Dalton. His safe home. Sure the guys were all shit there and you had to double lock your dorm room, but he had at least belonged.

He had known the second he had stepped foot into this place that he wanted out. It was a typical high school. Everyone wearing the same brand of clothes, all calmly walking from class to class. Certain cliques were obvious, cheerleaders were snobs, football players were jerks. It was so typically typical it was nearly painful.

It was just like his asshole of a father to send him to his very own purgatory. He would probably say something like, "It'll help you calm down so you won't need the meds anymore. I'm helping you, son. You should probably thank me." Then he would smile with his blindingly white teeth and wink.

So operation 'get the fuck out' was created. Blaine was completely ready to walk straight from his orientation to the emergency exit he had spotted when he walked in.�

After the red headed counselor had let him go he headed straight for his door to freedom, but then he remembered Nora.

Nora was hired by his father to make sure he didn't pull any of the shit he was about to attempt. Nora, the hideous white-haired nanny slash natzi. She would be waiting right by that exit.�

Blaine internally groaned and headed toward the old woman. She straightened her back and held her chin up, regarding him as garbage. Blaine thought about flipping her off, but decided against it.

See he didn't need meds. He could control himself, no problem.

"Let's get out of here," he mumbled and started toward the front office. He would start a full day tomorrow, no use in going to his last two periods.�

Blaine glared at anyone to give him a second look as he pushed past the sea of teens. Usually he'd start a fight when he got looks like that, but his plan didn't start until tomorrow, and he didn't really want to screw it up now.

He clicked his tongue piercing on his teeth and grinned. He knew Nora absolutely loathed when he did it. They made to turn the corner, but something caught Blaine's eye.�

Blue. Bright blue. A beautiful, deep blue.

Blaine stopped dead and stared at the little square mirror on the inside of a locker door. The boy standing in front of it was taller than him, slimmer than him, and a lot less muscular. He wore a knee length sweater with a messenger bag over the shoulder facing blaine. The boy sprayed his auburn hair once, twice, then gave an approving look to his reflection.

Before Blaine could stop himself, he approached the beautiful blue-eyed boy.

"Don't worry, you look beautiful."

Blaine heard himself speak. He brought his hand to the other boys shoulder and squeezed. Blue Eyes looked at him like he was on fire. It might've been funny, but he wasn't paying attention. Their eyes met and Blaine felt something squirm deep in his gut.

Nora cleared her throat behind him. Reluctantly, He gave a quick wink and pulled away, leaving the shocked boy frozen in place.

Blaine mentally thanked his dad for passing on his charm, but then took it back because, yeah, no. Blaine walked away with a smile on his face. Some of the kids passing in front of his gave him weird looks, but he didn't care.

He seriously had to rethink operation 'get the fuck out'.

Nora pushed open the front doors and the bright sunlight blinded him.�

Blaine couldn't wait for classes the next day.

---

Now it was Friday, eight days later, and his whole world had been tipped upside down because of that same blue-eyed boy.

Kurt led him into a choir room and dropped their hands before anyone could see. Blaine instantly missed the warm hand in his.

"I want them to know," Kurt whispered as they slowed to a walk, most of the glee club staring at them, "They're like family... but not now."

He turned to Blaine, searching for understanding. Blaine nodded and kept his distance.

"Um, Kurt," a teacher glanced between the glee kids and Blaine, "Who's this?"

Kurt led Blaine over to a group of chairs apart from the others.�

"Yeah, Kurt," A Latina girl grinned maliciously "Introduce us to your hot piece of-"

"Blaine," Blaine answered. He walked to the front of the room by the teacher. He gave his best smirk. "Blaine Anderson."

"Okay. Welcome, Blaine. I don't know if Kurt told you, but it's kind of mandatory to sing a-" �

"Everyone must sing something for a formal audition. Even though everyone who has ever tried out has made it, Mr. Shue likes to keep up the tradition," a girl in a hideous blue polka dot dress smiled brightly and turned to Blaine, offering a hand, "My name's Rachel, by the way. I'm the lead female vocalist for the New Directions."

A few of the other girls made disgusted noises or rolled their eyes. Blaine got a few sounds of approval, and a gasp from Rachel, when he laughed at her outstretched hand.�

Blaine knew he definitely didn't want to befriend Rachel. Everything about her spewed annoying, know-it-all bitch.

After making sure that everyone was calm again, Mr. Shue turned his attention back to Blaine, who had been staring with a quirked eyebrow.

"I know you may not be prepared, you could always bring something later-"

"Under control," Blaine smirked before grabbing an acoustic and pulling a stool away from the front.

"Alright," Mr. Shue blinked before sitting, "Okay, whenever you're ready."

Blaine nodded and began strumming. He turned to give Kurt a smile before he started singing. The rest of the glee club began nodding or tapping their feet, looking impressed. A few guys in the back seemed like they knew the song already, nodding and grinning in approval.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

Blaine kept his eyes on Kurt, who sat stunned. He grinned wider as he played the break. Most of the glee club was now swaying in their seats. A blonde girl near the back began waving her phone slowly above her head.

"So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

Blaine repeated the chorus twice more and brought the song to a close.

Blaine handed the guitar back to the band and sat down in the seat by Kurt. The other kids stood and applauded, some cheering. But Blaine had eyes only for Kurt, keeping them locked in the sea of blue.

"What did you think?" Blaine smiled warmly as he brushed a stray hair away from him his forehead.

Kurt blushed and ducked his head away a bit. "Not bad," he glanced back at the glee club, who still clapped, "Not bad at all."