Kurt found his first day of Dalton to be over-stimulating. On one hand, it was nice to walk through the halls without worrying about Karofsky shoving him or his powers acting out without his control. On another, it was exhausting to keep up with Dalton's already heavy workload, especially since he was a bit behind. Even the Warblers were a bit of a mixed bag. They welcomed Kurt with open arms, but they were all so fascinated and enthralled with him that he hardly had a moment to catch his breath. At least he got some quiet with Blaine. None of the boys dared to interrupt when Blaine had his hand in Kurt's.
Warbler practice was the after the final class. A sea of blue and red filled the room as David, Thad, and Wes took the front. "Warblers, as many of you already know, we have a new student among us. Kurt Hummel." Wes began. Every head that wasn't looking at Kurt turned towards him. Kurt smiled uncomfortably and gave a small wave. "We would like to remind everyone to be accepting and kind to Kurt as well as respect his privacy. Kurt, is there anything you'd like to add?"
Kurt cleared his throat and stood, the smile remaining on his face. "I'd just like to say thank you for welcoming me to Dalton and the Warblers…Especially since blue and red are really in this year." He cursed his own feeble attempt to be witty. Which was part of the problem. Usually, it wasn't hard for him. His mind spit out sassy comebacks like a machine. But the room felt so full and every eye was on him. "Love the outfits by the way."
He sat back down and blushed furiously. Blaine grasped his hand and gave him a supportive grin. Thad nodded his head and smiled. Wow, were the boys around here really that happy? "Thank you Kurt. Now then, let's move on to more pressing matters—Sectionals. We'd like to thank everyone who auditioned. It was a difficult choice but after much consideration, we've decided to give the duet to Nick and Jeff."
"Yeah buddy!" Nick shouted. The best friends high-fived much to Kurt's amusement. There's a generous round of applause before it goes right back to business.
"So with that in mind, our set list goes as such— Blaine singing Soul Sister by Train, our separate ensembles singing Fireflies by Owl City, and finally, Jeff and Nick singing Uptown Girl by Billy Joel. Any questions or comments?"
Kurt wanted to say something. For a show choir competition, the songs just seemed so…popish? Where was the rock or the Broadway or mixture of everything he was use to at McKinley? His fingers dug into his pants. "Kurt, are you alright?" Blaine whispered into his ear. Kurt nodded and just leaned back. It would be rude to rock the boat on his first day. Besides, it was fairly clear the council pretty much had the last say on everything.
"Good." David stated. "Then next, we have the Christmas Spectacular. As many of you know, it's tradition for Crawford and Dalton to each pick one vocalist and have the two perform at the local Christmas Spectacular to represent the schools. The song picked this year is Baby, It's Cold Outside. The Cindys have picked Katherine Rivers as their female vocalist."
"Jack…" Wes warned the Warbler five feet away from Kurt.
David chuckled lightly. "As such, we will be holding auditions for the male—"
Thad cleared his throat before David could finish. "Actually David, Wes and I would like to motion that Blaine Anderson be picked to represent Dalton at the Christmas Spectacular."
David's head flipped over to Thad suddenly. The friendly smile Kurt had seen over and over replaced with growing anger. "And my fellow Warbler council members didn't think it was important to discuss this with all three council members present?"
The three men then pulled together and whispered franticly to each other. The room was quiet enough that whispering was hardly effective. Kurt thought to bring attention to this but Jeff held up his hand.
"David, you're being ridiculous. Blaine is our lead soloist."
"Well, Katherine is my girlfriend!"
"Precisely. Did you expect we'd hold auditions and give you the part based solely on that? Honestly, you should be thankful it's Blaine and not Jack."
"You should have at least given me the chance!"
"David, you're being unprofessional."
"No shit Wes. By the way, did you ever think about maybe telling me about this before the Warbler meeting so we don't have to have this little moment in front of the kids?" David gestured around the room. Just as all three leaders looked up, all the boys stared into different places and started muttering to themselves. Kurt turned to Blaine out of reflex and Blaine ended up laughing. The smell of mint and coffee wafting between them. "Whatever…just…put it to a vote."
Thad spoke loudly, grabbing everyone's attention once more. "Who here votes that Blaine Anderson should represent Dalton at the Christmas Spectacular?"
