Kurt took what Rachel said to heart. The likelihood that he was nervous about asking Blaine to officially be his boyfriend being because of what Karofsky had done to him, was high. Maybe he didn't want to get involved with someone as kind and amazing as Blaine while he was still terrified to walk alone at his own school. But he did want to look deeply into Blaine's eyes and hold Blaine's hand again, and he did want to be wrapped up in his arms. If Rachel was right, and his fear of commitment centered on being bullied, then he knew what he had to do.

Thursday morning, school was not cancelled because three-quarters of a foot of snow never seemed shut down the school districts in Lima. Luckily, fishtailing on the way to school didn't so much as phase Kurt, as a native to Ohio and the son of a mechanic, so he made it to school without crashing.

            In Glee club that day Rachel was recovered from her night of crying through a series of musicals and Meg Ryan movies, and had decided to take on Finn's break up with a fiery version of Avril Lavigne's "What the Hell," to which she got last minute back up from all the girls. Finn wouldn't make eye contact with anyone during the meeting and hadn't been willing to talk to Kurt, or Puck, or even Quinn all day, though they all made concerted efforts.

            When Glee club was over, Kurt handed Mr. Schuester his list of topics he and Blaine had come up with for the anti-bullying assembly and ran out before they could go over them together.

            Friday morning he woke up early for the fourth of his bi-weekly meetings with Miss Pillsbury, and he dressed carefully. He wanted to be comfortable, but also fabulous enough to induce confidence. As he grabbed a slice of wheat toast with non-preservative jam and headed for his car, he stopped, standing on the well-shoveled walk, and texted Blaine.

            Good morning! Sorry if I'm waking you up. I just wanted to say... you're amazing. Sorry for running out the other day, and thank you for everything.

He was just sliding into his car when the response came. Good morning! There's no need to apologize for anything. This is the best way to wake up. How's Rachel?

She sang an Avril Lavigne song yesterday. So... not good.

Haha! What's wrong with Avril?

Rachel's a Streisand girl. But sorry I woke you up! I wanted let you know that, thanks to you, I'm going to start facing my demons today.

Good! I'm glad! Congratulations!

And Blaine? I was wondering... He actually typed the ellipsis and sent it while he mulled over how he should phrase his question.

...Yes?

Could you give me some time to sort all this out? And then... could I book your time for Valentine's Day?

There was a pause, and Kurt started the engine to begin defrosting the window while he searched for the ice-scraper. Blaine's reply came a minute later, Yes! Yes, absolutely! Yes, please!

Kurt smiled ear to ear and hopped in his seat a little. Thank you! he wrote back, then he took a deep breath. He had a date for Valentine's Day! He had a date! A date with Blaine, the beautiful, angel-voiced Warbler in the gorgeous red-piped blazer from the private academy. That made it official then, didn't it? "No, not quite," he reminded himself. He would officially make it official on Valentine's Day... but only if he could sort himself out before then.

He took a deep breath and sent another message right away, I could really use some courage right now. Then he scraped the ice off the windshield and ignored the vibration from a new message while he drove. When he got to school he checked his phone again. It read:

            Courage! A million times, COURAGE!

            He smiled, and held the phone to his heart while he entered the school and walked to Miss Pillsbury's office.

            "Good morning, Kurt!" Miss Pillsbury said cheerily, carefully arranging a new set of pamphlets behind her desk labeled How well DO I know my step father?

"Morning, Miss Pillsbury."

She smiled at him and indicated the seat, then sat down, taking the extra time to put her chair exactly where she wanted it. "Now! So. Okay. Let's talk."

Kurt sighed, "First, I'd like to apologize for not really using these... sessions for what they're meant for."

"Oh! Kurt, that's fine. I'm just here to be whatever you need."

"That's... These... counseling meetings... nothing we talk about will ever leave here, right?"

"No. Everything is completely between you and me, Kurt. No one else ever has to know what you say here."

"Okay." Kurt sat up very straight, "Then, I wanted to say that...I have been having problems. I've been having a lot of problems, actually. I'm terrified of going to school sometimes because of..." he paused and glanced at the door, just in case, "Because of Dave Karofsky."

"Because he's been bullying you?" she asked, encouragingly.

Kurt ran his tongue across the back of his teeth and fixed his eyes on the corner of the desk. "Yes, well...yes. And I feel like I need to address that."

"That's good, Kurt. Addressing your problems is the first step to overcoming them."

"Well... so I need to ask a favor." His heart was beating fast.

