Find Yourself 55
May 14th 2010,
Her bedroom looked like ground zero of a tornado as he walked in only to be hit by a flying garment.
“Krissy… stop.”
She froze mid toss to turn and lock eyes with Kurt.
Letting out a sigh she flopped down on the one seemingly empty spot of her bed.
In that moment her sister Molly emerged and stood by Kurt’s side equally as amused by the sight.
“What happened in here Kristina?” she asked.
“What does it look like.”
“A bomb went off in your closet,” Kurt said taking a step closer to the bed picking up a little black and silver dress with the tags still on, “anyways you need to be more careful…things wrinkle and there is no time for dry cleaning before the big date.”
Smiling at the young man she shook her head taking the dress and holding it up to her now standing reflection in her full length mirror.
“Yes but is it too much? Too little? I mean do you have any idea where Artie is taking me.”
“Well since he can’t drive you to some exotic local out of town and since the fanciest place here is Breadsticks the dress is perfect.”
“Well if you’re the fashion expert.”
“And you know I am.”
“Seriously Kristina,” Molly said, “Artie’s going to love it.”
“I could wear a potato sack and Artie would love it.”
“Which I wouldn’t advise… anyway with that mentality why all the fashion drama?”
She shrugged, as she couldn’t say what she was thinking. This was the most stable relationship with a guy she’d ever had…sure she had dated Kiefer slightly longer he never took her on ‘dates’ he just would drag her to parties his friends had…usually getting drunk and verbally abusing her, calling her a prude cause she didn’t want to sleep with him…but that was the past…Artie was her present and hopefully her future…
She watched her siblings leave and she hung her dress over her desk chair before cleaning up her mess.
XXX
“Seriously man,” Mike asked as he, Mercedes and Matt were sitting in the Abrams family living room looking over at the young man who had already been dressed in a nice suit, his contacts in and his hair all gelled back like it was the night of the ‘forties’ party.
“I mean if you’re not game I can always call Puck…I’m sure he’ll help me.”
“No,” Mike said with a smile, “I’ll help you… it’s just all this just for a couple months… a year maybe but not a few months.”
Mercedes reached over and punched him playfully in the arm.
“Please tell me that I didn’t choose a man who was a slacker when it comes to treating his lady right…cause boy I’ll dump you like yesterdays trash if your not already planning something even half as romantic for out three month anniversary.”
Mike just flashed Mercedes a sweet smile causing her mouth to shut for a moment before turning to Artie.
“So, let’s go over this again.”
Artie nodded.
“Matt will drive me to Kristina’s place and go to her door to pick her up…blindfolding her in the process and taking her to the car.”
“Are you sure a blindfold is a good idea,” Mike asked, “considering…”
Artie nodded.
By now everyone knew of her dark past with Kiefer what with him showing up and all but he didn’t seem to be worried by that.
“She knows she can trust us…anyways then Matt will lead her into the car and my voice will put her at ease… then we get to the observatory and ride the elevator up to the roof where by then Mike you and Mercedes would of set up the candle light dinner for us.
Mercedes just nodded as Mike took her hand in his.
“Is Kurt going to be at the house?” Matt asked all of a sudden.
Artie shrugged.
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t be, I mean he does live there…”
“Why do you want to know?” Mercedes asked.
Matt blushed causing Mike to roll his eyes, as he’d been the only one privy to the information of his best friends crush.
“No reason.”
And they bought it as they began to talk about the romantically intricate plan Artie had plotted for the evening.
XXX
As Tina walked through the park in the cool spring afternoon a familiar sound filled the air:
Its been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side
and said I’m angry
Five days since you laughed at me saying
Get that together come back and see me
Three days since the living room,
I realized its all my fault, but couldn’t tell you
Yesterday you’d forgiven me
But it’ll still be two days till I say I’m sorry
A smile crossed her lips as her brain flashed back to three months ago to the day when Ethan and Artie were rocking out to this song at Breadsticks thus the reason she had set it as his ring tone.
“Ethan,” she said with a grin on her face as surely he was calling to wish her happy anniversary…wasn’t he?”
“We need to talk,” he spoke his tone definitely not as happy as she imagined it would be.
Four words that she definitely didn’t want to hear.
“Y-your breaking up with me aren’t you?”
“Listen love.”
“No…don’t you love, pet or doll me just answer yes or no.”
“Yes…”
“Do you even know what day it is?”
There was a lapse of silence when his voice rang out.
“Well this makes things more awkward now doesn’t it…”
He didn’t wait for her to answer.
