A/N: Here is the second half of Chapter 9! Enjoy you guys. Remember, I love me some comments. :)
Chapter 9B: And The Winner Is...
"This is disgusting," Kurt complained as he watched the grey sludge known as cafeteria food dribble from his spoon back into the bowl he was eating from. He shivered, eying the amorphous puddle on his tray.
"I know something more disgusting," Sam answered back to Kurt's remark as he sat down next to the countertenor. He placed his tray on the table and looked intently at the other boy.
Kurt rolled his eyes before muttering sarcastically, "Pray. Do tell."
Sam stifled his giggling as he answered. "Well, they must be better than the Worst Pies, in London!"
Sam laughed, singing out into the busy cafeteria. Kurt rolled his eyes more dramatically than before. "You are humiliating. Do you know that?"
"Yes, but you love me anyway."
"Not for long, if you keep it up."
Sam pouted, his lips looking plumper than ever. "I know you can't resist my sad puppy look," he said as his eyes glazed over in an attempt to sway Kurt. The diva looked straight ahead before laughing once more.
"Fine, I give up. Go ahead. Take me, I'm yours!" Kurt mimed fainting, laughing as he finished the quote from Forum. Sam laughed, flicking a bit of popcorn at him. The piece flew through the air, landing in his hair. Kurt froze for a moment before lifting his hand to his hair. Sam looked half terrified, yet was holding back from giggling.
"This is war, Samuel Evans. Be prepared to be conquered," Kurt grinned mischievously as he continued to eat, flicking the popcorn from his hair.
"Wait- what are you doing?"
Kurt smiled knowingly. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"
"But I-"
"Move on over, white boy," Mercedes said as she sat down next to Kurt, forcing him to move down. Sam looked up, relieved to see the rest of New Directions coming over to join them. He moved over for Rachel, still eyeing Kurt about what he could possible be up to. He noticed, however, Kurt was no longer looking at him, but at Rachel. He seemed puzzled about something. Intrigued. Interesting.
"So, who here is excited about today's audition?" Rachel looked around, eager to start a conversation on her favorite topic. Sam nodded, chewing on his burger.
"I'm actually really excited. Well, nervous. But still excited. I just hope everything goes well."
Rachel smiled encouragingly at Sam. "You're auditioning for Sweeney, right? And Kurt for Lovett?"
As Sam nodded, Santana snorted. Sam looked at her confused. Kurt buried his head, already seemingly aware of what was coming.
"You're auditioning for opposite roles as well? Wow, I was right." The Latina laughed once more, before motioning for Brittany to follow her. The two girls left together, pinkies locked in a link as always. Sam was puzzled by the Latina's sudden outburst. He looked over at Kurt, who was staring at the two Cheerios retreating from the lunch area. He had a perplexed look on his face. Sam pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to Kurt. He read it over once, checking for spelling issues. He had to proof read his texts because of his dyslexia. It didn't really help, but it made him feel better that he took the time to do it. He pressed send, waiting for a response.
Ding! Kurt looked down at his phone. He had a new text from Sam. Kurt eyed the blond oddly; they were sitting right across from each other. He waited for the phone to unlock before smiling at the words before him. Aer you okya Kurtie bear? Whast wrng?
He spelled my name right. Out of all of the words, he spelled mine correctly. Kurt felt tears of joy slowly springing up in the corners of his eyes. He wiped his eyes quickly before sending back a text, reassuring Sam that everything was fine. He smiled reassuringly at the blond. Sam smiled back, before turning to Quinn. He said something about having to go to the bathroom, and the two good friends left the table. Rachel murmured something about vocal scales, dragging Finn behind her. Kurt sighed before standing to leave the table with Mercedes.
"So, are you excited at all? You're very quiet. Is everything okay?" Kurt looked at his friend, wondering why she was so quiet.
Mercedes sighed herself, before dumping her empty plate into the trash can. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay."
"Come on, 'Cedes. I can tell something's wrong. What's up?"
"Well, I'm really excited for you and everything. I know you're going to nail that audition, and I'm happy about that."
"There's a but, isn't there." Kurt looked up at her. She nodded wistfully.
"Yeah. I'm nervous about my own audition and stuff. I've never really had a big role before. I want one so badly, I'm just nervous about screwing things up."
Kurt understood perfectly. While he never got stage fright, and probably never would, he could relate to people being afraid of the future. He understood her anxiousness perfectly.
"You'll do fine, 'Cedes. You are super talented, and one of the most amazing singers I know. Mr. Schue would be crazy to deny you a part. Trust me."
The two friends smiled at each other for a moment. "Thanks, Kurt. You truly are a great friend."
"I learn from the best, 'Cedes."
...
"Okay, what the hell is going on?"
"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."
"What was going on back there? Why was everyone acting all weird?"
"Um, maybe because the auditions are today? Maybe because people are nervous? Maybe because we all saved Kurt from a major dumpster dive this morning?"
"But what was Santana referring to? I know something's up, Q."