"Anything!" she said, cheerily.

Kurt closed his eyes and squeezed his phone. "I think I need to talk face to face with Dave."

Miss Pillsbury smiled and nodded, "I couldn't agree more."

"I think I want to talk to him... alone. But I'm scare to," she was nodding, but her face looked concerned.

"Okay. It's okay to be scared, but I don't think you need to talk to him alone, Kurt. I can be here as mediator."

He paused and asked, "These walls are sound-proof, right?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Um... yes? Yes I think so. Yes, they are."

Blaine's "Yes! Yes, absolutely! Yes, please!" was running through his head. This was all for Valentine's Day. If he didn't address this now, he'd never have his chance. "On Monday, could Dave and I meet alone in here, and... and you and Schuester and... I don't know, Principal Figgins, and maybe an armed guard could wait outside?" His cheeks were flushed and his heart was pounding. The room wasn't very big. Obviously he'd have to sit right by the door in case he needed to escape, but the walls were glass and with faculty watching from outside it would be totally safe, right? It was possible Karofsky was just as scared and confused as he was. He wondered what Miss Pillsbury had been talking about with the Neanderthal and if he'd been skirting the issue the same way Kurt had.

Miss Pillsbury just nodded, "Monday afternoon is my usual time to talk with Dave, so I'm sure it'll work out. I'll just have to let him know. That would be fine, Kurt. You don't think you need a mediator in the room? Because I am happy to sit here with you if you'd like."

Kurt took a breath, "I think it'll be better for us both if we talk alone."

"...Okay. Okay, I'll arrange it then. I'll see you after school on Monday."

Kurt smiled, "Thank you, Miss Pillsbury."

She shrugged and nodded appreciatively and they sat in silence for a few minutes before she pointed out they still had over a half hour of counseling time.

"Anything else you'd like to talk with me about, Kurt? Relationships, maybe?"

Kurt smiled softly and shrugged, "I think I'm in love?" he supplied.

Miss Pillsbury's eyes went wide, "With Dave?"

"No!" Kurt went red with horror, remembering the locker room all over again and considering whether or not there he should just give up and chicken out. "No! No no no no no no no. Totally other guy. A guy from Dalton."

Miss Pillsbury looked relieved. "Oh! Good! Phew! Well... what's his name?"

"Blaine..." Kurt smiled just saying the name. Valentine's Day was just over a week away. He opened up the, now extensive, photo gallery of Blaine on his phone and chose a particularly charming picture in which Blaine had been giving him a sideways glance and smiling his dashing, debonair smile, and showed it to Miss Pillsbury. They spent the rest of the session discussing the many different things that made Blaine dreamy.

The rest of the day went well. The mandatory assembly was less grudged than expected because it got people out of class, and the Cheerios were scheduled to perform. The Glee club had been asked, but declined, partly for Kurt's sake. Some police officers had been called in and discussed teenage suicides caused by bullying and different forms of bullying and there was a slideshow that resulted with crying in the audience. A few of Blaine and Kurt's amendments had been adopted by the school board, so slushies were banned on campus-which made quite a few people angry- and Bullying Awareness week was implemented for the following week, every year from then on. It was progress, plain and simple.

There were no riots at the assembly, just a few violent hugs from his friends, and then Kurt could spend his weekend rereading Blaine's last text and dreading Monday.

By the time Monday rolled around, "A million times, COURAGE" didn't seem like it would be nearly enough to keep Kurt from running straight to his car after classes let out. He was supposed to meet with Schuester and walk to Miss Pillsbury's office where she'd arranged to have Principal Figgins present while the boys talked. No matter how many times Kurt reminded himself that this was his own idea, and that Schuester wouldn't let anything happen to him and the prize at the end would be asking Blaine to be his boyfriend... just the idea of sitting in a closed space with Karofsky and that Old Spice smell that he'd come to associate with panic, was almost too much to handle.

At his locker after the last class let out, Puck walked up to him.

"Dude. I heard you're talking to Karofsky. What's up with that? I thought having the Cheerios jump around and tell everyone that bullying is bad was enough. Why are you talking to him?"

"Thanks for your concern," Kurt replied with a weak smile, "But I have to confront him. Things won't get better till I do."

Puck closed Kurt's locker door, "I don't understand why things are so bad now. What happened, Kurt? Why don't you just let me punch him in the face again and we'll call it good?"

Kurt leaned against the closed lockers, "Thanks, Puck, but it's not worth you getting suspended again."

