Chapter 5

The choir room didn’t empty after the season was over. After all, it was always their little safe place and going back there a few times a week was comforting. It felt almost like home. The only person that didn’t seem to share the others’ reluctance to leave the Glee club until the next school year was Quinn. Nobody had seen her anywhere near the choir room since their return from New York.

Everybody else kept coming around, even though there were no more assignments and Mr Schue didn’t show up every time, too busy with finals. They would just sit around talking or play a random song, with Brittany and Mike coming up with a choreography on the spot and cracking everyone else up.

The summer vacation was just a week away, and seven of them were sitting scattered in the choir room. Nobody knew where exactly Mike, Tina, Mercedes and Sam had gone, but it didn’t really matter. They weren’t saying goodbye yet, and they weren’t doing anything productive anyway. Even Rachel wasn’t trying to force them to start preparing for next year’s sectionals for once.

‘You know what?,’ Puck broke the comfortable silence. ‘I’m gonna drive to California in the summer.’

‘What? Isn’t that like- a few thousand miles away?,’ Finn asked, gaping at his friend.

Puck nodded.

‘2,241 miles to LA, I checked.’

‘And you’re going to drive there? Alone, all the way?,’ Kurt said incredulously. He wouldn’t have pegged Noah for the type that drives across a continent with nobody to keep him company.

Puck didn’t answer for a moment, absently hitting the strings on his guitar.

‘I kinda thought some of you guys would wanna tag along.’ He shrugged.

‘Why do you want to go to California at all? Apart from the half-naked chicks and all that, I mean,’ Santana cut in.

‘No college’s gonna accept me, and my pool-cleaning business is doing great, so maybe I’ll go there when I graduate and expand into Puckerman & co.,’ he explained.

Finn and Blaine looked impressed, the others were slightly doubtful, but only Santana was bold enough to voice the uncertainty.

‘They’ve got thousands of little Puckermans in LA, Mr Pool Cleaner.’

Puck didn’t seem discouraged in the slightest.

‘So I’m going for the chicks. Anyone going with me?’

They exchanged looks. Kurt had to admit that going to California was a far more appealing alternative than yet another trip to the lakes. After all, it was California. He’d maybe get to seat least one more of great American cities, and if Blaine was going, too, nothing else would be necessary to convince Kurt.

‘Is your mom fine with this plan of yours, Noah?,’ Rachel asked cautiously, making Puck wince a little.

‘She wants me to take someone responsible with me, so I don’t end up in juvie again,’ he admitted.

‘And you consider us responsible, that’s touching,’ Kurt said with a tinge of mockery in his voice.

Blaine scanned everybody’s expressions. Despite their doubts and uncertainties, they all seemed excited by the prospect of spending at least a couple of weeks together on the road. Santana and Brittany were whispering and giggling between themselves, Kurt’s forehead lined in thought. Finn was smiling goofily, while Rachel tried to get his attention; she succeeded only by smacking him on the shoulder.

No matter what they were saying, they were all excited the opportunity presented itself for them. Blaine’s lips lifted at one of the corners. He liked the idea, too.

‘Puck, so how many free spots do you have?,’ he asked.

***

Before dispersing to their respective homes it was decided they were all in, and apart from Puck’s old sedan, they would take Kurt’s Navigator. If only their parents give them thumbs up.

So their task for the last week of school suddenly became getting all their moms, dads and one aunt to say yes to their undertaking. Mr and Mrs Pierce were a little worried Brittany wouldn’t be safe, but after Santana promised she’d take good care of their daughter and them having a chat with the rest of the kids, they agreed. Santana’s mother only expressed her deepest hope she wouldn’t become a grandmother within the next nine months and gave her daughter her blessing.

Rachel’s dads conducted a long, detailed discussion about contraception with their daughter, before hugging her tightly. She later confessed to Kurt she’d never felt as mortified and she wished she could get that memory erased once and for all from her brain.

Blaine decided against talking to his parents about the matter. He hadn’t heard from them since early spring, and couldn’t even say he missed them. Neither him, nor Aileen ever questioned him staying in Lima over the summer. Blaine wasn’t sure he was able to imagine going back now, even if for a short few weeks.

It was a Thursday evening, and he was helping her set the table for dinner, when it seemed like a good moment to ask her about the trip.

‘Aunt?,’ he started quietly.

‘Yes, Blaine?’ She could feel there was something on his mind, but had decided to let him pick the right time to bring it up. ‘What is it?’

He waited until she put away the knife she was chopping vegetables for the salad with, just in case. He didn’t want her to cut off her fingers in shock, or stab him, even though he was quite positive she wouldn’t react that way.

‘Um- We- I mean, a few people from Glee, we have this idea to go to California for a couple of weeks in the summer,’ he blurted out.

‘California, huh? Whose idea was it?,’ Aileen asked calmly. That was a good start, and Blaine hoped it would stay that way.

‘Puck’s, originally. But there are seven of us, it’s me, Kurt, Finn, Rachel, Puck, Santana and Brittany. And I thought I could maybe see Cooper.’

Aileen took a moment to attach Blaine’s friends’ names to the respective faces.

