Be Free, Be You

I woke up curled up against a body, that much I could tell with my eyes still closed. I opened my eyes to see Artie’s drab green wallpaper staring back at me and the previous day and night’s events came flooding back to me. I sat up and untangled myself from Artie’s surprisingly toned arms and lightly shook him awake. “Artie, come on, wake up please.”

He mumbled something I couldn’t quite catch and sleepily pushed my arm away. I smiled down at him and actually took a moment to see him. The curve of his jaw, the way his pale pink lips were parted ever so slightly, how his lashes curved up and how his milk chocolate hair fell over his forehead. Before I could stop myself I reached down and brushed the hair out of his eyes and left my hand to rest back down in his cheek. “What are you doing..?” He mumbled, startling me.

I bit my lip and lightly smacked his cheek, “I was trying to wake you up.” I pulled my hand away like it was on fire as his eyes fluttered open to look at me. I suddenly became aware of how I must have looked, puffed eyes, messy hair and there was no doubt my morning breath was horrible. I flew up from his bed and to the door, “Where’s the bathroom?”

I heard him chuckle, “Down the hall on the right.” I stepped out them came rushing back in, before I could ask he answered for me, “You don’t have to avoid my parents, I told them enough before you came over that they’ll leave you alone.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief and walked back out into the hall. I followed his directions and found myself looking at a puffy eyed, crazy haired girl in the bathroom mirror. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair and ended up just pulling it back into a French braid, something I usually never did. I splashed my face with water, used the mouthwash that was resting on the counter and took the walk of shame back to Artie’s room to find him sitting up against the head board on his phone with his brows raised.

“Who are you talking to?” I asked, my tone coming out harsher then I intended and with an unwanted hint of jealousy.

“I just texted Mr. Shue to tell him that I won’t be at practice and neither will Steph.” He said simply before putting his phone down in his lap and patting the space he left for me.

“What time is it?” I asked as I took the seat but faced him.

“Around eleven,” he shrugged and cracked his fingers. I couldn’t help but watch as his forearm muscles twitched as he moved, he caught me looking and I covered with a glare.

“Were you planning on going to school today? Because I have a practice that I am not going to miss.” I stood again but his next words had made me freeze in place.

“Why do you keep doing that? I know you like me, and I know you know I like you.” I turned my head just enough so that I could look at anything but him. I crossed my arms and stuck my hip out, trying to keep my composure.

“I don’t like you Wheels,” he scoffed and I glared at his ugly wall.

“Then why did you come here? Why didn’t you leave the moment you woke up this morning?” He countered; I could see out of the corner of my eye he had both a smug and a nervous look on his face.

“Because—” I whipped my head around and glared at him but my voice got caught in my throat, whatever retort I had was forgotten. I found myself caught in his beautiful blue eyes, he reached a head out for me and I took it, letting him pull me down back onto the bed.

“It’s because of the chair, isn’t it?” He said sadly, all the while still keeping his eyes locked on my own.

My breath was caught in my throat and my thoughts were jumbled. I wasn’t thinking straight, I knew that, but that didn’t explain why my stomach was doing round-off back hand springs. “I have a reputation.”

My eyes fell and tears started to collect in the corners, “But you’re not anything like you pretend to be.” He took both of my hands in his own. “Why do you pretend to be like that girl?”

I shrugged, finally giving into my feelings and dropping the hostile bitch mask. “Because if I didn’t, I’d be off the Cheerios with nothing.” I lifted my head again and looked into those ocean eyes and felt my body react in ways I couldn’t explain.

“You’d have me,” Artie whispered. His eyes flickered down to my lips then back to my eyes, he was asking me for permission. My heart sped up as I felt my eyes trail down to look at his lips as I bit my own. He leaned in and I felt myself do the same as my eyes fluttered shut.

All at once our lips connected and my body exploded into a flurry of butterflies and fireworks. Our lips moved together like two pieces of the same puzzle, they danced the tango and the quick step and the waltz all at once. Artie pulled me onto his lap and I rested on my knees, trying to pull him closer to myself as our tongues slipped together. His hands pulled my waist closer and my fingers tangled themselves into his hair. After what felt like seconds of bliss I’d never felt before, we both pulled away and gasped for air.

He nervously chuckled as he looked into my eyes again, “Sorry for my morning breath.”

I couldn’t help but crack a smile too, “It’s okay.” I bit my lip at struggled to find my words, “Whe—Artie, we can’t do this. I-I’d get in trouble with Brittany.”

His face fell and he dropped his hands from my waist to my thighs. “I like you so much it hurts.”

I felt my heart break and I leaned in for another kiss, this time it was just an innocent peck. “I like you too.”

His eyes snapped open to meet my own, his grip tightened a bit on my legs. “Quit the Cheerios and join Glee Club, be with me and we’ll find a place for Steph too.”

I bit my lip, “Cheerios is all I have left. Steph hates my guts, and I’m sure once all of the Glee Freaks.—” I bit my lip as he frowned at me. “Sorry, habit. All of the Glee kids probably will hate me too once they found out the little scheme I pulled with Steph.”

Artie leaned in a gave me another soft kiss, I let my eyes stay closed a little longer then needed as I felt his forehead lean against my own. “You have me now, and Steph is your sister, she’ll forgive you. And if there’s anything I’ve learned about Glee Club, it’s that we’re forgiving.”