Kurt felt an emotion he couldn't quite place. Anger mixed with sadness and a hint of resentment. Then Blaine's words sunk in. Kurt almost opened his mouth to tell them that in fact, he was the one who introduced Blaine to "Phantom" and how incredulous it was that Blaine had never seen it. Then he remembered that he and Blaine were no longer together, hence the ex. Kurt quickly glanced up, trying to find Blaine again, lost from the conversation. His eyes swept the room and he saw Blaine shaking hands with Alyssa who was beaming proudly. Andrea was telling Blaine that Alyssa was playing Christine and how she had a wonderful soprano voice. Andrea then introduced Blaine to Josh, who was playing the part of Firmin. Kurt was scared. He wanted to run in the other direction. He wanted to be back at home in his safe bed and stay there until Blaine was gone. He knew Blaine hadn't recognized him, how could he with a mask covering half his face? Part of Kurt was dejected by this thought though, shouldn't his ex-boyfriend, ex-lover remember his face? Kurt was so lost he barely realized that Andrea was moving towards him, with Blaine on her arm. "And here is our lovely Phantom." Andrea was telling Blaine while gesturing towards Kurt. "He's a bit picky and quite a bit of a diva, but we love him anyway."

A smile lit up Blaine's face. "Haha, that reminds me of my ex-boyfriend!" Kurt swallowed hard. How was he going to get through this? All of his nightmares were coming true. Andrea grabbed Kurt by the hand and he knew he was going to have to face this. "Blaine Anderson, I'd like you to meet our star, Kurt Hummel."

Blaine kept smiling and grasped Kurt's hand. For a second Kurt thought Blaine had forgotten him completely, and his heart shattered. All of a sudden a look of sudden recognition crossed Blaine's face. "Wha-KURT?" Blaine dropped the soft hand he was holding and took a couple steps back.

"Do you boys know each other already?" Andrea asked watching the scene before her.

"Yes" was their answer.

Kurt cleared his throat and felt as if he were about to jump off a cliff. "Hello Blaine, congratulations on getting the understudy for Raoul."

Blaine looked at Kurt, slightly taken aback. "Um, thanks, congrats on making the lead!" Blaine sent Kurt one of his heart-melting smiles. Kurt almost fell for it, much like when they were at Dalton together. Dalton. He had almost suppressed all of those memories completely. From the morning coffee trips, to the impromptu singing sessions, everything at Dalton was close to wonderful.

"You know if we didn't have class I would just sit here and kiss you all day," Blaine said while running his hand through Kurt's hair. "Oh Blaine, I never knew you were such a romantic guy." "Kurt, how could you forget that horribly romantic moment gone wrong in the Gap?" "Oh yes, Jonathan? Jerry? James? Whoever it was, that was one of your low points I'm guessing." Kurt bare suppressed a grin as he said the words. Blaine attempted to look at him crossly. "Hmm laugh at meal you want Kurt, but now you'll be the one being serenaded in public." "Oh you wouldn't!" "Watch me!" Blaine playfully pinned Kurt to the bed and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You better keep an eye open while you sleep or else I'll sing to you!" Kurt laughed at the devilish grin on his boyfriend's face.

"Kurt? Hey, are you ok?"

Kurt was pulled from his memory by the same voice that haunted his dreams. "Um, yeah, sorry I, uh, go off when I'm thinking about the musical. You know me." He attempted a laugh, but it came out more as a whimper.
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"Kurt? You do realize you just called yesterday right?" Mercedes held the phone wondering what had gotten into her best friend.

"Mercedes, he-he's back." Kurt was so upset about Blaine's sudden reappearance in his life he couldn't even talk straight.

Mercedes sat up on the bed. "Who's back?" Realization dawned on her. "It's not Blaine is it?"

"Y-y-yes," hiccupped Kurt, his eyes brimming with tears. "He's an u-understudy with us."

"Oh, Kurt, I'm so so sorry!" Mercedes could hear how much Kurt was holding back. "Kurt, shhhh it's ok. If you want to cry you can. You deserve it; you were so strong when he did what he did."

"But 'Cedes, it still hurts. I still dream of him almost every night. Sometimes the dreams are happy, sometimes I wake up crying, feeling like my heart's been ripped out all over again."

Mercedes wished she could hug Kurt through the phone. "Kurt, as much as it hurts, maybe you should just try and become friends with him. It's been almost five years; you've both matured a lot I'm betting."

Kurt laughed. "Yeah and what if we become friends and when the show is over we go our separate ways and I'm left empty handed once again?"

"Don't invest yourself darling. Just be his friend. "

"Well Mercedes, I can't say I remember many times when you were wrong, but this will be hard, he'll have to earn my trust, if he even wants it."
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Kurt finished his bedtime routine and then sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled out the nightstand drawer and grabbed the bottle that lay in there. It was a prescription he had gotten when the dreams first began. Carole had gotten worried and had taken him to see a doctor. He told Dr. Weitz that he had nightmares and couldn't sleep. Mercedes was the only person who knew what exactly these nightmares consisted of. The doctor gave him these pills for the rough nights; Kurt had a feeling that tonight would be one of those. He popped two of the little red pills and swallowed them down with a gulp of water.

