I wanna thank all of you guys for your support and I've decided to keep this story going. The updates may not be all that frequent, but I'm planning to make the chapters longer to satisfy you guys until the next chapter. That way I don't get so anxious about updates, and the story can still go at a quick pace. Thank you all so much, for everything! Now without any further ado, let's get this show back on the road!

David strode over to the other side of the Lima Bean, Quinn trailing behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Puckerman, Hudson, Santana, Brittany, Chang, Rutherford, Kurt and the other girl whom he hadn't really had the chance to become acquainted with yet were no longer paying him any mind.

"What is it, David? Quinn asked, once they were out of earshot. David pursed his lips together as he gazed across the room and back at the Cheerio.

"There was something that I kind of wanted to ask you; well, see about. And I can't really talk to the others about this, so…"

"Just tell me what it is, Karofsky," she said with a slight smile. Dave chuckled.

"Okay, well, you're in glee, right?" Dave assumed he must have said something wrong considering the stifled, almost pained, reaction he got from her.

"Sure."

"Okay, well anyway, you and Finn are pretty much attached at the hip. Puckerman and Santana have been fuck-buddies since forever, Rutherford is kind of dating Santana, Chang is straight… how about Kurt?" Dave nodded over to the table where the group resided while stuffing his hands into his pockets and Quinn turned her head over to them as well.

"Kurt Hummel? He's with Mercedes; the other girl at the table."

"Oh," Dave sighed.

"Why do you ask?" Quinn questioned curiously, her eyebrow raised.

"No reason. I just thought that… I dunno, maybe that he… that he was, uh…"

"Gay?" the Cheerio finished. Dave winced a little bit at the seemingly harsh accusing tone in her voice, but nodded nonetheless.

"Don't feel bad, everyone thought the same thing. But apparently he and Effie over there are pretty serious. Who knew?"

"I see… I don't know; he seems… he's interesting."

"That's one word for it," Quinn chortled.

"Alright, well I'll let you get back to your friends. Thanks, anyway."

"Later, David," she said as the two of them parted ways, Dave going to purchase his to-go order and Quinn back to the group.

Needless to say, Kurt and Mercedes had barely spoken the rest of that weekend after their supposed "break-up". If they had made contact with each other, it was for some trivial and insignificant reason that had absolutely no importance in either of their lives. This hiatus on their speaking terms only made the following Tuesday that much more awkward.

The Invitational was about to go in in less than an hour; Kurt could already hear the crowd building on the other side of the curtain. And the entire while, he and Mercedes resided on opposite sides of the backstage area. No one said anything about it. After Mr. Schue had announced that Kurt would be singing the solo for Somebody to Love, no one really questioned why Kurt and Mercedes were spending all this time apart. They just figured it was some stupid, Glee-club pride thing and would pass once the Invitational was finished.

But Kurt knew the truth as he sat down on one of the back stage props. It was all he was able to think about over the weekend. It wasn't like he had actually grown attached to the idea of being in a fake relationship with Mercedes; they were still friends and a fake break up wouldn't change that. It was just… that relationship was like a safety blanket for him. It was security from all the looks and questions. As long as he had that, no one would question. No one would even really care to think about it. But Mercedes hadn't been wrong.

This whole little charade started off innocently enough. Mercedes was being a good friend. She knew that Kurt was scared out of his mind about people finding out, and she was willing to help him out. With Mercedes on his arm, Kurt was secure. But what he hadn't realized was that his relationship with her had become a crutch. It had become something he was relying on fully. In fact, if Mercedes hadn't brought it up this past weekend, Kurt really would have had no clue if he ever even would come out. He was getting so wrapped up in a lie, that he was losing himself and letting the truth just die into the background of his mind. But it would never truly die, for obvious reasons. This wasn't something he could change.

