Awakened.
Don't Do Sadness
“Rehearsal dismissed early.” Mr. Schuester murmured after Brittany ran after Santana. It was quiet for a few seconds, and then everyone began mumbling to each other, getting up and getting ready to go. Artie sat in his chair, watching as Mike quickly jumped out of his chair, dashing down to Tina. Tina glanced over at Artie, and he gave her a small shrug and a sad smile. She smiled slightly, before nodding at Mike, letting him help her up and walk out of the classroom. Artie closed his eyes, exhaling before rolling over to where Mr. Schuester was standing, packing up his things.
“Mr. Schuester? Do you mind if I practice something in the auditorium?” Artie asked, looking up at his teacher. Mr. Schuester looked at him, nodding with a smile.
“Sure, Artie.” Artie mumbled a thank you and wheeled himself into the auditorium, pulling some sheet music out of his bag and rolling over to the band, handing them some before moving to the middle of the stage, tapping out the rhythm of the song on his knee.
Awful sweet to be a little butterfly, just winging over things, and nothing deep inside, nothing going, going wild in you, you know, you're slowing by the riverside or floating high and blue. Or maybe cool to be a little summer wind like once through everything and then away again. With the taste of dust in your mouth all day but no need to know like sadness, you just sail away, Artie sang, his voice filling up the auditorium. The band played behind him, but he barely heard the music, completely focused on the words. He thought about Tina and how she had dumped him, and Mike and how he unknowingly was one of the reasons she had left Artie.
Cause you know, I don't do sadness, not even a little bit. Just don't need it in my life, don't want any part of it. I don't do sadness, hey I've done my time, looking back on it all, then it blows my mind, I don't do sadness, so been there. Don't do sadness, just don't care, he sang, shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn’t want to think about them anymore. Like the song said, he didn’t do sadness. He was done caring. Tina was happy. He should be too.
“Artie?” He jumped, turning to look at the side door. Quinn stood there, leaning against the wall.
“Quinn. You startled me.” He said, looking down at his lap, a bit embarrassed that she had caught him singing.
“What were you singing?” She asked, walking on the stage.
“Oh, just this song from the musical everyone’s been doing. It’s nothing, really.” He said shyly, shrugging.
“I was just about to go, do you need a push?” Artie hesitated and then shook his head. Mike and Tina were probably still waiting outside for her mom. He really didn’t want to deal with that at the moment. Quinn smiled slightly, noticing his hesitation. She pulled up a chair, sitting next to him.
“Remember how we used to play pirates at my house?” She asked, laughing quietly. “I thought about it the other day. You, me, Brittany and Mike Chang.” Artie involuntarily made a face, a quick motion to show how he felt about Mike. Quinn noticed it, and felt bad for bringing it up. She reached for the sheet music, and he handed it to her, taking out another copy. She smiled thankfully, and then looked down at the music.
“There’s a girl part.” She commented, glancing up at Artie. He nodded, twisting his lips together in that way he did when he was nervous.
“You should sing it.” He suggested, and she shook her head quickly.
“I don’t think so.”
“Go ahead. You’re good.” He encouraged her, smiling slightly. She bit her lip and looked at him. He nodded, as if telling her to do it. She inhaled, looking down at the paper.
Spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so sad, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the open books on the grass, spring and summer, Quinn sang quietly, almost shyly. She glanced at Artie nervously, and he smiled widely, nodding his head. She smiled slightly, looking back at the sheet music.
Sure, when it’s autumn, wind always wants to creep up and haunt you, whistling it’s got you, with its heartache, with its sorrow, winter wind sings and it cries, spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so pained, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the sudden drift of the rain, spring and summer, Quinn continued to sing, gaining volume and letting her voice echo through the auditorium. She looked at Artie when the solo ended, smiling warmly and turning slightly so she was facing him. He looked at her, really looked at her for the first time in a long time. She was pretty, probably the prettiest girl in the school. But there was a sort of softness to her now, something that had warmed her face and her eyes that made her beautiful. It wasn’t just the fact that she was physically attractive, but that she was finally comfortable enough with herself to be sweet. Artie blinked, and realized he had been staring. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He didn’t really need any more girl drama, not even for someone as pretty and sweet as Quinn. He was pretty sure if he even tried Puck would lock him in a port-a-potty faster than he could apologize.