Kurt raised his hand along with most of the other Warblers. Blaine and two other boys kept their hands down. Figures Blaine wouldn't vote for himself to get the solo, that was just him. Not that it mattered, the majority was clear. "Then it's decided. Blaine Anderson will be representing Dalton at The Christmas Spectacular."
The applause was interrupted with a loud creaking bang. David had stood up, his fist coming down on the desk. The wood broke under his power. David just stood and grabbed his bag, strolling out of the room in a way that would have made Rachel Berry proud. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Then Thad's voice broke though. "Okay, so next on our list…"
()
"Sorry about the dramatics. I swear, that doesn't happen all the time." Blaine caught up to Kurt in the hallway, walking backwards as Kurt proceeded forwards. The counter-tenor chuckled.
"It's fine. Makes me feel a little at home actually." Kurt assured, before asking. "Is David going to be okay?"
"Oh yeah, he'll be fine. He's not mad at me, he just…he gets frustrated about Katherine sometimes."
Kurt cocked his head, managing to catch Blaine before he ran back first into another Dalton student. Kurt was amazed when Blaine just shot the boy an apologetic look and the boy actually smiled back and nodded his head. Kurt knew the Warblers were more revered than the New Directions. However, it was a complete shock to be in a place where people moved around them or talked about them like the jocks at his old school were talked about. "He's frustrated about Katherine?"
"It's complicated but Katherine's got a pretty strong power for a superhuman and I think it just makes him insecure at times. Like he doesn't deserve her. It doesn't help that half the straight guys in the Warblers fantasize about her….they can't really help it, it's not like we have a surplus of women around here."
Kurt nodded along and was about to add something when he felt the strangest thing. Wet, cold went past him and he shivered. "Blaine, did you…."
Then it's all gone and a laugh rings through his ears. "Sorry, that was me..." Kurt and Blaine turned around and Nick was standing behind them with a smile on his face. He chuckled more at Kurt's reaction. "Vapor. Not exactly a great power but the reactions are always priceless… Blaine, you got the text right?"
Blaine suddenly looked somewhat embarrassed. "Ummm, no…I broke my phone."
"You did?" Kurt asked. He then realized that normally, he might have noticed except he and Blaine had pretty much been together all day. Nick tsked and shook his head.
"Let me guess, your old man?" Blaine nodded. "In that case, I'm surprised you're not the one calling Fight Club tonight."
"Someone called Fight Club? Who? David?" Kurt raised an eyebrow at the boys. Fight Club? Like the movie?
"No, one of the Cindys. They're having their inspection today so I think they're stressed out." Nick slapped Kurt on the shoulder. "We'll finally get to see some of those mysterious powers of yours, huh Kurt?"
Kurt looked as confused as ever as Nick started to fade back into the liquid. He turned to Blaine for an explanation. "Fight Club. It's where we get together and let our powers loose. We use it as a therapy."
"You mean…. you actually fight each other?" Kurt asked, a mixture of intrigue and shock in his face. Blaine chuckled softly.
"It sounds a little barbaric but it's actually a lot of fun. And when the frustration gets to be too much, we figure it's better to use our powers on each other than allow ourselves to attack humans." Blaine's humor faded as he realized how stiff Kurt had become. "It's not like a mandatory Warbler thing. You don't have to go if you don't want to."
"No, no…it sounds interesting." Kurt had never been a fighter. Any time he hurt someone it was only in defense. Needless to say, the idea of attacking someone on purpose made him uneasy. But he could admit, it also sounded kind of exciting. He could understand the logic behind it—use your anger on someone who can handle it as oppose to someone who could be killed by it. "Do I have to fight?"
Blaine offered an apologetic smile. "First timers always fight."
()()()()()()()
"And this is the East wing study lounge. Mostly used by us." Robin was only half listening as the girl—Katherine Rivers, showed her around the school. Every once in awhile, GAIA issued inspections for the teens growing up within their bounds. This was somewhat less complicated by teens choosing to join together in groups like the Warblers and the Cindys. Robin usually didn't bother with these tedious matters- that was what the interns were for, but Andre had sent her here as punishment for being late to work. She did do the Warbler check-ups since the unfortunate incident when her son serenaded one of the interns (poor Jeremiah swore up and down to Robin that he would never date her underage son) but the Cindys were—well, a little less inhabited.
