Chapter 3

The two weeks by the lake slipped by much too fast for everyone’s liking. Most of their things were already packed, suitcases waiting only for their toothbrushes and PJs. The last evening was one of the warmest during their stay, and it was decided it would have been a shame to waste it sitting inside, so they put the barbecue to use one last time.

Kurt excused himself from manning the grill, only supervising his father and Finn as they flipped the steaks. Blaine and Carole spent the evening doing nothing, except eating and refilling an occasional empty glass, barely even moving from their deckchairs.

‘Blaine, I was thinking,’ Burt said as dusk began falling over Port Clinton, ‘you could come and stay a few days at our place, if you want to, you know, before you have to go back to school. Kurt was saying the other day you two still have loads of movies to watch.’

For a second Blaine stayed silent, his eyes snapping up to Kurt’s. He didn’t have to say anything to pass the question to his friend, and Kurt nodded infinitesimally in response.

‘Actually,’ Blaine started, ‘I was thinking of transferring to McKinley for my sophomore year.’

Burt, Carole and Finn’s jaws dropped in the exact same moment.

‘But, honey, why would you transfer? I heard Dalton’s a really great school,’ Carole asked, furrowing her brows.

‘I guess, it’s because I have friends at McKinley. I mean, I have Kurt and his friends.’ Blaine shrugged, dropping his gaze to his empty plate.

Carole patted him affectionately on the shoulder. Since she’d met him and got to know his story, she couldn’t grasp how any parent could be as unfeeling and negligent towards their own son. Her heart broke anew every time she thought of that. And the boy was such a sweetheart.

‘Wouldn’t you have to live in Lima to go to McKinley?,’ Finn said.

Burt nodded in agreement.

‘That’s right. What are you gonna do about that?’

‘I have an aunt who lives in Lima.’ The surprise on Burt’s face prodded him to continue. ‘There’s no guarantee she’s going to let me move in with her, I haven’t seen her in years. My family isn’t exactly close, as you already know.’ He winced at his own words.

‘If there’s any problem with that, you know we’re here to help you, right, kid?,’ Burt said solemnly.

Blaine smiled sadly with a curt nod. He was absolutely convinced that the warmth he felt had nothing to do with high air temperature or the dying embers in the barbecue.

‘So what’s your aunt’s name? She could be a client at the shop,’ Burt went on. ‘She an Anderson?’

‘No, she’s my Mom’s sister. Her name’s Aileen Young, she’s a shrink, as far as I know.’

‘I’ve heard about her,’ Carole said. ‘Good things, so maybe it’s going to be fine.’

She sent Blaine an encouraging smile and squeezed his arm.

‘Have you told your parents about this?,’ Burt asked, more interested by Blaine’s situation than the boy’s own father had ever been.

‘Not yet, I think I should contact Aunt Aileen first.’

Burt nodded solemnly. ‘Well, we can help with that, too.’

Blaine couldn’t recall when – if – he had ever felt so profoundly cared about.

***

The boys entered their room in silence, Kurt flicking the light on, and Blaine immediately collapsing on his bed. How come was he so tired, if he’d just spent two weeks doing absolutely nothing? He let out the air from his lungs in a long sigh, putting his hands over his face. The mattress next to him bent under Kurt’s weight.

‘Hm?’ Blaine could feel a question hanging in air.

‘You’re really, really convinced about that, right?’ Kurt voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Blaine removed his hands to look at his friend, and squinted in the glaring electric light. It was clear that despite his full support, Kurt was still concerned. Understandably so.

‘Yeah, I am.’

They fell back into silence, as Kurt nodded his head up and down for a minute, wrapped up in his thoughts. He was truly happy his friend wanted to give up a safe, academically challenging school for a mediocre public one that crawled with bullies willing to literally throw anyone like them in the trash. It made him feel as if he really was important, even though so many people tried to tell him he was the precise opposite. He was grateful to Blaine for deciding to be with him at McKinley, but at the same time he felt selfish for the very same reason.

If only he could make sure they were both safe, everything would be perfect in the world.

‘It doesn’t matter what I say now, right?,’ Kurt broke the silence.

‘No, I don’t think so. But you can say it anyway.’

Kurt focused his eyes on his hands which he folded and unfolded in his lap, turning his thoughts around in his head for just a few seconds more.

‘I’m just worried about you.’ He looked up at Blaine, his eyes adding what he’d skipped in words.

‘I’m worried, too,’ Blaine sighed. ‘But going back to a public school doesn’t have to mean getting beat up again.’

‘You can’t know that.’ Kurt’s forehead creased with wrinkles of concern, his lips curled downwards. His best friend had already suffered enough; any thought of anything bad happening to him again was killing Kurt.

‘Hey, listen.’ Blaine pulled himself up to sit next to Kurt and draped his arm over his friend’s shoulders. ‘It’s going to be alright. If anyone gives us grief, we’ll report them to the principal. If they try to hurt us, we’ll fight back. We’re strong, right?’

Kurt nodded his agreement halfheartedly. Maybe those were empty promises, but they still comforted him a little bit. Not enough to convince him everything really was going to be fine, but enough to feel better for a moment.

‘You know I love you, right?,’ Blaine said, putting his head on Kurt’s shoulder.

‘I love you, too.’