Chapter 9 – Best Friends

Amanda has never felt so nervous before. Council's meetings were a casual event to discus usual problems and plans for the future in their community. Also, it was a nice occasion for the whole street to come together and drink some wine. Usually Amanda loved the night when the council was meeting, because she got to be an awesome host and people looked at her with such a trust and interest that she felt important. It was probably one of the nicest feelings for her. But today everything was different. She was afraid.

Her house was already full of people. There were more than always, because everybody heard that new mysterious neighbors were coming. Everyone wanted to meet Kurt and Blaine. Amanda couldn't walk through her garden without some people stopping her and giving hundreds of questions. She was answering shortly, because the woman was so afraid to tell something that the boys don't want her to tell or that those narrow-minded people will understand something wrong.

Even Tom was freaking out. He kept telling everybody about those five minutes he spent with Kurt and Blaine over and over again. He told everybody how nice and polite they were how they even refused to have a drink with him, because the work and obligations come first, not parties. Amanda was kind of grateful to her husband. He was one of the reasons why everyone was so excited to meet these amazing boys. She desperately needed a warm atmosphere.

It was almost six and Amanda knew that Kurt and Blaine will be there in any minute. She looked around her garden and house one more time. There were people everywhere. Tables were covered with food and drinks. The council's table was standing in his usual place in the garden. Everything was perfect and all the neighbors were enjoying themselves. Amanda sighted. She was praying to God for a happy ending.

She looked over the fence and saw two well-dressed men coming out of the house next to her. Kurt was wearing a black top with white buttons and brightly brown pants with a big belt. He looked amazing. Blaine was wearing black jeans, checkered shirts, red sweater and blue bowtie. He also looked handsome. 'Great, at least the first impression's going to be good…' thought Amanda to herself and sighted one more time. It was starting.

"Hello Amanda." Kurt hugged her at first when she opened the door. "It's really nice to see you."

"Hi. It's good to be here. "Blaine's voice was cold as ice, but he looked calm and confident.

"I'm so glad you came." Amanda smiled at both of them. "Come on. I need to introduce you to so many people. Everybody is so excited."

When they came in to the garden, where most of the crowd was gathered, everybody stared at them curiously. Amanda knew that she had to introduce Kurt and Blaine properly, but for a moment the whole situation took her breath away. The woman led the boys to the council's table and stopped in front of it. Kurt and Blaine stayed close to her. They smiled warmly at everybody and looked really confident. No doubts that they were performers. Amanda finally took a glass of wine, cleared her throat and smiled at everybody. Show time.

"Good evening everybody. I'm so glad to see so many of you here tonight. We all know that this big council's meeting is important in our street, because so many things should be settled, but about that later." The woman relaxed a little bit. It was her show after all. "For me, as a host and the head of your council, the most important thing is to make sure that everybody would enjoy themselves and have a really good time."

People around the garden cheered and clapped their hands. Amanda smiled even wider. She loved ovations and happy faces in her house. But there was still that one thing, which she had to do. She sighted quickly.

"Thank you, thank you." She nodded to the crowd. "But as you all already know tonight is kind of special. We have new neighbors, which everyone was so interested to meet and I'm really happy to have them with us tonight. I hope you'll all be kind and friendly and they will be a good audition to our community. Let me introduce you Kurt and Blaine."

And then everybody went crazy. The crowed gathered around the boys. Everybody wanted at least to say hi and introduce themselves. Other ones tried to get as much information as they could: age, collages, friends, families, interests… Even relationship status. At this point Kurt and Blaine just laughed and said something about being young and independent. It was funny how much of a lie it was and they were lying in the house of the woman, who actually knew the truth. But Amanda was grateful that they didn't start to scream out loud: 'Hey, we're gay and married. We're going to mess around with you.'

Amanda watched how Kurt and Blaine tried to stay as close as possible to each other, but it didn't really work. One group of people took Blaine and the other one took Kurt and they were separated. The woman saw how desperately they needed each other. Of course both of them stayed calm and easily chatted with other people, but she could see how they were watching each other all the time. Amanda thought that it was really cute.

Some time later the woman was leaning at the table in her kitchen and drinking water. She was planning on starting to talk about the main problems and events they had to discus in a few minutes. Even if everybody was so couch up on Kurt and Blaine they still came here to get some news and express their opinion about an upcoming summer closing picnic. Talking about business looked much better to Amanda.

"Oh my gash, I love you Amanda!"

Gwen stormed into the kitchen with the most excited smile on her face. Her cheeks were slightly flush and eyes were burning. She quickly took a glass of water and drank it immediately. Then she sighted, turned back to Amanda and widely smiled to her.

"They are the best, Am. You can't imagine how flirty that Blaine guy is." She silently giggled. "And Kurt is such a sweetheart. He even complimented me!"

"He did?" Amanda lifted her eyebrow. "

"Of course. He said that my dress was awesome and I looked hot in it. Can you believe it?"

"Probably…" Amanda honestly didn't know what to say.

"Oh, and I won't probably come back home tonight, so if my husband ask, tell him that I'm with Katy."

Something in Gwen's eyes glittered and she smiled again. Amanda curiously looked at her. It wasn't good at all. Gwen usually did stuff like this, it wasn't something special. But the younger woman just had that feeling inside that it has to do something with Kurt and Blaine.

"And where are you really going to be?" She asked her friend.

"With Blaine of course."

