May 25, 2013, 1:58 p.m.
Somebody that I used to know: Glee
T - Words: 3,182 - Last Updated: May 25, 2013 Story: Complete - Chapters: 43/43 - Created: Nov 02, 2012 - Updated: May 25, 2013 1,004 0 4 0 0
AN: Finished half of what I have to write for NaNo already :) Also outlined the rest of the story while watching the elections till 6 am - right now we are looking at 20 chapters but knowing me it could be thirty or more...
Warning: Child abuse.
Disclaimer: The song belongs to Pink
Chapter 7: Glee
Blaine
As soon as the idea to get Kurt to sing with him had entered his mind, Blaine had sat down and had looked through his iTunes library looking for the perfect song to tell Kurt he was special even if other people couldn't or didn't want to see that.
Thinking of perfect songs, a light bulb went off in his head, and he quickly typed in Pink to get to one of his favorite playlists. He just hoped Kurt had more exposure to music now than he had in the past and knew the song, or that he at least knew how to read music.
Putting his plan in motion, he left his house early again the next morning, after assigning the lines to Kurt he thought most fitting and drove over to Kurt's neighborhood, hoping to catch the other boy before he got on the bus.
Luck was on his side this morning, as Kurt just left the house as he drove onto the street.
"Had to do a delivery again?" Kurt asked, eyebrows raised, when Blaine opened the door for him, and Blaine just shrugged and smile at him, not caring that he had gotten caught.
"I just wanted to play you the song I want you to sing with me today. The lyrics to it are in the glove compartment if you want to read with the song," he told Kurt and was happy to see Kurt comply.
"Do you know it?" he asked and Kurt shook his head. "My parents only listen to country and hip hop at home," he explained. Blaine stared at Kurt, but Kurt just shrugged before he motioned for Blaine to start the song.
Kurt was mouthing the lyrics to the song as Blaine drove them to the school and a weight was lifted from his shoulder when he saw they had arrived before the football team.
"I like it. It's catchy," Kurt degreed as they got out of the car. "Which part did you want me to sing?" Blaine handed Kurt another piece of paper where Kurt's lines were highlighted, hoping Kurt would get the message, or would at least get it when he sang with Blaine. He was never good with words and liked to express himself through music, and he hoped he would get through to Kurt.
They got inside without being harassed by anyone as they were quite early and Blaine walked Kurt over to the computer lab, where he needed to type up his English assignment.
"I see you in French," Blaine told Kurt, the first class they would have together that day. Blaine liked days where he shared most classes with Kurt because that meant they could walk to their next class together, unless Kurt would flee again as soon as the bell rang, but Blaine was determined not to lose sight of Kurt today.
Kurt
Kurt's day was better than most had been in a while. Blaine had picked him up in the morning again, and because the sun was still burning down on him and because he wanted to get to school before the Neanderthals did, he didn't put up a fight and got into the car.
He liked the song Blaine had picked, because in his eyes Blaine was perfect and if he got to tell him that in song, well, he wouldn't complain. He didn't have time to look at his lines throughout the day but it didn't matter. He had always excelled in the few music classes he had had, and knew he could sight-read if necessary.
Blaine kept to his side between classes, even though he had tried to give him the slip a few times, because he knew Blaine really shouldn't be seen with him, and seeing the glares most of the football team were sending in Blaine's direction only affirmed it for him, that Blaine would be better off if he stayed away from Kurt. But Blaine was nothing but persistent and always caught up with him, before any members of the football team could shove him around or slushie him. They might have all been morons, but apparently they weren't stupid enough to try to slushie him while another letterman jacket was close by.
He knew the members of the glee club got slushied as well from time to time, but no one dared to do that either if members of the football team or the cheerios were with them.
It felt weird having his own personal bodyguard and Kurt kept his eyes trained on the floor after their first walk in the hallway, not wanting to see the looks his classmates were giving them any longer. There was nothing he could do to protect Blaine, if Blaine wasn't cooperating because he didn't have the heart to tell Blaine to leave him alone, because he didn't want him around.
He was weirdly excited on his way to the choir room when his final class before lunch was over, and not even Karofksy raking his eyes over him could dampen his spirits. He just held his head high and sped up so the jock wouldn't be able to catch up with him before he reached the safety of the choir room, a place where someone like Karofsky surely wouldn't be caught dead in.
Blaine
Blaine hated that he couldn't even walk Kurt from class to class without garnering unwanted attention, but if he could prevent it he would not leave Kurt to the mercy of his teammates. As longs as he was wearing his letterman jacket he was somewhat protected, even if it clashed with the rest of his outfit.
He couldn't walk Kurt to the choir room before lunch unfortunately and he prayed that Kurt would get there on his own unharmed. Kurt looked fine when Blaine walked into the choir room after checking that Mr. Schuester was in place for the performance and so he walked over to the piano and sat down on the bench, motioning for Kurt to stand next to him while he played.
