“Is that it, dad?” Kurt pressed his face against the truck window.
                “Not yet kid, we’ve been there before, you remember.”
                “Right,” said Kurt, who didn’t. They had only been to the dance studio once, to sign up. Finally Burt Hummel slowed the vehicle and turned into the studio parking lot. The butterflies in Kurt’s stomach went into hyper-drive.
                “Ok kid. You ready?” Kurt grinned from ear to ear. “You’re sure about this?” Kurt nodded.
                “Dad, please, Rudolf Nureyev started dancing younger than me. If I want to be good, I need to start now.” Burt chuckled and shook his head.
                “Oh Kurt…8 going on 18…” He shook his head and opened the truck door.

                Kurt finally convinced his dad to sit in the waiting room instead of hovering at the door to the studio. He hung his tote bag on a hook took off his coat and donned his new black ballet slippers before stepping into the class room. Seven other kids sat on the floor in the centre of the class. Kurt hesitated at the door before making his way across the room. Immediately a springy dark haired girl leaped up and intercepted him.
                “Hi! I’m Rachel Berry. Who are you?”
                “I’m…Kurt.” Said Kurt, taken aback.
                “Well Kurt, all you have to know in this class is that I’m the star. This is my brother Blaine. He’s my dance partner.” Kurt peered over Rachel’s shoulder to the only other boy in the class. He had curly brown hair and sat quietly on the floor. He glanced up at the mention of his name, but looked away as soon as Kurt met his eye.
                “Ok.” Was all Kurt managed to get out.
                “Rachel. Making new friends are we?” A tall elegant woman came up behind Rachel and folded her arms.
                “Miss Amy! This is Kurt!”
                “I know Rachel. Please take a seat.” She then turned to Kurt and smiled. “Kurt. Welcome to our class.” Then she leaned down and whispered, “Don’t mind Rachel, you’ll get a chance at centre stage too.” She placed her hand on Kurt’s back and gently pushed him to the cluster of children in the centre of the room. Kurt sat between Blaine and another blonde girl with her hair tightly coiled in a bun on top of her head. All the girls wore a simple leotard in pink or black, white tights and pink ballet slippers. Rachel had a black leotard with a pink chiffon skirt wrapped around her waist and a pink chiffon scrunchie stretched neatly around her bun. Kurt and Blaine wore the same white t-shirt, black leggings and black ballet slippers. They stretched their toes and their legs and then stood up to do sautés. Kurt watched Rachel out of the corner of his eye and tried to jump just a little higher than her each time. With each jump Rachel moved slightly forward until she was standing in front of the whole class. Kurt decided he didn’t like her.
                After doing a plié routine at the barre, they lined up to do leaps across the floor. Rachel bolted to the front of the line and stood in a perfect first position with her hands on her hips and a ridiculous grin on her face.
                “Just watch me, “she said, turning to the rest of the line, “Especially you, Kurt. I know exactly what I’m doing, even if you don’t.” Miss Amy clapped her hands bringing Rachel back to attention. Kurt scowled to himself as he watched Rachel do a textbook grande jeté across the floor. Blaine was next, who also did a near flawless leap, although Kurt still hadn’t seen him smile or say anything. The blonde girl, whose name was Emily, was next; followed by a red haired girl named Alexis. Upon Kurt’s turn, Miss Amy walked through the move with him before Kurt took off on his own. He flew through the air once, twice, three times and arrived at the other side of the room.
                “Good, Kurt. Just remember to stretch your back foot. Don’t let it land too early.” Said Miss Amy kindly, before turning to the next girl in line, Rebecca. Rachel leaned over to Kurt.
                “It’s ok Kurt, we can’t all be perfect on the first try. Except me, but Blaine and I practice at least two hours every day at home.” Kurt didn’t say anything, he just glared at her until she turned back around, unfazed. Blaine turned around apologetically but didn’t say anything either.

                They continued to travel back and forth across the floor until Rachel suddenly stuck her hand in the air, rising on her toes slightly to make sure she was seen.
                “Yes, Rachel?”
                “Miss Amy, could Blaine and I show you the routine that I choreographed over the summer? I think it would be a good opportunity for the class to see how a completed dance routine looks.” A few people groaned.
                “Well, Rachel, this is only the first class. Rest assured we will be getting to doing routines.”
                “Yes, but I brought the music and everything.” She turned to the class, “If you would all take a seat at the front…” Miss Amy rolled her eyes slightly, but tried not to let the class see. She took Rachel’s music and put it on as the other six students sat along the mirror at the front of the room. “This is what’s called a pas de deux. That’s when a boy and a girl do a dance duet together.” She took her place in front of Blaine with one hand above her head and one extended to the side. Blaine dutifully took hold of her extended hand and placed his other on her waist.  The piano music started and they gracefully moved around each other on the floor. Rachel’s face was plastered with a grin and all her movements were precise and perfect. Kurt confirmed to himself that he didn’t like her. Blaine on the other hand, even though he didn’t smile, his movements made Kurt look at him more than Rachel. He was equally as good a dancer as Rachel, but he didn’t seem to be as rigid. He moved with the music more than just the counts.  Kurt looked away quickly as Blaine’s eye caught Kurt’s again. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt embarrassed, but he tried not to look at Blaine again for the remainder of the dance.

                “How was class, sport?” Kurt’s dad stood expectantly at the door as Kurt exited the change room. Kurt shrugged and pushed past him to the truck. “Something wrong?” Asked Burt, hurrying after his son.
                “No. Class was fine. I like dance a lot. Just this girl, Rachel. I don’t like her.”
                “Aww, well I’m sure she’s fine when you get used to her.”
                “Yeah,” said Kurt, not really agreeing. He stared out his window and thought about Rachel and thought about Blaine. He knew that he could be as good as either of them, but he’d probably never get the chance. He’d need to do something to get everyone else to notice him.
                “Dad? Where do you get those skirts like the one Rachel had?”
                “Um, I dunno Kurt. Why do you ask?”
                “I think if I had one I’d be noticed more and Rachel wouldn’t be so bossy.”
                “You…you want a skirt for class?”
                “Yeah.” Burt looked over at Kurt, who was looking seriously back at him. Over the last few years he had noticed that Kurt was…different. He hadn’t said anything because he didn’t want to be judgmental, but he also felt he had a duty to protect Kurt from the torment that was sure to follow him through his life. Burt sighed.
                “You know…Kurt…Skirts are usually only worn by…by girls.”
                “Yeah, but Rachel has one and she thinks she’s the star of the class.”
                “But she’s not a star because of a skirt. I bet she practices a lot.” Kurt thought about what Rachel had said about dancing two hours a day at home and knew that was probably right. Still, he wanted to show her that she wasn’t so perfect. “Isn’t there another boy in your class?” Asked Burt, trying to change the subject, “That’s pretty cool. I bet he wears the same thing you do to class…”
                “Yeah…” said Kurt. “He’s Rachel’s brother. Blaine.” Kurt felt embarrassed as soon as he said his name again, but still didn’t know why. It was a bit comforting to know that he wasn’t the only boy in the class, but on the other hand it meant he had competition.

*             *             *

                “5, 6, 7, 8,” Miss Amy commanded with her voice, and the children moved back and forth across the floor in the short routine they had been working on over the last few weeks.  Soon it would be time for their ‘parents presentation’ before Christmas break.  Rachel, of course was at the front of the group. Miss Amy had choreographed it so that each student got a turn in the front of the class, but Rachel seemed to migrate so that she was at least beside the person who was slotted to be at the front. Kurt had improved greatly over the last few weeks and had grown accustomed to ignoring Rachel. He stretched just a little further with his arms each time she came beside him in the hopes that he might hit her by accident, but he never did.
                Kurt had been partnered with Emily for part of the dance, and Rachel with Blaine. They mirrored each other’s movements while the other four girls danced in a circle around them. Emily was good, but not as good as Rachel appeared. Kurt was slightly frustrated by the fact that she was a little taller than him, so when he stood with her it looked weird. She lead most of the dance steps, so Kurt never had a chance to really be a ‘partner’.  He compared their mediocre pas de deux in the mirror with Rachel and Blaine.  At least they were the same height. Partnering with Blaine would have been way easier...Rachel, he meant Rachel…Why would he think Blaine? But he certainly didn’t want to partner with Rachel… no matter how good she was. She was still too bossy.

