Challenge #01: Prompt 01: Crack in the Wall
Title: Repair the Damage
Prompt: Crack in the Wall
Word Count: 898
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/Underage): none.
Summary: Rachel tries to convince Artie that their friendship isn't over.
"Hey, Artie."
He barely even looked up from his phone. "You're late," he grumbled.
"Well than, let’s go.” I smiled down at him, but he was still messing around with his phone, pressing the screen way too hard. He didn’t even move. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he muttered. The way he was acting, I knew it was definitely not nothing. “I’m waiting for you to hit the elevator button.”
I reached out and did as he asked. I looked down and saw he was playing candy crush. Nothing urgent. I waited for him to run out of turns before I waved my hand in front of him. “Come on, talk to me.”
He finally sighed and put away his phone. The elevator opened and he went inside. I followed behind him and hit the button to go down to the mezzanine. We would have to take another elevator once we got inside the subway station. “I said it’s nothing.”
“Come on, we’ve been through some pretty crazy stuff this year. You can talk to me.”
That got his attention. He glanced at me. “I guess that’s just it. We’ve been through so much together and I hate that this is all over.”
“It’s not over.” I shook my head. I was so excited to be going to LA that I couldn’t think of much else. I didn’t know if I had it in me to reassure him, but I had to try. “It’s just like when we graduated last year, or when you guys graduated. We’re going our separate ways, but we’ll always be friends. You know that.”
He seemed unsure about that. “I guess. Actually, you know what? People say that and it’s not true. You know how often I spoke to Jake or even Kitty this year? Like once a month.”
“Our friendship is different. No offense to them.” The elevator opened and we went over to the turnstiles to swipe our metrocards. We went through and started walking through the subway station. “They went through one year of glee club, but you and me and everyone else had been there since the beginning. It’s not like us being across the country from each other is gonna end our friendship.”
“That’s what you said to Quinn who was an hour away and you never saw her. That’s what I said to Tina, who was too busy at Brown to come visit. Long distance friendships just don’t work. Who wants to go through all that effort?”
“Oh, Artie. This isn’t like you at all. I thought you said you would be there til the end.”
“I will, but I don’t know about anyone else.”
We navigated our way to the second elevator. As we were waiting, I looked at a small crack starting to form on the concrete. It seemed unstable, kind of like the future. “Look, all I can say is that I promise to stay in touch. I know I’ll be busy with the TV show and Hollywood and who knows what else, but I’ll try.”
“Yeah, OK…” He just looked away.
We went into the elevator and Artie still wouldn’t meet my eye. “What’s really going on?” I asked. I knew him well enough to know he was acting strange.
He fiddled with his gloves. “OK, this might be the worst timing ever. I mean, we’re in this dirty elevator, but I gotta say this. I kind of… came to New York to be near you guys.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Think about it, New York is actually a terrible choice for me. It’s so difficult to get around and it doesn’t help that my school is an hour from my dorm, but never mind that. I figured all my friends are here and I didn’t want to miss out.”
“So you only came here because we were here?”
“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”
I had to smile, “That’s really sweet, Artie.”
We exited the second elevator and went out onto the platform. He turned around and looked up at me. “Yeah, well. It was pointless because you’re leaving. And you know Kurt and Blaine are gonna be too busy to talk to me.”
I glanced around and spotted another crack forming on the concrete. It was like this whole station was crumbling away, just like Artie’s prediction for our friendship. I knew it might look doomed, but someone would soon be here to repair the damage. That’s how I thought of our little group. We might be separated, but we would never break. I knew Artie would be the one to make sure of that and repair any possible damage. “I know we’ll keep in touch. No excuses. And you still have all your friends at school. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know. I just can’t be optimistic about this. I feel like we’re all splitting up for good this time. Like we’re finally grown up.”
“We’ll be OK, I know it. I’ll come back to visit and one day…” I chuckled, thinking of the best case scenario. “One day when I’m rich and famous, you’ll get to say you knew me in high school… and that you’re still friends with me.”
He finally laughed. “You’re amazing.”
“I know,” I just beamed at him.
