am woke up before Kurt and nudged him just enough to get his attention. "Hey, Kurt. It's 7:30. I think you must have forgotten to set your alarm and I didn't set mine either. Are you ready to get up?"
"No, stay here. Kurt moved closer and laid his head on Sam's shoulder. I need super powers for today."
"You and me both."
"So are you going with me and Finn or waiting to go with Dad and Carole?"
"With you. If he-who-shall-not-be-named is there for some reason, I want to make sure he leaves you alone."
"He's complied with everything I asked him so far. He hasn't bothered me at all."
"Yeah, but I'm going to make sure it stays that way. I wish I had kicked his butt when I came back last fall."
"Don't say that. You know that Sebastian is right. I wouldn't have listened to either of you. I'm going to see if the university offers free counseling. If not, I'll look into finding someone off campus. I have to make sure that I am never in the position to allow this to happen to me again. I got too needy. I wanted a boyfriend too badly. I wanted someone to want me and I gave up so much of myself to get that and still didn't have someone that wanted me."
"Well, his loss because you are awesome."
"You are biased."
"I only speak the truth. I only speak the truth." Sam started sing-chanting.
Kurt sat up and started tickling Sam.
"Now, wait," Sam said between laughing. "You always say that tickling is off limits."
"It's definitely off limits to tickle me. Now, you on the other hand..."
Sam managed to snag a pillow and whack Kurt with it. Kurt grabbed the other pillow and hit him back. It didn't take long before they were chasing each other around the room walloping each other with the pillows. A knock was heard on the door. Kurt went to open it and was laughing too hard to say anything except, "Yes?"
"It's been a while since I've heard crazy laughter this early in the morning, and I'll take it. But if you don't tone it down, you're going to wake Burt up."
Burt walked up behind her, "Too late for that. I'm already up. What are you two boys doing chasing each other around like six year olds before 8:00 in the morning?"
"Well..."
"You see..."
"Uh huh. No reason I see," Burt laughed. "Get ready you two."
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Dad."
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Kurt got dressed and coiffed his hair before going downstairs to eat. He was somewhat surprised to find the juice, milk and several boxes of cereal on the table. Sam and Finn came down right after him.
Finn spoke up, "Cereal, Mom?"
"We're having a big birthday breakfast for Kurt tomorrow. I'm saving up my cooking for that," she teased.
"It's fine. I'll just have a bowl of each kind," Finn said as he grabbed the box closest to him.
"I'm going to go up to the school with Kurt and Finn," Sam told Carole.
"That's fine, honey."
"I want to take a few pictures before you guys leave. So, don't leave without telling me."
"Okay, Mom."
"Finn, are you riding with me and Sam?"
"No, I'm going to take my truck so Rachel can ride with me to the restaurant afterwards."
"Okay."
Kurt got up and put his bowl and spoon in the dishwasher and Sam was right behind him.
"Is it okay if we leave now?" Kurt asked Sam. "I'd like to get a coffee at the Lima Bean before we go."
"Sure, just let me go grab my phone."
"Hey, Carole. Sam and I are going to head out, so I'm ready for the pictures you wanted to take."
"Finn, wipe your mouth. Come stand with Kurt so I can get a few of the two of you together. You can go back to eating in a few minutes while I take some of him by himself."
Kurt and Finn moved to where Carole told them to and smiled for the photos. Finn went back to the kitchen and Carole took a few more of Kurt by himself.
"Thanks, Kurt."
"No problem. I'll see you at the ceremony."
Sam and Kurt left in search of caffeine.
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Sam just sat in the back row of the auditorium while Kurt and Finn put their robes on and practiced lining up in the hallway and the processional into the auditorium. The students were lined up down the left side of the auditorium after they entered. They were told to wait for their name to be called, walk up on stage, receive their diploma, pause for their photo to be taken, walk off the stage through the stage left wings and into the hall where the photographer was set up to take their photos with their diploma and then they were to return to the stage the way they exited and line up on the stage on the risers.
After they had successfully practiced this, Coach Beiste called the photographers up on stage. She had all of the students move their tassels to the opposite side for the photo and she made sure that everyone could be seen, rearranging some of the seniors as needed. The group photos were taken then and the photographers left the stage.
Coach Beiste reminded them to just file onto the stage in rows, and not move around during the ceremony. She told them to be in place in the hallway at 11:45. They were released after Coach Beiste was convinced they could do it correctly.
Kurt walked over to Sam and asked him to follow him. "I want you to take a photo of me."
They walked all the way out to the edge of the parking lot where the concrete sign for the school was. Kurt slipped his big black beetle brooch out of his pocket and fastened it to his robe.
"Coach Beiste won't let me wear it during the ceremony," he said as he pinned it on. Handing Sam his phone, he said, "Take a picture of me by the sign with the brooch on my robe. Then, I'll go put it in the Navigator." Kurt stood in a standard boring graduation photo pose, then several crazy fabulous poses.
"Thanks, Sam."
He just laughed and followed Kurt back to the Navigator. On the way back to the building, Kurt texted one of the crazy photos to Sebastian.
They went back inside and Kurt returned to where the seniors were gathering in the hallway and Sam went to save seats for the Hummels in the auditorium. He texted Carole to let her know to come find him inside when they got there.
The ceremony started on time and the seniors filed in. Principal Figgins gave a brief welcome and then surprisingly both Miss Pillsbury and Coach Beiste each gave speeches. The valedictorian had opted to not speak. After Coach Beiste finished, she moved off the stage into the left wings, Principal Figgins and Miss Pillsbury remained on stage and the seniors were called up in alphabetical order.
"...Finn Hudson..."
Carole cheered loudly. Finn smiled when he heard her and walked up and got his diploma, hugging Miss Pillsbury as she handed it to him.
"...Kurt Hummel..."
Burt yelled, "That's my boy!" and made Kurt laugh. He regained his poise and collected his diploma bowing slightly before he exited stage left.
A few minutes later, "...Noah Puckerman..." Sam whooped for him. He didn't know whether Puck's mom would show up or not and he knew how hard Puck had worked.
Once all the names had been called and all of the seniors were on the risers, Miss Pillsbury spoke up and said, "The seniors from our own National Championship winning show choir have a song to share with their classmates."
Three mic stands were brought out on stage. The Glee club members moved off of the risers and stood in groups of three around the mics facing the other seniors. The intro to "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts began to play. The verses were split equally between the 9 seniors and they sang the chorus together. When they finished, they split and stood at the ends of the front row of seniors on stage.
