Rachel had tried to ignore the whispers, but when Jacob Ben Israel put that microphone in her face and asked how she felt about the younger Anderberry’s taste in men, she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Rachel hadn’t talked to Kurt since the afternoon she’d found him in her kitchen almost two weeks ago. Thinking back, she knew she’d gone about the whole thing in the wrong way.

“Kurt, we need you. Without you around I have simply no one who can stand up to me vocally, and I require a challenge. How else am I supposed to grow as a performer?” Rachel Anderberry was also very good at putting her foot in her mouth.

Kurt scoffed at this, his eye’s widening and mouth settling into a thin line. “Rachel, as much as I appreciate your blatantly self-centered reasoning, I will not be returning to the glee club. I can’t afford for things to go back to the way they were. I just can’t do it anymore Rachel.” Rachel looked back at him from across the room, concern and pity clearly written across her face.

“Kurt, I see you everyday, you’re miserable. You’re like a ghost in the halls of McKinley. You don’t talk to anyone except Brittany and Santana who everyone knows are too involved in each other to actually pay attention to you.” Rachel bit her lip and glanced down, afraid to look Kurt in the eye. “Kurt, I never see you smile anymore.”

This was the last straw for Kurt, and when he replied it was with a yell, “I never smile ANYMORE? Obviously you weren’t paying attention before Rachel, because not only was I not smiling, but I was constantly covered in bruises, constantly trying to find a way to avoid the dumb Neanderthals that rule that school because I couldn’t bear to hear the word “fag” one more time. It may not seem like it to you, Rachel, but I’m actually okay now. I have found a way to survive and I’d be an idiot to return to the glee club!” Kurt was crying now; big, heavy tears running down his face and a grimace playing out over his features.

Rachel looked taken aback, as though everything that Kurt had said was new information to her, and Kurt realized that it was. He had never outwardly said how bad it had gotten those last few months before the kiss and the events that had followed. Tears began to form in Rachel’s eyes, which she quickly brushed away before she spoke.

“I… I didn’t know, Kurt. I swear I had no idea it had gotten so out of control. We love you in the glee club Kurt, we all miss you. I just don’t want to see you give up on your dreams because of dumb jocks who don’t know how to be decent human beings.” Once again, she lowered her gaze, trying as hard as she could to hide the tears that had begun to spill.

Kurt, for his part, was still angry, all the pain of the last couple of years, and all the tears that he had refused to let fall were coming at full force now. “Really? Because if you all had really loved me so much then why was it so easy for everyone to turn their cheek when they saw what was happening to me? Why did no one care enough to even ask me how I was doing every once in awhile? You know what Rachel, I think you and the glee club are just like everyone else, too self-involved to even open your eyes and see that not everything is rainbows and sunshine!” Kurt said with a snarl, his arms held high over his head. Rachel gaped at him for a moment, while he attempted to steady his breathing and quell the tears that were so openly falling.

“Kurt, I…” Rachel started, but she was cut of as Kurt moved closer, a glare in his eyes.

“No, Rachel, I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with excuses and I will not be returning to the glee club.” Kurt said before turning his back to her and rushing up the stairs to gather his things.

Rachel was left alone in the kitchen. She slowly circled her arms around her waist and leaned against the counter, allowing herself to cry. She was scared for Kurt, the Kurt Hummel she had known basically her entire life was strong and would die before he was willing to let anyone break him. Yet, something had. She knew there was more to the story, that something bigger than taunts and bruises had happened. It was something Kurt wasn’t telling her, and if he hadn’t told her, than chances were he hadn’t told anyone. Suddenly, an idea sparked in Rachel’s head. She knew how she was going to get Kurt to rejoin the glee club; it was just going to take a little investigation with the help of the New Directions.

Rachel was determined to see Kurt smile again.

Kurt sighed as he looked at the school through the windshield of his Navigator. McKinley High loomed above him, and he dreaded another day spent alone in its halls. However, he did have Blaine now. Blaine who was sweet and insistent, and still thought Kurt needed help in Chemistry. Blaine who had no idea of the extent of Kurt’s feelings for him, and it was going to stay that way. The two had become almost inseparable, when they weren’t in school at least.

