Monday morning meant getting up in the dark again. Kurt thought about how this was his last day of ridiculously early rising as he hauled himself out of bed. He put on the Dalton uniform that he had placed on his Cheerio's duffle, styled his hair and grabbed his blazer out of the closet. He slipped it on, grabbed his satchel and his duffle. He met Carole in the kitchen, which was a surprise. She had made him breakfast.
"Thanks, I didn't expect to find you up so early."
"Well, I wanted to tell you how proud of you your dad and I are. You've been working non-stop for weeks to study for all those AP exams while keeping up with everything else. You and Sam didn't say much in the car last night. Did the two of you have a good time in Chicago?"
"I really liked the museum and I loved the aquarium. The rest was mostly just studying more and practicing. I think you and Dad would really like the aquarium too. I could spend days in there."
"Well, we'll definitely have to go there if we're ever in Chicago. How are you doing with all your planning for your move this summer?"
"I sent in our deposit before we left for Chicago. So, I think everything is set. We'll need to get a U-Haul possibly. Sam and I cleaned out our closets and everything when you and Dad were gone that weekend that Sam stayed here. I have several boxes of clothes in the Navigator that I'm taking to a resale shop in Columbus today. There are some things I'm dropping off at Goodwill too."
"So, you're staying at Dalton tonight and you'll be back tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes. I have a morning exam again tomorrow. So, I should be home before McKinley gets out. But I am still avoiding spending any time with Rachel unless I absolutely have to."
"Sweetie, is there a reason why she's upset you so much more than her usual annoyingness?
"Yes, but I need to head out now. If you're home tomorrow when I get back, maybe we can sit down and I can explain some things. I really do need to talk to you. But I have to run for now. If I'm late, I can't get in to the room to take the test."
"Okay, honey. I'll try to be here tomorrow afternoon."
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Kurt got in the Navigator, slid in his Madonna CD and set off for Dalton. The drive seemed incredibly long. He was really glad that he wasn't going to have to do this again tomorrow morning. After an interminably long drive, he finally made it to the Dalton lot. Sebastian was waiting for him outside again. "I hear congratulations are in order," he leaned in and hugged Kurt quickly.
"Thanks."
They moved into the building and to the office quickly to sign in. The exam was in the same classroom as the week before. They both knew the drill: listening to the directions, waiting for everyone to get a test, the timer starting, then finally opening the test booklet and getting started. The three hours seemed to go much faster on the tests that Kurt didn't feel as prepared for. Today there just didn't seem to be enough time to get through everything, but he did his best.
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They met in the hallway after the test. "Come back out with me and I'll grab my duffel and pick up the dorm pass on the way back in." Sebastian followed him out.
"So, what did you think about the test?" Kurt asked.
"I thought it was pretty tough. I bet it was really hard for you since McKinley doesn't teach music theory. You had to learn it all on your own with no one to ask questions." Kurt nodded. He grabbed his duffle out of the truck. "Cheerios, huh?" he teased.
"You knew I was a Cheerio. Stop teasing. I ran out of duffels and bags and suitcases packing for more than one trip last week. I just didn't want to have to do anything but sleep when I got home last night. So I put my stuff in here last week and it was ready to go." They stopped at the office on the way back in, grabbed the pass and then headed on to the dorms. Sebastian opened the door that lead to the dorm rooms and led Kurt to his room and let him in.
"You can change in the bathroom if you want. I'll change out here. Then, we can go." Kurt came out of the bathroom in the Wicked t-shirt, cargo shorts and Chucks he had packed. "Nice." Sebastian said. "Very casual. It's perfect. Let's go." Kurt picked his duffel back up and moved toward the door. "Wait, I brought two boxes of stuff to donate. I almost forgot." Kurt put his satchel strap over his shoulder crossbody style and picked up one of the boxes. Sebastian grabbed the other box and locked the door on the way out. They headed out to the parking lot. Kurt opened the back door of the Navigator so they could put Sebastian's boxes in the backseat.
"I'll drive until the back is emptied out and then you can drive afterwards since I already know the best way to get to Goodwill and the resale shop."
"Sounds good," Sebastian said as he hopped in the passenger seat. "So, how did Chicago go?"
"Well, we won as you already know, so that part was good. Other parts, not so much," Kurt said in a somewhat defeated voice.
"What happened?"
"Well, it was really just more of the usual."
"Usual what?"
"Stupidity mixed with latent homophobia."
"Homophobia in Chicago?"
"No, homophobia in Finn."
"Finn, as in your stepbrother?"
"The one and only. Apparently, he thinks I have superpowers," Kurt said sarcastically.
"I am so lost."
"Well, Finn thinks I have the power to turn someone gay."
"Surely not. Maybe he was joking?"
"I'd like to think so, but he barged into my room and yelled at me for trying to turn Sam gay. I'm doing this by spending time with Sam, sitting with Sam in Glee, and the final method to turning him gay was that I let him sleep in the extra bed in my room the first night we were there. Let's talk about something else."
"Did you do anything cool in Chicago?
"Sam and I chose the museum sightseeing option and we went to the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. Reach back into the back seat. There's something back there for you."
"You brought me something back?"
"Open it."
Sebastian started laughing. "I love it. It's awesome!"
"I'm glad. I thought of you the instant I saw it. That's been one of the most surprising things about you. You are really huggy."
"I'll tone it down, if you'd like. I can totally be non-huggy."
"No, I'm actually starting to like it."
"Haven't people hugged you before? You were really hesitant at first. I didn't want to ask, but I was curious."
"To be honest, other than my dad, Sam has been the only male who has ever willingly hugged me just to be friendly. Remember what I said about stupidity and 'spreading the gay'? A lot of people in Lima still believe that being gay is a disease and that people can 'spread the gay'. Within that belief system, I have the power to turn someone to the 'dark side' of homosexuality."
"I thought that people had advanced past that nonsense."
"Well, not in Lima. It's pretty ingrained, at least amongst the predator portion of the school population. The adults believe it and indoctrinate their children. Why else would someone be so upset about being outed that they would kill themselves. Think about Dave. His mother wanted to 'cure' him. She actually believes that he can be 'cured'."
"That's just really sad."
"You mentioned the flinching. That's from years of having any sort of male touch leading to me being injured in some way. When I came to Dalton last year, my bruises had bruises."
"I'm sorry."
"You didn't do it."
"Every time you mention things like that, I just remember how I hurt you. You wore your mask well. You seemed unflappable. But you were drowning and I helped push you under. I know you said that you forgave me when I apologized, but I haven't really forgiven myself."
