"'Cedes, I don't think we're in Lima anymore."

They both looked out over the carpeted grand staircase that led down to the main floor that was littered with girls and boys in elegant-- yet modern-- ensembles. The jeweled chandeliers were dimmed almost to the point you could barely see two feet in front of you and bright, hypnotic Technicolor lights fluttered through the crowded dance floor. Mirages of bright fabrics and different materials flooded in his eyes as the couples moved gracefully in between each other.

"I feel a little under-dressed," Mercedes sighed. Kurt eyed his work once over and then rolled his eyes, "Mercedes, you're wearing a Hummel original. You're the best dressed here."

She was in a black dress, made of a gorgeous silk that Kurt had found on sale, that had gorgeous beading on the torso and a slimming effect on Mercedes that Kurt had put special care into. Mercedes' hair was pulled into an elegant updo with curls and ever so subtle rhinestones peeking out from her hair, and a white rose tucked neatly behind her ear. Her mask matched her rose in the fact that it was white satin with simple rhinestone swirls outlining the edges. They had planned the outfit to be Mercedes' prom attire, but it was a condition Kurt had to agree with when persuading Mercedes to join him tonight. He'd have to think of a different dress for Mercedes.

Mercedes playfully nudged Kurt and smiled, "You don't look bad yourself."

Kurt smiled bashfully and looked down at his own outfit. He had a simple white dress shirt on, a black vest over it, and tight, black-dyed jeans that, in his opinion, made his legs look fantastic. His outfit was focused on the details: the gold pocket watch peeking out from his pocket, the simple chain that dangled from it, the silk black bowtie, his black and white saddle shoes, his "easy to wash out" black hair dye, and last but not least, his mask. His mask was metal framework that looked like lace, painted black. It was him to a T; elegant but simple.

As he turned his attention back to the dance floor, Kurt was positively floored by the sheer amount of decorations in the room. They weren't your average public school decorations either. No, these were full blown bouquets of freshly picked flowers, faux pearls draped over the vase's exterior. Through the ballroom's tall glass windows, Kurt could even spot a dining area with candlelit tables and lavish center pieces. Not to mention the silk ribbon draped railings, the sparkling marble floor, and Kurt didn't even want to think about what was in those gift bags.

Kurt then noticed the stage in the back where the school's a capella group, The Dalton Academy Warblers, was serenading the entire audience. Kurt smiled to himself because he knew so much about the Warblers. Not so much the people in the group, but that the Warblers were like Dalton's very own celebrity group. "Wow," Kurt sighed out.

A boy in a tux that vaguely resembled a Dalton uniform made his way up to them and offered to show them to the dance floor. Mercedes smiled in return as the boy led them down the stairs and onto the smooth stone.

"Enjoy your night." The boy said as he made his way back up the steps to help the other guests. Kurt felt a little awkward watching the boy go, but soon enough Mercedes looked up at him with a smile.

"You okay, boo? You look a little overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed is pretty accurate." Kurt stammered, trying to recollect himself. He looked over at Mercedes and smiled as he nervously held out his hand, "Wanna dance?"

Mercedes smiled and took his hand as he slowly led her out to the floor.

The first couple minutes of dancing was a bit of a blur. Kurt remembered dancing with Mercedes for a while before she was whisked away by a gentleman of sorts. He then remembered a young girl, most likely a sister, asking for a dance, which he obliged. Then everything else faded into the background as his dance with the girl ended, and a familiar, fun beat began as he dared to look up at the stage. That's when Kurt saw him.

He was singing into the microphone, his hair gelled back fashionably and his lips caressing the words as if they were golden. His long eyelashes peaked out from behind the midnight blue mask and if Kurt wasn't mistaken, the man had the most gorgeous hazel eyes that he had ever seen. The boy's voice seemed to renew the meaning behind the over-played lyrics as he sang, "Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets-- Just love."