It wasn't so much that he was upset with the break up, but without Mercedes as his beard, he was left vulnerable; open to ridicule. Not that he wasn't already, come on. But still… at least he could at least feel like everybody else, even though he was fully aware that he wasn't.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a rough, calloused hand clapping down on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Noah Puckerman standing behind him. He wasn't exactly the first person Kurt wanted to see, given the circumstances.

"Sup, dude?" he asked.

"I'm just, uh… a little nervous about this solo. It kind of sets the bar for everything else we do, if you think about it." Kurt replied softly. Puck pursed his lips and nodded slowly.

"Eh, don't sweat it. If I were you, I'd be more worried about patching things up with her," he tossed his head over in Mercedes direction where she stood talking to Tina and Artie.

"There's nothing to patch up. We're fine, she… she's just upset that I got the solo and she didn't. You know how women are," Kurt attempted a cool smirk, but he wasn't entirely sure if Puckerman found it convincing.

"Yeah, I… yeah, I do. I mean, I don't get this; it's just one song for one stupid show… but hey, whatever. I'm just saying," Noah shrugged.

"It's nothing. Everything will be fine after the show."

"Uh huh…" and with that, Puck gave Kurt a wink and strode off towards Santana and Quinn.

"Hey," said a female voice behind him. Kurt turned his attention away from the retreating boy's back and turned his head to see Mercedes standing above him. Kurt exhaled and stood to face her.

"I just wanted to say congratulations on the solo… you earned it."

"You were fantastic too, Mercedes. Really," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Mercedes pursed her lips in a soft smile and nodded. The two stood in place, not saying a word, the hustle and bustle of glee-clubbers around them being the only sound in their world.

"Can we talk?" she asked. Kurt glanced around and saw that the teens around them were paying absolutely no attention to the pair, all caught up in their own worlds. He then turned his gaze back to Mercedes.

"There's not really anything to talk about… I understand."

"Kurt… I'm not trying to hurt you or force you out of the closet," she whispered, peering around to make sure no one was listening in.

"I just want you to be okay."

"No, Mercedes, I really do get it. I'm not mad at you and I don't blame you. I thought you were just being a good friend by bearding for me and I was just scared when you ended our arrangement. But I realized that… I was really using you. I was using you because I was too scared to confront anything on my own. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way, shape, or form ready to come out yet… but I do understand why you did what you did. You were just looking out for me. And that's what real friends do." He smiled weakly at her and she returned it.

"So… can we please talk again?" Mercedes half chuckled. Kurt beamed.

"Of course," he replied as he went in for a hug from his best friend. They embraced for a good number of seconds.

"I really missed you," he breathed.

"It's only been one weekend, Kurt," she laughed.

"Still!"

The two broke apart and out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Finn running awkwardly towards the pair.

"Hey, you guys! Mr. Schue says curtain in five."

There was no doubt about it, Kurt loved singing. He loved performing. But when it came to an audience, Kurt had forgotten one simple thing… that there would be one. The chatter on the other side of the still shut curtain was loud and busy enough to churn his stomach.

He had barely gotten used to singing in front of the New Directions alone. But this… in retrospect, sure, having a solo sounded like something he would want. But now, in this moment, as he stood firmly in his position on stage behind the curtain, the wait was agonizing. He had dealt with rude comments about the sound of his voice, mainly from within the glee club itself. But something about singing in front of the entire school was different.

He was useful in glee. Powerful.

But out in the hallways, he was a complete and total loser. And no one out there gave a damn if he could carry a tune or not. All they saw was simply that. A loser.

He glanced over at Mercedes a few spots away. Her face was stoic. She seemed so calm… collected. Her posture declared that she was ready to own this stage. She stood with confidence. Determination. Conviction.

Kurt wanted that. Needless to say, at this point, he was lacking in all of those things. And he was the one that won the solo.

His heart sank as realization set into it that Mercedes was the one that really deserved this. She had power in her voice and sang with an amount of soul he had never even realized could have existed before. She loved what she did and knew for a fact that she could own it. Kurt had always seen the currently absent Rachel as his biggest competition. But just because he and Mercedes were friends didn't mean that she wasn't as big of a threat and that she didn't want it just as badly as Kurt or Rachel.

