Sorry, some chapters are much shorter than others.

The forty year old woman they now had in their glee club sidled up to Blaine in the hall. "So, you wanna bang the gelfling, right?"

"Excuse me?" he coughed, nearly dropping his books in surprise.

"Kurtie-boy. You want in his skin-tight jeans," April Rhodes continued. "Have no fear, I have gotten into many a pant of a gay boy."

"What on earth- what is your point?"

"I am here to help."

"I do not need it," he assured her vehemently. "Thank you," he added, polite to the bitter end.

"Confidence is great, but he's got eyes for the gargantuan, I'm sure you've noticed. Just because you're the only gay guy he knows doesn't guarantee you a place in his heart."

Blaine suddenly wondered if she wasn't just a figment of his imagination because that's basically the exact same thing he thought every time Kurt gazed at Finn. He'd been sure he'd been making up the longing looks in his head because why would Kurt ever, ever like Finn he's an idiot and past tormentor, but…

"I have to go," he said, rushing away from her.

"Am I the only one still confused as to how April Rhodes is allowed back into this school?" Blaine mused bitterly as Kurt joined him for lunch in the bleachers.

"Who cares? She's brilliant," he replied excitedly.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. She was nuts, and he knew that before she offered to give him tips on picking Kurt up. "What the hell happened to 'she's no Rachel Berry'?"

"Try some," Kurt said, handing him a thermos.

"What is it?" he replied, eyeing it warily.

"Liquid courage."

"Alcohol? April Rhodes gave you alcohol? You're sixteen."

"And…" he began, reaching into his bag to slip out a few muscle magazines. Blaine's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "You can borrow them if you want."

"Kurt, how much of this have you had?" He held up the thermos of illegal booze.

"Enough," he smiled serenely.

"I agree," he said, shoving it into his own school bag.

"Hey-"

"Kurt, you are the last person that needs alcohol to give them strength, okay?" He put a hand on his shoulder and made sure he was looking him in the eye. "You're the bravest person I know."

He looked down at his hands, fidgeting over the pictures of overly muscled men. "It really doesn't feel like it."

Over the past few weeks, Blaine had slowly begun to realize that though Kurt put up a bitchy front, he was just as vulnerable as anybody on the inside, which was just plain shocking, because after joining football and glee, and coming out to his father even though he was scared, Blaine couldn't think of anyone else he looked up to more.

"Kurt, how can you not see yourself the way everybody else sees you?"

"Flaming?" he snorted derisively.

"Yeah, you're gay. So own it, just like you own your incredible fashion sense and your theatrical talent. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and certainly not worthy of using alcohol as a crutch."

"Okay. Thanks," he agreed slowly. "You're kind of a great friend."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"Can I keep the magazines though?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, go ahead."

Blaine poked his head into the guidance counselor's office. "Miss Pillsbury?"

"Yes?" She looked up from arranging some pamphlets on her desk. "Oh, Blaine, hi. Have a seat. How are you adjusting to McKinley?"

"As well as to be expected, I guess," he said, sitting down across from her.

"I heard that you've joined both the football team and glee club. I hope you're enjoying that."

"Yeah," he said. "I dunno about football. I like planning the plays, but I'd rather not have to spend unnecessary amounts of time with the most of the guys on the team."

She hummed sympathetically. "I know you're having a tough time with them; I read all the reports you file with Principal Figgins. You're doing all the right things, and I'm incredibly sorry there's not more I can do for you without either witnesses or serious injury."

He nodded bitterly. He usually ranted to any authority figure he could about the horrible bullying that happened at the school, but he actually liked Miss Pillsbury and didn't want to end up getting mad at her for not doing anything. So he let the opportunity pass.

"Yeah, so." He leaned down and flipped his bag open. "I wasn't really sure who to come to with this. I thought Figgins maybe, but he's been completely useless to me so far, and Schuester is, well… I know you're friends with him so maybe you can talk to him about it instead."

"What is it?"

He pulled out the thermos and set it on her desk. "April Rhodes gave Kurt alcohol," he told her. "And I'm fairly certain that she's teaching Mercedes and Tina how to shoplift."

Miss Pillsbury's eyes somehow grew even wider.

"I don't want to get her in trouble or anything, but…" He held his hands up, quite literally at a loss for words. It was just completely inappropriate behaviour.

She opened the thermos and took a whiff, instantly scrunching her nose and pulling back. "Oh my. This is very serious. Thank you for coming to me with this, Blaine. I'll definitely talk to Wi- Mr. Schuester."

He slid his bag onto his shoulder and stood up. "Thanks, Miss Pillsbury."