Puck snorted and started to walk away, "Like hell it's not."

Kurt pushed off from the locker and followed him. "What?"

"I said ‘like hell.'" He stopped walking again and turned to Kurt, "Dude. You've been walking around like someone kicked your puppy all day. And you know what else? I hear about it when you don't show up for gym class. You know that? I know something's been up, and between you and Finn it seems like nobody's happy anymore."

Shocked, and watching the faces of everyone who passed by carefully, hoping no one cared to listen in, Kurt replied, "That's why I have to fix this."

"And sitting down to dinner and crabcakes with Karofsky is going to fix it? Dude, that's messed up! You're fucking terrified of him!"

Kurt stepped out of the middle of the hallway into the drinking fountain alcove and Puck followed, "Yes, I'm terrified," Kurt admitted in a low hiss, "But he's got problems too, you know? And I think... I think if he and I could get on the same page, maybe it would be better for both of us. Puck, I'm paranoid. Yes, I've been skipping gym, and I'm afraid to walk alone, but if I can't solve this diplomatically and be comfortable in my own school again, how can I ask Blaine to be my boyfriend?"

Puck's eyes narrowed, "Wait... I'm confused. I thought we were talking about Karofsky."

"Yes. We are. I'm going to confront him now, in a safe and mostly controlled environment, and then, hopefully, I'm going to have the confidence to ask out Blaine."

"I thought you two were already together," Puck said, not questioning, but as though it was just a fact of life and Kurt was stupid for not knowing it too.

"Not officially."

"... Oh." Puck frowned at him like Kurt was pulling his leg, "But what if something happens and Karofsky tries to shove his fist down your throat?"

"I don't think that's going to be a problem. He must be confused too. I think I can work things out."

Puck nodded, and then clapped him on the shoulder. It was a weird gesture for Puck, in the middle of a still-crowded hallway, to be so affectionate with another boy. "Want me to go with you?"

Kurt smiled and touched Puck's hand, at which point he pulled it away, "No. But thank you, Puck. I gotta go find Mr. Schue."

As Kurt walked off, Puck called after him, "Good luck! Seriously, if you need me to, I'll beat his ass."

"I know," Kurt called back, without turning around.

"And that guy... Blaine? Good luck with him too. He's a lucky dude, and all. I'll beat his ass too, okay?" Kurt turned around and tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowed. "I mean, if he doesn't say yes."

They were ten paces from each other, but the hallways were clearing out. Kurt laughed and said, "Thanks? I think?" Puck shrugged.

"I got used to the idea of having a little girl to protect, and since I don't," he shrugged again, "Well... I'm happy to help."

Kurt's lips parted. He'd almost forgotten that Quinn's baby last year had been a traumatic experience for him as well, not quite as traumatic as for her, obviously, but why else had be gone to Juvie in the first place? Puck was still having his own crisis. Kurt spread his arms, "Hug?" he mouthed wordlessly.

Puck snorted, "Hell no!" He leered, and turned on his heel. Kurt smiled and headed toward the choir room, where Mr. Schuester was beginning to worry.

Miss Pillsbury gave a welcoming speech to both parties from behind her desk while they sat in her office, Kurt placed closest to the door, as requested. Schuester and Figgins were right outside, staring in. Karofsky was leaned back in his chair, arms crossed tight over his chest. That awful, familiar smell was wafting through the air. Although Kurt was trying to maintain a lofty demeanor, he could feel his palms sweat.

After wishing them luck and reminding them they could just knock on the glass if they needed anything, she left them alone and closed the door behind her. Kurt stared over at Karofsky who stared back. They were silent, letting the room fill up with that Old Spice stench and the tension in their breathing patterns. Finally, Kurt lamely said, "Hi."

"Hi? That's what you have to say to me? You get me stuck in here, after school, caught up in these lame therapy sessions and all you have to say to me is-"

Kurt could feel himself flushing. He kind of wanted to spring on Karofsky and beat his face in, but he knew he'd just get thrown off. He was also partly afraid Karofsky would do the same to him, and there was no way he'd stand a chance if that happened. At least there were people watching this time. Remembering how it felt... no. That wouldn't help. He cut Karofsky off, "Then how about I start off with, ‘Hey, Dave. Why don't you come out of the closet?'"

Karofsky's face drained of color and he glanced at the door. "What the fuck are you talking about?" he growled.

"You kissed me."

