Slightly longer chapter. I kind of recycled some old stuff from Neverland in here too because it was relevant and was described from Kurt's point of view.
After this chapter I think I'm going to take a few days off from constantly updating to work a little more on the fantasy novel that's only in planning and construction stages at the moment. I've been torn between wanting to write both but all the positive reviews I've been getting have been pushing me to type these out. Frankly, it's a lot easier to write, and there is less pressure, when the chapters are shorter than the monster 20,000 or so words of this story's predecessor. (If you hadn't noticed already the direction I'm taking with this is completely different while some things stay the same, Footprints in the Sand is ideally focussed on Kurt's journey at Dalton and the relationships he builds with the people around him. But don't worry, all the best parts from Neverland will make an appearance, as will the romances. I couldn't leave all of the Klaine and Smytheberry goodness out.)
Thank you for all the positive feedback I've been getting for this.
Rachel and Noah and the other Dalton boys finally make their first appearance. I didn't want to plunge straight into their relationship like last time because this is from Kurt's perspective. He's going to grow closer with all of them and learn about their childhood over time. Just as they will learn about his childhood with Matt and Hunter. I'm glad that friendship seemed to be getting good feedback. Kurt needs people like brothers since I'm planning on making Finn and the rest of the New Directions mostly antagonists of this story.
Next chapter will be Kurt's first day of classes. Let the madness truly begin. Things wont always be so great now that Kurt's at Dalton. A few major obstacles will be coming his way very soon.
Don't own glee.
Enjoy!
"You're getting the hang of this… kinda."
The weekend passed in a blur, between the antics of his old friends and getting to know Jeff a little better, Kurt was already feeling at home at Dalton. By Sunday night other students had come trickling through the gates, returning from their break with relaxed, easy going smiles. Every boy who lived in Hearst had to come and check in with Jeff before heading to their own rooms, a formality Jeff insisted, where the blonde also made an effort to introduce Kurt to everyone. He had no idea how he was supposed to remember everyone, let alone their names.
His head was so full of new faces that Matt, who along with Hunter had taken up residence sprawled across his bed, suggested that they play some Halo. Kurt screwed up his face; he knew he was horrible at video games whenever he had played with Finn in the past, but Matt wouldn't take no for an answer, handed him a controller and promised that he'd get a new scarf out of the experience. The lure of the bribe was too much for him and he caved easily and settled himself between Hunter and Matt, grumbling only slightly. He really needed a new scarf.
After two hours he was beginning to get the hang of the game, or so he thought, and was furiously pressing the controls much to the amusement of all three Dalton boys.
Kurt didn't even jump when the door swung open and yet another group of boys came to check in with their acting prefect. He didn't bother looking up, so absorbed in wiping the smug smirks Hunter and Matt both wore clean off their faces. "Hey Jeff! Just letting you know we're back. We brought – Kurt? What are you doing here?"
Startled by the familiar voice, Kurt paused the game and looked up and smiled at Blaine, "Hey, Blaine! I transferred."
Blaine stood gaping, behind him were Wes and David, who both waved a little, as well as another boy who he hadn't met yet. "That's great! I mean it mustn't be so great for you. Having to change schools, that is. But that's great."
Wes smacking him on the upside of the head, "Shut up, Blaine." He turned and smiled at Kurt. "Welcome to Dalton, Kurt."
"Feel free to come hang out with us anytime," David said, "I'm sure Blaine would appreciate it."
The boy blushed, mirroring Kurt's own slightly red face. He purposely ignored the smug looks his friends were throwing at him and smiled at the group of four, nodding in reply.
Jeff went and picked up the clipboard he had been using, ticking the four names off and then turning to Kurt, "Since you already know Wes, David and Blaine, let me introduce Thad."
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here, dude," Thad shook Kurt's hand.
"Don't call me dude," Kurt snapped back instantly.
