Special Education
(Disclaimer: No ownership of Glee)
Moving into Dalton was such a relief. It made everything real for Kurt. He found his room number: 205. It was two doors down from Blaine. Something twisted in his stomach. He wished with everything in him that he could room with Blaine. He knew for many reasons why that wouldn't work, but it would be less nerve-wracking if he had Blaine's support. He put his suitcases down and the ground before reaching out to knock on the door.
He had been told that his roommate was very nice and welcoming, but it was still scary. He could be the complete opposite of Kurt, and what if they didn't get along? Kurt couldn't have anyone that was against gay marriage, but he was pretty sure that that wouldn't be a problem. He wished his dad were here. He offered to come, but Kurt told him no. He hadn't brought much because he would most likely be wearing a uniform the whole time, so his dad coming would be pointless really.
The door opened and Kurt was met with a tall boy smiling at him. He reminded Kurt of the Pillsbury doughboy. He had chubby cheeks and he was bigger boned than him. He looked sorta like a big teddy bear. "Hi, you must be Kurt Hummel. I was informed by the dean about you."
Kurt went to speak, but the he was wrapped in a hug before he could say anything. "Uh-it's nice to meet you too."
He stood up straight when he was let go. Well he didn't have to worry about a non-friendly roommate. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm a hugger. I'm Trent Nixon."
"Kurt Hummel," he introduced as he held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Trent."
"Nice to meet you. I'm so pumped for a roommate. I haven't had one all year, so it was a pleasant surprise when the dean came to talk to me." He looked down. "Oh, let me help you with your bags." Kurt smiled as he followed the boy inside the large room. It was nicely divided in two, one side with items scattered everywhere, and the other side was bare. Trent placed the suitcase on the bed. "I had to clean up a bit, but I made sure everything was ready for when you got here."
"Thank you, everything looks great." Kurt placed his suitcase down on the floor. "I'm really happy to be here. You know, to be safe."
Trent sat on his bed as Kurt began to open his bags. "I totally understand. I know that the policy here is really great. It's like a big giant relief. I know another guy who transferred here because of it like you did. I think that you'll be really happy here."
"I really hope this is a new start."
"It will." Trent stood quickly and walked over to what Kurt assumed was the closet. "I moved some things around, so you can have half of the closet. I took your two blazers, dress shirts and three pairs of pants and took the liberty to hang them up for it. I also have your schedule. I laid it on your nightstand. Your first official day, which I know that you know, isn't officially tomorrow, so I figured that to help you figure out where everything is, you could just follow me to class. I could help you find your classes and everything."
Kurt couldn't believe it. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. Trent didn't even know him, but he would go out of his way to help him out. "Thank you. That sounds absolutely amazing. I'm really happy that I was paired with you because I have been stressing about this all night."
"Don't you worry about it, Kurt. Starting at a new school can be crazy and terrifying, so I want to help in any way possible."
"It's scary, but I now have you and I know a couple guys here. That is actually how I found out about this place, so I have a couple friends to start out with."
"Oh, you know guys here. Who are they if you don't mind me asking?"
"I have become really great friends with Blaine Anderson. I met him when I came here to 'spy' on the glee club, but he kinda talked to me after. I was really just interested in the school. His roommate is really nice as well. His name is Nick and I don't know his last name."
Trent was smiling wide. "That's crazy because they are a couple of my best friends! Nick Duval is his full name. They are in the Warblers with me. I'm glad you know Blaine, because he is one of greatest guys I know. If you are having trouble fitting in, Blaine is the guy to go to."
"I just," Kurt shook his head as a small blush crept up his neck. "Blaine is really something. I have this ridiculous crush on him." Kurt gasped. "Oh my god, I can't believe I told you that. Please don't tell him."
"Don't worry," Trent said smiling. "I'm pretty sure that half of Dalton has a crush on Blaine Anderson, even straight guys get taken by the charm of the boy. He's so incredibly sweet and caring."
"Yeah, so I'm just going to put my clothes away because if I don't, I'll just gush about him."
"Go ahead," Trent laughed as he pulled a book onto his lap.
Kurt focused on his clothes, hanging the things that could be hung and placing the rest neatly into the dresser provided for him. It wasn't long until he heard a knock. Trent moved to get it, and Kurt didn't think anything of it until he heard the familiar voice.
"Hey Trent," Blaine's voice spoke from the door. Kurt turned and he couldn't see Blaine, but knew it was him. "I was just wondering if you were the one who cleaned mine and Nick's room? Nick claims he didn't do it, so I know that you used to when we roomed together."
Trent glanced back at Kurt with a teasing smile. "Hey, Blaine. I walked in trying to find you, and the room was trashed, so I just picked things up."
"You don't have to do that anymore, or ever please. I'm okay with picking up after myself from now on."
