Shop 'Til You Fall
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Shop 'Til You Fall: Chapter 7 - Back to School


T - Words: 5,898 - Last Updated: Jan 20, 2013
Story: Complete - Chapters: 12/12 - Created: Jan 20, 2013 - Updated: Jan 20, 2013
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Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

The first week of school was busy for both Kurt and Blaine and neither had much free time. It took a couple days into the new school year for one of them to be brave enough to contact the other, but by the next day they were exchanging more than just pleasantries.

 

Kurt (Wednesday 4:43pm)

 

Hey, Blaine (it's Kurt…). I just wanted to say Hi and hope that everything was going well at your new school.

 

Blaine (Wednesday 9:31pm)

 

Hi Kurt! Sorry I missed your text – was at involvement fair. So far, so good.

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:16 pm)

 

Involvement fair? Sounds fancy ;)

 

Blaine (Thursday 12:18 pm)

 

Well, you know… private school and all ;P

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:19 pm)

 

And what are you getting "involved in," Blaine?

 

Blaine (Thursday 12:20pm)

 

Oh, you know, the usual… cricket, polo, fencing, jousting

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:20pm)

 

Ha. Ha. Blaine. Very funny.

 

Blaine (Thursday 12:22 pm)

 

One of those clubs actually exists at my school and I think I'm going to join.

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:23pm)

 

I'm going to rule out polo and jousting.

 

Blaine (Thursday 12:25pm)

 

Why?

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:26pm)

 

Horses

 

Blaine (Thursday 12.26pm)

 

Noted. Though, for the record, I have ridden a horse. (Whether it was guided by a person at a petting zoo is neither here nor there.)

 

Blaine (Thursday 12:27pm)

 

Fencing. I might do fencing.

 

Kurt (Thursday 12:29pm)

 

My lunch period is over and I have to get back to class. En garde, Blaine. Don't get stabbed.

 

Kurt (Friday 5:48pm)

 

I hope you are having a more pleasant Friday evening than I. I'm surrounded by mounds of homework. MOUNDS.

 

Blaine (Friday 10:13pm)

 

:/

 

Blaine (Friday 10:17pm)

 

Can I call you on Sunday? I have something I want to run by you, if that's okay, and it might be easier to do in person, as opposed to via texting.

 

Blaine (Friday 10:19pm)

 

I realize it still won't be in person if we speak over the phone, but you know what I mean.

 

Blaine (Friday 10:19pm)

 

I'll leave you alone now. Goodnight, Kurt.

 

Kurt (Friday 10:39pm)

 

You're a dork

 

Kurt (Friday 10:41 pm)

 

Talk to you Sunday. Goodnight :)

 

...

 

Instead of going to the mall on Saturday like he had been doing for most of the summer, Kurt gladly spent the day with his dad at the garage. As fussy as he was about his everyday wardrobe, Kurt actually really enjoyed throwing on his coveralls and changing oil or fixing spark plugs. He found it as relaxing as his nightly skin care routine.

 

"How did the first week of school go, Bud? You, um, do anything fun in that glee club of yours?" Burt Hummel may not quite get his son all the time, but he loved him more than anything else. Last school year he fought hard for Kurt to be able to audition for a solo that was traditionally sung by a girl. His kid sounded like a girl sometimes when he sang, and he honestly wouldn't want it any other way. Kurt was special and Burt made sure he always remained supportive.

 

"Well, we tried to recruit more kids. Nationals are in New York this year, so we performed out in the courtyard and thought that would get a bunch of people to sign up. It didn't really work. Rachel ended up sending the one girl who wanted to tryout to an abandoned crack house."

 

Burt's eyebrows shot up, "She what?"

 

Kurt shrugged. "You know Rachel, dad. She'll do anything to make sure she's the star."

 

They both rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

 

...

 

While Kurt was gladly spending some quality time with his dad, Blaine was being forced to visit his grandmother.

 

He used to be her favorite grandchild. She would tell him stories and sneak him sweets when his parents weren't looking. They would play cards at the kitchen table where Blaine's little legs would dangle off the massive wooden chair he sat on, feet not even close to reaching the floor. He was her baking assistant in the kitchen and was sworn to secrecy to never reveal the secret of her famous chocolate chip banana bread.

 

After Blaine came out, her attitude toward him changed. She didn't ban him from her house or anything, but she stopped spending a lot of one-on-one time with just him, especially after the Sadie Hawkins incident. He never asked why, he just assumed she wasn't comfortable around him anymore. He didn't love her any less; he just missed spending time with her.

 

This Saturday, though, Blaine would get to spend the whole day with her while his mom was manning her booth at Easton and his dad was out of town for work. Blaine had offered to work for his mom even though he knew Kurt wasn't going to be there. However, Vanessa put her foot down and told her son to go visit his grandmother. She didn't have to add that he might not get many more chances to visit with her, but he understood where she was coming from. Though his grandmother was out of the hospital, she was getting older and her health just wasn't as stable as it once was. So, early that morning, he kissed his mother goodbye and drove to the assisted living complex where his grandmother was staying now that she was out of the hospital.

 

Blaine keyed his way into her apartment and announced his presence, "Grandma? It's me, Blaine. Mom called last night to tell you I was coming?" His voice rose slightly at the end of his last question. He didn't hear anything and for a fraction of a second, he panicked. "Grandma?," he asked a little louder.

 

"In here, Bumble Bee!" Blaine's face scrunched up and smiled at the same time upon hearing his nickname from when he was little. His grandmother's voice came from the kitchen. He slid off his sandals, left them on a mat by the front door and walked over to the kitchen where he found his grandmother standing at the counter, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Without looking at him, she asked, "You drink coffee yet, kid?"

 

"Yes ma'am." Blaine didn't quite know what to do, so he stood in the doorway until told otherwise.

 

His grandmother poured a second mug and then set the coffee pot back on the stove. Blaine held his breath as she grabbed both full mugs and turned around to face him. "Don't you ma'am me, kid. Makes me feel old." She said it sternly, but he could tell by the twinkle in her eye that she was joking. This made him feel better about the visit already.

 

"Oh, and 'grandma' is just fine?," he teased back. They smiled as she handed him his coffee. He nodded to the table and they sat down together. It was a different kitchen set then the one they sat at when he was little. The giant wooden chairs were replaced with more manageable lightweight ones and Blaine's feet had no trouble reaching the floor.

 

They sipped their coffee for a bit, neither one talking. It wasn't awkward, but there were unasked questions hanging in the air. Blaine was the first to break the silence.

 

"How do you like living here, Grandma? It seems like a nice place," Blaine exclaimed as he looked around. It was definitely a lot smaller than the house he remembered visiting almost weekly when he was in grade school. The kitchen was far less fancy, but he was glad to see her stand-mixer sitting on the countertop. She would always warn him to be careful when he poured in the chocolate chips, or else the mixer would eat his fingers. That should have scared him as a child, but he would just laugh and laugh at the thought of a machine eating him.

 

His grandmother shrugged her shoulders, "Meh. It's okay. I would have liked to stay at the house, but as much as I hate to admit it, I am getting old… so this place will have to do." Blaine nodded sadly and sipped his coffee. His grandmother was in her 70s and she had some health problems. His mom told him the doctors were pleased with the way she's been recovering after her latest hospital stay, but she was much weaker than she used to be. She was in the clear for now, but was told to be mindful that she could end up back in the hospital at any time. "I've missed you, you know. Your mom tells me you would work for her so she could be with me. I'm glad she finally sent you, though…" Her voice trailed a bit and then she took a sip of her drink. Blaine wondered if there was a reason why she was happy to see him now, after so much missed time over the past few years.

 

"I missed you too, Grandma." He put his mug down but didn't know what to do or say next. He ran a hand through his hair to stall and saw his grandma eyeballing the unruly mess atop his head. He forgot to buy more of that shampoo Kurt suggested he use, so he knew he wasn't presenting the best version of himself to his grandma. He thought his grandma was going to say something about him needing a haircut, but instead she surprised him.

 

"So, how come you never visit me? Too busy with a boyfriend or something?"

