Iris: Chapter 1
Description: Supernatural and hidden secrets Klaine in an AU. Superpowers and mythical beasts at Dalton School for the Gifted. (Inspiration from the song Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls plus other songs will play a part. ENJOY!)
"He drowns in his dreams. An exquisite extreme I know... He's as damned as he seems... yet more heaven than a heart could hold..."
Beautiful Disaster - Kelly Clarkson
Kurt woke with a start, his brow shining with sweat and his heart rate off the scale. It was just a dream. Just a dream he told himself. But it was one much too realistic for his liking... He'd seen those panicked brown eyes and ran to help the boy just as he'd been dragged from view. He'd seen the splash in the water and followed in after him, desperate to help. But as soon as he was beneath the waves he felt hands pulling him down. Struggling blindly in panic he'd let out all his breath at once, and now was in his own panic. He froze solid when those brown eyes appeared just centimetres from his own and faded to a deep, dark, evil black.
That was the moment Kurt Hummel awoke and ran to the bathroom to throw up but his stomach came up empty so he was left heaving up nothing. When he could finally calm down he turned on the faucet and splashed the ice cold water over his face and onto the back of his neck, staring up at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Annoyance broke through his heavily thudding heart as he regained his level head.
Really? Today was the one day I needed a good nights sleep and to be calm and collected for and you spring this on me? AGAIN!
He sighed and glanced over to his bedside table, he flung out and arm and grabbed the alarm clock, pulled it towards him and read the time.
5:09 am. Really? It was at least a full hour before he needed to be up. Maybe an hour and a half even that he could've gotten away with but there was no chance of escaping back into dreams now. Not after that.
It was his first day transferring to a new school. A school away from nightmares and pain and locker shoves and being called a freak. Away from, hopefully, anything that would haunt him all night.
Then again... hopefully.
To pass the time until he really needed to be up Kurt repacked everything in his two large suitcases, making sure nothing was creased before finally zipping them up. With the amount of fuss and detail he'd put into refolding every item of clothing in his suitcases he'd managed to pass enough time to have reached an acceptable time to get up without waking everyone else up. He slid down the stairs quietly just in case though and made himself breakfast of a very small bowl of cereal. Once he was sure he wasn't going to throw it up again he drank a glass of orange juice too before returning upstairs to shower.
Some time later, he was sat in his car, driving towards the new boarding school, his father in his own car in tow. They'd discussed and agreed that they should take their own cars so that, should Kurt wish to go anywhere once at boarding school, he wouldn't have to ring to get a lift anywhere or to have to get a taxi, and so that when Burt would have to leave, Kurt therefore wasn't stranded.
After the hour-long drive, Kurt pulled up at the large castle of a boarding school.
"Dalton Academy" the sign read. No further description and Kurt knew full well why. His father gave him a quick hug, which settled some of his nerves before they made their way inside. Somehow from the inside it was less intimidating and more comforting. He was even waved at by a couple of students who weren't in uniform due to this being Sunday but who noticed Kurt sticking out because of his suitcases. They helpfully pointed the Hummel's in the direction of the main office where Kurt was signed in and all the administration papers were filled out completely. Burt bid a slightly teary goodbye to his son before Kurt was given a room key for his new dorm and a map of the school, which he, *ahem* tried to follow up to his room. At the foot of the main staircase he stared at the confusing map, totally lost as to where to now when a kind voice spoke to him.
"Hey, need some help there newbie?" it said.
"Oh, maybe a little. This map's not very clear." Kurt sighed, looking up to find a rather jolly looking blonde guy.
"Looking for your dorm?" the kind stranger said.
"Yeah. D'you reckon you could help me find it? They said it was room 207," Kurt explained timidly.
"Sure thing man," smiled the boy. "Hey d'you want me to carry one of those for you? Those stairs are a nightmare to carry one up, let alone two."
"Oh, yeah, that'd be great thanks," said Kurt gratefully as the boy took the heavier bag from him and didn't seem phased at all by its weight.