Kurt found it difficult to breathe as the boy's liquid voice filled the ballroom. Kurt had to give everything he had not to fall backwards from being weak kneed and watched as the group behind the boy swayed and sang along. None of them seemed to pay any attention to the crowd, but the front singer was engaged with the audience. The overall performance was, to put it lightly, intoxicating. All of his senses seemed to be amplified, taking in the sights and feels all around him. The boy's voice was almost too good to believe. Even just the emotion the boy was putting into his performance was enough to make Kurt completely enamored with just the thought of simply talking to him.

All of this was thought while the boy performed, playing the audience in a way that was incredibly endearing. Despite his better judgement and despite his urge to look away, Kurt smiled with wonder. How, in a world that had proved over and over again it's cruelty, did a guy like this even exist?

When Kurt happened to match his gaze with the boy... god he felt like he couldn't even breathe! It was new to him, this feeling of simple breathlessness. Kurt smiled and watched with curiosity as the boy on the stage seemed to be dancing with his microphone stand and he laughed, amused by this boy's sheer enthusiasm.

This is insane. Kurt thought,chuckling lightly as he turned his gaze away, I'm getting too wrapped up with this.

"So, take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back." Kurt glanced back up at the stage at what seemed to be a reply to his thoughts. When they finally locked eyes the boy was simply beaming at him and Kurt felt a surge of something in his heart, it was something he had never felt before. The closest thing to it that he could recall was when he looked at a celebrity he had a crush on, but this felt more... grounded. Kurt shook his head, the thought disappearing as the last notes of the song were played and the boy smiled at Kurt as he sang the last lyrics.

"Be your teenage dream tonight."

The ballroom erupted in applause and the boy seemed to soak in the attention with grace as he spoke into the microphone. "At this time, we're going to ask someone to come up here and show us what they've got." A sea of hands, mostly girls, arose from the crowd and Kurt decided he'd better find Mercedes.

It was when he went to turn away that the spotlight found him. Kurt froze as he felt the warm light burn into his black and white ensemble. He turned around to see the boy smiling as he waved him towards him. "C'mon on up." The boy spoke into the microphone, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

Kurt tilted his head and he felt a slight nudge from behind him. It was the girl he had danced with before. Kurt began to wave it off, laughing and shaking his head no nervously.

"Looks like someone needs some courage. What do you say, everyone?" A loud cheer erupted as more hands began to guide him up to the stage, and he started to get seriously scared. He didn't need this attention!He wanted, no needed to fade into the background. When he was finally shoved up near the front of the stage, the boy leaned down and reached out a hand. Kurt glanced at him nervously and the boy pulled the mic away from his mouth and crouched down to look him in the eye with a smile. "I don't bite," He laughed.

Kurt still looked at him dubiously when the boy began to speak again. "Please?" He asked, his eyes pleading with him like a puppy's.

Kurt's right hand moved of it's own accord as it found it's way into the boy's palm. He pulled in a sharp breath involuntarily at the feel of the boy's grasp tightening around his. The boy set the microphone into the stand and reached his other hand towards Kurt's left. Kurt gripped onto the boy's hands tightly as he was whisked off his feet, quite literally, and up onto the stage. The crowd laughed and cheered joyfully as Kurt was handed a microphone.

"What's your name?" The boy asked aside from his microphone.

"It's uh," Kurt panicked and said the first name that came to mind, "I'm Nate." Wow, way to go, Kurt, he told himself, using a name from Gossip Girl.

The boy nodded and turned back to the audience, "Can we get a round of applause for Nate coming up here?" The crowd applauded and Kurt felt himself blush. Fine, he told himself, If they wanted a show, he'd give them a show. He waited for some sort of instruction before the boy turned to him and told him that he got to choose the song.

Kurt went through his mental playlist and then stopped on one duet he had recently found himself listening to. And oddly, it fit the occasion. He motioned for the boy to come close, and he whispered a song into his ear. Oddly enough, the boy nodded in understanding, which Kurt wasn't expecting, and walked over to the band and told them the song. The boy turned around as the opening notes lifted from the speakers. The boy mouthed 'you first'. Kurt blinked, took a deep breath, and started to sing.

Take my hand
I'll teach you to dance
I'll spin you around
won't let you fall down.

Would you let me lead?
You can step on my feet
give it a try,
It'll be alright.

