(no subject)
The tour was over, and everyone was back home, which meant one thing - paperwork. Contracts for a new album, contracts for a future tour, press junkets... everything to keep the band in the public eye, all of which landed on Artie’s desk. He had an assistant to help out most of the time, but now that everyone was back home, he’d given her the week off - she’d been working harder than anyone.
He was in his office in Puck and Quinn’s somewhat large house. Early on, he’d found it easier to work out of there, mostly so he could keep an eye on Puck, and attempt to steer him in the right direction. He’d known Puck, Quinn and Beth for so long that he was treated as part of the family, and so, when was at work, had pretty much the run of the house. Which was why he was in the kitchen when Quinn arrived home, making himself a coffee in an attempt to actually move away from his computer today.
Quinn had just come home from a meeting at Beth’s school, dropping Beth over at a friend’s house on the way home. She just felt so mentally and physically exhausted, but nevertheless when she walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, the sound of her heeled shoes being echoed throughout the house, making her presence known, she forced a small smile in Artie’s direction. “Hey, I can see you’re hardly working,” she teased, knowing just how hard Artie did work, having walked into his house several times to talk, but he had been busy, so she didn’t even let him know she was there.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps, smiling as he saw his friend. “Yup, absolutely nothing to do,” he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. These days, the sweater vests and pleated jeans had vanished, and his choice of clothing was somewhat smarter and more fashionable, but it certainly couldn’t be described as anything other than nerd-chic.”If I didn’t have something to drink, I knew I’d end up with a migraine. That’s the problem with being away on tour - you come back to way too much paperwork.”
“You should’ve called or text me and I would’ve brought you something from Starbucks. Are you hungry though? I was going to make myself a snack, you should eat. Especially if you haven’t eaten all day,” she said with a nod. The motherly side of her coming out as she walked over to the fridge to grab out a bowl of grapes. Plenty of times had she brought Artie a snack while working and basically forced him to put whatever he was working on down and told him to eat. She was honestly like a sister, always making sure he took care of himself before anything.
“Um...yeah, actually I am,” Artie said, blinking suddenly as he tried to remember when he last ate. It was one thing to make sure everyone was well fed on tour, another to feed himself. Another good reason why Artie seemed to be permanently single - who would take him on with the hours he worked? “I’d have remembered eventually.” He knew Quinn did his best to take care of both him and Puck, as well as everyone else, and he truly appreciated it.
She raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a serious look. “Yeah, you would’ve remembered tomorrow when you’re on the verge of passing out. Don’t go anywhere, I’m going to make you a sandwich.” And she knew just what kind he would like, just like she knew everything that Puck liked to eat as well as Beth. Though, Beth’s tastes in food seemed to change every month. She got the makings for a sandwich out before crossing over the spacious kitchen to him, placing the bowl of grapes on his lap. “Snack on that while I make your sandwich, it’ll at least get your sugar up a little, I’m sure. Which is why you have a headache.”
Artie grumbled slightly, but he did as he was told, and grabbed a handful of grapes. “Coffee would have done the same thing,” he pointed out. “It’s just the usual chaos of the first few days back. Who knows, in a few weeks time I might even manage a day off.”
“Speaking of chaos, where is Puck?” She asked, only glancing up at Artie from the sandwich she was making him. The way she said Puck’s name was the way she always said it when she was annoyed with him or pissed. She just.. didn’t know what to do about Puck most of the time. With them it was usually about Beth and sex, nothing more. She felt like she was just a body to lay down for him at night and have his way with. He said he loved her plenty of times, but she never felt it.
Artie had spent enough time around both Puck and Quinn to know when Quinn’s patience was being tested by Puck. He rolled his eyes, wondering what his charge had done now. Honestly, sometimes it was like being in charge of a naughty school kid. “He was muttering about going to the studio, working on a new song,” he said, glancing over at Quinn. “He was pestering me, trying to make me leave my work to go and play video games with him. You know what he’s like when he’s newly home - it takes him days to figure out what to do with himself.”
