“Hi, my name is Kurt Hummel and I will be signing Crush,” said Kurt.

Mr. Anderson smiled, nodding his head. “Whenever you're ready,” he called out.

Kurt began to sway to the beat of the music, slow and mild as he never took his eyes away from his audience.

When Kurt had finished the song, he put up his hands and bowed, a smug smile tugging at his lips as everyone but Mr. Anderson stood up from their seats and clapped. Mr. Anderson sat there, his mouth wide opened and hidden in his hand in astonishment. “Thank you Kurt,” Mr. Anderson called out.

Kurt nodded his head and walked off stage, proud of himself.

“Fag,” murmured Karofsky, who was now corning Kurt in an empty hallway. It had been a week now and Karofsky was already making it a daily routine about picking on Kurt. Kurt thought he could get used to it, but he was so incredibly wrong. Every single time that something like this happened, Kurt was praying in the back of his mind that it would end someday soon. If not, sooner.

Kurt felt fear run through him, worried about what Karofsky might do now that they were alone. Kurt was hoping someone, anyone, would show up. “Get away from me,” warned Kurt.

Karofsky's face was just inches away from Kurt's, a guarded and angry expression on his face. Then, just when Kurt thought Karofsky was going to back away, Karofsky briefly pressed his lips to Kurt's, causing Kurt's eyes to bug out, his body frozen in terror. The kiss was rough, dry, scratchy, and unpleasant.

When Karofsky pulled away, he pointed an angry finger in Kurt’s face. “Tell anyone about this...and I'll kill you!” Karofsky growled, a clear warning in his eyes.

“Hey, what's going on?” demanded a familiar voice off in the distance.

The two turned to find Mr. Anderson walking towards them with a stern and curious look on his face. Mr. Anderson didn't need to be told what was happening when he looked at Kurt's face. Angrily, Mr. Anderson roughly grabbed Karofsky's arm and pulled him at a safe distance away from Kurt.

“If I see you bothering Kurt again, you'll be out of this school faster than you can say-” Mr. Anderson was cut off when Kurt absentmindedly put his hand on Mr. Anderson's arm, a sign to stop, still in a state of shock from the kiss.

Karofsky glared angrily at Mr. Anderson and hurried away with an angry grunt before anything else happened.

“You okay?” asked Mr. Anderson. His eyes were crossed with concern and authority.

Kurt was silent, too shocked to answer.

“C'mon. I'll take you home,” said Mr. Anderson, somehow knowing Kurt missed his bus.

Kurt's feet began to move, following Mr. Anderson down the hallway in a blur. What had just happened? Kurt had never been kissed before. And that was such a waste of a first kiss in Kurt's book. Kurt...Kurt wanted his first kiss to be magical...wanted, perfect.

But maybe Kurt should know by now that there was no such thing as perfection anymore unless it was a movie night with the girls watching The Sound of Music or finding a great sale on a clothing article he’s been wanting.

“Blaine! I need my Cheerios for tomorrow!” called out Coach Sylvester randomly, causing Kurt to flinch and jolt slightly, causing Mr. Anderson to lose his grip on Kurt’s arm.

Mr. Anderson stopped and turned around and looked at Coach Sylvester with a polite nod even though he let out a stressed sigh.. “Alright. They're excused for tomorrow, but I need them for the rest of the week,” he pressed..

Blaine.

What an amazing name.

They walked outside and stopped at a black SUV. Blaine unlocked the car as the two got in unison time. Blaine just sat there, not planning to turn on the car anytime soon. “Kurt, the Glee is like my new-found family. During my time in college, I’ve learned how it’s important for teachers nowadays to communicate with their students. It creates a positive influence amongst school. Now with that said, I want you to know that I want to be there. For my family. So I'm here if you want to talk,” said Blaine in a gentle and soothing voice.

Kurt stared at the dashboard, drinking in everything that this amazing guy was saying. Taking in a deep breath, he chose his words wisely, finally able to talk even though he was still somewhat shocked from what had happened with Karofsky. “I'm the only openly-gay person at this school. And ever since I came out last year...I've been taunted, thrown around like a piece of garbage, and I receive daily threats,” started Kurt, who was shaking his head in refusal to the situation his life was in at the moment. “Then there's this neanderthal who's made it his life's mission to make my life miserable. Outside of that Glee club, I'm nothing.” Tears were forming with every word Kurt was saying. “And up until today, I've never been kissed – at least, not that it counted,” said Kurt, his voice lowered into something helpless and vulnerable.

Here Kurt was, sitting in his Glee’s director’s car, opening up to him, and taking him for granted. Mr. Schue wasn’t like this. Mr. Schue was basically oblivious to what went on outside of the choir room. But Mr. Anderson was so incredibly different. He actually cared.

