Hello there!

I'm back with the prologue to the third part in this series and a very short note because today was really stressy (someone attacked my dog and then ran away)

I promise to explain everything next week!

Love you all, and hope you'll enjoy this chap

Blaine made it out of his dorm in under a minute and ran the first meters on his way to the choir room. He was still fumbling with the buttons on his cuffs when he reached the familiar staircase. He would take a shortcut and hopefully be on time. It wasn't like they'd start without him, and most of the students were still making their way to the common's, if the number of he encountered along the way was any indication. Before Blaine could reach the bottom of the stairs, he felt a hand tap on his shoulder, and a voice, high and breathy came from behind him.

"Sorry, excuse me? I'm new here, can I ask you a question?"

He didn't turn around at first, doesn't look at the source of that voice, because - he knows who it belongs to. It's Kurt's. It's the most beautiful voice he has ever heard, if he was being honest. It's high and melodic and so perfect, and it's impossible for it to be here...at Dalton. But when Blaine turned around, half sure that there would be another boy, another counter tenor behind him, it's really him. Kurt Hummel.
The calm expression on his face changed immediately once Blaine turned around, shock crossing his face instead. The two boys looked at each other for a moment, before Kurt blushed and lowered his gaze.

"Kurt?" Blaine mumbled, surprised. He wasn't quite sure what to do now. How should he treat the other boy? Friendly? Should he be mad at him? Ignore him? On the one hand, he'd always been an ass to Blaine, but on the other hand, Blaine never called, even though he'd said he would. Well, Devon had, but Blaine still felt a bit guilty.

He didn't have to worry any further, because he heard Kurt talk again, a bit rushed now and...shy?

"I'm sorry," he apologized, still not looking at Blaine's face "I'll ask someone else."

Kurt turned around to leave, his head hanging low. Blaine raised his eyebrows. What had just happened? Why had Kurt been so...Blaine couldn't even find a word for his behavior. Insecure, maybe? Anyway, he didn't want Kurt to leave yet, he had questions and honestly, now that his longtime crush stood in front of him, he didn't want to let him go.

"Wait." He said and reached out a hand in his direction to hold him back. When Kurt saw the hand quickly moving closer to touch him, hold him back, he flinched and took another step back, almost falling when he did so.
Blaine's brows rose even higher - was Kurt afraid he'd hurt him?

"I'm-I'm sorry. Just, you had a question?" He tried to make his voice as soft as possible to soothe the other boy. Kurt plainly stared at him and said nothing.

'At least he's still here.'

Blaine smiled at him, hopefully showing Kurt that he still liked him - because maybe it was just that? Was Kurt afraid that he hated him? Kurt had told him as Devon that he thought so...and he'd never called...

"Would you maybe repeat your question?"

Kurt took a deep breath and then spoke. His voice was steady though Blaine could tell from his tense stature that he wasn't feeling comfortable doing so. "I was just wondering what's happening. Why everyone is so..." He made a movement with his right hand, pointing at all the people running around.

Blaine couldn't help but grin. "Oh, that." Now he could impress Kurt. "They all want to see the Warblers! Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance. Tends to shut the school down for a while."

Kurt let out a breathy laugh. "Wait. The Warblers - the choir? They all want to see the school choir?"

"Yes." Blaine said proudly. "Come on, I'll show you. Everyone's seeing it, and you shouldn't be the exception. We're quite good, after all."

He held out his hand with a cheeky grin. This time around, he was the popular one, and he was the one to lead the way.

"Oh. Okay." Kurt didn't take his extended hand, but at least he smiled a bit.

Blaine's grin widened and he led the way, using the shortcut which led them through the empty cafeteria and the hallway in the building's east side. When they arrived, he held the door open for Kurt, who reluctantly entered the room. It was crowded with both teachers and students, and Blaine saw a few adults he didn't know, so he suspected a few of the other boys had told their parents to stay and watch them. He followed Kurt and then adjusted his tie.

"If you'd excuse me." He said almost (definitely) a bit cockily, but he thought he deserved that, and then stepped in the middle of the other Warblers, giving them a sign to start with the song.

They rocked it, there was no other way to put it. When they belted out the last words, hell broke loose - everyone was applauding and screaming, and Blaine really did feel like a rock star in this moment - it reminded him of the live shows he had given with Wesley and David on the tour, only with fewer girls.
He made his way through his fellow students, accepting congratulations and praises and back claps, searching for Kurt. He might have flirted with him quite a bit during the performance, and wanted to see what he had to say. Maybe now that Blaine was cool and popular and self confident, just maybe - Kurt returned his feelings?
Yes, Blaine had wanted to stay away from boys (at least in a romantic way) but... It was Kurt. Seeing him, and talking, singing to him always felt like the right thing to do, no matter what had happened in the past. However, Kurt seemed to be...different, and not in a good way. Well, he wasn't insulting Blaine anymore, at least he hadn't earlier, but he had also been weirdly...not Kurt. Blaine wasn't sure he liked that. He had to find out what happened to him. And why he was at Dalton at all - Kurt should have finished school before the summer. Why hadn't he?