 

Blaine's jaw dropped. "Um… I…uh…" He shook his head.

 

She twisted her mouth into a half smile, but didn't look pleased. "That's too bad."

 

Blaine's eyebrows didn't know whether to furrow or scrunch up in confusion. His grandmother had never asked about his personal life before and honestly couldn't figure out why she was bringing it up now.

 

She must have sensed what he was feeling because she gently placed one of her hands over top of his. He looked at their hands, then cocked his head and looked her square in the eye. "I'm sorry I pulled away after that dance the other year. I didn't know how to make things better, so I just didn't say or do anything. I want you to be happy, kiddo. You deserve to be happy. I love you, okay?" Tears welled up in his eyes as she spoke. "And it's a grandma's job to embarrass their grandkids and ask about boyfriends." He cracked a smile through the tears. "There's that smile I love." She took her hand off of his and ruffled it through his hair. "That's my Bumble Bee. Come here." She motioned for him to give her a hug, so Blaine got off his chair and threw both his arms around his grandmother's shoulders.

 

"I love you, Grandma," he muffled into her neck. She released him and he sank back down into his chair.

 

"So no boyfriend, huh?" She shook her head. "Well, nobody's good enough for my boy. He's gotta be real special because my family doesn't just settle for anything less than perfect." She watched as his played with his coffee cup and noticed that he was trying hard to not concentrate on something, but his cheeks flushed red. "What's his name?," she asked softly.

 

He sighed before he admitted quietly, "Kurt."

 

"He as cute as you?"

 

Blaine blushed harder. "Grandma!"

 

"I take that as a yes." She got up from her chair. "Come on kid. We got some banana bread to make."

 

His smile lit up the room as he followed her toward the mixer.

 

...

 

The next morning, Kurt kept his phone on him at all times, not knowing when Blaine was going to call. He only had to wait until 10:00 because Blaine was anxious to talk to Kurt.

 

Kurt picked up after half a ring. "Hey Blaine, what's up?"

 

"Oh, hey Kurt. I hope it's okay I'm calling now… I didn't wake you up, did I?"

 

Kurt smiled as he imagined Blaine's face twisting into a look of worry. "No, I've been up for a couple hours. I think my body's already set to school-time. So, you wanted to run something by me?"

 

Blaine flopped down on his bed and let out a sigh. "Yeah. Um… you're in your school's glee club, right?"

 

"Mmm hmm. Yeah, the New Directions. Why?"

 

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut, "Is it fun?"

 

"Um, yeah. It is. I mean sometimes it sucks, but on Friday we sang 'Toxic' at a pep assembly and supposedly caused a sex riot." Kurt sat down at the kitchen table and started playing with the bowl of fruit that was in the center of it. There was silence on Blaine's end. Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "Are you joining your school's glee club? I didn't know you sang! I wonder if we'll compete against each other this year?"

 

"Kurt." The blue-eyed boy stopped his rambling and waited for Blaine to continue. "I haven't even auditioned yet. The first round of tryouts is tomorrow."

 

"Okay… so what did you want to run by me? Audition outfits? Well, I wouldn't wear those cargo shorts you seem so fond of…"

 

"Kurt!"

 

"What?"

 

"I go to a private school, remember? I'll be auditioning in my uniform." Blaine was smiling at Kurt's over enthusiasm. "No, I wondered if I could bounce some song ideas off of you?"

 

Kurt blushed even though no one was there to see him. "Oh! Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind?"

 

The two boys talked for over an hour, discussing the importance of lyrics and emotion. Conversation flowed easily with serious moments mixed with friendly teasing. By time they hung up, Blaine had narrowed his list down to two songs ("You should always have a backup song, Blaine, in case they ask to hear something else.") and he was feeling more confident about his decision to tryout. His parents were glad he signed up for fencing, but encouraged him to join a few more clubs at the school so he'd be able to stay busy and meet more people.

 

...

 

Kurt (Monday 3:31pm)

 

BREAK ALL THE LEGS AT YOUR AUDITION! :)

 

Blaine (Monday 3:39pm)

 

Lol – thanks, Kurt. I sing at 4:00.