She nodded, knowing all too well how Puck was for about the first week he was home. Though, when around her he was the same the entire time. Sex, sex and more sex. The only time they did anything that was remotely like a couple was when Beth was around and the moment Beth was asleep? Sex. “Yes, I know how he is,” that annoyed tone back yet again. And she then paused on making Artie’s sandwich to look at him fully. “You know the first day he was back, he jumped right in to undermine me with Beth. First, he wanted her to stay home from school and of course, I had to look like the bad guy and tell her she couldn’t. Then he said he wanted to take her on tour with him, hire a tutor so he wasn’t that far away from her. Like I want her to be around him while he’s on tour. I already had to deal with a kid at her school teasing her that her dad was sleeping around. So, I had to lie to her about it. I.. don’t enjoy having to do that.”
“He wants to be with Beth,” he said, his tone placating. He’d heard it all before, and knew Puck wanted it, but when he’d told Artie, Artie had told him what he thought of it. “I agree. I wouldn’t want Beth being tutored like that. Besides, the kids that are there aren’t exactly the best kids ever. Spoiled brats.” He pulled a face as he regarded Quinn, popping another grape in his mouth. “How bad has it been?” He hid as much evidence of Puck’s behavior from Quinn and Beth as he could, but he knew some of it slipped though.
“Beth is a spoiled brat when he’s around because he insist on letting her do whatever she wants and when I put the rules in place, they both look at me like I’m some three-headed beast. I’m sick of it. Beth needs a dad, not a friend.” She sighed and finished up his sandwich, putting it on a plate and bringing it over to him. “How bad is what, exactly? That’s kind of a vague question, especially where Puck is concerned.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, taking the sandwich from her. He knew he should take better care of himself, but when he got involved in phone conferences, and the heaps of paperwork, he totally lost track of time. “Which is why I’m against this tutor idea. A tour is no place for a kid, besides, she needs the contact of kids her own age at school. The other kids on tour are younger than her, can take it more. Beth’s eight. That’s a vulnerable age.” He sighed.”The, um, figuring out what he’s been up to.” He hides as many tabloids as he can, but he knows Quinn will see a lot of the pictures of Puck with varying women on his arm... or attached to his mouth.
“And on a tour bus is no place for a child, especially with the things I know Puck does. She doesn’t need to see her daddy with a different woman every night. I don’t see how he doesn’t realize this. I swear, in a lot of ways, he’s just like his own dad. Only difference is he comes back and tries to buy Beth’s love with gifts,” she sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she sat on a chair at the counter. “It’s pretty bad. I see a picture at least every week, mostly online or on TV. I know you try to hide it from Beth and myself and I’m glad Beth doesn’t see any of it for herself. Especially of him.. holding hands with other women or kissing him.” Quinn looked off to the side, wiping lazily beneath her eyes.
“Quinn,” Artie said softly, moving closer to her and setting his plate on the counter so he could take her hands with his. “I know. And I don’t want the pair of you to see that. He just seems... to have embraced the rock star lifestyle a little too much, and he doesn’t seem to understand how hard it would be for Beth, and is for you.”
She took his hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I don’t get how he can’t understand or see that. He thinks I’m out having just as much sex as him and.. you know I’m not, but I don’t want him to know that. He’d probably get some twisted satisfaction from that. So.. I lie and tell him I’m on dates. And I.. “ She sniffled hanging her head, her voice getting shaky with emotion. “I don’t understand why he can’t love me, really love me. I don’t get why I’m not enough for him.”
“Nor do I. I think he’s crazy, and I’ve told him that more than once,” Artie said with a sigh. “And you know I’ve never told him that you don’t actually see anyone else. Honestly? I think it’s part of some kind of need to control everything around him - probably why he acts like he does with Beth. At some level he does truly love you - I just don’t know if he can show it.”
“Just like he feels like he can control me at times. I always tell myself, when he comes home I’m not going to do anything with him, but.. when he got home, within an hour, there we were.” Remembering it had her taking one hand from Artie’s running a hand over her stomach, where she was still bruised pretty badly. Along with a mark on her shoulder that Artie may see and ones along her back, hips and thighs. “He just.. I hate him so much and at the same time love him so much. He actually makes me hate myself because I don’t understand why I stay around.”