Rachel was gone. And the title of Glee club star had been up for grabs. This solo could have very well been the first of many that he would have had to fight over. And he was the winner. Him; this small… weak… scared little singer.

It wasn't right. Mercedes deserved his spot tonight and it took him until now to fully realize it. He wasn't ready for this kind of pressure.

Here Mercedes was, proud and so sure of who she was, not only as a vocalist, but as a person. She knew what she wanted. And she wasn't afraid to go after it. And she was demoted to wailing the last couple of runs at the very end of the song. All because he, of all people, won.

He was going to choke. He knew that he was going to choke. He would either hit the wrong note, say the wrong lyrics, or worse, no sound would come out at all. Or maybe, he would find himself sick with nausea and vomit all across the stage. Anything could have happened.

His first instinct was to retreat from the stage. The soprano's eyes widened as the curtains slowly started to open. There was no turning back now; not now that the audience had already spotted him. He was already starting to sweat and the bright stage lights didn't do much to help that situation. He stole a quick glance down to ensure that the pits of his dark blue dress shirt weren't stained with sweat. Okay, it wasn't all that noticeable. But would the lights bring attention to it?

The curtain was fully open now and Kurt almost missed his cue to step forward down the risers when the others did.

Can…

Finn had started, which meant that his part wasn't far behind. His eyes stared out straight ahead, wide like a deer stuck in the headlights, his mouth shut and his throat dry. The audience was packed; something none of them had expected considering how unpopular glee club was already. He quickly swallowed whatever remaining saliva he had built up in his mouth and joined in with his fellow New Directions, his arm raising into the air in unison with the others.

Anybody…

His eyes were turned to the bright stage lights and that probably wasn't the best idea for him. He quickly shut them and struggled to focus on what he was supposed to do next.

Then it hit him… crap.

How was his first line supposed to start? He was panicking.

Just go along with it, Kurt.

He turned in tandem with the others, his eyes still closed.

Find me-e-e-e…

Kurt turned his head up from the ground and into the air with the lyric and finally decided to open his eyes. It would have looked weird if he had kept them closed the entire time, not to mention how it would have potentially thrown off their choreography should he bump into someone.

This was a fact he had to accept. There was an audience. They came here to see a show. And he was a crucial part of this performance, no matter what the outcome was. He had to follow through.

Somebody to-oo…

As Kurt turned his head towards the audience, his vision started to come back into focus from the brightness of the stage lights. Lo and behold, the first sight for him to see banished most of the tension and anxiety out of his system.

When the stage light aftermath had disappeared from his eyes, he could clearly see David Karofsky sitting in the third row of the middle aisle. He was wearing a maroon polo that was fitted beautifully around his large torso. He smiled up at the stage; up at Kurt, almost unnoticeably moving his perfect lips to the words of the song. It may have been a trick of the light, but Kurt could have sworn that David just… winked at him… directly at him. It had to have actually happened because it was followed with a subtle thumbs-up. Though the lights were dim over the audience, Kurt could point out the junior's smile among the crowd. It was for him. David was actually enjoying himself and Kurt couldn't help but smile. Their eyes locked from several feet away and their lips moved simultaneously with the next line.

Love…

The butterflies were gone and were replaced with a different kind of equally nervous sensation. But this time, it didn't have a negative effect of Kurt. David was here because Kurt had invited him. That kind of knowledge spurred something inside the singer. He wanted to impress Dave. He was no longer worried about what anyone else thought. His only desire was to make sure that Dave enjoyed the show.

The piano sped up to the playful tune of the intro and Kurt walked proudly down to the center of the stage, Finn at his side.

