Chapter 6--

The next couple of weeks were spent putting the finishing touches on the set list for Nationals. As expected, most of the Glee club members were bickering back and forth as to who should get solos. There was a lot of finger pointing and a whole bunch of childish “you got to do that, so why can’t I do this?” kinds of arguments, and finally Mr. Schue had had IT!

“Guys, that’s ENOUGH! If you want any sort of input at all as to what we do for Nationals, I need you to calm down, quit complaining, and start working together.”

The New Directions collectively realized that if they didn’t start cooperating with Mr. Schue, they’d be singing yet another Journey medley, and not only could they not stomach any more Journey songs, but that wouldn’t win them Nationals either. It’d probably get them laughed off the stage.

Finally, they came to an agreement. They’d be singing two original songs that were currently only partially written and one surprise song that Mr. Schuester was planning to keep under wraps until the last minute.

“What the heck, Mr. Schuester? How can you possibly expect us to prepare a song if you don’t plan on telling us what it is?”

“Now Finn, relax a minute, and let me give you all some details.� This song I have in mind is a duet, and it does not include any other New Directions member singing background vocals or anything like that. The two people that I would like to sing the song are well versed in this type of music, and I’d be willing to bet they know this exact song. So I doubt they’ll need much practice to be phenomenal. I have a huge amount of trust in the talent of you kids. I would never spring this on any of you if I didn’t think it would go off without a hitch.”

“When are you planning on telling us about it?” inquired Tina.

“I thought it’d be something to look forward to on the plane.”

Everyone was really excited about the prospect of a surprise number, and most of them, were feeling conflicted, they both did and didn’t want to be “the chosen ones.” They did because, wow, what an honor, but they didn’t because the thought of so little rehearsal time for such an important competition was a little scary.

Mr. Schuester leaned back against the piano and smiled. He wasn’t originally going to do this number this way, but a phone call he had received that day clinched it for him. This idea was going to work out fantastically, and he couldn’t wait to witness it.

xXxXxXx

“Good morning, this is Will Schuester.”

“Good morning, Mr. Schuester, this is Blaine Anderson.”

“Blaine – oh, you mean Kurt’s boyfriend? Hi Blaine, how are you?”

“I’m actually doing pretty awesome, thanks so much for asking.”

“I take it you and Kurt are doing okay again?”

“We’re doing wonderfully. Thanks so much for putting up with all our teenage angst when everything went down.”

“Hey, no problem, Blaine. It needed to be addressed, and it benefitted everyone as well since Nationals wouldn’t be Nationals without Kurt. We need him, and we need him happy.”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling, Mr. Schuester. Kurt and I have reached the point in our relationship where I’d really like to reach out to him with some sort of grand gesture, and I need your help. I have some ideas….”

xXxXxXx

�“Oh. Em. Gee. I have never been in FIRST CLASS on an airplane before. This is so cool!” exclaimed Mercedes.

“I haven’t even been on a plane before,” said Sam. “We haven’t exactly had any money to go on vacation anywhere fancier than the lake these past few years.”

“Hey, I wonder if I can get the flight attendants to serve us some of those tiny little bottles of tequila. I bet Puckasaurus can charm them out of them in 2 minutes or less.”

“NO, Puck. Don’t even think about it,” scolded Mr. Schuester.

“Mr. Schue, how did your ex manage to score these tickets, anyway?” inquired Rachel.

“I’m not even going to go there. I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and I probably don’t even want to know, anyway. The important thing is, we’re on the plane and we’re heading to NEW YORK!”

Every New Directions member cheered. Kurt joined in, but he was perhaps a little less enthusiastic than the others. Blaine had brought him to the airport this morning so they could have a little extra time together before they spent five days separated by 600 miles and Kurt’s crazy busy rehearsal schedule, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough anymore. Kurt craved Blaine’s company, and he was pretty sure Blaine felt the same way.� He craved more than Blaine’s mere presence, though. He craved his mind, his body (oh God did he crave his body), and… his heart. Kurt was pretty sure that he was officially in love with Blaine, but he had never said anything for fear of rejection. He was waiting for Blaine to make the next move, but he wasn’t entirely sure how much longer he could wait. News like this begged to be told.

