June 5, 2013, 5:07 a.m.
Between The Pages: Chapter 1
T - Words: 2,726 - Last Updated: Jun 05, 2013 Story: Closed - Chapters: 7/? - Created: Feb 28, 2013 - Updated: Jun 05, 2013 375 0 4 0 0
CHAPTER 1
Blaine took a deep breath, seeing the Warblers signaling to each other was doing nothing to ease his nerves. But he knew he can't back out, he has someone to impress. Wes gave him a curt nod and then it started. They burst into a Dalton classroom with the Warblers harmonizing to 'When I Get You Alone' while Blaine sang lead, serenading one boy in class.
Stefan raised an intrigued eyebrow at Blaine as he sat back and watched the show unfold. Blaine, on the other hand, made sure that every lyric was acted out playfully and seductively to ensure maximum entertainment for the man he was wooing. The thing about Dalton University is that the professors are constantly enjoying impromptu performances unlike other colleges. It helps because they're practically an art school.
Once he was done, Blaine pulled out three roses behind his back, which was secretly handed to him by Nick, and gave it to Stefan with a bright smile on his face. "Will you be my date? Tonight at the Dalton Bash?" Blaine breathlessly asked, his heart pounding from adrenalin and nervousness. Stefan stood up, got the flowers and used it to point at Blaine.
"Keep up the surprises Blaine Anderson," Stefan said with a smirk. "And I might give you more than just o—"
"Are you listening to me?"
Kurt looked up, huffing as Rachel looked down at him with his book in her hand.
"Excuse me, I believe I was reading that?" Kurt snapped, annoyed at Rachel for ruining his peaceful moment of reading a book. Rachel glared at him.
"Haven't you had enough of readingthis?" Rachel asked, eyeing the book like it's a spawn of Satan. "You haven't stopped reading this in your free time since you got it two days ago." She told him, continuously staring at the book like she's trying to burn it down.
"I've been busy Rachel, I deserve a little break. You don't know what goes on in Vogue.com. I deserve to read in peace." Kurt glared at her, hand stretched out and asking for his book back.
"Why do you even like this book? It looks plain and boring." Rachel scoffed. "It doesn't even have a proper cover, look at it!" She said, seemingly not hearing Kurt's protests, examining the book in her hand.
True, it wasn't the most beautiful book in the world and Kurt thought so too because usually he'll be attracted by the cover before anything else but this one was handed to him by an old lady in Battery Park a few days ago and being a book-lover himself, who was he to turn down a free book?
Between The Pagesturned out to be a pretty great book by far even though it was weird that he hasn't heard of it before and it was not really available anywhere on the internet. The only source of information about the book that he has was a short author's note in it that was written before the first chapter. It was a very intriguing author's note with a little story summary.
Books are magical, it affects people's lives. It lives in us.
Summary: Blaine Anderson is the charming young lad that a person would want to have in life and he has his eyes set on one person only. Little did he know that maybe love isn't that easy, maybe true love is in between the pages.
Kurt had to admit, it sounded plain and boring to him as well because it's all very cliché and he has read about dozens of light-hearted romance. But everything changed when he realized that the main character was passionate, adorable, loveable and so very gay.
"I bet the ending's really bad too." Rachel added in her litany of hate towards the book, attempting to open the last page and take a peek at the end. Kurt panicked, finally getting up and snatching the book out of Rachel's grasp; he can't take spoilers well, it ruins the whole reading experience. Rachel rolled her eyes at him.
"It's sweet and romantic and Blaine Anderson is gay and amazing." Kurt replied simply. "I can relate to his story a little more than the other books I've read." He said, hugging the book to his chest.
"Oh no.Oh no." Rachel started, worry and concern on her face.
"What?" Kurt asked, still annoyed.
"Don't tell me you're attached to a fictional character again Kurt. No, we've been through this." Rachel dramatically sighed. "You're always getting attached to these guys, Kurt, and it's never been good for you."
"Excuse me?" Kurt was taken aback, that was offensive. "I'm sorry if I love to read and be able to relate with literary figures. You wouldn't understand because all you do is sing and go out to party and all that while here I am getting cultured by reading." Kurt shot back at her.
"But at least I get to interact with real people." Rachel retorted. "Look, I'm not saying that you should stop reading. I'm just saying that you need to stop getting so lost in fiction because that's what they are Kurt,fictional.They're meant to be perfect to capture the reader's heart." She explained. "Don't lose sight of reality."
Kurt sighed. "Why do you have to burst my happy bubble, Rachel Berry?" He said, grunting.
"Oh no, don't tell me you've already cooked up your own little fantasy world with this—Blaine Anderson?" Rachel's tone was full of disbelief as she saw right through Kurt.