‘Are you sure Puck won’t get you all into juvie?,’ she asked with hesitation.

‘That’s the point, he wants us to come, so we won’t let him go back to juvie. Or rather, his mom wants that. But he really wants us to go!,’ he hurried to add.

It took a little effort on Aileen’s part to hold back a smile.

‘So Kurt’s going, too?’

‘If Burt and Carole say yes, he is,’ Blaine said, his voice hopeful.

This time, Aileen had to pretend she was still busy with the salad to hide the smug grin that arched her lips.

‘It wouldn’t be this important, if he wasn’t going,’ she stated finally. She expected him to try and deny it, so it surprised her when he stayed silent.

He was standing in the middle of the dining area, dumbstruck, as she turned around to face him.

‘You know,’ he said finally, his voice strained. ‘Of course you know.’

Blaine flopped onto the nearest chair with a sigh. It was something that had been worrying him for months. What would his aunt do if she knew he was in love with Kurt? Would she play mind games on one or the other? He wouldn’t suspect her of that, but then again, she could be sneaky enough for him not to notice.

‘I know,’ she admitted eventually, dragging out a chair and sitting in front of him. ‘I’ve known since he asked you to prom. But I would never do anything you wouldn’t want me to, you know that?’

He nodded slowly, not quite sure she convinced him. Obviously, she would never hurt him purposefully, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

‘You can go, as long as you promise to be responsible, and give me daily updates. And make sure there’s always a designated driver. And don’t drive for too long without a break.’

Blaine smiled broadly at her. Now all that was left was convincing the Hudson-Hummels.

‘I promise.’

Aileen squeezed his hand and got up.

‘He’d be a fool if he never fell for you, too, you know?,’ she said, casting him a little encouraging smile.

‘He’s not a fool. But I hope you’re right.’

***

‘You wanna drive to California?,’ Burt Hummel asked his sons with disbelief. ‘Don’t you think you’re a little young for a trip across the country?’

‘But Dad-,’ Kurt groaned.

His father raised a finger to silence him. Carole preferred to stay quiet for the moment and watch the situation unfold.

‘Finn, you were saying Rachel’s going, huh?,’ Burt asked, scanning his stepson’s suddenly terrified expression.

‘Yeah, she is,’ Kurt cut in, helping out his brother, who was apparently temporarily incapable of forming a coherent answer.

Burt and Carole exchanged a look of slight disgruntlement on his part and concern on hers. It was clear what was on their minds, they could just as easily have it spelled out on their foreheads.

‘God, it’s not like they’re going to California to fornicate,’ Kurt snorted, which earned him a glare from his brother. Finn didn’t get much heat when their parents learnt about his sexual escapades with Santana, but he still didn’t entirely forgive his brother for letting them know that.

‘At least with you we don’t have to worry that you’ll knock someone up,’ Burt said. ‘And Blaine’s going, too, right?’

Kurt’s cheeks flushed, the room rapidly becoming unbearably hot.

‘What does that have to do with anything?,’ he asked, sudden terror gripping his throat. He could swear Finn didn’t pick up on it, clueless as ever, but the look that crossed Carole’s face was strangely suspicious, as she glanced quickly at her husband.

Burt raised his hand defensively.

‘Nothing, just askin’, you know, then it’d be two responsible kids that won’t run around impregnating girls,’ he hurried to explain.

Kurt wasn’t that easily deceived, but he let it slide.

‘Yes, Blaine’s coming with us. He wants to see his brother in LA.’

Trying to contain a little smile that was forcing its way onto Burt’s lips, he turned to his wife to whisper a question to her. She answer with a curt nod.

‘So you’re saying the other parents have agreed to this?,’ he asked one more time.

Kurt and Finn confirmed in unison.

‘Alright then. I’ll talk to them first, but I guess you can go.’ Burt paused dramatically. ‘Under one condition.’ It was obvious his sons where dreading the continuation. ‘A month of pro bono work at the garage when you get back. Both of you.’

They sighed with relief. It could be worse than getting a little dirty and greasy at the shop.

***

‘What’s going on with Kurt and Blaine?,’ Carole whispered to her husband the moment she was sure the boys were upstairs, locked securely in their respective bedrooms. She was positive there was something she was missing.

‘They’re kinda- in love,’ Burt said as subtly as he could muster.

Carole’s brow furrowed.

‘You mean- they’re boyfriends now? Why didn’t I know that?’

Her voice rose a little too high and Burt shushed her with a gesture.

‘They’re not boyfriends. Yet. We think it’s a matter of time.’

‘We who?’ Carole’s confusion was increasing instead of diminishing.

‘Aileen and I.’

His wife gave Burt a smirk.

‘Aileen and you. So what are you, playing matchmakers?,’ she asked half amused, half concerned. ‘Is this why you said yes so easily?’

Burt rolled his eyes at her.

‘No, I said yes because they’re kids and they have to have a little bit of fun, especially after- you know- They had a rough year.’

She couldn’t disagree with that.

‘But we are hoping they do get together, aren’t we?,’ Carole ventured saying.

Burt’s face lit up in a wide grin.

‘Sure we are, honey.’