Kurt felt his nerves slowly fading as he slipped into the music. He looked at the boy he was dueting with, and all remaining nerves disappeared with the boy's stunned look. The boy took a breath and joined in with him.

The room's hush, hush
and now's our moment,
Take it in,
feel it all,
and hold it.
Eyes on you,
Eyes on me,
we're doing this right.

The boy smirked and dared to come closer to Kurt, and Kurt played right back by walking closer too. The small play they were putting on was coming so naturally, and Kurt felt himself smiling as he continued to sing.

'Cause lovers dance when they're feelin' in love.
Spotlight's shining
it's all about us
It's all about us,

And every heart in the room will melt,
This is a feeling I've never felt,
but it's all about us.

Kurt found himself laughing a bit under his breath, hardly able to believe this was happening. Was he really in Dalton? Singing with a Warbler who had an amazing voice? It was too surreal, and it felt like if he was pinched he would wake up at home. If anyone tried to pinch him Kurt would run as far away as possible, because if this was a dream he didn't want to wake up. He was ready to stay here with this masked boy for as long as possible. Too many days he had sat there in his daydreams imagining a moment like this, now that it was being actualized it was too good to be true.

Suddenly, I'm feeling brave.
I don't know what's got into me
why I feel this way.

Can we dance
real slow?
Can I hold you--
Can I hold you close?

The boy's expression was questioning as if he couldn't believe how true the words ran. Kurt blushed more as he turned away, silently thankful that his mask covered the majority of it, but this didn't stop the boy moving closer towards him, acting like a curious kid. The boy held out his hand and Kurt took it and the boy pulled him closer. The next part of the song came out of his mouth in a breathless whisper, the boy's voice covering his while he couldn't seem to grasp reality. When the chorus began, Kurt was almost shaking as he realized his situation. He was so close to this impossible boy that his head was swimming in his cologne. Not that the boy was wearing much, but what he could smell was just intoxicating. The boy spun him out and Kurt landed near the opposite side of the stage from him, and began a slow walk that matched the soft beat towards him once more.

Do you hear that, love?
They're playing our song.

The boy picked up where this was going, and followed Kurt's lead, taking steps towards Kurt as the beat began to pick up, the music leading his steps.

Do you think we're ready?
Oh, I'm really feeling it.

Do you hear that, love?
Do you hear that, love?

As they stepped closer to each other, Kurt's heart was nearly in his throat. This was happening, really, truly, happening. All those dreams he had about being in Dalton and having the time of his life were being realized in front of his eyes. Not to mention he was singing a duet with a gorgeous boy who knew how to play into a song as well as the audience.

At this point, they met in the middle, where they stood and smiled at each others' voices. Kurt thought he had never heard anything more silky and smooth; he wanted to melt into his voice as it caressed his ears gently.

Do you hear that, love?
They're playing our song.

Do you think we're ready?
And oh, I'm really feeling it.

Do you hear that, love?
Do you hear that, love?

Lovers dance when they're feelin' in love.
Spotlight's shining,
It's all about us.

Kurt sang his part as his duet partner clapped his hands above his head, getting the crowd to follow him, until he had to sing. Even then, when he began to sing, the audience kept up the clapping, showing their interest in their performance.

It's all about us.
It's all...

And every heart in the room will melt,
This is a feeling I've never felt,
but it's all about us.

Their voices melted together seamlessly as they went to finish the last of the song. Kurt was pulled closer as the boy grabbed Kurt's hand gently once more, and guided him closer. So close, in fact, Kurt thought for sure that he was inhaling the air the boy was exhaling.

This is a feeling I've never felt,
but it's all--
it's all about us.

Kurt was breathless as he stared into the boy's gorgeous hazel eyes. He stared into them, burning the image into his mind for later. He knew that this was going to be the source of comfort for the rest of his weeks in Mckinley. On those days he felt destroyed and hopeless, he knew he would remember this boy's honey-gold-and-green eyes and remember that once upon a time, he was the Cinderella of his own ball.

