Quinn sluggishly wandered her way into the choir room, the squeak of her keds as her only company. After the drama of last year and what with the current Cheerio drama stirring about, the head cheerleader made it a point to always arrive for glee practice early. She would always enter the same way, head down and arms hugging her binder protectively against her uniform clad chest. She would always take the same seat, the one in the second row and off the middle to the right. She would always wait quietly for the others to funnel in and not say a word until there was something worth complaining about.
If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything. At least not to her face. Within earshot maybe, but never to her face.
Santana would point and whisper "What a Lima Loser!' while gossiping with Brittany.
Brittany would ask if 'Lima Loser' was a new type of bean.
Puck was too busy getting in trouble to ever be around enough to notice anything.
Kurt and Mercedes assumed she was back to being embarrassed about socializing with those so low on the totem pole.
Finn and Rachel were like Mike and Tina, too wrapped up in each other to be bothered with anything else. Of course that didn't stop Rachel from fretting over the thought that Quinn was squeezing in some extra practice time in an attempt to steal away some of her solos. Like the good little boyfriend, Finn was there to bring Rachel back to the land of the sane during those diva freak outs.
Sam was sweet, but boy had no game what-so-ever. Not to mention that Finn seemed to have some sort of a man crush on the guy and hogged all of the blonde's time.
Artie? Well, Quinn barely paid any attention to the kid in the wheelchair, so why would he pay any attention to her?
All in all, they were wrong. Quinn didn't arrive early because she wanted to make a vocal impression on Mr. Schue or because she was embarrassed (or more not embarrassed) by all of the vocally gifted students that surround her. Sure, she loved to sing and a part of her, all of her if she would ever allow herself to be completely honest, was beyond grateful for the companionship and support that her fellow glee club members offered during what she refers to as 'the year that didn't happen,' but none of that had anything to do with her prompt arrival.
Truth was, she was alone.
Her friends weren't really her friends and the friends that were…well, she was a cheerleader again. She couldn't be seen hanging out with those socially inept parasites. Not if she wanted to stay where she was. On top…and alone.
Quinn scoffed and rolled her eyes at her thoughts. The more specific reason she would arrive early was that she didn't have a place to sit anymore and she could never figure out where it was okay to sit when she showed up last. It was like the lunch room for the un-populars and Quinn hated the feeling. It was just easier to deal with being shafted by a jealous cheerleader or an ex-boyfriend dealing with a jealous girlfriend when she already had a seat.
She shook her head, pulling herself out of the downward spiral of self pitying thoughts, as the sound of metal clanking and wheels turning reached her ears. Artie Abrams was the school's resident geek (resident cripple to those who suffered from lack of class). What with his sweater vests, thick black rimmed glasses, and A/V interests, how could he be deemed as anything other than a geek? Quinn was almost certain she had never said more than common pleasantries to the boy and that didn't bother her in the slightest.
"Oh, hey Quinn." He spoke barely above a whisper, keeping his head down as he wheeled himself over to the end of the bottom row. Everyone knew that was his spot.
Quinn furrowed her brow as she propped her elbow on her books and rested her temple against her fist before responding with a simple, yet breathy "Hey."
The others may have been too absorbed with their own lives to ever notice the on goings around them, but Quinn was different. She was a people watcher. She watched anyone and everyone, even if at the end of the day she refused to acknowledge their existence and she knew from the first syllable that escaped Artie's lips that something was wrong. It was the same with Mercedes and Quinn couldn't help the tug of her heart she felt as she watched Artie sitting silently with his gloved hands folded in his lap.
Two by two (when did the club split up into pairs and why didn't she have an assigned bosom buddy?) the others began trickling in. Mercedes and Kurt sat off to the far left and in the back. Mike and Tina sat near Quinn, two seats separating them from her. Finn and Rachel cuddled close in the front and in an unsurprising move; Finn hijacked Sam and pulled him into the seat next to them. Santana and Brittany were the last to enter. Santana, busy with her phone, plopped herself behind Quinn leaving Brittany standing awkwardly by herself. Holding her books low and in front, Brittany woefully presented herself in front of Artie. They shared a single glance before Artie turned his gaze away. Hanging her head low, Brittany trudged her way up the steps and took a seat next to Santana.
It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened. Between the disappearance of tiny waves and stolen smiles and the forfeit of the duet competition, it was obvious that Brittany and Artie had a falling out. At least it was obvious to Quinn. What was even more obvious to her was why. She had known Brittany long enough to know that when it comes to dating a guy, Brittany had no morals. Anything goes on the first date and typically…everything went.
"Alright guys!" Mr. Schuester entered with a hand clap. "Let's talk about your next assignment."
Mr. Schuester's voice became a monotonous buzz in the background as Quinn couldn't tear her eyes away from the broken (emotionally broken that is. Quinn had enough class not to focus on the physical aspect) boy in the wheelchair. The broken boy that, on a normal day, exuded a type of confidence that only someone who was perfectly content with themselves possessed. Quinn found herself wanting to do something, if anything, to help him.
After glee practice, Quinn followed Artie down the hall to his locker, staying a good ten to fifteen steps behind. The more she watched him, the more she wanted to embrace him in a friendly hug, which was wrong on all levels. They weren't friends…or even acquaintances really and they were both living on opposites ends of the popularity spectrum, but that didn't bar the swells of pity (no not pity, more concern) she felt for him.
Taking a deep steadying breath, Quinn took small barely audible steps towards him and leaned her shoulder against a locker that was two away from his. "I understand, you know." She held her books snug against her chest and chewed on her lower lip. "I know how it feels to lose something you cherish to someone who considers the act to be a sport."
Artie surveyed the empty hall, his expression twisting at the idea that yet another cheerleader that barely made eye contact with him was talking to…him. "I-I'm sorry?" He heard her, every word, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"I just wanted to say that…I know. I know how it feels to be just another notch on someone's bed post." She stared directly at him and he blushed, dropping his head forwards and staring at his twiddling thumbs. She wasn't sure if it was due to the eye contact or the topic of discussion, but she knew as soon as she saw the hint of red flush his cheeks that she was doing the right thing. "So, um, if you ever need to talk. Dealing with Ms. Sylvester's orders and mind numbing speeches has turned me into a decent listener."
"Um, thanks…I guess." Artie's skeptical expression held prominently on display as he glanced up at her.
Quinn offered a small smile before turning away and headed for the parking lot. She made it about five steps before Artie's quiet voice echoed through the hall. "Hey Quinn? Just so you know, I'm here too." He returned her smile with one of his own as they both shared a nod of understanding before leaving their separate ways.
For the first time in a long time, Quinn felt good about herself.
A/N: So, I normally stray away from writing fanfic for a show that is currently on air. It causes quite the mess in my head, but I've been on a Kevin McHale high recently, so I figured…why not? This was meant as a one shot, but what do you guys think? Should I continue?
Thanks for reading!