A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews and alerts! I am beyond happy and grateful for each and every one of you and your continued support! I hope you continue to enjoy reading this because I am having a blast writing it! Your reviews and alerts inspire me to continue writing!
With that said, please review! They make me want to wrap you all up with cuddles, cookies, and love forever! Enjoy!
Warning: Mentions of physical and emotional abuse but nothing too graphic.
Ch.3*A Typical Morning For Kurt Hummel*
"Kurt! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!",Blaine called as he ran over to Kurt where he was standing in front of his open locker.
Kurt beamed, brightly, as he saw his boyfriend walk over to him. "Ahh Blaine! Blaine with his black gelled hair, honey colored eyes, and dashingly bright smile!",Kurt thought when Blaine was finally standing before him.
"We need to talk.",Blaine said, simply.
Kurt, who wasn't expecting anything to be wrong, followed the love of his life into an empty classroom. Once they were inside, Kurt sat down on top of one of the many desks while Blaine shut the door.
"No light?",Kurt teased,"I thought you said you wanted to talk, not have an unscheduled make-out session. Not that I'm complaining at all, mind you."
Blaine just continued to stand in front of the door, far away from where Kurt was sitting, with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes downcast to the floor.
"I do wanna talk, Kurt.",his tone making Kurt nervous all of a sudden,"Look, this isn't easy so if you could just, not talk until I'm done than it would be easier for me."
Kurt nodded, wringing his hands together in his lap, anxiously.
Blaine, still standing in the same position with his eyes staring at the floor, sighed,"I don't know what to do anymore, Kurt. I don't know what to say or how to act or even what I want anymore. This has been really hard on me and I've had to hide my own feelings just to make it OK. I don't think I can do it anymore, Kurt. You know that attention is important to me, and I know it's not everything, but it's still something. So not getting my fair share from someone I care about, someone who is supposed to care about me, is just wrong and hurting me. I know that things aren't easy and life and family get in the way, but what about me? I'm supposed to matter to, aren't I?"
Once he cuts off Kurt can't help but cut in, he's so confused right now,"Blaine, I'm sorry that you feel this way and I'm glad you're sharing your feelings with me, but I have no idea what or whom you're talking about."
Blaine growls in frustration, actually growls,"You just couldn't do it could you? You can't shut up for even a minute, can you? God, you are so selfish, Kurt! This is exactly what I'm talking about!"
Kurt feels like he's just been slapped,"Me? You were talking about ME?"
"Of course, I'm talking about you, Kurt! Who the hell else would I be talking about?"
"I'm so confused right now. Why are you talking about me? When have I ever not put you first? When have I ever shown you that I don't care about you? And most of all, if I was doing any of that and you've been feeling this way for awhile, why have you never said anything before?",Kurt asks, anger and betrayal backing his words.
"You're still making it all about you! This is about me, Kurt! This is about how you always ditch me to go be Rachels groupie or Quinns bitch! This is about you spending all of your time, outside of school, doing everything your step-mother says. You never call me or wanna go on dates with me, but you'll go shopping with your step family! You are always doing Quinn and Rachels homework or following them around like a lost puppy and it's pathetic Kurt! What about me? You're my boyfriend and yet you never do anything with me or for me! We hardly even kiss let alone have sex! I'm 17, Kurt, I should be out having fun and enjoying the physical and emotional pleasures of having a boyfriend. But no! Instead I have to see you spending time with people you hate! I know it's not entirely your fault and that they force you to, but couldn't you at least try! Am I even worth it to you? It feels like I do so much for you only to get nothing in return!",Blaine snarks with wild hand gestures.