He pounded his fist into the arm of the chair and hissed, "Shut. Up." All the teachers outside jumped and Schuester put a hand on the glass. Kurt leaned back, trying to appear more relaxed than he felt to keep them from jumping in.

Kurt shrugged, "They can't hear us."

"I don't care. I will not be humiliated by you."

"Humiliated how?"

"You're a fucking fag, Hummel," Karofsky reminded him.

"You kissed me," Kurt leaned forward slightly. Karofsky glanced out through the glass again. Miss Pillsbury was speaking, but all they could see was her lips moving. Both the boy's bags were leaning against the outside of the glass, with the teachers. Kurt had been asked to leave his jacket out there as well, and Karofsky his letterman's jacket, and it was beginning to feel quite cold in the counseling office. Kurt's eyes left the offender's and strolled across the new pamphlets that lined the back shelf. One simply read, Ingrown hairs??. He took a breath and looked back at Karofsky. The question of the kiss still hung in the air. "Let's discuss that, shall we?"

When Kurt looked back, Karofsky had also chosen to look away, "There's nothing to discuss."

Honestly, when his hands were tied and he wasn't tossing a slushie in your face or bearing down on you in a deserted locker room, he wasn't a scary looking guy. "Why did you do it?"

Karofsky's gaze met his. He was chewing on his bottom lip. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Kurt frowned, "...What?"

"You didn't tell anyone about it."

"...No. I didn't."

Karofsky nodded and leaned forward. "These last two weeks Miss Pillsbury has been having me read articles and watch videos on youtube of these kids who killed themselves because of bullying. Gay kids. Kids like... like you..." he glanced at the glass again and then turned his head so he wasn't facing the faculty, "...And me."

Kurt nodded, confused. Karofsky was shaking his head.

"You know, it's not like I didn't know that stuff was out there. I've seen it all on the news and stuff. I heard about that kid who jumped off a bridge because his roommate posted some video of him and another dude. I know how messed up all that stuff is. I don't live in a fucking box."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. He frowned and glanced out at the glass as well. Everyone was talking and gesturing outside. "Then why-?"

Karofsky leaned in. "There's other stuff out there too, you know. Worse stuff. Do you know how many kids get beaten to death by their classmates, or shot, or tortured just for being gay?" His hands were shaking. "The suicides? Yeah, those suck. Those are bad, but murder? And okay, I mean, I did horrible things to you..."

"Dave..."

"... I'd have never done that. But you know what?" He looked straight at Kurt, eyes becoming red from the force back tears. His jaw was set straight. "I did it to you... so it wouldn't happen to me."

Outside the glass, the teachers had ceased their discussion of Sue Sylvester's new policy to usurp the Glee club's budget, and their attention was turned inside. The atmosphere between the two boys had changed again. They were both pale, and Karofsky was blinking rapidly. Kurt leaned forward and touched the bully's hand, which was immediately pulled away. Schuester glanced at Miss Pillsbury.

"Don't touch me, Hummel," Dave warned.

Kurt thought about the packet of tissues Blaine had let him take. They were still in his bag. However, there was a box right there on the table, so he picked that up and handed it to Dave, who refused and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"You shouldn't do that. Your eyes will get puffy," Kurt said, softly.

"Yeah? What do you care? I don't give a fuck how my eyes look."

Kurt set the box back down, closer to Dave this time. Once it was on the table, Dave reached and took one. He wiped his eyes, and Kurt sighed. "Does it work?"

"...What?"

"... Do people believe you're straight?"

"Yeah. I guess. For the most part. I don't know."

Kurt nodded, "But you don't."

Karofsky threw the tissue at the trashcan, past Kurt. "Oh, fuck you!"

"You kissed me," Kurt reminded him again.

"You know what? You're starting to sound like a broken record. What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? Lapse of judgment?"

Kurt set his jaw as well and tapped his finger on the knee of his pants. "That was... my first kiss."

Dave was silent for a minute, then said, "No, wait a minute, I thought you dated Brittney Pierce."

Kurt rolled his eyes and crossed his legs irritably. "First kiss from a boy, Dave. You stole my first real kiss. How could you do that?"

"What does it matter?"

Kurt looked at him helplessly. "It matters, Dave! I didn't exactly imagine I would practically be wetting myself with fear during my first kiss. Why would you do that to me? I don't understand! You could have beaten the crap out of me and kept your secret, but you didn't. Why?"

Karofsky set his jaw and looked away, chewing the inside of his cheek.

After several moments of silence Kurt whispered, "... Do you like me?"