"What?" Amanda almost screamed it. It couldn't be true.

"Oh, don't be so jealous and surprised." Gwen waved her hand in front of Amanda's face. "He was checking me out all night. I just have to show him that I'm not so hard to get and he'll go for it."

"I'm sure he won't, Gwen." Amanda grabbed her friend's hand when she wanted to go away. "Just listen to me… I can't tell you why, but Blaine won't be your one night stand. Ever."

Gwen turned at Amanda and looked at her suspiciously. 'Oh, crap…' the woman thought.

"Is everything ok, Am?" Gwen asked softly.

Amanda nodded. What else she could do? After a few moments starring Gwen sat down at her friend's kitchen table looking mysteriously at Amanda, sighted and pointed at the chair in front of her. Amanda understood that there was no way back now. She had to have this conversation with her best friend and Gwen was the one who knew perfectly well, when Amanda was lying.

"Spill it out." Gwen said after Amanda finally sat at the table.

"I don't know what you want to hear…" She tried to won some more time to create an explanation.

"Kurt and Blaine." Gwen crossed her arms. "You know something. Tell me."

"I can't…" Amanda looked at the table.

"Why?"

Gwen's voice made her shiver. It was strong and interested, but it also was worried. The woman really didn't want to make friend worry, but revealing the boys' secret when they just started trusting her was too much. She couldn't lie to Gwen, so just decided to be honest.

"I can't tell you, because it's their secret. Not mine. When they want, they'll tell you. Or you'll realized that yourself. I don't know." Amanda looked in her friend's eyes. "Don't make me betray them. I'm not like you."

A concern on Gwen's quickly changed to a hurt. She was clearly offended. Both women stayed silent for a few minutes. Amanda knew that she shouldn't have said that about her friend, but it just somehow came out and she couldn't take the words back. However, it was true. Gwen was a blabber mouth and she just naturally can't keep secrets. Despite that Amanda still felt a little guilty.

"Fine." Gwen stood up. "If you don't want to share it, keep it to yourself, but you know what? It's killing you. You maybe think that I'm dump and can't see that, but I was sure that something was up since the day you told me that you know Kurt and Blaine."

Was it so obvious? Amanda kept starring at the table. She wanted to take her best friend's hand and tell her the whole story, but she just knew that it would turn her world upside down. She didn't want that.

"I'm maybe talkative, but I've never thought that you don't trust me. I thought you knew I was there for you and I still am." Gwen sighted. "Ok, stay on yourself, but please, make sure that the secret you keep won't cause any danger for you."

"So your dad is working with cars?" Tom asked Kurt giving him another shot of whiskey. "Does he own a garage or something?"

"Yeah, he has a garage and a shop." Kurt smiled at Amanda's husband and took his drink. His head was already starting to spin for too much drinking, because everyone knew he met offered to have a drink with them and he just couldn't say no. "I practically grew up in there"

"It's really nice that you get a long with your father." Tom leaned in the fence they were standing at. "I'd like to have a relationship with my son too, but I'm always work or something. It's hard to find time."

"I think there's always enough time. We just need to really want to be with someone." Kurt looked at Blaine, which was standing on the other side of the garden chatting with some old ladies, and smiled, but made it small that Tom couldn't spot it. "For example kids."

"How do you know? You're just a kid yourself." Tom laughed and took one more shot of whiskey.

"Well, let's say my wisdom is natural."

"Yeah right. " The man laughed again. "But I'm glad there's some young heads here with your fresh ideas."

They chatted a little bit longer about their families and cars. Kurt didn't really like talking about cars even if he knew a lot about them, but he needed to keep a conversation with Tom, so he just played a long. Some time later he saw how Blaine separated from the group of women and started heading towards him and Tom.

"Oh, look who's here!" Tom shouted a bit too loud. The alcohol was totally making an effect on him. "Your buddy is coming here."

Kurt froze a little. He wasn't used to people calling Blaine his 'buddy'. That word was just so unfamiliar to him. But he still kept smiling seeing his husband coming to him. He already felt safer with Blaine's eyes on him.

"Kurt!" Blaine shouted at Kurt running through the crowd. His voice range was also affected by the alcohol. "Honey, do you have my phone? I can't find it and I want to show those kind ladies my…"

Blaine stopped in front of Kurt and he pressed his palm on the man's mouth. 'Shit…' he thought. Kurt was clearly panicking. He looked around and saw that no one was watching them, so it meant that nobody heard Blaine calling him his honey. He sighted and took his hand of Blaine.

"Stop drinking, Blaine. Your mouth is starting to say things that you shouldn't." He hissed to his husband. "And I don't have your phone. You must have left him at home."

Blaine was just about to say something, when he stopped. Kurt looked at him and then turned around. Oh, right. Tom… He was still leaning in the same fence and looking suspiciously at the boys. It was so not was they were expecting. He looked almost angry.

"How have you just called him?" He said going towards the boys. "Have you just called him 'honey'?"

"No… I-I didn't…" Blaine muttered silently. "You heard wrong."

"I don't think so…"

Now they were getting a lot of attention. More and more people were starting to stare at two boys and Tom talking. They weren't angry or something. They looked just curious.

"So, who are you to each other?" Tom crossed his arms. "And don't think that I'm that dump. Who is Blaine to you, Kurt?"

"I… Am…" Kurt looked at Blaine looking for some help, but his eyes just said what they always said: be true to yourself. "He's… He's my best friend, but is not just that."