After what seemed like both an eternity and still not quite enough time to prepare for this day, at last, it was finally time for the New Directions to host Regionals at their very own McKinley High.
Kitty's freshman Cheerios recruits, Sarah, China, and Amanda, saved their skin by coming onboard just in time, bringing the New Directions' grand total to fourteen. But they brought something else too. They brought a different vibe than the rest. An attitude of "you should just be glad we're here and treat us like the queens we are," as opposed to "we're all a team."
The trouble started when Sarah completely missed her mark during Saturday's final stage rehearsal of 'Some Nights,' causing the frame of Artie's chair to ram her in the shins. "Watch where you're going in that thing!" she yelled, angrily, not bothering to acknowledge that she was the one to blame.
"You missed your mark," Kitty hastily pointed out, gesturing at the stage as she marched over to where Sarah was doubled over, rubbing her shin angrily. "You stop here. It's not like it's hard, Sarah, the Cheerios routines are way more complex and we throw those together, too."
"There's not a huge hunk of metal in my way during Cheerios routines!" Sarah exploded, as China and Amanda just exchanged looks between one another, then looked at down at Artie for his reaction.
Artie, who very much wanted there to be a trap door in the stage so that he might sink down into it, instead tried to find some way to make a joke out of it all. "Thanks for calling me a hunk," he said, winking at Sarah for good measure. Then he felt more than a little strange for doing that, remembering she was just a freshman. Regret followed his poor attempt at a joke.
Kitty's upper lip twitched ever so slightly in response to Artie's attempt to lighten the mood with humor but she remained completely cool nonetheless.
Sarah wasn't quite finished with her tantrum. "Now that there's fourteen of us, he could sit off to the side, you know, and it would be a hell of a lot less distracting for the audience!"
"Or better yet, you could just sit off to the side, Sarah, and we still have one more than we need to compete." Kitty stared at Sarah, who stared right back, until Kitty had stared her down. Sarah was the first to break the long, uncomfortable eye contact.
Artie raised his eyebrows as Kitty publicly hurried to his defense. He wished she wouldn't have taken it that far. What if Sarah sidelined herself and also took the other two Cheerios with her? They seemed to come as a package deal.
"Look, enough." Arguments ceased when Finn, who had come to assist that day and was dressed in his Mr. Schu-inspired vest/tie/jeans ensemble so that he looked the part, spoke up firmly. He was situated at the table in the middle of the audience, where the judges would be sitting later, seated next to Mr. Schue.
Mr. Schue massaged his temples, like he couldn't decide whether to support or oppose Finn's takeover. "Yeah," he chimed in. "We only have enough time for one more run-through of 'Some Nights,' everybody, so let's get on with it and make it count."
"Guys, it's not that hard," Tina added, her hands on her hips as she addressed the group. "It's just standing and walking."
"Hard for some people," Sarah muttered, looking in Artie's direction.
"What did you just say?!" In the type of moment typically reserved for Tina, Artie's usual designated BFF and self-appointed advocate, it was Kitty who protested the comment this time. Adding to the excitement, Kitty made a flying leap at Sarah as she screeched at her, her momentum haulted by China and Amanda. The other girls, younger yet taller, stopped Kitty mid-flight.
It took a few more minutes for everyone to calm down so that that they could get into places. Artie was rattled, for sure, so much so that he worried a lot about running into someone again. More than usual. He was so worried, in fact, he opted not to actually sing just so that he could focus on hitting all the marks. Even though the collision wasn't technically his fault, he didn't want a repeat. They got through the song without incident. As soon as they were done, Sarah stormed away from the drama, like she hadn't been the one creating it.
As for Artie, he just did his best not to really look at anyone on their way to their seats in the auditorium. He stopped by the restroom first, as the rest went into the auditorium. They'd drawn the last performance slot, so they'd be in the crowd watching the other schools perform first.
As it turned out, Kitty was waiting for him when he emerged from the men's room. He tried to pass by without speaking to her but she deliberately got in his way. With a huge sigh, he stopped and stared up at her.
"What, did you want me to thank you or something?" he asked, sounding grumpier than he'd meant to. "You should probably get out of the habit of defending me. Somebody might think there's something going on between us."
"... is there?" she said, quietly, leaning against the wall. They were momentarily afforded the type of privacy they stopped seeking out months ago, but it seemed like the memory of their brief moment in the arcade the other night was still fresh on Kitty's mind. And it thrilled Artie to think that it might have meant just as much to her as it had to him.