"...What?"

Kurt took a deep breath. The way the other boy looked over at him, the softness in his face, the light that sparked momentarily in his eye. Kurt's stomach was still rolling over, but he was beginning to see now. "Because, Dave,... I can't be your ticket to feeling good about yourself," he whispered.

Karofsky snorted, and turned his head to look at the far wall. "Get over yourself, Hummel. I'm not asking you to be. I don't... feel...like that."

Kurt shifted uncomfortably, "For one thing," he continued, "You wear Old Spice deodorant."

Karofsky rolled his eyes, but took another tissue. "Um, yeah. I play sports, it's kind of required so I don't smell like a fucking gym sock all day."

"Well, I've come to associate that smell with fear now, so..."

They caught each other's eye for a split second and both hid a smile. Saying it aloud did make it sound ridiculous. Karofsky pulled his arms in closer to his body. "Well, good. You should be afraid."

"I don't have to be, though. And I don't want to be." Kurt leaned forward and touched the back of Dave's hand. This time it wasn't pulled away. "You don't have to act like this. No one is going to hurt you, Dave."

"...You don't know that."

"I can help you," Kurt paused, determined to leave his hand where it was and wipe the images of being grabbed and thrown through the window out of his mind. Dave's eyes met his, expectantly. He bit his lip and added, "Just... not how you want me to."

Dave tilted his head to the side. He pulled his hand away, and his lip trembled slightly. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and coughed, then looked at Kurt seriously. "...What's wrong with me?"

Kurt weighed the ways to answer. For several seconds he just sat there, then he said, "You're just scared, Dave... But you don't have to be. Neither do I. People respect you. You can make a difference."

"How?"

Kurt smiled, "You can stop picking on me, for one thing."

Karofsky shrugged and whispered, "I am sorry...for that." He sniffed, "I'm sorry for everything."

"I know," Kurt smiled up at him. "I know you are."

"I'm going to transfer."

"You don't have to..." Kurt was mildly shocked.

"I can't be here with you... after that. I'm sorry. I was stupid, and I was horrible to you," he was crying, "and I can't stay here... and have that get out."

"Dave..."

"I'm not brave, like you, Kurt. I'm not really that strong."

"Yes, you are."

"No. I'm not. I can't just be gay, like you. I... I have to figure this out for myself."

"...I wouldn't ever tell, you know."

Karofsky sniffed and gave him a look, "Why not?"

"I don't believe in outing. I know how hard it is."

The response was a nod, and then he stood up and threw the tissue in the trash. Kurt stood up as well, realizing as he did so that his legs felt weak and shaky. Karofsky said, "Whoever he is, someday... your boyfriend's gonna be a lucky guy."

Kurt smiled, blushed, and held out a hand, which Karofsky took and shook firmly. "Yours too."

At Dalton, the Warblers were gathered in senior hall, pretending to do homework, but they all sprang up immediately when Blaine burst through the main double doors with, "OH YEAH!"

They'd been rehearsing their own parts all afternoon, and they were finally ready for the full run-through, complete with theatrics. "Misery" had been Blaine's personal choice for their setlist for Regionals and he'd insisted they at least spend that day working on it and decide whether or not to keep it after they'd performed the finished version. The group was very excited about it.

When the song was over, Wes pulled Blaine aside. "Interesting song choice, Blaine," he said, cool as a cucumber.

"Yeah! We sounded great, didn't we?" he asked, excitedly. David and Thad, as the other members of the council came around the other side of him.

Wes continued, "We sounded phenomenal, as always, and you were especially...mmm...emotional."

David caught on fast, "Which made us wonder if there was a bit of a personal message going on behind the lyrics?"

Blaine shook his head and scoffed, still smiling ear to ear. They all rolled their eyes and Thad mocked, "I am in mi~sery. There ain't nobody who can comfort me!" The other two joined in and mocked along with, "Why won't you an~swer me? The silence is slowly ki~lling me? Oh yeah!"

Blaine shoved them all off of him as they started to lean in and he skipped a few paces away, then turned around. "What? No way! What are you guys talking about?"

Wes raised an eyebrow, "Things going alright with you and Kurt ‘gentle-singing-angel-of-perfection' Hummel?"

Blaine rolled his eyes, smiled, and turned red. "Things," he put that in air quotes, "Are going fine. He's asked me to be his Valentine."

David and Thad's eyes shot open and they both walked up to him and clapped him on shoulders enthusiastically, "That's awesome, man! Congratulations!"