“Anyway Tina you’re a great girl…”
“But I’m just a girl and you’ve found someone your own age…I get it…I just hoped that it wouldn’t happen this soon…and on what would be our anniversary no less.”
“I’m sorry bout the timing… but other then that we’re cool right…friends still and all that.”
A tear streamed down her cheek making her wish she listened to Kurt and invested in waterproof mascara.
“Friends,” she said holding back tears as he hung up.
And then she cried.
XXX
There was a knock on the Davis-Hummel’s door and Kurt was the first person to answer only to see Matt Rutherford with a rather goofy grin on his face.
He wondered why the jock was at the house as even though they were acquaintances through Glee, his brief tenure on the football team and through the relationship both their best friends had with one another there wasn’t any reason for him to be at the house on a Friday Night.
“Matt…earth to Matt.”
The young man blinked realizing he was staring longingly at the young man.
“Sorry man,” he said trying to save face, “anyway is Kristina around.”
“Let me guess, my sister double booked a tutoring session and a date the same night…” letting out a sigh Kurt continued, “what subject…I was going to spend some time with DB but maybe I could be of service.”
If the timing was any better he might of accepted this offer that Kurt had put out in front of him however he wasn’t selfish, he was a good friend and needed to do this for Artie.
“Actually I am Artie’s designated driver this evening.”
Kurt just nodded as Kristina made her way to the door dressed in the black and silver dress, a light shawl draped over her shoulders to shield her bare skin from a light spring breeze.
“Matt…hey…”
“I’ll leave you two,” Kurt said grabbing his keys from the hook by the door and heading out toward his own car.
When Kurt was gone Kristina grinned at the boy who stood before her.
“Artie’s enlisted you to help him huh?”
Matt just nodded as he held out the blindfold…Kristina rolled her eyes.
“It’s a blindfold.”
“I know what it is.”
“Artie wants you to put it on.”
She sucked in a nervous breath.
Her boyfriend was insane…but in a romantic kind of way and so she dismissed all the mixed signals her brain was sending her and allowed Matt to fix the blindfold over her eyes…after all this was Matt he wouldn’t pull anything on her…would he?
Taking his hand he lead her toward the car and helped her to take a seat. It was only then she heard a sound that took all her worries away.
“You look beautiful tonight Yale.”
XXX
The timing sucked. This was the time she would have been on the phone to her best friend who would promptly invite her over for ice cream and awesomely bad chick flicks…at least that’s how break up scenes played out in said chick flicks though she knew she couldn’t do this. Her two best friends were out on a date of their own and she didn’t want to be a killjoy… and that was why she just sat there crying not knowing how much time went by until she heard a soft, familiar voice.
“Tina,” Finn said, “is that you.”
God she must of looked like a mess as she looked up at the taller boy who upon seeing her disheveled state asked permission to sit next to her…to which she instantly granted.
Finn placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. God he hated to see girls cry, especially girls that he was close with like Tina was.
He didn’t need to ask her what was wrong however as his eyes seemed to of asked that pivotal question for him as soon she was going on between her tears.
“I mean I knew it would happen…he’s in his twenties..I’m sixteen…that alone is illegal in most states not that we did…anyway…and our anniversary.”
Finn knew that he didn’t need to speak just sit there and stroke her hair as she rambled on about her heartbreak.
He swore if Ethan Lovett lived in Lima he would give the ‘bloke’ a piece of his mind…ok maybe not really but still breaking Tina’s heart on their anniversary was not cool.
And then out of nowhere it happened. Her soft eyes looked up into his and she leaned in to kiss him…
XXX
“Where’s your better half?” Kurt asked as he entered his former home to see Puck seated on his old couch with a smirk on his face.
“I could be asking you the same thing.”
“Touché, anyways Rachel is in the city seeing some show with her dads leaving me to fly solo tonight to see my daughter.”
“Speaking of where is little DB.”
“She’s asleep right now…so is Sam.”
Kurt just nodded when he realized the movie on the TV, Hercules… the Disney Animated version causing him to roll his eyes.
“I never pegged you for the Disney type.”
“Have you seen the dudes guns… and plus that Meg chick is kind of hot.”
‘Typical Puck,’ Kurt thought to himself at the thought of the school lothario having a thing for animated characters.
“Oh I love this part,” Kurt said as Meg began to sing ‘(I Won’t Say) I’m In Love making a comment on Susan Egan and her singing voice.
Now Puck was laughing.