 

Blaine (Monday 3:40pm)

 

So, I just got glared at for having my phone out in the waiting area. Sheesh. Thanks for all your help yesterday! Gotta go!

 

Blaine (Monday 4:27pm)

 

Well – I did it. I find out tomorrow if I made it to the last round of auditions on Friday.

 

Kurt (Monday 4:28pm)

 

I got all my fingers crossed for you

 

Blaine (Monday 4:29pm)

 

:)

 

Kurt (Tuesday 10:47am)

 

Did you make it to the next round?

 

Kurt (Tuesday 11:12am)

 

Bored in math.

 

Kurt (Tuesday 11:13am)

Did you make it to the next round?

 

Kurt (Tuesday 12:14pm)

 

Buh-laine. Did. You. Make. It. To. The. Next. Round?

 

Blaine (Tuesday 12:19pm)

 

Eager much?

 

Kurt (Tuesday 12:20pm)

 

BLAAAAAAAINE.

 

Blaine (Tuesday 12:21pm)

 

Hahahaha. I won't find out until after school, but I'll let you know. I promise.

 

Kurt (Tuesday 12:24pm)

 

Ugh. Fine.

 

Blaine (Tuesday 3:21pm)

 

Um… can I call you later?

 

Kurt had just hopped into his Navigator to drive home. He saw Blaine's text and immediately hit the call button. Blaine picked up after two rings.

 

"Hey Kurt… what's up?"

 

Kurt frowned. Blaine sounded oddly cheery and that made him confused. "Are you okay, Blaine?" Kurt sounded so worried that Blaine chuckled out loud. "Hey! Why are you laughing? I'm trying to console you."

 

Blaine was laughing by this point because Kurt sounded so serious. "Kurt! I wanted to call you later so we could go over song choices again. I wanted to be home first so I could have my iTunes open, but –"

 

"YOU MADE IT THROUGH?! Blaine, why didn't you tell me? You jerk, I thought you got cut or something." Kurt tried to sound stern, but he was too happy for Blaine to be properly upset.

 

"Sorry, Kurt." Blaine's chuckles died down but he still had a smile on his face. "So, can I still call you later?"

 

"Ugh. Yes. Look, I'm going to hang up so I can drive home, but I'll be free after 8:00, okay?"

 

Blaine nodded even though Kurt couldn't see him. "Sounds good, I'll call you then! Have a safe drive home!"

 

...

 

Later that night, Blaine showered and then sat at his desk in his favorite pair of nearly threadbare flannel pants and an old OSU t-shirt. His hair was still damp and the dark ringlets were dripping water all over his collar. He turned on his computer and called Kurt at 8:01 pm.

 

"So, what are we singing this Friday?" Kurt was expecting this call. He was clad in Dior gray silk pajamas, lying on his stomach on his bed, with his feet sticking up in the air.

 

A smile sprouted across Blaine's face as he caught his lower lip in between his teeth. "I don't know. What are we thinking about?" He meant for it to come out teasing, but it ended up sounding flirtier than anything.

 

Kurt's eyebrows shot up, he froze and then swallowed. "Um…"

 

Blaine could feel Kurt's shift in mood instantly. They had teased each other a bit via text message, which was kind of flirty, but this was different. This almost had a dirty connotation to it. He slapped his free hand to his face and squeezed his eyes shut. "Shit, I didn't mean that like that. I'm sorry." He clenched and unclenched his hand in the air, cursing himself for what just happened.

 

Once Kurt got a hold of himself, he realized he was the one who made the situation awkward. "No, it's okay. Honest. You just caught me off guard. I'm, uh, just not used to flirty phone conversations. And, oh god, I just said you were flirting with me. And you probably weren't, but now you think I thought you were flirting and –"

 

"Kurt," Blaine interrupted softly. "Hey, it's okay.

 

Kurt's face was bright red for making an awkward situation even more awkward. He breathed heavily through his nose and nodded to himself. "Okay. So. Friday… Do you know what you want to sing for round two?"

 

They were able to move quickly into comfortable conversation about songs Blaine was considering. This time he had to prepare a song from the present year as well as an oldie. The two boys discussed at length some options, but Kurt told Blaine he should ultimately go with the songs he felt most confident singing.