“Actually, I should go.” He said, looking down at his lap.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you out?” She asked, wondering if she had done something wrong.
“I’m sure. Thanks, Quinn.” He said, giving her a sad smile before turning, starting to wheel himself off the stage. Quinn stood up, biting her bottom lip as she watched him go. She slowly began walking towards the side door, knowing it would take her back into the hallway.
Artie wheeled himself to the choir room where he had left a few of his books. He put them in his bag and glanced down at the sheet music, noticing that there were more lyrics. He looked around, making sure he was alone before singing again.
So maybe, I should be some kind of laundry line, hang their things on me, and I will swing 'em dry, you're just waving the sun, through the afternoon, and then see, they come to set you free, beneath the rising moon, he sang, wheeling himself out of the choir room, his backpack in his lap. Cause you know, I don't do sadness, not even a little bit, just don't need it in my life, don't want any part of it, I don't do sadness, hey I've done my time, looking back on it all, then it blows my mind, I don't do sadness, he continued to sing as he wheeled out into the hallway, not realizing that there was still someone behind him.
Quinn stepped out into the hallway at the same time Artie did, and she heard him singing, his voice floating down the hallway. She glanced at the sheet music she was still holding, and realized there were more lyrics. She glanced up, and began quietly singing along.
Spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so lost, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so lost, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the wandering clouds of the dust, spring and summer, she sang, walking slowly, holding her books to her chest. When they both finished, Artie looked behind him, seeing Quinn. She gave him a sheepish smile, waving slightly. He gave her a closed lipped smiled, twisting his lips again before turning around and continuing to wheel himself towards the door. Quinn sighed, walking quietly behind him.
“Bye, Artie.” She said as she passed him, giving him a small smile before walking to her car. He could have called after her, asked her to wait with him again, but he didn’t. He just nodded, sitting near a bench and waiting for his dad, his hands in his lap, alone again.
“Mr. Schuester? Do you mind if I practice something in the auditorium?” Artie asked, looking up at his teacher. Mr. Schuester looked at him, nodding with a smile.
“Sure, Artie.” Artie mumbled a thank you and wheeled himself into the auditorium, pulling some sheet music out of his bag and rolling over to the band, handing them some before moving to the middle of the stage, tapping out the rhythm of the song on his knee.
Awful sweet to be a little butterfly, just winging over things, and nothing deep inside, nothing going, going wild in you, you know, you're slowing by the riverside or floating high and blue. Or maybe cool to be a little summer wind like once through everything and then away again. With the taste of dust in your mouth all day but no need to know like sadness, you just sail away, Artie sang, his voice filling up the auditorium. The band played behind him, but he barely heard the music, completely focused on the words. He thought about Tina and how she had dumped him, and Mike and how he unknowingly was one of the reasons she had left Artie.
Cause you know, I don't do sadness, not even a little bit. Just don't need it in my life, don't want any part of it. I don't do sadness, hey I've done my time, looking back on it all, then it blows my mind, I don't do sadness, so been there. Don't do sadness, just don't care, he sang, shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn’t want to think about them anymore. Like the song said, he didn’t do sadness. He was done caring. Tina was happy. He should be too.
“Artie?” He jumped, turning to look at the side door. Quinn stood there, leaning against the wall.
“Quinn. You startled me.” He said, looking down at his lap, a bit embarrassed that she had caught him singing.
“What were you singing?” She asked, walking on the stage.
“Oh, just this song from the musical everyone’s been doing. It’s nothing, really.” He said shyly, shrugging.