Kurt is stunned as tears pour freely down his cheeks,"Are you serious, right now?",his tone eerily calm despite his inner pain,"Always ditching you for them? They force me to Blaine, I have no choice. You know that I belong to Terri until I am either 21 or married. Which means that Terri, Quinn, and Rachel can do whatever they want and I have no say in the matter. And you dare to call me selfish. You're not the one who has his step family treating him like a servant in his own home. You're not the one who gets publicly humiliated every day at school because you have to let your step-sisters walk all over you. You're not the one who starves or freezes for days at a time just for your step families amusement. You actually get to have a life, Blaine. And how dare you act like I don't try for you. For us. Need I remind you of that time just 3 weeks ago when I snuck out in the middle of the night to go see a movie with you. When I came home, Terri was there waiting and she beat me with a belt. I still have welts on my back healing from that. Or how about that time during our first month of dating when I thought they were all gone and I called you. Rachel came home early from Glee club and told Terri later. Do you remember what Terri did? She locked me in a closet, naked, for 3 days with no food, water, or warmth. So don't you dare tell me that I haven't tried for you. I can't kiss you that much, or even do more, because I have no choice Blaine. You know I can only see you during school but we have to be careful because of class, rules, and my step-sisters. And excuse me if I want my first time to be romantic and not some quickie in an empty classroom just because you can't handle your hormones. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to feed your enormous ego and attention whorish ways, but that's not my fault. Yeah you've really done so much for me, haven't you, Blaine? While Rachel and Quinn humiliate me, you know that looking the other way is definitely the best thing to help me. Or how you've known, even before we started dating due to our friendship, that Terri abuses me, just letting it go and not telling anyone is going to rescue me. Or now when you're here complaining to me about how bad your life is and how I'm just the world's most horrible boyfriend ever, even though you know nothing of what a bad life is. Good job, Blaine! You definitely deserve the boyfriend of the year award. Let me just polish and hand deliver it to you like the pathetic little bitch I am, would you like that?",he ends sarcastically.
"You know what, Kurt? Fuck you! You are a pathetic little bitch! Let's all feel bad for Kurt because he is such a victim! Wah wah wah! I can't do this anymore, Kurt. It's over! We're over!",Blaine huffs before spinning on his heels and storming out of the room.
Kurt stares at the now open door he just exited in disbelief. Hours fly by, really it's more like 2 or 3 minutes, before he finally breaks down, releasing the worst sob since his father's death 2 years ago.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Click! Kurt groans as he slaps his hand on the off button of his annoyingly loud alarm clock. He looks over to it to see that the time is 5:00 AM before, reluctantly, rolling over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Go figure that the alarm doesn't go off until the end of a bad dream, but always right in the middle of a good one. He had, unfortunately, been dreaming of his breakup with Blaine every night for the past 2 weeks since it happened and last night was no exception. He really wished that he could get his mind off of it, but he couldn't, the wounds still too fresh and open for him to forget just yet.
Sighing, he threw back the ratty old sheet, that he has tried to mend repeatedly, and crawled out of his cot. He winced as his bare feet touched the ice cold wooden floorboards of the tower. His parents used to use the tower as an attic and many things were still stacked up here with him, it was very claustrophobic. Continuing to prepare for what promised to be yet another day full of work, abuse, and what he liked to call the "grin-and-bare-it" technique, he tried to keep his mind off of Blaine and on the chores he had to do today.
Walking down the creaky wooden steps of the tower to the main house, as ready as he was ever going to be, Kurt hummed to himself. He missed Glee club and Cheerios terribly. They had always been where he could truly be himself and do what he loved to do, perform. He opened the door to the entry of the tower and walked into the laundry room where Tina was taking clothes, they looked like Quinn's, out from the washer and placing them into the drier.
"Good morning, Kurt!",she chimed just as bright as ever.
He had always loved her ability to be happy no matter what happened,"Morning, Tina!",he placed a kiss on her cheek as he continued to walk through the room.
Leaving the laundry room, he entered the grand foyer only to see Sam sleeping on one of the plush benches right below a painting of Terri's hero, Marie Antoinette.
Kurt rolled his eyes as he crept over to the sleeping blond,"Sam? Sammy?",he poked him in the side as he whispered in the unmoving blonds ear,"SAM!",he hollered, making the blond jolt awake.
"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up.",Sam muttered when he saw it was Kurt.
"Every morning for the past 2 years, I've found you sleeping in a different spot when you're supposed to be working. You're just lucky they've never woken up early to see you.",Kurt stated, fondly.
"I really couldn't care less what Terri the Terrible and her demon spawn daughters have to say.",Sam said with his famous mega watt smile in place.
"You should. Terri doesn't have to keep any of you here and you know she won't hesitate to throw you out on the street with nothing. And what about Brittney? She would separate you two, you know she would. Sam, I know I always say this but, please be more careful. I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to any of you. Especially when there's no way I can fix it. We just have to wait until I'm 21 and then we can get rid of them for good.",Kurt pleaded.
"Or until you get married.",Sam stated, matter of factly.
Kurt tried to stop the instant flash of pain that speared through his heart and he really hoped that Sam couldn't tell. Of course, Sam Piercevans was nothing if not observant.
"You're still dreaming about it, aren't you? The break up?"
Kurt, reluctantly, nodded,"It's been 2 weeks Sam. I need to get over this. Over him. I don't have the time or energy for this. Life is already stressful enough without adding heartbreak to the mix."