Jeff continued, "Thad's also part of the Warblers. They're a pretty close group, along with …"
Kurt smiled brightly as Thad and the others welcomed him again to Dalton, expressing their wishes for him to look at trying out for the Warblers in the near future. They talked a little, casual things to let Kurt get to know them a little, which he appreciated and could see himself becoming good friends with all four of them in the future.
They were interrupted by another very familiar voice, one Kurt didn't expect to hear at the all boy's school. "Blaine, did you tell Jeff that Noah and I were staying over tonight?" the girl came striding into the room like only she could. The one and only Rachel Berry stood in the middle of his new dorm room, dressed in what Kurt would call normal clothes for once. He could even admit that she looked fashionable in her tank and jeans – anything was better than the animal sweaters she had a fondness of.
Seconds later the hulking form of McKinley's resident bad-ass Noah 'Puck' Puckerman also appeared, carrying a large duffle bag over his shoulder. "Chill Rach, we stay over all the time, it's no big deal," he said. Puck seemed to be more perceptive than Rachel because he immediately spotted Kurt. "How's it going, Hummel?"
"Rachel? Puckerman?" Kurt went white, shrinking back as far as he could into Hunter's side. He didn't want the New Directions to come after him; he was done with them. He hadn't expected Puck or Rachel to show up, but he guessed that since his departure they had been informed and needed to try and include their own opinions on his 'selfishness'. "I suppose you both just had to come and tell me how I'm ruining your chances at Sectionals."
Rachel spun around in surprise, having heard her name. The look of complete surprise at his present confused Kurt slightly until her show face slipped into place. "Kurt?" She looked at Blaine accusingly, "Blaine, you didn't tell me Kurt was at Dalton?"
"We honestly had no idea," Blaine said.
"Dean Evetts asked me to keep the news of a new transfer to myself until he got here," Jeff admitted, "So he had some time to settle in on his own when it was quiet. You know how most of Hearst are when there are new guys."
"I'm not coming back to the New Directions," Kurt said in a deadpan, folding his arms and directing a pointed look at both Rachel and Puck. He was oblivious to the "Nothing you can say will make me go back. I'm sure Finn or Schuester asked you to come grovelling to get me to come back… or did you come to yell at me too? Because I'm pretty sure the rest of the club made their feelings well known."
"Calm down a little, Kurt," Hunter said, effectively silencing him.
"You'll pop a vein or something, if you keep stressing," Matt chuckled.
"We didn't come because of the New Directions," Rachel smiled softly. That surprised Kurt even more, who was positive his eye brows couldn't rise any further. Rachel lived and breathed the New Directions.
"But we did hear about what happened on Thursday," Puck added, running a hand through his Mohawk.
"Then why are you here?" Kurt asked softly, he still wasn't trusting enough to believe either of them. Their relationships in the past had never been very good. Puckerman had been one of the jocks and he and Rachel had had a vicious rivalry ever since the glee club was established. "If not to yell at me?"
"I had to drop something off to my uncle," Rachel smiled brightly, and for once, Kurt noticed, that it wasn't her faked show smile, but a genuine smile.
"We also came to spend time with our friends here," Puck stressed the word we, holding his hands up to show Kurt that he was posing him no threat. "Rachel and I spend a lot of time here at Dalton, with her uncle being the dead and everything."
Kurt felt a little foolish and then immensely confused, neither had ever made any inclination that they had friends outside their cliques at McKinley; let alone were friends with each other. He felt as though he'd run full speed into a brick wall but before he could collapse as he continued to try and process the presence of Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry, Matt reached out and pulled him into his lap to steady him. Jeff, Hunter and Matt didn't seem surprised to see the two New Direction club members standing in the middle of the dorms, leading Kurt to somewhat believe Puck.
But his face must have still looked confused because Puck said, "I'm telling the truth. Don't look so worried, Hummel, I'm not up to anything. These guys are good friends of mine and Rachel's, I've known then for as long as I can remember, I guess you could say we grew up together. We've been coming to Dalton since freshman year, not full time or anything, but whenever we needed to feel challenged the teachers let us sit in their classes. We both have our own uniforms and everything. We're only enrolled at McKinley in name; at first it was just so I could play football there but now there's glee too. We'd leave but neither of us wanted to let the New Directions and the football team. But it's getting harder not to just spend all of our time here. Figgins only allows it because of the large cheque Rachel's dad writes him each semester."