He would have preferred to be standing as well, so he could look at Kurt all the time, but he wasn't sure Kurt would have sung with him if Brad played piano for them, and the acoustic versions he had found on YouTube had all not been satisfying. Had he had more time to prepare, he would have recorded himself playing it, but between spending the evening at Kurt's house and still having to do his own homework he had only had enough time to split up the lyrics.
Sure, he could have waited a few days longer, but he wanted to get Kurt into the glee club as soon as possible, because the other boy needed something good and fun in his life.
"You ready?" he asked, putting his fingers on the keys and when Kurt nodded he started to play.
Blaine
Made a wrong turn once or twice
Dug my way out blood and fire
Bad decisions that's all right
Welcome to my silly life
Kurt
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood,
Miss 'no way, it's all good'
It didn't slow me down
Mistaken, always second guessing
Underestimated, look I'm still around
Blaine
Pretty, pretty please
Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than fuckin' perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like you are nothing
You are prefect to me.
You're so mean when you talk
About yourself, you are wrong
Change the voices in your head
Making them like you instead
Kurt
So complicated
Look happy, you'll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
Blaine
It's enough, I've done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons,
I've seen you do the same
Oh pretty, pretty please
Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than fuckin' perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like you are nothing
You are perfect to me
Kurt
The whole world stares so a I swallow the fear
Blaine
The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer
Kurt and Blaine
So cool in line and we try, try, try
But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time
Blaine
Done looking for the critics cause they're everywhere
Kurt
They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair
We change ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Blaine
Why do I do that?
Kurt
Why do I do that?
Blaine
Yeah
Oh pretty, pretty please
Pretty, pretty please
Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than fuckin' perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like you are nothing
You are perfect to me
Blaine kept his eyes trained at Kurt during most of the performance to make sure Kurt knew the words were directed at him and by the time they finished, there were tears in Kurt's eyes, which he hastily wiped away when he realized Blaine had noticed.
"You know, I really am not," he whispered but before Blaine could assure him that in his eyes he was perfect as he was, Mr. Schuester came into the choir room, applauding their performance.
"That was great guys. But if we ever use this song for a performance you have to make sure the lyrics are PG."
Blaine beamed at his teacher but from the corner of his eye he saw Kurt tense next to him. Mr. Schuester turned to Kurt then.
"Had I known you really are this talented I would have talked to you earlier myself. God knows why I didn't trust Rachel's judgment. It should have been clear you were good when she kept insisting you had to join our club."
Blaine turned to Kurt, giving him a huge smile but Kurt looked betrayed and before he could do anything, Kurt turned and ran off.
"What are you waiting for? Go after him," Mr. Schuester told him and Blaine unfroze before chasing after Kurt.
He found Kurt under the bleachers again, in the same position he had been the first time he had run from Blaine.
"Why would you do that? I told you I can't join the club and you thought it was okay to dangle something in front of me you knew I can't have," Kurt accused when he noticed Blaine, and Blaine took a step back at the intensity of Kurt's glare, before squaring his shoulders and sitting down next to Kurt on the ratty old couch that only looked slightly worse than the one at Kurt's house.
"I'm sorry Kurt. When you said you couldn't I thought you just didn't believe in your own talent enough and I thought if I got Mr. Schuester to tell you how good you are you'd want to join. I didn't know you meant I can't as I'm not allowed," Blaine explained, really not understanding Kurt's parents.
Were they some religious nutcases who thought music and technology were a sin or something?
"I want to join Glee but I know my dad would never allow it," Kurt sniffled and Blaine's heart went out for him. One of his friends at Dalton, Nick, had had the same problem with his dad as well, because he thought music made him gay, but luckily Nick's parents had gotten a divorce and Nick had been able to stay at Dalton and in the Warblers thanks to a scholarship.
"What if you tell your parents you have to stay after school for a mandatory school project. This kid in Glee, Artie, is amazing with computers from what I heard. I'm sure he could write you a fake note," Blaine suggested not knowing what else to say, because he really wanted to get Kurt into Glee. Kurt's parents never had to find out and this way Kurt would get what he wanted and everyone would be happy.
"Will you at least think about it?" Blaine asked when Kurt didn't react to his proposal and Kurt gave him a tiny nod.
"Can you leave me alone now? I need to think," Kurt said still not really looking at Blaine and Blaine got up and walked back to school after gently squeezing Kurt's shoulder, hoping Kurt's answer would be yes some time in the near future.
Kurt
Kurt hated Blaine a bit for what he had done to him, but at the same time he couldn't hate him. When Blaine had sung those lines to him, he had looked like he meant it and after a life time of hearing how horrible he was and that everyone would be better off if he were dead, someone telling him he was perfect – well he had to pinch himself a few times during the song to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
And maybe Blaine had a point. If he could convince his parents he had to stay after school because of a mandatory project, maybe he could finally join New Directions, something he had always wanted to do.
He wished he could just ask for permission, but he knew what his dad would do to him if he told him that he wanted to sing and dance on a stage. No, if he was going to do this, his parents could never find out about it.
