The yelling was deafening. However, both Anderson brothers weren't really bothered by it: they knew their mother could scream much worse if she wanted to.

Though Cooper found it hilarious that she'd hired a servant who screamed back: Ms. Sylvester was not one to take criticism or accusations apparantly.

Blaine hadn't mentioned Kurt to his brother. He didn't want Cooper to think he was possibly insane.

Speaking of Kurt, he hadn't seen him at all today.

"Okay I wish they would just shut up." Cooper groaned, curling up on Blaine's mattress and tucking one arm under his head.

Blaine arched an eyebrow.

"Not ten minutes ago you were laughing your ass off at the fact that Mom hired someone who won't take her criticism."

The elder brother just shrugged.

"What can I say, sometimes things just get old quickly for me."

"Coop?"

"What?" Cooper blinked rapidly in the dim lamp light and tilted his head to look at the thirteen-year-old.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" There. That was a far better kind of question to ask. "I mean, with everything going on, and Mom --"

"You're not crazy, Blaine." The brunette said abruptly. "You've just been holed up in this house for way too long. As for Mom...she's...not all there. She hasn't been since Dad died."

Blaine nodded, lifting his head to look up at the ceiling.

"I know."

---

"The curtains are going to have to come down. We can do it tonight."

Kurt's head jerked up at his father's words.

"What? Don't you think that's a little --"

"Oh now you're going to change your mind? After you tried ripping down the ones in my room?" Burt looked at his son, confused. "You hate the curtains. We'll start in your room tonight, and you can stay in the guest bedroom 'cause it's gonna kick up who knows how much dust and I'm not going to be awoken at the crack of dawn because your latest outfit's been ruined. Case closed."

Kurt thought fast -- he had to warn Blaine -- although where did a servant boy possibly hide out when he wasn't in a room that wasn't his?

No ideas came to him, so he decided he would simply have to warn the other teen tonight after the deed was done.What choice did he have?

---

Bernadette was reading in the study when she heard it: the radio playing in the sitting room...and pretty loudly too.Either it was Cooper or it was Quinn, touching something she wasn't allowed to.

She set her book aside and got cautiously to her feet before walking into the sitting room -- the empty sitting room.

"Quinn?" she called.

No reply. Of course she knew Quinn didn't talk, but she thought the girl would give some sign that she'd been in the room.

The sound coming from the radio suddenly decreased in volume before shutting off entirely.

Bernadette looked around, confused.

Don't jump to conclusions...Blaine's just sick...he's not seeing things...There's no such thing as ghosts...

She reached over and touched the dial, hesitantly turning the radio back on. It barely played a note of music before, to her horror, the dials spun back and the radio shut off again.

When Bernadette tried it again, the dials wouldn't budge. Suddenly the rug underneath her feet was sweapt out from under her and she went crashing to the floor, screams echoing off the walls.

---
Cooper was trying not to have a panic attack. He shouldn't, seeing as it was dusk and the light outside was weak, but the curtains gone meant his little brother's life could be at stake.

"Coo? What's -- Oh my God." Blaine had finally made it upstairs to join his brother after having finished a very awkward and silent dinner. "Coop -- the curtains --"

"I know, Blaine. I -- Let's go to my room, okay? You can sleep there tonight -- Mom's probably just having an episode -- she didn't eat with us. She hasn't been out of her room for a good part of the day -- that's all it is. Okay?"

Blaine stared at the now uncovered windows, some of the fear gripping his stomach dissipating at Cooper's words. He relaxed even more when he felt his brother's comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I won't let anything happen to you Blainey. I promise."

The younger boy attempted to smile as he was led back out into the darkened hall, fear not totally gone, but somewhat pacified.

"I know, Coop."

---

Kurt watched the woman flee the room, his heart pounding.

He wasn't scared...she had to be Blaine's mother, right? That didn't change the fact that he'd been listening to the radio, trying to distract himself from the curtain tirade his father and Carole had launched. The ones in his room were gone, and because Kurt couldn't find Blaine, he wasn't sure what to say or do in order to let the boy know he had to find somewhere safe to sleep.

Trying to shut off his favorite program was just rude.

He sighed and stretched out on the sofa, trying to focus. When he couldn't come up with anything he got up and turned out the light.

"Kurt?"

The countertenor whipped around, heart pounding.

Blaine was standing behind him, when Kurt knew there had been no one else in the room before except himself.

He quickly calmed his breathing and chalked it up to Blaine just being a very quiet person when he walked.

"Blaine."

The curly haired boy grinned.

"I want to show you something." he said.

"Blaine, I need to tell you --" Kurt started, panic swelling in his chest. If he didn't mention the lack of curtains --

"I know about the curtains -- relax it's probably just my mom having an episode. My brother put me in his room with him when we saw they got taken down." Blaine smiled and the countertenor felt himself go weak at the knees. "Come with me? Please?"

Kurt took a deep breath, and then nodded.

"Okay."