A/N: Hey guys! This is my first time actually getting around to publishing any fanfiction, although this particular story has been hanging around in my brain and on my hard drive since last summer. Finally getting it out there! If you guys have any questions, or if i've made any glaring mistakes, drop me a review or a pm.

Disclaimer: Glee and all associated characters are property of Ryan Murphy etc etc I don't own anything.

The sound of tyres crunching gravel jerked Sam from his reverie, the sudden change from smooth roads startling him enough to look up from his slumped position in the passenger seat of his father's car. They were here. Eyes widening, Sam straightened up hurriedly to better take in the amazing sight of Dalton. A soft 'wow' escaped from his lips, causing his father to chuckle beside him.

'The brochure didn't exactly do this place justice, huh son?' His father sounded as impressed as Sam felt. The grounds were lush and verdant, stretching for what seemed like miles in either direction, orderly pathways making neat lines through the well-tended flowerbeds, splashes of colour leading to the… mansion(!) in the distance. Seriously impressive, Sam thought . He could make out a football field just beyond the school itself, filing the location away for later. After all, Sam mused, he'd definitely need to find his way there sooner or later, given the entire reason he was even able to attend Dalton! The prestigious academy had offered him the opportunity to become a student there by way of a football scholarship, which Sam had thought at the time of applying was a pretty slim chance. In fact, he'd been all set to start attending William McKinley High School in Lima, given that it was close to where his family had now relocated, yet the opportunity which Dalton provided was more than worth the two hour drive, according to his parents. Sam still clearly remembered the shock he felt opening the letter telling him he was to receive the scholarship. His parents had been thrilled, and he supposed he was too.

They drew up in front of the huge building that was to be Sam's new home, both father and son slightly wide-eyed. Sam didn't know much about architecture… Okay, so he knew nothing about architecture, but hey! It definitely looked like the kind of place a superhero would live though. He knew plenty about superheroes, thank you very much. Realising his dad had already gotten out and was currently wrestling with Sam's suitcase, Sam scrambled to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Inside, Dalton was no less impressive. Expensive looking paintings lined the panelled walls of the entrance hall they found themselves in, marble floor and high ceiling adding to the feel of grandeur. A tall, very pretty woman who Sam thought must have been in her mid-20s was there to meet them, introducing herself as Miss Roberts, secretary to the headmaster.

'You must be Sam! Welcome to Dalton.' She smiled warmly, and Sam instantly decided he'd like her. 'And Mr Evans, pleased to meet you. If you'll both follow me, I'll take you to meet Mr Daniels, the Headmaster here at Dalton.' She turned, leading them down a corridor, engaging Sam's dad in light conversation about their journey. Sam quickly lost track of all the twists and turns they took, each corridor looking the same.

'Oh god, I'm going to get so lost', Sam muttered, but he quickly realised that he hadn't been quite quiet enough to escape notice, as Miss Roberts gave a soft chuckle.

'Don't worry, you'll get used to it in no time. I know it seems very intimidating right now, but honestly, give it a few weeks and you'll know this place like the back of your hand. I'm sure your roommate will be more than happy to show you around, too. Here we are!'

Mr Daniels was an intimidating man. Tall and broad, and with a handshake that Sam was sure could crush rocks, he definitely looked like a man to be respected. He spoke about the school, about how glad he was that Sam was joining them, and that he hoped he would fit in… Blah blah blah. Sam zoned out within the first few minutes of Mr Daniels' speech, gazing out of a window slightly over his shoulder at the football pitch that was currently filled with students playing football. He realised that they were the first students he had actually seen, and was relieved when they looked just like normal kids. Sam wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but after the grand setting of Dalton, he'd been slightly worried. He wished he was down there with them right now; with the entirely unfamiliar environment he found himself in, it would feel good to do something as normal as play football.

Sam found himself looking at one of the Dalton students in particular, and at first, he thought it was because he was so short. Like seriously, this kid was a good foot shorter than anyone else on the field… Okay, so Sam was exaggerating, but really, the kid was short. The more Sam looked though, he realised it was for an entirely different reason. His curly black hair, his compact but well-muscled frame… woah. Sam was totally checking this guy out. That was new. And weird. But a good weird, he thought. But Sam's new found curiosity would have to wait, he realised, as a silence had fallen in the office and both Mr Daniels and his father were looking at him expectantly.