 

It was nearing 10:00 and they were about to hang up when Kurt mentioned off hand how he wished Blaine didn't have to wear his uniform to the audition because a great outfit would help Blaine stand out to the judges.

 

"Private school, Kurt," Blaine explained.

 

Kurt sighed, "I'm just used to seeing you in cargo shorts. I can't really picture you in a uniform. It just seems so restrictive."

 

Blaine ran a hand through his hair, which was now dry and fluffing out a bit. It was almost too much to hear that Kurt would even picture him in anything. He wondered for a brief moment if Kurt thought about him even a fraction as much as he thought about Kurt. He quickly shook the thought and got back to their conversation, "I think the whole point is for everyone to look the same."

 

Kurt shrugged, even though Blaine couldn't see him. "I could never make it at your school if I couldn't express myself."

 

"It's not so bad. I kinda like it. I feel… I dunno, safe."

 

That broke Kurt's heart a little bit. "I'm so glad you're doing well there." He sighed. "You really want to make it into their glee club, don't you?"

 

"Yeah, I do."

 

"Then kill it, Blaine. Do what you need to do to be the best at your audition. I know you can do it."

 

Blaine blushed, "You've never even heard me sing, Kurt."

 

Kurt laughed, "Yeah, but if they let you past round one, then you must be doing something right." He looked over at his clock and groaned. "Oh, man, I need to go. I have to pick out my outfit for tomorrow. This could take awhile."

 

"Ha. My outfit is already picked out for me."

 

"Goodnight, Blaine."

 

"Goodnight, Kurt."

 

...

 

The next morning, Blaine was in his bathroom, finishing up tying his tie. After adjusting the knot he took a step back to take in his whole ensemble. His hair was frizzing a bit because he still hadn't bought more of that special shampoo. He sighed and pulled a comb out of the bathroom cupboard and began to try and tame his hair. He muttered to himself, "the whole point is for everybody to look the same." He looked at his reflection for a good while in the mirror before he put the comb down and left the bathroom.

 

He ran down the stairs and into the kitchen to give his mom a quick kiss before he left for school. As he headed toward the door, he called over his shoulder, "I have to run some errands after school, but I should be back in time for dinner, okay?" He heard his mom acknowledge him the door was closing behind him.

 

Blaine keyed his way into his house just before 6:30 that night and bolted up the stairs with his satchel and a bag from Target. He knew he had a few minutes to change out of his uniform and into something more comfortable before he was expected to be at the dinner table.

 

When he walked into the dining room promptly at 6:30 he was prepared for his parents to say something, but he wasn't expecting his mom to accidentally pour soda all over the table.

 

"Blaine!" His mom's mouth just kind of hung open in shock. It wasn't like she had never seen him with short hair before, but it had been more than a few years and was never his own doing.

 

"Mom, the soda!" Blaine ran into the kitchen and grabbed the towel that was hanging on the refrigerator door. She quickly righted the bottle and the flow stopped. Blaine came back in the room and quickly mopped up the soda that had spilled on the table. "There we go." He stood up and looked at his mom who was staring at him.

 

She touched a hand to his neck and then worked her fingers up into his freshly cut hairline. The loose ringlets that once haloed his head and covered his ears were gone. She raked her eyes over what was left of his curls, though they were not as pronounced as before. She looked him in the eye and expected an answer to the unspoken question of "Why now?" that was hanging at the tip of her tongue. Instead, she saw him. Really saw him. She realized she didn't need any answers. In that moment, she knew her little lion was gone and in his place was a young man. She brought her hand around, cupped his chin, and then leaned in to kiss him on the forehead. "Thank you for cleaning up the soda, sweetie."

 

He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair and offered a small smile; grateful she didn't say anything or ask any questions. When his dad came out of his study to eat with his family, he took a look at his son, raised his eyebrows and nodded.

 

The idea came to him that morning in the bathroom, but he allowed himself the whole day to think about it. As he walked the corridors of his new school, he looked around at the other boys. They all looked the same, and it wasn't just because of the uniforms. Everyone looked polished. Everyone looked mature. Everyone looked serious.