"They're practically students here," David commented, "with all the time they spend here."
"Everyone loves having Rachel around," Thad agreed.
"Usually they only go back to McKinley as a formality and for glee and football, isn't that right?" Wes said, looking at the pair, who nodded firmly in reply.
Rachel pursed her lips, "We would have been in glee on Thursday as well but the Warbler's kidnapped us for an impromptu performance."
"Reminds me of Hunter and Matt," Kurt remarked, earning him confused looks from both Rachel and Puck. Hunter just winked at the two, which Kurt didn't appreciate. He slapped the muscular boy on the arm. "Just that we've been friends since we were little."
"So you believe us?" Puck asked. He sounded hopeful.
Kurt didn't share any classes with either Rachel or Puck, but had always believed them to be within the school grounds. They had always been in glee, with only a few exceptions. But the way they seemed to comfortable in the dorm and how none of the other boys seemed to react as though anything was out of place, Kurt had to admit that yes, he did believe Puckerman. Without thinking, he said, "Why didn't you ever tell anyone that you were friends with a rival glee club?"
Even as he said it, he could see the hurt flash across their eyes. Mentally, he was kicking himself because he had just settled for believing them.
"Because it has nothing to do with him and it had nothing to do with New Directions." Puck cut in, speaking evenly in a voice that meant he understood that Kurt was only unconsciously lashing out because he was still confused. "Frankly, we've bother been a Warbler longer than New Directions has even existed. I have a badge here and everything to prove it."
Rachel picked up where Puck trailed off, it was an easy transition and Kurt could see that the two were indeed very close. "The Warblers are our friends, probably more so than New Directions ever will be – they understand me and they understand Noah because we all take the time to get to know each other on a personal level rather than using each other as a means to win.
"We're a family and that means more to me than winning a trophy at any competition or fighting for the newest solo Mr Schue hands out; as long as I get to make music and have some fun with these guys I'm happy, and that's what the Warblers are all about."
"I'm sorry, it just slipped out," Kurt flushed, feeling embarrassed for even accusing them of that when he was now hoping to become a member of said rival glee club.
"I probably should have warmed you earlier," Matt said.
"We didn't tell anyone at McKinley because we knew how the glee club would react," Rachel said, almost darkly. "They would be afraid that the Warblers just wanted to steal our set list The Warblers are nothing but perfect gentlemen and would never -"
"We would never dream of stealing someone else's set list," David cut in with a chuckle. "Only Vocal Adrenaline would stoop to such low levels to win. We believe in talent and hard work."
"What Davey said," Puck nodded sternly, crossing his arms to stare at Kurt. "The Warblers are my friends and I trust them with my life. We knew that we'd be given an ultimatum to try and get us to stop talking to everyone at Dalton. But I can assure you now, this is our family, and they're way more important to us than the New Directions ever were, so the choice to stay or go will always… always be go."
"It totally slipped my mind to explain Rachel and Noah's circumstances to you, Kurt," Jeff added. "I explained the Warblers and everything else you needed to know and I guess that since I was so used to them that I forgot that they came from your old school. They're here nearly every day and attend most of their classes here because Dalton offers a higher level curriculum, both get good grades too, and were granted permission to do so by Rachel's uncle, Dean Evetts and the school board after a lot of petitioning by the rest of the school. They're our unofficial students."
"It's okay," Kurt replied, "I'm sorry for over reacting. I'm not accusing you of anything, I swear. It's just a reflex that I haven't broken yet."
Rachel looked at him in sympathy, crossed the room and tugged him out of Matt's lap into her own petite arms. "We understand… You should have told us how bad the bullying really was. I don't know what caused you to move schools but you can tell us anything, anytime you need."
