Guys guys guys! I originally wrote this story as my Midsummer project but then I did something else. But now I decided it's okay enough to give it to you so forgive me the bad timing and the June dates and all, just ignore it and hey, after all at least it's still summer (more or less…)! ;-)
It's my life
Monday, 26th May
"I only have bad grades because I'm dyslexic!"
"All the more reason to get tutoring", Mr Figgins said.
Sam crossed his arms and put on his best you-can't-do-anything-if-I-don't-want-to look.
"I'm the quarterback of the Titans. Because of me we've won all games this season. Do you think I could stay as fit if I need to meet with a tutor a few times a week? Do you know how much time working out and football practise takes?"
Figgins narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sam was sure he had won now. He could spend the rest of the lunch break with Brittany and after school go to football practise as usual instead of spending the afternoon inside a classroom or wherever with some nerd who was supposed to teach him grammar. Not to mention that it was just a few weeks until the summer break, come on!
"Being good in sports is no excuse for bad grades. Especially as bad as yours. If it goes on like that not even your star position can help you! Do you want to end up as a young alcoholic man whose life potential goes to waste because he was too sluggish to get a few tutor lessons? Do you want that, Mr Evans?"
"No", Sam mumbled. Trick question! No one wanted this. That was so not fair!
A few minutes later he left the principal's office with a paper note that said where to be after school and what books to bring. Such. A. Bore!
Of course in Glee they decorated the room with sparkly paper fairies, orange marigolds and yellow sunflowers. The Midsummer spirit had arrived!
"I know it's still a few weeks left but I want you to think about what songs to sing in the last week of school before the holidays", Mr Schue said. "What represents Midsummer for you? Where do you see the magic, what adventures do you want to go on, what are your dreams for this summer?"
"My dream is to stay healthy and get many children", Brittany said. They were used to her silliness by now but Blaine threw her a look nonetheless. Since she and her two Cheerio friends had joined Glee club it just wasn't the same as before. It used to be a safe place without people who bullied you. Now they had Cheerios here. Mr Schue had also tried to get some of the jocks to join but his tries had remained fruitless. Luckily.
Apart from the three Cheerios and Blaine Glee club consisted of Rachel Berry, Mike Chang, Mercedes Jones, Ryder Lynn, Jake Puckerman (he had a brother on the football team who had refused to join the Glee club), Marley Rose, Artie Abrams, Kurt Hummel (he, too, had a brother on the football team),and Tina Cohen-Chang.
In a group of ten (now thirteen) kids there of course was the biggest mess when it came to relationships. The easiest to remember were the two couples who had been dating for a long time now, Mike and Tina, and Marley and Ryder. Blaine had thought there was something between Mercedes and Artie the other day but since the Cheerios were here Artie looked suspiciously often to the last row – Blaine hadn't figured out who he liked but as far as he knew all Cheerios had boyfriends outside of Glee club anyway.
Like half of the school Rachel and Kurt had a crush on the star quarterback who, of course, had not cared to join Glee club. Blaine on the other hand thought Finn Hudson was way cuter and so much easier to talk to. Blaine had exchanged a few words with Finn in his History class while the quarterback, Sam Evans, never even looked at him. So Blaine refused to join his pining fan club and stayed reasonable, only crushing on unavailable boys as long as he had a word with them now and then. Sometimes you had to keep your priorities in order.
When Glee club was dismissed Blaine grabbed his bag and got up.
"So! Me and Rachel are getting to the mall, you know, eat ice cream, spot dreamy boys in the crowd… Do you want to join us?" Kurt asked as he walked next to Blaine out of the room.
"Oh, that sounds lovely, Kurt. Alas, I can't. I'm getting my first tutor student today."
"What, you're doing this? I thought it was a joke. Who'd want to tutor anyone in their free time?"
Blaine shrugged.
"Do you know who you get?" Kurt wanted to know.
"Not yet. I can tell you tomorrow all about it."
"Well, let's just hope you don't get any of the bullies. What would you do if you get Karofsky?"
Blaine bit his lip. He had considered it, of course. Of all people who needed tutoring in this school it was the jocks who needed it the most. But wasn't that the best possibility to reach out and make new friends?
