After lunch they went back to the dorm. Kurt led Thad past their room. "I need to tell Sebastian something."
Kurt knocked on Sebastian's door. He opened it looking pretty haggard.
"Can we come in?"
"Sure," he said as he stepped back.
Kurt let Thad walk in first. He headed toward Sebastian's desk chair. He lowered himself and released the knee joint on the brace so he could sit more comfortably. Kurt stepped just enough that Sebastian could close the door. Once it was closed, Kurt stepped closer to Sebastian and hugged him very gently and stepped back.
"What was that for?"
"For being an amazing friend. I'm sorry I kept everything from the two of you. I thought I could protect you, but it didn't work. Come sit down."
Kurt and Sebastian sat on Sebastian's bed. Kurt carefully slid his sweatshirt sleeve up and gently lifted the bandage on his arm.
Sebastian looked like he was going to be sick.
"Sorry." He moved to cover it quickly. "I should have asked if the sight of injuries makes you sick."
"It's not the injury that makes me sick, well I mean is not nice to look at, but it's what it says, well almost says."
"Yeah, you busted the door open in time to keep him from finishing it, but I know and you both know what it was meant to say."
They both nodded.
"Look, Thad already got the flipped out reaction I had last night - that I was going to leave Ohio and go somewhere far away. I was going to tell you the same thing, Sebastian, but Thad talked some sense into me last night."
"I'm not sure there was much talking involved," Thad laughed.
"Hush." Kurt tried to hide the embarrassed smile on his face. "Anyway, I kept what it said and who it was a secret because the person who did it said to keep it quiet and that I needed to not play in the football game last night to keep the people I cared about safe."
"Oh, Kurt," Thad said. "That's why you wouldn't talk to us all week."
"You believed that we'd be safe if you kept quiet and didn't play. You thought that by this morning, it would all be over with." Sebastian stated, but in a way that sounded more like a question.
"Yes. I didn't allow anyone to see what had been carved into my arm. I told no one who it was. I went to the coach on Monday and told him I couldn't play, even if it meant risking my scholarship. I didn't even tell my dad about it. And yet, last night, they attacked again. And this time someone else got hurt."
"Jeff's arm is just bruised. It's not fractured," Sebastian said.
"Good. That's a relief. I thought that a break or fracture could cause him to have to quit crew." Kurt put the bandage back on and pulled his sleeve down.
"So, that's how he's so strong. I didn't know he rowed," Sebastian said.
"Oh, yeah. He loves it."
"Cool."
"Yeah, he rows with a local team since the school doesn't have a team. We went out to the reservoir to watch a couple of times last spring. Maybe you can come with us this spring sometime if it doesn't conflict with lacrosse," Kurt said.
"That sounds like fun."
"It was," Kurt said.
Kurt's phone rang.
"Hey, Dad."
"Were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That your school was vandalized by the McKinley football team?"
"Well, I couldn't tell you that because no one has officially told me who was responsible for the damages last night. I mean, I had a good idea, but since they were arrested and taken away without letting any of us see who was in the squad cars, there was no way for me to be certain."
"Stop beating around the bush. You were supposed to be safe at that school."
"I was until I was stupid enough to press charges against Azimio and his posse. How did you find out anyway?"
"Finn, Carole and I just came back from being called up to the school for a mandatory team meeting, parents invited."
"I see."
"Stop playing dumb and tell me what happened."
"Well, you probably know more than I do. What I know is that not long after you called last night, when I was already in bed, as I said. A brick was thrown through my dorm room window and the other two dorm room windows that face the front on the ground floor. We were instructed to stay exactly where we were. The police did whatever they did outside that we couldn't see. The school nurse let two police officers into our rooms to check on us. One collected physical evidence. One interviewed us. They collected the information and evidence. Jeff was injured. He was transported to the hospital. His arm was x-rayed and came back. He's just bruised up. The cleaning crew cleaned the glass out of our rooms and the maintenance staff boarded our windows for the night. A glass company was brought in late this morning, right before noon, and our windows are being replaced. They should be done soon, I think. Then we'll be let back into our own room. Thad and I are in Sebastian's room right now."
"Well, you know more about what happened inside the school."
"What do you know about what happened outside?"
"Well, as far as I know, three McKinley football team members were caught spray painting the building and throwing bricks through the ground floor windows in the dormitory building. There was a fourth person and he's being held on different charges because he hit one of the school's security officers."
"I forgot to mention that part. We could hear that - the security officer getting hit by a vehicle. The only thing I know is that we were told he was alive and conscious when he was transported to the hospital. I haven't seen anyone to ask about his condition yet today."
"Well, the driver is being charged with vehicular something-or-other, in additional aiding in the other criminal activities because he was providing the means to get away. From what I know, the others are being charge with intimidation, retaliation and aggravated menacing in addition to the vandalism charges."
"Makes sense."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say, Dad? It sucks to be gay?"
"Not what I meant, Kurt."
"Well, I don't know what you mean. I don't know what you want me to say or tell you that I haven't already told you."
"Tell me why you didn't play last night."
"I was attacked in Columbus last Saturday evening and needed stitches in my arm and had bruised ribs and a mild concussion preventing me from participating in football practice this past week and from playing in the game last night."
"What?"
"You asked. I told you what happened. There is nothing else to say."
"Who attacked you?"
"Doesn't matter."
"You're protecting your attacker. You were threatened."
"You're making assumptions, which I will not confirm or deny."
"The McKinley football team is forfeiting the rest of their season. They're down four more players, who are all sitting in a Westerville jail cell."
"People who commit crimes and get caught end up in jail. Who's left on the team? Besides Finn, Puck, Sam and Mike? I don't know who was arrested."
"I don't either, but I'm sure it will be public information soon, by Monday."
"With those additional charges you listed - at least now I know why I was being questioned last night."
"Tell me you had a lawyer with you."
"I did. I called Sebastian's dad. He came."
"Well, that's good, at least. He likes you."
"I'm glad someone does," Kurt said sarcastically.
"Hey."
"It's just the way I feel right now, Dad. Last night was really bad."
"I'm not pleased that you didn't call me."
"What could you have done? Other than Sebastian's dad, I don't think anyone else's parents were called either. I only called him because the officer threatened me with obstruction charges because I wouldn't answer his questions. If he had just let me be, I wouldn't have bothered Mr. Smythe. But I didn't know any other lawyers and he already knew everything else that had happened, saving me the trouble of retelling everything to someone."
"He knew about Columbus?"