“I was just about to go, do you need a push?” Artie hesitated and then shook his head. Mike and Tina were probably still waiting outside for her mom. He really didn’t want to deal with that at the moment. Quinn smiled slightly, noticing his hesitation. She pulled up a chair, sitting next to him.
“Remember how we used to play pirates at my house?” She asked, laughing quietly. “I thought about it the other day. You, me, Brittany and Mike Chang.” Artie involuntarily made a face, a quick motion to show how he felt about Mike. Quinn noticed it, and felt bad for bringing it up. She reached for the sheet music, and he handed it to her, taking out another copy. She smiled thankfully, and then looked down at the music.
“There’s a girl part.” She commented, glancing up at Artie. He nodded, twisting his lips together in that way he did when he was nervous.
“You should sing it.” He suggested, and she shook her head quickly.
“I don’t think so.”
“Go ahead. You’re good.” He encouraged her, smiling slightly. She bit her lip and looked at him. He nodded, as if telling her to do it. She inhaled, looking down at the paper.
Spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so sad, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the open books on the grass, spring and summer, Quinn sang quietly, almost shyly. She glanced at Artie nervously, and he smiled widely, nodding his head. She smiled slightly, looking back at the sheet music.
Sure, when it’s autumn, wind always wants to creep up and haunt you, whistling it’s got you, with its heartache, with its sorrow, winter wind sings and it cries, spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so pained, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the sudden drift of the rain, spring and summer, Quinn continued to sing, gaining volume and letting her voice echo through the auditorium. She looked at Artie when the solo ended, smiling warmly and turning slightly so she was facing him. He looked at her, really looked at her for the first time in a long time. She was pretty, probably the prettiest girl in the school. But there was a sort of softness to her now, something that had warmed her face and her eyes that made her beautiful. It wasn’t just the fact that she was physically attractive, but that she was finally comfortable enough with herself to be sweet. Artie blinked, and realized he had been staring. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He didn’t really need any more girl drama, not even for someone as pretty and sweet as Quinn. He was pretty sure if he even tried Puck would lock him in a port-a-potty faster than he could apologize.
“Actually, I should go.” He said, looking down at his lap.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you out?” She asked, wondering if she had done something wrong.
“I’m sure. Thanks, Quinn.” He said, giving her a sad smile before turning, starting to wheel himself off the stage. Quinn stood up, biting her bottom lip as she watched him go. She slowly began walking towards the side door, knowing it would take her back into the hallway.
Artie wheeled himself to the choir room where he had left a few of his books. He put them in his bag and glanced down at the sheet music, noticing that there were more lyrics. He looked around, making sure he was alone before singing again.
So maybe, I should be some kind of laundry line, hang their things on me, and I will swing 'em dry, you're just waving the sun, through the afternoon, and then see, they come to set you free, beneath the rising moon, he sang, wheeling himself out of the choir room, his backpack in his lap. Cause you know, I don't do sadness, not even a little bit, just don't need it in my life, don't want any part of it, I don't do sadness, hey I've done my time, looking back on it all, then it blows my mind, I don't do sadness, he continued to sing as he wheeled out into the hallway, not realizing that there was still someone behind him.
Quinn stepped out into the hallway at the same time Artie did, and she heard him singing, his voice floating down the hallway. She glanced at the sheet music she was still holding, and realized there were more lyrics. She glanced up, and began quietly singing along.
Spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so lost, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, spring and summer every other day, blue wind gets so lost, blowing through the thick corn, through the bales of hay, through the wandering clouds of the dust, spring and summer, she sang, walking slowly, holding her books to her chest. When they both finished, Artie looked behind him, seeing Quinn. She gave him a sheepish smile, waving slightly. He gave her a closed lipped smiled, twisting his lips again before turning around and continuing to wheel himself towards the door. Quinn sighed, walking quietly behind him.
“Bye, Artie.” She said as she passed him, giving him a small smile before walking to her car. He could have called after her, asked her to wait with him again, but he didn’t. He just nodded, sitting near a bench and waiting for his dad, his hands in his lap, alone again.