They rode in silence for a while. The air heavy with regret.
Sebastian changed the subject. "How are your college plans going?"
"I sent in our signed lease before we left for Chicago. Sam and I are now the proud tenants of an apartment in ... the city I'm going to college in."
"Congratulations. My dad has backed my request for a single. I'm so glad. I just couldn't stand the thought of having a roommate."
Sebastian seemed really relieved, more so that would seem normal. But Kurt could understand not wanting to share space with a stranger.
"Yeah, that's one big plus to Sam going with me. He's a great guy."
"So how long are you going to hold out on me before you tell me where you're going?"
"You're not making it easy for me to keep it from you, you know?"
Sebastian smiled. "So, just tell me and stop working so hard at stopping yourself."
Kurt paused and thought. "A secret for a secret."
"You already know most of my secrets."
"Okay. Answer this then. What's the one thing you wish for most, personally? Not something like world peace."
"That's easy. I've always wished my dad liked me enough to want to spend time with me. I know he loves me. He's always taken really good care of me, even when I was in France. He always sent my mom money, even though she didn't really need it. He loves me, but he's never liked me and I had hoped this year would change that even though I didn't want to come here." A few tears made their way down Sebastian's cheeks as he looked out the side window.
"I don't know what to say."
"There's really nothing to be said. Some things just don't happen as much as we might want them to."
"I know. As much as I like Carole, the one thing I always wished for was for my mom to to have lived." Kurt tried to hold back the tears, but had to wipe them away to drive safely.
"Well, now we're both crying and I still don't know where you're going to college."
Kurt laughed and Sebastian smiled.
"I'll tell you, but you really can't tell anyone right now. Only my family and Sam know. I don't think I'm even going to tell Finn or anyone in New Directions."
"I promise I won't tell."
"It's in Hartford."
"You're only going to be like 45 minutes away," he said enthusiastically.
"I told you it was closer to Yale than McKinley is to Dalton."
"Yes, you did."
"We're here," Kurt said a he turned into the resale shop's lot. Sebastian helped Kurt carry all of the boxes inside. Kurt filled out the paperwork and they headed back out. "There's a place to eat just down the street. How about we just walk there?"
"Sounds good to me."
They ordered and their food came pretty quickly. While they were in line to pay their bill, Kurt's cell phone rang. He stepped out of line and outside to answer. He came back in to find that Sebastian had paid both of their bills.
"You didn't have to pay for me."
"I know, but I did. Let's go." They walked back to the store. While Kurt settled the account, Sebastian carried the unwanted items back out to the Navigator. Kurt realized that he hadn't given Sebastian the key so he texted him the keypad entry code. He was used to doing things with Sam, who had his own key for the truck. When Kurt came out Sebastian had already put the boxes in the back and was sitting in the passenger seat ready to go.
Kurt pulled out and headed for Goodwill. He pulled up under the drop-off overhang. Sebastian jumped out to help him. "Someone will come out. We just hand them the boxes." Sebastian grabbed his two boxes from the backseat and handed them to the guy who came out to help them. Then he moved around to the back to help Kurt. It didn't take long for them to unload all of the boxes.
Sebastian jumped into the driver's seat with a big smile on his face. "Are you ready for an adventure?"
Kurt laughed and said, "Life is either a great adventure or nothing."
"Helen Keller."
"So where are we adventuring?"
"You'll find out soon enough. It's not far from here at all. Just close your eyes and relax."
"Seriously, you expect me to close my eyes?"
"Yep. Close them."
"Can I at least put a CD in first?"
"Sure."
Sebastian and Kurt sang along as they made their way to Sebastian's secret adventure destination. Less than 20 minutes later, Kurt could feel Sebastian pulling into a parking space.
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"Can I open my eyes yet?"
"Nope, wait until I come around to get you." Sebastian opened the passenger door, helped Kurt out and put his hands on Kurt's waist and gently pushed him to the end of the truck and turned him to face the entrance. "Open your eyes."
"The ZOO! Can you believe that I've never actually been here?"
"Neither have I, so adventure awaits. Let's go."
Sebastian insisted on paying for their admission because he claimed that it was his idea and he hadn't given Kurt enough advanced warning to expect a big expenditure.
"Okay, Sebastian. I'll let you pay, but I just want to make sure that you don't think that you have to buy my friendship. I actually like spending time with you."
Sebastian smiled. "I'm not trying to buy anything but an afternoon of fun and adventure."
"Alright then. Where shall we start?"
Sebastian opened his map. Kurt reached over and held one edge as they both looked at it. "Wow. This place is huge. Let's get on the shuttle and head over to the Heart of Africa."
They made their way through Africa, North America and Asia before they stopped for a break. They sat down on a bench near the lake. "Let me pick the snack. I'll be right back." Sebastian waiting for him.
"What is that?"
Kurt switched back to English. "It's called a 'funnel cake'. They're good."
Sebastian tore a piece off and ate it. "You're right. I like it." They finished it up and moved on through the tunnel.
"Manatees!" Kurt squealed as he pulled Sebastian by the hand and ran over to the manatee building. "I don't know the word for 'manatee' in French, but I loved watching them when we were at the aquarium in Chicago." They walked along the edge of the glass, Kurt just staring into the pool. "Aren't they cool?"
"Lamantins," Sebastian supplied. "Now, we've both learned a new word today," he smiled and looked back into the tank. "You're right. They're really cool."
They backtracked a bit to see the fish building that they had bypassed in Kurt's excitement to go into the manatee building. "I think if I had endless money and I had already solved world poverty, I would build a tank like this for my own house. I could sit and just look forever I think. It's just so mesmerizing and relaxing."
After about ten minutes, they left the building. "Let's ride the carousel." Sebastian pulled Kurt and got in line.
After their turn, they walked past a playground that looked like giant bugs. "This is the coolest playground I have ever seen. Come on. I know were too big to get on anything, but I'm going to take a selfie us in front of that slide." Kurt leaned into the shot and smiled at Sebastian's phone.
They finished looking at all of the exhibits in the Congo area and then moved on to the Australia area. "Kangaroos are so cool. I can't imagine just going outside and seeing them jumping around like we see deer," said Sebastian.
"This is a really cool zoo. Thanks for thinking of this and bringing me here."
"I'm glad you came. It's going to close in 15 minutes. We need to head back to the front."
Kurt and Sebastian made it into the gift shop just in time to grab t-shirts. Kurt choose a manatee and Sebastian a kangaroo. They talked about all of the animals they had seen and what they liked all the way back to Dalton.