Artie pursed his lips as he looked at Quinn. The way she rubbed her stomach... the hints of a bruise. He could only imagine what happened, and he hated the thought of it. “The two of you have always had this connection. I wish I could give you advice, because I know in your position I’d have probably left by now, but...” He trailed off, running his hand through his hair. “He’s one of my closest friends, as are you. It’s hard being stuck in the middle of the situation.”
“I don’t think anyone could really give me advice because.. I don’t even know why I stay, so how could someone really give me advice on something I don’t even understand? I miss the days before he landed a record deal. When Beth and me were his world, he didn’t need other women. He was happy with just me. It makes me feel like something is wrong with me,” she sighed and took her other hand from Artie’s when the cook - Rosalie - came into the kitchen and over to Quinn, handing her a menu of the things she’d prepare for dinner. She took the pencil she handed her as she circled a few things and glanced at Artie, putting down then that four would be eating, just in case Artie would stay. The cook nodded and smiled when she handed the menu back before leaving the kitchen again. Taking a deep breath, she looked to Artie again. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle, I never wanted that. But you’re one of the only two people I feel I can talk to. I.. need you, you know that. I’d be lost without you.”
“No, I know. Those days were good days.” It was crazy, how much things had changed, when Puck was getting the band together, when he was having fun, before the record deals, and the insanity of a musicians life. He’d fallen back on Artie, who had been studying music technology, asked him to become the bands manager, as a way of having some normality in his life, but there were days Artie wished he’d said no. However, he was in the right place to do things like help Quinn. He couldn’t imagine how much worse it would have been for them all if Puck had completely surrounded himself with people who wouldn’t say no to him.
When the cook left, Artie turned to Quinn again. “It’s not you. It’s the whole thing of what Puck has built up in his head what a rock star lifestyle should be. I know, and I’m glad I’m here for you, trust me.” He took her hands again and squeezed them, trying to support her as much as he could.
She forced a small smile and returned the squeeze before drawing her hands back again, running a hand lazily through her hair. “I.. should let you finish eating and I should go finish up a few things for work before I go pick up Beth in a couple hours from her friend’s house.” She turned in the stool and stood, again running her hand over her stomach. “I put on the menu that you were staying for dinner. Do.. you think you could? Please?”
“Quinn. Go to the doctor,” Artie said softly. “Or at least use something like arnica.” He nodded slowly. “I’ve got enough work to keep me here till late anyway, so yeah, I’ll stay if you want me to. I can talk over a few things with Puck if need be.” He saw the look in Quinn’s eyes, and had quickly agreed. He hated seeing her so hurt.
“Go to the doctor? For what exactly?” She had already went a few hours after the sex she had with Puck, since a condom was forgotten. She got ever STD test done known to man. “There’s nothing you need to talk to him about, he won’t listen. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even care about anything anyone has to say unless he’s someone telling him how amazing he is. Just like yesterday, I had paps surrounding me at the store asking about him. I.. I hate it.” She nodded though. “But I’m glad you’ll stay. Beth’ll be happy to see you, you know how much she loves you.”
Artie delicately touched where a bruise was showing. “That,” he said quietly. “Just take of yourself, Quinn. I hate seeing you hurt.” He pulled a face. “I’ll try to keep them away more, but they are curious about you. At least I’m managing to keep them away from Beth. That’s another good reason for her not to tour with him. I can’t protect her from the press as easily. I just wish I could get through to him. He’s going to drive everyone he cares about away.” At the mention of Beth he gave her a genuine smile. “I know, and I love her too. She’s an amazing kid.”