Principal Figgins said some closing words and congratulated the seniors. The auditorium filled with applause and the stage curtains shut. The seniors returned their robes to the gym. Kurt went out to the Navigator, put his tassel and diploma in the backseat and grabbed his NYADA envelope and went back into the school. He found his parents in the hallway near the auditorium.
Burt grabbed him and hugged him. "You did it!" Burt got Sam to take a picture of the two of them. Kurt reminded them that he and Sam would be on their way to the restaurant after he opened his letter with Finn and Rachel. And he left to go meet them.
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Finn, Rachel and Kurt met in the choir room. They tossed their letters onto the stool in the center of the room.
Finn volunteered to go first. He opened his letter. "I didn't get in," he said in a monotone indicating that he hadn't really expected to. He and Kurt turned to Rachel. Rachel took hers from the stool and opened her letter. She began to cry. "I didn't get in." She handed the letter to Kurt, who read it and noticed that there was a second page from Madame Tibideaux herself. He began to read it out loud.
"Dear Miss Berry,
I was quite impressed with your performance at Nationals this year. You are a very talented performer. I congratulate your school on winning.
However, I was unimpressed that you thought that sending me a ticket to Nationals would persuade me to change my mind after I had been quite clear with my answer to your repeated requests. I attend Nationals every year to see upcoming talent. I saw you perform last year and appreciated your talent, if not your on-stage behavior.
Your repeated pleading for another attempt at an audition this year and your continued belief that I could be swayed to change my mind after I had made it clear that each student gets one audition suggests that you have been given preferential treatment for far too long and you have become entitled. It calls into question your status as the lead singer with the most solos in your show choir and the lead in your school's plays.
Students at NYADA spend much of their time being corrected and must learn to accept correction without argument. The school is a place to learn, to collaborate, and to hone the already considerable talent our students have. NYADA is not a place for people who don't accept being told that they need more work to be ready for a role they want.
I suggest that you take the next six months to pursue some professional parts locally. You need to figure out whether you actually want to pursue an education and training at NYADA. Our school is a place where you will work hard and be challenged daily. Performing is a field where you will hear no more frequently than yes. After you have had some time to mature, please feel free to reapply for admission in November for next school year. Our school would benefit from someone with your level of talent.
Sincerely,
Carmen Tibideaux
"Entitled? She thinks I'm entitled. I got the leads all the time because I'm more talented."
"Rachel, weren't you listening? She thinks you're talented and she's suggesting that you reapply next year. That's good."
"No, it's not. Everything's wrong. I'm meant to be in New York, not Ohio."
"Rachel, focus. You choked. You harassed her. I'm shocked that she was kind to you at all."
"What does yours say?" she asked Kurt.
Kurt picked his letter up off the stool and opened it. "I got in," he said quietly.
"No!" Rachel screamed. "You can't go to New York without me."
"Okay, Rachel. I know you are upset. I'm going to leave now. I'm not going to stand here while you yell at me." Kurt walked out of the choir room. Rachel tried to follow Kurt, but was held back gently by Finn, who pulled her into his arms.
Sam was waiting for him leaning against the Navigator.
"I can't believe she still thought that she would get in," Kurt said as he got close enough for Sam to hear him.
"This is Rachel you're talking about. She didn't listen. She doesn't listen. Anything that goes wrong is someone else's fault. What about Finn? Did he get into that acting thing?"
"No. I don't think he expected to though. I think he only applied to make Rachel happy."
Kurt's phone buzzed. "Dad says that Rachel's dads cancelled. They aren't going to meet us for lunch."
Sam looked at Kurt. "You didn't say anything about your letter."
"I got in." Sam offered a high five, but Kurt just raised his eyebrow. Sam put his hand down and hugged him instead.
"Do you wish you were going?"
"Let's get in."
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Kurt started talking against once they were in the Navigator and on their way to the restaurant.
"In a way I would like to go, but Connecticut is a much better plan. I wouldn't audition for Broadway roles until I had graduated anyway. I really want a degree. I feel like there is so much more I need to learn. Raw talent is good, but real knowledge will make me a better singer and a better candidate later. I don't feel ready for a big role right now. All I've ever had was that non-singing role in West Side Story. That's not really experience. Studying at a good music school will give me opportunities to perform with instruction and support. I can get that in Hartford without strapping myself with a lifetime of debt."
"Have you told anyone at McKinley yet?"
"Your parents, my parents, Jeff, Nick, Thad, and Sebastian are the only people who know besides the two of us. My parents are really good at keeping quiet. They knew how much stress it would cause me for to have everyone else find out and they both know that Finn doesn't keep secrets from Rachel."
"Do you think Finn will go through with marrying Rachel?"
"I hope not. I know they love each other, but they have different paths, at least for the near future. Finn doesn't know what he wants to do. Rachel really wants the Broadway career. There was a second page in Rachel's letter – a letter from Madame Tibideaux giving Rachel some advice. She's going to have to buck up and follow the suggestions that she was given or just give up on NYADA and audition for other schools for next year."
"What was the advice?"
"Basically - stop behaving like an entitled princess, get some professional experience locally, learn to follow direction, and reapply next year."
"Wow. That's kinda harsh."
"Well, she did practically stalk Madame Tibideaux. I'm surprised she was kind at all. She's pretty well known for her straight-talk and serious attitude. She didn't ask for a restraining order or ban her from reapplying so I thought it was pretty generous given her tough reputation."
Kurt pulled into the parking lot of the Verdant Cornucopia and parked. He and Sam headed in and looked for the rest of their group. The hostess asked their name and led them to their table. They saw that Finn wasn't with them yet. They sat down, looked through the menu and they asked for some more time when the waitress came to take their orders.
Kurt texted Finn and told him that they were waiting on him. He was just sitting out in the parking lot. He came in and sat down with them. He looked through the menu and complained, "Salad, salad, and more salad."
"Finn, it's a vegetarian restaurant. And it was Rachel's idea to come here," Sam said.
Kurt pointed out, "You better get used to salad and vegetables. Rachel's vegan. You're planning to marry her. She's never going to make you burgers."
Finn shoulders drooped.
By the time the waitress came back, Finn had chosen a vegetable stir fry and everyone else was ready to order as well.
The meal was as celebratory as possible given the circumstances. They skipped dessert at the restaurant because Carole had ordered an ice cream cake at the Dairy Barn that was waiting for them at home.
They ate the cake when they got home and spent some time talking.
Carole said, "I really liked that song that you guys sang to the other seniors."
Sam responded, "That was Kurt's idea. The seniors worked on it the morning we cleaned up the stage area. He played a recording for Miss Pillsbury and convinced her to let them sing it at graduation."
"I liked hearing each individual sing. Everyone sounded so good."