"I'd try and talk to him. If I can meet him on a neutral basis maybe it would even make him less mean towards us."
"Oh, in your dreams!" Kurt exclaimed. "Anyway, have fun with your extracurricular stuff."
"Yeah, bye." Blaine nodded Kurt, who fastened his step, and arrived at his locker. Mrs Swann had talked to him today after English and asked if he'd be willing to start tutoring today already. The exam phase would start in two weeks and alone in his class there were four students who would not pass if they kept going like that. Of course Blaine had agreed. Mrs Swann hadn't been able to tell him who he would teach, though, since the students still had to be convinced to take part in tutoring.
When Blaine came to the principal's office there were a lot of people in the vestibule. Just when he entered Marley left with Finn Hudson, who briefly greeted Blaine. Blaine smiled at him though he was a bit sad he hadn't gotten him. On the other hand it was good because Blaine would've been distracted. No, he needed to focus and do a good job. Help someone in need.
Mr Figgins and Mrs Swann came out of the office and they looked around at the five students present.
"Mr Noah Puckerman isn't here", Figgins stated.
Mrs Swann shook her head. "Such a pity. He might need it the most."
"Well, if you don't need me anymore…" Jacob Ben-Israel stood up and gestured to the door. "I have other obligations."
Blaine frowned. Why had Jacob agreed to tutor if he had other things to do? Tsk. Mrs Swann allowed him to go so he rushed out.
"Mr Smith, Mrs Zizzes", Figgins said and waved them into his office. They went, along with Mrs Swann and the glass door got shut behind them. Blaine sat down on the couch next to the only student left, Sam Evans, and looked around the room. Great, so he would get him. Blaine had absolutely no clue if that was good or bad. None whatsoever.
They didn't talk. Then the teachers and the new tutoring team came out of the office and Blaine and Sam were called in. Blaine closed the door behind him.
"So, the last pair! Do you know each other?" Figgins said.
"By sight", Blaine said.
"No", Sam said. Blaine frowned and looked at him.
"I'm in your English class."
"Oh."
"Blaine, you know what material we're on", Mrs Swann said. "Sam needs mostly help in spelling. He's dyslexic but he is willing to learn."
Blaine nodded while his teacher told him about his new student. After a few minutes they were dismissed with the task to go find a place for studying, school or one of their homes didn't matter.
The silence was a bit uncanny as they stood in front of the office in an empty hallway. Blaine adjusted his bag.
"So, uhm… classroom or your place or mine?"
Sam was busy with his phone and didn't even look up.
"Huh?"
"Where do you want to learn?"
"What, now already?"
Blaine frowned. "Yes. You heard Mrs Swann."
"Oh, I thought she was talking about tomorrow. I mean, we can wait a day, right?"
Blaine stared at the blond boy for one moment. Was he serious?
"You agreed to tutoring, Sam. Mrs Swann literally just now said it's on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Today is Monday. Now, where do you want to do it?"
Sam sighed and put his phone into his pocket. He didn't wear his letterman jacket probably due to the heat because as soon as the weather allowed it he was never seen without it.
"Three days a week? Man! I have things to do."
Blaine blinked in confusion. "It can't be more important than passing the exams and getting into senior year."
"You mean I could be at risk to fail and repeat this year?"
"Yes, Sam, that is what tutoring is about actually. Always has been. Since the dawn of time."
"Now, ease off, will you? What's your name again?"
"Blaine", he sighed.
"Well then, Blaine, let's get it over with. We can be done in thirty minutes, right?"
Blaine started to walk down the hall to look for an empty classroom. "No. We'll be doing one full hour, today and on every following day. I will not let you off easy. You're my first student and I need you to pass. Ah, here."
"Can I ask you a question?"
They walked into a room. Blaine shut the door while Sam threw his bag onto a table and looked up at the planets hanging from the ceiling.
"Of course. That's what I'm here for." Blaine briefly considered taking the teacher's desk. But that would've been too much, really, so he settled down next to Sam. Thinking about it that's how it needed to be, anyway, seeing that he would help him spell things.
"Doesn't it get exhausting walking around with four kilo gel in your hair?"