"Maybe?" Artie said, looking around first before he answered that. They didn't want someone overhearing them. "I wish we could spend spring break together. Now I'm sorry I'll be in L.A."
"And I'm sorry I'll be in D.C.," she added. "Really not looking forward to spending so much time with Sarah... or Bree... or Coach Sylvester." Kitty made a face, then changed the subject. "Did you tell your parents about being accepted to both schools?"
"No, not yet."
"Well, why do they think you're going to L.A. then?"
"Just to visit another potential school," Artie said, pausing to consider his reasons for not telling his parents or Amy or anyone else about the acceptance letters. "I just don't want anyone to get their hopes up yet. I might not even wind up going to either place."
"Because you're afraid," she supplied for him.
"No," Artie said, frustrated over having to explain himself again. On the other hand, it was kind of flattering that she cared so much about where he ended up. "Because I don't know if it's right for me. Because of my mom. Because my dad works too much, my sister might move to Colorado, and then she'll be left on her own, and that's how I thank her for taking care of me my whole life?"
"Your sister might move to Colorado?" was Kitty's takeaway from all of that.
Artie shrugged, wheeling around her as she feel into step behind him, in the midst of the crowd funneling their way towards the auditorium. "She says that's the goal," he explained, slowing his repetitive pushing movements as the crowd thickened. "Of course, on a teacher's salary, I don't how realistic that might be. Just like I don't know how realistic me making movies for a living might be..."
"Don't say that," she urged. "Stop doubting yourself so much, Artie. I meant what I said the other day. You'd be amazing in film school."
"We better get to our seats," he said, not wanting to think about anything other than the task ahead. They had a competition to win.
A few hours later, one Rachel Berry actually came to find Artie in the lobby, just to admit that she'd been harsh on the phone with him. She confessed that it had been wrong of her to assume he couldn't do a good job as "the new Finn" in leading the team to victory. Artie was happy to just smirk back in response, as he peered at her from behind the giant trophy. He always ended up being the one holding it after a win while someone wheeled him around with it. This time, it was Sam.
"Duh, he's the new Finn," Sam retorted. "Can't you see the resemblance?"
As a grin spread across his face, Artie took in the sight of Tina beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks. His smile faltered, but when their eyes met, she assured him these were happy tears. Artie looked up and over his shoulder at Blaine, who was joined by Sam. As the four seniors huddled together, they silently processed what the win at Regionals had just accomplished for them: they weren't done. Glee club wasn't over. Nationals in L.A. now awaited them in just a few short months.
"So, if we hurry, we can get to Breadstix and reserve a giant table before the rest of the teams realize it's the only decent place to eat in Lima..." Quinn said, appearing behind Rachel with Amy. Her eyes darted down to Artie, and they shared a delighted smile with a silent message -- Nationals! You did it!
Indeed they had. And even with the disasterous rehearsal, "Some Nights" had gone off without a hitch. (Though Artie hadn't sung quite as loudly as he normally did, having been exceptionally preoccupied with his blocking.) Their other songs, "Hall of Fame" and "I Love It," had been great, too. They did what they always did, pulling it off despite the fact that they should have been a tad more prepared.
Since they hadn't needed to board a bus today, they split up into multiple cars, and Artie rode with his sister and Quinn. He caught Kitty giving him a still-suspicious look as he left with them, and it still blew his mind that Kitty could think of he and Quinn as a potential couple.
(Well, okay, it wasn't entirely farfetched.)
Kitty wound up next to him at dinner. They arrived last to join the group, and she was seated next to the open space for his chair. He couldn't hide a smile that had everything to do with that small gesture as he situated himself into the gap. Kitty was busy telling a story to several captive listeners nearby and didn't so much as pause to acknowledge him, but that didn't phase him. What did disappoint him a little was the absense of the other three Cheerios at dinner. When he questioned Kitty about it, she just shrugged and muttered some excuse. But they both knew the real reason. Those three wouldn't associate themselves with the New Directions outside of a school function.
"So, do we have to find new dancers for Nationals?" Artie wondered. "Did we scare them off?"
"Oh, no," Kitty said. "They want the trip to L.A. I told all the Cheerios about Nationals being in L.A., and that's how I recruited those three." She paused. "Now, it would be better if Sarah would drop out..."
"No," Artie countered. "No, it wouldn't. Trust me, it's stressful doing this with the bare minimum number of people. Stuff happens. Like Mercedes getting food poisoning the day of competition."
Mercedes was close enough to overhear her name but not the specific comment. "Did you say something about me?" she asked, leaning across Sam.