Kurt blushed, guilty of the accusation. "Well, it's not like people are lining up to be the guy who'll do every little thing on myRomance Checklistright? No one's interested, Rachel. We've been here for two years and all I've got is men who want to have one night stands and not one lifetime with me." He said sadly.
"You'll find one soon and by soon I actually mean now." Rachel clapped her hands happily. "I'm going out with Brody tonight as you very well know and now is the time to mingle Kurt! At Callbacks, I mean." She smiled.
"I can't."
"See, this is why you don't meet the man of your dreams because you're always closed off and reading." Rachel told him, blaming books again. "Come on, it's New York! Live a little."
"No, really, I can't. I just had my best clothes washed and it's still in the cleaners. I don't have anything to wear." Kurt said. Rachel let out an 'oh' because she understood how important dressing up is for Kurt and the man will not settle for second best.
"I see. Well then, I better get going. Is it okay if I go or would you rather I stay here?" Rachel asked politely, genuinely concerned about her friend. Kurt shook his head in reply.
"Go on and mingle. Have fun. I'm just going to stay here and maybe sleep early." Kurt smiled. Rachel narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't get too engrossed in the book Kurt, it's not healthy. I don't want to see you reading that book when I get back, you understand me?"
"Yes mother." Kurt rolled his eyes. He waved goodbye at Rachel before running off to his room and plopping down on the bed to continue reading. Man, this book is addicting.
There is a moment in a reader's life when he just falls in love with a fictional character and this is one of those moments for Kurt. He's had a history of fictional characters that he loved like Elphaba inWickedor Michael Moscovitz in the height ofThe Princess Diaries' fame or Noah inBoy Meets Boyor more recently, Augustus Waters fromThe Fault In Our Stars. These characters get to him in more ways than one.
And Blaine Anderson was like one of those characters and it's so much better because the story's setting was in New York. Kurt loved reading Blaine's ideas to woo Stefan Morrell (who Kurt hated so far because he can see that Blaine's just being played) and they're all adorable and amazing. He imagined Blaine to be the cutest person in all of Dalton University who will do anything for love.
This thought made him sigh because all that Kurt had wanted was a person like Blaine in his life who is willing to do anything just for him.Shake it off Kurt, let's continue reading.
"You're doing it again."
The boys were finally at the bar for the Dalton Bash that year and Blaine indeed came with Stefan, as the other guy promised. But apparently, that didn't mean that they'll be around each other all night seeing that Stefan was on the other side of the room, possibly flirting with a few guys in sight.
"What? Admiring my future boyfriend-slash-husband's beautiful dark brown hair and his blue eyes?" Blaine laughed, already having too much to drink. He couldn't say that it didn't bother him but what can he do? No one can control Stefan Morrell; when he wants it, he gets it and the man always has the final say in things.
"Alright Blaine, you're my best friend and as much as I want to help you woo that son of a bitch, you need to open those owl eyes of yours and realize that he's only leading you on." Wesley explained patiently, leaning on the wall as they all stared at Stefan who now has another man latched onto him. "He loves attention and you're practically feeding him that."
"Believe me, he's not a relationship type of guy." Sebastian appeared out of nowhere, holding a drink in his hand and toasting with Wes and Blaine. "And besides, I'm always available Blaine, you know that." He winked. Wes rolled his eyes.
"Stop being gross Sebastian." Blaine snickered, giving Sebastian a playful punch on the arm.
"You really need to go far away from that player, Blaine. Very, very far away." Wes suggested with his serious face on.
Blaine huffed in annoyance. "And what are you guys going to do? Throw me in a ditch somewhere in New York or maybe throw me in a well like what the Evil Queen inEnchanteddid to Giselle?" He rolled his eyes at them.
"Oh, his Disney side is showing. It's too early into the party for Disney, Anderson." Sebastian teased but Blaine was already walking away and towards Stefan who just gave him his trademark smirk that was infuriating even for Sebastian Smythe.
Blaine asked Stefan for a dance but the other man refused. Instead, Blaine obediently followed him so they could drink to their heart's content—
Kurt slammed the book shut, frustrated at how Blaine was being blind and how much of a dick Stefan was for leading the poor guy on. He took a deep breath.
"God damn it, I hate it when I get affected by a book." Kurt mumbled to himself, closing his eyes and grunting. Sometimes, characters just get to his last nerves that he had to take a breather to avoid shredding the book in frustration. He knows it'll pass and besides, he needs to get to the ending.
Kurt hugged the book to his chest, rolling onto his side, wondering when the last time he got this engrossed in a novel. Maybe it was just because of Blaine and he wanted nothing more than somebody like him in his life.