"Okay, Sam, you need to take this serious. Sit down. Open your book."
"Wow, someone likes being bossy." Sam did as he was told though and strange enough didn't ask more unrelated questions for the next hour.
When the first tutoring hour was done, meaning when Sam's hate and anger towards all school things vanished into thin air with the closing of the book he took a deep breath.
"See? That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Blaine said. Of course he would say that. It was easy for him. He was a guy who gave away his free time for lecturing other people so this had probably been fun for him. Sam watched him gather his stuff. Then he closed his bag and returned Sam's look probably trying to think of a non-nerdy way to say goodbye.
To make it easy for him Sam lifted his hand and waved.
"Oh, yeah. Right. We'll see each other on Wednesday then. Here again?"
"Whatever."
Blaine nodded and walked out of the room. Sam sighed, leaned back his head and watched the planets. Normally he liked being in the Astronomy room. It was always fun to think about how they actually were unimportant beings on a huge planet that was only one of many in an even bigger galaxy and God alone knew how many other unknown galaxies were out there. Everything was possible. But still he felt as if the world only consisted of school, homework, football practise and sometimes a football game and girls. Was that really all there was to life?
Tuesday, 27th May
On the next day Brittany talked a lot about Midsummer and dreams. Sam didn't really indulge in the holidays. He would but he had so much to do… plus it was uncool and wouldn't do any good to his popularity. Santana had informed him half a year ago when Sam had worn a special Christmas sweater to school. She had said that a lack of interest in anything was a blessing and the only thing that could maintain his coolness ever.
"There are fairies in the choir room now. No real fairies, those are only outside of course", Brittany said. "And just like Mr Schue they asked me what I'm dreaming of. This morning I told them I have dreamt of lollipops."
"That's great", Sam said. He had never seen a real fairy himself but he had heard they only showed themselves to the most special people on this planet. Brittany must be one of them.
"What are you dreaming of, Sam?" Brittany turned around from her locker and took his hand so they could walk to class. Sam shrugged. What had he dreamt of? The exact spelling of the word 'exaggerating'. With two G's. That weird-hair-guy Blair flying around Saturn and telling Sam to never leave house without his school books ever.
"Do you want kids?" Brittany asked in a quiet but sincere voice. Sam jumped up.
"What? Are you – are you pregnant?"
Brittany laughed. "No, silly! I haven't seen a stork in my whole life! I'm talking about your Midsummer dream!"
"I guess passing the exams", Sam said with a shrug. "And win the game on Friday next week. We'd be champion even if we didn't win but it would be a big fat home run if we did."
"Are you talking about football?" a voice interfered. Sam and Brittany turned around.
"Just to get this right? The football team you bailed on yesterday?" Puck asked. He pushed away from the lockers and came to them, pointing at Sam.
"Do you really think you're going to keep your quarterback position if miss practise? Newsflash, Lady Lips, Coach Beiste only wants winners. And since you and Finn weren't there yesterday guess who got the quarterback position." He smirked so smug it could only have been him. Sam snarled at him.
"Weren't you supposed to get tutoring, too?"
"Ha! Does a Puckerman take private lessons from another student? I don't think so! Unless the student's name is Fabray and the private lessons are making out. Tell me, Evans." Puck moved another step closer and bored his finger into Sam's chest. "Did you make out with your teacher or did you… study?" He spit out the last word as if he had accidentally swallowed a fly.
"I… studied with him", Sam said. Puck snorted and moved away.
"Surprising, actually. I always thought you had the tendency to… you know… be gay."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're a little pansy boy. Your time is over, Evans, now it's my time to shine. Bow to the new king of the school!" Puck turned to passing students from that none actually bowed to him.
"A king needs to be wise and gentle", Brittany said. "And you're not wise or gentle. Sam is."
"Yes, because he's gay!"
"No, he's not." Brittany shook her head. "We make out very often."
Puck frowned at her, sent Sam a glaring look and turned to go.
"Well. At least he didn't throw a slushy in my face", Sam said. And added 'yet' in his mind. He knew how things went down in this school. That was why he needed to remain popular. And that meant he needed to remain quarterback. He'd have to cancel tutoring.
