Blaine called me that afternoon.

I was lying on my stomach in bed with my feet up in the air, trying my damnedest to figure out the problem on my calculus homework. I was an English and History student, not Math and Science.

My cell phone went off playing “Teenage Dream”. That could have only been the one person. The one person who I was positive I had made up in a dream, my teenage dream.

“Hello?”

“Kurt! Hey! How’s it going?”

“Ugh, how the hell do you solve a nonlinear ordinary differential equation?” I groaned. “How did I ever convince myself to take Advanced College Calculus? What was I thinking? Was I trying to kill myself?”

He laughed into the phone, sending my stomach into a frenzy. Why did he do that to me? It wasn’t fair, the effect he had on me. I turned into a puddle of goo just about every time that boy opened his mouth. And my god, his mouth-

“Oooh, differentials? Those are a bitch. Do you have Mrs. Holmes?” Blaine asked, pulling me out of my fantasies.

“Huh?”

“Your teacher?”

“Oh, oh yeah, I have Holmes. The worst part is that she just expects you to know the material! She hardly teaches.”

“That’s how she is in my class too. I could help you out sometime if you wanted?” he offered.

“You’re good at Calc?”

“Well, yeah. My dad works for the government as an engineer so I’ve been around this stuff my whole life.”

“So you’re good at math, you like to read, and you can sing.”

“Uh, I guess so.”

“God, you’re so perfect,” I blurted. As soon as it came out of my mouth, I clapped a hand over my mouth. “Oh god.”

Blaine laughed again, twisting my stomach into knots. Damn him. I’m sure he could feel my blush through the phone.

“Well, that aside, I talked to my mom and she said that she could do Friday evening. We usually eat around five or six, so you could just come over after glee. Does that work with you?”

“Sure, that’s fine. It gives me just enough time to pick out an outfit.”

“An outfit? Kurt, it’s just my house.”

�“I know, but I want to make a good impression.”

“Kurt, they’ll love you because I do.”

My eyes widened to their maximum capacity. I felt like my heart would shoot out of my chest and my stomach would fall out my butt. What? Blaine- No. I had to calm down. Friends say they love each other all the time. This was no big deal I was over reacting.

“Kurt?”

“What?”

“Are you alright? That’s the second time you’ve spaced out.”

“Sorry, it’s this, uh, math homework. What were you saying?”

“I asked what you’d like for dinner?”

“Oh! I uh, I don’t know. Anything will work. You don’t need to fuss over me.”

“Okay, I’ll tell my mom. She’s a really good cook, Kurt. You’ll like her food.”

“I’m sure I will. But Blaine, as much as I love this conversation, I really should get to this homework.”

“Alright,” I could hear the slight disappointment in his voice. “Have fun with your math homework. I wish I was there.”

“What? Why? It’s math homework!”

“Because if I was there, I would be your derivative so I could lie tangent to your curves.”

“Oh my god, Blaine. Did- did you just make a math joke?”

“A math pick-up line, actually.”

I started laughing then. “Blaine!”

“Did it work?” I could practically hear the wiggle of his eyebrows.

My laughter died down as the blush crept up into my cheeks. “That remains to be seen, doesn’t it?” I wasn’t very good at this flirting thing, but I could try.

“Oooh! Mr. Hummel, you are a tease!”

I blushed even deeper. “I-I’ve got a lot more of this homework due tomorrow, so I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Another tease, but yes. You’ll see me every day if you’ll let me.”

“Blaine.”

“Right, right, sorry, homework. Good night, Mr. Hummel.”

“Good night, Mr. Anderson.”

�

The next two days after glee had me pretty busy with Rachel and her ongoing battle of choosing solos for Nationals. I had to admit, I was getting tired of her being so self-absorbed.

“I’m trying to decide if I want to go with a show stopping ballad or a fun upbeat number for my first song. Why do you guys think?”

“I think you should do a fun upbeat number, Rachel,” Tina said kindly. “It would be a good way to start the show.”

“You have a good point. Kurt? What do you think?”

I think you should give someone else a chance to shine. I think you’re being selfish. I think I could do a better job than you.

Of course I couldn’t say that.