In that moment, he saw Kurt leaving the choir room through one of the doors.

"Kurt!" He called, but the boy either didn't hear him, or he didn't care.
Blaine did his best to follow him, but there were all these people in his way, and he heard Johnny call him back to bow to the audience. This time, Blaine didn't care, because he simply turned around and waved his friend before slipping through the door himself.

"Kurt!" He called again, but nothing. He rushed through the building, through the corridors and the cafeteria and the dorm area…but nothing. No Kurt anywhere. Just when he was about to give up, he looked out of a window and saw Kurt on the school's commons.

'Oh god, finally.' He thought, and made his way downstairs and out the building.

When Blaine came closer to the boy, who was sitting on a bench, he heard his voice quietly, yet furiously talking to somebody. Blaine was confused at first, because he was alone, but then he saw that he was talking into his cellphone. Blaine stayed back, not wanting to listen in to the call. He had to bite back a grin as he heard his crushes tone - this was the Kurt he knew and - well, had a crush on.
When the talking stopped and it looked like the call had ended, Blaine walked towards Kurt, unnoticed. Kurt was only aware of Blaine when he sat down beside him. Neither said anything at first, but after a few minutes of silence Blaine found the courage to.

"So, what did you think of the performance?" He asked and turned around so he could look at Kurt. He really wanted to ask why he was at Dalton in the first place, but he had figured it would be better to start off with a slightly lighter topic.

Kurt smiled a bit. "It was good." He turned around and looked Blaine in the eyes for a few seconds before looking away at the trees and flowers around them. "You are good. It's a pity you left McKinley."

Blaine hummed. "Well, I just-" he started, but Kurt interrupted him.

"Not that I couldn't understand why you did. Leave, I mean."

"Why did-"

"Can we not talk?" Kurt asked.

"I-I don't know. I mean, I just don't understand what you're doing here. No wait, that sounded weird - but you should've finished school last year, and now you're at Dalton, and..." He waited for Kurt to look at him until he finished his sentence. "You look as if something happened...I guess what I'm trying to say is - you can talk to me. I know we haven't had a good start, and we both did some things that -"

Kurt interrupted him again, a slightly furious tone to his voice. "Both of us? I was an ass, Blaine. And now I'm here, and - I was, I was so mean to you - a-and now I'm here and you're so nice, and...stop. Stop it. If you're mad at me then I can fully understand and -"

"I'm not." Blaine said. "I'm really not."

Kurt huffed. "I don't understand you."

Blaine smiled and shrugged. "Guess I'm just not the type to stay mad or get angry for long."

"How can you not? I've honestly been more than horrible to you."

There was a period of silence again, until Blaine asked the question that had been bothering him since he'd seen Kurt on the staircase.

"So, what happened? Why are you here? You can't tell me your grades were too low to graduate."

When Blane turned around again, he saw Kurt swallow, and the handsome teenager lowered his head again. The sun was beginning to set, and now with the shadows dancing over Kurt's features, Blaine suddenly saw why he looked so different. He'd gotten thin. Kurt always had been lanky, but never really thin. He'd been muscular and had been on the lighter side, yes, but - he'd always looked healthy and had been fit, got good grades in PE. Now, though, he didn't look exactly healthy. He looked weak and lanky and Blaine started to worry. Kurt's hair had changed, too, and his complexion. Blaine knew that Kurt had been more than careful with his skin care in the past, and he always looked flawless - no rings under his eyes, no pimples. His complexion was always perfect. Now it was dried out in some places, he had dark rings under his eyes and - his hair!His always perfectly coiffed hair hang low, almost covered his eyes and gave his face a plump form, even though his cheeks were hollow. It seemed to have lost color, even though Blaine was sure Kurt wouldn't dye and therefore risk damaging it.
What had happened to him? Because Blaine was sure there had to be something.

Kurt took a deep breath and looked at the sky. "Karma, I guess. I've been an ass and got punished for it."

He looked at his nails, and Blaine's gaze followed. They were chewed on, and half the length of Blaine's, who was meticulous when it came to his hands and nails.

"What do you-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Blaine let it go at that, because there was an edgy tone to the pale boy's voice, and Blaine was honestly worried that Kurt would begin a panic attack or something like that.

'Maybe if we get to know each other a bit, he'll trust me...'

"Okay." Blaine said. Before either of them got the chance to say something else, Brian came running towards them, an excited look on his face

Feel free to leave me kudos and comments :D