Oh-oh-oh-oh-wo-hoah
Each morning I get up, I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet…

Kurt wasn't really certain what he had been so worried about anyway. The show was a success, as the New Directions would take it. Patrons lined up in the foyer outside the auditorium afterwards to shake hands and congratulate the Glee club before departing the school. Sure, most of them were parents, teachers, or other adults, but still. An audience was an audience. There had to have been at least a hundred here tonight.

Finally the audience member Kurt had been most excited to see emerged from the auditorium, glancing around for the glee clubbers in the mass of people. Kurt beamed in his direction and started to make his way towards the junior. He was cut off by an admiring Mercedes with loads of congratulations and hugs. His second obstacle was Finn Hudson, who clapped him hard on the back in admiration.

Finally he found David and was greeted with a smile.

"That was great, dude," Dave chuckled, extending his arm for a congratulatory bro-hug. Overwhelmed with excitement, anxiety, and every other good feeling known to man, Kurt completely ignored it and lunged at Dave with a full on embrace, wrapping his arms around the taller boys torso.

Quickly realizing where he was and who he was with, he retracted from the boy and rubbed his hand behind his neck, his face flushing.

"Thanks, Dave. I'm so glad you came!"

"I said I would, didn't I?" he smirked. Kurt could have just about melted.

"Yeah, you… you did. You're a man of your word," he breathed.

"You were really fantastic up there, Kurt."

"Stahp…" Kurt said, mushily, running his hand through his hair. David chuckled.

The sound of footsteps was heard from behind and Kurt turned to see a beaming Finn striding towards the pair.

"Sup, man, glad you could make it," he said to David, actually fulfilling a successful bro-hug with David.

"Yeah, bro, I am too. Y'all were awesome tonight."

Finn nodded and pursed his lips together in a smile.

"Well, I don't wanna keep you away from your adoring fans, so I guess I will see you guys tomorrow at practice?" David said as he turned to make his way out the door.

"Hey, man, wait, hold up," Finn said and the older boy halted mid-step. Kurt looked over at Finn, wondering what in the world he was planning.

"I'm actually hosting a little after party at my place tonight in a couple minutes if ya wanna stick around."

Really? Kurt hadn't expected being with David for the whole night. Part of him would really have liked for David to be there, but the majority of him didn't really see it as a good idea. Here, he could be cool. Here, David would think he was cool. But at a party… Kurt was never one to really interact at social gatherings to begin with. And for David to see him in his awkward stage…

"I don't know, Finn. I'm sure Dave has things to do before tomorrow anyway. Calculus homework, for example…"

"Actually, Kurt, I took care of all my homework before I came here. I don't wanna seem like I'm intruding or anything, though. I mean, I'm not in Glee club and this is you guys' thing."

"Ah, come on, man, it's no big deal. No one will care. Stop by for a bit."

Kurt glanced from one boy to the other with each passing statement. Dave pondered for a second and bit his lip. God, he was hot when he did that.

"Well, if you're sure… I guess I could."

"Awesome!" Finn exclaimed.

"Just lemme take care of something at home and I'll head right over."

"See ya then," Finn told him, as they fist bumped goodbye.

"See ya then. See you tonight, Kurt," Dave said before departing.

"See you tonight," Kurt breathed, barely audible.

The party actually wasn't bad. Everyone seemed to have had a good time and there weren't really a whole lot of complaints. Though, despite their heartfelt reunion backstage, Kurt and Mercedes still had barely managed to get a word in to each other since.

It was about 11:30 now and the party vibe had died down a bit. There was mostly just calm chatter among the New Directions, with the exception of Rachel, who had still not returned to the club.

Kurt sat around with Finn, Artie, and David while Mercedes sat on the other side with Tina. Like clockwork, Puckerman managed to squeeze in between Dave and Kurt, eyes intently on the soprano.

"What?" Kurt hissed, not intending for it to come out so harsh. But he knew what the bad boy was going to say. He knew what he was getting at. Puck merely blinked at him.