"Noted, but I have a new roommate. Do you want to meet him? I'm sure you'll like him."
Kurt wanted to slap the boy because he couldn't be more obvious, but then again Blaine was the most oblivious boy he knew. "Sure, why not?"
"Come in! He's unpacking and getting settled. You two are very similar. He had to deal with some bullying at his old school, and he was even in his glee club."
Kurt rolled his eyes as he watched Blaine walk in and meet his eye. "Kurt?" Blaine moved over to him, and surprised Kurt when he was pulled into a hug. He was surprised, but hugged back tightly. "You never told me you were coming today. I would have helped you!"
Kurt shrugged, as they pulled apart. "I wanted to come a little earlier to get settled. Surprise! I'm a little bit nervous about finding my way around, but Trent offered to show me."
"Yeah, don't be scared. You have Trent, Nick, and me. We will all make sure that you know where you are going. We want you to be comfortable here. Which leads me to ask if you want to join the Warblers. I understand that competing against your friends will be hard, but we can really use you."
Kurt looked down as he ran different scenarios through his head. He loved performing, so he wasn't going to sit down and not do it. "I really want to join the Warblers if they'll have me."
"Oh, please, all I have to do is tell the council, and you're in. We welcome everyone who is interested, so I will go let them know. Come find me if you need help settling in."
"I will," Kurt said with a nod. "I guess I'll see you around."
"See you," Blaine said as he squeezed Kurt's shoulder. Kurt watched him leave before he let out a grin he was holding in. He was so happy to see the boy every day now.
Kurt looked to Trent and saw him smirking. Kurt dropped his smile. "What?"
"Nothing," he said shrugging. "You think that he doesn't like you, but he doesn't just hug anyone. In fact, I'm sure that he's never hugged me."
Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing, flushing pink. Something inside him fluttered with hope. "He doesn't like me, Trent. He doesn't even act interested. We are just friends."
"Whatever you say," he said as he turned to sit on his bed. "I just noticed the way his whole face lit up when he saw you here. It was like you were the only person on this planet. Then he hugged you. I think that he really does feel something."
"We are just friends," Kurt muttered. He didn't want to get his hopes up only to be crushed. "I don't even need a boyfriend right now, so can we drop it?"
"I won't mention it again, promise. Just know that I'm here to talk to about him. We roomed together all last year, so I'm pretty much an expert. Plus I'm a great listener."
"I will."
Kurt went back to getting his things put away. He was happy that the conversation was dropped, but he wished it was never brought up. It let him hope for things that probably will never happen, and he just ended up disappointed. If they got together, they would, so he couldn't obsess over it. He was starting new, and this was the last thing that he needed to be stressing over.
Blaine made his way to the Warbler commons. He could wait until later, but he really had nothing to do right now, and he really needed to get Kurt into the Warblers. It would take some persuading, but he knew that the council couldn't tell him no in the end. He was happy to see that they were there discussing the competition.
They looked up as he walked closer to the desk they were sitting at. "Hey, guys."
"Warbler Blaine," David said in a greeting. It was so funny seeing how different they acted when sitting at the desk compared to hanging out in one of their rooms. They took their roles seriously.
"What can we help you with?" Wes asked, leaning forward.
"Do you have a request of what song you would like to sing for Sectionals?" Thad questioned, smiling. "We've been debating, but if you have a better idea we'd love to hear it."
Good, he had their full attention. "Okay, so I have a question. I was just wondering if you guys would allow new member to join."
It was silent for a moment before David spoke, "Blaine, you know that Sectionals are coming up soon. Training someone the steps in that amount of time is impossible."
Blaine went to protest, but Thad cut him off. "You have to look at the situation in our eyes. We are really serious about this competition, and if we had a new member they could potentially hurt us. We just can't take the risk."
"After the competition," Wes said. "He can join after Sectionals."
"But its not just some student," Blaine told them as a last stitch effort. "It's Kurt Hummel." He was met with stunned silence, and that gave him a little hope.
"Hold on," Wes started. "You are telling me that the spy who came to check us out is wanting to be in the Warblers? I didn't even know that he transferred."
"Yeah," Blaine answered, smiling brightly. "He was being bullied really bad at his old school, and it got so bad that his dad let him transfer here. I want him to settle in easily, and I know that if he joined the Warblers, he would. It would mean a lot if you guys would let him join. I know he can pick up the steps and not ruin our chances."
"How do we know he's not planning on sabotaging us so we lose and the New Directions win?" David asked. "He could easily transfer back after he succeeds in his task. He came to spy on us, Blaine."
It made Blaine furious that they would think something like that about Kurt. "You guys don't know him, but I do. He'd never, ever do something like that. He was seriously threatened at his old school, and he had to transfer. Being in the Warblers would benefit both us and him."
