“And why aren’t you wearing your letterman sweater? It’s photo day for clubs and teams, remember?”

“My letterman sweater?” Kurt gave a puzzled look.

“Yes; we’re supposed to wear our letterman sweaters today.”

Kurt muttered under his breath. “We’re supposed be in color.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nevermind. What do I letter in exactly?”

“Glee Club, of course! I think I saw yours in the hall closet when I got mine. Go and put it on, or we’ll be late to school.”

Kurt moved to the hallway with Allen on his heels and opened the closet door. Seeing the cardigan with a white M sewn on the side hanging inside, Kurt reached in and pulled it off the hanger. After contemplating for a moment, he decided that the sweater clashed with his plaid shirt, so he shed that layer and put the cardigan on directly over his undershirt. He turned to Allen, pleased.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Um, Kurt – your books?” Allen pointed to the small stack of texts sitting on the console table just beyond the closet. Kurt picked them up and they headed out the door. “What has gotten into you today? I’m usually the forgetful one…”

-

Allen chatted mindlessly their entire ten minute walk to school – about the basketball team, about going to the diner later for a hamburger, about the glee club’s chances of winning the national championship this year, and about Agnes, who Kurt recalled was the petite brunette lead singer of the glee club. Kurt barely said two words during the entire conversation, but Allen didn’t seem to care or even notice. Fiddling with his books, Kurt was relieved to discover his class schedule pasted inside the front cover of his notebook.

By the time Kurt got to third period, he was beginning to think he could get used to life at this school. People said hello to him cheerily as he walked through the halls and seemed genuinely pleased to see him. The teachers treated the students with respect and he hadn't heard one person say a mean thing all day. As he gathered his things up when the bell rang, a small group of girls who sat in nearby seats called out to him.

“Your letterman sweater is so keen, Kurt.”

“Oh? Thanks.” Compliments always caught Kurt off guard.

“The glee club is just swell, isn’t it? Do you think I could join?”

“Um, I guess. Can you sing?”

“Maybe you could give me a lesson sometime.” The girl blushed pink while the rest of the bunch devolved into giggles and whispers and ushered their friend out the door.

“I think that girl wants you to pin her.”

Kurt pivoted to face the voice that had snuck up on him. Standing before him was a small-framed boy with dark hair parted at the side, pants cuffed above his ankles, and a bowtie tucked in his collar. He smiled shyly at Kurt.

“Pin her?” Kurt responded with alarm.

“She wants to you to give her your school pin, to show you two are going steady.”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know about that.”

“Don’t you want to pin her?” Consternation overtook the other boy’s face.

“No, not really.” The furrowed triangular brows melted back to a relaxed position at Kurt’s response.

“Well, I must be off to Italian class. I’ll see you at glee club, Kurt.”

“Bye…” Kurt trailed off, awkwardly realizing he didn’t know the other boy’s name.

“Blaine.”

“See you around, Blaine.”

Kurt watched him walk away down the hallway, slightly thrown off by the entire conversation. First, he was wholly unused to girls – or really anyone – flirting with him or showing any sort of positive interest in him. Moreover, he had no idea what to take away from the conversation with Blaine. Clearly, they weren’t already friends, as Blaine didn’t seem surprised that Kurt didn’t know his name. But Blaine had appeared to have had some sort of investment in Kurt’s desire, or lack thereof, to date that girl. Kurt didn’t know what to make of the whole situation. Other students began to stream into the room, jolting Kurt to rush off to his next class.