"We went to a 18 and up club in Columbus. Not a gay club -just a club to go dancing. There were six of us who are all 18 - me, Thad, Sebastian, Nick, Jeff, and Richard. Mr. Smythe's house is not far from the club. The plan was to go to the club until 11:00, be at the Smythe residence long before midnight, sleep, get up, swim in the pool, go out to lunch, go see a movie, and come back to Dalton. Nothing unusual. Just a night out with friends and a sleepover at one of the friend's house with parental supervision."
"Sounds fine."
"Yeah, until I go to the restroom in the club and get attacked. Thad figured out that I had been gone too long. Sebastian chased my attacker off, Jeff carried me to the Navigator, and Sebastian drove me to the hospital. I was x-rayed. I got stitches. The next morning, four of them still went swimming while Thad and I worked just to take showers with the addition of stitches in my other arm and my bruised ribs. We got ready by the time everyone else finished swimming. We still went out for lunch and to the movie. And I bought bandages, arm sleeves, and had my arm recast and then came back to Dalton."
"I see."
"Calling you and telling you that I was in the ER again in Dublin would not have changed anything that happened. They stitched me up and sent me on my way."
"I don't like any of this."
"And you think I do?"
"Of course not. That's not what I meant."
"I know. No one likes it. The players that are left on the McKinley team have pretty much zero possibility of being scouted for a college team if Beiste forfeits and they don't play. But she doesn't have enough guys for a viable team without the guys that are in jail, so there's still very little chance of anyone getting scouted even if she holds tryouts again or lets some of the guys who didn't make the cut on the team now. No one wins in this scenario. I don't win. Thad doesn't win. Sebastian doesn't win. The school was damaged. Maybe now, now that I screwed up this badly, you'll see why I never, ever told you what was going on in the first place. This. THIS is EXACTLY why I let them get away with it. I KNEW that standing up for myself would result in something far worse."
"I don't know what to say."
"Maybe there's nothing to say. Maybe you can just realize that I was right to hide those things from you. Maybe you can accept the fact that I was doing what was right on a larger scale, even though what people were doing to me was wrong. I've felt guilty my whole life for lying to you about how things were at school. Maybe just knowing that you understand and you don't hate me for lying to you for all those years is the best that can come out of all of this now."
"I don't hate you. I love you. I hope you know that. But until these recent events, I really didn't understand why you had kept so much from me."
"If this last round of arrests doesn't stop the harassment, I will leave Ohio, but I really want to finish my senior year here at Dalton. I hope that everyone in Lima who has a grudge against me is afraid enough of getting caught to leave me alone for the rest of the school year. With eight people in jail, I'm hoping that for those that were on the fence about participating in retaliating will reconsider."
"I would hope so."
"I am sorry about the fallout for Sam, Puck, Finn and Mike though and whoever else might be on the team that wasn't part of this. But you know, even Finn and Puck were part of it initially. I'm sure Finn blames me for him not getting to play anymore."
"He's actually pretty mad that those guys did what they did last night. If he knew you were attacked by someone, he'd be mad about that too."
"Well, I don't intend on telling anyone who doesn't already know. And that means you don't need to talk about it either. You're running for office. My personal life is fodder for new agencies now and I DON'T want that. At all. I need to finish high school, not become the newest person of interest for The Inquirer."
"I know."
"If there's nothing else you want to ask me, I'm going to go see if I can at least get my books out of my room so I can get to work on my homework while the repair crew is in there."
"Alright. I'll talk to you later. Love you, kiddo."
"Love you too, Dad."
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Thad and Kurt managed to get their books out of their room. They went back to Sebastian's room. He was just disconnecting a call he finished.
"Do you two want to go to my dad's for the rest of the weekend? We can get away from the stress of being here for a while?"
"I actually need to go get my stitches taken out and I've been too afraid to leave. We can get that done quickly on the way there. Is your dad okay with it? I don't want to bother him."
"I just asked and he said it was fine. He said he'd have Chinese delivered for dinner."
"Alright. I'll go pack clothes for us and grab our school bags. I'll be right back." Kurt left to get everything. He was back 10 minutes later. "Hopefully I got everything."
"If not, we're all pretty close in size, I'm sure something of mine would fit good enough."
There were still extra security guards on duty. Kurt and Thad waited on the front sidewalk while one of the security guards walked Sebastian to his car.
Sebastian pulled around and Kurt put their stuff in the back seat and had Thad ride up front since it was easier to get in and out of the front seat with his leg brace. Thad only brought his crutch with him.
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Kurt came out of the clinic area and got back in the car.
"Well, that was miserable, but it feels better now. And it's healing really well and I can get in the pool as long as I put a waterproof bandage over the area, which we will have to stop and pick up. I'm sorry."
"Not a big deal as long as one of you figures out which way I need to go to get to wherever you want to buy them."
Thad navigated them to the nearest pharmacy. Kurt grabbed what he needed and three chocolate bars and got back in the car again. He handed out the candy bars when he got in.
"I know, they aren't the good kind, but they're okay."
"Maybe we can look online for places to go around here. If we never tell anyone where we're going, we could stay at your dad's more often and get away from campus sometimes. I'm too afraid to walk around in Westerville anymore. Now, that they've locked up the last four culprits in the local lockup, their families and friends will potentially be making the trip to see them."
"I hadn't thought about that," Sebastian said.
Thad said, "If your dad doesn't mind, I wouldn't mind coming on some weekends. We can find the library near here and Kurt can check books out on your library card that you can get because your home address is here."
"Kurt and his books," Sebastian laughed.
"Hey, we entertained ourselves all summer with no internet and no TV by listening to audiobooks and reading books from the library," Kurt said in his own defense.
"I just like teasing you. I read a lot too, if you haven't noticed."
"Actually, I just figured those books were part of your assigned readings for classes since I have no idea what the IB classes use," Kurt said.
"Oh, well the textbooks are for my courses, but the other books you see me with are usually just books I want to read."
"I really loved the audiobooks when I had to lie in bed so much," Thad said. "You should try one some time. Jim Dale does a great job."
"Sounds interesting. See where the closest library is, Thad."
Thad changed their route. They sent Sebastian up to the main desk get a library card while they looked around. Kurt found an audiobook that he and Thad really liked and a book in the new releases section that he wanted to read. Thad grabbed a graphic novel just for fun. They handed Sebastian their choices and he got in the check out line.
"Alright, we have books, let's go swim before it gets dark."
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"I'm glad to see you three enjoying yourselves out in the pool. You all needed a break. And it won't be long before I'll have to drain the pool for the winter. Even with heated water, it will be too cold to swim. Ohio has a few flashbacks to summer with warm weather every October, then it turns nearly-winter cold quickly after that."
"Thanks for letting us come stay, Mr. Smythe," Kurt said.
"You're welcome anytime, and I'd like it if the two of you started to call me Art. That's what people who know me call me."
