Kurt finally got up from out of his bed, pulling off his pyjamas on his way to the bathroom. Rachel and Santana weren't home because Rachel had spent the night at a friend's house the night before, and Santana was probably crashing on a stranger's couch. Kurt turned the shower on and got in letting the warm water trickle down his body. He moaned in pleasure at the feeling and almost didn't want to get out, but the thought of being late to the theatre made him cut his shower time in half.

Once he was done, he got out and walked to his room where he picked up his already-laid-out outfit for that day and put them on. He styled his hair immaculately and brushed his teeth before looking at his reflection in the full body mirror in the corner of his room. He looked good in his tight, black leggings, white doc martens, and dark gray jumper that was hanging off of one shoulder, but what he was really concerned about was how impressed Mr. Anderson will be with his acting and singing skills. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm down.

Freaking out won't help anything.

He grabbed his satchel and threw it over his head before grabbing a bottle of water and an apple from the refrigerator. He glanced at the clock on the far wall. 9:30. He had enough time to make it to the theatre. He quickly made his way down to the busy street in front of his apartment and flagged down a taxi. One pulled up and he hopped in, told him the address, and sat back.

He was freaking out, he knew it. He was probably freaking out the taxi driver as he mumbled the song he was going to sing under his breath. Rachel and him had sat down for at least 4 hours in total trying to find an audition song for him. It was hard to find the perfect one that could show off his range, but also create a perfect balance of emotion. He didn't want to overdo it, so when he came across this song, he knew it was perfect.

The taxi pulled up in front of the theatre and Kurt paid him the fee. He climbed out of the taxi and walked up to the theatre, breathing deeply the entire time. When Kurt entered the theatre for the first time in his life, his heart had trouble picking up a healthy pace. There weren't as many seats as there probably were in a more famous theatre but the thought of performing in front of that many people still sent a shiver down his spine. He hoped he could do it. He could see about fifty people in the first five rows. Seeing them almost discouraged him, but he heard Rachel's voice in the back of his head: you're a force to be reckoned with.

He closed his eyes and nodded. He could do this. He sat down in the second row, a few seats away from a girl with long, brown hair and a skinny frame. She was reading over what looked to be lyrics. Kurt decided to be nice and stuck out his hand to the girl, clearing his throat politely. She looked up from where her eyes were glued to the paper and eyed Kurt's hand, looking up after a few seconds to gaze into his eyes. She was very pretty with very light makeup. She smiled and grabbed his hand, shaking it.

“My name's Kurt.”

“Stephanie. But everyone calls me Steph.”

Kurt smiled and dropped his hand after a moment and pulled his satchel closer to him from where it was resting on his lap.

“So you're auditioning for Janet, right?” Kurt asked, already hoping he would be casted with her.

“Yeah. I've been dying to play her since I was a little girl. I'm so glad this show is being revived,” Stephanie said, dazing off. Kurt smiled again. The vibe this girl gave off was so calming. He felt himself relaxing around her. She definitely needed to be casted.

“I'm assuming you're auditioning for Parker?” Stephanie said, breaking Kurt away from his thoughts.

“Oh, um. Yeah. I've never had an emotional connection with the show, but once I found out about it a couple of months ago, I couldn't stop watching it. I might not be emotionally attached to the show, but I can definitely relate to Parker.”

Stephanie watched Kurt intently the entire time he spoke and nodded her head when he finished. Right when Stephanie was opening her mouth to say something, a man made his way onto the stage, grabbing the attention of everyone in the audience with the amount of authority his entire aura dripped. He was a little shorter than Kurt with dark curls and burning hazel eyes that enraptured Kurt. He was gorgeous.

“Hello ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Blaine Anderson. I will be the director of My Heart's a Haven.”

Kurt's eyes went wide as they followed the man's movement across the stage. He's the director. If Kurt was casted, he wouldn't even know how to simply talk around the man. He breathed deeply for the millionth time that day. He can handle this.

“A lot of people don't know about the plot line of this show and to be quite frank, you shouldn't be here if you are one of those people, but if you need a little reminder I'll give you a brief explanation,” Blaine walked around the stage seamlessly as if he were created to be up there. “In the first act, Parker's in high school and is also gay. However, the people around him are either homophobic or not homophobic but can't reveal the fact that they're okay with homosexuality. Parker had decided to tell his best friend Janet about his sexuality, but she is the only one who knows. The rest of that act is basically filled with trials and tribulations regarding Parker and Janet,” Blaine stopped talking to look over everyone in the audience. His eyes settled on Kurt's and remained there. Kurt's heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He saw a fire burn behind the hazel and couldn't take his eyes off of him. Blaine smiled before looking away. “Good?”

He heard a few murmurs of “yeah” across the theatre. Blaine nodded and continued.

“In the second act, Parker finds love with a guy named Logan. Logan leads Parker out of the dark about his sexuality and they essentially live happily ever after. There are some details to go over, but that's basically it. Any questions?” Blaine asked, looking over the theatre once more. When no one said anything, Blaine nodded.

