"Kurt, wake up. We're here," Carole said, and she gently shook her stepson. Kurt was already awake, but didn't want to say anything. Carole was trying so hard to be the best mother she could be, and he didn't want to make her feel bad, so he just went with it.
He yawned, stretched, and said, "'Kay," before unbuckling himself and unfolding his cane. He swung his door open and set the tip of the white cane on the pavement, ready to go. He could tell that Burt and Finn were hovering behind him. He wanted to tell them that he'd be fine without them standing so damn close, but he didn't want to hurt their feelings.
Kurt made his way through the parking lot, following the sound of Carole's footsteps. They met up with Blaine and the principal at the end of the parking lot and Kurt could practically feel him smiling. "Welcome to Dalton. This is Mr. Hall, the principal."
"Mr. and Mrs. Hummel, if you'll follow me, there are a few more things I'd like to go over with you in my office," Mr. Hall said. His voice was deep and friendly, but Kurt didn't doubt that if he wanted to, it could easily become one of the scariest voices at Dalton.
"I'll show you two to the dorms," Blaine said, noticing that Finn had Kurt's suitcase. Finn had refused letting Kurt carry it, saying, "It's not a problem, Kurt."
Kurt allowed Blaine to link arms with him and let he lagged behind. It was odd, but comforting. "The dorms are just a little bit ahead."
When a wave of heat hit him, he knew that he was inside the dorms. "This is the 'living room.' It's where we all come to hang out. Down the hallway to your right are the dorms where you'll be staying." Blaine whispered, "I asked for your room to be right next to mine. Is that alright?" Kurt nodded.
"Perfect."
Blaine led them down the hall and told Kurt, "Your room is the 6th on the right. Here it is." Blaine pushed open the door and led Kurt inside. "The bed is over on the far right wall, and next to it is desk. Your closet is on the opposite wall. I went ahead and put your jacket in your closet, if that's alright with you."
"Thanks," Kurt said. Finn brushed past them and, by the sound of it, put Kurt's suitcase on his bed.
"Do you wanna start unpacking?" Finn asked awkwardly. Kurt could tell he wasn't comfortable with the silence, and, to be honest, neither was he. He made a mental note to plug in his iPod as soon as he could.
"That'd be great," Kurt said, and Blaine guided him to his bed, his cane tapping and brain counting at the same time. 4 steps from the door to the middle of the bed, he counted.
It didn't take long to unpack with Finn and Blaine. In fact, Kurt didn't do any work at all. He just told them where to put his things, and they followed his directions. Fifteen minutes later, his suitcase was unpacked and the three of them were just sitting around.
"I see you've already unpacked," Mr. Hall said, his voice ringing out in the silence. Kurt hadn't noticed that he and his parents had returned.
"It looks like you've got everything under control," Burt said. He and Finn were so much alike sometimes, both of them hating silence. "So, I guess we'll be going." Burt walked over to his son and gave him a hug. "Behave, you hear?"
Kurt rolled his eyes, something he knew his dad couldn't see under his dark sunglasses. "I love you too." Carole gave him a hug as well, holding on much longer than Burt had. Kurt could tell she was on the verge of tears, but she refused to cry there. Finn, rather than giving his stepbrother a hug, just told him, "I'll see you later."
Kurt was glad that Finn had been so awkward in that moment. He didn't know what he'd do if he got another hug. His family left and Mr. Hall, leaving him and Blaine alone. "Oh!" Blaine suddenly exclaimed. "Stay where you are."
Kurt heard him leaving the room, and come back a minute later. "Here," he said, handing Kurt a piece of paper. "You need your teachers to sign this and then you turn it in. I, uh, got you signed up for my classes so I could help you out. You don't mind, do you?"
Kurt felt relief wash over him. One of his biggest fears since transferring to Dalton would be that he was stranded alone and helpless in just one of his classes. "Not at all."
"I'll see you later," Blaine said.
"I'll hear you later." Kurt hoped Blaine would pick up on his joke, and when Blaine let out a laugh, Kurt laughed too.
The all too familiar click of a door closing rang throughout the otherwise silent room, and Kurt pulled his knees to his chest. Butterflies swarmed in his stomach. He was excited to be here with Blaine and away from Karofsky, but that didn't stop him from missing Mercedes and the rest of New Directions. They'd become a second family to him, even if some of them were a little hostile at times.
When he'd told Mercedes that he was going to Dalton, he could almost hear the sadness in her voice. "I'll miss you, beau," she told him. "I'm always a phone call away, remember that." She whispered, "And if Blaine gives you any trouble, you let him know I'll whoop his skinny little white boy ass. Don't let anyone give you trouble, you hear me?"
Kurt nodded and smiled. "I won't."