They moved on to talking about getting ready for the parties that were scheduled the next day. All of the New Directions and Finn's other friends from the football team would be there. The football players were coming later in the day for game day or something. Kurt hadn't really been paying attention to that part. He and Sam would be gone by the time the jocks arrived.
"I'll be back down in a bit to start the cupcakes. I'm going to go change first."
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Sam followed Kurt upstairs. He went into his room and changed quickly, then went to Kurt's room.
Sam sat down on Kurt's bed and asked him about the party. "Are you going to tell anyone else about Connecticut? Or are you just going to let them think that you're going to New York since I'm sure that Rachel and Finn have told everyone that you got into NYADA."
"I'd rather not talk to any of them about it. Do you want them to know that you're not coming back to McKinley in the fall? Tina, Artie, Joe, Sugar, and Blaine will be expecting you back. Rory's going to back to Ireland as far as I know."
"I've been thinking. I'm not going to tell people where I'm going, but at the graduation party, I am going to say that I won't be back at McKinley next year. I don't want to just leave like I did the last time. I want to say goodbye."
"I've decided not to tell where I am going. I'm just going to let people assume whatever they want to. I'll do my best to deflect any questions that would lead me to lie. Hopefully, we'll make it through the party with minimal drama, but I doubt it. Be forewarned, if Rachel lays into me again about how she should have gotten in because she deserved it and I don't have the training, talent, or experience that she has, I'm coming back up to my room and locking the door immediately."
"Got it. Rachel hassles you and you're outta there."
"I am planning to talk to her after everyone else is gone. I figure that she'll hang around for the second party and not go home in between. Want to help me make cupcakes?"
"Sure."
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Working together, the cupcakes were done quickly. They washed up everything they used while the last batch was in the oven. They sat at the counter talking while they waited for them to cool enough to frost.
"So, tomorrow. Birthday breakfast. Then the party at noon."
"Yep," Sam responded.
"Then, I talk to Rachel."
"Good luck with that."
"Thanks, I'll need it. Then it will probably be time to head out. Are you packed and ready to go or do you still need to do that?"
"I need to do laundry again and pack up what I wash today with what I've already packed."
"My stuff is all in the suitcase, but I do need to double check that I have all of the paperwork and documents I need. I should probably go get some kind of protective document sleeve or case or something to put all of it in."
"That's a good idea."
"I'm going to go do that. Why don't you get your laundry done and when I come back we can watch a movie or something."
"We still have to frost those cupcakes."
"Let's do that now. I'll have to hide them in my closet after we get them packed up. Otherwise, FInn might snack on them when I'm not looking."
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"Hey Carole, I'm going to run out to pick up a document folder of some sort. Is there anything you need?"
"Actually, I'll just go with you, if you don't mind."
"Sure. I'll wait for you outside."
Carole climbed up into the Navigator. "I need to pick up more drinks and plates. I thought I had enough, but I realized when I got the paper plates out for the cake that I don't."
"Okay."
"I also just wanted to talk to you. You were really upset at dinner last night. I didn't bring it up because it was obvious that you didn't want to talk about it then."
"I didn't. I just found out something else really hurtful yesterday. It really made me see that Blaine needs help. I kept thinking that maybe he was just selfish and immature, but what I found out made me see that there was more to it than that. More manipulation than I had considered before. It involves someone besides just me and Blaine, so I won't go into it, but needless to say, he really needs help. I don't really know what to do."
"What do you mean? You can't be the one to help him."
"That's what I mean. I can't actually help him, but I don't want him to do to someone else what he did to me."
"I could try talking to his mom. I've never met her, which is kind of strange now that I think about it. The two of you dated for a long time for us to have never met his parents."
"I'm not even sure that they know that we dated. The few times that his mom came home when I was there, he never specifically introduced me as his boyfriend."
"What do his parents do?"
"His dad's an attorney for a firm in Ft. Wayne. They lived somewhere in Ohio close to Ft. Wayne before he transferred to Dalton. His parents moved to the outskirts of Lima so that he could go home more often. I'm not sure what his mom does. She travels during the week, but she's home on weekends. His dad stays in Ft. Wayne during the week a lot of the time."
"I see."
"We're here. I'll park here, near where you're going, and I'll walk over to Office Max. You know the key code to get in, right?" She nodded.
Kurt found a nice leather letter-sized document holder with an RFID liner that zipped. He debated on the expense. It was really nice, but quite expensive. He looked at other options, but eventually decided it would be a graduation gift to himself since it would last a lifetime. He bought it and met Carole back at the Navigator. He arrived right after she did and he loaded her purchases into the back and returned the cart for her.
"Let me see what you got," she said.
"It's a graduation gift to myself. It was expensive."
"Ooh, but it's lovely and so soft. I think it's really nice. It will go well with that leather satchel you have."
"That's what I thought, too."
"I'm taking my smaller cloth satchel to France, but it will still be nice later that the document holder and satchel to go together."
"I thought about what were talking about earlier and I don't really have any ideas yet, but I'll keep thinking about it."
"Thanks."
They talked about the party the next day and what else they needed to do to get ready for it on the way home.
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Later, Kurt was back in his room looking through the paperwork and documents that he had on his desk when there was a knock at his door.
"Come in."
Burt and Carole came in and closed the door behind them. Burt sat in the chair by the window and Carole sat on his bed.
"We decided to give you your graduation gifts separately rather than at the party tomorrow," she said as she handed Kurt an envelope.
"Thank you."
He opened Carole's card and laughed at the joke on the card. Inside was a Kohl's card in his name and a gift card to Kohl's.
She said, "The Kohl's card is for you to start building your credit score. And the gift card is to help you and Sam furnish your new apartment. The credit card has a very low limit, just $200, but if you make a purchase and then pay it off, it will help you build your credit score up over time."
"Thank you. I actually learned about doing that in that class I had to take at Dalton last year about preparing for my future. So, I will use it wisely. And thanks for the gift card. I'll send you some photos of what I get."
"That will be fun to see."
Burt handed Kurt two envelopes. The greeting card from his dad was a sentimental one about fathers and sons. "Thanks, Dad." He opened the small envelope inside the card to find a prepaid VISA card. The larger envelope had a AAA membership card, along with a brochure and some paperwork.
"That's in case of emergency. I put $300 on it. I also got you and Sam a AAA membership in case you have trouble out on the road between here an Connecticut when you make trips back and forth. Or even around Hartford. I've never had one before but I've heard good things about it. You can also use the AAA card for discount travel stuff. They offer free maps, hotel discounts and other stuff. You can read about all of that in that information that came with it."