“What,’ Kurt protested.
“Nothing… it’s just your kind of a dork.”
“Says the guy who watches Disney movies on a voluntary basis.”
“Hey…I’m a dad… my baby could wake up any second now and there is no way I’m scaring her.”
Kurt just nodded.
“Sure…anyway I may be a dork Puckerman but we’re family…you’re stuck with me.”
Puck just nodded directing his attention back to the movie.
XXX
The car had stopped and Kristina listened to the sounds of what she assumed was Matt helping Artie out of the car and into his chair before she felt a hand reach out to help her out.
“Ok,” Matt said, “just follow me.”
“I would but I can’t see you.”
“You know what I mean.”
She just nodded as she walked into what she assumed was a building as the air seemed to change and she suddenly heard what sounded like Artie’s chair wheeling on linoleum flooring followed by the pinging of an elevator.
“Ok…a few more steps,” Artie, said as the elevator they clearly were in now pinged to a stop, “Ok Matt now.”
She felt Matt take off the blindfold as she looked over to the body besides her, a smile crossing her lips.
Artie looked handsome tonight… not that he didn’t already he just looked even more so.
She then took in the rest of the image. They seemed to be on a roof someplace… a table with a candle lit dinner for two….
“Oh my god… Artie.”
“Do you like it?”
She nodded.
“Where is this place.”
He explained that this was the roof of the Lima observatory.
“Now ideally I would of taken you up here to watch the sunset but since we had school earlier today I wouldn’t of had time to prepare and…”
“And you don’t have to be sorry, I love it.”
XXX
Finn pulled back from Tina, though he had to admit he kind of kissed her back…was it cheating seeing as Tina was a girl? Finn didn’t want to ask though he did admit he kind of liked it…a lot.
“I-I’m sorry,” Tina stuttered as she stood up.
Standing up he looked at her.
“There is nothing to be sorry about.”
“Yes there is, your Kurt’s boyfriend Finn and I literally just broke up with Ethan like…well I lost track of time… this is wrong.”
Tina wanted to say that having feelings for her friend was wrong especially as they hardly had spoken two words to one another the entire span of Freshman year… though in Tina’s defense she really didn’t talk to people other then her family until she joined New Directions on a whim based on the fact that her horoscope the morning the sign up sheet was posted said she would try something new and it felt right…and she never did regret it one bit.
“Well then,” Finn said in his overtly sweet and naive way, “I accept your apology.”
Tina just grinned.
“I probably look like a wreck…I should…”
“Do you want company.”
“You were company enough before Finn but thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
And as Tina walked away a wave of mixed emotions overcame Finn causing him to make a decision that could cost him one of his best friends.
XXX
“It’s not your gourmet cooking,” Artie said with a smile, as they were finishing up the pre-prepared pasta dish that Artie had employed Mercedes and Mike to pick up from the gourmet grocery store.
“I love it,” Kristina said with a smile, “though there is one thing I’d love even more right now.”
Artie blinked a bit clueless as to what she wanted after all he had thought he had pulled out all the stops.
He looked at the way her eyes longingly gazed at him and the playful way her half smile reflected in the moonlight as he nodded, pulling his chair back from the table and wheeling it over to her side holding out a hand to her.
“Kristina Davis may I have this dance,” he said with a smile not questioning the lack of music to help comply with her silent wish.
Nodding, Kristina took his hand and stood up, moving herself to a perch on his lap as he began to sing in a whispery tone as he began to dance with her:
If I were a rich man
With a million or two
I’d live in a penthouse
In a room with a view
And if I were handsome
It Could Happen
Those Dreams do come true
I wouldn’t have nothing if I didn’t have you…
They danced in the moonlight while Artie continued to sing sweetly to her. As he finished singing their eyes locked and they leaned in for a long lingering kiss not caring that Mike, Mercedes, and Matt were most likely lingering around for a free show.
“So is it perfect now?” Artie whispered.
Kristina nodded before kissing him again.
XXX
The doorbell rang and Kurt wondered if he had the right to answer it seeing as this technically wasn’t his house anymore. But seeing as how Sam was asleep and Puck had went into the nursery to check on Dani he had figured ‘what the hell’ It most likely was Rachel back from her show or Quinn or some other member of the extended family anyway and in peeping into the peephole and seeing Finn a smile crossed his face as he’d been right with his assumption.
“Kurt…we need to talk,” Finn said as the door opened and his eyes fell upon the slightly shorter boy.
This couldn’t be good.
TBC