Luckily, his parents never went to PTA meetings – there was a reason why they wanted Kurt to have perfect grades, because it kept them away from school if he didn't screw up – so there really wasn't any chance of them running into other students' parents who could tell them. Not having any friends had its advantages some times.
In the end the desire to get to sing again with Blaine – hopefully – won out, ignoring the angel on his shoulder telling him this was a bad idea. Lunch break wasn't over yet and luckily the computer lab was empty. He couldn't risk anyone finding out about this and even though Blaine seemed to trust this Artie guy, he'd rather not have anyone else know besides Blaine. It would just subject him to more questions he couldn't and didn't want to answer.
The few times his parents had to sign something for school, they had never read the contents and had usually just signed it to be done with it and Kurt hoped they wouldn't suddenly start looking to closely at what he was giving them.
He quickly scanned the McKinley logo off an old year book and put it on top of an open document, constantly checking that no other students were coming into the room.
Thinking something to do with science would be his safest bet in case his parents read the document, he quickly wrote a note about students being required to spend time in the chemistry lab three times a week after school because of changes in the curriculum, before printing it out and deleting the evidence of what he had done, before someone could discover it.
That day he didn't mind the walk home even though the sun was still unbearably hot, humming 'Perfect' while he walked past the run down houses of his neighbor, dreaming of the day he would be surrounded by skyscrapers and tolerant people.
His parent's car was in the driveway when he walked up to the front door, but Kurt wasn't worried. He had cleaned up again after Blaine had left and was home at the time he was supposed to.
His mom was nowhere to be seen, probably drinking herself to death at her friend's house – and wasn't that a nice thought – but when he walked into the living room he froze. His father was sitting in his armchair glaring at him, the empty pizza box on the coffee table in front of him.
"Where did you get that from?" he asked and Kurt flinched. "Did you steal from us?" His father stood up and threw the empty box in his direction. Kurt shook his head violently, because that would be the last thing he would dare to do.
"There was a, a bake sale at school and everyone who helped out got to keep a bit of money," he stuttered out but it didn't sound convincing to his own ears either.
"Don't lie to me," his father threatened before Kurt's head collided with the wall behind him. He hadn't even realized he had walked backwards until he was with his back against the wall, but it was no use to hide as always. The ring on his father's finger left a nasty gash on his cheek when his father backhanded him and Kurt swayed on the spot for a moment, feeling dizzy.
"I won't ask again. How did you get that?" Kurt knew he had to tell the truth if he wanted to get away from his dad before something worse happened.
"I forgot a book at school and the boy who found it brought it over. We are doing an in-class project together and he thought it was a good idea to stay for a bit so we could work on it. He ordered the pizza," Kurt choked out.
He curled in on himself, when he ended up on the floor after his confession.
"Anderson's don't need charity," his father spat and Kurt nodded frantically. "You better kept your mouth shut," he added and Kurt nodded again.
Just than his dad's phone rang and Kurt knew it was his chance to get away, but he needed to show his father the note first before he chickened out.
"That was your mom. I expect dinner to be ready at six. There's some stuff in the fridge," his dad growled after hanging up and Kurt was relieved to know he would get food today. He had eaten left over pizza for breakfast, but had to skip out on lunch again.
"Yes dad," Kurt told him before picking himself up from the floor and limping over to his bag. He extracted the fake note and carefully held it out to his father.
His father quickly read through it, not looking too happy, but to Kurt's relief he nodded. "I expect you home fifteen minutes after that thing is over, are we clear?"
Kurt nodded not daring to say anything, afraid to give himself away. He also knew that now wasn't the time to remind his father that it took him at least twenty minutes to walk home on days he wasn't suffering from any injuries. If he got lucky, he could convince Blaine that there weren't any buses when Glee let out and Blaine would drive him home after school.
In his bathroom he quickly cleaned out the cut on his cheek before experiencing with different kinds of makeup samples he had gotten from a door to door saleswoman of cosmetics – the only useful kind, who luckily always came back even if he never bought anything for his 'mom' – but no matter what he did, he didn't manage to cover the cut and the newly forming bruise on his face.
As much as he hated it, he knew he wouldn't be going to school the next day. But at least now he could just ask to borrow Blaine's notes when he went back to school.
Up next: A worried Blaine re-meets Mrs. Anderson
Did you like how Blaine split the lines for him and Kurt? While I love how they did it in canon and I had to change it around a bit more.
Comments
I will never not love those 2 singing "Perfect" to each other.Oh, my poor baby Kurt, stay strong. I'm scared about what will happen when Kurt's father inevitably finds out about Glee. BTW, I like that you switched parents for the boys so that Burt could stay a decent parent. It's nice to see Blaine being the one with a good parent for a change.
I probably read too many stories where Blaine's dad was a jerk so until canon introduces Blaine's parents and they are actually nice, I don't feel bad making them jerks. Let's just say Kurt's dad finding out about Glee will definitely be very important for this story...
I like the way you arranged the song. Worked out well. And poor Kurt. T_T *Snuggles Kurt*
I loved the Glee version but I thought it wasn't a perfect fit for their budding relationship