Kurt still couldn’t bring himself to hang out with Blaine inside of the school. Blaine was enduring daily torment and Kurt was unwilling to go back to that life. Blaine had understood, for the most part, and the part of him that had always and would always love Kurt told him that Kurt needed to be protected. Not being seen with the likes of Blaine at school was the only way that he could make sure that Kurt would be ok.

Still though, Kurt hated seeing Blaine hurt.

Kurt grabbed his messenger bag from the passenger seat and opened his door. He slid out of the car quickly before turning to lock it. Pausing to straighten his uniform, he made his way into the school.

Kurt felt the eyes watching him before he saw them, but he soon realized that the entire body of McKinley High was staring at him rather obviously. At first he wondered if he had spilled something on his uniform, until Jacob Ben Israel appeared out of nowhere and he found a microphone in his face.

“The viewers want to know, how long has this secret romance been going on?” Jacob asked, waiting for Kurt’s reply. Kurt simply stared, unsure of what Jacob was referring to.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Kurt said before turning to leave. Jacob caught up with him rather quickly though.

“You and one Blaine Anderberry were caught canoodling at the Lima Bean yesterday, do you have nothing to say to that?” Jacob insisted, willing to do anything in order to get his story.

Something in Kurt’s eyes flashed and he was left momentarily speechless. He and Blaine had gone to the Lima Bean yesterday after school to “study,” but they mostly spent the entire time chronicling the career of Patty Lupone and wasting the afternoon with laughter and coffee.

“If you must know, Blaine is tutoring me in Chemistry and nothing more. Sorry to disappoint your followers, but there is nothing going on between me and that nerd Blaine Anderberry.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Kurt felt sick to his stomach. Blaine was quickly becoming the best friend that Kurt had missed in the years since they had been twelve. Still, if he didn’t want to deal with the jocks he knew he would have to cover his tracks. He also knew that the bullying would become even worse for Blaine, who hadn’t officially come out yet, if they thought he had a boyfriend. He just hoped that Blaine would understand.

Kurt turned to find Blaine. Even with the damage control he had just done he knew he had to get to Blaine before Jacob or the jocks did. He turned the corner down the hall that held the sophomores lockers and smiled once he saw Blaine, apparently unaware of the gossip, standing at his locker. Kurt quickened his pace, his eyes lighting up as he got closer, when he was met with a thick wall of ice.

Kurt blinked, mouth hanging open and purple slush sliding down his face, as whoever had thrown the slushy yelled a quick, “fag!” before hurrying away. He was in shock. No one had ever dared slushy him in his uniform and he had assumed that it was enough of a status symbol to keep the bullies at bay.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

His mind couldn’t process what was going on. He was still standing there, purple ice drying to a sticky mess on his face and staining his once immaculate uniform. He clutched at his messenger bag and willed himself not to cry. This couldn’t be happening, not again, not after all of the precaution he had taken.

Finally, after what felt like hours, but was more like a few seconds, Blaine appeared at his side. “Kurt! Oh my gosh, are you ok?”

“I, they, I don’t understand.” Kurt said, still in a state of shock.

“I’m so sorry Kurt. C’mon let’s get you to the bathroom. I’ll help you clean up.” Blaine said as he turned Kurt around and gently pushed his shoulders, willing him to move towards the bathroom. This finally caused Kurt to snap out of it.

“No! I can’t be here right now. I just, I have to go, I can’t face the school, not after that.” Kurt said as he started to move in the direction of the door.

“Um. Ok, do you want me to come with you?” Blaine asked as he followed Kurt to the door and the first bell rang out. Blaine never skipped school, he was a standing member of the perfect attendance club, but he also couldn’t imagine Kurt being alone after that.

Kurt paused for a moment, before taking Blaine’s hand. “Please?” He said as his large eyes, already wet with unshed tears, became even larger. Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand in return before nodding and following Kurt to the bathroom before they made their way to the parking lot.

Kurt Hummel was quickly becoming more important than Blaine’s grade point average.