'Uhh…'

'That went well.' Sam's father dead-panned, quickly flashing an easy grin. 'Just work hard and I know you'll do great, Sam. You know how proud your mother and I are of you for getting in here, we just want you to make the most of this opportunity.'

'I know dad, and I love you guys for it.' Sam wrapped his father in a bear hug, lifting him slightly off the ground in his enthusiasm.

'Easy, kid! Give your mother a call once you've settled in, you know she'd love to hear from you. She'll try to get you home this weekend, but I've already told her you might prefer to stay here, get to know people.' Sam smiled gratefully at his father - his mother could be slightly over-protective, to say the least.

'Thanks Dad, I will. Now get going, or I'll start to think you're just as bad as Mom!'

His father winced playfully, before climbing into the driver's seat and rolling down his window. 'Okay, okay, i'm going. Goodbye, Sam, be good!' With a last wave, he drove off, and Sam was left alone. Sam watched as his father got farther away, until he rounded a bend and was out of sight. Sighing, Sam turned back towards Dalton, and what he hoped was going to be a great junior year.

Back in the entrance hall, Miss Roberts was standing next to a handsome dark-skinned boy who Sam guessed was probably around his own age. He wore the Dalton uniform comfortably, something Sam thought he might have more than a little trouble getting used to after years of public school and basically getting to wear whatever the hell he wanted.

'Sam, I'd like you to meet David Thompson. He's going to be your roommate, and he'll be showing you around for your first couple of days, just to get you settled in.' David stepped forward, extending a hand which Sam shook vigorously, wanting to make a good impression on the guy he'd be rooming with. God, he hoped he was a nice guy.

'Pleased to meet you Sam, you're gonna love Dalton!' David definitely seemed genuine enough, and Sam relaxed slightly. 'How about we grab your stuff and I'll show you our room?' Sam nodded in agreement, and they left Miss Roberts, who gave a cheerful 'See you later, Sam!' as they parted.

David led Sam up a sweeping staircase to a corridor which looked very similar to those downstair, chatting as they walked about classes and teachers. Sam had quickly decided that David really was a nice guy. Their conversation turned more towards Sam, as David was obviously trying to get to know his new roommate better.

'So, what brings you to Dalton anyway, Sam?' David seemed to hesitate, before continuing in a rush. 'I mean, it's totally cool if you don't want to talk about it! I mean, uh…' David trailed off, leaving Sam baffled by his sudden strange behaviour.

'My family just moved to Ohio, 'cause of my mom's job, and I would have been attending public school a couple hours away, but I won a football scholarship, and here I am!' Sam paused. 'Why did you think I wouldn't want to talk about it?

'Oh, congrats! Yeah, sorry about that, it's just because we get a lot of students coming here due to the zero-tolerance bullying policy Dalton enforces. You know, people that've had trouble in school elsewhere…'

'Zero-tolerance?' Sam figured this was probably the kind of thing that Mr Daniels had been speaking about. Oh well. 'That's pretty cool, but no, sorry to disappoint, not the main reason i'm here', Sam joked.

David lost his earlier hesitancy and smiled at Sam easily. 'Glad to hear it! Now come on, let me show you our crib! We're Room 37, in case you ever get lost and you're on your own, it's a pretty simple system, odd room numbers on this side, even on that side…' Sam nodded, pleased to have at least some idea of how to find his way around. They'd stopped outside what Sam assumed was their room. He supposed the 37 on the door was a bit of a giveaway. 'It's mostly juniors in this corridor, so you'll get to know the guys from your classes by seeing them around here too. It's pretty great, my two best friends, and fellow Warblers, stay right across the hall!' David nodded to a door directly across from them. 'I'll introduce you to them in a bit. Wes is kind of, uh, uptight until you get to know him, but don't let him fool you. Oh, and Blaine is on the football team, so I guess you'll be seeing a lot more of him!' Sam didn't have a clue what a Warbler was, but he figured he could ask later. And anyway, he thought with relief, it'd be cool knowing someone on the football team before he had his first practice.

