The next day, Blaine had bombarded Kurt's phone with text messages, phone calls, and voicemails. Anything to get his attention. He didn't know what he was going to say or how he was going to go about getting him back. He was so mean and cruel to Kurt yesterday what could he say? And how am I supposed to bring up the fact that not only was I drugged, but I had sex with James, and, oh yeah, sorry for making it sound like everything was your fault? "Man, I really screwed this up."

"Screwed what up?" David asked in the library.

"Oh. Sorry. I thought I said that in my head."

"Do you need help with Math or something?"

"Uh, no. Thanks, I already had my Calculus exam yesterday."

"Then what did you screw up?"

Blaine licked his lips and thought about whether or not he should talk to his friend about what is going through his head. "This thing with Kurt."

When David really looked at Blaine's face, he saw that his eyes were red like he'd barely slept in days.

"I fucked up so bad. I finally have a hold on it, I think, but now I have to figure out a way to get Kurt back."

"Why did you break up with him in the first place? You were really mean to him."

"Truth? I was blackmailed, but I got out of it."

"Blackmailed? With what?"

"I- I don't really want to talk about it."

"Dude, you already are. I know it has something to do with James because of how you took off with him last night and I know it has something to do with the party because of how you freaked out in your room. So-" he gasped. "Oh my god! Holy shit!" David was much smarter than he let on. He was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together really quickly.

"Shh!" Blaine exclaimed.

"Dude, tell me you didn't." Blaine stayed silent. "With James?" Still silent. "How could you cheat on Kurt?"

"It's not exactly a point of pride, David. As I said, I don't want to talk about it. I'm not even sure I really understand what happened completely. I haven't let myself have time to process much other than I cheated on Kurt. My main concern is figuring out a way to get Kurt's attention long enough to explain."

"And then?"

"Beg and beg some more."

"He's a reasonable guy, Blaine. He'll understand it wasn't your fault when you tell him you were drugged. You'll have the tox-screen to prove it, for Christ-sakes."

"I have to be able to talk to him first. He's been ignoring my calls and texts all day."

"Why don't you just go to his school?"

"What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"What if he does?"

Blaine buried his head in his hands and talked into his palms. "Good god, what if he does. Gah!" He brushed his hand over his gelled comb over. "David, where do I even start?"

"The beginning?" David suggested.

"Start with what you remember and then what you don't remember. Then fill in the blanks with the truth. You can't hide all this from him. What's that saying? The truth will set you free?"

McKinley

The final bell rang at McKinley to signify the end of another day. Kurt gathered his things and walked to the door in a haze. He had been sitting next to Zach in class, but completely ignored everyone the entire day. He didn't do it on purpose. He just couldn't concentrate on anything.

"Kurt!" a voice came from behind him in the hallway. "Kurt! Kurt wait up! Kurt!"

Kurt jumped when he felt a gentle hand touching his own. He turned to see Zach still touching his hand when he got Kurt's attention. "Careful. People get slushied and tossed in the dumpster for much less than holding my hand," Kurt blandly said and took his hand back.

"I don't care."

Kurt was about to snap at him, but Zach cut him off. "Come to the choir room with me. I have something for you."

"Why?"

"Because you're hurting and I want to help, but I don't know how to. So, I want us to play music together. Is that okay?"

"Thanks, but I'm going home before glee rehearsal today."

"To do what? Sit alone in your room and listen to sad songs?" Kurt ignored Zach's concern and began to walk away. Zach took his hand again. "Come sit in the choir room with me. We can listen to all the sad songs you want. I'll give you a live performance of anything song you want on any instrument you want. Even the ones I don't know."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. We've been friends for almost a week now." Zach was smiling. He was trying his best to get Kurt to lighten his mood. He really was concerned for the fragile boy in front of him. Whatever Kurt needed, Zach thought being alone wasn't it.

"Okay, fine. I'll stay."

"Good!" he said still smiling. "Come on." Zach was still holding onto Kurt's hand. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because he felt that if he let go, Kurt would run away. So he kept holding on all the way to the choir room where he let go.

"I think today is the first time I didn't see you glued to your phone," Zach said as he went over to grab a guitar.

"I left it in my locker. Not really much of a reason to keep it on me during school hours now."

"Because you and Blaine broke up?"

"No, it's not bothering me at all. Let's just keep saying 'Blaine dumped me' out loud."

"I'm not trying to bother you or make you upset, but if it happened, you need to get used to the idea of it. Unless you want to stay miserable."

"Tell me again why you're my friend again? Because really you're just annoying me like any other time."

"Because I'm honest and I don't mind you berating me and because I do things like this…" Zach took a seat near Kurt and began strumming the guitar softly.

Have you lost your way?