"Then what's with the sad songs, Blaine?" Wes asked, with a fatherly look.

"What? We sounded great! The guys loved it!"

"Shouldn't you be singing something more... I don't know? Romantic? Or stealing away in the middle of rehearsals to be with this charming beau?" Wes pointed out, and Thad nodded his agreement.

Blaine stood there in thought for a moment, then walked over and sat down dramatically on the couch. "He's asked me to give him some space until then so he can work through some things."

"Some space?" David asked.

"Until Valentine's Day?" Thad asked.

Wes frowned, "That's not for another week!"

"I know!" Blaine tossed his head back, looking pathetic. "I miss him..."

Wes rolled his eyes and sat down beside Blaine. "Okay, look. You've only known him a month."

"Two months!" Blaine sat up straight and held up the corresponding fingers.

David cut in, "Two months, fine, but you can't be pining over him already. Are you two even official yet?"

Blaine looked between the three of them. "Well... on Valentine's Day..."

"So, in other words, No," Wes supplied. "You race out of class early on Wednesdays to get coffee and you text him during school, but you haven't actually asked him to be with you yet."

Blaine leaned his head on Wes's shoulder and closed his eyes, "...No..."

"Then I guess we need to stake an intervention, because this is becoming a distraction," Wes said, tartly.

Blaine shot up, "What!?"

David rolled his eyes and Wes added, "Not for you, Blaine. For the rest of us. Your melancholy is incredibly distracting."

"You know we'd all follow you to the ends of the Earth," Thad reminded him.

"But we have got to do something about you being in ‘misery,'" David said, air quoting the last word.

"What am I supposed to do? Kurt asked for space, and he's serious this time. I can't just go breaking promises to him. He's not going to want to be my boyfriend..."

Thad sat down on Blaine's other side. "We need to distract you."

"How?" Blaine asked.

"Let's prepare for you to serenade him on Valentine's Day," David suggested. It was hardly out of his mouth before Blaine leapt off the couch and was pointing excitedly to each of them in turn. Wes glared at David.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! That's perfect! I'll pick a song, and we'll have him come here, or we can go there, and I'll bring flowers, and I'll get down on one knee-"

"Hold it! Hold it!" Wes tried to cut in, but Blaine turned his back.

"This is perfect! This is just what I need! Thank you, thank you all so much, this is going to be the best Valentine's Day ever!" he called as he ran off down the hall.

David just shrugged in response to Wes's "Are you kidding me?" stare. "We can make it a whole big party. It doesn't just have to be about Blaine."

"Everything we do is about Blaine," Thad reminded them. Pure statement, no hint of jealousy or bitterness. The other two agreed.

That night Mercedes received a text from the number marked in her phone as Kurt's Hunky Warbler. The message read: I need your help. It's about Kurt.

Immediately she texted back, Is he okay?

There was a long silence, so she texted Kurt the same question instead. He wrote back immediately, Yes! Why? I dealt with Karofsky today.

She texted back a Good! No reason. I'm proud of you, Kurt! I need details! Just as the response from Blaine arrived.

Yes! I mean, I hope so. I need you to get him to learn this song by Valentine's Day, without telling him why.

She replied with, What song and why?

An audio clip was sent to her. She looked at the title and narrowed her eyes. She texted back, Seriously?

Please, please, please help me, Mercedes? I want to sing this as a duet with Kurt. I'll make it up to you. I'll take you to Breadstix this Friday.

Mercedes considered it. She wasn't sure a covert date with her best friend's boyfriend was actually a good idea, but if she was honest with herself, he had her at "Breadstix."

Alright, you're on. Tell me which part to teach him and you can pick me up on Friday at 6.

Her next text was from Kurt and it read, I'm coming over!

Blaine's message said, Thank you so much! I'm e-mailing sheet music.

A minute later it was followed by, Also, all of The New Directions are cordially invited to Dalton Academy at 4:00pm on Valentine's Day. We're having a party. I promise it will be the event of the season.

Mercedes smirked, I'll see what I can do. You just make sure my boy Kurt gets swept off his feet, loverboy.

He sent back, With all my heart, I will.

            An hour later Kurt was sitting on Mercedes bed, frowning, while listening to an mp3 of Neon Trees' "Animal" and asking skeptically, "Is this a song about cannibalism?"

            "Don't care, you've gotta learn it anyway," Mercedes told him, swiping the fresh sheet music off her printer and shoving it at him.