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Kurt parked and grabbed his duffel and satchel out of the back. Sebastian grabbed their bag from the gift shop.
"You know what? Put that back in," Sebastian said as he put the gift shop bag back on the seat. "Let's go eat at that soup place again. I'm hungry, but I'm not really up for anything heavy."
"That's a good idea." They walked and talked. They were seated quickly and choose something light. They enjoyed their choices and had a good time. They walked back and got the bags out of the truck and headed into the dorm building. They took turns in the bathroom showering and putting their pajamas on. When Kurt came out of the bathroom, he saw that Sebastian was uploading his photos from the zoo.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Can you set your new photos to family only until we actually move away?"
"Okay. I'll do that, but can I ask why?"
"I am not ashamed to be your friend. I just have no interest in arguing with people who think they are my friends about why you are a better friend to me than any of them."
Sebastian blushed.
"Now, who's blushing?" Kurt teased and nudged Sebastian.
"Remember when you asked me what I wished for earlier?"
"Yes."
"Well, one of my more recent wishes was to see you get away from your ex and for you to at least not hate me. The fact that you consider me to be a friend is far more than I had hoped for."
"The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day."
"I wasn't THAT bad."
"No, but Sam's a huge Dr. Seuss fan and he's rubbed off on me."
Sebastian laughed.
"I'm glad were friends too," Kurt said. He spun in a circle and pretended to be on a catwalk, "Now, that we're sporting our lovely evening wear, what's the plan for the rest of the evening?"
Sebastian laughed at his pose. "Well, I don't have any French movies here because my only French region DVD player is at home and I didn't buy any North American region versions since I already had my originals."
Kurt sat down on the extra bed and said, "Well, I'm actually pretty tired. We could just turn off the lights and lie down and play the questions game until we fall asleep."
Kurt got into the extra bed and lay down. Sebastian turned off the lights and got into his own bed. "I'm not familiar with that game."
"Sure you are. We started it on the swing in your garden. We have to answer truthfully or pass. No lying, but you don't have to answer if you really don't want to."
"I'll start this time. What's the craziest dream you've ever had?"
They continued asking each other questions until Sebastian could hear Kurt breathing softly and he gave up waiting for an answer and went to sleep himself.
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Kurt woke up to the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes slowly and Sebastian was standing at the foot of the bed holding two cups of coffee. There were two plates of food on Sebastian's desk. Kurt sat up and reached for a cup. "My hero." Sebastian just laughed and handed him one of the cups.
"I figured a nice breakfast would help you remember all those US Government facts. Or maybe at least keep your stomach from growing during the test."
"Thanks. What are your plans for this morning?" Kurt sipped his coffee.
"I'm finishing my last paper that's due."
"Well, I'd better get ready." Kurt moved toward the bathroom, taking his clean uniform. "I'll be out in a few minutes." When Kurt came back out, he grabbed his food off Sebastian's desk and ate it sitting at the other desk. After he finished eating, he packed up his pajamas and his clothes from the day before.
"I'm going to head down to turn in the dorm pass, put my duffel in the car, and go sign in for my test. Thanks so much for letting me stay with you. You saved me a lot of driving. And I had a lot of fun with you yesterday."
Sebastian stood, "Me too." He walked toward Kurt and gave him a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow. Wear your zoo shirt, okay? I'll wear mine."
"See you!" Kurt walked toward the main office.
Kurt made it to the testing classroom with ten minutes to spare. He just sat in his chair thinking about the zoo and the aquarium - calming thoughts of fish swimming around. After three hours, he was finally finished. All of his AP exams were done. He headed back to the office to sign out and waited a few minutes to speak the headmaster to thank him for the kindness he had shown him and to tell him about his music scholarship to college.
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Back in the Navigator, he put in a Lady Gaga CD and hit the road for Lima. He decided that he'd just wait until he got home to eat lunch. The drive back seemed to go faster than the drive over yesterday morning. He pulled in the driveway, grabbed his satchel and duffel and went inside. He peaked in the garage door and Carole's car was in the garage. He took his bags upstairs, changed his clothes and went to the kitchen to make some lunch, only to find that Carole had beaten him to it. He sat and she put a plate of food in front of him on the counter.
"You're the best, you know that, right? And not just because you feed me, although I do appreciate that." He started eating right away. "How did you know I hadn't eaten already?"
"You got here too early to have eaten somewhere else. It's only 12:45. So, I'm here and you're here. What did you want to talk about?"
Kurt ate and spoke about his conflicting feelings about sharing his college destination with his Gleemates. He explained about how he just felt isolated from them and part of it was because he had distanced himself ever since the incident in Glee. He talked about Rachel's overbearing need to get what she wanted and to be in the spotlight.
Carole listened carefully while he spoke. When he finished, she took his plate and put it in the dishwasher. "Grab your drink and let's go in the family room downstairs."
They talked and talked. Kurt eventually got his phone out and started showing Carole his pictures from Chicago. She could see in his eyes how much he had loved the aquarium especially. After looking through all of the Chicago pictures, he moved on to the pictures from the zoo the day before. They were laughing and talking and didn't hear that Finn had walked in behind them.
"Why are you spending time with that lowlife Sebastian? Where are you in that picture?"
Kurt and Carole were startled and turned to look at Finn.
"That 'lowlife' is my friend. He apologized. I forgave him. At least he meant it, unlike other people."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn moved around the couch to sit in the armchair.
"You apologized to me about what you said in my old room in the basement, but you didn't mean it."
"I did too."
"Then explain this." Kurt replayed the voice memo that had accidentally captured Finn's outburst in Chicago.
Finn had the deer in the headlights look on his face while Carole listened to the recording.
"Finnegan Christopher Hudson. What is the meaning of that?"
He shrugged and tried not to meet her gaze.
"That's not an answer. Why on earth would you say those things to Kurt?"
"Mom, the Cheerios were smack talking and saying how Sam was Kurt's new boyfriend since Sam spent the night in Kurt's room on Wednesday and then spent the whole day with him at the lame museums instead of going with us guys to the Chicago Cubs stadium."
"So what? You have been told plenty of times that being gay is not 'catching' and that no one chooses their sexuality. Kurt can't make Sam gay anymore than he can make me gay. Kurt is gay. He has always been gay. He was born that way. Did you choose to like girls?"
Finn just sat there.
"Answer me, FInn. Did you one day wake up and say, 'I've decided to like girls.'?"
Finn shook his head.