"Wow. Thanks, Dad. I hope to avoid any emergencies, but being prepared is always good. And I actually never thought about needing roadside service. You or the guys at the garage have always been there to come tow me if I couldn't fix the problem myself. These are great gifts. Thank you both." He got up and hugged them both and they left his room.
He went back to double-checking all of his documents and he added the AAA card to his stack of things to take. He put the stack of documents he already had stacked up and moved them to his bed and got out the small safe that his dad had given him a few weeks back. He opened it and he looked at the envelope that had been left for this by his mom. He hadn't noticed that there was faint writing on it the day his dad gave the safe to him and he honestly hadn't looked through the contents of the safe since then. He picked the envelope up and it was sealed.
On the outside it said, "To my dearest Kurt: This is for your future. I hope it helps you achieve some small part of your dreams. I love you my precious son. Mom."
Tears began to fill his eyes as he moved the envelope to the document folio that he had bought. He put his passport and all of the other papers and documents in the leather folio as well. He closed the safe and put it back in his closet.
He went to find Sam to finalize their departure the next day.
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Kurt knocked on Sam's door. "Come in," he heard.
"How's the packing going?"
"I think I'm done. Just looking around to make sure I didn't leave anything out that I want to take."
"Did my dad come talk to you?"
"Yeah. That AAA card is cool. He also gave me a gas card for my trip."
"He's pretty amazing. I got a gift card to Kohl's to furnish our new apartment and an emergency VISA card in case I need it."
"So, tomorrow morning is your birthday breakfast. I totally plan on pigging out. I'll work out extra or something later. I am not passing up Carole's waffles with strawberries on top."
"I agree. Too good to pass up. That's why we're having them tomorrow. They're fantastic."
"So, then the party from like noon-3:00. Finn invited the football team upperclassmen to come at 6:00."
"We'll be long gone by then. I need to be at the airport at 6:00. So, we need to leave by 4:00. I say we load our stuff in the Navigator tomorrow after breakfast. Then we can just walk out the door when we're ready to leave. I might need a speedy escape."
"You and me both."
"So, I told Carole about how I think Blaine needs professional help. She said she would help me brainstorm. I've thought about trying to talk to him about it, but I'm not sure if it would do any good."
"I wish Miss Pillsbury was more helpful. But I suppose you could try to talk to her. Maybe she could talk to his parents?"
"Maybe. But I am definitely talking to Rachel tomorrow after the party."
"Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."
"Ta da," as he pulled the laundry basket on the other side of his bed toward him, picked it up and handed it to Kurt. You did mine last time. I did yours."
"Thank you," he said as he took the basket from Sam.
"Movie tonight?"
"Sure. Come to my room after dinner and wear your pajamas. We'll watch two movies if we can manage to stay awake long enough."
"I'll pick something too thrilling to sleep through."
"Bring it," Kurt laughed.
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Burt and Finn had been decorating the house while Kurt, Carole and Sam were doing errands and chores. Carole joined in the decorating after the shopping trip. There was a big "Congratulations!" banner hanging in the dining room. Balloons were tied to chairs and a bright table cloth was waiting to be put on after breakfast the next morning. The counter was filled with plates, utensils and drinks.
Dinner was a quick affair. Carole made a huge pot of chili because it was easy and needed no watching. Everyone enjoyed their food, but finished quickly. Finn was heading over to Rachel's. Burt and Carole had a date night planned.
Kurt and Sam headed back upstairs and it didn't take long for Sam to show up in Kurt's room with a movie in hand. He locked the door behind him and jumped in Kurt's bed waiting for their double feature to start.
Kurt knelt on his bed with a movie behind his back. "So what have you brought to raise my sci fi IQ this evening, Mr. Evans?"
"You first, Mr. Hummel. What are you hiding behind your back to enlighten me on the classics?"
"Father Goose. You'll like it. It's funny."
"I like funny. The one I brought is not terribly sci fi, but it's really good. You'll like it. It's called Real Steel."
Kurt turned off the light, grabbed the wood breakfast tray with legs that he kept under his bed and handed it to Sam. Kurt picked up his laptop off his dresser and climbed in bed. Sam set up the tray and Kurt put the laptop on it. Sam loaded Father Goose and they slid back and leaned against the headboard. When it finished they watched Real Steel. They were both right - they liked the other's movie. When they finished, Sam put the tray with the laptop on it on the floor and they went to sleep.
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Kurt woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back asleep. He picked up his phone and texted Sebastian.
To Sebastian: 1 more day. I just have to live through the graduation party and then I'll be on my way.
From Sebastian: Happy Birthday!
To Sebastian: Thanks. I didn't even think about it since it's 3 in the morning.
From Sebastian: Why are you awake?
To Sebastian: No idea. Maybe just the dread and the excitement.
From Sebastian: Dread?
To Sebastian: The party. Rachel will be here and she didn't get into NYADA. I did. Blaine will be here too.
From Sebastian: Congratulations on your acceptance letter. Did you change your mind? Are you going to go to New York instead?
To Sebastian: No. Sam and I are going to Hartford, just like we've been planning. I know it was sort of selfish. I really just wanted to know if I was good enough. I know my turning down the acceptance will make someone on the NYADA wait list happy, at least.
From Sebastian: So how does it feel to know that you are good enough?
To Sebastian: Surprising. Exciting. Really unusual. It's liberating actually. It makes me feel more like I deserve the scholarship, like I belong in a music school.
From Sebastian: Good. You do belong in music school.
To Sebastian: I better try to go back to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me. I'll see you tomorrow.
From Sebastian: I'll be there.
Kurt put his phone back on the shelf next to his bed and tried to relax and go back to sleep.
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The next time he woke up, it was because someone was knocking on his door. He got up to answer it.
"Hey, Carole. Are we late for breakfast?"
"No, sweetie. Your dad and I wanted to talk to you before breakfast. Can you come downstairs?"
"Sure. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll be down." Kurt went and splashed some water on his face and brushed his teeth before heading downstairs.
"Morning, Dad."
"Good morning to you, kiddo. So, 19."
"Yep. 19."
"We wanted to give you your birthday gift before breakfast. At least one of them," he said as he handed Kurt an envelope.
Kurt opened it. "Euros?"
"Yes, we went to the bank on Friday and got you $100 in euros. That way you'll have some spending money in France."
"Thanks guys. That's one thing I hadn't actually thought about. I use cash so infrequently anymore."
"Yeah. You should probably talk to Sebastian's mom about whether it's better to withdraw cash in Euros or just use your debit card. What is her name anyway? She told me on the phone that day, but I didn't catch it."
"Lisette."
"Is everything all set for your trip?"
