Dinner was served, as Kurt had been told, at seven o'clock sharp. Kurt walked through the doors of the cafeteria with his dad and Carole trailing behind. He knew he should be embarrassed to have his�parents�with him, but although the last thing he needed was for his future classmates to think he was a daddy's boy, he felt comforted by the fact that he wasn't alone.

The cafeteria had the same interior style as the rest of the school, with varying shades of mahogany and cherry wood. There were four long tables in the large room, one for each grade. The freshmen's table was on the left side of the room by a creamy white wall. To the right was the table for the sophomores, and beyond that, the juniors. The senior table was located on the right side of the room, closest to the windows; apparently around here, age gained you respect and meant more privileges. Kurt supposed it was because the older you were, the more work you had done. After all, Dalton's slogan was "Dalton Academy: Where time and effort will be rewarded," as Kurt knew well after reading all the brochures.

The dinner hall was emptier than Kurt would've expected, he observed as he crossed the room to join the line-up for food. The freshman table was the busiest: about a fourth of it was occupied, and from the snippets of conversation Kurt caught, there were some sophomores at that table too. The senior table was the emptiest, followed closely by the junior table. Kurt supposed that seventeen and eighteen year old guys had better things to do with their Saturday evenings than spend them in their school's lunch room.

Kurt was surprised when he reached the head of the line and was served a plate of hasselback potatoes with pork steak and red wine sauce. It all seemed too fancy, even for a private school. The lunch lady on the other side of the counter apparently noticed his frown and lack of uniform.

"Saturdays are the only days for fancy dinners," she explained as she spooned a couple of potatoes onto to Kurt's plate.

"Most kids are home with their families, visiting friends, out having fun… who knows? We can afford to spice it up a bit, once a week."

Kurt nodded and thanked the woman for the food. He followed the flow of students to the salad bar, eyeing his options. There was some sad-looking lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad, and a few chopped up vegetable and bean mixtures, but Kurt settled for some defrosted peas.

He poured himself a glass of water and absorbed the new atmosphere. It was rather calm, with a few quiet conversations going on here and there and a couple of people laughing at a joke, almost bending over their table in mirth. Kurt had to smile at the sight. There was the clinking of cutlery against porcelain, and the slight humming of the heating engine keeping the food warm. As Kurt watched the boys, some of whom were in uniform and some dressed casually, because weekends and weekdays past nine were uniform-optional, he was struck by how at ease everyone was. For some reason, he'd expected to see a line of stiff statues cutting their food mechanically, but instead, he saw people who were�home. Kurt longed for the day when he'd feel the same way, and hoped it would be soon.

Kurt made his way over to the junior's table, where his parents were saving a seat for him before they went to get food themselves. Kurt wasn't sure why they felt the need to do that though, because it wasn't like they wouldn't be able to find enough empty seats. He set his plate down on the navy blue table cloth and slid his legs over the bench one at a time.

As soon as he was seated, he made eye-contact with Sebastian, who was sitting over at the seniors' table with a couple of guys. When they locked eyes, Kurt watched as Sebastian interrupted his companions, who were right in the middle of something. Sebastian mumbled a response to their questioning gazes and excused himself. He rose gracefully, gaze focused firmly on Kurt, and strode purposefully towards him, accompanied by his charming smile. His abandoned friends looked on interestedly, one of them turning in his seat to take a look at Kurt.

Sebastian had to walk around the long table to get to Kurt, and as he did, Kurt took the opportunity to inspect his two friends. One of them was insanely blonde and the other had dark brown hair and a round, kind face. It looked as if the latter smiled a lot, laugh lines permanently dancing around his mouth and eyes, although at the moment his facial expression was settling into a leery frown. Kurt saw the blonde one mumble something under his breath, and dark haired guy nodded in confirmation. Kurt's brow furrowed, but he was distracted by Sebastian, who was now hovering beside him.

Sebastian slipped into the seat across from Kurt and casually leaned an elbow on the table. He toyed with a small object in his upraised hand. Kurt's eyes were immediately drawn to it, and he watched the flat round thing twist round and round in between those long, slender fingers. It looked like a coin, but it was made of wood: dark wood, almost black. There was a symbol on it too, but Kurt couldn't make it out.

The kind smile on Sebastian's lips froze as he watched Kurt stare at the piece of wood in his hand, and he stopped spinning it instantly, covering it in a tight fist. Kurt met his eyes then, his expression belaying his confusion, but Sebastian only laughed awkwardly.

"About the bedding," Sebastian began, clearing his throat in a not-so-subtle way as he changed Kurt's focus.

"I've told Mrs. Cummings that your parents are staying for the night, and she said she would have someone arrange it during the meal."

"Thank you," Kurt replied, sawing through his steak with the dull knife and swallowing a couple of mushed peas.

"That's very kind, even though it's not at all necessary."

"It wasn't any trouble," Sebastian interjected hurriedly. Realising his unnecessary urgency, he laughed awkwardly at his small outburst.

Kurt stopped mid-chew, and stared at Sebastian, wondering why the hell he was so edgy all of a sudden. He'd seemed perfectly normal not an hour earlier.