"I can try, Mr., Art," Kurt said.
"The food is inside in the kitchen. Did you all have something else planned for this evening?"
"No, Dad. I think we're just going to lie around and read books or maybe work on schoolwork, if we need to."
"Alright. Come on in so we can while it's still hot."
Sebastian got out of the pool and put a towel on the edge to kneel on. Kurt stabilized Thad near the edge of the pool so that Sebastian could grab him around the torso and pull him up out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool to dry off. Kurt helped him get the leg brace back on and Sebastian got him up off the ground and standing. They made it inside the house and down to the kitchen.
"Do you want us to change for dinner, Dad?" Sebastian asked.
"I think the food will definitely be cold by then. I should have thought about that. Let's take it outside and eat at the patio table. That way you three won't get the dining room chairs wet."
They carried the food out and enjoyed the last of the warm fall weather.
"This is really good." Kurt said. "There's this mostly carry-out place that I've been to in Westerville several times that has good food. They're quick too."
"I'll have to check it out sometime when I'm there. Have you all been considering where you want to apply to college? I know the ACT and SAT are coming up soon."
"I had started thinking about it and then all the stuff that's been going on has been distracting me. I need to get refocused," Kurt said.
"All I know is that I want to go someplace small. With a good composition program," Thad said. "I need to start doing research as well."
"We should have been doing research over the summer, but we didn't have internet access in the apartment. The library limits use of the computers to an hour a day, but we could have done a better job. We were just focused on other things at the time, but we don't have time to get distracted now."
"Have you thought about it Sebastian?" Thad asked.
"I'm going to go back to Paris, I'm pretty sure. I'm not even sure what I want to study though. That's the biggest problem. I've thought about taking a year off, but I don't know about that either."
"What about you, Kurt? Do you know what you want to study?" Art asked.
"Some type of performance art. Musical theater, music, theater - something along those lines. I know those jobs aren't secure or anything, but I really love to perform. I'm still a qualified mechanic and I can work doing that for as long as I need to. So, I'll probably end up doing a combination of both. But if the stalking and harassment continue, I don't know what I'll do. I can't live my life afraid to go anywhere like I am now."
"Hopefully it will stop with so many of them in jail now."
"I can hope. But keep in mind, now they've incarcerated the last four in the county I live in now. Anyone from Lima who wants to visit them, family and friends, will be driving to Westerville to see them, giving them the opportunity to harass me."
"I hope that's not the case," Art said.
"Me too, but hoping and wishing doesn't make things so."
The topic changed to the elections and a variety of other things. Kurt and Sebastian carried the empty containers back in. Kurt rinsed them and asked where the recycling went.
"Just leave it on the counter. I'm not sure. We'll ask tomorrow."
Kurt and Sebastian helped Thad walk up the stairs very, very carefully. With Kurt's left arm in a cast and his right arm with stitches just removed, there was no way he could help Sebastian carry Thad up. Once he was up, Sebastian ran back down and grabbed their bags. Sebastian had taken his books upstairs when he changed.
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"So, I think you should shower first, Sebastian. You can listen to the audio book while Thad and I get ready for bed since it takes us so long. By the time we get done, you should know whether or not you like it. We've listened to it before, but we really like it and we'll keep listening if you like it too. If not, we can just read regular books."
"Sounds reasonable." Sebastian grabbed pajamas out of dresser drawer and headed into his bathroom.
Kurt got their pajamas out of their bag and laid their clothes for the next day out on the back of Sebastian's desk chair. It wasn't long before Sebastian was back.
"That's one thing I totally look forward to," Kurt said.
"What?" Sebastian asked.
"The ability to take a fast shower. Don't get me wrong, I love long luxurious showers and baths, but the inability to take a fast shower is very frustrating. Sometimes, I just want to jump in and out and redress. Soon, someday soon."
Thad laughed. "The power of positive thinking in action. At this point, I'd just like to be able to shower standing up."
"I didn't think about that," Sebastian said. "That's what will make it take so long? Because I don't have a shower stool."
"Right."
"You know, tomorrow, I'll just go get one and bring it back. That way whenever you're here, it will be easier for you. They can't cost that much."
"About $40 I think."
"Meh. Not a big deal. My dad won't mind. Go ahead. I'll start the book."
Kurt and Thad repeated the steps they had come up with the last time and it went faster this time because Kurt could get his arm wet, which had slowed them down a lot the last time. They came out of the bathroom sooner than Sebastian had expected. He paused the book.
"That was fast. Well, you know what I mean."
"I could get my arm wet this time. The last time we were here, the stitches were new and I couldn't get them wet yet."
"Ah. That's right." He got up and pulled the covers back on the bed, so they could get Thad situated without having to move him again later.
Once Thad was lying down and his brace was off, Kurt went back into the bathroom and took the waterproof bandage off and came back with it uncovered.
"It looks a lot better with the stitches out," Sebastian said.
"It hurts less."
"That's good," Thad said and smiled sadly.
"I need to let it air out for a bit. Then I have to put the ointment back on and cover it. So, what did you think of the book so far?"
"I've actually never heard of this book, but I like it so far."
"It's a kids book, but with everything that has gone on, I thought it might a fun escape from reality," Kurt said.
"I'm going to run down and bring some water back up and maybe some snacks if I find any and then we can start listening again."
Kurt went in the bathroom and put a large rectangular bandage, about 4" x 5" that had some stretch to it and sealed around all four edges on. By the time he was done, Sebastian had come back up.
"I found some M&Ms."
He sat the three glasses of water down and pulled the bag of M&Ms out of his pocket and handed them to Kurt. He walked back around the bed and put Thad's glass on his side of the bed. He went back around again and lay down. As he got in the bed, he noticed Kurt's arm.
"Well, that will make things easier. It looks a lot more comfortable now."
"It is. I'll put gauze and tape over the top and wear that sleeve we bought for practice and the game this week."
"You're going to play still?"
"Of course, I still have my contract to fulfill. I want to stay at school and I no longer have the option of getting a job and living off campus because I'm too scared. There are only two more regular season games."
"You do realize that since we are undefeated, we will be going into the championship games," Thad said.
"And here I was feeling optimistic," Kurt said sarcastically.
Kurt and Thad were already holding hands. Kurt reached out and took Sebastian's. He startled a bit.
"I know, it's weird. Just go with it. Girls can hold hands with other girls they are friends with. Why can't we?"
"No reason I guess," Sebastian answered.