"You've spent more time in this house with Kurt than Sam has. You've sat at the dining room table with him more times than Sam has. Did you become gay? Do you like boys now?"
"NO."
"Finn - Kurt has spent his whole life with heterosexual people. If spending time with people and being near them made someone change their sexuality, why would Kurt still be gay? Kurt had never met anyone gay until he was 17. Seventeen years of spending time with straight people never made Kurt straight. How could sitting in a chair next to Kurt or walking through a museum with him make Sam gay?"
Finn didn't respond.
"Since it is clear to me that you did not read what I asked you to a year and a half ago, you and I will be reading through the material together. And you will be grounded until after finals. You will go to school, you will study, and you will read with me. Then we'll talk."
"Yes, Mom."
"Now, give me your phone. You need to leave it with me while you study. You don't need any distractions. Leave your computer off too."
"Yes, Mom. Can I at least text Rachel and tell her that I'm grounded?"
"One text. Then hand me the phone." Finn stood, sent Rachel one text, handed Carole his phone and started to leave the room. Kurt got up too.
Kurt moved to intercept Finn. "Remember that you walked in on a private conversation. Private means that you don't tell anyone because it's none of your business."
"You mean like the PRIVATE conversation that we had and YOU recorded."
"Well, recording it was an accident, but your attitude wasn't. I was recording something and when I laid the phone down to answer your incessant knocking, I guess I didn't hit the button to stop the recording. The difference between that conversation and the one I was having with Carole is that this is my family too and Carole needed to know how you felt about me and how you've treated me. Sebastian being my friend doesn't affect you or anyone you know."
"He's right, honey." Carole interjected.
"Fine. I understand. Talking about Sebastian to anyone is off limits." Finn ran up the two flights of stairs to his room.
Once he had left, Carole said, "Oh Kurt," putting her hand over his, "I had no idea he still had any of those crazy ideas in his head."
"The thing is, Carole, he's not the only one. He may have actually read some of what you told him to back then, but he spends so much time around people who spout that ridiculous crap that what he read obviously didn't stick. How does that go? Something about that if you hear a lie often enough and loud enough it becomes the truth. The Glee kids are the kindest kids in the school to me. Let that really sink in. People who sided with my ex to help him sing a break up song to me for cheating are the nicest to me. Imagine the rest. I hear 'fag' more often that I hear my name each day. Santana calls me 'Lady Lips'. Coach Sue calls me "Porcelain". I won't even mention the things that people who hate me call me."
Kurt closed his eyes and just breathed deeply for a few minutes.
"Maybe that helps you to see why I'm struggling. I had hoped for an ending that I'm not going to get. I'm not sure that sharing my college plans fits into the ending I got. I have to review for my finals. Thanks for lunch and for listening."
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Kurt went up to his room and lay down on his bed for a few minutes then sat straight up. He texted Sam.
To Sam: Where are you? Finn's here but I didn't see you anywhere.
From Sam: I'm at school. I guess Finn left me here. I went to the review session for English instead of Glee.
To Sam: I'll be over there in a few minutes to pick you up.
From Sam: Gotcha. I'll be out front waiting.
Kurt called out to Carole. She answered from downstairs. He went down quickly. "I'm going to go get Sam. Finn left him at school and he works this afternoon. I'll be back soon."
Kurt grabbed a bag of trail mix and a bottle of juice from the kitchen and ran out the door to go get Sam. He pulled up and Sam hopped in. Kurt handing him the snacks.
"Thanks, you're the best you know."
"Do I have time to drive back home and let you keep the Navigator?"
"Yeah. That'll be fine."
Kurt headed right back home. He hopped out and Sam jumped in the driver's seat and headed off.
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When Kurt entered the house, he could hear Carole lecturing Finn about leaving Sam behind and how Sam could have been late for work because of him. Kurt just went back to his room and reviewed for the two finals he had the next day.
When he went down to dinner, he noticed that Finn wasn't present. He didn't say anything, but he was glad to not have to eat with him that evening. "Dinner was great Carole. Do you need help cleaning up?"
"No, sweetie. I've got it. You can go back to studying or whatever you need to do."
"I just wanted to remind you that Sam is coming with me to Westerville after school tomorrow. He and I are going to go to that Columbia outlet store to buy super warm coats for next winter with the money I got from selling the clothes I didn't wear anymore. We might buy some good boots too if we can get a good deal. We figure we'll be outside in the winter weather a lot more than we ever have been here. And it's a lot better to deal to buy a coat at the outlet when it's almost summer than to wait until they're full price next fall."
He stood to leave.
"Oh, I almost forgot with all the coat talk - We're going bowling with some of my friends from Dalton. We won't be back until late. Don't worry. Sam can study on the way over there and during my voice lesson. He's doing really well this semester."
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Kurt went back up to his room to study. Carole knocked his door about an hour later.
"I thought a lot about what you told me earlier," she said. "Will you come out back so we can talk?" "Sure." Kurt followed Carole to the swing.
"You told me a lot of really emotionally charged things earlier. I could hear the hurt and anger in your voice. But I have one question to start with. You did say that the Glee kids have been your best friends, right?"
"Yeah."
"Not THE best friends, but YOUR best friends. If you hadn't had their friendships would high school have been worse or better?"
"Worse."
"Have you even talked to any of them since the break up?"
"Not really. I talked to Santana briefly in Chicago."
"I'm sure that if you compare their friendships with the ideal friendship, they are coming up short." Kurt nodded. "But if you compare them on a much more local scale of friendships at McKinley, they're on top. Maybe they did the best they could, maybe they didn't, but they did a lot better than the majority."
"You're right."
"The question comes down to whether you can live with yourself if you shun the only people who ever attempted to include you or attempted to be your friend, even if they were very flawed friends or not very good at being your friend. If you turn on them now, they might wonder whether it was even worth trying to be friends with someone so different from themselves."
Kurt thought about what she said for a few minutes. "You're right. I don't want all of them to remember me as the guy who threw a three-week tantrum at the end of my senior year. And even though I see the situation completely differently than they do, I can see your point that since I have not explained my viewpoint at all or listened to them, I haven't given any of them the chance to apologize. I'll go to the final Glee sessions this week and if anyone tries to apologize to me, I'll listen."
"That's a good idea. I still see your point about not sharing where you're going, but that's up to you."