"Anyway…" Sebastian continued, "All the supplies will be ready in your room as soon as you've finished eating; you just have to set them up. A folding cot, an extra set of sheets… stuff like that."

"Great," Kurt said stiffly, making Sebastian shift a little in his seat before excusing himself.

Kurt watched him through narrowed eyes as he made his way back to his table. Instead of sitting down, he patted the dark haired guy's shoulder and leaned in to say something. For a split second, Kurt was sure that the blonde guys' eyes met his. For a moment Kurt worried that Sebastian was talking about him, but he quickly waved the thought off.

Don't be silly. Why would he do that?

Maybe the blonde had felt Kurt's scrutiny and was curious about the new boy. He had flicked his eyes away suspiciously quickly though.

Kurt didn't get the chance to ponder the matter further as his dad and Carole arrived at the table, carrying their plates and speaking happily about what a wonderful school Dalton seemed to be. Kurt listened in silence.

000

Jolted awake by a strange touch, Kurt sat straight up in his bed. He was panting and his head was spinning. The room was pitch dark, and the only light in the room came from occasional lightning bolts in the storm outside the window. Kurt lay back down on the bed exhaustedly, his drowsy eyes shifting to the side. His tired gaze found his dad lying sprawled out beside him. It was his dad's arm, tossed recklessly over Kurt in his sleep, that had startled Kurt awake.

Kurt hugged his pillow, watching his dad sleep heavily beside him. He wasn't used to sharing his bed with someone else, so the warmth and comfort were strange to him. He closed his eyes again, willing the sound of pattering rain to lull him back to sleep, because he'd need it for tomorrow when they were had to move all of his stuff into his new room.

A second later, there a loud crash split the quiet, as if something made of glass had fallen to the floor and shattered. Kurt's eyes flew open again, expecting to see Carole heading back from the bathroom or something, but when he scanned the dark room, nothing was out of place. Carole was lying in the folding cot by the end of the bed, apparently as fast-asleep as his dad. She and Burt had argued before going to sleep about who would share a bed with Kurt and who would sleep on the temporary bed. After a heated argument, Carole had won, so Kurt wasn't surprised to see her asleep in the cot

Yet something had caused that shrill sound, and it had been too loud to come from another room.

"Hello?" Kurt called quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. Of course, he got no reply.

Suddenly, soft music filled the room. It was sweet, like a lyric-less lullaby. Kurt became even more confused and thought it must be a dream or his imagination. He strained his ears and listened more intently, but he couldn't make out from where the sound was coming from.

Maybe it's coming from another room,�he thought, but something was tugging inside of him, and he knew he should investigate the matter further.

For some reason, he didn't. Instead, he dropped his head sleepily back onto his pillow and closed his eyes. He knew something was wrong, especially when he thought he heard low grunts and shuffling sounds from across the room, but he didn't move. He couldn't. He felt too tired and too sleepy, and the soothing of the lullaby was too sweet for him to care.

Kurt was feeling drowsier and drowsier, and he was powerless to stop listening to the melody as it switched keys from bright and cheerful to deep and mournful. As the notes grew heavier, so did Kurt's head. He knew he should find out where the music came from, but he felt like he couldn't move. Soon, Kurt was drifting into a deep, peaceful sleep.

000

It was past noon the next day when all of Kurt's things were finally in his dorm room, and Burt and Carole were ready to leave. The storm had mostly blown over, and the light drizzle that had haunted the morning had drifted away. The clouds no longer looked like they were packed into the sky. With any luck, they'd be having sunshine by that evening.

Kurt, accompanied by Sebastian, was standing in the gravel yard in front of the school, waving his parents off. Carole had run back into the school because she'd forgotten her purse among the many boxes, so Kurt got a moment alone with his dad to say goodbye.

"It's just a little over three months," Burt reminded him. "See it as practice, okay? New York will be much further away."

"But it's not the same," Kurt murmured brokenly into his dad's shoulder. "I don't�want�to be here. I wasn't ready to leave yet; I was supposed to have one more year."

"I know, kid," Burt nodded, and momentarily tightened the embrace before letting go. "But if it still feels as hard in a couple of days, you know Carole and I – maybe even Finn – will be out here first thing. There are always weekends, you know."

The air was humid, almost wet in the aftermath of the storm, which was probably why Kurt hadn't noticed that tears had started to fall down his cheeks. He sniffled, wiping his eyes in an attempt to act like he was okay with it all.

"It's alright, Dad. I'll probably be fine as soon as I get some time alone, to think and get used to this."

"Okay." Burt offered a smile and wiped his son's damp cheeks. "Just don't let Carole see that you've been cryin' or the real waterworks will begin. The storm will have been nothin' in comparison."

Kurt giggled with his dad, feeling a little better. He was only vaguely aware of Sebastian hovering in the background and wouldn't have noticed him at all but for the light crunching of gravel as his feet moved restlessly.

Carole came out shortly after. She definitely didn't make it through her goodbye with dry eyes. Funnily enough, Kurt was the one doing to comforting this time.