"Just that you had food poisioning that almost counted you out of Nationals last year," Artie explained. "And if we hadn't brought extra people, it could have gotten us disqualified."
"But in true diva fashion, I made it," Mercedes said proudly. "And the show did go on."
"And it didn't go all over the place," Rachel added, resting her head on Finn's shoulder.
Artie couldn't help but notice the way Finn and Rachel were suddenly behaving like they had towards the end of their senior year again, as though no time had passed. And, for some reason, it made him think of Kitty. And that made no sense, seeing as they were in no such relationship.
"My lunch didn't go all over the place either," added Mercedes, before putting that discussion to rest as the pizzas and salads (for their more health-conscious people, like Sam) arrived.
It was always strange, whenever the new glee club merged with the old glee club for events like this. And it was like he and Tina, the only two to be in the New Directions from the beginning up until now, were in charge of something bigger than they were. The fact that Rachel Berry had gone from being ashamed of them to proud of them meant something, as much as he didn't want to admit how much that mattered to him. And the fact that Finn now admired Artie for his leadership skills? That counted for twice as much.
It hadn't gone unnoticed by Kitty either. When the night was over, they all crowded in the front of the restaurant for a few last minute conversations, delayed the inevitable good-byes. The alumni prepared to part ways again for the rest of spring break -- a few would remain at home, but many of them had other places to be. As for Kitty, she found her way to him once more. (He was grateful, for it wasn't easy for him to maneuver around in big groups.)
"Call me this time?" Kitty couldn't resist reminding him of the err of his ways the last time they'd been separated over a school holiday for Artie's college visit to Brooklyn.
"Every night," he answered, without missing a beat.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, I wasn't asking for that," she said, expertly keeping her eyes straight ahead, their conversation going undetected by the friends surrounding them. And then, after a moment, she smiled. "But hearing from you every night would be nice. Just be mindful of the time difference."
"All good," he said, playing it ever-so-cool. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," she said. "I hope you hate it. L.A.'s much too far away."
"But it's much warmer," he added, brightly.
"Oh, I dunno," she quipped. "I'm sure the nights get extra chilly if you don't have anyone warm beneath you. But what do I know?" And, sneering wickedly after letting slip a comment to drive him crazy, she darted away to ensure she'd had the last word.
Twenty-four hours later, following a long day of traveling to L.A., Artie made good on his promise. It was later in D.C., of course, which meant that he had to excuse himself before they'd even decided about what to do for dinner.
Mercedes had brought her older brother, DeShaun, along for the trip, which was a relief to Artie. And, anticipating Artie's needs, Mercedes had made some adjustments ahead of time to their sleeping arrangements. She and DeShaun had a futon and air mattress in the living room, which meant Mercedes' own bedroom in her one-bedroom apartment was all Artie's for the next few days. She'd even borrowed a shower chair for the bathroom, which was barely wide enough to accommodate his wheelchair but did work if Artie made some creative transfers from his chair, to the toilet, to the shower chair.
Anyway, the point was, Mercedes knew how to see to it that he'd manage to feel comfortable in her modest home. And she never said a word about it, other than to ask Artie if it was okay.
Artie decided to FaceTime with Kitty, after first checking his face and teeth to ensure both were presentable. He was situated atop the neatly-made bed, trying to accomplish his usual stretches on his own. (It was much easier and more effective with his mom's help but he could manage.) Having been stuck in an uncomfortable seat on the plane, since they'd gone cheap by flying with Spirit Air, he was paying for it now.
"Hold on, I have to step out in the hall..." she was saying, as she answered and her face came into view. She appeared to hold the phone close to her body, so as not to reveal who she was talking to. Naturally, he'd pretend not to mind that she didn't want to answer nosy questions from the Cheerios.
"Sorry, we're four to a room, and I'm just happy I didn't wind up with Bree or Sarah," she said, and Artie realized she was calling from the stairwell.
"Guess this was what you wanted to show me about your accommodations for the week," he commented, smirking. Then he turned the phone's camera around to show him where he was. "Mercedes has a great apartment. This is her room that she's giving to me for the next few days."
"Very cute," Kitty said, and if she thought it was weird that he'd taken over a girl's bedroom, she didn't say it. He wondered if she didn't see Mercedes as a threat simply because she was, well, black. And fabulous and loud and all the things he wasn't! Physically-speaking, he guessed they were an unlikely couple. But if Kitty was still into Artie like it seemed, she should have been just as threatened by the idea of he and another girl alone together.
So, he wisely added: "Her older brother flew here with us. He and I fly back at the end of the week."
