Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Ari went through the next two weeks in a very numb state. It was easier than letting the grief she had felt at Sectionals consume her. Her mind and body had shut down and she was living her life on auto-pilot. If anyone in the Glee club had noticed -and there -was no doubt in Ari's mind that they had- they didn't say anything. Paul never noticed anything that would require him to be insightful, but he had to know that her quietness and the way she let herself be thrown around by him was because he had won.
The one ray of sunlight in Ari's life was her frequent communication with Kurt. He had apologized for not saying hi to her at Sectionals, and explained that the Warblers had been in a rush to return back to Dalton. Ari brushed it off, explaining to him that it was fine and that she understood. Ari knew that Kurt hadn't purposely blown her off. But that didn't mean that he had unknowingly broken her heart by finding a new best friend. He didn't realize how much their friendship actually meant to her.
Kurt's life was brightening up, that was for sure. Ari could tell simply by the sound of his voice when they spoke over the phone, or the light in his eyes when they Skyped together. He was a different person entirely now that he didn't have to face his demons every day. Dalton had a strict no bullying, no harassment policy. Kurt could be who he truly was there without fear of somebody putting him down.
Ari envied him immensely.
Although, even after days of numbness, right now was not the time for Ari to feel anything but excitement. The day before, Kurt had invited her to come to Dalton the next day to visit him. Today was Monday and she had left Glee club early to make the two hour drive to Westerville. She had barely slept the night before in anticipation, and she felt as if nothing could stop her from being excited to get out of Lima for a few hours, even if she was only going a few towns over. The fact that earlier that day, during Ari's lunch period, Paul had punched her in the eye had almost bounced off of Ari. She refused to let him have the small bit of happiness that remained inside of her.
Brian, one of the caretakers at the children's home Ari lived at, had been kind enough to drive her to Dalton. Kurt had promised to drive her home later that night. The ride seemed longer than two hours—it felt like two years. Finally, Brian pulled the car up to the place where Kurt had instructed her to go—the front entrance of his dorm building. Ari pulled her pea coat tighter around her to keep out the frosty December chill. Securing her backpack on one of her shoulders, she made her way inside, eager to see her fashionable friend for the first time in a while.
Kurt had told Ari that Dalton was a nice school, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she walked through the front door. The lobby of Kurt's dorm building looked like the lobby of a fancy hotel. Two plush couches were angled near a roaring fireplace, and a pretty chandelier hung from the ceiling. This was clearly where students gathered to hang out or do homework, because Ari noticed clusters of chairs and small coffee tables throughout the room that provided nice, comfortable sitting areas. A group of studying students was gathered at one of the sitting areas, all clad in Dalton's school uniform. The two boys wore blue blazers with red trimming, ties and gray pants, and the three girls wore a more feminine but similar blazer with gray skirts.
Ari was able to stop herself from admiring the room's atmosphere in time to remember that Kurt said he would be waiting by the front desk for her. However, she did not find Kurt there.
Instead, she found Blaine.
Much to Ari's dismay, Blaine wore a wide smile on his face as he strode over to her confidently. "Hi, you must be Ari!" He greeted her, offering his hand for her to shake.
Annoyed, but trying not to show it, Ari shook his hand lightly. "Hi." She paused so her question didn't sound too eager. "Where's Kurt?"
Blaine's smile turned a bit sad. "He told me to apologize to you. He completely forgot that he had to make-up a French test after classes today, and had to run to his classroom to go take it. He didn't have time to text you. But he asked me to keep you company until he's done, which should be in about an hour or so." Blaine's tone was enthusiastic, as if spending time with Ari had been the best thing that happened to him all day. Ari cursed his genuine excitement.
She wondered if it was too late to call Brian and ask him to turn around and come back for her.
Her heart sinking, Ari mustered a fake smile. "Oh, okay. Thanks…"
"I thought we could go on up to my dorm and hang there for a while, until Kurt gets out. Sound good?" Blaine asked.
Ari nodded.
Seeming pleased with himself, Blaine reached out and slid his fingers under one of Ari's backpack straps. "Let me take your bag for you," he offered.
Ari resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Blaine for being such a perfect gentleman when she was trying, very hard, to hate him.
"We just have to sign you in," Blaine explained, leading over to the front desk and telling the woman sitting there that he had a friend visiting him for a few hours. With a quick couple of signatures, the two headed up the staircase leading to the dorms.
"I'm glad Kurt asked me to keep you company, you know. I've been looking forward to meeting you for a while, now," Blaine remarked as they walked down the hallway, passing dozens of dorm doors. "Kurt talks about you constantly."
Ari felt her black eye begin to sting at the mention of Kurt and the fact she had to spend an hour with the man who had stolen her best friend from her.
Instead of mentioning that Kurt talked about Blaine all the time, as well, she simply nodded.