She quickly covered up the bruise and looked away, embarrassed. “I’ll.. be fine,” she didn’t want to think about how she got them. How Puck afterward, slapped her on the rear, told her to take a shower and went to his room to take a nap. How she cried and threw up afterward. Their relationship she really never understood. “I’m thankful you’re able to keep them away from Beth, otherwise I’d have to end up homeschooling her and I don’t want to do that. She has friends and I don’t want to take her from that.. If I have to deal with them, then fine. I just ignore them as much as I can, especially the questions about him being in pictures with other women.” She paused. “And I hate when Beth, him and I are out and the paps come around and he’s more than willing to stand there and answer questions all day. I always just pull Beth away and go inside or get into the car.” At what he said about Beth, she actually smiled. “She is an amazing kid, even more so when Puck isn’t around to spoil her.”
“Do you want me to increase security when he’s at home?” Artie asked. If Quinn felt that she needed it when Puck was at home, he’d do it. “It wouldn’t take much. If I can step in, I will. She needs her friends, I personally think school is the best thing for her. It’s the best thing for any kid. I can’t stop him from answering the questions, though I’ll talk to him, recommend keeping it to official press conferences only.”
“If you could, you know I’d appreciate it. Especially when he is home.” She nodded, moving around the counter to grab her purse she had set down, going through it for a moment to look at her phone. “I think it is the best thing as well, but Puck only sees what he wants and nothing else. I.. honestly can’t wait until he’s not home again. Things feel somewhat normal when he isn’t here.”
Artie pulled out his Blackberry, making a note of it. “I’ll get that sorted as soon as I get back to my office,” he said. “It’ll start from tomorrow. Unfortunately, without new music, there will be no new tour for at least a year. At least writing music should keep him busy for a while, plus there is always guest appearances. I’m so sorry, Quinn.” There were days he wished he could just hug her, and take her away from all of this. For a while, just after high school, when the band was new and unsigned, he knew that he had feelings for Quinn that he probably shouldn’t have had, not considering she was dating his best friend. Now, she was his closest friend, and he felt awkward stuck in between the pair.
Quinn quickly looked over at him. “A.. year? He’s going to be around for a year?” God, that had her stomach turning that she’d have to put up with Puck for that long. A year. 365 days. She really didn’t know how she’d do it without completely losing her mind. And with how he was with Beth. God, she was going to go insane.
“I’m sorry,” Artie repeated. “I can always get him away to somewhere like New York for a creative session if need be. Just... he can’t tour all the time, otherwise people will get fed up of them too fast. It’s about the longevity. We don’t want them being a flash in the pan, here one minute, gone the next.”
“Maybe you don’t..” she whispered. If Puck wasn’t famous anymore, maybe he’d go back to the way he was. When they were just starting and Quinn had so much love in her eyes for Puck, adored him wholeheartedly. She was so in love with him, he never hurt her, he took care of his family besides money-wise. He was there.
“I don’t know if he can ever go back to how he was now,” Artie said. “Keeping him busy is possibly the best thing.”
“I like to think that he can go back to the way he was. You never know.. if he didn’t have the stage or the groupies, maybe he could be a real dad and.. whatever the heck we are to each other. Maybe he’d.. I don’t know,” she felt frustrated and threw her purse onto her shoulder, giving Artie a pitiful look, like she was lost. “Anyway, I’m going to go and finish up some work, okay?”
Artie was silent for a minute as he looked at her. He didn’t know if Puck could go back to how he was before, but he liked to think that he could. Briefly. Before reality kicked in again. Some days he just didn’t know his old friend, knew that it was easier just to fall into the manager/rock star roles, rather than two people who understood each other so well in high school. “Yeah, I should go back and try and wade through the paperwork I’ve got. Quinn. I’ll try my best to make it easy on you. There are always promotional things to go to get him out of town for a few days. The best thing is to encourage him to write new material. That way, the whole tour cycle can start again.”
Quinn didn’t know what to say. She didn’t feel like a few days here and there was enough, but she also knew Artie always did and always would try his best. She walked over to him and leaned down, kissing the top of his head before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt tears again threatening to spill which was when she pulled away and turned, walking out of the kitchen and going to the living room to finish up the last bit of her work before she had to pick up Beth.
Artie didn’t know what to suggest. He knew things were hard, but until the band produced new music, he couldn’t send them out on another tour straight away. It would be a loss. He’d figure out the best way to help Quinn. He hugged her back tightly, watching as she walked out of the kitchen. He put his plate in the dishwasher, and wheeled back to his office to fight through the rest of the work on his desk.
