anyone's ever done for me."

When they broke apart she stayed put on his lap. "Speaking of Yale…" Quinn began, glancing at Artie hopefully. "I kind of wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Well, I have to go to my orientation in a few weeks," she told him, looking a little hesitant about sharing what had been on her mind. "My mom and her boyfriend are taking the kids to Lake Michigan for the weekend, so I was planning on just driving out there on my own. But, I was thinking… I mean, I don't know what your schedule looks like, but I wouldn't mind having some company on the road trip if you're around."

"Wow, Quinn, I…" Artie's voice trailed off. He didn't even know what to say. Artie could count on one hand the number of times he'd been left speechless, and this was a new addition to the list.

"I'd love for you to see where I'll be spending the next few years, and, you know, maybe you could tour around a little bit and see if New Haven's for you, too. I know it's not on your list of schools, but it may be worth a shot. I mean, your grades could definitely get you in," Quinn rambled, taking a page out of Artie's book and word-vomiting as she began to get a little anxious. "And I was thinking it would be nice to go on a trip just the two of us. I mean, only if you decide you want to. Otherwise, it was a dumb idea, and you should just forget I even suggested it."

"No– I mean, yes– Quinn, that sounds incredible," Artie told her, stumbling over his words now, her state rubbing off on him. "I'd have to, you know, look into the accessibility of it all before I give you a concrete answer–"

"Of course–"

"– but I'd love to tag along," he finished quickly, not wanting her to think for even a moment that he did not want to be there for her. "Thank you. For the invite and for thinking of me and wanting me there with you."

Quinn hugged him again, and over the top of her head, Artie glanced at the calendar that hung on his wall. They had just over one month left together before she'd be off to Connecticut. A month seemed to take forever sometimes– like when there was a month until Christmas, or a month until school let out for summer. But right now to Artie, a month felt too short.

Much too short.

"Hey," Artie said, saving the changes he'd made to his project before closing out of his editing program. "I've been staring at this screen for so long that I feel like I'm about to go cross-eyed. What do you say we take the edge off a little bit?"

"What are you planning?" she wondered, knowing too well the look he wore on his face when he had an idea.

Sebastian and Sam were working that night, and Artie could always go for some chocolate ice cream. Plus, he thought it may be fun to surprise them on the job. Quinn agreed, but when they approached the order window, Artie found out that the element of surprise had not worked in their favor.

"Shocked to see us?" Artie asked.

"No, I saw you five minutes ago," Sebastian replied. Artie supposed it didn't really help his case that the only accessible spot in the lot was– of course– right out front. "You took forever putting that thing together and rolling up here."

"Hey! What are you two doing here?" Sam exclaimed from over Sebastian's shoulder, his eyes lighting up at the familiar faces.

"We wanted to catch a glimpse of you two in action!" Artie replied, matching his level of enthusiasm.

"And we wanted ice cream," Quinn added, disclosing their real reason for coming, even though it wasn't a secret.

"That too," Artie said. Turning to Quinn, he asked, "Would it be frowned upon if I asked for a free sample of everything on the menu? Then, by the time those are finished, I won't be hungry anymore and have to buy an ice cream of my own."

"I don't see the issue with that," Sam said, at the same time as Sebastian shook his head, saying, "Yeah, no, you can't do that."

"Ignore him," Quinn told the boys after Artie's terrible dad joke. She was standing beside Artie and chose to affectionately rest both of her hands on his shoulders. "I'll have a small mint chocolate chip on a cone, and he'll have–"

"Chocolate," Artie jumped in. "In a cup with extra sprinkles. Extra. You got that, right? Because I'll send it back if you screw it up. On second thought, why don't you just give me a whole separate bowl full of the damn things."

Artie couldn't resist calling on the story he'd heard from Sebastian's first day on the job when a nightmare family had strolled up to his window and yelled at him for being stingy with the toppings. More often than not, Artie was the one on the receiving end of irritating sibling antics, and when he saw the opportunity to turn the tables just now, he did exactly that.

"Shut up, Hot Wheels," Sebastian muttered, rolling his eyes, immediately understanding what Artie was referencing. Artie grinned, and before long, Sebastian was laughing despite himself too. Sometimes being the pest was fun. He could almost see why Sebastian chose to behave this way so often. Almost.

"Mint chocolate chip in a cone and a chocolate in a cup with extra sprinkles," Sam repeated their order back to them as any good waiter would. "Coming right up!"