Sam frowned, something he never did often,"Kurt it's been 2 weeks. It only just happened! You were together for 4 months and best-friends since childhood, and you've always been in love with him. Of course, it's going to bother you for awhile. You trusted him. You loved him. You thought you were both happy. You thought you were going to marry him sometime this year and spend the rest of your life with him. You thought he was going to be your knight in gelled up armor swooping in to rescue you from Terri the dragon ladies keep."
Kurt snorted at Sams joke about Blaine's hair gel obsession,"We don't always get what we want."
Sam made an exasperated but agreeing look at that,"Very true. But Lame Anderson was still being selfish and cruel no matter how you look at it. He was supposed to love and protect you and he failed. You deserve someone better, Kurt, and you will find him someday. I promise! Plain Blaine will regret this for the rest of his life while you move on to bigger and better things.",he finished with a saucy smirk.
Kurt laughed,"You are crazy Blondie! But thank you. You're my best-friend and I love you. You're always there when I need you."
Sam smiled and pulled him in for a hug,"Anytime Kurt. And you know that I love you to, bestie!"
Kurt huffed and playfully pushed him away,"Alright, we'd better get to work before the 3 stooges wake up."
Sam nodded,"I'll be mowing the lawn if you need me."
Kurt waved and continued on his journey to the kitchen to begin breakfast, feeling much better after his talk with Sam. He'd been trying his best to keep his emotions in check but he knew his friends had been able to pick up on everything. They knew him so well, just as he knew them. None of them could ever keep secrets from each other for long. Maybe that's what happens when you can only rely on each other to keep yourself sane.
He walked past the study where Brittney was dusting,"Good morning Brit Brit!"
She looked up with a smile, not stopping her dusting,"Morning Kurtsie!"
He walked a little further down the foyer and saw Mike mopping, or more like dancing with the mop, on the marble floor.
Mike looked up right as Kurt spotted him,"Morning, Kurt!"
Kurt smiled,"Morning, Mike. Wonderful dancing, as always."
"Just practicing for when we all finally get out of that woman's control and I can live my dream.",Mike said, dreamily.
Kurt sent him an endearing smile,"Someday you will, Mike. Someday you will."
Mike beamed and Kurt walked on, finally making it to the kitchen. He walked in and looked at the overweight chef clock on the wall, his mother had found it amusing when they had been in the marketplace, bought it, and it's been there ever since. The clock told him that it was 5:50. He had an hour before they would all be ringing their personal bells for breakfast. With that he got right to work.
They never made it easy on him. Terri was a woman who loved food, and could still maintain a perfect figure. For her, Kurt made a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, a bacon and cheese omelet, 2 sausage patties, a large glass of orange juice, and a side of fried potatoes. The woman could definitely eat.
Quinn, on the other hand, hardly ate a thing and therefore was easiest. He gave her half a grapefruit, 1 piece of dry wheat toast, and a glass of iced vitamin water. He often wondered how Quinn was still alive with how very little she ever ate.
Rachel was the most difficult. Not only was she a vegan, but everything she does is to better her talent. Therefore, she required organic, high in energy and vitamins, and non-throat damaging foods. Nothing could ever be to hot, cold, acidic, bubbly, creamy, or hard. For her, breakfast consisted of a protein shake, tofu scramble, and a croissant. Her shake had to be exact every morning.
1c sliced strawberries
1c blueberries
1c sliced bananas
8oz coconut water
2TBS vanilla powder
1c almond milk
He had just finished decorating the trays when he heard all 3 personal bells ringing, incessantly, at the same time. Looking up at the clock he saw that it was 7:05, the way it always was when they rang. Balancing a tray in each hand and the 3rd on the top of his head, he had to learn how to do that quickly, he made his way out of the kitchen and up the grand, winding staircase. He reached Terri's room first.
"Good morning, step-mother.",he said, false cheerfulness in his tone as he set the tray in his right hand down on the empty spot at her desk.
Terri looked up at him through the mirror at her vanity where she was curling her long blond hair,"Good morning, Kurterella. How are you this morning?"
He felt the all to familiar urge to slap her but, somehow, resisted,"I'm very well, step-mother, and you?"
"I'll be better once we all leave to go shopping today. Make sure you tell my girls to be ready by 9 for shopping and a spa trip. I'm feeling the need to have a relaxing girls day.",she whined, as if she didn't do just that every day.
Kurt held tighter to the trays in his hands, having removed the one on top of his head into his available hand, and answered,"Of course, step-mother. Are you taking any of us servants with you today?"