He was in his office in Puck and Quinn’s somewhat large house. Early on, he’d found it easier to work out of there, mostly so he could keep an eye on Puck, and attempt to steer him in the right direction. He’d known Puck, Quinn and Beth for so long that he was treated as part of the family, and so, when was at work, had pretty much the run of the house. Which was why he was in the kitchen when Quinn arrived home, making himself a coffee in an attempt to actually move away from his computer today.
Quinn had just come home from a meeting at Beth’s school, dropping Beth over at a friend’s house on the way home. She just felt so mentally and physically exhausted, but nevertheless when she walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, the sound of her heeled shoes being echoed throughout the house, making her presence known, she forced a small smile in Artie’s direction. “Hey, I can see you’re hardly working,” she teased, knowing just how hard Artie did work, having walked into his house several times to talk, but he had been busy, so she didn’t even let him know she was there.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps, smiling as he saw his friend. “Yup, absolutely nothing to do,” he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. These days, the sweater vests and pleated jeans had vanished, and his choice of clothing was somewhat smarter and more fashionable, but it certainly couldn’t be described as anything other than nerd-chic.”If I didn’t have something to drink, I knew I’d end up with a migraine. That’s the problem with being away on tour - you come back to way too much paperwork.”
“You should’ve called or text me and I would’ve brought you something from Starbucks. Are you hungry though? I was going to make myself a snack, you should eat. Especially if you haven’t eaten all day,” she said with a nod. The motherly side of her coming out as she walked over to the fridge to grab out a bowl of grapes. Plenty of times had she brought Artie a snack while working and basically forced him to put whatever he was working on down and told him to eat. She was honestly like a sister, always making sure he took care of himself before anything.
“Um...yeah, actually I am,” Artie said, blinking suddenly as he tried to remember when he last ate. It was one thing to make sure everyone was well fed on tour, another to feed himself. Another good reason why Artie seemed to be permanently single - who would take him on with the hours he worked? “I’d have remembered eventually.” He knew Quinn did his best to take care of both him and Puck, as well as everyone else, and he truly appreciated it.
She raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a serious look. “Yeah, you would’ve remembered tomorrow when you’re on the verge of passing out. Don’t go anywhere, I’m going to make you a sandwich.” And she knew just what kind he would like, just like she knew everything that Puck liked to eat as well as Beth. Though, Beth’s tastes in food seemed to change every month. She got the makings for a sandwich out before crossing over the spacious kitchen to him, placing the bowl of grapes on his lap. “Snack on that while I make your sandwich, it’ll at least get your sugar up a little, I’m sure. Which is why you have a headache.”
Artie grumbled slightly, but he did as he was told, and grabbed a handful of grapes. “Coffee would have done the same thing,” he pointed out. “It’s just the usual chaos of the first few days back. Who knows, in a few weeks time I might even manage a day off.”
“Speaking of chaos, where is Puck?” She asked, only glancing up at Artie from the sandwich she was making him. The way she said Puck’s name was the way she always said it when she was annoyed with him or pissed. She just.. didn’t know what to do about Puck most of the time. With them it was usually about Beth and sex, nothing more. She felt like she was just a body to lay down for him at night and have his way with. He said he loved her plenty of times, but she never felt it.
Artie had spent enough time around both Puck and Quinn to know when Quinn’s patience was being tested by Puck. He rolled his eyes, wondering what his charge had done now. Honestly, sometimes it was like being in charge of a naughty school kid. “He was muttering about going to the studio, working on a new song,” he said, glancing over at Quinn. “He was pestering me, trying to make me leave my work to go and play video games with him. You know what he’s like when he’s newly home - it takes him days to figure out what to do with himself.”
