Author's Note: I begin with an apology. Sorry for major slacking in completing If Looks Could Kill. I will finish it. It simply lacks an epilogue that I have mentally outlined a few times. I am shooting for writing it over Thanksgiving break.

But now for something completely different! With all the interesting parallels between seasons one and two (e.g., discovery of talented shower singer, Artie storming away from a girl down a deserted hallway, risqué pep rally performance), I had an idea for another... Enjoy!

Parallel Lines

Laughter echoed down the deserted hallway, accompanied by the sound of wheels clicking down the linoleum floor. Side by side, parallel to one another, two wheelchairs rounded the corner of the hall and flew down the home stretch. Lucky Mr. Schuester had kept those tag sale wheelchairs backstage…

The occupants of the two chairs squealed with delighted laughter as one overtook the other in the final feet of the race. The winner turned to give her defeated opponent a wary glare.

"You let me win," she said, accusingly.

But he was panting now, visibly, out of breath. "Actually, I didn't," he confessed, then added more insistently (for she was looking skeptical), "Really! I swear, you honestly beat me, fair and square."

"Yeah, but… eight years of…"

"Nine now," he corrected. "And practice or not, I'm kind of worn out. The coach worked me really hard today."

"I've been meaning to ask," she said, cocking her head to the side. "I mean… Artie, it's great and everything, but do you really like risking your life every week for the sake of being popular? And besides, how is football a workout for you if Finn's the one pushing your chair?"

But he was laughing now. "Tina, I quit football," he said, as she raised her eyebrows to show her surprise. "Because you're absolutely right, I was getting no workout whatsoever. I found sport that's a better match for me. Say hello to the newest member of the McKinley swim team."

"We have a swim team?"

"Well, we have to practice at the community center because the school doesn't have a pool…" he trailed off, cringing slightly. "But… yeah, we have a team. And I like it. I mean, aside from the tiny bathing suits, I don't much like that. It won't be so bad once I have abs…"

It was Tina's turn to cringe.

"Artie, I didn't mean to… I heard you got kind of… hung up on the abs thing after I said that about Mike," she lamented, her eyes filled with true remorse.

"Hey, you deserve to have a boyfriend that takes care of his body," Artie said, with a determined shake of his head. "And… you deserve a boyfriend who actually pays attention to what you're interested in. So, um, what are you interested in?"

"Hmm," she began, pretending to look thoughtful. "Tiny bathing suits sound interesting."

They both laughed a bit uncomfortably at that, and Artie could feel his ears turning pink. For a moment, the image of Brittany filled his mind. He couldn't see Tina properly as he visualized Brittany carrying him to the bed, hovering over him, and unbuttoning his pants. Tina noticed a troubled expression cross his face as his laughter ceased. Before she could ask, he was fidgeting with the yellow gloves and opening his mouth to speak. She waited and listened.

"Tina, I have to tell you something."

"You've been faking your handicap?"

He managed a small smile, but it quickly faded. "No."

She rose from her wheelchair to move close to him. Kneeling beside his chair, she took both of his hands in hers. He swallowed hard and gave her small hands a tight squeeze, as though apologizing for the very difficult thing he was about to admit.

But Tina didn't want history to repeat itself. She didn't want their chances at a reunion ruined by a reenactment of the past. There was no need for another confession, no need for one of them to storm out of the school and leave the other alone again.

Rising again, she took a hold of his shoulders to lean over him once more. She closed her eyes and gave him a soft kiss. It was something they had both been longing for, she knew, for a very long time. She drew back and studied him expectantly, waiting for the boy to give her that tiny smirk of satisfaction that would let her know things were about to change.

"I had sex with Brittany."

Stunned silence followed as Tina backed away from him, lowering her body into the empty wheelchair. Artie started to protest, but his words were empty because there was nothing he could say. She responded only by giving him a pained expression that said it all. With that, she turned and rolled away. Leaving him behind was her job now. And Artie could only sit and stare, stunned by the swift rejection.

So this was the other side.