Quinn rolled her eyes, irritated. Sam had followed her out of the lunch area, before ambushing her about what was going on with Kurt. She was playing innocent. He didn't need to know what she was scheming about in the background. If he would just let her do her thing, everything would be resolved.
"Look, Sam. Everything is fine. I don't know what was going on with Rachel and Santana. Just ignore them."
Sam smiled. Quinn truly was his best friend at McKinley. "Thanks, Q. I'll try to ignore them. I just want everything to be perfect. I-" Sam glanced around him, making sure they were alone. "I'm going to ask him out after the audition."
"You're what?" Quinn looked completely flustered.
"I'm going ask him out. Is that a problem? Sam asked, eyeing her.
"Aside from the fact that he has a boyfriend? No, no problem here at all." Quinn grabbed onto Sam's arm, keeping his attention on her. "You cannot mess this up, Sam."
Sam thought for a moment. He did want to do it, he truly did. He wasn't afraid anymore. He was ready to let Kurt know his true feelings. However, a nagging voice in his mind kept repeating Kurt's final words to him from the fateful duet. Someone that the world deems more appropriate. It made Sam pause and think about what he was prepared to do. He was going to risk his friendship with Kurt. He couldn't let that happen.
"Fine. You're right, I shouldn't. I won't, don't worry."
...
Kurt sat at the piano in the choir room, his voice soaring higher and higher. He had an hour before his audition, and figured that his free period would be best spent warming up before the audition.
He wasn't all that nervous. He was Kurt Hummel; he didn't get nervous. He was excited to show the group what he could do. He was tired of being shove into the background, tired of simply swaying behind Rachel. Now was the time to prove his talent to the world. He was ready for this.
He turned his thoughts briefly towards Sam. The blond had seemed fine during lunch, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He had felt it. His discussions with Rachel and Santana had fueled the fires of his suspicion. Something was up. He just didn't know what.
"Hey. Can we talk for a moment?"
Kurt glanced up towards the door frame. Quinn stood, gripping the side of the door, leaning into the room. Kurt nodded to his friend, patting the seat beside him on the piano bench. The Cheerio made her way over, sinking down beside him.
"So, what's up?" Kurt turned to face Quinn, wondering what this could be about. Quinn took a deep breath, and seemingly pushed out her thoughts, as if they were weighed down on her breast.
"I heard from Santana that you were confused about my status with Sam. Relationship wise, I mean," Quinn added as Kurt looked up to her, confused. Kurt nodded, understanding. He was confused about Quinn and Sam. He had thought they were still dating, but apparently they had been over for months. What was the truth?
"I'm not dating Sam. I haven't dated Sam since the day the two of you agreed to be partners for the audition. I don't want to go into the explanation of that, because it's really none of my business to tell you. I just wanted to tell you- trust your instincts, Kurt. Whatever you feel is right at the moment, go for it. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You matter, Kurt. I say this as your friend, and as a fellow member of New Directions. You are special, Kurt. Incredibly special. Hopefully one day you'll stop second guessing yourself and just go for the things you want."
Quinn stood, walking towards the rows of chairs in the back of the room as the rest of the club filed in. Kurt sat, dazed, thinking about what she had said. He then stood and made his way over, sitting down next to Mercedes. He watched as Sam entered the room and made his way over to the empty seat next to Kurt. He smiled.
Will Schuester stood before the group, writing a numbered list on the board. He turned, looking excited.
"Okay, everyone! I am really excited to see what you guys have to offer here. I know a lot of you have worked extremely hard, and I can't wait to see the results. So, first up: Santana." Will took a seat as the Latina made her way to the front of the room.
"Okay, so I watched the movie and I thought Turpin was totally right. I mean, Lucy was banging. And it's Johnny Depp, he deserved to be carted away. Anyway, let's do this."
Santana cued in Brad, the pianist. He rolled his eyes before beginning the first notes of the introduction. Kurt's eyes widened; he sat up slightly as he recognized the song, glancing around before noticing Rachel's incredibly similar reaction. The Latina grinned before beginning to sing.
"I shall marry the miller's son,
Pin my hat on a nice piece of property.
Friday nights, for a bit of fun,
We'll go dancing.
Meanwhile..."
Santana smirked, a devilish look gracing her face. She threw off her jacket, beginning to strut across the room. Kurt cat-called, as the others started laughing.
"It's a wink and a wiggle and a giggle in the grass
And I'll trip the light fandango,
A pinch and a diddle in the middle of what passes by.
It's a very short road
From the pinch and the punch
To the paunch and the pouch
And the pension.
It's a very short road
To the ten thousandth lunch
And the belch and the grouch
And the sigh.
In the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And a lot in between
In the meanwhile.
And a girl ought to celebrate what passes by."
Santana then grew solemn again, ceasing her extraneous movement. She stood still, singing quietly to the rest of the club.
"Or I shall marry the businessman,
Five fat babies and lots of security.
Friday nights, if we think we can,
We'll go dancing.
Meanwhile..."