She nodded, knowing all too well how Puck was for about the first week he was home. Though, when around her he was the same the entire time. Sex, sex and more sex. The only time they did anything that was remotely like a couple was when Beth was around and the moment Beth was asleep? Sex. “Yes, I know how he is,” that annoyed tone back yet again. And she then paused on making Artie’s sandwich to look at him fully. “You know the first day he was back, he jumped right in to undermine me with Beth. First, he wanted her to stay home from school and of course, I had to look like the bad guy and tell her she couldn’t. Then he said he wanted to take her on tour with him, hire a tutor so he wasn’t that far away from her. Like I want her to be around him while he’s on tour. I already had to deal with a kid at her school teasing her that her dad was sleeping around. So, I had to lie to her about it. I.. don’t enjoy having to do that.”
“He wants to be with Beth,” he said, his tone placating. He’d heard it all before, and knew Puck wanted it, but when he’d told Artie, Artie had told him what he thought of it. “I agree. I wouldn’t want Beth being tutored like that. Besides, the kids that are there aren’t exactly the best kids ever. Spoiled brats.” He pulled a face as he regarded Quinn, popping another grape in his mouth. “How bad has it been?” He hid as much evidence of Puck’s behavior from Quinn and Beth as he could, but he knew some of it slipped though.
“Beth is a spoiled brat when he’s around because he insist on letting her do whatever she wants and when I put the rules in place, they both look at me like I’m some three-headed beast. I’m sick of it. Beth needs a dad, not a friend.” She sighed and finished up his sandwich, putting it on a plate and bringing it over to him. “How bad is what, exactly? That’s kind of a vague question, especially where Puck is concerned.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, taking the sandwich from her. He knew he should take better care of himself, but when he got involved in phone conferences, and the heaps of paperwork, he totally lost track of time. “Which is why I’m against this tutor idea. A tour is no place for a kid, besides, she needs the contact of kids her own age at school. The other kids on tour are younger than her, can take it more. Beth’s eight. That’s a vulnerable age.” He sighed.”The, um, figuring out what he’s been up to.” He hides as many tabloids as he can, but he knows Quinn will see a lot of the pictures of Puck with varying women on his arm... or attached to his mouth.
“And on a tour bus is no place for a child, especially with the things I know Puck does. She doesn’t need to see her daddy with a different woman every night. I don’t see how he doesn’t realize this. I swear, in a lot of ways, he’s just like his own dad. Only difference is he comes back and tries to buy Beth’s love with gifts,” she sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she sat on a chair at the counter. “It’s pretty bad. I see a picture at least every week, mostly online or on TV. I know you try to hide it from Beth and myself and I’m glad Beth doesn’t see any of it for herself. Especially of him.. holding hands with other women or kissing him.” Quinn looked off to the side, wiping lazily beneath her eyes.
“Quinn,” Artie said softly, moving closer to her and setting his plate on the counter so he could take her hands with his. “I know. And I don’t want the pair of you to see that. He just seems... to have embraced the rock star lifestyle a little too much, and he doesn’t seem to understand how hard it would be for Beth, and is for you.”
She took his hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I don’t get how he can’t understand or see that. He thinks I’m out having just as much sex as him and.. you know I’m not, but I don’t want him to know that. He’d probably get some twisted satisfaction from that. So.. I lie and tell him I’m on dates. And I.. “ She sniffled hanging her head, her voice getting shaky with emotion. “I don’t understand why he can’t love me, really love me. I don’t get why I’m not enough for him.”
“Nor do I. I think he’s crazy, and I’ve told him that more than once,” Artie said with a sigh. “And you know I’ve never told him that you don’t actually see anyone else. Honestly? I think it’s part of some kind of need to control everything around him - probably why he acts like he does with Beth. At some level he does truly love you - I just don’t know if he can show it.”
“Just like he feels like he can control me at times. I always tell myself, when he comes home I’m not going to do anything with him, but.. when he got home, within an hour, there we were.” Remembering it had her taking one hand from Artie’s running a hand over her stomach, where she was still bruised pretty badly. Along with a mark on her shoulder that Artie may see and ones along her back, hips and thighs. “He just.. I hate him so much and at the same time love him so much. He actually makes me hate myself because I don’t understand why I stay around.”
