Chapter Nine: Flashback – Kurt's Mission
October 2018
Kurt had a spring in his step. He was picking up some clothes from the drycleaners. It was his last stop before he had to return home. His Dad and Carole had just left for their Australian cruise so he would have the house to himself. It would be perfect for music blasting and packing for New York.
He felt happy, which these days, was not surprising. He had worked hard at turning his illness around. He was in a much better place than he had been three years ago and even one year ago. With Cynthia's help, he had found himself again – the old Kurt but a better version. He never had to go back on his medication, he had learned to cope with life's problems in natural ways. Cynthia had given him all the tools. As grateful as he was to Cynthia he was very happy when she told him that he should only see her once a month instead of the two times a week he had been sitting in that green chair. He was acting again. Sure, it was only with the Lima Community Theatre but it was something. He was no longer sitting on his bed crying. He had also thought about re-applying to NYADA but also to other schools. He wanted to study theatre, of course but also thought about the fashion industry.
He had arrived home and made his way upstairs. He lugged out his suitcase and began to decipher which clothes would be most suitable for his mission – and that's exactly what it was. A mission. Before any school applications happened, before any major decisions were made in his life, he had to find Blaine. He had thought about it for three years. He at the very least owed Blaine an explanation but truly, he wanted him back. He was ready to love, ready to commit, ready for anything Blaine wanted. There was no way he could move on without first checking in with his one true love. He had to try again.
He knew from Mercedes that Blaine was still in New York City. Kurt was not surprised to learn that Blaine was a successful writer on Broadway. He had done his research and knew which theatre he was currently working out of so Kurt had planned to go there to find him. He knew though that New York was a big place and that he may not actually find Blaine so as a back-up he wrote a letter that he would leave at the theatre if all else failed. Of course he could just get Blaine's number from Mercedes but this was something he had to try to do in person. He owed Blaine that much. He owed himself that much.
The weather was miserable in New York but Kurt wasn't going to let that dampen his mood. He looked out the window of his tenth floor hotel room. He watched the crowds zig zag their way along the sidewalks. He saw the yellow tops of cabs weave expertly down the streets. A parade of umbrellas bobbed all along as people hurried to get out of the rain. He had missed New York. There was a time when he would have hated to come back as there were far too many memories attached to it but now it was all different – he was hopeful - hopeful that he could find Blaine and that Blaine would be willing to talk to him. He was hoping that he still had a chance with Blaine but above all he hoped that Blaine was well. He needed for Blaine to be happy because seeing him unhappy would be excruciating.
He was almost ready. He looked at himself in the mirror. He had worn a two-toned grey suit, Alexander McQueen, of course. His button-up shirt was periwinkle coupled with a black tie. His eyes roamed up to check his hair – it was coiffed upward into a swooping shape – there was not even one hair out of place. Kurt fixed his tie, took a deep breath and whispered to his reflection. "You can do this, Kurt Hummel." He put on his black overcoat, slipped the cream coloured envelope with the single word Blaine written across the front into the inside pocket of his jacket, and walked toward the door.
The rain was coming down in buckets. Kurt clutched the hotel umbrella hard so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind. There goes my hair, he thought as he pressed the button at the crosswalk. Despite the weather, Kurt was happy. It would only be a short three blocks to the theatre where Blaine was scheduled to be. Within the hour or maybe less he would know his fate – and he had a good feeling about it. He knew Blaine's heart. He knew Blaine's soul – if it was at all possible, Blaine would forgive him and they could finally put this mess behind them.
Suddenly, Kurt heard a loud and alarming screeching sound but he only heard it for a split second as he looked up from the lines of the crosswalk he was trekking across. The car skidded to a stop but not in time. Kurt's body flew in the air as if it were a rag doll and landed with a loud thud onto the sidewalk. The umbrella sat upside-down on the other side of the street collecting raindrops like tears; familiar sirens were heard among the streets of New York – this time they were for Kurt.