"It's like Dad said; I'll be home soon enough," Kurt said gently, squeezing Carole's arm.

"I know. I'll just miss you, and your perfect filet mignon, and your brilliant parmesan souffl�. And who's gonna tell me if my outfit is clashing? Burt? Or…�Finn?"

Kurt smiled adoringly at his stepmother because he was so proud of her. "If you're unsure, you can always send me a text and I'll guide you through it. Classes at Dalton never start before nine."

"Thanks, Kurt."

Going in for one last hug, Carole tried to recover from her little breakdown.

"Take care," she said, her hand gently placed on Kurt's cheek.

"You, too."

Carole moved almost reluctantly towards the car and sat down in the passenger seat. The door thudded twice; once when she opened it and once, a little louder, when she pulled it closed behind her. The sky and the trees were reflected on the window in shadows of white and gray.

Burt looked out across the fields before turning his head up to the sky, as if to determine whether the weather would stay calm or if there was a hint of danger among the clouds. He was standing next to the driver's door, and turned to aim one last smile and wave at his son- who smiled and raised his hand, too- before slipping into the car.

There was a bit of muffled shuffling inside the car before the engine started, and then the car slowly pulled onto the road and drove away.

Kurt watched as the car got smaller and smaller on the straight road. Finally, he registered another presence somewhere behind him.

"You okay, kid?" Sebastian asked quietly, bumping Kurt's shoulder with his.

"Yeah," Kurt said, voice crackling. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm fine."

Sebastian nodded, threw an arm around Kurt's shoulder, and began to lead him back inside.

"There are some people I think you'd like to meet," he said, directing Kurt to one of the common rooms in the east wing.

The room was on the first floor, and instead of taking a left off of the entrance hall as Kurt had in his tour, they took a right. This common room was quite small, and would probably feel crowded if two groups of friends were there at the same time. Two couches and two large armchairs were arranged around a low coffee table. The wall on the opposite side of the room was dominated by high, old windows, the kind that were hand-blown and wavy and hard to see through. Despite their age, Kurt could see and hear the raindrops sliding down the windows' panes, and realized that it was raining slightly again.

Four guys were already in the room when Kurt and Sebastian arrived. The blonde and the brunette from the cafeteria were both there, and both reclined on the floor in front of the crackling fire. The two boys Kurt didn't recognize were each sitting on one of the couches. The first boy was slightly and chubby, and he sprawled across the furniture, looking sleepy or just really bored. The other one, a guy with dirty blonde hair and long, lean limbs, sat on the couch with his legs folded under him, holding a book in his hands. It looked more like a novel he was reading for entertainment than something handed out for studies.

Sebastian cleared his throat to announce their arrival, and all four turned their heads to look up at the two boys in the doorway. The blonde by the fire gave Kurt a bright smile which lit up his whole face, but the other three seemed more cautious.

The cheerful blonde was quick to get on his feet and approach Sebastian and Kurt. Kurt was expecting the usual, polite handshake, but instead the guy surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug. Kurt hugged him back a little unsurely. Sebastian laughed out loud at the gesture, which only seemed to make the blonde happier as he pulled away.

"I'm Jeff," the blonde beamed, and Kurt saw the brunette by the fire roll his eyes.

"Kurt," Kurt replied.

Despite the omnipresent rain and the careful look on the other guys' faces, the room oozed a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The school was probably decorated that way, Kurt thought.

Jeff skipped back to the fire - literally�skipped; what was he, a puppy? -and the other guy rose to his feet. Kurt moved forward to meet him halfway. They shook hands formally, which made Kurt less uncomfortable than the previous greeting, but for some reason Kurt couldn't decide which exchange preferred.

"I'm Nick," he said, and then shot a glance over his shoulder. "Jeff is… quite special. He's my best bro. But Baz is my bro, too, and I look out for my people," Nick said seriously.

"I'm sure you do," Kurt replied, not sure whether or not that was supposed to be a threat But why would Nick think he would pose any sort of danger?

"Okay, let's not spook poor Kurt on his very first day," Sebastian laughed lightly while taking a seat in one of the armchairs. Kurt followed him and took a seat on the couch next to the guy who had now returned to his book.

Kurt learned that the sleeping-or-perhaps-bored guy's name was Trent, and the guy deeply immersed in his�fifth�reading of Moby Dick was Cadence. Since Cadence had been teased all his life for having a girl's name, he asked kindly for Kurt to call him Cade, like his friends at Dalton did. Kurt smiled reassuringly at him; he knew all about being teased for being girly.

The night turned out to be surprisingly pleasant for Kurt, who didn't once think about his Dad or Carole or Glee Club or anything else he had just left behind. For the first time since he found out that he was transferring to a new school, Kurt didn't worry so much about not fitting it. He felt like as soon as he stepped into his uniform and classes began, he would blend in just like every other student. He thought about how well he would mix into the sea of blue blazers with red piping and red crests.

Of course, Kurt had yet to realize that not all students fit into his vision, because not all students were allowed to wear their crest in red.