“Alright Blaine, you’re going on in 3 minutes,” Artie called from the other side of the room.

Blaine finished touching up the concealer under his eyes. Dark bags had formed under hi in the past few weeks following his visit to Kurt. He was trying his hardest to focus on his next scene: singing “Beauty School Drop Out” to Sugar’s character, Frenchy.

But he couldn’t, because he was there. Kurt and Rachel were sitting in the second row, right in Blaine’s line of sight. When he first looked out into the audience before the show began, he froze. His heart dropped, his brain rushed forward, and his feet were suddenly cemented to the ground.

Sam had noticed something was wrong, and when he followed Blaine’s gaze to find Kurt on the receiving end, he immediately pulled Blaine away and sat him down.

“Dude, you’re gonna be okay. Just try to focus on something else for a while.”

Blaine didn’t even respond. He just looked up at Sam from his chair with his hands in his lap, shoulders slouched, and eyebrows pulled together. He didn’t even try to give a little smile as he usually would to keep others from worrying about him. Sam called Artie over, who tried to give a pep talk. It didn’t really help, but it was enough to get Blaine to stand up and carry on with everything else he was doing.

And now it was his big moment. All eyes would be on him, including Kurt’s. He didn’t know if he could do it without stopping mid way.

 “Scene starts in one minute! Blaine, Sugar, Angels!” Artie snapped at one of the girls who had yet to put on her head piece made of silver rollers.

Sugar stood up and adjusted her wig. “Good luck Blaine, you’ll kill it.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze before heading off to the stage.

Blaine pushed everything out of his head and let out a long breath of air.

It’s just one song. You just have to get through this song and then move on. One thing at a time, Blaine.

The lights faded until only Frenchy was in sight. The music started up, and Blaine stepped onto the platform.

Focus on Frenchy, on the edges of the audience, just not straight forward.

The lights came up, revealing Blaine in all white. He looked up at Frenchy and put on his best guardian angel face.

            Your story sad to tell,

            A teenage ne’er do well,

            Most mixed up non-delinquent on the block!

He turned to the audience, and somehow his eyes immediately landed on Kurt and made eye contact.

            Your future’s so unclear now

Blaine quickly shifted his gaze over a seat, where Rachel sat with an encouraging smile.

            What’s left of your career now?

Blaine turned his head to the left of the audience where he couldn’t recognize anyone.

            Can’t even get a trade in on your smile.

Smile. Funny Blaine thought to himself as he Angels began to sing. He had a smile on his face, but it didn’t feel like it should be there one bit. The angels lined up around him, and that was his queue.

Beauty school dropout,
No graduation day for you.
Beauty school dropout,
Missed your midterms and flunked shampoo!
Well at least you could have taken time, to wash and clean your clothes up,
After spending all that dough to have the doctor fix your nose up!

The music stopped for a quick second and Blaine took in a deep breath. So far, so good. He could feel the gaze of every single person on the audience, but he was singing to Frenchy so he focused on her.

            Baby get moving

            Why keep your feeble hopes alive?

            What are you proving?

            You’ve got the dream but not the drive.

            If you go for your diploma, you could join a steno pool.

            Turn in your teasing comb and go back to high school.

Blaine hopped off of the platform and reached out his hands to Frenchy.

Beauty school dropout,
Hanging around the corner store.
Beauty school dropout,
It's about time you knew the score.

Well they couldn't teach you anything,
You think you're such a looker,
But no customer would go to you unless she was a hooker!

The audience laughed lightly with that line and Sugar’s facial expression. Blaine was suddenly very aware of everyone again. He walked around the couch where Sugar sat, purposefully keeping his eyes on only her.

Baby don't sweat it,
You're not cut out to hold a job.
Better forget it,
Who wants their hair done by a slob?

Now your bangs are curled, your lashes whirled, but still the world is cruel.
Wipe off that angel face and go back to high school!

He dropped down on the couch next to her, and the angels twirled around them. He caught a glimpse of Kurt, who was looking more conflicted by the moment. Sugar blew her bubble, but Blaine completely missed his queue and it deflated before he could poke it.