"Yes. Sam and I are packing the car this morning before anyone arrives. I'm still not planning on telling anyone that I'm going to France or Connecticut. I'm just going to let them think whatever they want. I'm sure by now that all of them know that I got into NYADA and that Rachel did not. They will want to do their best to avoid the topic of New York to avoid listening to her rant about not getting in, which will hopefully make it easier to not talk about where I'm going."
"I can't say that I understand why you don't want people to know that you got a full scholarship to study music, but it's your life."
"Thanks, Dad."
"We have one last thing for you, but we'll give it to you at breakfast," Carole said.
"You didn't need to get me anything else," Kurt insisted.
"We know, sweetie. But we wanted to. You never ask for anything, but we know you'll like it."
"If you insist," Kurt responded. "I should go get ready. Do you want help with breakfast?"
"It's your birthday. You don't need to help make your own birthday breakfast."
"Okay, then I'll just go get ready."
When he got back up to his room, Sam was gone. He got ready for the day. When he went back downstairs, Finn and Sam were at the table with his dad and Carole was just sitting down to join them.
"Happy Birthday to you..." they all sang.
"Thanks."
"Open my present first," Finn said as his slid a card across the table to Kurt.
"Thanks, Finn," he said as he opened it and found an iTunes card inside.
"I figured you love music, so I couldn't go wrong with letting you pick it out yourself."
"You're right. Perfect gift." Finn smiled.
"Mine next," Sam said. He pulled a flat box up from the side of his chair and handed it to Kurt.
Kurt looked perplexed. He tore the wrapping paper off and carefully opened the box. It was a painting. A painting of a wooded area. The place where Kurt went to think when he needed to find peace. The only person he had ever taken there was Sam.
"Sam, it's beautiful. Thank you." He was holding it where only he could see it.
"What is it, honey?"
He turned it around and showed it to everyone else.
"That's really good, Sam," Burt said. "I don't think I've ever seen one of your paintings."
"Dude, you're like Picasso good," Finn exclaimed.
"Sam, Finn's right." Carole said. "You're really talented. And the painting is lovely."
Sam just smiled in response.
"I love this. I'm going to go put this upstairs in my room. I'll be right back."
Kurt hurried back downstairs and started filling his plate with waffles and strawberries, turkey bacon and started eating. Everyone else followed suit. Burt told stories about Kurt when he was younger and things he had asked for as birthday presents over the years, causing some embarrassment and a lot of laughter.
When they finished, Carole handed Kurt a small envelope. "Happy Birthday, honey."
Kurt opened it and found an Amazon card. "It's to pay for a year of Kindle Unlimited. We know how much you like to read and that will let you read over a million books and listen to thousands of audiobooks for a whole year," Burt said.
"We figured it might come in handy for school and with as many books as you borrow from the library that it would just be easier for you to read them on your Kindle," Carole added.
"It's great. I always end up buying books for my Kindle. I won't have nearly as much expendable cash once I leave. This will be fantastic. You guys are great. Thank you."
"You're welcome, kiddo."
Sam and Finn cleared the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Kurt wiped the table off and dried it and Carole helped him get the tablecloth on for the graduation party. Carole pointed and said, "The centerpiece still needs popped up and fluffed out. It's over there on the counter." Kurt grabbed it, assembled it and put it in the center of the table.
Kurt went upstairs and brought his Kindle back down. He loaded the Amazon card and started his membership. He was sitting at the table browsing through all his book choices.
"You look like a kid in a candy store," Carole said.
"Oh, this is better than a candy store. Unlimited choices and no gaining any weight from consuming too much."
She just laughed at him. "I'm glad you like it."
"Mmm hmm," he said as he continued browsing.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
About an hour later, Sam came in the room holding Kurt's suitcase. "Earth to Kurt."
Kurt looked up.
"I think you've fallen into Wonderland there. Come on, help me load the Navigator before people start to get here. You know that some of them are going to show up early."
"Sorry. Here, give me that."
Sam ran upstairs and grabbed the stuff he wast taking to Kentucky. They met at the Navigator and put everything in.
They went back inside and up to Kurt's room. Kurt shut the door behind them.
"The painting is beautiful. It's going to be the first thing we hang in our new apartment. It will be like bringing my peaceful place with me."
"I'm glad you like it."
"I love it." He pulled Sam into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."
"Nah, you'll be having too much fun."
"There is never enough fun to make me not miss you, silly."
Kurt took one of the pictures off his wall and stuck it in his closet and hung his new painting instead. He pulled out his phone and took a photo of it so he would have it with him.
"It's been too long since we took a selfie together. Sit in the chair." Kurt half sat in Sam's lap, half in the chair and held out his phone to snap a shot of the two of them. "There, that's better."
"Send it to me."
"Done."
"So shall we go face the onslaught of insanity that will be arriving at any time?"
Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Come on, it could be fun."
"You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are," Kurt quoted.
"Cute. An Alice quote after I said you were in Wonderland."
"Well, it's true. You are entirely crazy, but in totally good way. Let's go down there and face the Red Queen."
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
Tina and Mike were the first to arrive. Kurt showed them were to put the cookies that Tina had made and the Asian dish that Mike had brought.
"What's that called," Kurt asked Mike as he sat the dish on the table.
Mike answered, saying the name in Chinese, then clarifying, "It's Chinese potato salad."
"It looks good. I'm going to try some later." Mike smiled.
By the time everyone had arrived, there were bags of chips, more cookies, hot dogs and buns, baked beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, an all-veggie chopped salad, mac and cheese, salsa, some kind of chili cheese dip, and several chip dips.
"Listen up," Finn said. "Burt's got the grill going already and the hamburgers and hot dogs should be done soon. We're going to eat in the dining room and out on the deck. Grab a plate and grab what you want from the grill. Vegan meats are available in the kitchen."
Everyone lined up and filled their plates and found a place to eat.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
Kurt waited to go through the line until the end so he could pick a spot to eat as far from Rachel and Blaine as possible. He ended up sitting on the back porch with Puck.
"Was that guy you had an appointment to see any help?"
"Oh, yeah. He was cool. I'm going to sign up for some job training thing and take an assessment of some sort to help figure out what I could train to do quickly. I need to get a decent job so I can get my own place. Once I get my own place, I'm going to have my sister move in with me and work on getting my ma to sign over custody. She doesn't want to take care of her anyway. I'm hoping that she'll do it. The guy got me an appointment for a free lawyer in a couple of months. It takes so long because there's a lot of people who can't afford lawyers, but it will take me that long to get a place. So, hopefully it will all work out. She's willing to move school districts. So, any decent place I can find will work. She starts junior high school next fall. I think it might be better if she went to another school anyway. There won't be the Puckerman name for her to live down to. I made a lot of mistakes and I don't want her to pay for them."