"I think it's just gotten harder the last few weeks because Rachel's been in full-blown crazy mode since she choked her audition and I've seen what it's like to have a real friend who isn't influenced at all by the ridiculousness of Lima homophobia. The strangest thing is that, other than Sam, I'd say that Sebastian is my best friend now. I used to use that term for Mercedes or Rachel, but my relationship with them has always been lopsided. It was like I was their sidekick, not an equal. And while Sam and I are best friends, I have limited our contact in social settings and at school to protect him from the inevitable public harassment that would come from hanging out with me in public. He has enough to overcome, he shouldn't have to endure the crap people would give him for hanging out with me. I mean, seriously, one night in my hotel room and one day with me at museums and the Cheerios that went with us to Nationals turned it into a scandal. Being with Sebastian over in Westerville is not like that. He goes to a school where he is not bullied and he wasn't bullied in France. He's open. He's not afraid to touch me or be seen with me. That hesitation isn't there on either side. I'm not saying that Sam is the one being hesitant. He's a really good guy. It's just such a breath of fresh air to just go to a restaurant and eat with Sebastian and not be looked like like we are morally depraved. He hugs me like there should be no reason not to. It's liberating and ... it makes me realize what I've been forced to miss out on my whole life. But you're right that I shouldn't take out my resentment on the only people who at least tried to be different from the terrible name-calling, bullying people at school."
"I can't imagine facing what you've faced for so long. While I will miss you terribly, I'm glad you're moving to a place that's more accepting."
"Me too. Thanks for being awesome and confronting my pigheadedness."
"You're not pigheaded. If you were, you would have tuned me out. You were hurt by people you trusted and that's hard to deal with."
"You're right, yet again. Thanks for the talk. I need to get to bed. I have two finals tomorrow and then a lot of driving tomorrow afternoon and evening."
"Good night, honey."
"Good night."
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Wednesday morning Kurt did not have to get up as early as he did on Monday, but since he spent time talking to Carole the night before, he didn't get his bag packed last night for that afternoon. He grabbed some cargo shorts, his chucks and the zoo t-shirt and shoved them in his duffel that had previously held all the books he'd been studying for weeks. He tossed in a hoodie just in case. He dressed casually for him, but still wore a button up, long pants and boots. He knocked on Sam's door to make sure he was up. Fifteen minutes later, they were on their was to McKinley for the first day of finals.
The schedule was different for the seniors. They had two hours to take each final and the last two periods of the day, the teachers held review sessions or graded papers. Lunch was after their finals. Glee had met on Monday and Tuesday, but Kurt didn't know about today. He'd have to find Santana and ask her. His Spanish final was not hard and the Psychology final was so much easier than the AP exam he had taken and he finished each of them long before the two-hour time limit was up. Fortunately, he had his Kindle in his satchel. After completing each test, he turned it face down, and he quietly read until the bell rang.
At lunch he found Santana and she told him that whoever showed up to Glee showed up because some of the seniors mentioned going to the help/study sessions that afternoon. The underclassmen would only be there for last period. She told him the assignment was to sing a goodbye song. He decided that he would go to Glee for both hours the following two days.
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Kurt and Sam left when the final lunch bell rang. They drove straight to the outlet store. Kurt talked to Sam about Carole's perspective on what had been going on. Kurt asked Sam what he had heard through the rumor mill.
"Mostly all I've heard are complaints that you just iced them out. Not reading their texts or listening to their voicemails has gotten them pretty aggravated with you. All the school days you've missed have created rumors that you've been sick or that a close relative is sick. People have come up with all sorts of ideas and since you're not giving them any real information, they fill in the blanks what whatever inane idea pops into their heads."
"Well, I'm going to go to Glee tomorrow and Friday, both periods. What tests do you have tomorrow?"
"Spanish and Art."
"I have Calculus and English."
"Grab your Spanish review sheet and I'll help you with anything you don't already know."
Kurt answered Sam's questions and helped him review his verb forms for a while and then Sam went back to reviewing vocabulary words. He studied right up until they drove into the outlet parking lot.
"Let's go find some warm coats. If they have really good deals, maybe we can look a getting some good winter boots too," Kurt said.
They spoke to a clerk about what they were looking for. They each tried on several coats and Kurt managed to change into his shorts, t-shirt and Chucks in the dressing room. They ended up finding something suitable for both of them for under $100. Kurt pulled Sam over to look at the boots. "Let's see if we can find some comfortable ones that are both warm and waterproof. And if the fashion gods are looking out for me, the boots will look good with the coat that I've picked out."
Sam laughed at him.
They both tried on several pairs of boots and eventually settled on some boots that fit the requirements, and on the upside, they didn't look bad with Kurt's coat. It was definitely the best they were going to do. They got both coats and both pairs of boots for a little under $200, which was less than the original price tag on Sam's coat alone. They were thrilled to have found what they needed at such a good price.
Kurt opened the hatch of the Navigator and realized that he had forgotten to pull up the third rows seats. With Sam's help, it was quick and painless. They slid their bags in the narrow space behind the back row and set off for Dalton.
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Kurt pulled into the spot closest to the oak tree, where the four Warblers were waiting for them. He had reminded them all to dress casual for their "hick" activity night. He had never seen Thad dressed down before. He was wearing an Avatar t-shirt. Sam shot out of the passenger seat and walked straight up to Thad and said something in Na'vi. Thad's face lit up and he had a huge smile on his face and responded to Sam in Na'vi. "Well, that was easy," thought Kurt.
"I see that you've made a new friend already," Kurt said to Sam. "Sam, this is Thad. Thad, Sam. Of course, you've met Nick, Jeff, and Sebastian."
Sam ignored the other reintroductions, turning back to Thad. "Oh, my God. You speak Na'vi. You're the first person I've met in Ohio that does. This is awesome!" Sam bounced up and down in excitement.
"Come on guys. Climb in."
Kurt folded the backseat on the driver's side forward, and then flipped it up so that Sam and Thad could climb into the third row seats. He pushed the backseat back into position and latched it in place and Nick and Jeff climbed in the middle row. He climbed in the driver's side and Sebastian was already in the passenger seat ready to go. Kurt pulled out and everyone in the back two rows started talking at the same time. Sebastian just looked back and laughed at them. "Well, that was easy."
"It was," Kurt said as he smiled. He focused on driving instead of the crazy chatter from the back of the car. It didn't take long to get to the bowling alley. They all piled out and got in line for shoes, except Kurt, who was standing at the end of the counter facing the bowling lanes talking to an employee.
"Hey, aren't you going to bowl with us?" Jeff asked. "It WAS your idea after all."
"I'm bowling." He picked up the bag he had placed on the floor and placed it up on the counter.