"I mean, what's the worst that's going to happen? Someone would call us 'fags' if they saw us do it. Not like I don't already get called that anyway. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you. I know I apologized for my behavior last week, but I never thanked you for sticking by me when I was being so sullen and unresponsive. Thad was my first real friend. And you're my second. I appreciate you not giving up on me and walking away especially after you realized what a danger it was to be my friend. I tried to push Thad away several times last spring because my life was so nuts. He wouldn't let me. And you've put up with so much in the short time we've known each other. I'm not sure why you haven't turned tail and run, but, well, just - thanks."
Kurt squeezed his hand and loosened his grip so that Sebastian could let go easily, but he held on.
"Turn your light off and we'll listen in the dark."
Sebastian restarted the book and turned the light off.
Kurt pulled the covers up over Thad and himself and Sebastian pulled the rest of the way up on his side. He retook Kurt's hand after they were all comfortable.
When Art came up to check on them around 9:00, he opened the door quietly because he only heard what sounded like possibly a movie. He saw them all sound asleep with a book playing. He shut the door back quietly and smiled at the fact that Sebastian had made some real friends.
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The next morning, Kurt woke up and Thad was still asleep, but Sebastian wasn't in the bed anymore. He could hear him faintly talking in the bathroom. He lay there waiting for him to come out. About 10 minutes later, he did. Kurt got up and went in when he came out. Sebastian stayed sitting up on the edge until Kurt came back, making it easier for him to get in the middle spot. Kurt accidentally woke Thad up.
"I was talking to my maman. There's a six hour time difference so it's 2:00 in the afternoon there. I call her every Sunday morning."
"I bet you miss her."
"I do. A lot. I've not lived with my dad since I was four."
"You two seem to be getting along better now."
"We are. That's mostly due to you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. I told you that he really changed his viewpoint a lot, but I hadn't exactly done much to counteract his previous beliefs."
"Oh."
"I was becoming quite the wild child in Paris. Clubbing, drinking, making bad life choices."
"Okay."
"Having a lot of money and being young isn't always a good combination. Nothing I've told you previously was a lie," Sebastian said. "I wasn't completely gone. I hadn't started having one-night stands and living the life my dad thought gay guys had, but I was on my way to that. The friends I had became partiers as we got older. We got fake IDs and started hanging out in bars and dance clubs. Some of them had already started hooking up in clubs with older guys. That place we went to in Columbus is like a middle school dance compared to the places we were going."
"Oh."
"But when Thad said you had gone to the restroom alone, the first thing that flashed in my mind was that someone was, well... because of what I've seen goes on in the clubs I've been in."
"That never even crossed my mind that night when I went to the restroom."
"I figured not. That's why I ran and why I kicked the stall door in."
"I'm not sure I ever properly thanked you for that either. Thank you. You saved me from whatever else he had planned for me. For all I know, it could have been what you were just referring to. There is at least one closeted jock at McKinley, probably more than one."
Thad spoke up. "I'm really glad you got there in time to keep him from getting hurt any worse too."
"You're welcome. Both of you. I couldn't let someone get hurt like that."
Changing the subject back, Kurt asked, "So, you talk to your mom every Sunday."
"Yeah, yeah. I called her at 8:00, which is 2:00 her time. I told her about what happened Friday. She's being very mom-like and wants me to come home, which makes it doubly hard on me because I'd like to be with her and she's lonely, but I've actually gotten to like Dalton and there's the two of you and the Warblers. It's hard being caught in the middle, wanting two things that are completely unattainable simultaneously."
"I know all about that," Kurt said.
"Me too," Thad added.
"But she had something really interesting for me to tell you."
"What?" Kurt asked.
"That there's a chance that you're a French citizen."
"What?" Kurt asked like Sebastian had lost his mind.
"She's going to send me information. You said your mother was born in France to French parents."
"Yes."
"If your mother filed your birth properly, then you should be able to get a French passport and ID card. You could go to college in France for pretty much nothing other than the cost of living there. You've been talking about wanting to get really far away from Ohio. France is pretty far away."
"But Thad and I wanted to go to college together."
"There's nothing preventing Thad from applying to college in France. Unless his parents won't pay. He's in AP French. His French has to be decent."
Thad chimed in, "It doesn't matter to them where I go. Plus, something I've never brought up because I never thought it mattered - I'm a dual US/British citizen. I can live in France without all of the hassle an American might have."
Kurt looked thoroughly confused. "My dad is British. My mom is American. You knew I went to boarding school in England before I came to Dalton."
"Yes. I just never thought about your dad being British. He has an American accent."
Thad laughed. "So does Sebastian."
"Touché," Kurt said laughing.
"Actually my dad can switch back and forth. So, can I. I lived in England for a long time as a child. I've lived in Spain and in France briefly too. When they do negotiations here, my dad sounds American. In Europe, he tends to fall right back into his native British sound." Thad said the last part the way a Brit would.
Kurt laughed. "I had no idea you could do that. That's awesome."
"You're easily impressed. I can do it too," Sebastian said, and then continued with a British accent. "I had plenty of British teachers growing up. Just because my school was bilingual doesn't mean that all of the teachers that taught in English had American accents."
Kurt was laughing really hard by that point.
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Art knocked on the door and opened it slowly. "I've made breakfast, if any of you are hungry."
"You cooked?" Sebastian asked.
"I have managed not to starve all these years, and the housekeeper doesn't come in until the afternoon, so she only makes dinner."
"Alright. We'll come eat. Although it would be a lot faster if I just brought the food up here than it would be to get Thad down the stairs," Sebastian suggested.
"That's fine."
Kurt and Sebastian went downstairs with him and the three of them carried all of the plates back up. Sebastian ran down a second time to grab the juice and a glass for his dad. The three boys ate in the bed and Art sat at Sebastian's desk.
"How much longer will you have to wear that brace, Thad?"
"The doctor said maybe 12 months total, but I will eventually be able to quit using the cane. I guess I'll probably have to go back to using it when the brace comes off. Maybe there's intermediary braces. I don't know yet. So, maybe by the end of the school year."
"How about you arms?" he asked both Kurt and Thad.
Kurt answered first. "Mine was supposed to come off in a week, but when they had to recast it, the time was extended. So, the current date is the 7th."
"Mine's supposed to come off then too, but I'm likely to end up in a brace, but a removable one, for a few weeks afterwards."
"If we make it into the football championship games, I'm not sure what the doctor will do. Recast it maybe until the football season ends? I don't know. At least the stitches are out of my arm. Those were so annoying."
"Are you already rehearsing for Sectionals?"
"Yes. We have our songs chosen and we're working on the vocals. Sebastian, David, Jeff, and I will start to work on choreography. We have a couple of new members who don't seem to be very good dancers from what we've seen so far. So, we're going to have to go with a layered effect. Like a back row of non-dancers, including Thad. Then a row in front of them that does some type of swaying, shuffling small steps that fit with the more complex choreography that those of us who can dance will do. Thad would have been part of the dancers if his leg weren't an issue. So, we've lost one of our dancers."