As Sam disappeared inside to prepare their treats, Artie dug some cash out of his wallet to pay for his and Quinn's desserts. He could barely see Sebastian over the counter since it was so high above his head from his seated position.

"So," Sebastian said, accepting Artie's ten-dollar bill and handing him back his change from the register. He leaned over, putting his elbows on the counter and sticking his head out the window a bit so that they could see one another better. "What do you think of the place?"

"Well, you could start by losing the gravel," Artie said, handing Quinn two single dollar bills for her to stick in Sam and Sebastian's tip bucket since he couldn't very well reach it himself. "Makes my commute from the car to the building twice as treacherous. Seems to me like an accident waiting to happen. And you can tell your boss I said that."

"I'll pass it along to the comments and suggestions box," Sebastian told him in a tone that told Artie that no such box existed.

"The mini golf course is pretty weak, too," Artie doubled down, glancing sadly over his shoulder at the adjacent activity area. "And inaccessible. A far cry from the one on the other side of town. Remember that one? Where we took you on that sibling bonding weekend?"

"You mean the one where you kicked my ass in the batting cages?" Seb asked. "How could I forget?"

Sam returned with their orders, and by then, a line had formed behind them. Seb and Sam needed to quit dilly-dallying and get back to work, so Artie and Quinn went around the back of the building where the picnic tables were located. However, the beautiful summer night had brought out what felt like most of Lima's residents, and all of the seating was taken.

"This place is packed," Quinn observed, frowning.

"No kidding," Artie agreed. Coming to a stop by one of the picnic tables, in an open area that had a view of the mini golf course, Artie locked his wheels in place and gestured to his lap. "Lucky for us, we brought our own seats."

That got a smile out of Quinn, who handed Artie the cup of ice cream she'd been holding for him before promptly sitting down, her body fitting perfectly atop his. His lap had become her usual spot when they were together, which was something Artie could never be mad about. Strands of her short hair tickled his cheek as the wind blew gently, making his heart leap. He couldn't be any closer to her if he tried, and he liked it that way.

"I'm making a mess," Quinn lamented, licking melted mint ice cream off of the top of her hand.

"Over here, too," Artie told her, pointing out where more of her dessert was dripping over the side of her cone. The summer heat took no prisoners, and their ice cream didn't stand a chance. Quinn tried to catch the dribble before it fell onto her sundress, and as soon as she did, the other side began to drip, as if she was playing some sticky, sweet game of whack-a-mole. She moved too quickly, though, and wound up getting a dab of ice cream on her nose.

Artie couldn't hold back the surprised chuckle that escaped his lips, and Quinn giggled as well. Her laugh was like music to his ears. Even with more of her ice cream on her body than on her cone, she still looked adorable. The swarm of butterflies in his stomach took flight.

Then, it dawned on him.

I love her, Artie realized. This is what true love feels like. I'm in love with Quinn.

Artie had believed that he'd experienced being in love several times before. First, there was Tina. While wheelchair racing with her down the hallways of the school, just moments before one of the epic highs of his adolescence– his first kiss– and one of the epic lows– finding out that she'd been lying to him about her stutter for two years and counting– Artie had felt what he thought was love. Then there was the way he'd bent over backwards trying to find a way to keep the Christmas spirit alive for Brittany after she'd asked Santa for the impossible that year. Last Valentine's Day, Artie had felt like he was in a bidding war with Rory the Irishman over Sugar Motta's affection. Though the festivities of that holiday had nearly put him in debt, it was all worth it to see the smile on her face as she opened his gifts. But nothing Artie had ever felt before– including what he'd felt for Quinn up until this point– compared to the euphoric feeling he was experiencing right now.

All of these past experiences had been filled with affection, sure, but all of those moments paled in comparison to what he felt right now. This was different. He loved Quinn. And while he didn't know what the future held for them, Artie didn't want to ever let her go.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, swiping the ice cream off her nose with the back of her hand before cocking her head to the side.

"Huh?"

"You look a little spaced out," she told him. "I wanted to check in."

"I'm good." Artie managed a smile. Pulling her closer, he said, "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

He had always heard about people wishing away these angst-filled, crappy teenage years spent stuck in their hometowns. They spend too much time longing for what the rest of their lives will be like, out in the real world and away from the halls of their high school. Artie knew that he was guilty of doing that, too. But he also knew that he'd never get another day like today back again. He was coming of age, and while that was simultaneously a wonderful and terrifying thing, with someone like Quinn by his side, it felt a lot less scary.