Blaine thought for a moment and positioned his body to facing Kurt's body slightly in his car seat. “Can I tell you something, Kurt?” he asked, his voice lowered as well as he watched Kurt carefully. “I was in the same situation you're in when I was your age. I was the only gay guy at my school.” What...he's gay!? “I was picked on pretty much all the damn time,” Blaine said as he tilted his head to the side, eyes glued to Kurt’s.

Kurt looked at Blaine and caught his eyes, his heart stopping as he got caught in those hazel eyes once more. He sucked in a breath and looked away, forcing the tears away. “But just remember. Courage is all it takes,” Blaine then added. “Now, let's get you home,” said Blaine as he turned back in his seat and turned the keys in the ignition, putting the car in drive.

“If he wasn't on the football team – if he wasn't...well...Karofsky? He'd be dead by now,” said Puck, who sat in the booth with a few of the Glee members at Breadstix.

Kurt just raised an eyebrow and stared down at his plate of a half-eaten bread stick. His arms were crossed as he sat back in his seat. “So what did he do?” asked Sam in his usually friendly voice that was the reason he was friends with practically the whole school.

Kurt shook his head. “He just...threatened to kill me,” he said, deciding it'd be best not to fully explain everything being that they were out to dinner right now.

Mercedes shook her head, a saddened look on her face. “I just don't get why people have to be so cruel like that,” she said, tearing off a piece from her bread stick and plopping it in her mouth as she suddenly chomped down on her food angrily.

“We can't leave Kurt alone anymore,” said Finn with a blank face, staring down at his untouched bread stick.

“Finn's right! We can't just leave Kurt alone and make him so vulnerable like the scrawny toothpick he is,” said Rachel, not a hint of protectiveness in her voice.

Kurt gave Rachel a bored expression. “Thank you so much for that comment, Rachel,” he said in a dead tone.

“Guys, seriously,” started Mercedes. “We just need to keep out an eye for Kurt...not our bodies,” she pointed out as she glanced at Rachel.

Everyone groaned in approval and shrugged their shoulders, nodding.

Kurt looked at his watch. “Guys, I have to get home. I have a bunch of homework I need to get out of the way,” said Kurt, who was scooting out from the booth.

Kurt said goodbye to his classmates as he placed a five dollar bill down on his empty plate and grabbed his bread stick before he walked away. He bit into his bread stick in a paranoid way and hurried out to his dad's car that his dad lets him borrow when going out with friends. He got in and drove away, heading home. When he got home and was able to seclude himself in his room, he was greeted by Pavarotti, his beautiful Canary, he smiled and poked a hand through one of the cage bars and gently stroke Pavarotti's yellow feathers with his hand. In return to Pavarotti being happy to see his owner, he pecked affectionately at Kurt’s outstretched finger before he pulled away.

He plopped down on his bed and pushed his small pile of newly purchased fashion magazines to the side as he got into his messenger bag and withdrew his thin Physical Science book and notebook. He opened up to his page he had homework on and began doing his homework.

Burt, Kurt's dad, knocked on Kurt's door moments later. The door was opened already, so all Kurt had to do was look up at his father. He gave him the What’s up? look he knew his father knew so well as his hand that held his pen froze, waiting patiently for what his father wanted.

“How was school today?” Burt asked, leaning against the doorway. He had just got home from work from the looks of the grease that was rubbed against his tanned cheeks, hands, and forehead, his dirty-looking flannel shirt over his already-stained undershirt, and sweat still drying from his hands.

Kurt shrugged. “It was okay.”

“How's Glee?”

Kurt thought for a moment. “I'm really liking it this year. I used to think Mr. Schue was the best teacher that a Glee Club could get,” started Kurt as he sat up, “but I was definitely wrong. Mr. Anderson is definitely a good teacher,” said Kurt in a tone that really showed he thought it. I know it, Kurt thought to himself.

Burt smiled, seeing the twinkle in his son's eyes at talk of Glee. He loved seeing that. He knew his son was happy to be in Glee. “That's good to hear,” he said, nodding his head. “Goodnight, bud. I’m exhausted.”

Kurt just smile. “Goodnight,” he said in return, watching his father walk away and hearing him mumble something about a shower. Kurt just quickly sighed and went back to doing his homework.

That night, he tossed and turned in his bed, unable to stop thinking about Blaine...Mr. Anderson. Was he thinking about him too? He's gay...could that possibly mean that he's single? But how could Mr. Anderson be single? He so good looking. Kurt considered these things the absolute worst kind of thoughts. He blocked them out by focusing on the beautiful and faint chirps of Pavarotti who was restless in his cage. Somehow, it felt so similar to how Kurt's heart was feeling right then and there.