“The cast is small. Janet, Parker, and Logan. However, I talked to the team, and we agreed that I will play Logan unless we find another actor who can fill the shoes better than I can.”

Kurt's heart seemed to be a constant rate of a thousand miles an hour, but that one statement alone seemed to finally make his heart stop altogether. There's a chance he can be costars with the most gorgeous man he's ever seen.

Blaine sighed heavily when he was done speaking and walked to the center of the stage once more. He beckoned the team out onto the stage. Three men and a woman walked out, all of them around the same age as Blaine which is impressive because they're all so young.

Blaine pointed to the first man who walked out. He was tall and lean with the perfect amount of muscle. He had straight blonde hair that looked like it needed to be cut and his lips took up about half of his face.

“Everyone, this is Sam Evans. He's the tech and sound guy. He will be managing, well, tech and sound.”

There were a few giggles in the audience, and he turned and flashed a smile before continuing. He pointed to the next guy who was more tan but had roughly the same build. He had a dark mohawk but a soft face.

“Next we have Noah Puckerman. We call him Puck around here. He will be the choreographer alongside Mike Chang,” he pointed to the last guy who was Asian and the skinniest of them all. Honest to God, he had no body fat.

Kurt's eyes travelled to the petite woman at the end. She was dark and had a bigger frame. Her eyes were kind and honest. Kurt smiled when Blaine spoke, “This is Mercedes Jones. She has a killer voice and will be the musical director.”

Mercedes waved, smiling to each and every actor in the audience. Blaine wrapped up and turned to the audience.

“Now that we've introduced ourselves, it's time we get started. We will be calling you up alphabetically by last name. Just remember to be yourselves and don't freak. I'm sure each and every one of you will do amazing,” and with that, Blaine walked off of the stage followed by the team. They walked up the aisle and sat down in the center of the ninth row.

“First up we have Joe Alan. No talking, please.” Blaine said, sitting back in his chair.

Joe walked up to the stage shakily and handed his sheet music to the pianist on the side of the stage. He looked nervous, but he looked fit for both Parker and Logan. He walked to the center stage and began introducing himself.

“Hello, my name is Joe Alan. I'm auditioning for the role of Logan and I will be singing The Girl from Ipanema from Catch Me if You Can.”

Kurt was familiar with the song but wondered if Joe could execute the song as well as hes seen it done. The music started playing and Joe followed shortly after. His voice wasnt necessarily bad, but he was pitchy, and Kurt could tell he had trouble with the rhythm. Kurt winced sympathetically and applauded loudly when his song was over.

Every audition after was a blur. Honestly, Kurt forgot to pay attention. He was too busy thinking about his own audition. Too busy freaking out. He briefly thought about what could possibly give him a higher chance over the rest of the performers. One, he was a countertenor. Two, hes experienced similar situations that Parker had also experienced. Three, his song was perfect. So he had three advantages. Kurt sighed heavily and dropped his head in his hands when a girl on stage completely screwed up her high note. Stephanie nudged him and mouthed, "are you okay?" Kurt nodded and sat back again.

He stopped thinking. He knew he was ready. He could do this. Turns out that not thinking speeds up time because before he knew it he heard Blaine say, "Kurt Hummel."

He inhaled sharply and looked over to Stephanie who smiled widely and nodded encouragingly. He closed his eyes minutely and stood up, grabbing his sheet music. He walked up to the stage and gave the sheet music to the pianist. He made his way to the center of the stage, inhaling and exhaling.

"Whenever youre ready," he heard Blaine say. Kurt nodded and started.

"Hi, my name is Kurt Hummel. Im auditioning for the role of Parker, and I will be singing Not the Boy Next Door from Oz."

Kurt waited for the music but when it started, nothing could stop him from immediately snapping into character. His mind went to a far off place, and he just lost himself in the music.

Comin' home used to feel so good

Im a stranger now in my neighborhood
Ive seen the world at a faster pace
And Im comin now from a different place
Though I may look the same way to you
Underneath there is somebody new

Kurt moved around the stage smoothly, sending glances out into the audience, showing the team he can interact with the audience.

I am not the boy next door
I dont belong like I did before
Nothin ever seems like it used to be
You can have your dreams, but you cant have me
I cant go back there anymore
Cause I am not the boy next door

Kurt executed chaînés across the stage, stopping to climb on top of the piano, moving his hips to the tempo.

Youve been savin those souvenirs,
Faded photographs from our foolish years
We made plans, but theyre wearin thin
And they dont work out cause I dont fit in
And those memries will just weigh me down
Cause I got no place to keep em uptown

Nothing felt better than it did on that stage. Kurt felt euphoric, better than hes been since moving to New York. He knew right away that this is what he needed. This is what he was good at.

I am not
The boy next door
I dont belong
Like I did before
Nothin ever seems like it used to be
You can have your dreams, but you cant have me
Oh, I cant go back there anymore
Cause I am not the boy next door, uh!
Im not sorry for just bein me
But if youd look past the past you could see
That I am not

Nothin ever seems like it used to be
You can have your dreams, oh, but you cant have me
I cant go back there anymore
Cause I am not

I am not

I am not the boy next door

Kurt hit the high note flawlessly, wrapping up the song that left him breathless for all the right reasons. The song finished, the last note hanging in the air around them. After a beat, more than half of the audience were on their feet, clapping for Kurt. Kurt smiled so big he thought his face would split. He bowed and walked toward the staircase at the edge of the stage.