"I want you to know, but… I don't like saying those things aloud," Kurt whispered into her shoulder. He briefly send a pleading look to Matt, granting him the permission to tell them the story. They deserved to know after all. He had never seen this side of either Rachel or Puck but he kind of liked how relaxed they were. They looked at him with real concern and Rachel sounded as though she really did mean what she said.
Kurt caught the slight glances Blaine, Wes and David shared, he'd accidentally told them about what happened with Karofsky when they invited him for coffee after Teenager Dream. It had been them that strongly suggested that he go to the Dean; they had explained to Jack what he'd told them and stayed in his company until Burt could arrive. He was thankful that Thad must have sensed the seriousness of the conversation at hand and closed the door so no wandering Hearst boarder could interrupt.
"Karofsky threatened to kill Kurt," Matt said quietly, looking at his hands.
"That was after the asshole sexually assaulted him in the locker room," Hunter hissed dangerously. He'd always been protective of Kurt and he knew that Hunter felt guilty for not being there to stop it while he was in military school. His far-too-gun-happy friend meant well but sometimes scared even him. He shivered just thinking about the locker of different fire arms Hunter owned at the local shooting range.
"He what?" Puck exploded, clenching his fist. "I'll kill that douchebag." Blaine and David had to grab hold of him before he destroyed anything in the dorm room.
"Is that true Kurt?" Rachel asked, stunned. Kurt could only nod.
"The dean and Kurt asked for that to be kept quiet." Jeff instructed quietly to the four Dalton boys and Puck, just out of Kurt's ear shot, "They don't want the story to spread through campus just yet. All we can do is look out for him and make him feel safe and protected at Dalton. It's his story to tell and when he's ready he'll let other people in as well. But Kurt has already told us that he wants to forget about the past and start fresh. He's relaxed a lot since first arriving but he's still a little jumpy so tomorrow will be a real trial for him."
Hunter had stood and approached the group of boys while Kurt clung to Rachel, letting the tears fall once again. He had thought that he'd dried up all his tears when he first told Matt and Hunter and Jeff, but he'd been wrong. Matt encircled the duo and pulled them next to him on the bed, speaking softly, eliciting a small response from both. Even Rachel seemed a little teary eyed. "Matt and I will look out for him, but Kurt hasn't had an easy life. He could use all the friends he can get. He may seem like he's always so strong but I've known him for a long time, he's as fragile as porcelain and has been broken so many times that it's hard for him to be fully trusting of people."
"Rachel's like that too," Wes said, looking over at the duo, "They're very similar in that way."
"I'm sure the Warblers will agree to protect him as well once they've officially met," Jeff said, looking at the three council members.
"I'll be hard enough getting them to detach from his sides," David agreed.
Thad chuckled, "The guys do have a fondness for adopting strays."
"He already seems happier here," Puck commented. "I can see it in the way he holds himself. At McKinley he was always hunched over and refusing to look people in the eye – the New Directions never helped with any of that either. But you said he's been here since yesterday, Jeff?" The blonde nodded, "He seems relaxed and almost happy. It's nice."
"You're getting soft, Noah," Blaine grinned.
"No I'm not!"
The group looked back over to the trio on Kurt's bed. Kurt's tears had subsided and he had been none the wiser of the private conversation going on between Puck and the Dalton boys. He had been so wrapped up in letting his insecurities flow out on to Rachel that he had been oblivious that they were even talking altogether. Eventually he took to venting about the New Directions to Rachel and Matt, who both listened with an understanding ear, nodding at all the right moments and inserting their own opinions about the 'family' Mr Schue claimed them to be.
Finally, Kurt wiped his tears away and looked at everyone, "I just want to move forward from now on. Karofsky can't get me here."
"You're stronger than I would be, Kurt," Blaine admitted.
The tension in the air dissipated and the boys scattered around the room, sitting on desk chairs or the floor or the two beds and just talked. Kurt was glad that they didn't press the matter or go running off to pummel the jock. He was glad for the distraction and was beginning to enjoy getting to know some potential new friends. For the most part he ignored any embarrassing or sexual comment Hunter and Matt jokingly made and focused on getting to know about the relationship between Rachel, Puck and the four Warblers they'd arrived with.
