EDIT: Okay, lol, this has slight spoilers cause after watching the new previews, this is entirely off base probably. Maybe not completely, but yeah. I'm not even sure the Dustin Goolsby thing is true any more. Ah well. -shrugs- And damn... I didn't think I would dislike Wes or David or any of the Warblers. But those previews made me dislike them a bit. =\
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Glee or the musical "Evita".
"Are you ready Kurt?" Blaine asked gently, laying a comforting hand on the taller teen's shoulder. The soprano took in a deep breath, nodding lightly.
"As ready as I'm ever going to be to try out for New Direction's rivals." A small, forced smile rose to Kurt's lips and Blaine chuckled, straightening his jacket as he did the first time they had met.
"Don't think of it like that, Kurt. Think of it like…" his voice trailed off as he thought for a moment. "Think of it like you're showing off how far you've come from being in McKinley's glee club and show us that they're a real threat. Okay? You'll do great, I promise."
Kurt looked at him, a pink blush dusting across his cheeks. "You've never even heard me sing, Blaine. So how could you know if I'll be great or not?" Kurt knew he could sing. He had been the best singer in New Directions along with Rachel—because he knew Rachel could sing, even if that small part that still hated Rachel said he was definitely better than that walking fashion disaster.
"Just because I've not heard you before, doesn't mean I don't know that you'll do great." Blaine gave a small wink, quietly whispering in his ear—Kurt tried to ignore how shivers were sent down his spine. "Plus, I'm a pretty good judge of character."
"I-is that so?" did he just stutter? Kurt refused to believe that he had just stuttered.
"Anyways," Blaine continued, pulling away. "Director Goolsby even came down today for your audition. He can't be here all the time," he added when he saw Kurt's look of confusion. "He's also Vocal Adrenaline's new coach."
Kurt's eyes widened slightly with shock. "Vocal Adrenaline's new coach…" he repeated, the thought that he was going to be coached—should he get in—by the same person who now coached Vocal Adrenaline giving him mixed feelings. "Is that even legal?"
Blaine gave another laugh, pulling Kurt further into the choir room. "He's a for-hire coach, so I figure it must be since no one seemed to mind when he was hired for Vocal Adrenaline when he was already coaching us. But there isn't any need to worry," he quickly continued at the worried look on Kurt's face. "Coach Goolsby is fair, he doesn't give Vocal Adrenaline our set list and we don't get theirs. He takes his job seriously; he'd have to since he had been asked to coach Vocal Adrenaline this year. Besides, he was ours first."
Kurt gave a small, forced smile. "Sorry, bad memories with Vocal Adrenaline that include spies and eggs. It wasn't very fun for New Directions."
The Warbler gave him a slightly curious look, beginning to say something but was cut off from another Warbler. Kurt couldn't remember if it was either Wes or David, but knew he had met him when he had come to spy on them.
"Are you ready? They're all getting settled and you can go ahead whenever you want to, Kurt."
"Yes, I'm about ready… I'm sorry, what is your name again?" Kurt gave a sheepish smile but the teenager only chuckled.
"Its fine, I forgot that we've only met once with how much this guy here talks about you." He gave Blaine a look and Kurt blushed, glancing over at him to see the dark haired boy glaring. "I'm Wes, and that over there is David," he pointed over at the other boy and David grinned, waving.
"Let's introduce you to Coach Goolsby." Blaine quickly told him, taking Kurt's hand and pulling him over to a man sitting in a chair, a phone held to his ear, and Kurt's palms began to sweat, although he wasn't entirely sure that wasn't because of Blaine's grip on his hand.
"No, I've already told you, the solo is Sunshine's." Sunshine? Where had Kurt heard that name before? "You would think to win sectionals; you'd rather have what's best for the team, not yourself. If you keep complaining, you'll be the factor that makes Vocal Adrenaline lose sectionals for the first time in years. Now do what I say, and go practice, stop complaining, your sectionals is in two weeks, and I'm busy getting Dalton ready for their face-off against the elderly and the misfits." Kurt raised an eyebrow at that as Blaine quietly apologized to him on behalf of his coach. "And you're the misfit who transferred and is now looking for a spot on the Warblers, correct?" Dustin Goolsby stated more than asked as he ended the call, pointing at Kurt.
"Yes, I a—"
"I hope you know I only let in the best. We have one spot to fill, but I'm not giving it to anyone who doesn't deserve. I only take the best of the best, do you think that's you?" Dustin questioned, turning his head up slightly to look at Kurt from where he was sitting.
For some reason, Kurt felt himself holding back a large grin. There was just something about being asked if he thought he was good enough, if he thought he should get the chance. It was more than Mr. Schue had ever. Mr. Schue had only once actually offered him a solo, and then it had been too late.