"That's a lot of progress."
"Yeah. I never really wanted to go to college anyway. I'm not stupid. I just don't like school. I like to do things. Work with my hands."
"You know, my dad's shop is going to need help when I leave for school. If you're serious about all of this, I'll give you a recommendation. I'll tell Cassius you're a hard worker. He'll train you to do the basic stuff, like oil changes and tire rotations. If you like it, you could pursue becoming a mechanic. The pay is good and gets better the more training you have."
"Are you serious?"
"You have to show up and work hard, but if you promise me you will, I'll tell him you'll do a good job."
"You're the best. I will TOTALLY show up and work hard. No one will give me a chance around here because I've been such a screw up. But that's over. I've grown up. I need to make something of myself."
"Follow me." Puck got up and followed Kurt to the back of the yard. Kurt pulled his phone out and called the shop.
"Hey Cassius, I'm going to send someone down to the shop tomorrow to fill the position that I'm leaving vacant. He doesn't know much about cars, but he's smart and he can learn quick. Yeah, he's a hard worker. 9:00?" He turned to look at Puck. Puck nodded. "Yes, he'll be there a 9:00. Thanks, Cassius."
"Oh my God!" Puck said in shock. "I can't believe you just got me a job. I treated you like crap and you got me a job."
"Puck, you're not that guy anymore. You care. You care about yourself. You care about your sister. You care about other people."
"You're right. I'm not that guy, but I'm not used to people seeing that. You rock, dude!"
"Don't call me 'dude'."
Puck just laughed.
Kurt said, "One word of business advice. Lose the hawk. It's not professional looking and it gives the wrong impression. If you want people to take you more seriously, you're probably going to have to give up a little bit of the bad boy persona. What size shoes do you wear?"
"12."
"Follow me." Kurt kept talking on the way up to the back door, then went silent when they went inside, but Puck kept following. He led Puck to his room. "Wait here." Puck sat in the chair in the corner of his room.
Kurt came back with three pairs of shoes. "Try these on." He did. "Just pick the ones that fit the best and give me the other two back." Kurt took the other two pairs, left and came right back.
"My dad never wears any of those pairs. At least they'll get some use now." Kurt turned to his closet. "Remember my butch phase?" Puck laughed and nodded. "Well, I hadn't done anything with those clothes and when I cleaned my closet out I found them. There were some henleys that I thought you might wear, so I kept them back." Kurt handed him a small stack of shirts.
"Back to what I was saying. Wear shirts with sleeves to work and shave off the mohawk. Buy a couple of button-down short-sleeved shirts and a couple of pairs of slacks from Goodwill. On Sundays, the color of the week clothing is $.99. You don't have to love the outfits, but pick something you can at least tolerate and that fits well. Then when you go to these appointments, wear a button up, slacks, and those shoes I just gave you. You'll look like the kind of guy that can take care of his sister."
"You're right. I need to look the part to get the part. Thanks for the make over tips."
"Who'd have thought, huh?"
Puck just laughed again. Kurt turned back to his closet and pulled out a bag he had from a shopping trip. "Here, put those in here and then you can go out and put them in your truck without people noticing that you're carrying around clothes."
"Thanks again, Kurt. I'll be there tomorrow morning in jeans without holes and a decent shirt. I'll go hit Goodwill's $.99 cent rack on the way home and shave the hawk when I get home."
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
Kurt and Puck rejoined the party to find karaoke going strong in the family room downstairs. Just a few minutes later, Carole came in and said that the party games were about to begin and that everyone needed to come outside.
Once they were out there, they laughed. Burt and Carole had set up what amounted to kiddie games in the back yard. There was "Stick the Tassel on the Graduation Cap", a graduation robe piñata, a cake walk, a ping pong ball tossing game, a jelly bean in a jar guessing game and some others.
"Okay, guys. There are real prizes, so you have to actually try if you want to win one. We'll start with the "Stick the Tassel On" game."
Everyone got a different colored tassel. They were blindfolded and turned in circles. Mercedes came the closest.
"And Mercedes is our winner." Carole handed her a card.
"A $10 Amazon card, cool! Thanks, Mrs. H." Carole smiled.
"Next up," Burt said, "is the ping pong ball toss. Let's see how many you can get into the cups.
"And our winner is - Puck!"
Puck opened his card, "iTunes, sweet. Thanks!"
They went through the rest of the games, with the piñata last. Sam managed to pop the piñata. The candy was scooped up quickly.
"So, who's ready for dessert?" Carole called out.
Everyone headed inside. "There's vanilla and chocolate ice cream in the kitchen in the freezer, if anyone wants any."
Burt spoke up, "I want to congratulate all of you on winning Nationals this year and congratulate the seniors who graduated yesterday. You all have worked hard and you did it. Congratulations!" Everyone clapped and cheered for themselves.
"I think Finn has rented some movies if anyone wants to go downstairs and watch one. Anyone who wants to help clean up is welcome to stay up here and help," Carole added.
A few people stuck around upstairs, some had to leave and some went down to watch a movie. Kurt sought out Rachel and went to her.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
"Rachel, will you come with me, please?"
"Yes," she said somewhat reluctantly.
Kurt led Rachel up to his bedroom and partially closed the door. He had a gift in his hand.
"Sit, please."
She sat, crossing her ankles primly, looking quite put out, but attempting to maintain her poise.
"I have a gift for you." He handed her the wrapped present.
She reached out for it and opened it. Her eyes flashed wide and an indignant look rose to the surface.
"Kurt, that is just the meanest thing ever. A book called Stuck? Now, you're making fun of me after Madame Tibideaux ruined my life. I was fantastic at Nationals. We won."
"Rachel. Stop talking and listen for once. Your life isn't ruined. You are 17 years old. Madame Tibideaux herself auditioned more than once to get into the college of her dreams. You can audition again for NYADA or you can choose a new school and audition."
"I was fantastic at Nationals. I should have gotten in." Clearly she wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying.
"Rachel. You are still not listening. I want you to pay attention."
"I AM listening."
"I know you think that you were more qualified that I am. You think that your club memberships, that your voice lessons, and your dance lessons made you more qualified than me. There are so many things that you did not take into account. What did you write your essay about?"
"How Barbra's works influenced my life," she said quite impressed with herself.
"I wrote about how growing up as the only out student in my community affected my life. About what I did to overcome. I wrote about how transferring to Dalton changed my life in ways I didn't expect. I came into contact with people with real drive and ambition there. And they had the means to achieve those goals, but for me to be successful, I'd have to work harder because I didn't have access to all of the resources they did. I wrote about how even after I had to leave due to the financial strain on my family that I didn't allow what I had learned there to go to waste."
"What do you mean?"
"While I was a student there, I had access to vocal lessons for the first time in my life. I took advantage of that. Before I left, I made arrangements to continue the lessons. I had to pay, but the teacher charged me half of the normal cost. I took AP classes at Dalton junior year. I saved up money over the summer last year to purchase the books I would need to continue with the AP classes and the exams. I learned all of the material on my own this year. When I missed school those days the week before and after Nationals, I was taking five AP exams."
"I had no idea."
"That's because I have drive and ambition, but I am not broadcasting my private life to the world. I didn't do these things because I think I am better than everyone else. I wasn't trying to prove something to anyone but myself. I want out of Lima."
Kurt paused to refocus.
"While you were attending after-school clubs, I was working in my dad's shop. I was studying on my own for hours, plus I had to do my regular work for McKinley as well."
"I didn't know."
"I know you didn't Rachel, but you made assumptions. You assumed that I wasn't preparing for college or that what I was doing wasn't as important as what you were doing. You don't really think about other people most of the time."
"Because I'm focusing on me. I'm going to be a star. I need to be a star."
"Rachel, your dads have the money to pay for you to go to college. You have always gotten everything you ever wanted. You have never had to work a day in your life. Your clothes, your phone, your voice lessons, your dance lessons - all of that has been given to you. You took advantage of your opportunities, which was great."
She just sat there looking proud of herself.
"My dad supports me, but not in the same way."
"What do you mean?
"He supports me and my dreams, but his philosophy is that a man has to make himself. I've been working on cars since I was a kid. When I was 14, my dad bought the Navigator. It was from a flood sale - meaning it didn't run and he paid next to nothing for it. At that point, I was working for my dad in the office or at the service counter. I rebuilt the Navigator myself. By 16 I finished the Navigator, I got my mechanic's certification and I started working for my dad in the garage as a mechanic. By 18, I was ASE Certified Master Mechanic. I've been paying for my own stuff since I was 14. My clothes, shoes, phone, dry cleaning bills, car insurance, gasoline, entertainment, everything"
"I didn't know."
"I know you didn't. I didn't go around telling people. I just worked hard and kept it to myself."
"I understand."
"Rachel, you are naturally talented and you honed those skills. I know that you worked hard to make yourself a great performer. But that doesn't mean that you can just have what you want just because you want it."
"I know that."
"You SAY that you know, but you throw temper tantrums every time it doesn't work that way. You act without thinking. That stunt you pulled on Sunshine was really awful. You walked out of Glee so many times. You do things to get ahead that are just wrong. I know about your pact with Blaine last fall."
Rachel looked away sheepishly.
"You already know that you are a talented singer. But you need to find yourself, find YOUR voice. You need to stop imitating your idols. You need to face the fact that other people are just as talented as you are. You need to learn to work together with people and get over the need to control every situation. Most people start at the bottom. Very few people audition in their teens and land a Broadway role."
"I know that. I just want it so badly. It's the only thing I've ever wanted."
"You dream big and that's good. But your attitude that you are already the best is just wrong. Maybe one day you will be the best. But you're too young to be the best already. You know very little about music. I know you can read music, but there's so much more that you can learn. Dance classes in Lima are a good start for a kid. But they aren't going to prepare you for professional parts."
Rachel finally seemed to be listening.
"Do what Madame Tibideaux suggested. Find some place to get some life skills. You've been living in your magical princess land too long. Mr. Schue is to blame as well. He featured you all the time. You demanded it, yes. But he gave in. That was not what you needed. He failed at giving you what you needed. You needed to learn to be part of the team. Tina, Mercedes, Santana, you and I could have sung some really powerful 5-part harmony songs. You needed to learn to listen to those around you and to blend and harmonize. Sometimes a song is about the harmony, the unity of sound that somehow comes from different voices uniting in harmony. It can be so beautiful. But you can't hog the spotlight and create that kind of beauty. It only comes from working together. Solos can be lovely, but group pieces can be breathtaking as well."
He could see Rachel attempting to process what he had said. She looked down at the book. "Why did you give me this book?"
"Because I don't want you to be stuck. You feel like what you deserved was withheld from you. But the truth is - you choked. You messed up. It happens. People mess up. You're human. If I had choked, would you have suggested that I do the things that you did?"
She thought about it. And then slowly shook her head.
"I'm not going to ask you why, but in all honesty I think it's because you actually believe that you deserved to get in more than I did. You think that you deserve a spot there more than anyone. I'm not singling myself out. I could be any other applicant. You honestly felt like you deserved a place there more than anyone else. Confidence is great, Rachel. It really is. But entitlement is not. You did not deserve a place there. And I don't mean that you don't belong there because you lack talent. I mean that DESERVING has nothing to do with it. Schools and employers want to see that potential applicants are hard workers and can be an integral part of a group. That your presence somehow improves the whole group."
"I can see your point of view."
"What would a school or company do with 20 people who don't listen to direction, who all think they know what's best and who are going to do things their way because it's the 'best' way."
"But I DO know what's best when it comes to performing."
"Listen to this: A person hires 20 people to pull a car across a stage - why is not important. These 20 people are supposed to get the car from stage right to stage left by pulling 20 ropes that have been fastened to the front and sides of the car. What happens if the 20 people decide to just walk and pull in any direction they want to?"
"That wouldn't work."
"Of course it wouldn't. That's what would happen in a show when all of the actors and singers think that their vision and interpretation is the correct one. When they all decide to sing the song their way. Would you go see a show like that? Where all the characters just do things however they want?"
"That would be a mess."
"Exactly Rachel. But that's what you did. When you didn't listen at the audition, you showed Madame Tibideaux that you wouldn't listen to a director or instructor. When you stalked her, you showed her that you would throw a fit and be a nuisance instead of a team player. The recommendations in the letter she sent show that she recognizes your talent, but she wants you to grow up before you reapply."
"I just wanted this so bad, Kurt."
"You want your dream, Rachel. You want to sing on Broadway. You want to be a star. You thought NYADA was the fastest way to get you there."
"Yes, because it is the best school. I need to go to the best school to be the best."
""Rachel, there are lots of really good music schools. I tried to convince you to apply to others, but you insisted that NYADA was IT. You put all of your eggs in one basket and then threw a fit when you dropped the basket."
"I felt like my dream was ripped away. Now, I have nothing."
"That's why I gave you that book. You feel stuck, but you're not. This is the first setback you've had that you haven't been able to overcome by badgering someone into changing their mind. If you still want to be on Broadway, you are going to have to do something different. You are no longer a child and your childish ways of tantrum throwing or begging are not going to work anymore. I hope the book helps you find ways to get unstuck."