"Sounds tricky."
"It is when you consider that most of the schools we compete against have girls too. Their flashy, frilly dresses add to the visual appeal of their numbers," Thad said.
"When is the competition?"
"The Saturday before we have fall break during Thanksgiving week," Sebastian answered.
"So you still have what?" He paused thinking. "Four weeks?"
"Five," Kurt corrected.
"That gives you quite a bit of time."
"It does, if people stop vandalizing the building and attacking our lead singer," Thad said angrily.
"How do you choose songs?"
Thad answered, "Well, with two leads, we'll have a song that each of them sings lead on. The other sings the lead harmony part and they're both featured. The other song is more of a group piece where the two of them are among the featured singers, but not the only featured singers."
"And you do all of the arrangements?"
"Yes," Thad said.
"That's impressive. It's no easy feat to arrange a song for that many people."
"It's not easy, but it's really cool to hear it all come together. Did you see any of our performances from last year?"
"I didn't. I saw what you did for Family Weekend."
Sebastian got up and pulled his laptop out and signed into their private YouTube channel and handed Art his ear buds and plugged them in. He started "King of Anything" and let Art listen to it and watch.
"That's really impressive. So that was at the National Competition last spring?"
"Yes, in New York. We're singing that song for Sectionals. Sebastian will be singing the part that the shorter guy with the gelled hair was singing. That was Blaine Anderson."
"I've heard of Blaine. I know his father."
"Ah, well he transferred to McKinley."
"Why?"
"I don't have a good answer for that," Kurt said.
"He told me that his heart was at McKinley," Sebastian said.
"I'm very confused. I thought Kurt was the only out gay student at McKinley. If Blaine went there to be with someone, is the someone he's seeing in the closet?"
"She is the lead singer for the New Directions."
"She? I was pretty sure that Blaine's father said that he was gay."
"He's bi. He's dating a girl."
"I see. So, no bullying for him, then."
"Nope."
"Well, that's good for him."
"Definitely."
"We were talking about Sectionals," Sebastian changed the subject.
"Right." Kurt continued. "So, we're singing the song you just watched. And then a Boyz II Men song that Sebastian is lead on and an NYSNC song that features five of us - me, Sebastian, Jeff, Nick, and David."
"Well, if I need a ticket to attend, make sure to get me one, Sebastian."
"Alright, Dad. We don't even know who we're competing against or where it will be yet."
"Doesn't matter. I'll just mark that Saturday off on my calendar."
"Okay."
"Here, stack everything up and I'll take it back down. You boys can get started on your schoolwork."
"Thanks, Mr... Art," Thad said. "It was really good."
"You're welcome."
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"Well, I see why you told us that you were feeling like you were in an alternate universe. He doesn't seem at all like you described him when we first met," Kurt said.
"I know. It's like meeting you brought out this paternal side of him that I've never seen before."
"I don't think it's so much meeting me as it is seeing you as a real person and seeing you get injured for existing. Maybe when you were in France, you were just like this hypothetical son that was making all the wrong life choices and he felt the need to bring you here and set you straight. But you got here and you became a real boy." Kurt laughed. "He's gotten to know you as a person rather than just this son that lives far away."
"Maybe. I just know that if I hadn't started hanging around with the two of you, I would have probably found some people that partied and went to clubs like I did in Paris. I would have ended up stuck here for two years, earning a regular high school diploma with regular classes and continuing on my path of drinking and partying. I was very angry and I would have found equally angry people to get drunk and forget my problems with."
"Well, I'm glad you didn't do that. So, shall we be upright citizens and fulfill our educational duties and start studying?" Thad asked.
"I'll need the desk for a while if possible. I have a bunch of calculus problems to do. I brought Thad's lap desk." Kurt got up and pulled it out of the bag he had packed and handed it to Thad.
"The desk's all yours," Sebastian said. "I'll read."
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About four hours later, Art came up the stairs with two pizzas and some bottles of soda and water.
"I figured you three would be hungry by now. Such studious young men need to eat to keep their studying stamina up."
"Thanks," Thad said.
"We are definitely studious, otherwise we'd be making terrible grades. Dalton is not for the faint of heart when it comes to academic work load," Kurt said.
"It's definitely challenging," Sebastian added. He got up and put a folded towel in the middle of his bed for the pizzas to sit on.
Art pulled the desk chair close to the bed where the other three were sitting. "Well, then I'm getting my money's worth," Art laughed. "Are you three in any classes together?" He took a slice of pizza and started eating. So did everyone else.
"Sort of," Kurt answered. "Sebastian and I are the only two in the highest level of French, but it meets during AP French, so sometimes were in the same room with Thad, but the two of us have different assignments. We're in the Warblers together as well."
"Kurt and I have all of the same classes since I can't get around the school on my own. We're in all AP classes, with the French difference that he explained. Kurt took AP French last year."
"Is IB or AP harder?"
"I'm not sure there's a direct comparison. IB uses different textbooks and has different required courses. It's like a whole program. AP classes are the hardest level high school courses, but you can take as many as you want or just one in a subject you like a lot. Both will get college credit at American universities," Kurt answered.
"I hadn't heard of AP classes before I came here," Sebastian said.
"So, Kurt has five AP classes, one he's studying for independently, the IB third level French with Sebastian and the Warblers. I have six AP classes and the Warblers, and Sebastian has six IB courses and the Warblers."
Art nodded. "What do your parents do, Thad?"
"They're negotiators, mostly high level corporate stuff, but some contract government work too."
"And they travel a lot?"
"Yeah. They're based out of Seattle now. I came to Dalton because my grandfather graduated from Dalton."
"I see. My dad might have known your grandfather." He grabbed a couple more slices of pizza and stacked them on a napkin. "I won't keep you boys. One of you bring down the leftovers, if there are any."
"Got it, Dad. Thanks."
"No problem. Are you going to study all day?"
"Depends on how long it takes to get everything done. Hopefully not. It looks nice outside. Maybe we'll move outside to study after we get around to getting dressed," Thad answered. "I'm being lazy and sitting in the bed with my brace off. They're just being nice and not making me feel like I'm TOO lazy by sitting around in their pajamas too. I leave it off as much as I can on the weekends. It gets really annoying. But usually I have to put it on, take it off, put it on, which also get annoying. Since you brought food to us, I've had it off for like 18 hours. It's been great. Thanks."
"Well, you're welcome. I'm glad you've had a chance to relax."
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They got dressed, packed their stuff up, slowly made their way downstairs and finished their reading outside. Before dinner, they headed back to Dalton.