"I wish you'd just be here and really, truly exist. You'd be the perfect one for me, you know." Kurt murmured, his eyes and brain already drifting off to sleep. He was pretty sure that he'll be dreaming up different scenarios that involved Blaine that night.
Eventually, he fell asleep, not noticing how the book glowed under his arms and how it slowly vanished.
And was replaced by a sleeping man.
Kurt woke up the next day to the shuffling in his bed; someone thrashing around and probably getting a good sleeping position and he swore he could smell alcohol in the air. He grunted, hoping that Rachel didn't molest him while he slept the night away. Kurt frowned when the shuffling ended because he could really smell alcohol in the air and it was not a very nice thing to wake up to in the morning.
He rolled around, ready to push Rachel off the bed while refusing to open his eyes because that means that he'll be awake and will be making tea and he really just wanted to sleep in on a Saturday.
"Rachel, go to your own room." Kurt managed to say, reaching out to push Rachel Berry but he was surprised when he felt the fabric of a thick coat and not Rachel's skin or her 'definitely not coat' clothes the night before.
Kurt finally got one eye open and he was suddenly wide awake.
There was a man. On his bed. Smelling like death and alcohol. And the man was sleeping so very peacefully that Kurt could swear he could hear a little snoring. It was impossible that Rachel brought him in since she doesn't do that, only Brody gets to go inside the apartment.
After the initial shock vanished, Kurt shrieked, getting up and moving as far away from the man as possible and successfully waking up the guy in the process.
The man sat up, a frown gracing his previously peaceful face as he ran a hand through his curly locks that looked like it was gelled down but had loosened because of an external factor that is most probably sweat. What Kurt couldn't understand was why the guy seemed so familiar to him. It felt like he's seen him before but he knew he hasn't.
"W-who are you? How did you get inside the apartment? W-what are you doing in my bed?" Kurt asked in one breath, stammering as his heart drummed in his chest.
The man opened an eye and looked up at Kurt. He massaged his forehead and grunted in pain, probably because of a really bad hangover. Kurt took a moment to analyze the guy; his curls stuck out of his head in the most adorable bed hair Kurt has ever seen in his life and now that the man had opened both of his eyes to look at Kurt and probably try to remember what happened, Kurt saw the most hazel of all hazel eyes in the world, accentuated by the man's thick lashes.
Kurt snapped out of his stupor and mentally kicked himself in the ass. He cannot be sort of attracted to a man that he doesn't even know who has a possibility of being a rapist or a thief even though he doesn't look like one and even though it's stupid for a criminal to sleep in the bed next to his victim.
"God, I drank a lot last night didn't I?" The man finally spoke, his voice low and raspy from sleep and alcohol. He swallowed, attempting to get rid of the huskiness in his voice. "The Dalton Bash this year is really something else."
At that, Kurt's eyes widened and his ears perked up at the familiar name.Dalton Bash?And then it clicked, he stared at the man again and suddenly he recognized him. Because he was everything that he imagined.
"No. No way, this can't be—" Kurt whispered under his breath, unable to believe his eyes. He looked around the room, searching for the book that he knew he was hugging last night but it wasn't around. It was gone.
"Are you a friend of Wes or Sebastian? I'm sorry for crashing here last night. I don't even know how I got here. Those assholes told me to get far away but I didn't imagine that they'd take me as far as outside the dormitories." He said, sighing as he continued to massage his head. "They're crazy. I'm sorry, you really didn't need to know that, did you?" He grinned sheepishly.
But Kurt stood rooted on the floor of his room. "This is—no, this is impossible. You can't be..." Kurt's words trailed away and the man gave him a look of total confusion.
"I can't be what?" He asked, wanting to understand.
Kurt took a deep breath. He just needed to ask, just to be sure, he should really stop freaking out. But as he stared at the blue and red blazer with a 'D' emblazoned in its front chest pocket, he can't help but freak out some more.
"Who—who did you say you are again?" Kurt finally asked.
A look of realization passed the man's face as he apologized, "I'm sorry, how ill-mannered of me." He got up from the bed and walked over to Kurt, holding a hand out for him to shake.
"My name's Blaine. Blaine Anderson." Blaine smiled brightly.
OH MY GOD.
Comments
OHMYGOD This is perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I read the description of this I wondered if it was based off of "Between the Lines" by Jodi Picoult and her daughter and I nearly screamed because I adored that book.This chapter you wrote is, like A MILLION times better than that story and I cannot wait for you to update!!!!!!!!*running around in circles* I need another good WIP to sink my teeth into since Just Say Yes ended.
Hey! Thanks for the enthusiastic review! I don't know what that book is but I'm going to check it out soon if it's really that good. Thanks again! :)
Please please please update soon! This has me hooked already. Great start!
Omg, you are the favourite person in my world. It's like a disney movie. I totally love it.