Sebastian was first in line and moved down near Kurt once he had his shoes. "Of course. You have your own shoes and ball don't you? I should have known." Sebastian was smirking.
Kurt's expression dropped. Kurt responded, "I thought you had already figured out that I'm not a stuck up princess."
Sebastian sighed in frustration. "I meant that I should have known that you were good enough at this to have your own equipment and that you are going to kick our butts."
"Oh," he replied, obviously completely unused to anyone considering him to be a threat at any sport.
Kurt switched back to English. "My dad and I used to bowl in a father/son league when I was in junior high. He and the other guys from the shop did it as a group. Fortunately for me, my feet haven't grown since 8th grade, so the shoes still fit."
Kurt said, "This way. We've got lane 8. Who wants to put our names in?"
Jeff jumped to the seat in front of the computer and put in everyone's names while the others went to look for balls. "Nick, grab one for me, okay?" Nick nodded.
Jeff got all their names in by the time they all returned with their balls.
"Alright, does everyone actually know the rules to this game?" Kurt looked around at the group.
"Definitely, dude," Sam answered.
"Don't call me 'dude'." Kurt responded automatically, having said it so many times before.
"How about 'his dudeness, duder, or el dudorino'?" Thad asked.
Sam lifted his hand for a high five with Thad. "The Big Lebowski rocks."
The other four looked at each other cluelessly. Sam and Thad just laughed.
"Well, Nick and I have played Wii bowling, so I think we've got a basic understanding," said Jeff.
"No clue," said Sebastian. Kurt nudged Sebastian into a seat and began to explain the rules as Nick, Jeff, and Thad took their first turns.
By the time it was Sebastian's turn, he knew what he was supposed to do. He had watched everyone before him go and moved to pick up his ball. He approached and rolled the ball down the lane - straight into the gutter.
He turned and struck his best Elvis pose and said, "Thank you, thank you very much."
They all laughed.
They played the entire game laughing at each other's feeble attempts at knocking pins down. Only Kurt and Sam were successful at knocking down more than a few at a time. The lead switched back and forth between them during the game, but Kurt pulled out a strike on the last frame and pulled ahead of Sam right at the end.
"Well, that was definitely interesting," Thad said. "Maybe we should try the cow tipping next time," he laughed. "Maybe there's more fun to be had with hick pastimes than I had originally considered."
Kurt and Sam just rolled their eyes.
"So, pizza here at the bowling alley? Or do you guys want to go somewhere else to eat?" Kurt asked.
"Have you eaten the pizza here before? Is it decent?" Sam asked.
"It's actually pretty good. Dad, Carole, Finn and I came here one Saturday when they came to visit me at Dalton last year.
"Then, let's just stay here," Jeff said. They took their bowling shoes back up and traded for their own shoes and changed. Sebastian was done first since he had worn slip on Vans and he took out his credit card and paid their bill before anyone could notice or protest.
They moved to the concession area and ordered drinks and a couple of extra large pizzas. They filled their cups at the fountain, found an empty table they could all fit at and sat and waited for their pizzas.
"So, are we on for Cedar Point this Monday?" Kurt asked.
"Definitely," said Nick.
"Well, I'm not sure where all of you live. Let's figure out the best place to meet," Kurt said.
They spent a while consulting a map on Kurt's phone. "Okay, I think the best place to meet is at Sebastian's. He has room for the rest of you to leave your cars there and his place is on the way for Thad, Nick and Jeff and it's definitely closer to them than driving all the way to Lima." They all nodded.
"So, we'll meet at Sebastian's at 8:00 in the morning so we can get to the park pretty early." Kurt heard sighing. "I know it's early, but it'll be fun." Sebastian texted Jeff, Nick, and Thad his address.
"What if I just call my dad and see if everyone can stay at my place Sunday night? Then no one will have to get up so early."
Sebastian stepped to the corner of the snack bar area where it was quieter and called his dad.
Kurt heard their number called. "Sam, come with me to grab the pizzas?" He nodded.
They headed back with the pizzas and put them on the table. Sebastian was already back at the table. When Kurt and Sam sat down, Sebastian said, "My dad's fine with it. As long as we don't disturb him or make extra work for the housekeeper."
"We can do that," Thad said. "We'll just get up, grab some breakfast sandwiches and coffee at McDonald's and head to Cedar Point."
"Did you guys order your tickets yet?" Kurt asked.
"Oh, that's a good idea," Jeff said. While they were waiting for the pizza to cool a bit, Jeff, Nick, Sebastian, and Thad went to the Cedar Point website and ordered their tickets. "Is the unlimited drink ticket a good idea?" Jeff asked.
"Definitely," Sam said. "You don't even have to carry around a refillable cup. You just show your drink ticket and can get as many drinks as you want throughout the day."
"Ooh. Good deal," Nick said. They all added the drink option to their purchase before finishing their order and paying.
They all took slices of pizza and started eating. "You were right, Kurt. This pizza's pretty good. This was a fun idea," Thad said.
Jeff asked Kurt and Sebastian about their t-shirts. Kurt answered, "The zoo was really cool. Neither of us had ever been. If you get the chance you should definitely go before you leave for college."
Jeff looked at Nick. "What do you think? Sam, Thad? We could go the day after we go to Cedar Point. Sam could just come stay with one of us and then we can drive to the zoo the next day." The boys all started talking all at once making arrangements. "Okay. I live closest to the zoo according to the map. So, how about we all just stay at my house Monday night and Tuesday we'll head to the zoo," Jeff offered.
"Sounds like fun. I'll trade with someone if I get scheduled to work that evening. Are you sure that one of you can take me back to Lima at some point? I don't want to make Kurt come get me. He's driven to Westerville like four times in two weeks and he's the one driving us to Cedar Point."
Nick said, "I'm sure it won't be a problem."
The four of them exchanged numbers and got everything arranged.
Eventually the pizza ran out and they tossed the trash and returned the pizza trays to the collection area. Kurt grabbed his bag and they all went out to the Navigator and climbed back in. They were all still talking when Kurt pulled into the school lot. He pulled up near the dorm building doors this time.
"Thanks for inviting us," Jeff said, as he folded his seat he up so that Sam and Thad could get out.
"Yeah, this was a lot of fun," Thad added.
"See you both on Monday," Nick said.
Sam climbed into the passenger seat, shut his door and rolled the window down. The four Dalton students were on the sidewalk, about to turn up the path that led to the dorm building, when they turned back to wave. Suddenly, Sebastian started singing, "So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, goodbye... goodbye... goodbye..." The other three caught on quickly, started singing along, stood in a line, started twirling and waved.