"C'mon, dorms are up here," he smiled, indicating the way.
"Wow. Thank you so much. I don't think I could've managed these without your help," said Kurt as they two boys finally ditched the bags in the middle of the floor in room 207. The other boy just laughed.
"It's cool man. I'm Jeff by the way. Jeff Sterling," he smiled, offering out his hand.
"Kurt, Kurt Hummel." He said, shaking it.
"Welcome to Dalton Kurt," smiled Jeff, leaning against the doorframe.
"Thanks. God I have no idea what to do now. The person down at administration said that there are no lessons because it's the weekend but that I could see if there's any clubs going on now. She gave me this list but it says none are on Sundays so it seems a little pointless. And I should really unpack but I really can't be bothered right now." Kurt sighed, realising he was rambling.
"Hey, why don't I give you a tour? That map really isn't much help. Believe me I didn't find it any when I joined. That way you'll know where everything is and stuff," Jeff offered.
"Really? You wouldn't mind?"
"Sure, come on, we can't have you getting lost on your first day here. Oh I can introduce you to my friends too! They're really helpful; they helped me out a bunch when I transferred last semester." Jeff said, seemingly excited at the idea of introducing Kurt. He looked like he was really enjoying being a sort of mentor for Kurt.
"You don't think I'll be intruding or anything?"
"Nah. 'course not. C'mon, if we get round quick enough we might finish in time for lunch."
"Jeff! Where've you been all morning?" called a boy at a packet table just inside the canteen doors.
"Hey guys! Just helping out a newbie. Guys this is Kurt; he just transferred here like this morning. Kurt this is the gang." Jeff laughed, as he and Kurt walked over.
They all said a quick hey and, this being a school for gifted kids, introduced their powers, something they seemed used to doing at a gifted students only school.
There was Nick who could move things with his mind.
Jeff explained he had super strength - hence not being phased by the weight of Kurt's suitcase...
Wes could read and (at a push) control minds.
Trent could levitate or fly (depending on which was more technically accurate. He wasn't sure).
Blaine could control electricity and create it too. He explained how he could use it to tazer someone with his hands in 'extreme situations'.
David could create force fields.
Thad - nicknamed Iron Man by the group - could transform into a metal version of himself and also control metals in general.
Flint could feel and influence emotions. Sounded weird to Kurt but he explained it helped a lot during exams and other times when fights seemed immanent. He could calm people down and stop fights and help his friends relax and not stress out over exams.
Jon had another odd gift. He could use music to disorientate people, mess with their heads and even knock them out. Kurt was pretty interested in Jon's gift as to him it didn't make that much sense. But then again, not a lot of the boys' gifts made a lot of sense to start with.
Overall though all the boys seemed really kind and Kurt began to feel a little more relaxed around them. Maybe though that was Flint. But at the moment, Kurt wasn't freaked out or fussed really. He was just glad people weren't scared of freaked out because of him.
"So Kurt. How you liking Dalton so far? We haven't overwhelmed you have we?" asked Wes.
"Not at all. I think it's pretty awesome. This place is just so much bigger than my old school, it's so much more to take in. My old school seems tiny compared to here." Kurt sighed peacefully, gazing up at the high-beamed ceiling of the large hall converted into a school canteen.
"Where did you transfer from Kurt?" asked Jeff happily. He was always happy.
"Um, McKinley High. It's in Lima so it's not too far away I guess." He explained.
"Dude! That's like, an hour away!" exclaimed Trent.
"Oh. I didn't realise it would seem so far away to you guys. Where did you guys all used to go then?" Kurt asked, suddenly hyper-aware of how he must be such an outsider already.
"Well most of us are from just the other side of Westerville but you do get kids from all over here as it's really the only one anywhere Ohio." Reassured Blaine from his seat opposite Kurt.
"Oh okay. Did you guys all go to the same place back in Westerville?"
"Yeah. Everyone except Blaine and Wes have been at the same school since we were all like, 11." Laughed Nick.
"God do I stick out like a sore thumb." Muttered Kurt.