Living in the shadow of the messes that you made

And so it goes

Everything inside your circle starts to overflow

Take a step before you leap

Into the colors that you seek

You get back what you give away

So don't look back on yesterday

Wanna scream out

No more hiding

Don't be afraid of what's inside

Wanna tell ya

You'll be all right

In the aftermath

Kurt recognized the song. Aftermath, by Adam Lambert. Kurt was a fan. It was a particularly moving song and he didn't know if he should be mad at Zach for singing something that is telling him to be strong and work through the pain, or be thankful that someone is telling him more than "I'm sorry, this sucks."

Anytime anybody pulls you down

Anytime anybody says you're not allowed

Just remember you're not alone

In the aftermath

Have you felt the weight

Of lies and contradictions that you live with everyday

Well it's not too late

Just think of what could be

If you re-write the role you play

Zach was looking Kurt right in the eyes, not closing his eyes for dramatic effect once because he really wanted Kurt to believe what he was singing. He felt that he should feel it odd that he wants to help the only person in this school that openly says that he's annoying and at times yells at him. Somehow that always made Kurt all the more appealing to him, enough to want to be his friend.

Take a step before you leap

Into the colors that you seek

You get back what you give away

So don't look back on yesterday

Wanna scream out

No more hiding

Don't be afraid of what's inside

Wanna tell ya

You'll be all right

In the aftermath

Kurt was everything Zach was looking for. Kurt was honest and good. He had all the best qualities of a person. Sitting there, watching Kurt try to keep himself together, it broke Zach's heart and he felt that he needed someone equally as honest to help support him in his time of need.

Anytime anybody pulls you down

Anytime anybody says you're not allowed

Just remember you're not alone

In the aftermath

Oh in the aftermath

Before you break you have to shed that armor

Take a trip and fall into the glitter

Tell a stranger that their beautiful

So all you'd feel is love

All you feel is love

Kurt felt a single tear roll down his cheek. There were many more that by all means should have followed, but Kurt was trying his best to hold them in. He didn't want to start blubbering in front of someone he'd only just become friends with. Kurt reminded himself that when the song was over, to be kinder to Zach.

Wanna scream out

No more hiding

Don't be afraid of what's inside

Wanna tell ya

You'll be all right

In the aftermath

Anytime anybody pulls you down

Anytime anybody says you're not allowed

Just remember you're not alone

No. In the aftermath

Oh, in the aftermath

Zach's strumming slowed and he spoke the final lines of the song in a sing-songy voice that held all the strength that the song was about.

You are not alone

You are not alone

Wanna scream out

No more hiding

Wanna scream out

No more hiding

"Thank you," Kurt said when it was over.

"Anytime," Zach replied. Zach kept eye contact with Kurt and stared into his oceanic blues like he was trying to tell him something telepathically. "It's okay for you to cry, you know. I can see you need to."

In in an instant, Kurt was scrunching his face up and the tears fell. Zach moved next to Kurt and put his arm around him, but that didn't seem to be as comforting as Zach had intended it to be, so he moved down to kneel in front of Kurt and he put his hands in Kurt's lap, rubbing the outter sides of Kurt's legs gently.

Kurt opened his eyes momentarily and saw the familiar pose that Blaine had done the first time he told him he loved him and it only made him cry harder. He couldn't get away from memories of Blaine. Everything reminded Kurt of him. He stood up, almost knocking Zach over, and tried to rush himself to the door, but Zach stopped him quickly and enveloped the broken hearted boy in his arms.

Zach stroked the hair at the nape of Kurt's neck and rubbed his back. He could feel Kurt's heart beat. It was erratic and loud. "Just let go. Let me be here for you," he lulled.

Unbeknownst to both boys, there were a pair of honey eyes, looking in on them with deep guilt, regret, hesitation, and with a loss for words or know-how on what to do next, other than watch the boy he loved and the boy he couldn't stand in each other's arms. Blaine had gotten out of his exams early for the day and took David up on his advice. His immediate thought was that Zach was taking advantage of the situation and trying to steal Kurt for himself, but immediately took the thought back because now was not the time for jealousy. He kept watching as Kurt shook and sobbed into Zach's shoulder until he backed himself away and was able to breath.

When Kurt stepped back, Zach kept hold on Kurt's arm just to show that he was still going to be there for him if he needed to collapse back onto him again. Kurt sniffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He wiped his tears and looked down at the floor. "Did that help?" Zach asked.

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out. "For now."

"Well, hey," Zach smiled closed mouthed. "I promised you any song you wanted whether I knew it or not. Is there a song that explains how you're feeling right now?"

Kurt nodded his head. "I keep thinking about the last time I kissed him. I didn't see this coming at all. We kissed goodbye like there'd be a million goodbyes after that one. After our first big fight, when he left in the middle of the night, I was so sure that THAT kiss was going to be our last. It just goes to show you that things never turn out the way you plan or hope."

"What song do you have in mind? Any song, we'll play it together if the sheet music is around here."

