Christmas comes but once a year...

[dancnwithmyself]

Who: dancnwithmyself & morbidbubbles
What: Carol service and friendship rebuilding
Where: A random middle school in Lima
When: Thursday evening
Rating: PG

Comments

[morbidbubbles]

Tina had done an odd little dance of joy when she'd first received Artie's text asking if she wanted to go to a carol service with him. As conflicted as she felt about him, she truly did want to be (at least) friends - she loved spending time with him, and his parents were pretty nice too. She hoped that with the other Abrams family members around she wouldn't do something stupid.

Tina jumped up excitedly when she heard the doorbell ring. "That's them! Bye, Mom, bye Daddy!" she called, pulling her jacket on before heading out the door. She waved to the family in the van as she pulled the front door shut and bounded towards them, adjusting her winter scarf before she climbed inside.

"Thank you so much for picking me up," she said, smiling at Artie after greeting the rest of his family.

[morbidbubbles]

"Wow, somebody's in a hurry," Tina commented after Emma dashed inside. She unbuckled her seat belt and scooched down the seat, trying not to watch Artie too much as he maneuvered into his chair. She was absolutely curious, but she didn't want to be rude and stare, especially in front of his parents.

She probably could have climbed out the other side of the van, but instead she followed Artie and waited until he was secure in his wheelchair before she climbed out. "That's...handy," she said awkwardly, referring to the quick assembly of his chair. She adjusted her scarf, taking an unnecessary amount of time to do so as she tried to think of something else to say. "S-so, um...where to?"

[dancnwithmyself]

"Emma will always run when she can walk," Artie grumbled as he watched his sister dash off towards the school.

He grinned up at her once he was settled in the chair. "It's a light, easily assembled frame," he said, shrugging. "Did you not go to this middle school?" he asked. "Oh wait, maybe not. I don't remember you here, anyway. This way."

[morbidbubbles]

Tina shook her head. "No, I went to the Jefferson middle school so I don't really know where I'm going." She happily followed him, relieved that he hadn't been bothered by her comment. She wasn't ever really sure how to talk about his wheelchair, or if it was even a good idea to mention it at all - it was a double-edged sword; she worried about sounding too nonchalant or too pitying.

"So you went to school here too, then?" she asked casually.

[dancnwithmyself]

Today, Artie was more concerned about enjoying the singing, and being with his friend (who he still had feelings for, but wasn't admitting, even to himself), than any comments about the chair. He knew that soon he'd have to tell her more than he'd ever had before, but for now, he was happy just to carry on as normal.

He trailed behind his parents, Tina beside him. "Yeah, I went here. It was alright. Some of the usual faces went here. Puck. Finn. Quinn. Mercedes, I think as well. Some things never really change."

[morbidbubbles]

Tina nodded, walking beside Artie with her hands behind her back so she could try to stop fidgeting. She tried to imagine middle-school versions of the glee members he named, but all she really saw in her mind's eye were just shorter versions of the teens she knew - she still saw Puck with a mohawk and tossing slushies, and Quinn looking high and mighty in her WMHS Cheerios uniform. Mercedes was still confident and sassy, and Finn was standing around with a perplexed smile on his face.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she said. "I don't think I've changed much since middle school." Although, that didn't mean she wasn't trying.

[dancnwithmyself]

"Yeah, I don't know that I have either," Artie said, shrugging slightly. "I'm sure we're supposed to, though."

They turned a corner, and there was a queue of people milling about what was obviously the school auditorium. "We'll wait till people start going in," Artie muttered. "Easier to get in then."

[morbidbubbles]

"Eh, it's probably one of those things that happens when you're not looking," she replied, one eye twitching furiously as it was irritated by a stray strand of hair blowing into it. She finally brushed it away, rubbing her eye briefly.

"Alright," Tina said, rocking back and forth on her heels a bit as they stood there. "So, um, did you sing in these things when you went here?"

[dancnwithmyself]

"Yeah, once or twice," Artie said, smiling slightly. "The stage is as awkward to get onto as it is at McKinley High, so it depended if anyone was prepared to lift me onto the stage. We'll probably have to sit right at the side."

[morbidbubbles]

Tina nodded. "That's fine. I'm trying to be a good guest so I won't be picky about seating." She laughed a little before shrugging and kicking a nearby pebble. "It really sucks that the school doesn't have ramps or anything for that.."

[dancnwithmyself]

"To be honest, I think that I was the only kid in a wheelchair at the school," he said. "Which sucks, but you get used to it. As long as I can get into school, it's all good."

[morbidbubbles]

She shrugged again. "Yeah, b-but McKinley doesn't have ramps either and you're not the only one who...y'know, h-has trouble. Just feels like somebody should do...something." She glanced away and looked over at the line, which was unmoving.

"S-so, um, any big plans for Christmas?"

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie couldn't help the small smile that crept across his face at Tina's words. Sometimes it felt like she was the only person who cared about the problems he faced. He knew that he was lucky to have her as his best friend, and was grateful that they had resolved their issues.

"Nothing really special. Some relatives will come over, probably, but we tend not to do too much."

[morbidbubbles]

Tina chuckled wryly. "Lucky you," she said with a tiny smile. "Every year when a holiday comes around we rotate whose house all the aunts and uncles and kids visit, and this year it's our place. It's totally gonna suck."

[dancnwithmyself]

"Thanksgiving tends to be bigger with us," Artie said, shrugging slightly. "That's when we all take it in turns. Christmas Day is generally just us and maybe Nana. We'll visit everyone over the holidays though."

[morbidbubbles]

"Sounds nice and simple," Tina said, her hands in her pockets. "My house is gonna be a zoo. Well, I mean, it's a zoo anyway when everyone gets together, but our house is small compared to like, Aunt Mina's. And I know I'm gonna get roped into baby-sitting if Jenny and Michy aren't around..." She paused, then tilted her head down. "Heh, the most wonderful time of the year and all I'm doing is complaining. Sorry about that. Feel free to tell me to be quiet.."