Kurt met with Coach Moreland on Monday and arranged for Thad to continue his physical therapy on campus. He practiced for the first time in a week. He was still sore, but he managed to get through the practice. He continued to practice all week.
Thad ordered a class ring catalog and a ring sizer and brought up the idea of custom class rings to the Warblers. They decided that they would pass the catalog around through the group and give everyone a chance to look at it and discuss the decision to order rings a couple of weeks later. They focused on learning the music for their sectionals pieces and scheduled a choreography meeting for Saturday morning to block out the numbers and get of the pieces complete.
Friday evening was the football team's last away game for the regular season. The coach never left Kurt or Thad unattended. They won, 28-25, their closest game of the season.
Saturday morning, Kurt was exhausted, but he got up and went to work on the choreography anyway. He worked on what the less coordinated dancers would do, while Sebastian and Jeff worked on the harder choreography. David worked on coming up with simple movements for the back row including Thad could do, mostly arm sways, finger snaps or claps - anything that could be done standing completely still.
The next week was much the same, with the exception that the final football game of the regular season was a home game and it was very well attended. It was the first time in many, many years that the football team had the potential of ending their regular season undefeated. Kurt felt a lot of pressure, as usual, but he was glad that it was almost over. Carole and Burt came to see him play.
They won their final game 35-28. The school has extra security for the night after what had happened after their last home game. There were no incidents.
Burt and Carole stayed overnight and took Kurt out for breakfast the next morning. Kurt made sure that Thad was dressed before he left and Sebastian was going to go to breakfast with him.
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Kurt waited inside the building until Burt and Carole pulled up. He went out and got straight into the car. He was still on edge leaving the building.
They went out of town for breakfast to a smaller town nearby. After they ordered, Burt started talking.
"How are things at school?"
"There haven't been any more acts of vandalism. I stay on campus all the time. Thad's getting physical therapy from the school's sports team physical therapist so I don't have to drive him to the clinic anymore."
"Well, that's handy and saves time."
"It does."
"Art says that the three of you have spent the weekend at his house."
"That's true, but you didn't talk about that where anyone from Lima could hear you, did you?"
"No. It was a political event."
"Well, don't talk about it, even between the two of you anywhere. It's the one place that we can go and I feel safe. No one knows where he lives. We get the security guard to walk Sebastian to his car and then he picks us up where you picked me up. We can be normal there, unless someone finds out that I'm going there."
"You're really paranoid about this."
"Not paranoid. Realistic. Four of them are in jail here in Westervillle. Their friends and family have a reason to come to where I was safe. I'm not paranoid. I'm legitimately scared."
"I hadn't thought about that," Carole said.
"I wish I could STOP thinking about it. The school is paying for extra security still. Now, I'll have more football games to play and they're all away games. I'm going to have to be provided a bodyguard basically. Coach Moreland already has the two biggest guys on the team accompanying me everywhere."
"Oh, honey. That's gotta be tough"
The waitress returned with their food. The all ate as they continued to talk.
"I just want it to end. I wish I had never pressed charges. I wish I had just had the sense to say I didn't know who they were and let it go. I don't even know when the trial is. I guess if the charges are serious enough, they could get sentenced to a state penitentiary, but I think some of them were under 18, so they'd have to be tried as adults. If they get left in the Westerville regular lock up for the rest of the year, I risk running into the people visiting them every single day. It makes me a prisoner at the school and Thad and Sebastian too. Thad's pretty much stuck because he still hasn't been released to drive and he has no car since his was totaled in the wreck last May and his parents have no reason to buy a car for a person who can't drive. But Sebastian is stuck too. I hate it."
"I can imagine," Burt said. "I've been the focus of attention since I started my campaign and the loss of privacy is really annoying. So, while I'm not afraid like you are, I am feeling the constant watchful eyes that are everywhere and it's unsettling."
"How is the campaign going?"
"It's close, which is saying that I'm doing well. Usually independents don't come anywhere near matching the Republican and Democratic candidates."
"Well, I'm voting by mail. I'm not stepping foot in Lima. Sebastian said that Art is going to vote for you."
"That's nice to know. How's your arm doing?"
"It's healing. I might not get my cast off since we're going into the playoffs. So, that's a drag. Thad is supposed to get his off the same day, but he'll still get his off. He's up and walking around with his crutch most of the time. Now, a lot of days I wheel him to the classroom wing and we fold his chair and leave it in the back of the first period room and he walks around the rest of the day and then I wheel him back."
"That's good."
"Yeah, he's been stuck in that thing forever it feels like. Can I ask you why you excluded him from the breakfast invitation?"
"I just wanted to spend time with you, Kurt. I feel like I never get to see you anymore."
"You wouldn't see less of me, if Thad were sitting here too. It just makes me feel like you don't like him being part of my life. Carole came with you and I'm fine with that. I'm not seeing you less because she is with you. Thad and I have been together for almost eight months now. At some point, you're going to have to get used to him being around."
"I know. I know."
"How are things with the shop? Is it being vandalized?"
"No. I think my running for office has scared kids away from targeting the shop,"
"Well, that's good news."
They were quiet for a while, focusing on their food.
"How are your classes?"
"Hard, but I'm doing well. I'll still have football practice until we lose, or I guess we could win, but that would mean playing for like six more weeks. So, honestly I'm ready for us to lose. I know that sounds awful, but I'm tired of practicing every day. It's going to get to where I have no daylight hours to enjoy."
"I understand. Winning is nice, but football isn't your focus. When is your Sectionals? The New Directions' aren't until after Thanksgiving, which seems really late to me."
"Ooh, insider information," Kurt laughed. "That means that we aren't up against them for Sectionals because ours are before Thanksgiving. That actually take a weight off my shoulders. It means we won't be assigned to perform at McKinley."
"Sorry if I told you something I wasn't supposed to."
"It's fine. We would have found out this week anyway, probably Monday."
"Send me the date and time and we'll come watch wherever you're performing."
"I'll do that. I actually have to be back at school at 11:00 for Warblers practice. I've had to start holding meetings on Saturdays because of football rehearsal. That's why I really just hope we lose soon. Then I'll be able to have my Saturday mornings free again."
"Is there anything you need while we're here? Since you can't get out on your own anymore?"
"There is one place I'd like to go."
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Kurt and Thad finished up their lunch after the Warblers choreography meeting. Kurt was walking just slightly faster than Thad could keep up with easily.
"Kurt, slow down just a bit. You're going too fast."
"I'm sorry." He slowed down, but was bouncing a bit and had an excited look on his face.
"What's the rush? Surely you're not THAT excited about whatever paper you were working on for French."