"Last kiss by Taylor Swift."

"You like country music?"

"Not really, but I like her. And we have her music in the cabinet over there. Rachel bought the music to her entire Speak Now album?"

"Why?"

"I think she wanted to sing Sparks Fly to Finn and she tried to get us to use Mean as a song at a competition." Kurt walked tentatively, purposely shaking his hands and arms doing a little wiggle move to shake out whatever was left of the sobs in his body. Blaine backed up a little so that he wouldn't be seen. Kurt took out the piano and guitar arrangements to Last Kiss and handed the guitar tabs to Zach.

"She's kind of intense about Finn, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she's good to him, for the most part. He's not the smartest guy so I think he just smiles and zones out for seventy five percent of her talking."

"That's not nice," Zach laughed.

"Well wouldn't you?" Kurt felt the corner of his right side of his mouth tugging up. I'm trying to smile? When did that happen? Kurt realized that Zach had successfully turned Kurt's mind away from his problems and was able to get him out of his shell enough to talk like a normal person.

He sat down at the piano and Zach started the guitar part first then Kurt joined in slow with the piano. He took a breath and began singing.

I still remember the look on your face

lit through the darkness at 1:58

the words that you whispered for just us to know

you told me you loved me

so why did you go

away

away

Blaine's eyes welled and he swallowed hard, trying to shove the lump in his throat down. I have to tell him everything. How am I going to do that? He's so broken already.

I do recall now, the smell of the rain

fresh on the pavement

I ran off the plane

that July ninth, the beat of your heart

it jumps through your shirt

I can still feel your arms

but now I'll go, sit on the floor

wearing your clothes

all that I know is I don't know

how to be something you miss

I never thought we'd have a last kiss

never imagined we'd end like this

your name, forever the name on my lips

Kurt started to zone out at this point of the song and smiled at the words he was singing, remembering all of the things the lyrics signified for them.

I do remember the swing of your step

the life of the party, you're showing off again

and I'd roll my eyes and then you'd pull me in

I'm not much for dancing, but for you I did

because I love your handshake, meeting my father

I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets

how you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something

there's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions

He shook his head and frowned again. Blaine let the tears roll down his face freely.

and I'll go sit on the floor

Wearing your clothes

all that I know is I don't know

how to be something you miss

I never thought we'd have a last kiss

never imagined we'd end like this

Your name, forever the name on my lips

so I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep

and I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe

and I'll keep up with our old friends

just to ask them how you are

Kurt spoke the next line.

hope it's nice where you are

The boys played the instrumentals, staring into the sheet music.

and I hope the sun shines and it's a beautiful day

And something reminds you you wish you had stayed

you can plan for a change in the weather and time

but I never planned on you changing your mind

so I'll go, sit on the floor wearing your clothes

all that I know is I don't know how to be something you miss

I never thought we'd have a last kiss

never imagined we'd end like this

your name, forever the name on my lips

just like our last kiss

forever the name on my lips

forever the name on my lips

just like our last

"Blaine?" Blaine turned around and saw Mr. Sheuster walking toward him. He quickly wiped his face. "What are you doing here?" he asked and then saw the young man's face.

"I was just here to talk to Kurt, but I can see that that was a bad decision. Please don't tell him I was here."

"It looks like you made a mistake somewhere. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Um, no." Blaine's eyes were threatening to release a whole new batch of tears. I have to get out of here.

"Look, Blaine. I don't know what happened, but if it's important to you, then you should tell him. If you love each other, then you owe it to one another to try to make it work."

"Thanks, Mr. Shoo, but Kurt won't take me back. I know it." He sniffled. "I screwed everything up and I lost my chance."

"Has he told you this?"

"I have to go. Please don't tell him I was here." Blaine ran off without another word, leaving Mr. Sheuster staring at him questioningly.

Inside the classroom, Zach had moved over to the piano bench with Kurt and was holding him close. "If he came to you, right now, and asked to take him back with no explanation, would you?"

"Yes," Kurt answered immediately.

"What if he told you that he did something bad?"

"Define bad."

"I don't know… was two timing and had another boyfriend at the same time?"

"I don't know."

"What about if he cheated on you?"

"I don't want to think about it."

"With a girl?"

"I don't know… probably."

"With a guy?"

Kurt thought really hard. His first thought was to say no, but there was doubt there. "Maybe..."

Blaine got back to his car and he banged his head on the steering wheel. "Coward! Fucking coward! Ahhhh," he screamed. "Just tell him. Tell him the truth. Tell him your sorry and you love him. Got Damn it Blaine!" he berated himself. No matter how much he screamed at himself, he couldn't bring himself to get out of his car and face Kurt. He was so sure that from the song Kurt sang that Blaine was permanently out of the picture. "Damn it… I'm so sorry, Kurt. I love you." He turned the keys in his ignition and drove off.