"It's cool man. We're always open to letting people join us warblers. Don't worry; we won't hold anything like that against you. Whether you like music or not however, we may judge," laughed Jeff jokily. Man he just can't stay serious for any longer than all of 5 seconds.
"Oh well that I'll hopefully impress on then," smiled Kurt totally relieved.
"Awesome! I think we have a music geek on our hands guys," laughed Flint.
"Oh, hey Kurt. D'you wanna go grab something for lunch quickly before they stop serving. I didn't realise the time but we're cutting it a little close now," said Jeff slightly apologetic he'd left it this late.
"Yeah sure, excuse me guys," said Kurt, getting up elegantly form the table and following Jeff.
"So what do you think of the guys? They didn't overwhelm you too badly did they? Sometimes they can get a little over excited." Asked Jeff as they grabbed some plastic food trays.
"They're great. I think everything today is going to be a little overwhelming but that's really just because there's so much to take in. I'm really looking forward to school here." Mused Kurt happily, picking up some sandwiches, an apple and a carton of juice - his early morning uneasy stomach well and truly behind him.
"Aw great! I'm glad for ya man. This place is really great and accepting. I'm so glad I came here. Well, we came here I guess. Most of us moved up the same year. It's kind of a long story and probably not one for the canteen," Jeff explained as he grabbed his own lunch.
"It's okay. You don't need to explain your whole back-stories right now. I'll stick around. I'm not hoping to transfer twice in one term." Laughed Kurt.
(Back at the Warblers' table...)
"What do we think guys?" asked Nick once they were out of earshot.
"He seems pretty nice,"
"He's kinda shy though,"
"I think we may have scared him a little,"
"What d'you mean?"
"Um, dude. Have you listened to yourself?"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"I think WE were all a little over the top guys. Let's tone it down and not scare poor Kurt already. It's his first day here and he doesn't know anyone but us so lets all chill a bit shall we?" said Flint. The boys all felt his clam vide fall over them and though they were close to breaking out into a jokey argument, they refrained now. The fast paced conversation slowed and you could actually get a grasp of what had just been said before someone else spoke. When Kurt and Jeff returned they were notably toned down. This was in general a school of freaks so it was the least they could do.
By the time lunch was over, Kurt seemed a lot calmer and more at ease with the group.
"Hey Kurt, wanna join us. We're gonna go head up to the common room on our floor," said Blaine, indicating the direction most of the warblers were already heading in.
(Note: in Kurt's tour he'd discovered that there were four floors to the school/castle. One of general living quarters like the canteen/hall and the library and etc. The second was for subject specific classrooms. The third and fourth were dorms and both of these floors had two common rooms, one at each end of the large floor, making four in total. There were a lot of students here so it made sense that, with them all living here, they should have places to hang out.)
"You sure you don't mind? I mean, I won't be like, intruding or anything?" Kurt replied, half excited that he might be able to fit in so quickly and half cautious of upsetting any long established friendships.
"Of course you won't. You're practically one of the gang already man. That is, uh, if you don't mind hanging around with a load of nutters like these guys." He laughed nervously, indicating to Nick and Jeff who were pulling crazy faces at each other.
"I'd like that. I guess I'm just not used to so many people wanting to be my friend. It's a bit of a new concept." Sighed Kurt.
"Is that why you transferred?" asked Blaine softly. Kurt looked at him sadly and nodded.
"Sort of... It's complicated. I'd rather not talk about it though..." he mumbled.
"That's okay Kurt. Lets just go chill out, yeah?" said Blaine, his tone conveying understanding that made Kurt think he had had a similarly unhappy experience that lead to his being here.
"Yeah, lets," smiled Kurt timidly, trying not think about all he'd left behind and instead of all that he had here already and following Blaine and the rest of the warblers up to the third floor east common room...
A/N: HELLO! Thank you whoever you may be for reading this. I hope you come back because I'll definitely post more soon. This chapter had to be long to kinda introduce everything and set the story up. ANYWAY, reviews are love and stuff... :)