 

At first, he told himself he was doing it for the audition. If he wanted to impress the judges, he had to look the part. But then he found himself thinking about Kurt. Kurt's appearance always looked perfect and Blaine usually looked disheveled. It was easier for him to make it look like he didn't care because then people wouldn't notice him. But here at his new school, everyone was so put together that he felt like he stuck out. Though he still didn't know many people, he thought that maybe if he looked the part, he would start to assimilate better. He thought that maybe if he presented the best version of himself, he would somehow have the courage to see if there was potential for something more with Kurt.

 

After school he drove to a salon on the other side of town. He wasn't embarrassed, but at the same time, he didn't want to hear from his usual barber about how he was finally getting a real haircut. He walked through the door and sat patiently, albeit nervously, in the waiting area, flipping through magazines with various hairstyles. It suddenly hit him that he didn't know what to ask for, only that he had to look more presentable than he did at the moment. When he heard his name called, he was brought to the back to get his hair washed, and then set up in a chair in the corner. He was left alone for a few minutes and had no other option but to stare at himself in the mirror in front of him. Though his hair was still damp, his shaggy curls had already sprung back to life. He dragged his right hand through his hair while his left hand was gripping his thigh. A small wave of panic washed over him as a woman in her mid 30s approached him. She didn't have a crazy hairstyle like some of the stylists sometimes do, which he thought was a good sign, and she offered him a friendly smile.

 

"Hey hon. What can I do for you today?"

 

"Uh…" He was at a loss for words and the stylist knew it.

 

She looked at his hair and then took a quick look at his uniform before she tied a cape around his neck. He sure didn't look like a private school kid. Maybe that's why he was here. "Do you need me to make you look as dapper as your uniform?"

 

His face flushed out of embarrassment for not being able to vocalize what he wanted her to do to his hair. Through his reflection in the mirror, he looked at her in the eye. She looked trustworthy enough and this was her job… He nodded.

 

She gave him a small smile, "I promise you will look great. Do you trust me?" He nodded again. She could tell he was nervous and thought he might be better off not facing the mirror for what she had in mind. "I'm going to turn you around, okay?" He took a long look at himself in the mirror but nodded again. "Okay." She turned his chair around and then picked up comb out of a canister on her table. She silently combed out his hair and then pulled a pair of scissors out of her apron. "What's your name, hon?"

 

He felt her gently pull a chunk of his hair taut between two of her fingers and then heard a soft snipping sound. He swallowed, "Um, Blaine."

 

"Nice to meet you, Blaine." Snip. "I'm Alexa." Snip.

 

Alexa finally managed to get Blaine to relax and they conversed for the duration of his haircut. Just as they were getting into a rousing debate over reality television she put her scissors back into her apron. "Well, kid, we're almost done. I just have to clean up your hairline a bit and you'll be good to go, okay?"

 

Blaine nodded, "Okay."

 

She leaned his head forward so that his chin was resting on his chest. His eyebrows shot up when he heard a buzzing sound near his ears but made sure to keep his head still. A few moments later the sound stopped and he heard a clunk as Alexa placed the clippers on the table. She took off the cape and brushed any stray hairs off his neck. "Are you ready? Now, I think you look very handsome, and don't even bother telling me I'm biased…" her words drifted off as she spun Blaine's chair around so he could look at himself in the mirror. His eyes widened with shock as he brought a hand up to his hair. Instead of a tangled mess, his fingers ran easily through much shorter waves of ebony. Slowly his expression softened as a small smile appeared on his face. He looked different, yes, but somehow he didn't feel like his identity was completely gone. "Everything okay?"

 

Blaine turned around in his chair and looked Alexa in the eye and smiled, "Yeah. Thank you."

 

As he hopped out of the chair and grabbed his satchel, she said, "You're welcome. You can use some product if you want. A little bit of gel will keep the frizz at bay." He nodded and made a mental note to stop at the store to buy some hair gel on the way home.

