My brain apparently needed a palate cleanser after the extreme angst of my last chapter of "Cry for Deliverance", and came up with this little ficlet. Just me playing around with how I like to think Kurt's entrance into the Warblers went. It feels good to make the kid really happy for a change. ;-)
Blaine escorted Kurt to the music room, the younger boy's arm held firmly in the crook of his elbow. As they approached the door, he disengaged and swept his arm towards the door dramatically. "After you." he said.
Kurt's breath caught in his chest. I guess I'm not in Kansas anymore, he thought. Unlike the small, slightly dingy classroom at McKinley with its scarred piano, this room was huge, light and airy. There were instruments everywhere, the crowning glory of which was a glossy black Yamaha CFX grand piano. The risers were carpeted, and the whole room smelled faintly of sandalwood. He wondered, and not for the first time today, if he was dreaming. Or maybe had died and gone to that heaven he didn't believe in.
There was a young woman standing near the piano, wearing a long sleeved blue dress and a warm smile. Her hair was strawberry blond and caught back in a clip at the nape of her neck. "Hi Blaine!" she said perkily. "Looks like you've finally gotten around to bringing our newest member to see me." She walked towards Kurt and held out her hand. "I'm Sarah Nalick, Dalton's music teacher and glee club coach." She clasped Kurt's soft hand in her own for a moment.
"Kurt Hummel. It's nice to meet you." he said sincerely. "Blaine's told me a lot about you. And I can't thank you enough for letting me join the Warblers at the last minute like this."
"Well, I'm not going to lie, it's going to be tough getting you up to speed in time for Sectionals next week." she said, but the smile never left her face. "But Blaine says you're a quick study, and has offered to help you rehearse as much as you need." Her eyes slid knowingly towards Blaine, who blushed slightly. She turned her gaze once again to Kurt. "Besides, I'm sure you were looking forward to going to Sectionals with your former glee club. It's wouldn't be fair for you to not get to go, just because some people are idiots."
Her face softened sympathetically for a moment, but the brilliant smile was back almost instantly. She clapped her hands together. "So! Let's see what we've got to work with, shall we?" She walked over to the piano and sat down, motioning for Kurt to come closer. "Let's start with middle C." She struck the key, and Kurt flawlessly sang the note. Ms. Nalick raised an eyebrow. "Very nice." As they continued up the keyboard, Kurt hitting every single note out of the park, her eyes got wider and wider. He grinned a bit when he noticed her finger was shaking a little as she reached for the high F. She looked at Kurt, and appeared awed when he nodded confidently. It had been over a year since he'd intentionally blown that note on his diva-off with Rachel, and he was proud to say that it was the last time he'd failed to hit it. Ms. Nalick pressed the key, and practically glowing under her unabashed approval, Kurt let loose with one of the clearest high F's he'd ever sang.
His voice trailed off along with the sound of the piano. Kurt's new music teacher was completely silent, staring at Kurt the way he remembered staring at the Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 collection. She stood up slowly, and took Kurt's hands in her own. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it and tried again. "You're…you're a countertenor." she said.
"Yes." said Kurt, not even trying to keep the shit-eating grin off his face.
"And you have perfect pitch."
"Yes."
She turned to Blaine, not letting go of Kurt's hands. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.
Blaine shrugged , trying to appear nonchalant, but his eyes were dancing with mischief and glee. "I wanted you to be surprised." He looked fondly at Kurt. "He's amazing, isn't he?"
"Amazing?" she said, her voice becoming less dazed and more excited. "Of course he's amazing! He's incredible!" Her grip on Kurt's hands tightened, becoming uncomfortable. He winced, and she let go immediately. "Sorry! I just...oh my God! This is the best thing ever! She walked a few steps then swung back to Blaine and Kurt. "Look, the one limitation with a single-gender choir is the lack of vocal diversity. It's always held us back from placing high in competitions, even when our performances go perfectly." Her eyes were a little manic, and Kurt wondered if the trauma of not being able to coach anyone higher than a tenor for a lengthy period of time had driven her slightly insane.
She continued, and it seemed like she was talking to herself as much as she was to the boys. "There's only so much I can do with the arrangements. Or could do. Because now, it's like we've got a…"she trailed off, her mouth forming a small o.
"Girl?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow, completely amused.
"Yes!" Ms. Nalick yelled, fist pumping. She seemed to come to her senses for a moment. "In a really good way. Your voice, I mean. I know you're not a girl, Kurt." Kurt smiled and shrugged a shoulder, indicating that he wasn't offended, and then she was off again, hands waving. "Oh my God, the possibilities! Oh! I have to dig out my songbook from Wicked when I get home!"
Kurt moved closer to Blaine. "Is she always like this?" he asked in a mock whisper.
Blaine leaned towards him. "Yeah, she can get a little enthusiastic. Musical Theater major, from a long line of theater people, from what I've heard." He smiled at Kurt. "She loves working with us, but I knew you'd light up all her dials. Welcome to the Warblers, Kurt."
Suddenly, Ms. Nalick walked over to them, looking slightly chagrined. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Look Kurt, there's not much we can change at this point for Sectionals. I'm very sorry to say that even with your talent, you're going to be pretty much relegated to chorus parts and simple choreography next week."
"That's okay, really." said Kurt, and he meant it. At this late date, if he managed to remember all the dance steps and stay on key simultaneously, he'd consider it a rousing success.
The music teacher put her hand on Kurt's shoulder. "But once we're done kicking butt at Sectionals, all bets are off. You're going to be our secret weapon, Kurt Hummel." Kurt fairly vibrated with pleasure, enjoying the feel of being completely badass for just about the first time ever in his life. She continued. "And when we show up at Regionals, they're not going to know what hit them. We're going all the way to Nationals in New York City, Kurt, and you're going to be a big part of us getting there."
She turned to Blaine and hugged him. "Thank you so much." She let go and walked over the piano. "We should probably get started. Kurt, you know "Hey Soul Sister" by Train, right?"
Kurt nodded, and walked towards not only the piano, but a whole new chapter in his life.
It's my first fluff piece, so I hope you enjoyed it. It sure lifted my spirits to write it, that's for sure. Remember, reviews are like love, and they feed my muse like you wouldn't believe.