Terri glared through the mirror as if he was completely stupid,"Well, you don't expect us to carry our own bags, do you? Do we ever go shopping without a servant? I swear, Kurt, you get stupider every day. It's really quite pathetic. You will be going with us today so you had better be ready too. I don't want to have to wait for your lazy, fat ass all day."
Kurt really should be used to it by now, but he still feels a stab of pain at her hurtful words every time,"Yes step-mother."
He continued to stand there, unable to leave until she told him to.
"Well go you moron!",she shouted, an incredulous look on her face.
He was all to happy to oblige. Finally out of the devil's lair, he braced himself to go face her demon daughters, dumb and dumber.
Quinn's room was first. He walked in to find her polishing her, freakishly large, tiara collection with a creepily lustful glint in her eyes.
Clearing his throat and trying to ignore how scary she can be, he said,"Good morning, Quinn. Your mother said that you are all going shopping and for a spa trip today, so be ready by 9.",he finished as he set her tray on her coffee table.
"Fine",she drawled, dreamily, continuing to polish her tiaras."On the bed I have a list of things I need you to do for me today. They must all be done today because I have a schedule that must be kept."
Kurt walked over and picked up the list, the way he did every morning, and skimmed over it. "Write out my Cheerios pep talk for the football game. Do my history report. Make me a sundress for my date with Finn, it's a picnic."
He rolled his eyes,"Sure, Quinn."
"That is all.",she snapped at him before cooing at her tiaras,"Mommy loves you. Yes she does. Oh yes she does!"
He couldn't get out of that room fast enough, damn she was crazy sometimes. He finally arrived at Rachel's room, already hearing the buzz of her elliptical machine.
"Good morning, Rachel.",he called over the noise, setting her tray on her bedside table,"Your mother said to be ready by 9 for a day of shopping and spa treatments."
"Perfect.",Rachel said, obnoxiously loud and grating as always while staring intensely at a picture of Barbra Streisand,"Why are you not doing it?"
Kurt took a deep breath and squared his shoulders,"Rachel Barbra Goolsby you are a goddess of song. No one in Lima, or the world, compares to you. Least of all me. I am nothing but your bitch and I will never amount to anything. No one will ever want me and I might as well just bury myself in a hole in the back yard so no one ever has to see my pathetic face again. You are a star Rachel and even in my dreams I could never be better than you."
His face, as always, was a deep red in shame, humiliation, and hurt. Rachel, however, loved it.
"I just love hearing that! It's definitely the best part of my morning!",she squealed with delight,"Now if you don't mind leaving so I can continue to perfect my already flawless self for the world."
"Of course, Rachel.",he quickly said before running out of the room hand crumbling Quinns list.
He finally made it back to the tower where he worked on Quinns' list for the next 2 hours. When his alarm flashed 8:55 AM he made his way down to the grand foyer to await the step family from hell. At exactly 9, the 3 emerged on the stairs fully dressed and chattering away.
"Well, it looks like we didn't have to wait for your lazy, fat ass, after all. You did something right for once. I'm surprised.",Terri smirked, cruelly.
"It won't last mommy!",Rachel remarked.
Quinn laughed,"Yeah mommy! We all know that the only thing Kurterella does is find someway to completely screw up."
"It's the only thing he's good at.",Rachel finished.
Rachel and Quinn began cackling together as Terri beamed,"Come girls.",sending a pointed look at Kurt as she said it, which caused the hyenas to cackle louder.
Kurt followed them trying to drown out the feeling of worthlessness that they always brought to him whenever they were around.
Wow the longest chapter so far! By the way I completely just made up Rachel's protein shake and have never tried it, so if you do and it's awful please don't blame me! Lol
I would like to apologize to Erik Lestrange. I'm sorry if my mixing of the modern day and aristocracy time periods have upset and confused you. I thought it would be clever to mix the modern day time period that Glee is with the aristocracy time period that Cinderella usually takes place in. I did say that this was an AU, but if it upset you than I'm sorry. I have to say though that in order to stay true to the Cinderella story, I do find what I've done to be necessary. It also works best for what I have visioned for this story.
Thank you for all of the messages you've sent me in regards to your concern. I'm glad that you are sharing your thoughts with me :) To anyone else that may be bothered by anything I've done with this story, I apologize to you also! I really appreciate all of you and your comments, good or bad.
So what did you all think? Questions? Comments? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know by clicking on the ever delightful blue button below with the words "Review this chapter" on it. I would love to hear what you all thought!