Once again, the Latina began to smile, once again prancing about the room, this time coming over to the chairs, playing the song up to her small audience.
"It's a push and a fumble and a tumble in the sheets
And I'll foot the highland fancy,
A dip in the butter and a flutter with what meets my eye.
It's a very short fetch
From the push and the whoop
To the squint and the stoop
And the mumble.
It's not much of a stretch
To the cribs and the croup
And the bosoms that droop
And go dry.
In the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And there's many a tryst
And there's many a bed
To be sampled and seen
In the meanwhile.
And a girl has to celebrate what passes by."
And, like the previous times, Santana grew solemn. She channeled herself into the quieter, softer part of the song, emotion seeping through.
"Or I shall marry the Prince of Wales,
Pearls and servants and dressing for festivals.
Friday nights, with him all in tails,
We'll have dancing.
Meanwhile..."
This time, the refrain was different. She no longer flitted about, but stood in one place, power echoing from her stance. As she belted the last notes of the song, Santana's grin grew until in engulfed the room infectiously.
"It's a rip in the bustle and a rustle in the hay
And I'll pitch the quick fantastic,
With flings of confetti and my petticoats away up high.
It's a very short way
From the fling that's for fun
To the thigh pressing un-
Der the table.
It's a very short day
Till you're stuck with just one
Or it has to be done
On the sly.
In the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And there's many a tryst
And there's many a bed,
There's a lot I'll have missed
But I'll not have been dead
When I die!
And a person should celebrate everything
Passing by.
And I shall marry the miller's son..."
Santana let the soft last notes of the song hang in the air, dying out. As the applause began, she glanced over in Brittany's direction before bowing. Will stood, clapping enthusiastically.
"That, my friends, was an audition! Really great job, Santana. You should be proud." Santana smirked at the teacher's words before finding her seat next to the blonde cheerleader, linking pinkies once more.
"Okay, next we have Rachel. Come on up and- yes, Kurt?" Will asked as he noticed Kurt's hand raised politely. Kurt nodded in thanks before speaking.
"Mr. Schuester? I'm not sure what number Sam and I are on your list, but we need a little prep time beforehand. Do you think we could run outside to prepare really quickly?"
As Will nodded, Kurt grabbed Sam's hand, helping him up. The two quickly walked from the room in time to hear Rachel beginning to go on about the difference between Patti Lupone and Angela Lansbury's performances.
"It's a shame- I actually was interested in what she had to say this time," Kurt murmured as the door closed behind him. He turned to face Sam, thoughts swimming through his head. He was dating Blaine. He liked Blaine. Blaine was nice to him. Blaine didn't push him to be anything he wasn't. Blaine was safe, proper. Daper, almost. He was a true Prince Charming. He should be happy with Blaine. Then why wasn't he? Why was he suddenly dreaming about Sam again? Sam, who he had liked before. Sam, who had broken his heart already. Sam, who was his best male friend, who cared for him like no other. Sam would never hurt him. Could never hurt him. Sam was always there for him. He was a great friend, yet why should he trust him? Sam had- oh, enough with the excuses! He liked Sam. That much was clear. However, something else was clear as well- he was with Blaine. It would be wrong to act on any feelings before ending things with Blaine. Besides, Sam may not even like me, Kurt thought. He may just want to be friends.
He was done with thinking about it. He was dating Blaine now. He liked Blaine. No matter what happens, I will let nature run its course with Blaine...
"You okay?" Kurt turned his attention back to Sam once more. The other boy looked somewhat confused.
"Yeah, I'm good. You ready for this?"
Sam nodded slowly. "Ready as ever. How about you? You look a little nervous-"
"I'm Kurt Hummel, I don't get nervous- sorry, didn't mean to... you know. Snap at you like that."
Sam stared at Kurt for a moment. "Kurt, there's something I kind of wanted to ask you-"
"Please, not right now Sam. No distractions."
"But I-"
"No, Sam. No means no."
"I just want to-"
"No!" Kurt stopped, realizing how harsh he had sounded. "Look, it's not that I don't want to listen. I just think we should push everything aside until after our audition. Can you respect that?"
Sam nodded. "Of course I can. Sorry for pushing you, Kurt."
Sam watched as Kurt turned back to the door, looking in to room as Rachel finished Worst Pies. He smiled. Everything will be fine. We just have to work it out together.
"Hey, Kurt?"
Kurt murmured slightly, indicating that he was listening. "Yeah?"
"You're going to be great out there." Kurt turned back to Sam. A smile slowly formed on his lips.
"So are you. Break a leg."
And as Kurt turned back towards the door, Sam made a decision. He leaned forward and turned Kurt back to him. He sighed as their lips pressed together. The two stood, one bending down slightly, their mouths connected. Kurt leaned into Sam, widening the kiss slightly. It seemed to extend towards infinity. Finally, the two released each other. Although Kurt knew he was going to have to figure things out, at this moment, everything was perfect. He smiled up at Sam, feeling the lingering taste of the blond on his lips. Sam grinned back at him.
"You too."