The applause worked it's way into his attention and he turned out towards the crowd and smiled. They liked him. They liked his voice and his performance. His heart swelled with joy and he broke out into a smile so big he thought it could touch his ears.

"Give it up for Nate everyone!" The boy laughed as if he had just snapped back into reality as well. Kurt dared a side glance at him to see the boys was grinning unbearably big as well.

He took it as his cue to get off the stage, and made his way to the back for a proper way to get down. He stepped down, and a sudden realization of what exactly he had just done sank in. He just sang a romantic duet with a handsome boy in a ballroom in Dalton Academy. But he was now an object of fixation. He was most likely going to have to lie about his entire self tonight. He wasn't expecting anything else, but it had felt like he was himself for a minute or two while singing that song with... with...

He didn't even know his name.

Kurt almost dared to look back, almost dared to see if he could run up there and ask, but he shook the idea out of his mind and began walking to find Mercedes. When he finally found her standing next to the drinks, she was talking to a boy. Not just any boy, a cute boy. When she spotted Kurt, she almost gagged on her drink with laughter.

"Nate," She emphasized, laughing a bit under her breath. She waved him over to where she was conversing and introduced Nate. The boy introduced himself back as David, and Kurt smiled politely in return before turning back to Mercedes.

"Cedes, can I pull you away for a while?" Kurt asked, glancing up apologetically at David. Mercedes turned to David with a smile and excused herself politely as possible and walked over to a deserted corner with Kurt.

Mercedes was cracking up as they came to a stop. "You should have seen your face when they called on you to come up to the stage."

"This isn't funny." Kurt gritted, "Now people will recognize me as the guy who sang with the Warblers at the masquerade!"

"I thought you were confident in your disguise, Mr. Hummel." Mercedes drawled with a slight giggle at the end.

"Okay, what did they put in those drinks?" Kurt said, snatching Mercedes' drink out of her hands. He sniffed it once and placed it down almost immediately. You'd have to be stupid not to smell the undertone of alcohol in it. I guess even prep school boys aren't above spiking the drinks, Kurt thought to himself.

"How could you not smell the alcohol in this?" Kurt whisper-yelled, like it was a secret.

"Don't be such a debby-downer, boo." Mercedes started to laugh again as she waved her hand, "I'll be fine by the time we head home. He was just really cute and distracting and I was thirsty so I just grabbed without looking," She paused, looking confused for a second. A sudden spark of recognition, "Oh there he is! Can I go talk to him? Please?" Mercedes begged.

Kurt shook his head sternly and began guiding Mercedes through the crowd of people over to the outdoor patio where food was being served. "No way," Kurt said as she tried to wiggle away from him, "We're getting you sobered up some before I trust you again."

Mercedes pouted as she was dragged towards the outdoors and into the slightly cool air. Kurt sat them at a table and quickly got a waiter's attention. "Excuse me, do you guys have any strong coffee?" When the waiter nodded yes, Kurt asked for a large cup for his friend. The waiter walked off, and Kurt sighed. Great, this was not how he planned to spend his time at the ball. He knew it was for the best, however. Not seeing that boy again would be a good thing overall. Getting to know him would make leaving too hard anyways.

He sighed as he listened to how perfect Mercedes' night was going and how David was quite a gentleman while trying to relive his memories in his head. How nice it had been to dance and sing with a guy who treated him like a duet partner instead of just some guy he had to share the stage with. His lips had looked so soft and pliable when he had been singing-- which reminded Kurt he needed to refill on his lip balm soon.

The waiter interrupted his thoughts by placing a coffee in front of Mercedes who was somehow still able to be going on about David, so Kurt thanked the waiter for the drink instead. The waiter dismissed himself and he motioned to the drink while not really listening to Mercedes anymore since this was the fifth time she had started describing his eye color. Mercedes nodded and began sipping, calming herself down, until she had managed to calm down enough that she realized how much she had been talking about David and how she really needed to shut up.

"Welcome back." Kurt laughed as he stood up, excusing himself from the table.

"Where are you going?" Mercedes asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"I need to stretch my legs." Kurt lied. Mercedes started to get up but he shook his head in denial, "No, you're staying put until you've sobered down some more."