That’s it. I’m going to tell him when I get home, he thought. I’m going to go to him, throw myself in his arms, and tell him I’m in love with him. And then I’m going to kiss him ‘til we both forget our names.

“…and Kurt will be singing the duet.”

Whoa, Kurt. Yeah, that’s my name. Did I just hear what I thought I did?

“Wait, wait, I’m sorry, I was daydreaming. Could you repeat what you just said?”

Mr. Schue smiled. “I thought you looked a little lost in thought over there. I don’t suppose a certain boy has anything to do with that?” Kurt hung his head and nodded as he felt the heat spreading across his face. He was sure he was red as a tomato. “Anyway, I was just telling the group about the two original songs we’ll be singing, and I also announced the two I have chosen to sing the duet. I picked Rachel….and you, Kurt.”

Kurt was stunned. A duet at NATIONALS. On stage. In NEW YORK CITY! Holy shit, he thought. Normally he didn’t swear, even in his own head, but in this case he felt even the expletive wasn’t enough to describe what he felt at that point in time.

“Holy cow. Me? And Rachel? Mr. Schue, I’m pretty sure you’ve pretty much fulfilled nearly every hope and dream Rachel and I have ever had just with this one opportunity. Thank you! Did you happen to mention what we’ll be singing?”

“Well, you and Rachel are great with big Broadway songs. I’ve noticed your mutual love for Wicked, and I remember how much getting to sing Defying Gravity meant to both of you. Therefore, I have chosen another number from Wicked. You two will be singing For Good.”

The room was filled with the sound of a giant squeal. He had thought it was Rachel and was turning to laugh at her, but he noticed everyone else staring right at HIM.

“Oh God, was that me? Color me humiliated!” Kurt said as he blushed� a deeper red than anyone had ever seen on him before.

“It’s okay, Kurt! I’m thrilled to death, too! I couldn’t have asked for a better duet partner. Every song we’ve sung together has been absolutely amazing, and if anyone can pull this off, we can.”

“I know we can, Rachel. We are going to bulldoze the competition. And then we’re going to mop the stage with them. The whole group is, because we are just that amazing.”

“I agree with you both. And while I know you’ve probably both known the song backwards and forwards since the ink was dry on paper, I’ve arranged for a rehearsal hall for you to practice in. I think you’ll find it rather… inspiring.”

Mr. Schue gave Kurt and Rachel cab fare and the address of the hall, which was fairly close to their hotel. When they arrived at 222 West 51st Street, they discovered that they were at the Gershwin Theatre. They both looked at each other curiously.

“Is this…?” “You don’t think we’re…?” they both asked at the same time. They both ran for the door, practically knocking each other over as they struggled to open it. They were met inside by a security guard.

“May I help you?”

“Yes, our names are Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel. Our choir director Mr. Schuester gave us this address and told us that he arranged for us to have some rehearsal time here?”

“Oh yes, kids. Go right on through those doors – you’ll be rehearsing on stage.”

Both Kurt and Rachel trembled in anticipation as they approached the doors. Kurt took a deep breath and flung them open. Rachel was speechless, for once, and Kurt let out a huge gasp.

They were right – this was the official Broadway stage for Wicked, the musical. They would be rehearsing their duet on the very stage, and on the very set, that the professionals performed on every night.

“We made it, Kurt. We REALLY made it! Even if we never, ever make it back to New York again, we will always be able to say that we sang on a real honest to goodness Broadway stage.”

Kurt felt tears run down his face. He was overwhelmed with emotion, but strangely, the excitement he felt at being on the Wicked stage was only secondary. First and foremost, he was wishing that Blaine was here to share this moment with him, and crushed that he wasn’t.

