Later that week found Blaine Anderson alone in his bedroom. His first few weeks at McKinley had, so far, been a success. Classes went as well as could be expected, glee club was great, and he had even made some friends, along with a new best friend. The only thing that Blaine was certain and yet oh so unsure about, was of course, Kurt Hummel. As much as he felt he knew the skank, there were parts of him that were still very much a mystery to Blaine. Sure, in the beginning there was that initial physical attraction, but Blaine wasn't as shallow as to let that govern his entire impending friendship with the other boy. It was much, much more than that now. It felt to Blaine like a deep emotional connection, admittedly one that was most likely not requited. Blaine was a romantic and liked to believe in love at first sight. But he never really understood what that meant until now.

What?

Blaine shook his head rigorously Stop it he told himself sternly. Love? What was he talking about, love? Way to jump the gun on that Anderson... He thought bitterly. All that would do was cause more trouble. He hated how enthusiastic and devoted his feelings were for Kurt when he wasn't even sure of what they were himself. But there was still some inexplicable draw to Kurt that Blaine had. He couldn't explain it. There was something about him, Blaine knew that there was so much more underneath the badboy's rough exterior. There was more to the other boy than that outcast layer, Blaine could just see it. And it was that which was drawing him in, longing to get closer and closer to this enigmatic boy who had captured Blaine's attention and his heart since the day he first saw him. And Blaine knew, how exactly, he wasn't sure, but he knew that one way or another Kurt Hummel was far from being gone in his life any time soon.

Blaine whined pathetically from his spot on the bed. It really had been a bad idea to dwell on his thoughts of Kurt whilst he was trying to do homework. That, and the Grease soundtrack that was playing in the background was a horrible combination.

Guess mine is not the first heart broken

My eyes not the first to cry

I'm not the first to know

There's just no getting over you

I know I'm just a fool who's willing

To sit around and wait for you

But baby can't you see

There's nothing else for me to do

I'm hopelessly devoted to you

But now, there's nowhere to hide

Since you pushed my love aside

I'm out of my head

Hopelessly devoted to you

Groaning, Blaine buried his head in his hands, cursing the heavens, for this had to be some cosmic sign. Becoming thoroughly frustrated at his hopeless situation, the teen threw his statistics book hard across the room. He expected to hear a thud but instead his ears were met with a shriek. A very female shriek. On the floor was his stats books and next to it were a pair of knee high clad legs. Blaine looked up to see none other than Rachel Berry in his doorway.

Rachel looked somewhat beside herself about her less than civilized greeting. "Well, at least it didn't hit me and break my talent." she said, flipping her hair and crossing the threshold into his room. Rachel Berry, aforementioned best friend, was the one person, other than Kurt, who Blaine felt a real connection with. Maybe it was their mutual love of performing, but Blaine really liked her. If there was a single thing he didn't like about the girl, besides her atrocious sense of fashion, it would be that she had told him to stay away from Kurt Hummel. Come to think of it, she was the only one who had in fact even talked about him. Anyone else with whom Blaine brought up the subject of Kurt would become unresponsive, as if fearful of subsequent retribution. Which of course only made Blaine want to know more about the skank and why everyone was so afraid of him.

"Hey Rachel," Blaine smiled apologetically. He didn't bother asking how exactly Rachel had gotten into his house, he had learned on the very first day of glee club that if Rachel Berry wanted something, you could be sure as hell she'd get it. That was one reason why Blaine liked her, he wished he was like that, because then he could get Kurt to be his friend. And once again, his thoughts were turning to the skank.

"Blaine!" she greeted with her million watt smile on full display. She bounded closer over to him and snapped her fingers. "Come on let's go! Finn's waiting in the car."

"Huh? Go? Go where?" Blaine was a little confused, he didn't remember making any plans for today.

"Just come on!" Rachel insisted, tugging on his arm with a pout on her face, "It's about time we hang out together! You'll love it, I promise."

Blaine made no further objections, as an argument with Rachel Berry couldn't possibly end well for him. This girl was lucky he was her friend.

Within a few short moments, Blaine was in the back of Finn Hudson's car with Rachel, going Lord only knows. Finn had greeted him with his customary refrain "Sup dude!" and a fist bump. At school Blaine had observed that where ever Rachel went, Finn followed. The couple was practically attached at the hip. Guess that was no different outside of school. And then they were all on their way.

"So where are we going?"

"Bowling?!"

Kurt said the word disdainfully.

"Q, what are we doing here?"

Evidently, the pink girl thought the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon was at the Lima Bowling Lanes...? Kurt knew that there was next to nothing to do in any small Ohio town, but bowling? Seriously? There were just so many things wrong with the whole idea of bowling. First of all, you had to wear other peoples shoes which was just plain disgusting. And then you had to stick your fingers into the little holes that probably harbored millions of diseases. That was not the type of hole Kurt wanted his fingers inside.

"It's Deshawn's hot stop for the week." Quinn responded, looking around the dingy little building.

Kurt pulled a confused face, "I thought Deshawn and his goons were set up at G's Spot?"

Quinn shook her pink head. "Not for now, I think they got pushed out by a rival gang."

Deshawn Thomas and his infamous gang of swaggering drug dealers. Deshawn was one of those kids who was conflicted with his own ethnicity. He was clearly white, but thought he was a black gangster 'from da hood' and acted like it too, albeit it pathetically erroneous. Deshawn could always been seen with his 'bling', a lopsided hat, and baggy pants. He thought it made him look tough; Kurt thought he looked ridiculous. Deshawn wasn't even his real name, Kurt thought it was something like Charles, but he had never cared enough to ask. Overall, Kurt found Deshawn Thomas to be an incongruous and farcical poser. The only reason he put up with the guy was because of Quinn. Kurt wasn't exactly certain of what it was Quinn would get from the dealer, but whatever it was, Kurt knew he needed none of it. He had once had some of it when Quinn first got some. The effects had been less than favorable for the male skank and he vowed off the stuff forever, but it was a different story for Quinn.

"So we don't have to actually bowl, do we?" Kurt asked with a wary glace at her.

"No!" Quinn breathed out, "God, you're such a baby. Just stay here while I go talk with Deshawn." And with that she was on her way over to the gross bowling lane bathrooms. Kurt didn't want to let her go alone, Deshawn may be a bumbling idiot, but they both knew he could be violent.

"Sorry that the roller skating ring was closed guys, but trust me- this is the next best thing!"

Blaine followed Rachel and Finn into the bowling lanes. The place smelled of cheap pizza and stingy disinfectant. Blaine was thinking that Rachel needed to reevaluate her concept of fun as he looked around the place. But then again, this was Ohio and it was a sad yet true fact that bowling didn't fall low on the list of fun things to do. And even Blaine had to admit that hanging out with his friend and her boyfriend doing something as whimsical as bowling sure beat homework.

Rachel and Finn had left to go get them some shoes when Blaine caught a whiff of something over the smell of the bowling alley. It was the smell of smoke, peppermint, jasmine shampoo, and a hint of cologne. A smell he had come to associate with Kurt Hummel.

He couldn't be far. It was a small place. Blaine not so subtly glanced over the place until his eyes landed on the skank. He was in a corner, a lit cigarette in between his lips and his chin on his knees. He looked dreamy to Blaine. And by the subtle narrowing and flickering of his eyes, Blaine could tell that Kurt had seen him.

Blaine was thinking of going up to him, but something inside stopped him. Instead he simply watched as Quinn emerged from the back, stuffing something into her pocket. He watched as Kurt flung an arm over her and he watched as they left the building.

He wasn't watching when Kurt looked back.

A/N: Thank you all for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts :)