This is a short drabble which takes the form of a deleted/alternate scene from "Never Been Kissed" in reaction to tonight's FANTASTIC episode.


As the girls of New Directions gathered in the choir room, their arms full of leather clothes and accessories, Kurt was nervous. Even though he didn't usually mind being the center of attention, he was about to drop a bomb on his teammates, and he definitely feared their reactions.

He sat on a chair, legs crossed, and waited for everybody to be there. Soon the boys arrived and all took a seat. Kurt was sweating. This was turning out to be almost as hard as when he came out, which was definitely saying something. He felt a vibration in his jean pocket, and took out his cell phone.

courage

Kurt smiled, and stood up as Mr. Schue entered the room.

"Ok, guys, today is the girls performance, so…"

"Mr. Schue, if I may? I have an announcement to make, and it cannot wait."

Will was quite surprised by this interruption, but he knew things had not been easy for the teenager recently, so he decided to let him talk. "Of course, Kurt… Ladies, before you go get changed, please take a seat. Kurt has something to say."

The girls all exchanged puzzled looks, but quickly obliged. Kurt grabbed the big shopping bag he had been carrying the whole day and stood in front of his teacher and his peers. He leaned over the bag and took an article of clothing from inside of it. A black jacket with red embellishments and a red emblem on the heart. He put it on and looked at his friends.

"What's this?" Finn asked.

"That's a Dalton Academy blazer…" Will answered before Kurt could talk.

The young man stared at the floor. "Yes, it is. I went there with my dad this morning and signed the registration forms. Tomorrow will be my first day at the Academy."

A collective gasp was Kurt's answer.

"Y-you're leaving?" Rachel asked, giving the boy an incredulous look.

"Yes. I've put up with the hatred and the bullying for a long time, but I can't take it anymore. I just want to be in a healthy environment for a change, and Dalton has a very strict zero-tolerance policy to bullying. I'll finally be accepted for who I am. My dad and I have talked this through, and if I drastically cut my shopping budget, we can afford the tuition. It won't be a problem since I'll be wearing a uniform anyway."

"You can't just leave us!" Finn protested.

"I'm really sorry. Honestly. It's not your fault, and I forbid you to blame yourselves. I loved being in New Directions; it's the only thing that kept me sane this past year. But I need this change; McKinley High is killing me a bit more every day, and Dalton Academy seems to be the perfect alternative."

They all remained silent, their eyes fixed on Kurt. Mercedes stood up and slowly walked towards her friend until she stood right in front of him. Kurt couldn't read her expression, and was vaguely wondering if she would scream of slap him senseless.

"Are you still my boy?" she asked, her voice coarse.

Kurt started to cry as he hugged his best friend tightly. "Forever and always."

"I love you, Kurt" Mercedes declared, her voice shaken by sobs.

"I love you too, 'Cedes."

They pulled away, and Kurt was surprised to see Rachel stand up and come to him.

"I just want to say that I respect your decision, and… I hope you'll still count me among your friends." She was obviously shaken, and her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Kurt smiled. "Of course, Rachel." They hugged as well, and Kurt was extremely grateful for the love he was getting from his friends; Tina also gave him a hug, and Artie a fist-bump and a 'good luck'. Brittany ran to him and jumped in his arms. "I'll miss you, Kurtie!"

Will put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Schue."

The teacher had a sad smile. "Will you join the Warblers?"

"I think I will. I love music, and the Warblers seem like a jolly bunch."

"I guess I'll see you at Sectionals, then…"

Kurt smiled back at him. "I guess so."

They shook hands, and Mr. Schue gave Kurt a surprising and slightly awkward half-hug.

The rest of the glee kids had not moved. Kurt didn't mind too much; the ones who counted had reacted well. He was just sad that Finn had not stood up, had not said a word. The jock was blankly staring at the opposite wall.

Kurt grabbed his things. "I'll see you at Friday night dinner, Finn…" Kurt said before leaving the choir room.

"Yeah…" Finn mumbled. That's the only reaction Kurt got from his almost-step-brother.

Once he was in the hall, Kurt rested his back against the wall and closed his eyes. There. He had done it. He was getting out of this hell of a school. It felt supremely weird to leave this all behind, but Kurt knew it would be worth it. He would miss his Glee friends, but he knew that some of them would remain in his life. He took a deep breath and walked to the school exit.

Blaine was waiting for him next to the door. "How did it go?" the Dalton student asked.

"Better than I thought. My friends respect my decision. Some members of the glee club seemed upset, but I guess it doesn't matter at this point."

"I'm glad." Kurt shifted uncomfortably against the door, avoiding Blaine's gaze. "You must think that I'm a coward…"

Blaine took the boy's hand in his, and Kurt looked up into his new friend's hazel eyes. "Who am I to judge? I know firsthand how harsh public school can be, I already told you that. If you don't want to have to deal with bigotry and hatred anymore, then I respect and support your decision."

"Thank you" Kurt muttered.

"Come on," Blaine said happily, not letting go of Kurt's hand as they walked to the Navigator. "Let's have dinner together to celebrate your admission at the Academy. My treat."

Kurt smiled happily as he left the McKinley High school grounds for the last time.


I just want to say that I was really blown away tonight! I absolutely adore Blaine, and found myself wishing that Kurt would join the Dalton Academy, even though I know that New Directions wouldn't be the same without him. I know I'll be constantly listening to "Teenage Dream" for days. :P

And of course, the usual reminder, to avoid any undesirable backlash:

I write stories for FUN. I am not interested in starting debates, so if you don't like or agree with the ideas or opinions expressed in my stories, then please refrain from reviewing. Spiteful reviews make me want to delete my stories, and I have done so in the past. And if that makes anyone think that I have self-confidence issues, then so be it, I really don't care. However, I very much appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, especially if it's based on language issues, because English is not my first language.

Cheers! :)