Things would be different here at Dalton, he knew it. He wouldn't have to walk around in fear, he wouldn't have to rush to his classes, (being blind gave him a bit of a leeway when it came to punctuality) and hopefully, he'd make friends easier. The last wasn't the easiest for Kurt at McKinley. Being the only openly gay student and being on glee club were a lethal combination to any one's social status. But here, he got a fresh start.
And was he excited.
He didn't know what time he fell asleep or what time he was woken up, but he could tell it was early. He hadn't been able to keep track of time easily since he'd lost his sight; the times of day had all become one huge blur. He'd just go to bed when he got tired and wake up when he wasn't. But now, he supposed, he'd have to get on a schedule. And find a clock that would let him tell the time.
"Are you up?" Blaine's voice was what brought Kurt to consciousness, and Kurt shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"I am now. What time is it?" he asked with a yawn. Blaine paused, probably looking at his watch, and answered, "6:50. Classes start at 8, and breakfast is served at 7."
"Could you stay while I get ready?" Kurt knew it was an odd question, but he hadn't gotten completely ready on his own since he lost his sight and was certainly not going to start on the first day of classes.
"Sure." Blaine's shoes clacked on the hardwood floor as he made his way to Kurt's bed. Kurt unsteadily got out of bed, not really sure of the layout. He'd only lived there a day, and didn't know it as well as he wanted to. His hands stayed slightly outstretched, acting as a makeshift cane as he made his way to his closet to grab his uniform. After going through and feeling all of the fabrics in the closet, he found one that was unfamiliar to his touch. He pulled it out and turned towards the other wall.
"Is this it?" Kurt asked.
"Yep," Blaine said. "I'm turning around," he informed Kurt, and he heard the groan of the springs of his bed as he turned to face the wall.
Kurt pulled off the clothes he wore yesterday and put them in the hamper Carole bought him on their way from Lima to Westerville. He pulled on his pants, making sure the button was in front, but he struggled getting his shirt buttoned. He couldn't get the buttons to match up properly, and it was really frustrating him. "Do you need help?" Blaine asked. Kurt ignored him and continued trying to button his shirt on his own. "Kurt, do you need help?"
Kurt gave up, frustrated. "Yes." He heard Blaine cross the room towards him, and Kurt flushed as Blaine buttoned his shirt, and then tied his tie. He tried not to notice how close their faces were, or how warm Blaine's hands were. He could smell Blaine's cinnamon breath.
"Do you need help with your shoes?" Blaine asked, and Kurt shook his head.
"I just need you to hand them to me," he said, and Blaine handed Kurt his shoes. The leather was cool and Kurt sat down on the cold floor as he pulled them on and tied them with ease. It was one of the few skills he had completely mastered now, and he found it kind of embarrassing. Tying his shoes was such a simple task, yet it was one of the few he could still do on his own. Blaine helped Kurt stand up and he handed him his jacket, sunglasses and cane and linked arms with him.
"Let's go before all the good stuff is gone," he said. Kurt slid is sunglasses over his face, and followed Blaine out of the dorms. It was warm outside, and boy, did it feel good. Burt wouldn't let him go outside, even when Mercedes and Tina had sworn up and down that they'd make sure he was safe.
"What if they aren't paying attention?" Burt had said. "What if you get hit by a car, or get lost, or you lose your cane?" Kurt had insisted that there was a slim chance any of that would happen, but it still didn't convince his father. He enjoyed his brief time in the sun, but was soon whisked into the Commons.
It was loud and noisy in here, and it smelled like sausage and eggs. Blaine led Kurt to the line, and asked, "What do you want?"
Kurt shrugged. "I'll have an apple."
"Just an apple?" Blaine nudged him with his elbow. "You need to have more than an apple. You look ridiculously underweight."
"Leave my appetite alone. I'm not even that hungry."
"Nervous?" Kurt could practically hear the smile in Blaine's voice. Kurt, in response, rolled his eyes.
"You have no idea."
"Relax. It'll be fine." Blaine nudged him again. "Besides, I hear your tour guide is pretty handsome."
Kurt laughed. He could imagine Blaine's head getting a bit bigger. "Looks don't matter any more," Kurt reminded him. "He's got to have a good personality and voice. Not that they weren't important before, but...you know."
"Are you saying I don't look good?" Blaine asked.
"I'm saying I couldn't care. But," he added, "if it makes you feel better, I guess you look great."
"It does."
Author's Notes:
I'm so sorry for the wait! I've got an excuse, but it's lame and well, I'm just really sorry. But the chapters keep getting longer and longer. :D
Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed and especially to my friend MagnusBaneLove13, who not only helped me fix this up but also pestered me into getting in finished. So you can thank her for the update. :D