Chapter Fifteen: Crashing Down

"So what are your favorite musicals?"

Blaine grinned and leaned back. "I couldn't possibly pick," he replied. "I like them all. Classics, and pop musicals, and rock operas... Everything except Cats."

"Okay," Kurt nodded. "But sometimes you just have to see something with a lot of spectacle and no plot."

Blaine laughed and acquiesced. He'd been massively bummed when Jeremiah had gotten called in to work and couldn't see the movie with him, but Kurt was fun to hang out with. Blaine was surprised how quickly they'd become friends, and he was really glad Kurt had showed up. It'd been too long since he'd been able to talk to someone about his love of Broadway. He'd been too concerned with appearing too feminine at Dalton to indulge in anything but his most manly of passions.

"Do you act or just sing?" Kurt prompted.

"I was in a production of West Side Story back in middle school, but we don't talk about that," he laughed. "It was... Well, a bunch of pre-pubescents putting on a musical about gang violence without any gang violence so parents wouldn't get mad."

Kurt laughed. "That actually sounds adorable. Who did you play?"

"Uh," Blaine felt his stomach clench. "I was just in the chorus," he lied.

"Really?" Kurt asked. "You have such an amazing voice, though."

"You didn't hear it before it dropped," Blaine pointed out.

"Fair enough," he said. "Well, I'd love to be in West Side Story. And being in the chorus is fun."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, even if his one musical experience hadn't been. "Not nearly as much pressure."

Kurt grinned and his phone went off, signaling that it was about time to finish up their coffee and get to the show. "So, which is your favorite song in this one?" Blaine asked.

"The Hills Are Alive," Kurt replied immediately.

"Me, too," Blaine grinned.

The production wasn't too good, but it was passable. He was sort of sad to go back to school when it was over. Hanging out with Kurt was amazing. It was nice having a friend who was going through what he was. Or, sort of what Blaine had gone through.

He had a voicemail from Cooper when he finally got back to his dorm.

"Hey, Blaine," Cooper said, and Blaine immediately sensed something was wrong. "I have some bad news."

He sat, hoping it was an unnecessary precaution. "I can't help with your tuition next year," he explained. "Actually, I can't help at all. I'm really sorry, squirt. I know it's awful, and I should have told you sooner, but I was hoping I could find some way, but there just isn't one. I already talked to mom and dad. They're not... immediately open to the idea but come summer, I'm sure I can have them turned around, okay? They do miss you, and I think they're finally getting to understand you're still the same person."

Blaine deleted the voicemail. He couldn't listen to the rest. He couldn't go back to his parents. What if they made him dress like a girl? What if they micromanaged his life to make sure he wasn't doing anything they disapproved of? Or... just that he didn't do anything. What if they sent him off to some kind of straight camp or had him institutionalized? What if-?

He cried himself to sleep.