"I think I can please you, Mr. Goolsby. I'm going to sing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' from the musical Evita, is that okay?" he asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice. After all, Mr. Schue hadn't let him sing Defying Gravity until his father had yelled at Mr. Schue for not giving him the chance to at least audition for the part.
Coach Goolsby gave a small nod. "If you think you can perform it to your best, I don't care what you sing. I'm interested in hearing it though, I don't think too many of these boys—if any at all—could perform such a female powerhouse song. I'm curious to see if William Schuester had such a talent in his midst and where he had been hiding it."
Kurt didn't bother holding back the grin this time. "Thank you, I will not disappoint you, nor will I disappoint myself."
The man tilted his head almost thoughtfully before nodding, waving his hand. "Go, do whatever you need to get ready and we'll start whenever you feel comfortable."
He felt himself being gently led back to the front of the room and he took a deep breath, not having felt this nervous since he had told his father he was gay. "Are you okay, Kurt?" Blaine's slightly worried voice sounded in his ear and Kurt looked over at him, smiling.
"I'm fine, I hope I won't disappoint your high expectations of me though, Blaine." Kurt told him, trying to come across braver than he felt.
Blaine smiled, shaking his head lightly. "I don't think you could disappoint me, Kurt." Kurt's breath caught in his throat as he stared across at Blaine and it seemed like a life-time before Blaine gently clapped him on his shoulder. "Ready?" Kurt nodded and Blaine grinned, turning to the rest of the Warblers who began settling down as they saw their lead getting ready to address them. "So, you all know why exactly we're here today. We have a new student, Kurt Hummel, which I'm sure you've all heard about—"
"Yeah, cause you won't shut up about him!" Kurt closed his eyes, blushing darkly.
"David!" Blaine's voice scolded to the sound of laughter, and Kurt was positive he could hear Blaine's own blush in it. "Anyways, I know it's only a week until sectionals, but I want you to give Kurt a chance, not that I think you won't, but just in case. Kurt?" Kurt opened his eyes to see Blaine stepping away, sitting in a chair opposite him, an encouraging smile on his face. "Go ahead,"
He felt his heart skip a beat and he quickly placed his hand on his hip, standing as he always did when getting ready to sing a solo. "Thank you, Blaine," He smiled back, trying to control the heat rising to his face when Wes told them to 'get a room after this'.
Things were so different here. Kurt was almost ready for someone to walk through that door and throw a slushy at him, but then he remembered that this wasn't McKinley. It was Dalton Academy, and here everyone was treated the same, no matter what. To think that he now went here was almost impossible. He didn't have to worry about being slammed into lockers any more, or that his new designer ensemble would be ruined as soon as he walked into school. No more dumpster tosses, slushy facials, locker slams, no more cruel words, no more Karofsky.
But then, there was also no more New Directions. No more giving Brittany facials or any of the girls makeovers, no more crazy lunches that included the whole of the school screaming about tots. No more fighting over solos with Rachel, nor having to hear the gay jokes Santana always thought up. No more Mercedes, Brittany, Santana, Tina, Mike, Puck, Artie, Sam, Quinn, Rachel, and no more Finn—his new step-brother.
No more crazy Glee club and no more crazy cheerleading coaches trying to bring them down. No more crazy, insane family that—if he admitted to himself—he was a little bit fond of.
"I'll be singing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina'," he told them, pausing for a minute, half expecting someone to say something about that being a girl's song, but no one did. They just smiled and his eyes found Blaine's as he took in a breath and sang.
"It won't be easy, you'll think it strange when I try to explain how I feel. That I need I still need your love after all that I've done."
Kurt's voice floated melodically in waves through the room and Blaine felt shivers travel down his spine. He had figured Kurt was good but this… but this was something different all together. Kurt had to be some type of male siren, surely.
He blushed slightly at the thought. Male siren? A siren's voice was seductive and lured men to their destruction by their singing. Was Kurt's voice so seductive it could be compared to something such as that?
"I had to let it happen, I had to change. Couldn't stay all my life down at heel, looking out of the window, staying out of the sun."
Yes, he thought to himself, eyes glazing over slightly. Kurt's voice was definitely seductive. He had never heard something so wonderful, he was sure. Blaine was almost positive that sirens now existed; after all, what else could explain Kurt's beautiful voice?
"Don't cry for me Argentina! The truth is I never left you. All through my wild days, my mad existence, I kept my promise. Don't keep your distance."
Blaine's heart was heavy with emotion, his breath was a little bit quick and he shifted on the couch, staring across at Kurt, wanting nothing more now than to sing with him. It would be a brilliant experience, to be able to sing with someone as talented as him, and Blaine was sure his voice would pale in comparison to this boy's.