The train pulled up and we took our last ride together. Our last ride for now.
Prompt: Crack in the Wall
Word Count: 898
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/Underage): none.
Summary: Rachel tries to convince Artie that their friendship isn't over.
"Hey, Artie."
He barely even looked up from his phone. "You're late," he grumbled.
"Well than, let’s go.” I smiled down at him, but he was still messing around with his phone, pressing the screen way too hard. He didn’t even move. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he muttered. The way he was acting, I knew it was definitely not nothing. “I’m waiting for you to hit the elevator button.”
I reached out and did as he asked. I looked down and saw he was playing candy crush. Nothing urgent. I waited for him to run out of turns before I waved my hand in front of him. “Come on, talk to me.”
He finally sighed and put away his phone. The elevator opened and he went inside. I followed behind him and hit the button to go down to the mezzanine. We would have to take another elevator once we got inside the subway station. “I said it’s nothing.”
“Come on, we’ve been through some pretty crazy stuff this year. You can talk to me.”
That got his attention. He glanced at me. “I guess that’s just it. We’ve been through so much together and I hate that this is all over.”
“It’s not over.” I shook my head. I was so excited to be going to LA that I couldn’t think of much else. I didn’t know if I had it in me to reassure him, but I had to try. “It’s just like when we graduated last year, or when you guys graduated. We’re going our separate ways, but we’ll always be friends. You know that.”
He seemed unsure about that. “I guess. Actually, you know what? People say that and it’s not true. You know how often I spoke to Jake or even Kitty this year? Like once a month.”
“Our friendship is different. No offense to them.” The elevator opened and we went over to the turnstiles to swipe our metrocards. We went through and started walking through the subway station. “They went through one year of glee club, but you and me and everyone else had been there since the beginning. It’s not like us being across the country from each other is gonna end our friendship.”
“That’s what you said to Quinn who was an hour away and you never saw her. That’s what I said to Tina, who was too busy at Brown to come visit. Long distance friendships just don’t work. Who wants to go through all that effort?”
“Oh, Artie. This isn’t like you at all. I thought you said you would be there til the end.”
“I will, but I don’t know about anyone else.”
We navigated our way to the second elevator. As we were waiting, I looked at a small crack starting to form on the concrete. It seemed unstable, kind of like the future. “Look, all I can say is that I promise to stay in touch. I know I’ll be busy with the TV show and Hollywood and who knows what else, but I’ll try.”
“Yeah, OK…” He just looked away.
We went into the elevator and Artie still wouldn’t meet my eye. “What’s really going on?” I asked. I knew him well enough to know he was acting strange.
He fiddled with his gloves. “OK, this might be the worst timing ever. I mean, we’re in this dirty elevator, but I gotta say this. I kind of… came to New York to be near you guys.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Think about it, New York is actually a terrible choice for me. It’s so difficult to get around and it doesn’t help that my school is an hour from my dorm, but never mind that. I figured all my friends are here and I didn’t want to miss out.”
“So you only came here because we were here?”
“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”
I had to smile, “That’s really sweet, Artie.”
We exited the second elevator and went out onto the platform. He turned around and looked up at me. “Yeah, well. It was pointless because you’re leaving. And you know Kurt and Blaine are gonna be too busy to talk to me.”
I glanced around and spotted another crack forming on the concrete. It was like this whole station was crumbling away, just like Artie’s prediction for our friendship. I knew it might look doomed, but someone would soon be here to repair the damage. That’s how I thought of our little group. We might be separated, but we would never break. I knew Artie would be the one to make sure of that and repair any possible damage. “I know we’ll keep in touch. No excuses. And you still have all your friends at school. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know. I just can’t be optimistic about this. I feel like we’re all splitting up for good this time. Like we’re finally grown up.”
“We’ll be OK, I know it. I’ll come back to visit and one day…” I chuckled, thinking of the best case scenario. “One day when I’m rich and famous, you’ll get to say you knew me in high school… and that you’re still friends with me.”
He finally laughed. “You’re amazing.”
“I know,” I just beamed at him.
The train pulled up and we took our last ride together. Our last ride for now.