"Nope. I finished that last night. I just need to swap with Sebastian later to make sure I didn't miss anything."
"What are you so excited about then?"
"You'll see."
They made it into their room and Thad had barely gotten to door shut when Kurt practically pinned him to the door and started kissing him.
"Oh, kissing. I like kissing. Is this what had you so excited?"
"Sort of." Kurt let go of him and led him to the bathroom. "We're going to shower. And then you can find out my surprise."
"Well, I'd never turn down a shower with you." Thad started to undress. Kurt decided that he needed help and moved Thad's hands out of the way to do it for him, kissing him wherever skin started to show. "Mmm. I like your idea so far."
"You'll like all of it. I'm certain."
Thad returned the favor and undressed Kurt. Kurt had been so tense and on edge that this was a very welcome change in demeanor.
They eventually got into the shower, but the kissing continued. It was the first time that Kurt had been relaxed since before the attack in Columbus.
"Can you straddle the stool and make room for me too?"
"Definitely. Does that mean?"
"Only if you want to."
"Oh, I do." Thad leaned forward and they resumed their kissing.
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"Turn over on your stomach." Kurt helped Thad get comfortable.
"So, you got to go get more of the products you had run out of this morning? You were all excited because you were planning to give me a massage?"
"Exactly. I ran out and couldn't go get anymore easily. I've missed doing this. I love making you feel good and touching you."
"Mmm. Right there. Ooh. That hurts, but in a good way. Wearing that sling stabilized my shoulder, but it also made it stiff. That feels so good."
"I'm glad." Kurt started placing kisses all over Thad's back and neck while he was massaging him."
Thad starting moaning quietly. Kurt turned around and began massaging Thad's legs.
"Your calf muscles are really tense."
"I've been doing a lot more walking the last week or two. They've gotten weak from being in the chair so much. They're stiff from the recent workout they're getting."
"I'll start massaging them every evening. I wish you had told me they were bothering you."
"You've been so upset."
"But this is something I could have done something about and made you feel better. Please don't hide things from me. I know it's a little of the pot calling the kettle black. I'll do better too. We can't let this stuff push us apart. We're strong together."
"We are. That feels really good. I want to touch you too. I'm not sure how, but we're figuring it out as soon as you're done with me."
"Okay." Kurt smiled. "You can think about how to do it while I keep rubbing your calves." Kurt finished a few minutes later. "So?"
"Well, all I can figure is that it requires you to be a contortionist."
"I can do my best. I'm pretty flexible."
"Help me prop up against the headboard with all of our pillows behind me. I'm not putting the leg brace back on yet."
Kurt grabbed all of their pillows and got Thad where he wanted to be.
"Alright. Come sit in the space here," he patted the bed between his knees.
Kurt carefully got into the spot and handed Thad the lotion. Kurt wriggled around and lay all different ways allowing Thad to reach pretty much everywhere he wanted to.
"I've missed that more than I had even realized. It's been so long. I guess all the way back..."
"Back too long," Thad finished. "Try lying on me. Maybe it won't hurt. It's been a long time."
"Are you sure?"
"I want to hold you close. Please. I promise to tell you if it hurts. And you'll tell me if it hurts you."
Kurt pulled most of the pillows out so that Thad could lie back. Kurt lay so that most of his weight was on Thad's right side.
"Slide toward the wall and roll on your side. Me lying on you isn't relaxing for either of us right now. I need this cast off and to be able to put weight on my arm."
They eventually found a position that they were comfortable in and fell asleep kissing and holding each other.
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A knock on the door woke them up. Kurt got up and went to the door.
"Who is it?"
"Sebastian, of course. I'm supposed to meet you for dinner now."
"Oh. Sorry, we fell asleep. Can you come back in 10 minutes?"
"Sure."
Kurt handed Thad his brace and helped him get it on and the got dressed quickly. They were almost done when Sebastian knocked again. Kurt opened the door and let him in.
He still had his shoes to get on. Sebastian reached down and helped Thad with his shoes and tied them. He grabbed a cardigan from Thad's closet and tossed it to him.
"You two look to be in a good mood. Nice nap?" Sebastian asked with a smirk.
"It was glorious," Kurt answered, smiling.
"Best nap in ages," Thad said.
"I see," Sebastian said laughing.
"Not like THAT," Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Kurt."
"Let's go eat," Thad laughed.
They ate and returned to Kurt and Thad's room.
"Come in," Kurt said as he let Sebastian go in first. "Actually, go change into your pajamas and come back."
"It's not even 7:00."
"Do you have plans for the evening?" Kurt asked.
"No."
"Then, go shower and put your pajamas on and come back."
Sebastian looked confused, but went the rest of the way down the hall to his room and did what Kurt said. He knocked on the door 15 minutes later and Kurt let him in. Thad was in their bed in his pajamas, but Kurt hadn't had time to change yet. He took them in the bathroom and changed quickly.
"So, what's with the pajamas so early?"
"We didn't finish the audiobook at your house weekend before last. It's a pajama-wearing, book-listening, chocolate-eating party." Kurt opened the dresser and got out three chocolate bars and handed one to each of them.
"Ooh, you got the good ones," Thad said.
"I got them this morning when I went shopping for things I needed with my parents."
"Well, thanks," Sebastian said.
"So, climb in the extra bed and I'll turn the book on."
Kurt turned the book on, the light off and got in bed with Thad.
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Once Thad and Sebastian were awake the next morning, Kurt started talking.
"So, next weekend."
"Next weekend?" Sebastian repeated.
"Yes. Next weekend, I want to go to your dad's house. We'll leave Saturday morning and stay until Monday. I'll get permission for you to miss your morning classes. Thad and I already have the morning cleared to see the doctor in Dublin, which is close to where your dad lives."
"How will you manage that?"
"After the things that have happened to me, I'm betting I could ask for just about anything and get it. You driving us there won't be that hard to swing, I'm sure."
"Okay?" Sebastian said.
"And we're going to do our best to have as little homework left to do as possible because I want to go somewhere that will be a surprise."
"Got it. Kurt has some crazy scheme concocted, so I do all my homework early this week. And I make sure we can use my dad's house as a base for whatever this crazy scheme is."
"Exactly," Kurt said.
"You are remarkably cheerful. What's going on?" Sebastian asked.
"Nothing really. I'm just sick of everything and I've decided that I might as well choose to be happy and do what I want rather than sit around waiting for someone to do something awful to me again. I can't prevent people from being awful. That doesn't mean that I'm going to go wander around Westerville any time soon. But I'm tired of the three of us being imprisoned here in this building. We'll go out, go far enough away that no one we know will be around and we'll have fun."
"Sounds like a plan," Thad said.
"Aren't we supposed to meet Saturday morning to work on the choreography?"