Kurt stood outside Dalton, only one more week and he'd be graduating. Strong arms wrapped around him and a deep voice sounded in his ear. "Can you believe we made it?" Kurt turned around and stared into the soft brown eyes looking at him. He gave Blaine a small peck on the lips and whispered in his ear, "can you believe WE made it this far?" Blaine simply smiled and kissed him in return. "I love you, you know that right? No matter what I love you." Kurt sighed contently. "Love you too Blaine. Even though I've said it a thousand times, I mean it. I. Love. You."

Kurt woke up with a start. He let the memory, and the emotions that came with it, flood through him. A week before graduation and everything was great. He had hoped that they would graduate and move to New York. Kurt had already landed a small role in an off Broadway musical. It may have been small, but it was the beginning to his career. He figured that Blaine would be happy and willingly move with him, ready to spend their life together forever. Boy how he ended up being so wrong.
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"OK everyone, places for the big "Track Down This Murderer" musical number!" Andrea was yelling at everyone because no one was listening. "I know we've had a long day, but we only have two weeks before the opening show!"

Kurt was tired. As much as he loved being the star of the show, hello it was called "The Phantom of the Opera", he was over this rehearsal. He was sick of seeing Blaine watching him from across the stage. He was tired of all the questioning looks and nosey questions from Alyssa. Why did Blaine have to come in and ruin his ability to focus on the show? Worse even, he could hardly sleep at night because Blaine's sudden appearance had made the dreams come even more often now.

"Ok Kurt, stand over here!" Andrea yelled, startling Kurt. She was pointing downstage near where Blaine stood. Kurt held his head up high and strode across the stage. "Ok, not let's start from the beginning! Blaine, can you be our Raoul for today? Damon is sick, plus you need some on stage practice!"

Blaine ran to the spot where Andrea was pointing. Kurt barely suppressed a groan that was lodged in his throat. He merely glanced at Kurt who began singing. Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair! Down we plunge to the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as hell! Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place? Kurt lost himself in the song. He was at home when he was performing. He let his mind wander as he sang, somehow still knowing when to come in and when to fade out.

"I'm-I'm sorry Kurt. I just can't up and move to New York! I've lived in Ohio all my life, I don't know anything else!" "But Blaine!" Kurt was crying now, he tried so hard to keep the tears from falling, but he just couldn't. "You said you loved me, that you always would! I thought you would be happy that I landed a role already. Albeit it's a small one, but at least it's something!" "Kurt, don't you see? It isn't about that. I can't do it. I'm not ready to leave Lima. If that means giving you up, then that's what it will be." "So you're just giving up on us? Just going to throw me out with the trash? Well fine then! I'll leave willingly!" Kurt slammed the door to Blaine's dorm room and slid down it. Inside he could still hear Blaine. "Kurt, I do love you. Oh why can't you see how hard this is? I love you more than anything, but I can't do this. I can't do US right now." Kurt had heard enough. He stormed off to his room. He knew he was acting childish, but Blaine had hurt him. Blaine was sending him away, leaving him, when he needed Blaine the most.

Kurt was lifted from the memory when he heard Blaine's voice cutting through the theater. "Free her! Do what you like only free her! Do you have no pity?"

Kurt sneered as he came in with his line. "Your lover makes a passionate plea!"

Alyssa delivered her line next, "Please Raoul, it's useless!"

Kurt held his breath knowing Blaine was next in line. "I love her! Does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion!

Kurt sneered even bigger as he delivered what was now his favorite line, "The world showed no compassion to me!" Kurt almost wanted to grab the stupid hobbit looking boy and shake him. YOU showed no compassion to me, Kurt thought. The one person who I trusted with everything and you left me out to dry. Then five years later you think you can just waltz in here, to the musical I'm in and everything will be ok? Ha we'll see about that.
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Andrea stopped Kurt on the way to the dressing rooms. "Kurt, you were wonderful today! I've never seen that much emotion in you! Whatever you're doing to psyche yourself up, well keep doing it!"

Kurt flung the door to the dressing room he shared with Alyssa open, letting it bang against the wall. Alyssa jumped off the chair with a little shriek. "Kurt! What happened to knocking?"

"Sorry," he replied, sliding onto the chair opposite of her. "I'm just really tired lately."

"Hmmm" she said thinking. "This doesn't happen to have anything to do with that Blaine boy showing up does it?"

"NO!" Kurt replied quickly. Too quickly for Alyssa's taste.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her tone sickly sweet. "Because if not, then I may just ask him out for a drink."

Kurt groaned and slid down in his chair, thinking of the time Rachel though that Blaine was straight and the insanity that came after that drunken party. "Trust me 'Lyssa, he and I play for the same team."

"Ohhhh" she replied, slightly put out. "Well then, you should go for him! You'd make an awfully cute couple."

Kurt stared her down. "No. Blaine and I have enough history as it is. Please, though, no more questions. This isn't Jeopardy you know?" Unfortunately, Kurt could see the wheels turning in Alyssa's mind as she worked out what Kurt had just said.

"Wait…you weren't the 'drama queen' ex Blain was telling Andrea about the other day were you?" Kurt shot daggers with his eyes at her. "Ooooh you were! Kurt come on! Whatever happened can't be that bad! Tell me!"

Kurt sat up knowing he had been defeated. He knew sooner or later he'd have to tell her anyway, why not now? He leaned towards her and after she promised to keep it between them, started in on his tale of heartache, romance and more heartache.