Mercedes had a ghost of a pout as she took another sip of her coffee and she settled down again in her seat. Kurt walked back inside, moving his way through the crowd. It seemed the crowd was more carefree than before, and Kurt had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with the alcohol spike. Kurt attempted to get through to the other side and just when he was about to break free from the crowd, he tripped over a leg and went falling down to the ground.

"Woah, are you okay?" Kurt looked up and met eyes with the boy from earlier. His cheeks went red with embarrassment as he quickly got up off the floor. "Nate is that you?" He asked, walking up and helping brush the dust off of Kurt's outfit.

"The one and only," Kurt said, his voice on the brink of sarcasm. Of course he would end up meeting him again, and covered in dust no less. They both sat there in silence for a bit.

"Do you, uh, want to hang out for a bit? I've got the next set list off and you seem like a pretty cool guy--"

"I'd love too." It fell out with no chastisement, and Kurt immediately regretted saying anything. Even if this silly idea of them being somehow romantically linked was highly unlikely, it would all be a lie. Everything would be a lie.

"Cool!" the boy seemed to be brimming with joy as he rose his hand, "I'm Blaine."

Kurt took his hand, smiled as he closed his grip, and shook it. "It's nice to meet you."

"You were fantastic up there!" The boy, Blaine, exclaimed out of nowhere, "I've never heard anyone like you. Your voice is just amazing."

Kurt blushed once more, and silently wondered if his cheeks would forever be colored red around this boy. "You're not so bad yourself," Kurt responded.

"Do you take lessons or...?"

"No," Kurt replied, "Unless you count my Ipod as a teacher."

Blaine laughed lightly at this, making Kurt's stomach flutter with butterflies. "Well, you're fantastic. Really. Do you go here?"

Kurt wished so desperately to say yes. He wished he could pull off his mask and wash out this damned hair dye and reveal himself. He wished he could be himself in a place where he felt at home with strangers... where he felt safe. He wanted to tell this boy about his struggles, about how he goes to this piss poor school where he's tormented every day of his life. The weirdest part being he didn't even know why.

"Uh no," Kurt said, burying his feelings down in his gut, "I'm a relative of an Alumni who got invited. I'm his plus 1." In a split second, Blaine had went from extremely excited to looking devastated. Kurt wondered for a second how it was possible to change expressions so fast, but the guilt of making Blaine look so sad over took his thoughts and clouded his judgement. "I might come here though!" He lied, "I highly doubt it since I live about a state away," Another lie, "But you never know." Blaine seemed to perk up at this, and then bowed and held out his hand to Kurt.

"Well then if I may," Blaine said in a mocking proper voice, "Might I give you a tour of the school?"

"You may," Kurt said, playing along with him. He placed his hand into Blaine's and Blaine stood up and led him through a door that led to the rest of the school. The school of Kurt's dreams.

*****

"...And this is the practice room for the Warblers." Blaine said as he pulled open the doors that led into a room of polished wood, old oil paintings of founders, leather seating, and a giant banner that read 'Dalton Academy Warblers'. Kurt walked mindlessly into the room, gazing at the sheer beauty of it. It was perfect, it felt old and weirdly regal. The wood panels covered the walls and gave the room a "Washington D.C." feel to it. The warm tones and leather added a charming characteristic to the room, and the long banner with a Warbler tweeting a song on it made the room feel personal to the club.

"I insist you join this club if you ever do enroll in Dalton." Blaine said from behind him.

Painful topic, so Kurt decided to switch it out. "I'll think about it... but what do you guys do for fun around here, y'know other than singing?" Kurt asked, thumbing the fabric of a couch next to him.

"Uh, well I watch football, read vogue--"

"What?" Kurt said, a laugh coming out in his voice, "I'm not trying to be mean, but how is that even possible?"

Blaine laughed too, "I'm a well rounded person?"

They both laughed a bit after that, and Kurt knew that in that moment, that moment that they locked eyes while their laughs softened, that he had fallen for him. A man who seemed impossible in his very existence.