In fact, he missed the next few lines. The music kept playing, and the angels hummed quietly, but Blaine did not say a word because all he could see was Kurt four weeks ago.

Kurt’s face dropping when he told him the truth.

Kurt’s cheeks stained with tears.

Kurt yelling at him, accusing him—and rightly so.

Kurt running away from him in the middle of the park.

Kurt in pain because of something he did.

Blaine stood up and put whatever he had left into the last couple lines that were left of the song.

            Now that I’ve called the shot, get off the block, I really gotta fly!

            Gotta be going to that, malt shop, in the sky!

Blaine turned and walked back to his platform

            Beauty School dropout, go back to high school.

            Beauty School dropout, go back to high school.

Blaine stepped up, turned around towards the audience, and as the lights faded he looked right at Kurt, trying to silently communicate with him. Hoping for some reason, after this Kurt would come talk to him again. He sang the final line as softly as he could.

            Beauty School dropout, go back. to. high. school.

It was over. The audience and back stage had cleared long ago, and Blaine was still there. He felt a strong sense of Déjà Vu as he remembered last year’s musical, and how he’d stayed after to practice the choreography. This time he sat in front of the piano, rehearsing the song.

The rest of the cast had invited him to Breadsticks for their annual celebratory dinner, but he stayed back. He claimed that he needed to practice “Beauty School Dropout” again to make sure he didn’t forget the lyrics again.

Blaine, however, knew that song by heart. He probably could have sung it backwards if he wanted too. But he sat there, playing it over and over, singing it without ever once looking down at the sheet music in front of him. He wasn’t thinking about it much either. Instead he was thinking about what he’d spent the last month thinking about, and that was Kurt.

He still didn’t know why he’d acted on his impulse, and wished there was a way he could take it all back. Or at least go back in time and slap his former self before he did something stupid. All he wanted was Kurt back.

The music from the piano began to change. Slowly at first, then all at once it no longer resembled the accompaniment for Beauty School Dropout. Instead it was the song that made him realize that he’d fallen in love.

He began to loop it over and over. Blaine wanted it to never end, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold it together any longer.

About the third time around, Blaine heard him singing behind him.

            Blackbird singing in the dead of night

            Take these broken wings and learn to fly.

He thought it was a mirage. Surely a sign that I’ve finally gone off the deep end. Kurt Hummel wasn’t speaking to him anymore. Blaine had broken his heart, and there was no way he was coming back.

But he did.

            All your life

            You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blaine began to softly accompany Kurt, just like the first time.

            Blackbird singing in the dead of night.

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see (Bum. Bum.)

All you life

You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blaine didn’t dare look behind him. As if one glance, and it would all be over. Kurt would disappear and refuse to speak to him again.

Too soon though, Kurt finished, and Blaine blinked away the tears. He rested his fingers on the keys, feeling the last notes vibrating in the air. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he dared to look up.

“Kurt you’ve heard me say it a thousand times, and I’ll say it a thousand more. I’m so sorry. With every atom in my body, I am sorry. I wish there was another way to say it but the fact is that I love you and I was stupid and reckless and drove away the only good thing I had left. The moment I did it was the same moment I began to regret it and I just love you. I love you, I love you and I—.”

“Blaine,” Kurt cut him off, “please, stop.” Blaine looked like he’d just been kicked in the stomach and left on the sidewalk. Kurt took in a shaky breath before continuing.

“I love you too, and that’s why this is the worst. Because I love you I don’t even have the heart to talk to you because I know if I do the pain will just double. But the thing is, I still need you to be a part of my life.”

“Do you think we could start over? Let it all grow back up again like it did two years ago?”

Kurt sat in silence for a moment.

“Yes. I think so. We’ll start again and this time we’ll always, always be there for the other. For better or for worse.”

A smile crept onto Blaine’s face. “Okay.”

“One last thing, Blaine.”

“Yes?”

“If we really are going to start from that first day, we should do it right.”

“How’s that?”

“You move me, Blaine.”

Blaine dropped his head and started silently laughing to himself. Kurt placed his hand over one of Blaine’s, still on the piano.

“…and getting back together is just an excuse for me to spend more time with you.”

Blaine looked up at Kurt to see him smiling at him.

And they kissed for the second, first time.