“I disagree. I think you should go with the ballad,” I said flatly. “It gives a variety of songs for the group and it’s the perfect way to show off your emotion when you sing. You’re at your best when you sing an emotional ballad.”

“Well, I do almost cry every time I sing one. I agree with Kurt. What would I do without you?” she smirked.

“You’d still be wearing that blue pantsuit you walked in with this morning. Honestly, Rachel, are you trying to make my job hard?”

Rachel hit me on the shoulder. “I’ve got to get to work on this right away. Kurt, Tina, I’ll see you at my house tonight? We have to find the perfect song for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Tina said.

“Actually, Rachel, I can’t come tonight.”

“What? Why not?”

“I have dinner with family,” I blushed.

“Well, can’t you get out of it?” she scoffed. “I mean, it’s me. I think your dad and Carole will understand.”

“Well, no. It’s not with my family. I’m having dinner at Blaine’s tonight.”

That’s when Rachel’s face dropped. You see, when Rachel got mad, she had a tendency to be scary and say things she wouldn’t normally say. Her jaw would set as her lips pursed into a tiny, threatening frown. Her eyes became large and hateful and sometimes, her nose would flair. And at that moment, that was the exact look she was giving me.

“What?” she snapped.

Tina looked between us and backed away, out of the line of fire.

“I’m sorry, Rachel.” No I wasn’t. “But Blaine asked me to meet his family and I-”

“Are you secretly dating him or something?” she accused.

“What? No! Of course not! How could I do that? I’d have to get him cleared through you first. It’s a part of the girl code.” When had my life turned into Mean Girls?

“Then why are you spending so much time with him, Kurt? Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’re always with him. You’re my best friend, Kurt. Not his. Mine! I have first priority.”

Even though she was at least a foot shorter than me, I felt about three feet tall. I knew in the back of my mind that it wasn’t right for her to control me like that, but I didn’t say anything to defend myself. Except-

“I’m sorry, Rachel. I made a promise to a friend and I won’t break it for you.”

Rachel was fuming. She looked up into my eyes with fury but I stood my ground, looking back at her with the purest face I could manage under her scrutinizing gaze.

“Fine. Go have you damned dinner. I don’t need you there anyway. But I swear to god, Kurt, you need to remember where your loyalties lie. You’re mine, remember that. Tina, I’ll see you at seven.” Rachel turned on my navy blue Prada heels and stormed down the hallway.

Tina and I watched her go in silence until I mumbled, “I’m not yours. I’m my own person.” Even when I knew that was only half true. Sure, I was me, but Rachel controlled my life whether I liked it or not.

“I’m happy for you, you know,” Tina said at my side.

I turned to look at her for the first time since Rachel started her tantrum. Tina was looking at me with this look in her eye, like admiration and happiness.

“What do you mean?” I asked, dropping down to my locker to pick out an outfit for tonight’s dinner. I figured a tan vest and white short sleeved shirt would work with a pair of dark wash jeans.

“You and Blaine.”

I froze, pulling out a matching polka dotted bowtie. “What?”

I stood up, trying to seem nonchalant.

“I can see that you like him, Kurt. The way you two talk, the way you look at him, all the time you’re spending together when you’re not tethered to Rachel, I can tell.”

“Tina I-”

“And judging by the fact that he never takes his eyes off you, I’d say he likes you too.” I blushed to my roots. “And what’s not to like? You’re smart and sweet and attractive. You’re a catch, Kurt. Don’t let someone like Rachel Berry ruin a chance like this for you. You might be her best friend, but you have the potential to be more than that with someone who seems to like you just as much, if not more than you even know.”

I couldn’t say a thing. She was right. Sure, I had obligations to Rachel, but that didn’t mean I had to sacrifice something that could be good for me. Tina really was too nice for her own good.

“Tina,” I choked, pulling her in for a tight hug. “Thank you.”

“I’ll calm Rachel down tonight and it will be as if nothing ever happened between you two.” She held me at arm’s length, her beautiful almond eyes looking up into mine, “Be careful with her for now, okay? I’ll help you in any way I can.”

I nodded quickly. Tina released me with a smile, shoving me toward the bathroom with a pat on the ass. “Now go get changed and go gettum’, tiger.”