Kurt and Sam started laughing and responded singing the final "Goodbye" and waved back. They pulled out of the lot and headed back to Lima.
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Once they were on the highway, Sam spoke up. "Well, you were right. Sebastian is not at all how I thought he'd be. He's actually a really nice guy and funny too."
"I'm glad that you see it too. So," he paused. "Thad's a geek of the highest order, I see." That statement made Sam laugh.
"He's awesome. He loves comic books and graphic novels too. He writes stories, some original, some fanfiction," Sam said. He's going to Brown in the fall. I didn't tell anyone our plans, in case you're wondering."
"I told Sebastian on Monday. I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't really feel like telling any of the New Directions. I know that seems odd, but somehow I feel like this is for us. Not for them. I don't know. I thought I'd want to brag about it and tell everyone that I AM good enough and that I'd gotten a scholarship to study music, but now I'm not so sure. What do you think?"
"I think I get it. Rachel has pushed the New York idea all year. I can see how telling everyone that you're going to Connecticut will give them, and Rachel specifically, the opportunity to point out that you didn't get your dream either. Even though a full scholarship to a great school would be anyone's dream. I can see how they could turn it around and make it seem not at amazing as it is. So, it's up to you. I'll go along with whatever you decide. They have no reason to expect me to say anything about where I'll be next fall, since they all know that I'm not graduating this year. They just expect me to be back at McKinley in the fall with Artie, Tina and the others."
"Right. I'll let you know when I've made up my mind about sharing my college plans with anyone else. You can still decide whether to let anyone know that you're coming with me. I can keep that quiet, even if I decide to share my information. Right now, I'm leaning toward just leaving and not telling anyone in Lima where I'm going."
They spent the rest of their drive back to Lima talking about their finals, the end of school and their Cedar Point trip.
Kurt looked for Carole when he got home. He thanked her again for her perspective on what he was dealing with. She asked how his evening had gone.
"It was great. I spent four hours with a group of friends. Two out of six of us openly identify as gay, none of us were called derogatory names and I wasn't called anything emasculating. I also beat all of them," he laughed. "I actually had a lot of fun."
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Kurt's English and Calculus finals went smoothly. He used the extra time he had after each test to psych himself up to follow through with his plan to try to reconcile with the New Directions. Although, he was still going to actively avoid one-on-one time with Rachel to avoid listening to more of her drama.
When lunch period started, he grabbed some food and went to sit at the New Directions table. "Long time, no see, Lady Face." was his first greeting.
"Hey, Santana."
"Where've you been?" Mercedes asked.
"You know I've sent you like 40 texts that you haven't responded to?" Tina said.
"You missed Girls' Night for the first time, like ever." Brittany said. "I missed you. You do the best job of getting the cute stickers on my nails."
For the first time in a couple of weeks, he felt like a part of the group again. He needed to remember what he had said to Sebastian about Puck - about how treating people badly when they are trying to do the right thing doesn't help.
Kurt spoke loudly enough to get everyone's attention, "Hey everyone - I'm sorry about the texts and phone calls that I deleted or ignored. I was just overwhelmed at the time and needed time alone to get myself back together. I'm coming to Glee with all of you and I even have my song ready."
"Yay," Brittany clapped.
"So, what's everyone been up to?" Kurt figured if he could get them all talking about themselves that they'd stop asking him questions.
"Well, Britt and I are going to Louisville to be cheerleaders."
"Yeah, I'm super excited," Brittany said.
"I bet you are. That sounds like fun," Kurt said.
"I'm going to New York to study dance," Mike said. People chimed in offering congratulations.
"I'm just glad that I'm getting out of school. I think I need to see someone to help me figure out what to do, but Miss Pillsbury never seems to be of much actual help. I don't need a pamphlet." Puck stated.
Artie spoke up, "Maybe not, but maybe she has like a list of local resources or something."
"That's possible. I should go ask her. I was dead set on getting out of here, but I just can't leave my little sister behind. I'll go see Miss P now and see what she has to offer. I'll be in Glee in a little bit." Puck left the table. A few minutes later the final lunch bell rang and all the seniors headed to the choir room.
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Mr. Schue came in. "Since only the seniors are here, we're going to work on the song that you all chose to sing to the underclassmen." He handed out the sheet music and they worked on "You Get What You Give". Puck came in a few minutes later and picked up a bass and joined in. Sam played his guitar, but didn't sing. After running through the song several times, Mr. Schue let the seniors just sit and talk to eat other until the rest of the students arrived for last period.
Artie asked Puck, "So, did she have anything useful?"
"Actually, maybe. It's a list of social services. Once I graduate, I might be able to do something about some things that I couldn't do anything about before. There's like some job training places and some way to get an apartment cheap maybe. I don't know, but I'm gonna call these places and see what I can find out."
"Hey, don't feel bad that you're not running off to college like some of us. Your sister is important. And if you need to be here for her, then you gotta do that. You can go to college later. How old is she?" Artie asked.
"She's 12 going on 20. She's hit the 'she knows everything and I know nothing stage'. She was easier to deal with when she was younger."
"Well, I hope you find some answers you need."
"Me too, me too."
On the other side of the room, Mercedes was attempting to grill Kurt about his missing days of school.
"It's not something I want to talk about and no, I'm not dying from anything. It's just personal."
"Alright, alright. I'll let it go, but I didn't appreciate you ignoring me all that time."
"I already said I was sorry," Kurt offered.
"I know. I'll quit hounding you."
"Have you heard my news?"
"Do tell."
"I was offered a contract as a back up singer on an indie label in LA. Someone saw that video of me me from disco week that Sam posted to YouTube."
Kurt jumped up and hugged her. "That's amazing, Mercedes. Oh, my God! That's awesome. Tell me the details." Mercedes spent the rest of the period giving him the details that she had about moving out to LA.
When the underclassmen arrived, the seniors moved to the floor and sang the song that they had prepared for them. After everyone sat down, Mr. Schue asked if anyone was prepared to sing their goodbye song. Kurt stood and moved down front.
"High school was a rough time for me. Most of you know that things got so bad at one point that I had to transfer away for while." His eyes turned toward Blaine, but he refocused quickly before actually making eye contact. "But those of you in this room made my high school experience better than it ever would have been without you. So, despite our disagreements and misunderstandings, all of you have been the good part of high school and I'll always remember our time together." Kurt sang, "I'll Remember".
