Okay, so I wanted to pick three people unlikely to interact with each other unless thrown into some odd situation. When Kurt, Quinn, and Artie get expelled, their new school makes them realize how good they had it before. I'm not sure of the whole direction that this is going, but, it'll prolly be a bit rough for each of them in turn. I needed some sort of beginning to set the stage and arrange the puzzle pieces. If your interest isn't piqued by the end, add the story to your alerts and see if it surprises you.

Oh and, in the spirit of Glee, I'm naming a couple of songs that either the characters would or could be listening to and identifying with. You can listen to them, most likely, on YouTube by typing it in the search box. This chapter (after leaving school that day, laying on their respective beds, processing the news) for Quinn: "Must be Dreaming" by Frou Frou. And: "Cave In" by Owl City. Probably Kurt for that one. And for Artie: "Getting Better" by The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper album).

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

"This isn't happening," Kurt repeated for the fourth time.

"I think it is," Artie replied numbly.

"Oh God," Quinn breathed with wide eyes and practically fell she sat down so fast.

"This isn't happening," Kurt said again, standing frozen.

"Hm," Artie grunted in response.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God" Quinn took a page out of Kurt's book and just started repeating the same phrase over and over under her breath.

Artie flinched as Sue Sylvester's voice rang shrilly from the stage.

"These children have shown less than no respect for this school – they've shown outright hatred. And it sickens me."

Artie glared at her for that boldfaced lie and glanced up to see how Kurt was doing. He was turning a pasty white color and still hadn't sat down. Artie tugged on his sleeve and he dropped like a stone, the same as Quinn, and started shaking a little as he gazed at the floor with eyes empty from shock. Artie grimaced and returned his gaze to the tall, blond Cheerio coach who was still pointing an accusing finger their way.

"It'll be okay," Artie whispered to Kurt and Quinn, one on either side of him. "We haven't done anything, she can't touch us. This is insane; there's no way she'd get away with it."

"You idiot," Quinn whispered as she started to quietly cry. "They have two witnesses!"

"But we didn't do anything!" Artie retorted loudly. Heads turned in their direction, and the Cheerios coach broke off mid-line to shake her head in exaggerated disappointment. "We didn't do anything!" Artie repeated hotly, wheeling himself backward and around the group in the auditorium, where this little impromptu meeting had sprung up. "We have no idea what you're talking about!" He considered that this might all be some elaborate joke, but he didn't like the serious expression the principle and Mr. Schuester had on their faces.

He stuttered from wanting to get the sentence out so quickly. "Mr.- Mr. Schuester! You can't honestly think that we'd do something like this?" he implored, wheeling up to him.

"She's got evidence, Artie, I'm sorry," Will Schuester replied sadly, and looked away as if he couldn't bare to look at him anymore, he was so disappointed in him.

Artie laughed because of the insanity of the whole situation but stopped when the red-clad blond shook her head sadly at him. It was then that Artie realized that they were entirely serious and clammed up. He rolled, dumbfounded, back to his spot next to Kurt. He took up Kurt's idea to stare emptily at the floor.

"But Mr. Schuester, who are these witnesses?" Quin asked from her seat, staring in his direction fretfully.

Mr. Schuester looked uncomfortable and crossed his arms over his chest before responding levelly, "Coach Sylvester has two witnesses willing to give a recount of the events, but…" Mr. Schuester glanced awkwardly over at the group of girls in Cheerios uniforms. "The entire team admits to seeing you three hanging around her office this morning," he finished lowly.

Artie and Quinn glanced over at the Cheerios on the other side of the auditorium while Kurt remained staring at the floor.

"Who are the witnesses?" Quinn demanded of the adults, glancing at each one in turn.

The principal finally spoke up. "Brittany Reynolds and Santana Lopez."

All three of them moved their heads to stare at the pair who, they just noticed, were sitting the closest to the stage and Coach Sylvester. The two didn't look at them, just fidgeted in their seats. All three of the Glee club members felt betrayed even though they hadn't actually done what was suspected of them.

"They're lying," Quill said angrily, letting her betrayal show.

"I have pictures," Sue Sylvester interjected happily.