"Kurt, wait!" Blaine said, standing so quickly he almost smacked Mike in the face.

Kurt blinked in confusion but walked back. Usually he just gave a quick "thank you" before calling up the next person. He never gave personal feedback.

"Yes, sir?" Kurt said, still panting from his performance. Kurt could swear he saw Blaine's eyes darken after he said that but blamed his imagination for being so crazy.

"I think my whole team will agree with me on this when I say that your performance was absolutely spectacular." There were whoops in the audience and Kurts smile widened.

"Thank you so much, sir. That means a lot."

Blaine stood there for a few moments before speaking again.

"I know we usually call performers when we want them to return for a callback but.." Blaines words hung in the air. Kurt gasped quietly when Blaine flashed him a giant grin. "Kurt, can you be here Thursday night for callbacks?"

If anyone had asked Kurt after the occasion if he had squealed and jumped after hearing Blaine say those words, he would have argued that he did not, in fact, do such a thing. But in that moment he did.

"Yes, yes! Of- of course! Ill be there," Kurt hurried out, running his hands through his hair excitedly.

Blaines smile was more suggestive this time, "Great."

Kurt shivered at the tone of his voice but thought nothing of it. The crowd applauded again before he scurried off stage and to his seat. Stephanie was sitting there dumbstruck until Kurt sat down. She slapped Kurts arm.

"Damn, boy! You have a voice!" Stephanie said incredulously.

Kurt blushed and looked down. Hed never be able to take compliments well.

"Well, I- uh.." Kurt babbled. Stephanie pressed a finger to Kurts lips.

"Oh shush. You are incredibly talented, Kurt." Kurt smiled and gave her a side hug.

Kurt couldn't wait to hear Steph sing. He didn't ask her for her song choice. He trusted Stephanie picked something that showed off her range beautifully whilst also portraying her personality. In plus, he wanted to be pleasantly surprised. After a while, Stephanie's name was called. She exhaled slowly and stood up. As she walked past Kurt, he took her hand and squeezed it. She smiled thankfully and made her way onto the stage.

“You can start whenever,” Blaine said. His words were starting to slur together and his voice was getting softer with each passing audition. Kurt couldn't help but think that sleepy Blaine was too adorable.

Jeez, Kurt. Keep it in your pants. Kurt mentally chimed.

He shook his head and focused his eyes back to the stage where Stephanie was front and center.

“Hey, my name is Stephanie Montes. I'll be auditioning for the role of Janet and I'm singing Out Here On My Own from Fame.”

Kurt almost couldn't breathe as Stephanie opened with the first few lines. He knew he was gaping, but damn that girl can sing. Inside that little body was a voice so strong, Kurt would honestly mistake her for a gospel singer if he knew nothing of her appearance. As Stephanie jumped into the chorus, he absolutely knew she had the role. No one could steal this from her. She looked the part, she sounded exactly like Janet should sound. He looked around the theatre and saw others gaping as well, completely entranced in her performance.

She wrapped the song up, eyes watering slightly. Everyone immediately clapped, whooping like their lives depended on it. Steph laughed bashfully and looked down, curtseying the tiniest bit.

Blaine quieted down the theatre and looked at Stephanie appraisingly.

“Well done, Stephanie.”

Something about the way Blaine praised Stephanie pulled something inside of his stomach. Was that jealousy? Kurt shook his head. Stop, Kurt. Keep it chill.

Stephanie smiled wide and hurried off stage, hugging Kurt tightly when she reached him. Kurt laughed at her energy and hugged her back. “I knew you could do it,” he whispered in her ear. She pulled back and kissed his cheek before sitting down.

There weren't many performers left, so when the auditions were done Blaine made his way back on stage.

“All of you guys did absolutely amazing. Every single one of you killed it today. I will be calling the actors who performed exceptionally tonight to inform them if we want to see them again at callbacks on Thursday. I'm sorry to say that if you do not get a callback you cannot get any of the roles. We will be doing cold reads at callbacks which is why I need all possible leads to be there,” Blaine explained. Blaine yawned shortly, before running his hands through his hair.

“Well, my bed beckons me. I wish a good luck to all of you and I hope to see you Thursday.”

The group of performers began packing their things and heading out. Kurt was stuffing his sheet music in his satchel when Stephanie walked up to him.

“Hey, Kurt. You mind if we exchange numbers? Even if we don't become costars, I want to keep in touch,” Steph said, putting her hair up into a messy bun.

“Of course. Here, let me see your phone,” Kurt said, pulling out his own and handing it to her. They put their numbers in each others' phones and bid farewell shortly after.

Kurt knew Steph would get a callback and quite frankly, something told him they'd be cast together.

He couldn't wait for Thursday to come around.