"You're something else, Nate." Blaine stated, seeming innocent as he moved towards the couch Kurt was next to.

Kurt blushed at the compliment, or what he assumed was a compliment, and his heart did a jump when Blaine sat down next to him on the couch. "Do you want to play a game?" Blaine asked, a smirk on his lips.

"Depends on the game." Kurt laughed ad he placed his hands on his lap, trying to keep them away from Blaine's.

"20 questions. I ask you a couple questions, you ask me a couple questions, and we end up finding out more about each other."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, and when their gazes met, a surge of adrenaline rushed through him as he remembered being on that stage singing with him. In a rush decision, Kurt nodded in agreement. Wouldn't matter anyways, he would have to lie for most of it anyways. "Okay," Kurt said, "You start."

Blaine thought carefully before asking, "Do you like Dalton?"

Kurt's mouth opened of it's own accord as he began to speak, "Are you kidding me? This place is everything I ever wanted. Amazing people, tasteful decorations, a no-tolerance bullying policy. It's perfect." He sighed. When he looked over and saw Blaine smiling at him, Kurt flushed anew. "...That sounded incredibly dorky."

"It was actually quite adorable," Blaine said as he grinned a bit wider. Kurt thought he felt his skin get even hotter under his clothes. Adorable? Really? Blaine thought he was adorable? Kurt couldn't properly function because that was the first time anyone, let alone an attractive guy, said he was adorable when he ranted about things he was passionate about.

"Um, Kurt?" Blaine asked, quirking an eyebrow. Kurt snapped out of his thoughts immediately and met his gaze with a small 'hm?'. "Are you gonna ask a question?"

"Oh right." Kurt laughed shaking his head, "Sorry uhm..." Kurt thought seriously for a moment, wondering if he should go personal, or ask something a little more generic...

"I got it!" Kurt exclaimed. He settled down and then proceeded to ask, "If you could be any animal you wanted, which would you be?"

Blaine chuckled as he raised an eyebrow again, "Really?"

"What? Kurt said defensively, "You can tell a lot about a person by which animal they would choose."

Blaine smiled in response and nodded, understanding Kurt's point. "I would have to say... a Koala."

Now, it was Kurt's turn to raise an eyebrow. "A Koala?"

"Yeah, cute on the outside, vicious on the inside!" Blaine bared his teeth jokingly and held his hands up like claws towards Kurt, and Kurt couldn't help but laugh because that was one the most dorky things he thinks he's ever seen in his life.

"Ahem."

Both of them looked to see an older man standing in the door way, a disapproving look on his face. Blaine pulled away from Kurt and straightened up. "Headmaster Kingsby." Blaine said, "What are you doing here?"

"Nathan's relative was looking for him," Kingsby said, and Kurt shivered. This was not good, this guy knew he was lying about his identity. But what was even creepier was the fact he knew the bluff he had told Blaine when no one else could be seen. Kingsby continued, "I have come to escort him back to his uncle."

"Can we have a minute to say goodbye, I--" Blaine tried, but Kingsby cut him off by glaring at him. Blaine struggled for a second then looked down at the floor, like a defeated child. "Right, sorry. Nathan has to go now, I understand."

Kingsby now directed his gaze at Kurt, and Kurt looked pleadingly at Blaine. He didn't want to go, he didn't want this night to end, he didn't want to stop talking to this impossible boy--

"Nathan." Kingsby said, and Kurt snapped out of his train of thought. Kurt knew he only had seconds left, so he made them count. He walked over to Blaine, hugged him tightly as his goodbye, and let his only happiness in weeks slip through his fingers as he walked towards the Headmaster. Kingsby turned and led Kurt down a dark hallway, and Kurt only had time to glance over his shoulder to see Blaine, looking utterly defeated, fall into a soft chair.

*****

"So lets get down to business, Nathan," Mr. Kingsby said as he turned to look at the fair-skinned boy sitting in the leather chair opposite his, "Or is that even your real name?"