They reached the third door from the end of the hallway and Blaine held it open for Ari. Stepping inside, Ari admired the nice, but small room in which Blaine lived. A bed covered in a deep red comforter sat in the corner of the room. A small couch sat in front of the bed, with a television on a coffee table across from it. There was a desk in the opposite corner of the room that was covered in books and sheet music. Next to the closet door stood a guitar in a stand.
"Um…nice place," Ari commented rather awkwardly as Blaine shut the door behind them.
"Well, it's not much, but thank you," Blaine responded, grinning sheepsihly. "You can have a seat if you want." He pulled out the desk chair, gesturing for her to sit.
Blaine took a seat on the bed across from her. "So, Kurt tells me you're in your school's show choir," Blaine begins, launching into small-talk. "Apparently, you're very talented."
Ari, much to her dismay, feels a blush rush to her cheeks. "…Well, I'm not the best in New Directions. Rachel Berry is…I don't know if Kurt's told you about her…"
"The crazy one. Yes, I've heard all about her. From what I saw at Sectionals, an extremely gifted singer, and from what Kurt tells me, an extremely gifted pest," Blaine joked.
Ari cracked a smile without even realizing it. "That pretty much sums it up. She usually has the spotlight in everything we do."
"That's too bad," Blaine sympathized, knitting his eyebrows together. "Everyone deserves to have a chance. I bet you're just as good as Rachel."
"Maybe you're right," Ari agreed jokingly, finding herself not minding conversation with Blaine after all.
The two continued chatting idly for a while, about subjects ranging from show choir to the weather to Kurt. Ari found that Blaine really did respect and value Kurt as a person just as Ari did, although the glow in Blaine's eyes as he spoke of him suggested to Ari that he possibly liked him more than a friend. Ari decided that maybe there was still room for her after all, especially since Blaine was eager to become her friend as well. Ari decided that her despising Blaine for being Kurt's friend was really ignorant and childish of her. Blaine really had helped Kurt adjust, and come to terms with his problems at school. If Ari couldn't come to terms with her own problems, the most she could do was be happy for Kurt.
A half hour passed by, and though Ari was still anxious to see Kurt, she didn't mind the comfortable conversation with Blaine.
But the comfort didn't last long. Because after they had finished discussing Kurt's massive fashion sense of which they were both fascinated by, Blaine asked Ari a question that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.
"I apologize if I'm overstepping, but…how did you get that black eye?"
The unexpected abruptness of Blaine's inquiry sent Ari's hand shooting up to cover her eye, as if shielding the sight of the bruise from Blaine. But it was too late. Surely, he had noticed from the beginning and had only been waiting until the proper moment to ask her about it.
Ari cursed herself for not re-applying makeup on it prior to leaving for Dalton.
Blaine waited for her answer patiently, but it went unsaid that he had also noticed her brief, inner struggle to come up with an excuse for her injury.
"A-A few of the little kids at the children's home I live at were playing ball. They don't have the best aim, and I got hit," Ari explained so quickly that she was certain that Blaine realized her bluff.
Though, he didn't show it. "Ah, yes. Kurt mentioned that you lived in an orphanage in Lima," he noted, his tone showing every bit of normalcy. It made Ari even more certain that he had caught on to her lie. "I can just imagine all the chaos there, with all of the younger kids."
Ari nodded in confirmation, her mind elsewhere. Two things then happened to Ari very suddenly and very quickly. First, an overwhelming feeling of guilt rushed through her, starting from the top of her head an ending in the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick. Next, her mind unattached itself from her lips, and she started to speak.
"I can't lie to you," Ari explained, her voice dry. "I don't know why." She chucked for a wild moment in spite of herself. "I don't even know you."
Blaine remained silent, his expression indicating that she has his undivided attention. She knows, deep somewhere inside of her, that if she doesn't tell him now, she'll never tell anyone.
Taking a deep, slow, breath, she begins. "I started dating my boyfriend, Paul Adamson, last year…"
Ari tried not to cry as she told her story. She truly did. But with each word of her confession came another tear. The pain flowed down her cheeks and washed off the remainder of her makeup, revealing the whole of the bruise as well as a few marks from the past week that Paul had given her. Ari talked and talked, knowing that many minutes had flown by and Blaine was probably wondering why she was even telling him this. Why would he care? But Ari needed to get the words out. She was grateful for the fact he was, at least, listening. Blaine didn't interrupt. Blaine only listened.
And then, Ari was done. Her story was finished, though in reality, it seemed far from over. The feeling of fear confirmed this as it coursed its way through Ari, replacing the guilt.
Her secret was out. Words of truth had been spoken aloud, and there was no taking them back.
A/N: So sorry for the long break with no updates! I'll try to be faster. The next chapter is a lot of fluff, so put your helmets on. Last thing-I would loveee to get more reviews. They give me inspiration to be a better writer, and I like knowing that people are enjoying what I'm writing, let alone reading what I'm writing. Even if you don't like my story-let me know! The more input I get, the better. Thanks so much!
