Kurt poked his head into the senior commons and glanced around the room for Blaine. As a junior, he technically wasn't allowed in there outside of Warbler meetings and in-school performances, but do to the fact that they didn't have any classes together, Kurt hadn't seen Blaine all day. He spotted him on a leather couch with Wes and David. The three of them were huddled around Wes's laptop. Blaine looked up and waved. Kurt waved back and smiled as Blaine got up from his seat to walk over to him.
"Hey," said Kurt, "What are you guys up to?" He clutched his books to his chest and eyed the two councilmembers across the room.
"We're making the program for the Valentine's brunch in a couple weeks," said Blaine. "You excited?"
Kurt ginned. "Have the council decided on the solos yet?"
Blaine smiled slyly and leaned in. "If I knew, I wouldn't tell you. But you'll find out at the meeting this afternoon."
Every year on the Sunday before Valentine's, Dalton Academy held a special brunch for all the boys to bring their significant others to. The Warblers, of course, were required to sing for the event.
He turned around at the sound of Wes calling him. Wes raised an eyebrow and Blaine sighed.
"Hey, um," Blaine scratched the back of his head and turned to face Kurt. "Can you help Seth and Andrew decorate the library? Connor and some other juniors were gonna help but apparently they bailed."
Kurt blinked. "Oh, uh, ok, sure."
Blaine bit his lip. "Plus, you're kinda not supposed to be in here, you know?"
Kurt nodded. "Right, of course," he said. "I'll see you later."
He waived a quick goodbye and ducked out. It wasn't that Kurt didn't like his fellow juniors, he just felt a bit awkward around them. All of their friendships and group dynamics were already established, and Kurt felt like he intruded. Things were just so much easier with Blaine. He sighed and made his way toward the library.
Among the ancient stacks and shelves of books, Andrew and Seth hung up streams of paper hearts. Seth stood atop a long ladder resting against a wall while Andrew held pieces of scotch tape out to him. Kurt came out from behind a shelf.
"Hey, I heard you guys needed help?" he said, placing his books on a table.
"Yeah, thanks," said Andrew as he tore off another piece of tape.
Seth reached down to take it. "You can start by cutting out hearts out of that construction paper over there." He took the piece of tape and pointed to a pile of pink and red paper on the table.
Kurt nodded and picked up a pair of scissors. "Any idea who's getting the solo's for the Valentine's brunch?" he asked casually.
Andrew scoffed. "Oh, lemme guess." He tore off another piece of tape with unusual force. "Blaine, Blaine, and, hmmm, I don't know, Blaine?"
Kurt forced a chuckle.
"Don't be ridiculous," said Seth as he secured a heart to the wall, "Blaine will probably only get that lover boy song."
"The song is called Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy and it's awesome." Andrew crumbled up a piece of tape and threw it as Seth. It stuck to the sleeve of his uniform jacket and Seth struggled to wipe it off.
Kurt finished cutting a large, red heart and handed it to Andrew. He wasn't really sure what to think of the two of them, especially after they were caught spying on New Directions. Sure, it was against the rules, but Kurt was guilty of doing the same thing, and he knew he would be a hypocrite for thinking negatively of them for it. Andrew took the heart and pressed a piece of tape to it.
"God, I hate Valentine's day," Andrew sighed as he handed the heart up to Seth. "As if I need any more reminders of how I'm perpetually single."
Kurt smiled. "No kidding."
"There's nothing wrong with being single," said Seth, climbing down from his latter.
"What about you?" asked Kurt, picking up a pink sheet of paper and cutting into it. "Do you have anyone special?"
Andrew laughed and helped Seth move the latter to another shelf. "Seth doesn't date. He doesn't believe in love."
Kurt put down his scissors. "Oh?"
Seth sighed, his breath blowing his wispy black hair out of his eyes.
"It's not that I don't believe in love," he said, "it's that as teenagers, we don't have the mental or emotional capacity to fall in love. I don't think anyone can really fall in love until they're, like, twenty five."
Kurt thought about it for a moment, then picked up his scissors again and started to cut. "And anything before that?"
"Infatuation, or platonic love mixed with sexual attraction."
Andrew tore off another piece of tape. "Sorry, Seth, but I can't wait that long. What about you, Kurt?"
Kurt smiled and handed him another paper heart. "Me neither."