 

He paid at the counter, left a big tip for Alexa and then ran to his car and drove toward Target. He stole several glances at his reflection in the rear view mirror. It was going to take a little getting used to, but he wasn't regretting what he did. He hoped his new look would help during the audition. He also hoped it would maybe impress Kurt the next time he saw him. He smiled as he planned to ask his mom if he could work for her this weekend. Kurt had said he was in need of a shopping trip.

 

...

 

Blaine got teased a bit the next morning by some of the boys he was starting to befriend in his homeroom. He knew they were just messing around and didn't take any of it to heart. By the afternoon, no one cared about his haircut anymore. Maybe he was fitting in better than he thought – or at least blending into the fold.

 

Blaine (Thursday 4:39pm)

 

Audition tomorrow – yikes!

 

Kurt (Friday 12:21pm)

 

Sorry I missed your text yesterday I accidentally left my phone at my dad's garage when I got off of work and he didn't give it back to me until this morning.

 

Kurt (Friday 12:22pm)

 

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR AUDITION TODAY!

 

Blaine (Friday 12:24pm)

 

Thank you :)

 

Blaine (Friday 12:24pm)

And garage?

 

Kurt (Friday 12:26pm)

 

My dad owns a tire shop… we work on cars… you know, "man stuff."

 

Blaine (Friday 12:27pm)

You… work on cars. YOU?

 

Kurt (Friday 12:28pm)

 

Yep. I can change oil and fix spark plugs. Eat your heart out, Anderson ;)

 

Kurt (Friday 12:28pm)

Go concentrate on your audition. Let me know how it goes!

 

Blaine (Friday 12:30pm)

 

Will do

 

Even though Blaine wanted to text Kurt while he waited for his second audition, he turned off his phone to avoid glares from the other boys in the waiting area. When his name was called, he stood up and ran his hands over his slicked-back hair (maybe a little less gel next time…). He strode into the audition room with confidence and sang his two songs with as much passion as he could muster. He walked out of the audition room feeling really good about himself.

 

After he ran to his car, he pulled out his phone and turned it back on. He was a little surprised not to see any texts from Kurt, but maybe Kurt thought he was too nervous to be bothered. Before he hopped in his car, he typed out a message to his friend.

 

Blaine (Friday 4:31pm)

I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I think I nailed it.

 

Blaine (Friday 4:32pm)

 

They post the list on Monday.

 

Blaine (Friday 4:32pm)

 

Oh! I'm working for my mom tomorrow. So, if your at Easton, come say Hi!

 

Blaine (Friday 4:33pm)

 

*you're

 

Blaine (Friday 4:33pm)

 

:)

 

Meanwhile, Kurt's phone was off because you can't use your cell phone when you're in a hospital.

 

He sat in the waiting room, staring at the wall. His was pulled out of school just after lunch and was told that his father had a heart attack. His glee club instructor, Mr. Schuester, drove him to the hospital but no one had filled him in on any more information, just that his dad collapsed at work and was now in a coma.

 

Kurt couldn't breathe. He just kept playing the last conversation he had with his father over and over again in his head. They talked that morning. Well, fought.

 

When Kurt went to his dad's shop to pick up his phone, he told his dad he was going to miss dinner that night because he and Mercedes were going to "Sing-a-long Sound of Music." His dad got mad because Friday night dinners were kind of their thing after his mom died when he was eight. Kurt loved his dad, but Friday night dinners were every week… "Sing-a-long Sound of Music" was only once a year. He dad claimed he was pulling away and then brought up the fact that their Friday night dinners were going to end in a few years when Kurt went away to college. But Kurt didn't want to hear it, and he had already promised Mercedes that he would drive, so he told his dad he was going and that was that.

 

He stormed out of the garage without telling his dad he loved him. Kurt wondered if he would ever get the chance to say that to him ever again.

 

Kurt needed his dad. He needed his dad, but his dad was unconscious and hooked up to tubes. He never felt so alone in his entire life.

 

...

 

Blaine kept his phone by his side the rest of the night awaiting a text from his friend.

 

He never heard from Kurt.

 


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So, just finished the 7th chapter, and I Love everything about this story so far! Definitely going in my favorites!