Artie pursed his lips as he looked at Quinn. The way she rubbed her stomach... the hints of a bruise. He could only imagine what happened, and he hated the thought of it. “The two of you have always had this connection. I wish I could give you advice, because I know in your position I’d have probably left by now, but...” He trailed off, running his hand through his hair. “He’s one of my closest friends, as are you. It’s hard being stuck in the middle of the situation.”
“I don’t think anyone could really give me advice because.. I don’t even know why I stay, so how could someone really give me advice on something I don’t even understand? I miss the days before he landed a record deal. When Beth and me were his world, he didn’t need other women. He was happy with just me. It makes me feel like something is wrong with me,” she sighed and took her other hand from Artie’s when the cook - Rosalie - came into the kitchen and over to Quinn, handing her a menu of the things she’d prepare for dinner. She took the pencil she handed her as she circled a few things and glanced at Artie, putting down then that four would be eating, just in case Artie would stay. The cook nodded and smiled when she handed the menu back before leaving the kitchen again. Taking a deep breath, she looked to Artie again. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle, I never wanted that. But you’re one of the only two people I feel I can talk to. I.. need you, you know that. I’d be lost without you.”
“No, I know. Those days were good days.” It was crazy, how much things had changed, when Puck was getting the band together, when he was having fun, before the record deals, and the insanity of a musicians life. He’d fallen back on Artie, who had been studying music technology, asked him to become the bands manager, as a way of having some normality in his life, but there were days Artie wished he’d said no. However, he was in the right place to do things like help Quinn. He couldn’t imagine how much worse it would have been for them all if Puck had completely surrounded himself with people who wouldn’t say no to him.
When the cook left, Artie turned to Quinn again. “It’s not you. It’s the whole thing of what Puck has built up in his head what a rock star lifestyle should be. I know, and I’m glad I’m here for you, trust me.” He took her hands again and squeezed them, trying to support her as much as he could.
She forced a small smile and returned the squeeze before drawing her hands back again, running a hand lazily through her hair. “I.. should let you finish eating and I should go finish up a few things for work before I go pick up Beth in a couple hours from her friend’s house.” She turned in the stool and stood, again running her hand over her stomach. “I put on the menu that you were staying for dinner. Do.. you think you could? Please?”
“Quinn. Go to the doctor,” Artie said softly. “Or at least use something like arnica.” He nodded slowly. “I’ve got enough work to keep me here till late anyway, so yeah, I’ll stay if you want me to. I can talk over a few things with Puck if need be.” He saw the look in Quinn’s eyes, and had quickly agreed. He hated seeing her so hurt.
“Go to the doctor? For what exactly?” She had already went a few hours after the sex she had with Puck, since a condom was forgotten. She got ever STD test done known to man. “There’s nothing you need to talk to him about, he won’t listen. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even care about anything anyone has to say unless he’s someone telling him how amazing he is. Just like yesterday, I had paps surrounding me at the store asking about him. I.. I hate it.” She nodded though. “But I’m glad you’ll stay. Beth’ll be happy to see you, you know how much she loves you.”
Artie delicately touched where a bruise was showing. “That,” he said quietly. “Just take of yourself, Quinn. I hate seeing you hurt.” He pulled a face. “I’ll try to keep them away more, but they are curious about you. At least I’m managing to keep them away from Beth. That’s another good reason for her not to tour with him. I can’t protect her from the press as easily. I just wish I could get through to him. He’s going to drive everyone he cares about away.” At the mention of Beth he gave her a genuine smile. “I know, and I love her too. She’s an amazing kid.”
She quickly covered up the bruise and looked away, embarrassed. “I’ll.. be fine,” she didn’t want to think about how she got them. How Puck afterward, slapped her on the rear, told her to take a shower and went to his room to take a nap. How she cried and threw up afterward. Their relationship she really never understood. “I’m thankful you’re able to keep them away from Beth, otherwise I’d have to end up homeschooling her and I don’t want to do that. She has friends and I don’t want to take her from that.. If I have to deal with them, then fine. I just ignore them as much as I can, especially the questions about him being in pictures with other women.” She paused. “And I hate when Beth, him and I are out and the paps come around and he’s more than willing to stand there and answer questions all day. I always just pull Beth away and go inside or get into the car.” At what he said about Beth, she actually smiled. “She is an amazing kid, even more so when Puck isn’t around to spoil her.”