After Kurt sat down, Tina stood up. I know that I'm not leaving and I don't know if I was even supposed to prepare a song, but I did. "I'm really going to miss you guys when you're gone." She sang, "Farewell", by Rihanna.
Puck slipped out of his seat and went down to the floor, "Well, while those two have us in tears, my song is not going to make you cry. I wanted to lighten the mood a bit." The band started with a Mariachi introduction, then Puck sang out "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" by Train. Everyone clapped and quite a few people were laughing. He bowed deeply when finished, saying "You're welcome." And went to sit back down.
"Well, that was different, Puck. But I do appreciate the effort. Anyone else?"
"Yeah, Mr. Schue. I'm ready." Quinn got up. A simple piano introduction started. She sang, "I'm Movin' On" by Rascal Flatts. She did an amazing job with her simple version of the country song.
"That was lovely Quinn."
Mercedes stood up and sang a more upbeat version of "Graduation" by Vitamin C. After she finished, she shared, "For those of you who haven't heard yet, I've gotten a job as a back up singer for an indie label out in LA. I'll be heading out there soon." Her announcement was followed by rounds of clapping and cheering.
"The rest of you can perform tomorrow. You all can leave a little early today. Good job, guys."
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Kurt had stopped by his locker quickly and Sam was waiting for him into the Navigator.
"Just one more day. We have just one more day." Sam said as Kurt climbed in.
"I know, it just doesn't seem real still."
"We only have one final left. Mine's Algebra 2 and yours is..." Sam waited for Kurt's answer.
"French. When we get home, I'll help you with your Algebra 2 review sheet if you want. I don't need to review for French."
"That would be great. Maybe you can set some more of my formulas to music so I can remember them better," Sam hinted.
"I remember doing that. That was fun," he laughed and sang one of them.
They pulled in the driveway and the lawn mower and weed eater were sitting in the front yard. "You think that's a hint from Dad that the lawn didn't get mowed this week?"
"Let's do it really quick, even though I know that Finn was supposed to do it on Monday. Go change. You want the mowing or the trimming this time?" Sam asked.
"Mowing. I'll be right back." Kurt changed and started mowing the yard. They finished about the same time.
Sam was putting new string on the weed eater when Kurt brought the mower back.
"Ugh. I'm gross. Showers, then snack, then Algebra 2, GO!" And they ran into the house, up to their rooms and jumped in their showers.
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The freshly showered duo met back in the kitchen where they found Burt with a veggie tray and lemonade. "Thank you boys."
"Mmm," Sam stuffed cauliflower in his mouth. He swallowed and said, "You're welcome. He guzzled the lemonade grabbed a handful of veggies and turned to Kurt. "I gotta go. I remembered when I was in the shower that I have a shift tonight. I don't usually work on Thursdays. I'll have to study when I get back. See ya!" And Sam was gone.
"Well, that was quick," Burt said.
"He took as many shifts as he could this week to make up for not being able to work last week. He's working tomorrow night, two shifts Saturday and Sunday morning, too."
"He's a hard worker, that's for sure. How are things going this week? I haven't seen you in forever."
"Well, they're better. I've worked through some of the stuff I was dealing with. Carole's been a big help."
"So, one day left of high school, huh?"
"Yes. It's so strange. But I think I'm ready to move on. I sent our signed lease in last week. I've sorted everything, sold off my old clothes, bought a few things that I needed, like a really warm winter coat and boots."
"So, the France trip is still on, right?"
"Definitely. I just haven't had time to get excited really. There's been so much going on. Sebastian is really great. He and I have a lot more in common than I thought and he's a lot of fun to be around. We get along really well."
"Well, I know how much your mom would have wanted you to go and I'm sure your grandparents are thrilled."
"When are you leaving?"
"The evening of my birthday. I fly back June 17th."
"Do you want a party this year?"
"Not really. I think that the graduation party Finn and Rachel are planning will be enough partying for me. How long are you going to be in town?"
"I'm going back Sunday evening."
"I feel like I keep missing you when you're here. I'm scheduled at the garage all day Saturday. It's been so long since I could go in that I'm working 12 hours to make up for it. And then Sunday morning too. I was going to go in when no one was there and take care of all of the paperwork and misc. things that have probably piled up while we've both been so busy. Sam and I are going to Sebastian's Sunday night and staying over then going to Cedar Point with three guys from Dalton."
"Hey, write up a list of dates when you will be here this summer. I'll do my best to be sure to be home when you're here."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Do you need to study for tomorrow?"
"No, it's my French final and then the seniors are straightening up the stage area and storing the costumes during the time when we would have a final for Glee."
"What are you and Sam going to do for furniture. That apartment isn't furnished is it?"
"No, it's not. We figured we'd buy beds when we get there and probably a kitchen table. It's not ideal to have to share it to study and then to clear it to eat, but it'll do until we can buy desks. We figured we'd check Craiglist and local resale shops after we get out there. I've been window shopping on Ikea's website for a while, just for the fun of it. I was thinking of asking for Kohl's gift cards for graduation and my birthday. So, if anyone asks, you can tell them that. We can get pretty much anything we'd need there, except furniture. So, I can use the cards to get dishes, towels, sheets and stuff. They run big sales too. Stuff ends up costing less than WalMart, with better quality."
"Well, I'll trust you on that. That's your area of expertise. You're the shopper, not me."
"Sam and I scored those coats and boots for under $200 the other day at the Columbia outlet."
"Good deal. You'll need those this winter. Those fancy dress coats you wear won't keep you warm and dry walking around on campus."
"Do you have anything you have to do this evening? I know Carole is busy with Finn."
"Yeah, she told me about that. That boy needs to get his head on straight. He's still saying he's going to marry Rachel, like next month. She's 17. I can't stop him, and if Hiram and Leroy are willing to sign the form, they can go through with it."
"I know."
"How about we completely break our diets and go out to the Burger Shack on the edge of town near where the drive-in used to be? We haven't been out there in like a year and a half."
"Okay. Let's go."
"I'm going to go tell Carole. Go get in the car."
Burt and Kurt spent the evening enjoying themselves. Kurt even broke out the Ikea app and the app where he was planning the apartment. Burt laughed and pointed out that it was the perfect app for people who liked to plan as much as Kurt did. They indulged in burgers, fries and milkshakes. It was an evening to remember, which is just what Kurt needed with his dad.
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Kurt set the formulas that Sam needed to remember to songs after he and Burt got back from the restaurant. Once Sam got back, Kurt taught him the songs and helped him with his Algebra 2 review sheet.
"One more day," Kurt thought as he went to sleep.