Kurt stiffened at the accusation, "S-Sir, I don't think you haven't any reason to accuse me of--"

"I know who you are, Mr. Hummel. I've seen you lurking about every once and a while." Mr. Kingsby pulled out a folder from a file cabinet and began to flip through it, "...You're 17, attend the public High School of Lima, in McKinley's Glee Club; You seem to have a perfect record."

Kurt's face was flushed of all color at this point. He felt his gut twist uncomfortably at Mr. Kingsby's unusually calm expression; it was almost as if he was waiting for Kurt to say something he already knew he would say. It was, simply put, unnerving. This was not sitting right with him, any of it. All this time, he thought he had been stealthy, when in fact he had been found out. The eerie thought caused Kurt to think of a question.

"If you knew I wasn't a real student," Kurt started, his voice shaking on each individual syllable, "why didn't you do anything about it?"

"If you had wanted to do something horrible, Mr. Hummel, you would have already." Mr. Kingsby said as he stared Kurt down with an impossibly calm, yet unnerving, gaze. "I saw no harm in letting you indulge in your fantasy for a while." Mr. Kingsby continued, "In fact, I felt a slight bit of pity for you as I was like you when I was your age..." he sighed heavily, "wanting so much more than I was allowed; so much more than what had been handed to me."

Kurt shifted slightly, finding himself extremely uncomfortable in this conversation. This guy was saying things that weren't really typical to fall out of a principal's mouth and it was making the nauseous feeling in his gut worsen in response. "I'd like to ask, sir," Kurt said, his voice stronger than previous endeavors, "If I'm going to be able to leave without any sort of... retribution?"

Kingsby chuckled softly to himself, and then shook his head softly. "I'm afraid I can't do that Kurt," He said as he folded his hands into each other and sat up even straighter, "You see, even though we are similar in many ways, it doesn't mean I can let you off the hook. I'm afraid you're going to have to do your time."

Kurt took in a sharp breath and felt his eyes stinging from tears as he let it sink in. He was going to be in trouble for trespassing on private property, a misdemeanor if he remembered right, which would make a pretty bad mark on his clean record. He was going to have to tell his dad the truth, his friends the truth, and possibly face some sort of in school punishment as well. All of this for just a few handful of moments of oasis, a few moments where Kurt didn't have to hide from red jackets, where he didn't have to worry about a cold corn syrup and ice concoction being thrown in his face, where he had enough time to think clearly. He felt like a kid that found himself caught in the act and couldn't explain himself.

"I understand." Kurt finally managed to say, his voice tight with guilt.

Mr. Kingsby gazed at Kurt a little while longer, his face twisted into something that looked as if he was almost sad about the scenario, but then his eyebrows quirked up in a shock of remembrance. "Actually," He said, standing up and walking over to his desk, opening a drawer, "I think there might be a way to get you out of this mess."

Kurt's heart almost leaped out of his chest as he straightened up and wiped the mist out of his eyes, "Really?"

Mr. Kingsby pulled out a manila file and opened it and then handed it's contents to Kurt. "This would substitute as your payment for trespassing."

"Dalton Scholarship Student Plan..." Kurt read out loud as he glanced at the front page, "I don't understand, I thought Dalton didn't accept scholarships."

"It's a fairly new practice," Kingsby said as he looked at Kurt with his ice-cold, blue eyes, "Basically, we take those who are eligible for scholarships and let them stay for a week. We see how they perform in our school instead of the school they were going to previously, and examine if they really deserve the scholarship or not." At this point, Kingsby let out a frustrated sigh, "The thing is, the board won't let me do this widely without a couple people trying it out first. So what I'm asking is that you be one of the first. You get to come here for a week and if you do well you might even be able to stay. It's either that or..." Kingsby motions to Kurt's record, "that becomes marked with something that isn't the full story."

It took a couple of seconds, but Kurt realized his mouth was agape. "You're offering me a chance to enroll?" Kurt was almost numb, overwhelmed with shock and excitement. His hands were shaking softly and he clasped them together on his knee as he tried to stable himself. So many thoughts, he was so excited, he had to tell Mercedes first thing and then he would have to pack his bags with enough clothes and his father would--

Kurt's heart sank like a swan that had just been shot out of the air. He felt completely deflated the more he thought about it. His dad would never allow it, even if it was to keep his record clean. He could even hear his father's voice now as he contemplated.