Andrew grinned and took the heart. "Yeah, you've got a thing for Blaine, haven't you?"
Kurt blushed. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."
Andrew nodded. "Of course not."
A few hours later, the Warblers gathered in the senior commons, eagerly awaiting the announcement declaring the soloists for the Valentine's brunch. Blaine sat down next to Kurt as the council situated themselves at their table. He grinned at him and held up a pair of crossed fingers. Kurt grinned back. Wes banged gravel against the table and the chatter in the room died as all eyes turned to him.
"I know what you all are waiting for," said Wes, "and yes, today we will be discussing our set list for this year's Valentine's brunch. I would like to thank you all for auditioning for solos. Such enthusiasm is greatly appreciated. However, there are only five songs, and therefore only five solos. David, if I may?"
David reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Wes, who stood up.
"Can I have a drum roll?" he said, holding the paper out.
The boys padded the tables and chairs, filling the room with noise. They stopped the moment Wes spoke.
"The first solo, for Time After Time goes to Nick!"
The boys shouted and clapped as Nick stood up to take a bow. They quieted down as Wes announced the next solo.
"Our second solo, for Blue Moon, is Thad!"
Once again the room erupted into applause.
"Next, for Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy is…"
Andrew perked up in his seat. He loved this song. He wanted it so bad.
"Blaine!"
It took a moment for Andrew to join in on the clapping. He should have known Blaine was going to get it. Blaine got every solo Andrew wanted every single time. He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms as Wes announced the next solo.
"Next, for You've Got the Love, is our newcomer Kurt Hummel!"
Applause exploded throughout the room as Kurt turned bright red and beamed. Andrew was happy for him. After hearing him Don't Cry for me, Argentina, he knew the kid deserved a solo.
"And finally, for Weezer's Buddy Holly, the solo goes to Andrew!"
It didn't even register until Seth shook his shoulder and ginned at him. Andrew looked up and blinked as his fellow Warblers applauded him. He sat there in stunned silence as the rest of the meeting unfolded. He didn't audition for that song. He barely even liked it. He couldn't understand why they were even singing it at this brunch. The meeting concluded, and Andrew shuffled up to Wes to pick up his sheet music.
"Are you happy?" Wes asked as he pulled the papers out of a folder. "You've been craving a solo forever."
Andrew nodded. "Uh, yeah, I did, but um…"
Wes handed him the music. "Don't push it, Andrew."
Without another word, Wes walked off. Andrew stared at the sheet music in his hands, wondering how in the world he got this stupid song. Seth came up to him, smiling.
"Congratulations," he said.
"I don't get it," said Andrew, walking back to the couch and picking up his bag.
"Don't get what?"
He held the sheet music out to Seth. "I don't get why they gave me this song!"
Seth blinked. "Obviously they thought you were best suited for it."
Andrew paced around the empty room while Seth stood still and listened.
"Of course they go ahead and give the song I wanted to Blaine, but to give me a song I didn't even audition for? Are they just trying to piss me off? And after all that shit we went through to get them to give solos to people who cared. I mean, why didn't they give it to you? You actually wanted it!"
Seth shrugged. "I think the song requires a certain amount of stage presence that I lack."
Andrew stopped pacing and collapsed onto a chair. "Why does he get everything?"
Seth sat down next to him. "Who?"
"Blaine! He gets the solos, he gets the grades, he gets all those perfect white teeth…"
"He does have nice teeth."
"He get's Kurt…"
Seth frowned. "Kurt?"
Andrew shifted in his seat. "Yeah! That kid follows Blaine around like a little puppy dog and he just lets him. He never tells him if he feels the same way or not, he just leads him on!"
Seth shook his head. "I don't think that's the case. Blaine probably doesn't even know that Kurt likes him. Lots of guys like Blaine all the time and he never seems to notice."
Andrew ignored him. "Not this time. I'm not gonna let Blaine get something he doesn't deserve." He grabbed his bag, stood up and marched toward the door.
"Wait, what?" Seth got up to follow him.
Andrew opened the door and turned to Seth. "I'm gonna make Kurt like me."
The door slammed, leaving Seth alone. He stood there in silence, trying to comprehend what he had just heard.
"This is why I don't date," he announced to the empty room. "Teenage boys are all so stupid."
Thank you for reading this first chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. I'd like to make a not that a character's opinion on a song does not necessarily reflect my own opinions on a song.