Thad turned to the others and gave, what Blaine assumed, a meeting look because he was shooed away while they discussed in hushed tones. Blaine didn't know what he would do if they didn't approve of Kurt joining. He couldn't face Kurt. "Blaine."
Blaine hurried over to them and stood full of hope as they looked at him. David spoke first, "We've discussed it, and it was an unanimous decision. We are very aware that Kurt has a great talent, and we just don't want to lose that because we were too stern."
"We believe that Kurt will be able to pick up the steps pretty quickly, so if you have so much faith in him, then I think that it would be a great addition to the Warblers," Wes said with a smile.
"If you could just let him know when we are meeting next, that would great," Thad said as he folded his hands."
"Thank you." He was practically jumping up and down. "I will stand behind him one hundred percent. This is the best decision you've ever made."
The council nodded, and Blaine left before they could change their minds. He needed to let Kurt know. He stopped in his tracks as he realized something. He hadn't heard Kurt sing, well he had a small bit, but not with music. He knew that Kurt loved to do it, and he also remembered the boy telling him that he barely got any solos at McKinley. He stood behind Kurt, so if he wasn't solo material the council would kill him. He shook his head. He knew that Kurt could sing, so he didn't have to worry about anything.
-1-
The day of Kurt's first day at school came quickly, and Kurt got ready slowly, taking everything in. He found that the blazer really fit him well. It wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be, so that was a plus. He smoothed down his lapels before tying his tie easily. Looking in the mirror, he knew that he had to add something to the outfit. Trent told him that they couldn't add much, but he found a broach that wouldn't go against the dress code.
Classes went okay as far as he could tell. He remembered where everything was, so that was a plus. The only thing he found confusing was a way to get to the Warbler commons. He lost his way for a minute until he remembered the way Blaine led him the first time they met each other. He was overtaken by how nice everyone was. He even gave a boy a high five during the way. It was very different than his days at McKinley.
As Kurt reached the doors, Blaine opened them with a wind as Wes spoke to the room, "And now let's welcome the newest addition to the Warblers, Kurt Hummel."
Kurt smiled as the room applauded, and he felt his nerves settle down. Blaine told him that he had to promise the council that he would be a good member, and he didn't know what to think on his first day. This was very nice. Kurt moved through the room as he stood in front of the table.
"In our oldest tradition for our newest Warbler," Wes said after he pounded his gavel to have the floor. Kurt looked to the boy in interest. "An actual Warbler."
"Kurt," Blaine announced happily as he looked down to a small cage holding a yellow warbler. "Meet Pavarotti."
"This bird is a member of an unbroken line of canaries who have been at Dalton since 1891," Wes informed Kurt, while Blaine carried the cage over. "It's your job to take care of him so he can live to carry on the Warbler legacy. Protect him – that bird is your voice."
"Hey, I'll bring him to work with me," Kurt found himself joking, and he only did that whenever he was nervous. He didn't feel nervous. "Weekends I volunteer at a stray cat rescue. It's at the bottom of a coal mine." No one laughed, and Kurt didn't know what to do. "Uh, that was a joke. I don't, I don't work at a coal mine."
Wes pounded his gavel again. "Let the council come to order. Today we discuss the set list for Sectionals."
"Council?" Kurt asked, setting the birdcage down on the desk. He had heard Blaine say it before, but he wasn't really sure what it was exactly.
"We don't have a director," Blaine spoke up. "Every year we elect three upperclassmen to lead the group. But don't worry we all get a say."
"Oh, fantastic," he said happily, clapping his hands together. He never got to do this in New Directions. "I have a lot of ideas. Warblers, if I may?" No one protested. "Now, I can't deny that the Warblers' vocals are absolutely dreamy, but I believe our set for Sectionals this year should have a little more show-biz panache. I think we should open with Rio by Duran Duran."
"The council is responsible for song selection," David answered.
"But we appreciate your enthusiasm, Kurt," Wes added. "It will come in handy one day when you're sitting behind this desk." Kurt thought that this was going to be different, but he was just flat out rejected. It stung a little.
He put a smile on his face for the rest of the meeting, but he didn't listen much. He didn't have a say in anything, and it seemed like no one really did except the three at the front. He shouldn't have assumed it was going to be all about him. That was his mistake. It still hurt that he couldn't even voice anything, but he didn't at McKinley so it wasn't much of a difference.
Blaine really helped after the meeting though. He came and told Kurt that they appreciated his enthusiasm and wanted to give him a chance to audition for a solo. He was so happy. He didn't know what to sing or what to do, so he decided to get some help from the only person he knew that could help: Rachel.
-2-
Watching Kurt sing 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' was a breath of fresh air for Blaine. He knew that the boy had an amazing voice, so he didn't know why he was worried, but then he began to see the dramatics Kurt threw in. It ruined everything, not for him personally, but for the council. Blaine had been in the Warblers long enough to know that they didn't like overdramatic performances, and that was exactly what Kurt's was.