"They are illusions. They are not the solutions they promised to be. The answer was here all the time. I love you and I hope you love me."
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or wishful thinking, but Kurt's eyes seemed to flicker in his directions at those words. Blaine swallowed tightly, wanting to tear his eyes away from Kurt's tall, thin figure, but he found it impossible.
It was amazing what this boy was doing to him. He had only known Kurt for a few weeks, and yet he had found himself making as much time to drive the nearly two hours to Lima to spend time with the younger boy. But now Kurt was here, and he could spend as much time with him as he wanted.
Blaine found himself smiling at just the thought.
"Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you. But all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true."
Was it strange that tears had seemed to spring to his eyes as he watched Kurt perform this song with all the feeling he had, emotion pouring out of him as if it were a high tide on the coast. The song came to an end and there was a moment of silence before the clapping began, Blaine unable to do anything but continue to stare at Kurt, short on breath.
"Wow," David breathed beside him. "If I wasn't so positive I was straight, I'd worry about my sexuality."
"Me too," Wes agreed, nodding as he clapped as well.
Blaine's eyes met Kurt's and Kurt gave a hesitant smile, as if he wasn't sure how he did. Sending him a grin, Blaine slowly picked up his hands, clapping as well. If Blaine hadn't already known he was gay, he would definitely have known after that performance.
Was Kurt always that… breathtaking?
"I think it's a unanimous decision." Director Goolsby stated as he stood, walking over to Kurt, holding out his hand. "Welcome to the Dalton Academy Warblers, Kurt Hummel."
Kurt grinned, taking the man's hand. "Thank you for giving me the chance."
"After that performance, I'd be crazy not to." Dustin looked at him in slight curiosity. "I have to wonder why that coach of yours let you go, especially to their rival school. They can be sure they've just handed us a wonderful addition to our club, and lost a brilliant one." Kurt held back a larger grin as well as blush. "There is only a week until sectionals, but—if we win sectionals, and we will—I'm going to have to think of a solo you could sing at regionals." He smirked. "It'd be interesting. Vocal Adrenaline versus The Warblers. Both with an amazing… weapon. I'm interested into hearing more of you, Kurt Hummel. But I must go, yet you seem to be in good hands."
"Thank you again, Mr. Goolsby," Kurt told him as the man began walking towards the door.
"No," he grinned. "Thank you Kurt Hummel." And then he disappeared and Kurt was automatically swarmed by many of the Warblers, asking how much he had to practice to get such a spectacular voice.
"That really was wonderful, Kurt." A voice said from behind him and Kurt turned, heart skipping a beat as he saw Blaine's normal grin.
"I had never felt so nervous before. Is it always so… intimidating being in the same room as the other Warblers?"
Blaine blinked. "Intimidating?"
Kurt blushed, shaking his head. "Never mind, forget I said anything."
Laughing, Blaine dropped an arm over Kurt's shoulder, pulling him away from the others to somewhere quieter. "You'll get used to it, I promise. But wow, Kurt. I knew you would be good, but that was a different level all together."
"Are you sure? All I did was stand there and sing. I'm sure I was much more interesting when I performed Le Jazz Hot for my duet."
Blaine paused. "That song has a really high note in it."
Kurt nodded, crossing his legs and folding his hands over his knees. "Yes, it wasn't as difficult as you would expect, actually."
"You don't happen to have that performance on tape, do you?" Blaine questioned, mentally smacking himself.
"Huh?" he blinked. "No, I don't sadly, why?"
"No reason," he answered quickly, inwardly cursing at his luck. "Well, you're in the Warblers! So, let me take you out for coffee in celebration. If you want, that is." He added quickly as he saw the look on Kurt's face.
Kurt merely smiled. "I'd love to have you treat me to coffee. After all, singing does make one rather parched."
"Oh, I'll have to fix that then. We can't have you being parched, can we?" Were they flirting? It really seemed like they were at least.
"I was almost worried I'd blow it." Kurt told him suddenly, back on the topic of his audition. "I was shaking so much, did you notice?"
"No, I didn't." But that could have been because he himself was shaking so much as well. "You were fabulous Kurt. You had absolutely no reason to be nervous or frightened."
"Your encouragement did make me a bit less nervous." And yet made me nervous for a completely whole other reason, Kurt mentally added, looking down at his hands.
Blaine smiled. "Do you think you could get used to it here?"
Glancing up at him, Kurt let his blue-green eyes flicker over the other teen's face, a small smile of his own rising to his lips. "Yes, in fact, I think I could come to love it here, Blaine."