"Meh. I'm going to cancel. We can work on it next week somehow. In addition to my 'crazy scheme' as you called it, we're going to work on college applications. We need to start to figure out what we need in order to get into college. We should have done it sooner, but better now than waiting even longer."
"Alright," Thad said. "You're right. We need to get working on it."
"So, shall we head to breakfast?"
"In a minute," Sebastian said. "I'm going to lie here for a few more minutes."
"Fine by me," Thad said. "I'll go get started since I'm he slowest." Kurt helped him get the brace on and he headed for the bathroom.
"I need you to help me with something."
"Sure. What?"
"Well, Thad and I used to take walks in the woods behind the school. I want to go again before it gets any colder. Next Saturday morning before we leave, I want you to push him out to the woods for me. And then just sit in the chair and read until we come back. I know it's an imposition, but it's been six months since we've been able to go."
"Sometimes I forget about how long he's been in that chair because it started before I got here. I'll do it."
"Thank you! It really means a lot to me. There's a bench back in the woods in a small clearing area and that's where we first kissed. Next Saturday it will be 8 months since that day."
"We met three months ago yesterday. You had been dating Thad less than the amount of time that we've known each other when you took over his full-time care."
"That's true."
"Had the two of you been close before that?"
"Not really, no. I hadn't made any friends at that point, really."
"But you'd been here since November? So, three or four months and you hadn't made any friends. That seems odd."
"How about we just skip this topic and you can ask Thad sometime. I'll tell him that he can tell you. I've just managed to get myself out of the funk I was in to an extent and talking about that... will not help."
"Sure. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I know you didn't. It's fine. Go get dressed so we can go eat breakfast. Don't forget to ask your dad," Kurt said.
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After breakfast, Kurt was in a funk. He couldn't place what was going on or why he felt so listless. He tried reading a book and just couldn't focus. Thad tried getting him to watch a movie or listen to a book, but Kurt turned him down.
Thad came up with a plan. He texted Sebastian from the bathroom to set it in motion.
After lunch, there was a knock on their door. Kurt went to open the door and found most of the Warblers standing in the hallway holding bags from the grocery store. Jeff was at the front of the group.
"Please bake for us," Jeff said and batted his eyes in an attempt to be funny.
"Bake for you?"
By then, Thad was standing next to Kurt in the doorway.
"Yes. Tomorrow is Halloween and we need treats. We went shopping and bought all of the stuff we think you'll need."
Kurt looked at all of the grocery bags they had. "It looks like you have enough stuff to make a lot more than just cookies."
"Well, we might have bought candy and other snacks too."
"Uh huh. And if I agree to bake for you, will you promise not to eat them until tomorrow night? Which is when I'm assuming there's some kind of party I wasn't aware of."
The guys looked at each other. None of them seemed to be willing to make that promise.
"Ok, will you promise to leave enough for whatever party you're planning?"
"Sure," Trent agreed. "We have enough ingredients to make a LOT of cookies. So, will you bake for us?"
"I'll need some assistants. You can figure out who the assistants are. I'll just change and be right out."
The group started to walk away from the door. Jeff stayed behind.
"Did you need something else Jeff?"
"Someone has to bring Thad up to the kitchen. We're not leaving him behind."
"Of course not, I was going to help him up. He's been making a lot of progress."
"I'll still wait, just in case." Jeff leaned against the hallway wall.
Kurt and Thad changed into their sweatpants and Dalton t-shirts and reopened the door and walked with Jeff to the stairs.
"I'll do whatever you want," Jeff said to Thad as they approached the stairs. "I can only imagine how frustrating it gets to need help all the time. If you want to try it, you can. But I can just pick you up, if that's okay."
"Sure, it will save time." Thad let Jeff pick him up bridal style and Kurt carried his crutch up to the third floor. He sat Thad down on the landing and the three of them walked together to the kitchen.
When they got there, the Warblers had started separating out the stuff from the sacks they had brought back. There was a pile of chips, a pile of candy, some bottled drinks, a bunch of different kinds of lunchmeats, cheeses and condiments and loaves of French bread.
"I see we're having some kind of sub sandwich party?" Kurt asked as they entered the kitchen.
"Seemed easy enough," Nick said.
"And no one will burn anything since subs don't get cooked," Flint added.
"I'm assuming there's a story that goes with this that I don't know."
A bunch of them laughed. "Well, we managed to set the kitchen on fire last Halloween."
"I see. Well, that won't be happening this time. Did assistants get chosen?"
Three guys stepped forward - Sebastian, Michael, and David.
"What are the rest of you going to do?"
"Play video games," Richard said.
"Sounds about right," Kurt said, "Okay, let's get baking."
A half hour later, there were quite a few guys gathering like vultures on the side of the counter that was open into the lounge. They were looking in and staring at their prey - the cookies that were starting to be put onto plates.
"Shoo. You can have some in a little bit. I'll be sure to let you know."
"But they're so good when they're warm," Jeff said, giving him puppy eyes.
"Fine, fine. You all can split the first warm batch." Kurt picked up the plate of cookies and put it on the counter.
"You should start a bakery," Nick said.
"These are really good," Xavier said. "They were right about how good you are at this."
"Thanks," Kurt said. He went back to mixing more batches of different kinds of cookies.
His assistants were still busy putting the dough onto the cookie sheets. Thad was standing in the corner leaning against the counter. Kurt washed his hands and walked over to him and kissed him gently. The guys in the kitchen had their backs to them and the ones in the lounge couldn't see them. Kurt walked out the door and into the lounge and grabbed one of the chairs from the table. He carried it back into the kitchen and put it near where Thad was standing. He kissed him again.
"In case you get tired of standing," Kurt whispered in his ear and kissed him one last time before he went back to mixing up more cookie dough. Thad smiled. His plan had been a success. Whatever was bothering Kurt was pushed out of his mind for the time being and baking always cheered him up.
By dinnertime, Kurt and his assistants had baked 16 dozen cookies, 6 of which did not make it until dinnertime. But there were plenty ready for tomorrow evening's party. They packed the party cookies into ziplock bags they had bought at the store and put them in Flint's room to prevent anyone from just randomly finding them and helping themselves.
"So, tomorrow evening at 7:00, there will be a Halloween party in the first floor lounge. We'll make the subs up here and take everything down. So, we'll need some guys to help with sandwich prep and delivery," David said. He got a few volunteers. "Good. Be here at 6:30."
They headed down to dinner as a group. Kurt and Thad risked getting written up for going to dinner in their sweats. Neither one of them cared enough at that moment to go back to their rooms and change. They enjoyed eating with the whole group and lucked out that none of the staff said anything about their attire.