He knew that Kurt wasn't going to get the solo, and he felt horrible for him. Kurt was used to giving everything in a performance, but all he needed to do was give his voice. Blaine believed that he would have gotten the solo if he hadn't of done the small motions. He enjoyed the song though, pushing away the fact that Kurt was most likely not going to get it.
It won't be easy; you'll think it's strange
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all that I've done
You won't believe me, all you will see is the girl you once knew
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen; I had to change
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window; staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom; running around trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My made existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do is look at me to know
That every word is true
Kurt sat with two other boys after their auditions, waiting for the council to make up their mind. He was a wreck inside, nerves twisting and turning. He really wanted this, and he knew that he did everything he could to get it, but Nick and Jeff were also really, really good. He had to do something to break the tension.
"So how many times have you guys auditioned?" he found himself asking, the two turning to him, nerves all over their faces.
"Three," Nick said determination in his voice.
"Six," Jeff said matter-of-factly.
Kurt whistled, his chances suddenly looking nonexistent. They were great, and he was only new. He couldn't compete with them. Before he could worry anymore, Blaine walked up to them. "Hey guys. Nick, Jeff, congrats. You're moving on."
The two got up and hugged before leaving the room. Kurt felt happy for them, but he was so disappointed. He knew though, he knew that he wasn't going to get it in the back of his mind. He watch Blaine congratulate Jeff before looking to him. Kurt decided to ask, "Any stage advice?"
Blaine put his hands in his pockets as he walked over to Kurt. He said very sweetly, "Don't try so hard next time."
"I didn't realize that caring was frowned upon," he said. He didn't understand because weren't you supposed to give it your all?
"I don't know how it worked at your old school, but did you notice that we all wear uniforms around here? It's about being part of the team."
"I guess I'm just used to having to scream to get noticed," Kurt mused, and he knew that part was true. He was also just a person who liked to overdue things.
"You're not going to make it as a Warbler if all you care about is getting noticed," Blaine insisted.
"You're right," Kurt said quickly, shaking his head. He was being stupid. "I'm sorry."
"I know it's going to take some getting used to, but you'll fit in soon enough," the boy told him. Kurt saw the sweet smile on Blaine's face, and knew that it was going to be okay. "I promise." He turned to walk away, but stopped. "Are you coming? Nick and Jeff competing against each other have got to be really funny."
Kurt took a deep breath before standing up and smoothing down his pants. He joined Blaine
Kurt laughed softly, standing up. "Thank you for everything. It's really important to me. You are such a great friend."
Blaine smiled as he turned to look at Kurt. "Right back at you."
-3-
Sectionals went great, well as good as Kurt was hoping. He didn't know who he would rather win to be honest. He wanted New Directions to have a Nationals win that they worked so hard for, but Kurt wanted to win really bad. He knew that Blaine and Nick, who won the other solo, blew it away. It was going to be a close one, and he couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
He was going to be able to perform for a competition again, and so were New Directions. It was so nice to be able to congratulate his friends and not feel bitter about it or vice versa. He would have loved a solo, but he was fine with just singing with the rest of the Warblers. He was getting used to being part of a team, and he really enjoyed it when the other members were so nice and funny.
Sometime after they got back, Kurt noticed something wrong with Pavarotti. She wasn't singing, and that immediately concerned him. He thought that maybe he did something wrong or something, but he wasn't sure. Then the bird started to shed it's feathers, and that's when Kurt texted Blaine.
He sat down in the commons as he waited for Blaine to come. He really didn't want to screw this up. The Warblers gave him one duty, and that was to take care of her. What would they think of him if he screwed it up in the first week?
It took a couple minutes, but Blaine came rushing in. "Got your text, what's wrong?"
"It's Pavarotti," he explained. Blaine came over to kneel next to him. "I think he's sick. I'm taking good care of him, but he won't sing and he's losing his feathers."
Blaine studied the bird for a minute. "Oh, he's just molting." Kurt had no clue what he was talking about. "He's growing a new coat of feathers, so his body has to shut down a little, but don't worry about it." He sat next to Kurt on the couch. "He's got food, water, and he seems to like his cage. Just give it a little while. He'll be singing again in no time."
Kurt smiled in relief and met Blaine's smile as he turned to him. It really was a relief to hear it. "Don't forget…Warbler practice tonight at five." He leaned over into Kurt. "Regionals, here we come!"
Blaine patted Kurt's knee before standing and leaving the room. Kurt just sat there for a moment. His week had been a lot of changes, and he was pretty sure that he just needed time to adjust to them. He was overwhelmed, but knew that he could always talk to Blaine or even Trent if he needed to. He reached out to take the cage before heading to his room to pack. He needed to go home to see his dad, maybe that will settle his mind.