They briefly discussed who would take which parts. Brad, being as omnipresent as he was, arrived at that exact moment and sat down at the piano ready to play.

And then, they began to sing.

xXxXxXx

“Blaine! Blaine honey, you will NEVER GUESS what happened today?”

“Kurt, calm down! Don’t give yourself a heart attack. Oh, poor taste, sorry Kurt.”

“It’s okay Blaine. But guess what, guess what, guess what?”

Blaine chuckled and shook his head. He was quite certain his boyfriend was jumping around as he was talking to him. Perhaps even jumping on the bed. Blaine recognized that overflow of energy, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he was glad to pass the responsibility of dealing with Kurt in that state off to someone else. Kurt was adorable, but he was also exhausting.

“I’m sure I will never guess what, just like you said. So why don’t you just tell me? But slowly, though – I’m not sure I can keep up with you in your current state!”

“Har har dee har har, Mr. Anderson. Are you making fun of me?”

“Nope, not at all. Just making an observation. Now, TELL me, I’m dying here!”

“Remember when I was telling you that Mr. Schuester was planning on choosing two people to sing a duet as part of our set list? Well he chose me and Rachel! We’re going to be singing For Good from WICKED!!”

“That’s hardly a surprise, Kurt. I happen to have it on good authority that you and Rachel are the two most talented members of New Directions.”

“Whose authority is that?”

“Well, mine, of course! You know how smart and always right I am.”

“HA!” Kurt scoffed, but he smiled. He couldn’t have asked for a more supportive partner.

“But anyway, that’s not even the BEST part! Mr. Schuester arranged for us to practice in, get this, the GERSHWIN THEATRE!”

“That’s awesome, Kurt. I bet it was thrilling to be able to rehearse on a real New York stage.”

“I don’t think you’re getting the significance of this, Blaine. Let me try again. We rehearsed on the Gershwin Theatre stage, the HOME of ‘Wicked -The Musical’ ON BROADWAY. We rehearsed on the 100% authentic, doesn’t get any more real than this, set that the Broadway actors perform every night on. Do you understand, Blaine? Do you now get how epic this is??”

Blaine was stunned. “Oh my GOD, Kurt. That is absolutely incredible. One of your biggest dreams come true, and you didn’t even have to get cast in a show to have it happen. I am so HAPPY for you, sweetheart! I wish I was there to give you a humongous hug just to show you how happy your happiness makes me and how proud I am to have the world’s most talented boyfriend.”

“You knew that this was one of my lifelong dreams, Blaine?”

“What do you take me for, Kurt? I listen. I listen to every word you say, even when it’s about fashion, which totally goes over my head. I know you’re always secretly soaking up every word your Dad and I say when we’re watching a Buckeyes game.”

It was true. Kurt always pretended to be reading the latest issue of Vogue or Cosmo or something whenever there was a game on, but he never absorbed more than a page or two of the magazine during the entire game. Blaine was just so sexy when he was excited about sports. He couldn’t help but watch.

“Oh Blaine, I can’t begin to tell you how much it hurts that you aren’t here to share this with me,” Kurt whispered sadly. “Mercedes has been around to celebrate with me, and I’m having fun becoming friends with Lauren – she’s so funny and so REAL. I like being around her a lot. But nobody is you.”

“I know, Kurt. I know. But it’s not that much longer. Just a couple more days, and then I will be with you at the airport to drive you home. Burt wanted to come, but I convinced him that after a few days apart we will need a few minutes together before you get home.”

“Thanks for that. You are absolutely right.”

“Don’t be sad, Kurt. You and I will be together again before you know it.”

The boys whispered their goodnights and hung up their phones.

While Kurt was in New York finishing his nighttime routine and getting ready for bed, Blaine was in Ohio lying awake in bed. He was running through every last detail in his head. His plans were falling into place, and he was sure that however the story went, it would be EPIC.

