Hey, everybody! A slightly longer chapter for you. The updates will probably be coming a little slower now, as I don't have much written after this, but you can at least rest assured that schoolwork will never get in the way of this story because I'm the hugest procrastinator.

I'm so happy with the response I've been getting! I've never written in such a popular fandom before, so this is pretty overwhelming (but only in the best of ways!). Thank you to everyone who read/alerted/favorited/reviewed!

There's some nasty language this chapter, but it's probably nothing you all haven't seen before.

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

"Where's Mr. Shue?" Artie asked. "He's usually here by now." Most of the Glee club was assembled in the choir room, waiting for their director to come and start rehearsal.

"I don't know, but I saw him in Figgins's office earlier with some girl who's in my Spanish class. It looked pretty serious," Tina supplied.

The door burst open then and Puck ran in. "Dude, Hummel's here. He and Karofsky are in the office with their dads and Shue and that Dalton kid."

"What?"

"Yeah, it seemed, like, really heavy. I don't know, looked like Kurt was really upset and everyone looked pissed."

Finn launched himself to his feet and out of the room, ignoring Rachel calling his name. Why was he always the last to know everything? As he ran toward the principal's office, he wanted to scream and beat the shit out of something but he miraculously held it in.

He skidded to a stop as soon as he could see the inside of the office and he caught sight of Kurt's face. He looked terrified and helpless, and tears streamed steadily down his face. Blaine sat next to him, holding onto his hand. Burt was talking heatedly to Figgins, on the verge of yelling, he knew.

And Karofsky. He was just sitting there, his face screwed up into an unchanging mask of rage and… and hurt.

Kurt looked up and saw him through the window, then. Finn stared at him in shock and felt a strong surge of protectiveness course through him, inciting what was almost a murderous fury. He turned and stalked away, slamming his fist into the lockers as he went.

He stormed back into the choir room and kicked over the piano bench.

"Finn, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't know!" he exploded, pacing violently. "I have no idea but Karofsky did something and it's really bad, and Kurt was… Kurt was… Fuck!"

"Guys?"

Quinn was standing in the doorway, looking like she had bad news to break. They silenced immediately and watched her.

"I just heard something out in the hallway and… I don't know if it's true or not, but…" She paused and bit her lip, twining her fingers together. "People are saying that the reason Karofsky threatened to kill Kurt is because… is because Karofsky kissed him and he didn't want him to tell anyone."

"I knew it," Finn whispered, "I knew it. He tried to tell me nothing else happened but I knew there was something else!"

Rachel grabbed his arm. "Finn, please calm down. We don't even know if that's what happened."

"What else could it have possibly been? You guys all saw how Kurt was right before he transferred. That wasn't normal! It was because Karofsky wanted him…" Breathless, Finn cut himself off. The true meaning of everything that had happened sunk into him at that moment. "I can't believe he was going through that alone… God, it makes me sick…" He leaned over and put his head in his hands and, just like the night before Kurt left for Dalton, he began to cry.

He really wanted to throw up.

When he entered the office, his dad in front of him and Blaine behind him, holding his hand, there was Karofsky. He was sitting next to his own father in a chair facing the center of the room and his eyes were furious, locked onto Kurt's face. Mr. Shuester was standing on the other side of Figgins's desk, his arms crossed and his face hardened into a mask of dangerously quiet anger.

Karofsky's eyes made his legs feel weak, made his arms shake, made him feel dizzy—and none of this in the good way. He let himself slowly be guided to a seat across from the bully, in the middle of a couch, where he was immediately surrounded on either side by his dad and his friend. He was grateful for their presence; feeling them next to him strengthened him, if only a little, but he still wouldn't allow himself to look at his tormentor.

Mr. Figgins cleared his throat and began: "Mr. Hummel, I apologize for calling you out of your classes today. I am aware that Dalton Academy is rather far away and this meeting might not exactly be convenient, but this is a rather urgent matter."

Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"A student confided in Mr. Shuester and myself today that she overheard a conversation between you, Mr. Karofsky, and your friend, here—"

"Blaine Oliver, sir."

"Yes. She heard you say that Mr. Karofsky had kissed you. She said that she later heard him threaten to kill you if you told anyone about the incident."

There was a thick silence in which everyone's stares were locked firmly onto Kurt. His eyes burned with humiliating tears

"You understand, Mr. Hummel, that this is a very serious matter, so I'll ask you to speak truthfully. Did David kiss you?"

Feeling a spike of hysteria in his chest, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The waiting tears began to dribble down his cheeks. "Yes," he whispered.

"Did you ask him to kiss you or instigate it in any way?"

"No."

"He's lying!" Karofsky suddenly roared, jumping to his feet. "I never kissed him. He… He asked for it!"

With this outburst, Kurt couldn't help himself—in fear and shock, he finally looked up at the other boy as he was wrestled back into his seat. And the expression in Dave's eyes intensified the horrible, nauseous, dizzy feeling in his body to the point where he was momentarily sure he would pass out.

"I didn't," he insisted quietly. "I was sick of you pushing me into lockers and I was trying to confront you. I was trying to get you to leave me alone."

"When did this happen, Kurt?" Shuester asked softly.

"The week of the boys versus girls competition in Glee."

"This is so fucking stupid," Karofsky interjected sullenly, only to have his arm seized by his father's strong fist.

"No, it's not stupid," Burt spat. "It's serious. This is the reason my son was terrified to come into school every day. This is why he had to transfer schools! Because you violated him and threatened him and terrorized him!" He turned to the principal then, his mouth set into a thin line. "Principal Figgins, tell me you're going to do something about this, for god's sakes, this is my son! There's even a witness this time! You can't let this go!"

Kurt's eyes flicked up to the window and Finn was standing outside in the hallway, watching him. They just peered at each other through the glass for a few moments, and Kurt could feel his stepbrother's emotions (helplessness, concern, fury) as if they were swelling up in his own chest. And then Finn turned and stomped away, leaving Kurt to stare after him.

Figgins set his stern gaze on the young hockey player. "David, he's right. With a witness, I cannot let this go. Your behavior is unacceptable and constitutes harassment. You are expelled. Please go collect your things and then leave the premises."

Enraged, the boy stood and barreled out of the room. His father stood behind, looking haggard.

"I'm so sorry for what David has done," he told Burt, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe he could do such a thing… He used to be so…" He sighed heavily. "I guess it doesn't matter." He turned to Kurt then, his look softening as he took in the appearance of the trembling, crying teenager. "Kurt, I can assure you that he will never bother you again."

And then he left, and Kurt sagged into Blaine's arms.

I feel so bad about barely writing ANY Blaine, but I just haven't had any reason for him to be anything but silent support for now. Maybe he'll take a bigger role later. :)

Thank you for reading! Please review!