“Do you want me to increase security when he’s at home?” Artie asked. If Quinn felt that she needed it when Puck was at home, he’d do it. “It wouldn’t take much. If I can step in, I will. She needs her friends, I personally think school is the best thing for her. It’s the best thing for any kid. I can’t stop him from answering the questions, though I’ll talk to him, recommend keeping it to official press conferences only.”
“If you could, you know I’d appreciate it. Especially when he is home.” She nodded, moving around the counter to grab her purse she had set down, going through it for a moment to look at her phone. “I think it is the best thing as well, but Puck only sees what he wants and nothing else. I.. honestly can’t wait until he’s not home again. Things feel somewhat normal when he isn’t here.”
Artie pulled out his Blackberry, making a note of it. “I’ll get that sorted as soon as I get back to my office,” he said. “It’ll start from tomorrow. Unfortunately, without new music, there will be no new tour for at least a year. At least writing music should keep him busy for a while, plus there is always guest appearances. I’m so sorry, Quinn.” There were days he wished he could just hug her, and take her away from all of this. For a while, just after high school, when the band was new and unsigned, he knew that he had feelings for Quinn that he probably shouldn’t have had, not considering she was dating his best friend. Now, she was his closest friend, and he felt awkward stuck in between the pair.
Quinn quickly looked over at him. “A.. year? He’s going to be around for a year?” God, that had her stomach turning that she’d have to put up with Puck for that long. A year. 365 days. She really didn’t know how she’d do it without completely losing her mind. And with how he was with Beth. God, she was going to go insane.
“I’m sorry,” Artie repeated. “I can always get him away to somewhere like New York for a creative session if need be. Just... he can’t tour all the time, otherwise people will get fed up of them too fast. It’s about the longevity. We don’t want them being a flash in the pan, here one minute, gone the next.”
“Maybe you don’t..” she whispered. If Puck wasn’t famous anymore, maybe he’d go back to the way he was. When they were just starting and Quinn had so much love in her eyes for Puck, adored him wholeheartedly. She was so in love with him, he never hurt her, he took care of his family besides money-wise. He was there.
“I don’t know if he can ever go back to how he was now,” Artie said. “Keeping him busy is possibly the best thing.”
“I like to think that he can go back to the way he was. You never know.. if he didn’t have the stage or the groupies, maybe he could be a real dad and.. whatever the heck we are to each other. Maybe he’d.. I don’t know,” she felt frustrated and threw her purse onto her shoulder, giving Artie a pitiful look, like she was lost. “Anyway, I’m going to go and finish up some work, okay?”
Artie was silent for a minute as he looked at her. He didn’t know if Puck could go back to how he was before, but he liked to think that he could. Briefly. Before reality kicked in again. Some days he just didn’t know his old friend, knew that it was easier just to fall into the manager/rock star roles, rather than two people who understood each other so well in high school. “Yeah, I should go back and try and wade through the paperwork I’ve got. Quinn. I’ll try my best to make it easy on you. There are always promotional things to go to get him out of town for a few days. The best thing is to encourage him to write new material. That way, the whole tour cycle can start again.”
Quinn didn’t know what to say. She didn’t feel like a few days here and there was enough, but she also knew Artie always did and always would try his best. She walked over to him and leaned down, kissing the top of his head before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt tears again threatening to spill which was when she pulled away and turned, walking out of the kitchen and going to the living room to finish up the last bit of her work before she had to pick up Beth.
Artie didn’t know what to suggest. He knew things were hard, but until the band produced new music, he couldn’t send them out on another tour straight away. It would be a loss. He’d figure out the best way to help Quinn. He hugged her back tightly, watching as she walked out of the kitchen. He put his plate in the dishwasher, and wheeled back to his office to fight through the rest of the work on his desk.