Over this time, Rachel had patiently explained how they'd met when they were only six and constantly played in the park together, cementing their friendship. She immediately answered any questions Kurt had with the help of her friends. In turn, Kurt explained his own childhood friendship with Hunter and Matt to them, that much like them they'd known each other since diapers and had lived very close to each other. The two had been Kurt's rocks when his mother Elizabeth had died when they were eight.
Kurt had trouble imagining that once upon a time Puckerman was smaller than Blaine and as stringy as a twig with a thick head of dark curls and glasses. He'd only ever seen the boy with a wall of muscle, his Mohawk and never hinted to the fact that he needed glasses. It helped when Thad pulled out a photo from his wallet of them when they were 7 – the boys had their arms around each other, looking proud, and Rachel was sitting on top of David's back, grinning with pride and holding a trophy high above her head. They were all in their sweaty, muddy, fluro green and black soccer uniforms; the East Lima Bears (under 8 division champions). .
Puck had even taken out his contact lenses to complete the image for Kurt and pulled out his so that he could put them on. Ten minutes later and Kurt hadn't stopped laughing; Puck scowled deeply at the brunette boy as his friends surrounding them were trying not to let their amusement show. He proclaimed that 'they were Harry Potter glasses, and no one could deny that Harry Potter was totally badass. Who wouldn't want to be like a wizard who ran around zapping people with his wand?' Puck even forcibly admitted that he was an even bigger Harry Potter nerd than Blaine.
He'd traded a photo of himself and his friends with surfboards and wetsuits when Puck looked at him in disbelief when Hunter started regaling their own adventures. It was safe to say that Puck had been seriously impressed to find out that Kurt had an extensive of 'bad-ass' hobbies. Rachel just laughed and pestered him for more detailed stories of his many adventures with the two boys. Jeff just sat with a bemused look on his face, taking in all of the information with a few comments and questions now and then.
Kurt had been the most surprised that Rachel acted normal. She rebutted the fact and said that she couldn't be normal because she hung around Dalton. and reminded Kurt that "It's better to be insane than normal, because normal is boring."
Still Kurt was having difficulty separating the overachieving, loud, obnoxious 'glee club' Rachel he'd come to know and detest over the year that they have been in the New Directions together and the charming, relaxed, funny 'Dalton´ Rachel, who was slowly revealing herself fully to him. However, it wasn't like anyone at Dalton had ever experienced anyone other than the Rachel lounging in David's lap. She'd stopped using as many big words and just relaxed. She smiled a lot, Kurt discovered, and not just a plastered on fake show face that she used to fool the glee club into thinking that she was fine, but a real smile that actually reached her bright, inquisitive eyes. Rachel also laughed a lot, mostly to inside jokes that Kurt had no idea why they were so funny, and she also liked to make her own jokes; more than once leaving Kurt in stitches with one of her stories.
She was friendly and patient and understanding, listening to everything he had to say before answering carefully, sincerely meaning everything that Kurt said. This Rachel liked sports and gymnastics, exhibiting talent in soccer, cheerleading and a variety of other different activities that before this afternoon Kurt would never have associated with the Broadway driven girl.
Kurt also discovered that all of the personality flaws the Rachel Berry he had come to know in glee club were only a defence mechanism to keep people getting to close enough to hurt her. Her heart was sealed away from the prying eyes of the McKinely student body, and worn openly in the Dalton halls. The bully and taunts were affecting her more than she let on but couldn't bear to leave the school without Puck in tow, who had invested himself in the football team; so she created the diva personality to shield some of that hurt and protect herself. The obnoxious need to control the glee club also stemmed from this hurt; everyday Rachel saw her fellow teammates hanging out with each other like friends where she was always left on the sidelines, alone, and made fun of when she tried to grab even a little bit of their attention. In reality Rachel was incredibly fragile and breakable, like a glass statue.