"How was your flight?" Kitty wanted to know.
Artie, thinking of Betty's advice now, decided to steer clear of the details of the flight. It was always a gamble, because he didn't know if they'd be rushing after getting inevitably delayed at security because his chair required extra measures. Mercedes had experienced it alongside him once before, but it was news to DeShaun. To top it off, once they landed, they'd had a tough time getting a cab with enough trunk space for all three of them, the week's luggage for three, and Artie's chair.
"Not bad," he said. "How about yours?"
"We flew first class," she said, reminding Artie once more of the drastic differences in the Cheerios' budget versus the New Directions. "Sort of saw a little bit of D.C. surrounding the White House before being confined to a gym for practice the rest of the day. Some drama over them almost dropping me during one of our big stunts--"
"Are you okay?"
"Just a little shaken but good now," she said. "I told them they better not break me, I have Glee Nationals and that's way more important to me."
"Oh, really?" Artie had to laugh a little but she was completely straightfaced. "Okay, but why? And I call bullshit, by the way, on you telling them that. You did not tell the Cheerios that glee club is more important to you."
"Well, okay, it's what I told them in my head," she said, laughing in the stairwell where she pretended not to talk to her not-boyfriend whom she sometimes made out with from glee club. Kitty sure was... complex.
They talked a bit longer about the plans for the week. Artie was going to be busy every day, thanks to Mercedes' elaborate plans to sell him on L.A. (And it flattered him that she seemed heavily invested in getting him to live there.) Kitty shared that they wouldn't book their return flight until Nationals was over. The better they did, the longer they stayed, and they were favored to go all the way. As long as nobody dropped anyone.
There was a knock at the door right after he and Kitty told each other goodnight and hung up. It was Mercedes, of course, politely knocking on the door of her own bedroom.
"You can come in," he called. "It's your room."
"Uh-uh, not for this week," she said, taking a seat at the foot of the bed by him. "I know you need your privacy..."
As she trailed off, Artie regretted explaining the whole reason why he couldn't drink anything before the flight to her. It tended to open up people's eyes, and not in a good way, about all the other ways in which he was different.
"Is it weird having a guy in your bed and your brother in the other room?" Artie teased, while also changing the subject.
Mercedes laughed at that. "Well, no, but only because it's you and you've lived down the street from us for most of our lives," she said.
They tended not to talk about it much, but Mercedes and DeShaun had indeed known him a long time. They were among the very small group of people in his life that knew him back when he was just a typical kid.
"DeShaun's gone after some yummy hibachi takeout from a place down the street. Our treat--" Artie opened his mouth to protest that he'd intended to pay for his own food and other things this week, but she held up a hand. "-- C'mon, just this one time. You were on the phone with Amy, and I didn't ask you first."
Artie closed his mouth and just nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. But, if he was going to be calling Kitty every single evening that week (and doing so early, due to the time difference), he would have to come clean about it.
"That, um, that wasn't Amy," he explained. "That was Kitty. You know... the Cheerio... Sandy... you met her at my parties... and Homecoming..."
Her eyes widened. "I. Knew. It." She shoveled him playfully, knocking him off balance easily. "Or, at least I hoped for it. Artie! Are you two...?"
"Uh, I don't know yet," Artie said, as he reset his position on the bed. "It's a little bit too late, right? Seeing as high school is almost over for me and not for her."
Mercedes reached for him again, this time with a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "That's for you to decide," she said. "I don't think so, but it is a pretty big part of the reason Sam and I didn't work out."
Artie's eyes widened. "Do you still--?"
He didn't finish the question because Mercedes jumped up so quickly at that and preoccupied herself with moving a chair out of her room "to give him more space to move around." Artie just let her, knowing all too well how hard it was to revisit a failed relationship if someone brought it up unexpectedly.
"I did hope..." Mercedes began, looking over her shoulder at him as she picked up a small armchair to remove it from the room. "... when you brought her to Breadstix after Homecoming..." (Artie realized she'd changed the subject back to him and his love life.) "... and now, it seems my instincts are correct."
"Please don't tell, like... like Tina or anybody," Artie pleaded. Quinn and Amy knowing and prying was bad enough. Kitty was already being so quiet about all of this. It felt better to just follow her lead, even though he wanted to shout it off the rooftops. "We're still figuring it out."
He couldn't help but think back to that call and Kitty hurrying off to the stairwell so that none of her roommates knew who was on the line. The constant looking-over-her-shoulder when they were together. Picking a booth in the back corner of the restaurant...
How could he reconcile the fact that she seemed ashamed of him?