"Thank you."
"I think your first step might be to move out of Lima. There are just not many opportunities here. It's too small of a pond. You have been the big fish in a little pond for too long. I think a bigger pond would be a good idea. There have to be regional theater options in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, even Akron. Those cities all have over 200,000 people. No, they aren't New York, but you could probably afford to live in one of those cities on an income you could earn on your own."
"That's true."
"You and Finn could get an apartment together in one of those places. He could get a job too. You could try out living together. See if you can find a mutual dream. You don't have to get married to be together right now. You're 17. Your parents have to sign for you to get married. You're really young. Give yourself some time to grow up. But be sure to choose a place that you can afford on your own in case it doesn't work out with Finn. Maybe he's part of your future. Maybe as you both grow up, you'll find a mutual dream. Maybe your dream will change. Maybe his dream will align with your current dream. But right now, he's like the opposite of you. He's free floating, with no plan. Your plan was too specific. I'm not sure that getting married is the solution for either of those."
"But if lose Finn too..."
"Think about when you came over before Nationals. Finn's room was a wreck. He hadn't done his laundry or anything to get ready to go. Carole reminded him to do those things more than once. I heard her myself. He can't cook. He doesn't do much of anything around here other than dishes. He's never held down a job long term. He's immature. That doesn't make him a bad person. But are you willing to step into that role? Do you want to be the one asking, 'Did you pay the water bill?' And nagging him to get out of bed because he's going to be late to work?"
"Not really. It drives me nuts."
"I know it does. I heard your reaction to his room. He needs to grow up and you need to grow up. In completely different ways, but still."
"I need to think about a lot of things."
Kurt smiled at her. "You can succeed, but you need to refocus. Become the best you. Not the best imitation of someone else. When you're 40 years old do you want little girls to be saying, 'Oh, I want to be a star like Rachel Berry?'"
She laughed.
"That won't happen if you keep imitating people who have already achieved their dreams. Don't imitate their voices and mannerisms. Imitate how they worked to achieve their dreams. Work hard. Find your place. Don't alienate people by demanding to be given what you want. Work for what you want. Make people WANT to work with you."
"I see your point."
"If you met yourself, would you want to work with you? Would you want to be your director or vocal coach?"
"Well, I would want to work with someone with my level of talent."
"That's not what I asked though, is it? Would you want to work with someone with your attitude?"
"Not really."
"Then there's your goal. Be the person you'd want to hire or admit to your school, not just in talent, but in personality, drive, work ethic, kindness, and so on."
"Are you going to be around this summer?"
"Actually, I'm leaving in a few hours and I'll be gone for three weeks. Then I'll be back for a couple of weeks before I leave for school."
"Where are you going?" Stopping to consider what he had said, "Wait. You're leaving for school in July?"
"Yes. I've already got a job lined up and I'm set to start in July."
"What are you going to do?"
"Be a mechanic. That's what I am. That's what I can do to make the money I need to afford my expenses."
"I see."
Kurt stood and moved toward the door. "Well, Rachel, I hope the book gives you some uplifting ideas on how to refocus and get unstuck. I have some stuff to do before I leave."
She stood up and said, "I'm going to hug you." And she did.
"You can do this, Rachel."
"Thanks, Kurt." She picked up the book and followed him down the stairs.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
Kurt found Carole in the kitchen. "Thank you so much for planning those games. It was a huge relief to not have to have people asking me questions or having to listen to Rachel complain. You are my party hero."
"Everyone likes kiddie games. I knew they would have fun even if they didn't think they would. I figured the added incentive of a prize would catch the competitive ones' attention, even if they thought the games were lame."
"Well, it worked."
"I'm glad it was fun. How soon until you and Sam leave?"
"About a half hour, although I might just go ahead and leave early. We can always stop somewhere nearby the airport and wait a bit if we get there too early."
"Well, then let me dry my hands and give you a hug before you go. I'll miss you guys."
"I'll miss you too."
Kurt walked up to Sam's room.
"Are you ready?"
"Yep. Everything's in the Nav."
"I'm going to take one more look around my room and grab my satchel. I'll meet you down in the truck in a few minutes." Kurt went and looked around and didn't see anything that he had left behind.
He stopped by his dad's room and gave him a hug. "Be good, kiddo. Have fun. I'm sure you'll have a great time."
"I will. Bye, Dad."
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o
Kurt got in the driver's seat, pulled out, and headed toward the highway to go to the airport. "Were you able to tell people that you wouldn't be back in the fall?"
"Yeah, I got Artie, Tina, Blaine, Joe and Sugar together and told them. None of them seemed too upset by it, but I didn't want to just disappear again."
"I talked to Rachel. I think she listened. I guess we'll see by the time we get back. She will have had time to think about what we talked about."
"I hope so. She really is talented."
"She is."
"I saw you talking to Puck."
"He's going to take my place at the shop. He's going in to see Cassius tomorrow morning. I wanted to see how serious he was before I did anything. He went to that appointment with that guy. He set up some testing and got an appointment with a lawyer."
"Wow."
"I know. I could tell he means business this time. He's done horsing around. He didn't even balk when I gave him fashion advice, including shaving his mohawk."
"He's really serious."
"It seems that way. I guess we'll see when we get back if he's still at the shop."
"So, it's all finally starting to feel real to me."
"Me too."
They just rode in silence for a while.
"Grab my phone and hand it to me at the next light."
"Here."
Kurt opened his Ikea app. "Take a look at this stuff. This is what I've been playing around with."
"Nice stuff. Not sure how we could afford it."
"I know. It's like looking through Vogue. It's just for fun. I'm going to see if we can at least paint the walls."
"What color were you thinking?"
"Maybe yellow in the kitchen, dining and living room area. I don't know for the bedroom. I was thinking pale green since green's your favorite color."
"Yellow's nice. I do like green, but I like most colors."
They spent the rest of their time talking about the different things they wanted to do once they moved. Day trips, things close by, and even maybe weekends with Thad, Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff since they'd all be fairly close together.
Once they arrived at the airport, Kurt pulled over at the drop off area. Sam got out and grabbed Kurt's luggage from the backseat. While Sam was holding Kurt's suitcase, Kurt grabbed Sam's aviator sunglasses and put them on himself and said in a gravelly voice, "I'll be back."
Sam laughed at him and sat the suitcase down and snatched his sunglasses back and said, "You'd better be." and pulled him into a hug.
Kurt grabbed his suitcase, went inside, checked in, went through security, and waited to board the plane.