A/N: So I know the first chapter was a little heavy, but thanks to those of you who have stuck with me! The tone of this chapter is much more reflective of what the rest of the story will be like. And... I think that's actually all I have to say right now. Wow. Hope you like it!


"You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors, it's the morning of your very first day" – Fifteen

Kurt was standing in front of the mirror in his new room at Dalton, eyeing his reflection suspiciously. He wasn't quite sure what to make of himself in a uniform – his clothes had always been one of his favorite forms of self expression, and it felt strange to have to dress like everyone else. Then again, if a uniform was the price he had to pay to finally feel safe and accepted, he could deal with that.

It had been less than a week since he made the decision to transfer. Karofsky's return to McKinley had been the final straw – he simply could not live his life in terror anymore. He had been ashamed at first, wondering if his friends, particularly Blaine, would see him as a coward. Leaving wasn't a very courageous decision, after all. But the New Directions had all been remarkably supportive, and Blaine had been thrilled to hear he was coming to Dalton. He had also given Kurt a very wise piece of advice on the situation.

"You're allowed to want to live your life on your own terms, Kurt," he had said over coffee on Saturday. "There's no shame in that."

And so, though it made his heart ache to think of all of his friends at McKinley without him, here he was at Dalton, ready to give this whole living-life-on-his-own-terms thing a shot. If only he wasn't feeling completely out of place and just a little bit terrified.

Kurt adjusted his tie one last time and dragged his eyes away from the mirror. He was going to have to leave the room at some point. He had only just moved in the day before, in a mad whirl of boxes and sheets and tearful goodbyes, but it already felt like the only familiar place in an otherwise foreign environment. He was pleased with the job he'd done decorating – it was tasteful and warm and certainly reflective of his personality. The deep red comforter on his bed was soft and cozy, and the pictures (his dad, the New Directions, the wedding) and posters (Harry Potter, Wicked, New York City) plastered on his wall made him feel at home. His side of the room was also much tidier than Thad's, which, at the moment, featured an unmade bed, a pile of dirty clothes, and a cluttered desk strewn with textbooks and notebook paper. It might have bothered him if he hadn't gotten so used to living with Finn, the world's biggest slob.

Glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table, Kurt saw that he now had no choice but to leave his room – class started in ten minutes, and he wasn't even sure where he was supposed to be going. He also hadn't eaten anything this morning, which was unlike him (he liked to start his days with fresh fruit or yogurt), but he had been so busy fussing with his uniform and silently freaking out about the fact that he was now a student at Dalton freaking Academy that he had turned down Thad's invitation to join him and some of the other Warblers for breakfast. And okay, maybe he had also secretly been hoping that Blaine would show up and offer to walk him to class, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his messenger bag and opened his door, at which point he was very nearly punched in the face. He jumped backwards in surprise as Blaine, who had evidently been about to knock, stopped his fist just in time. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Blaine cried.

"It's okay," Kurt reassured him once the shock had worn off. "Bad timing."

Blaine grinned. "That would have been quite a start to your first day."

"Seriously," Kurt laughed.

"So, how are you feeling, new kid?" Blaine asked, giving Kurt a wink that made his stomach flip-flop.

"Nervous," Kurt admitted. "And hungry," he added, blushing as his stomach made an embarrassing grumbling noise.

"Well, I can help with that," Blaine said, pulling an apple from behind his back. "I snagged it from the cafeteria when I didn't see you at breakfast. I figured it would fit nicely with the whole first-day-of-school thing."

"Thank you," Kurt stammered, taking the apple gratefully. God, could Blaine be any more perfect?

"No problem. And don't be nervous. You'll be in the swing of things in no time."

"I hope so," Kurt said.

"Being in the Warblers will make it easier. It was a huge help for me."

Kurt nodded. He did really like all of the Warblers he had met so far – they were all very friendly, if a little rambunctious.

"Plus, you already have the coolest kid in school as a friend," Blaine continued, winking again. He really needed to stop doing that.

"Oh really? Who's that?" Kurt quipped, slightly surprised that he was still able to be sarcastic with Blaine standing this close to him, being all charming and gorgeous.

"Watch it," Blaine warned in a mock-threatening tone, nudging Kurt playfully. He looked down at his watch. "Jeez, if we don't hurry up, you're going to be late."

Right! Class! Strange how easy it was to forget about that when certain hazel-eyed boys were standing in your doorway…

Blaine chuckled at the look of terror that had re-appeared on Kurt's face and gave his friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Come on. I'll walk you."