"Yes," the principal agreed, waving some papers he held in his hand. He looked over at Quinn, Artie, and Kurt. "And they are very," here he looked to Coach Sylvester, "convincing."

"But-" Artie started again in indignation but was cut off.

"I'm sorry children, but you've brought this on yourselves. The evidence shows you removing Coach Sylvester's diary from her office, and I can't have thieves running around McKinley High! I have no choice, since it was a member of the staff you stole from! I warned you with the Glist, and posting Coach Sylvester's diary all over the internet far exceeds what I thought you were capable of." The principal looked from them to Mr. Schuester and then back again. "You're expelled as of 3 pm today," he finished lamely and got up and left the auditorium through the door farthest away from the students.

"What?" Artie tried following, but he couldn't maneuver right through his astonishment and hit his knuckles painfully on Quinn's and Kurt's chairs. "But Mr. Schuester!" he yelled, searching for a sane person among the crowd. "This is ridiculous, they're lying, you know that!"

"I'm sorry, Artie," Will Schuester repeated sadly. He got up and left through the same door as the principal, deep disappointment clear on his face.

Artie's face was screwed up in a mangled expression, Quinn was crying, and Kurt had yet to move, having believed right from the start that they had no hope in this predicament. Quinn had actually heard about the plan, but she'd had no idea it was going to be involving her, and certainly not expelled! She knew, though, that they'd left no holes in their plan. They'd bribed the A/V club to do the photos, and the Cheerios had all agreed to frame a couple of kids from the Glee club to disqualify them from Regionals.

"Oh my God." Kurt broke his mantra and covered his face with his hands.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Artie said.

Quinn ignored them, got up, and left. Artie tugged on Kurt's shirt to get him moving. He did but his face was red. Artie grimaced and nodded his head toward the door.

"Let's go." Artie nudged him out of the auditorium.

The rest of the Glee club was waiting outside the door since they hadn't been allowed in.

"What happened?" Finn pushed out from the group. "Quinn wouldn't say anything."

"What did you guys do?" Rachael accused. "Regionals are in a month – we don't have time for you guys to be goofing off!"

"Shut up, Rachael – nobody likes you." Kurt walked off with a glare at Rachael.

She looked hurt and everyone else just looked stunned. Artie watched him go with a half-frown-half-grimace. A click from behind made his head turn. Brittany and Santana were coming out of the auditorium, watching him carefully. For his part, he gave them the nastiest look that he could with a shake of his head; he was so disgusted by them. He started after Kurt, but Santana stopped him.

"Wait! Artie, look, I'm sorry, she made us tell that story. She threatened us," Santana insisted, and Brittany nodded.

Artie believed them, but he didn't care. Some team mates. He wanted to tell her to stuff it, but didn't.

"What's going on?" Mercedes interrupted, walking over to him and Santana.

He was quiet, just glaring at Santana because she was standing in his way and so was Mercedes.

"Artie?" Tina asked him from behind.

He couldn't ignore that sweet voice, so he turned himself around and looked her in the eye.

"The Cheerios framed us to keep us out of Regionals, with Brittany and Santana as their star witnesses," he let out calmly, but he was furious inside.

Tina looked accusingly over his head at the two girls as everyone else did the same. Artie took that opportunity to wheel past her and around the crowded group.

He noticed that Kurt was waiting for him at the end of the hallway, glaring over his head at the entire group. He was surprised when he started walking next to him; Kurt and him had never been good friends.

"I can't believe they did this to us." Kurt looked down at him and Artie nodded in agreement, still processing.

"My Dad's going to kill me," Artie said worriedly. This time, Kurt nodded.

"I know my Dad won't take this sitting down," Kurt said roughly. "He'll believe me if I tell him I didn't do it."

"Where did they get proof?" Artie was beyond confused.

"Fabricated," Kurt proclaimed, and Artie nodded. "Those… Cheerios."

Alerts, reviews anyone? Do you know yet what I plan to do to Artie? Can you tell me how Quinn and Artie are going to help Kurt? Could you imagine those guys having to go up against their own team? Who knows... Thanks guys! Review/Alert!