*             *             *

                Parent’s night was a success and all the adults gave the class a standing ovation at the end of their miniature recital. The waiting room of the dance studio was packed as the little dancers filed out of the change room to find their families.  Kurt’s dad was waiting in a corner of the room.
                “Hey! Way to go, kid! You were the star of the show.” Kurt rolled his eyes.
                “No I wasn’t, dad.”
                “Of course you were. You looked good out there.”
                “Thanks.” Kurt made to leave.
                “Do you want to stay and talk to any of your friends?”
                “I…not really…” Kurt didn’t consider anyone in the class his ‘friend’ and had little desire to be trapped in a sea of adults. Before he could convince his dad otherwise they were cornered by Rachel.
                “You must be Mister Hummel. I’m Rachel Berry!”
                “Rachel. Kurt’s told me about you, nice to meet ya.”
                “OH! He must have been mentioning the double pirouette I did a few weeks ago. QUITE flawless if I do say so myself.  Don’t worry, Kurt, you’ll get the hang of it someday,“ she said, turning in Kurt’s direction. Kurt didn’t say anything.
                “Hey, princess, stop disappearing like that!” A tall gentleman with dark rimmed glasses made his way over to them and put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. Close behind him was Blaine holding hands with another tall man. “Sorry about that, she likes to introduce herself. Don’t you, my little Gold Star?” Rachel beamed.
                “These are my dads.” She said proudly. Burt politely shook their hands, feeling out of place with his checked shirt and baseball cap. “And of course, this is Blaine, my brother. We’re twins!” Blaine waved a bit but didn’t say anything. Burt nodded his head and stole a look down at Kurt, who was staring at his feet.
                The adults chatted a bit about the class, telling Burt how Rachel had been dancing since she was two, the youngest at this studio, and she also took three other classes. Kurt twisted his toe into the floor and wished they would hurry up. A quiet voice made him raise his head. Blaine was looking right at him.
                “What?”
                “I said, you were really good tonight.” Blaine blinked and looked at the floor again. This was only the second time in the last four months that Kurt had heard Blaine say anything; the first being when they collided by accident when Miss Amy was having them practice spinning without spotting to understand why spotting was important. Blaine had said ‘Sorry’. Kurt’s stomach had done a somersault.
                It had just done one again.

*             *             *

                Towards the end of the dance year, they had a special class where they practiced some tumbling in addition to the many stretches and steps they had already learned. A few gym mats had been left out by the previous class and the class had begged to use them. Miss Amy guided them in some simple somersaults, cartwheels and back bridges. Rachel, of course, cart wheeled six times across the room and landed in a neat plié. Nobody paid her much mind. 
                When class was over Kurt hung around by the front window looking for his dad’s truck. He had said he might be late picking Kurt up, but he didn’t know how long. Miss Amy said he was free to play around in the studio. He stood in front of the mirror trying to master a double pirouette, unsuccessfully. On his third attempt he landed on him bottom, head spinning. When his vision cleared he noticed a figure in the mirror behind him. Blaine.
                “Sorry,” said Blaine. “Rachel left her skirt.” He gestured to the opposite wall where a small pile of pink fabric lay in a heap. That stupid skirt that gave Rachel power over the rest of the class. Blaine crossed the room to get it.
                In a surge of confidence Kurt spouted, “Why do you let her boss you around like that?” He had seen the way they were through their year as a class. Blaine did whatever Rachel told him to do.
                Blaine shrugged.”Cause she’s my sister.” Kurt couldn’t understand still, so he went back to attempting his pirouette.
                “You have to pull up straighter,” said Blaine’s voice from the door. Kurt turned to look at him, surprised he was still there.
                “I am.” Said Kurt stubbornly. Blaine dropped Rachel’s skirt on the floor and walked back across the room.
                “Here, I’ll show you. I help Rachel all the time with this at home.” He stood behind Kurt and told him to start his turn. The moment his foot left the ground he felt Blaine’s small hands steadying his waist, guiding him around the second spin. Kurt landed perfectly.  “See?” said Blaine with a shrug, “Just stand up taller.” Kurt considered himself in the mirror for a moment before attempting the turn again. He made it one and a half turns before tumbling to the side. Both boys laughed a little.
                “It’s ok,” said Blaine. “I still can’t really do a double.”
                “Ok,” said Kurt, not knowing what else to say. “Don’t forget Rachel’s stupid skirt.” He had said ‘stupid’ out of habit, he hadn’t meant to say it to Blaine. Blaine smiled and shrugged. The first time Kurt had ever really seen him smile.
                “Bye Kurt. See you next week.”
                “Yeah. Bye.” He was still smiling to himself when Burt poked his head around the corner and beckoned for Kurt to come.
                Even if he didn’t like Rachel, maybe it was ok for him to like her brother. He had a feeling that he and Blaine were going to be friends.