Something's not right here, Kiddo. You should be held accountable somehow, not just handed everything you've ever wanted. It's just, it's not sittin' right and you know it.

No, he answered to his father, why can't good things happen every once in a while to him? What if this is just Karma's way of repaying him for all the crap he had been through?

Because life isn't a fairytale, Kurt, his father's voice echoed, things don't just happen.

Kurt took a shaky sigh, even more so than when he had first found out he was in trouble because now it was an even worse situation. "I-I can't." Kurt stuttered, "My father wouldn't approve, he doesn't like this school."

"Not even to save his own son from paying a steep price?"

Kurt glanced up at Mr. Kingsby, whose cold, blue eyes had now become more warm. "He's one of those who believe that you have to pay the consequences of your actions." Kurt mumbled.

"Oh, but you are!" Kingsby smiled, "You're helping me achieve a new and better program here at Dalton Academy, which is helping me out more than you know."

Kurt moved his gaze from Kingsby to his hands which were folded into each other. He really didn't feel like discussing this; the fact that he was being offered everything he ever wanted-- needed-- only to say that he can't accept it. It was so upsetting to him, the fact that an event that happened in the past was defining his future.

"Are you positive that you cannot join us here at Dalton?" Mr. Kingsby's voice sounded soft, concerned, and patient. Kurt thought maybe it was because Mr. Kingsby was trying to console him and his worries, but all it did was creep him out, frankly.

"I'm positive," Kurt finally sighed in defeat, "Unless my dad magically disappears for a week."

"Well," Kingsby frowned, his forehead crinkling, "How very unfortunate. I'm afraid I'm going to have to do something about your trespassing then."

Kurt's head sunk, if possible, even lower as he realized how much trouble he was going to be in, and that it would ruin his record which would not look appealing to any college and he was so screwed--

"Unless..." Kingsby's mumbled words pulled the attention of Kurt, who in return gazed up at him.

"Mr. Hummel..." Kingsby started again, his words hanging on the thick sense of dread in the room, "You seem to be an excellent kid. You're smart, courteous, and if I may say so, talented. So here's what we'll do." He moved over to Kurt's chair and placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder, "We'll just keep this under wraps. You will however, be asked to pay for the hole in the fence to be fixed along with a fee for trespassing. Not to mention you'll need your parent's signature to notify that he is aware of the current situation that will needed to be mailed back within a week."

Kurt's heart almost jumped into his throat. He could forge his Dad's signature and easily dip into his clothing stash to pay for the damages. His mouth hung open and all he could do was nod his head. "I'll make do, I guess." Kurt said, and a small smile managed to make itself present on his face.

Kingsby nodded to the door with a slightly warmer smile, "Go and enjoy the rest of your evening. I've got your contact information here, so if anything pops up I can give you a ring. If you need to speak to me, just call this number," he said as he scribbled a phone number in a matter of seconds in a messy scrawl, "And you'll reach me. No matter what time it is."

Kurt smile faltered as he nodded and took the slip of paper from Kingsby. He said his 'thank you's, and made his way out of the Dean's office.

Mr. Kingsby's warm smile fell into a stoic expression as he waited for the fade of Kurt's footsteps. A few minutes after he heard the last footstep, and he was sure Kurt was gone, he walked over to his desk and unlocked the bottom drawer. In the drawer, there was only one thing:

A picture.

And in this picture sat a young boy on a woman's lap, both with their strawberry blond, almost brunette hair. His freckles are stretched over his rosy cheeks, and his nose is crinkled up in a smile. The woman beside him is gorgeous: her wavy hair just over her shoulders, her eyes kind, and her smile bright. They look like each other, almost eerily alike in their smiles, eyes, and hair. They're related beyond a hint of doubt. Underneath the picture, on the small white space, is a neat but chaotic scrawl.

My Dearest Elizabeth & Her Son, Kurt

"Oh, Kurt," Mr. Kingsby sighed, "How you've grown to be the spitting image of your mother."