"You know what. Come on, dude, what the hell are you doing over here while she's over there? Get up! Go be a boyfriend," he said, shoving Kurt to his feet. Kurt grew incredibly tired of this.

Though he and Mercedes had finally come to an agreement that the break up was for the best, he had neglected to mention it to anyone else. There was nowhere to run now, though. He had to do something. Slowly he strode over to Mercedes, who was now sitting alone.

"Hey," he said as he sat down next to her. She smiled up at him.

"Hey," she responded.

"You did awesome tonight."

"Thanks, Kurt, so did you."

Tina had returned and Mercedes looked away from Kurt and back to the Goth Kurt took this time to turn his attention back to Puckerman and the others. Dave, Finn, and Artie seemed to pay no mind, but Puckerman kept making faces at him and making gestures with his arm as if to wrap it around an imaginary person.

Kurt swallowed hard and slowly raised his arm. He retracted it several times before actually making the full motion as to wrap it around her. Mercedes looked down at it and then up into Kurt's face. Her pleasant demeanor was gone and was replaced by a stone-cold, seriousness. Kurt smiled weakly, as if trying to get her to understand. But Mercedes shook her head and shoved the arm away.

"Kurt, stop," she said. Santana was passing by behind them and looked down at the diva, confusion and judgment apparent in her face.

"Chill out, Wheezie, he's your boyfriend," she said tactlessly. Kurt's eyes widened and his skin went white; even paler than he already was (if that was even possible). All eyes were on them now, Santana's remark being enough to divert attention. Mercedes glanced around the room and then to Kurt, a pleading look on his face and in his eyes. But he knew what was coming.

"Actually, he's not… Kurt and I, we… we broke up. Isn't that right, Kurt?" she looked over at him, her features still stoic and passive. All eyes went from being on the two of them to being on Kurt specifically. The soprano glanced around the room and the faces were filled with confusion and anticipation.

He knew it was a bad idea, but Kurt found himself unconsciously looking over in David's direction, his face calm and concerned. That did it for Kurt. He stood and without looking at anyone, he turned and mumbled, "I have to go."

He strode past David, not bothering to look at him, knowing what he would find in the boy's face, and headed out the door. The room was left silent.

Kurt sped to his car on the other side of the street, but he didn't get in. He simply stood there, fists clenched and firm against the side of the Navigator, no longer attempting to fight the tears that he knew would come pouring down.

He and Mercedes broke up. Simple as that. He thought that he had made peace with that earlier today before the Invitational. But now that everyone knew… Well, Kurt just hadn't taken that part into consideration.

As far as he knew, it didn't go past saying that they were broken up in order to make it happen. But the other outside factors… Puckerman, Santana. He didn't think about those. He didn't think about how that would raise questions with them. And if he was being completely and totally honest, it scared the shit out of him. Eventually everyone would know the truth.

He was officially left open with nowhere else to run to. Everyone knew now. And he was no longer protected by the lie he had built with his friend.

And the worst part was David. Seeing the look in his beautiful hazel eyes at the revelation, so hurt and worried for him. It was too much to take. It would also raise questions for David, too. All this time, he had been okay with loving Dave from afar behind his security blanket. But if he were to tell David the truth now… it would ruin everything. Everything would fall apart.

His thoughts ran wild and the tears were bursting from his eyes, no matter how tightly he tried to shut them. Suddenly, he felt a large, rough hand rest gently on his left shoulder.

"Kurt?" said a male voice. Kurt knew who it belonged to and his heart sank deep into his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw the boys' hazel-eyed reflection in his car window. He turned around to face the real deal, David's face even more painful and beautiful to look at when it was so close to his own.

"You okay?"

Well, this has been a long-time-coming and I hope you all are satisfied! I'm really very touched to have seen all the comments that want me to continue. I promise you I will definitely finish, but I refuse to promise the timespan :P anyway, thank you all so much for sticking with me and I hope you all continue to do the same. Love you guys!