With that, David opened the door to their room and let Sam in. Sam wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, given the rest of the school, but it was a pretty sweet room. There was a kind of communal living space in the middle, a comfy looking sofa and a couple of plush beanbags surrounding a coffee table which was currently overflowing with textbooks and notepads. To either side, the floor was slightly raised, creating a dais on which two massive four poster beds rested, along with a bedside table and a wardrobe on each side. The dais to the left was filled with David's belongings, so Sam guessed the other must be his. On the far wall, two massive windows stretched almost from floor to ceiling, giving amazing views of the grounds. Directly to his left was a doorway which Sam guessed would lead to a bathroom.

'Make yourself at home, Sam! Sorry about the mess, I was cramming for a History test on Monday and things got a little out of hand, as you can see', David gestured with his free hand at the coffee table. 'That's your bed over there, feel free to get your things squared away. If you want a hand with anything, give me a shout!' David dropped Sam's bag on his bed and then went to sprawl in one of the beanbags, trying to sort through the mess in front of him.

Some time later, Sam sighed happily as he slid his now empty suitcase under the bed and fell backwards onto the bed, hands behind as head. He stifled a yawn as he stared at the canopy overhead. Sam briefly considered having a nap, but did he really want to waste time sleeping when he could be getting to know Dalton and his new classmates better? And maybe he'd even get the chance to meet the curly-haired guy from earlier…

'Earth to Sam? You okay?' David laughed, having moved from his place at the coffee table to stand near the bed. He'd obviously been saying something to Sam, who groaned. That was the second time today he'd totally spaced out, and all because of some guy he'd never even seen up close, never mind actually talked to! Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Sam sat up and shot David a smile with his full lips.

'Yeah, i'm great, just a bit tired after everything, you know? But sleep is for the weak!' Sam punctuated this by leaping off the bed, stumbling into David in his enthusiasm, who gave another rich laugh before steadying the blonde boy.

''Alright, steady there. Think you're up for meeting some new people? I think Blaine'll still be at practice, but Wes is almost definitely holed up in his room studying. It'd be cruel not to save him.'

'Definitely! I'm all for saving innocent people, especially from the evils of studying…'

Which is how Sam found himself settled in a beanbag much like those in his room, engaged in an easy conversation with Wes, with David lounging on the sofa and tossing in the occasional disparaging remark about Wes. The teasing was obviously a regular thing, and Sam felt a tinge of jealousy at the bromance the two had. The same thing he'd had back home with the friends he'd grown up with, the friends that were now on the other side of the country… Bah! Stop thinking about it! Sam silently chastised himself and tried to catch up on the conversation.

'I'm just saying, Wes, maybe if you didn't carry your gavel around with you everywhere, people would take you a little more seriously. You know i'm right!' David's eyes twinkled. It was clear he had said the same thing many times before, but it obviously never lost it's appeal. Sam soon saw why, as Wes spluttered in protest.

'WHAT? It's a mark of my station as Head Warbler! If anything, people should take me more seriously because of it! Right Sam?'

Given how flustered Wes was getting, Sam figured it'd be best if he agreed. 'Sure, definitely. By the way, I've been meaning to ask… What the hell is a Warbler? No offence, but like, isn't a Warbler a bird?'

To his surprise, both boys laughed uproariously at his question. He looked between them, waiting for them to regain the ability to speak, which was apparently going to take a while, given that they were both still in fits of laughter.

David wiped a tear from his eye. 'Every. Single. Time. Remember when Thad first came? He walked around for days convinced we all thought we were birds before he actually asked one of us.' Wes laughed again, before turning to Sam.

'Sorry man, we're just so used to everybody here knowing about the Warblers. The Dalton Academy Warblers,' Wes stated grandly, 'are an a cappella show-choir group, and you're looking at two of the council members. Bow before us!' David shot him a withering look, before looking back at Sam.

'Yeah, so that's the Warblers. We're a pretty big deal here, if I do say so myself. It's a lot of fun, although it can get pretty gruelling around competition time. Can you sing, Sam?' Both David and Wes fixed him with a stare that had Sam feeling slightly nervous.

'Uhh, I mean, I sing in the shower sometimes? But it's not really my speciality. Impressions, on the other hand…' With that, Sam launched into his best Sean Connery, which reduced David and Wes to giggles, again.

'Brilliant. Well, if we ever need some great impressions for our shows, I guess we know who to call!' David sobered slightly. 'Hey, do you want to have a quick tour of the school? It might be best to get a feel of the place, before you're running around like crazy tomorrow for classes.' Sam groaned. Classes. Urgh.

'Uh, that's probably a good idea, but I was thinking I might go for a little wander by myself for a while, if that would be alright? Gotta call my mom too.' Sam blushed slightly at this admission, but neither boy batted an eyelid.

'Sure, of course, just try not to get lost! Meet us back here in like half an hour and we can head down to dinner together?' Sam nodded to both boys, before rising and heading for the door.

Sam was lost. Completely, utterly, hopelessly lost.

When he left Wes' room, he'd found the entrance hall pretty easily, heading outside for a closer look at the sports field and grounds. The football team were missing, which Sam felt slightly disappointed about. Okay, so maybe subconsciously he had come out here hoping to see The Guy again. Sam snorted, realising that he managed to be incredibly lame even in his own head. Wandering in a lazy circuit around the main building of Dalton, he pulled out his phone and dialled his Mom's cell. She picked up on the second ring, and asked Sam if he was settling in alright at least three times. After assuring his mother about his well-being, and hinting at the fact that he probably wouldn't be home the following weekend, he hung up, finding himself approaching the wide main doors of Dalton.

And that's when things started to get tricky. He was pretty certain he'd taken the right staircase, and that the twists and turns he took were exactly the same as the path he'd followed earlier, but evidently they were not, as he was currently sitting despairingly on an antique bench set in an alcove that he didn't recognise at all. So yeah. Totally lost.

Just as Sam had decided that he would completely retrace his steps and try again, he heard voices drawing closer. Sam grinned to himself. He was saved!

The voices turned out to belong to two guys, both dressed in the Dalton uniform, but managing to make it look a lot less formal than Wes, and even David. One had blonde hair which hung slightly over his eyes in a long fringe, the other messy black hair. Both appeared to be around Sam's age, so as they drew closer, he stood, drawing their attention with an awkward wave.

'Uh, hi, I'm Sam. I'm new, and i'm kind of… very lost? He winced, realising how pathetic he sounded, but to his relief, both of the guys stopped, smiling, the blonde returning his wave more enthusiastically.

'Hi Sam, pleased to meet you! I'm Jeff, and this is Nick. Where is it you're trying to get to?' Sam gave the blonde, who had identified himself as Jeff, his room number. 'Ooh, you're just down the hall from us! We're roommates, room 32. Come and visit any time!'

The two guys flanked Sam and led him back the way he had came, chattering manically in his ear the entire time. Sam quickly decided that they were both completely insane, but he had to admit, he liked it.

Nick and Jeff left Sam at his door, promising they would see him in one class or another tomorrow. Realising that David was probably still in Wes' room, he crossed the corridor and knocked swiftly on the door. He rocked back and forth on his heels as he heard someone moving towards the door, muffled voices drifting through. The door swung open quickly, and Sam almost died. The Guy had just answered Wes' door.

'I… Uh…' Sam spluttered, feeling heat rise to his cheeks quickly.

The Guy flashed perfect white teeth, deep hazel eyes twinkling and dimples appearing in his cheeks. 'Hey, I'm Blaine. You must be Sam, right?' Blaine. Sam was only partly relieved he would no longer have to refer to him as The Guy in his internal monologue. Th- Blaine extended his hand, and Sam shook it, unable to stop himself lingering slightly longer than was probably socially acceptable. It felt like little jolts of electricity were passing between them, travelling up Sam's arms and causing a strange swooping sensation in his stomach. Living across the hall from this guy was going to be interesting, to say the least.

A/N: So there it is! I'll be trying to update around once a week, and I have a feeling the chapters are going to be a fair bit longer than this one is, once we get into things. Reviews would be appreciated!