After Rachel, came the shocking discovers of Puck… Really, Puck didn't exist at Dalton. There was no trace of him whatsoever. Noah, on the other hand, was the boy sitting beside him resting a hand on Kurt's shoulder to make sure he was coping with everything that was being thrown at him. And Noah was wonderful. Noah was the boy asking him questions about his life that no one had bothered to know before because they had already decided on those facts about him for themselves.
He laughed and smiled and joked around with his friends in such an open and inviting way (something he'd never seen before) rather than the idiotic jostling and defensive comments that were spat towards the Neanderthals on the football team, and despite the crudeness of most of his jokes Kurt found himself laughing along. That would never change.
He admitted that his faith in the football team was wavering and he was only being held at McKinley for the glee club these days. He would much prefer playing for Dalton's premiership winning team than the pathetic joke at McKinley.
Surprisingly Noah kept a straight A or B average in all of his Dalton classes, despite the advance curriculum and the difficult subjects he seemed to be taking. He liked to read sci-fi novels, collect comic books and learn new things. His goal in life was to get out of Lima with a scholarship in his hand; chasing his dream of making it in either the music industry or even starting up a photography company.
Noah liked to bake cookies with his Nana and he knew how to knit because he took the time to sit down with the elderly woman every week for at least a few hours, telling her about his week and the antics of his friends or listening to some of their favourite classic records. Because, besides his mother and sister, his Nana was the only one left in his biological family and she was often lonely sitting in the nursing home by herself. The smile on her face when he walked through the door always made his day.
Puck was, like Rachel, also a defence mechanism that he had created on the very first day of high school. When he met Finn during orientation people had stereotyped them as being the athletic type. So from that day on he let others dictate his actions, spreading rumours until his reputation preceded him. Noah didn't want to have to act like he does most days, but now that they were so far into high school it would be impossible for Puck to completely vanish.
Girls were bitchy when it came to people that didn't necessarily 'fit it' but boys could be brutally abusive.
When they finally looked at the clock it was almost time for curfew and the moon was shining brightly through the open window. The four Dalton boys excused themselves, agreeing that it was getting late and then heading off to their own dorms with a cheerful goodbye and a promise to see Kurt tomorrow in classes and maybe even Warbler rehearsal. Rachel also got up, leading Puck with her to the door. She looked at Kurt and said, "I can't wait to be in class with you tomorrow, Kurt. We're going to have so much fun." Kurt smiled in agreement before Rachel slipped out the door and disappeared down the brightly painted corridor.
Only Puck was left of the little group. He stood with one hand resting against the door frame. He gave Kurt a soft look and grinned. "You're going to need to get a good night's sleep to be prepared for the chaos that is Dalton tomorrow."
"Thanks for the advice, Puck," Kurt grinned back.
"And Kurt, now that you're at Dalton… Call me Noah. Puck only exists at McKinley," Puck said in a gentle voice that Kurt had never before heard coming from the self-proclaimed bad ass. It was friendly and warm, like the rest of Dalton. "We'll see you in the morning. We can talk more then. I know Rachel will want to give you all of the Dalton gossip. And for what it's worth, I'm happy you finally got out of that hell hole. Rachel is too… we've been looking out for you when we can but it's hard when we aren't there most of the time. At first I was surprised you took my advice to visit the school, but it seems everything worked out for the best. I had been hoping you would becoming interested, especially in the zero tolerance bullying policy… Just ignore the rest of the New Directions, they don't know what they lost and when they do it'll be too late. You deserve better. You deserve to feel safe. You deserve to be happy. And what Rachel said earlier is true, from now on, we've got your back… 'Night, Kurt."
Leaving a gobsmacked Kurt, Puck disappeared down the hall. He didn't realise it until Hunter pulled him onto his bed, in between Matt and himself, that tears were leaking down his face.
"You two do have your own room, you know," Jeff chided, reaching to turn the lights off. "You three barely fit on a single bed."
Kurt could feel both Hunter and Matt grin on either side of him like a pair of Cheshire cats. "We know," the chorused.