Swaying In The Background

Episode 9: Wheels

Mike was the first to arrive at the choir room followed shortly by Tina and Artie who ended up sitting around him then Finn and Quinn sat in front of them causing Mike to slump back in his chair. Where the hell was Matt?

From next to him, Tina let out a sigh.

"You okay?" Mike asked. 

"Artie's been w-weird these last f-few days. He hasn't been able to look me in the eyes f-fully. I-I don't know w-what's going on." Tina said with a sad look over to Artie. 

Mike glanced over at Artie who was struggling to tie his shoelaces. "Maybe he likes you?"

Tina looked at him in shock "Y-you're not s-serious, right?"

Mike shrugged "That's what guys are like, don't want to ruin the friendship."

Mike remembered when he was trying to get the courage to ask Matt out last year. He didn't want to ruin their friendship and he didn't know if Matt even liked him in that way. Luckily he was and he liked Mike but he knows that's not always the case. 

"I wouldn't worry about it" Mike reassured her. 

Tina nodded but continued to stare at Artie. Mike shrugged, there wasn't much more he could do. He did a tiny wave when Britt, Santana, and Matt came into the choir room. Santana looked pissed there was no room for them to sit near him but Britt dragged her to the empty seats before she started a fight. 

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A week later, they had all been issued wheelchairs to spend three hours a day in. Mike didn't mind and didn't complain like some of the others in the group. If anything it gave him a greater appreciation of Artie, wheeling himself around for only 3 hours a day made him feel muscles he'd never had to use before. So to do it day after day, he had to applaud the guy, Artie's arm muscles must be huge.

He and Matt were wheeling down the hall on the way to Glee on Thursday when Britt stepped out in front of him. 

"Britt, shouldn't you be in your chair?"

"I lost it and Quinn was shouting at Finn so I didn't want to be around her" Britt stated as though it's the most normal thing in the world to lose a wheelchair.

She looked at his chair, then back up at Mike with an innocent smile "Can I have a ride?"

Mike nodded with a smile and she squealed immediately sitting down on his lap.

They continued to the choir room. Britt bounced off his lap causing him to hunch in pain as she hit his stomach on the way off. He wheeled next to Tina with Matt next to him. 

"I s-spoke to A-Artie," Tina said with a small smile. 

"That's great, what did he say?" 

"W-well I thought we were h-having a n-nice conversation about his disability after but then h-he talked a-about s-sex. I wheeled away after that." Tina explained with a slightly disturbed look.

"I'm sorry. Maybe he was hinting at something?" Mike awkwardly tried to explain. 

"Just wish he didn't say it in that way" 

"You guys will be fine, I believe in you."

Tina smiled at him but didn't speak any further as Mr. Schue walked into the room. Luckily, he didn't notice Artie's suspicious look.

//////

Mike walked out of football practice, yeah he's still on the team ever since Finn managed to convince Coach Tanaka to disband the Thursday practice. Cooper was pissed because he couldn't toss him and Matt into the dumpster. He turned the corner and almost ran into Artie, who was speeding away. 

Mike opened his mouth to say hello but Artie had already passed him with a thunderous look.
Mike shrugged and continued down the hall before he saw Tina standing by her chair. She looked like she was about to break down. 

"Tina?" He approached her hesitantly. She seemed to lose an internal battle as she broke down completely. Mike panicked and then heard the rest of the team coming down the hall. He gently took her by the shoulders and steered her into a nearby classroom where they could have a bit more privacy. 

"What happened?" He questioned as he directed her to a chair and sat across from her. 

"I-I've ruined everything." She said through hiccups. 

Mike was still confused but handed her some spare tissues in his bag. Tina thanked him and he waited patiently whilst she calmed down enough to be able to talk. 

Tina took a deep breath "I kissed Artie and...he kissed back"

"That's great but it doesn't explain why I found you crying in the hallway."

Tina hesitantly looked him in the eye "I-I've been faking it, the stutter" 

Mike's mouth opened in shock, he wasn't expecting that. 

"I had to tell Artie before we got serious. I don't want to push people away anymore, he was upset and left me in the hallway." 

Mike took a second to absorb the information. "Why did you start stuttering in the first place?"

"It started as an accident in sixth grade when I had to give a presentation. I stuttered, making people think I was weird and want to stay away from me. I was extremely shy, still am, to be honest, and didn't want people around me, the stutter helped with that." Tina took a deep breath "But since Glee club, I don't want to be an outsider anymore. I want to belong and I'd feel awful if I started a relationship with Artie whilst still lying to him. Now I've ruined everything."

She looked down again and Mike could see her trying not to cry again. 

"I don't think you've ruined everything. But you have to understand what you've done wrong here." Mike said whilst trying to catch her eye. 

"Faking my stutter" 

Mike nodded "Artie thought you two shared something and whilst that shouldn't be the only thing that brings you together it was obviously a big thing for Artie."

Tina looked down in shame "What should I do?"

"An apology for a start. Explain it had nothing to do with gaining attention in fact it's the opposite. Then maybe give him some time. But if he still holds it against you after that then, I hate to say it, are you really made for each other?" Mike hated to say this to her but it was true and she shouldn't try to get into a relationship with someone who was going to keep bringing up a lapse in judgment. 

Tina nodded and wiped her eyes fully "Thank you"

"We're friends" He grinned. 

Tina looked up at him in shock. 

"What?" Mike lost his smile "We're friends, right? This is what friends do, especially when there's drama."

Tina let out a watery laugh and stood from her seat to hug him. "You're a nice guy, Mike. Your girlfriend is lucky to have you."

Mike smiled, yeah he's lucky to have Matt too.