Boys in dorm rooms. Parties going late into the night. An intern had once caught them sitting in this very room passing a bottle of vodka and playing strip poker. Andre had made comments about how out of control the Cindys were, Robin had in turn, pointed out more than once that his oldest daughter, Tatiana, had been the biggest partier at Crawford when she was a student. Still, she had heard rumors that things had settled down a bit now that this Katherine Rivers was in charge. However, Robin knew a thing or two about teenage girls, herself once being one, and figured the frightened looks and unsettling movements among the Cindys were for one reason or another.
"I see. Do any humans come here as well?" Robin asked. Katherine smirked.
"Yeah, but we usually talk in code or pretend to be cliché-bitches until they leave. One of the many pros of being at an all girls school." Robin laughed and trailed her fingers among the fireplace. Taking a moment to note the many pictures placed upon it.
"That's one way to look at it, I suppose. I hear you got the female-lead for the Christmas Spectacular. Congratulations." She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the already fake-smile on Katherine's face lessen just a bit. Robin raised an eyebrow. "You're not excited?"
"No ma'am, I am… It's just caused a bit of a rift between my boyfriend and I. You've probably met him—his a Warbler and I think a friend of Blaine's."
"Yes, I probably have then. What's his name?"
"David Mack."
"Oh, I know the Mack family fairly well. His mom was a Crawford girl too, was she not?"
"Yeah, I think so." Katherine watched a couple Cindys peer into the door, watching as the inspection carried on. Behind them, a few of the girls were running in the halls to get rid of inappropriate things before the bedroom check. Katherine bit her lip, as it certainly didn't look discrete with the door half-open.
But when she glanced over at Robin, the older woman eyes were caught on a photo. Katherine leaned over to look at the photo, hoping to distract Robin further. "Oh, that's a picture of the first class to graduate from Crawford. The class of 1924. Pretty cool, huh?"
Robin's eyes widened. "1924?"
"Well, yeah. You couldn't tell by the clothing?" Her tone manages to just edge off the sarcasm with confusion. Robin doesn't seem to be listening; she's staring at the photo in disbelief. "Mrs. Anderson, are you alright?"
Robin blinked and seemed to break out of her trance. "I thought I saw a relative of mine. I don't think it's her."
Katherine nodded her head in a patronizing matter. She didn't believe the woman but couldn't think of a good reason for her to lie. "Oh…"
The truth was Robin did recognize the girl. The one in front row, way left. The picture was grainy and black and white; she couldn't see the red in her hair or the blue in her eyes but she could see the brightness in her smile and the beauty that radiated from her. A beauty that carried almost a creepy feeling now.
For the woman identified at the bottom as Elise Donaghue was a mirror image of Elizabeth Hummel.
()()()()()()()
Kurt wasn't sure exactly what to expect out of fight club. Blaine had only told him to wear his worse clothes—even when Kurt insisted he didn't have bad clothes. He settled for his loosest undershirt and a pair of non-skinny jeans (apparently, his only pair) and rode in one of the three cars heading for Fight Club. Two boys managed to squeeze into the back of Blaine's mustang.
"Your quite an attention drawer, Kurt. We have more Warblers than ever coming out tonight to see you and your skills." Jeff offered with a light laughed, legs half draping over Nick's within the cramp space. Kurt fidgeted nervously. "Don't worry, fight club isn't like in the movie. No body gets injured too badly."
"That's so reassuring Jeff." Nick nudged Jeff's arm. The two boys in the back started wrestling and Kurt felt the tension lift just a little bit. What the hell had happened to him? One day, he was the fashionista at McKinley getting thrown in the dumpster, the next he was about to enter a place where he'd be expected to fight and probably the main event at that.
He wasn't sure if this was good or not.
()()()()()()()
Blaine ran around and opened the door for Kurt and held his hand. Kurt chuckled anxiously and accepted it. "Here?"
"Courtship is a devotion of time Kurt, not a scheduled thing." Blaine said with a smile. Kurt smiled back and accepted the hand. Blaine couldn't explain the adrenaline rush that caused him. Usually, he was angry when he went to fight club. The rush he got was the excitement to release his feelings and the chance to make someone else feel the way the world seemed to make him. This was different—looking at Kurt gave him the feeling he felt just before going on stage. Or the deep breath he took just before he sang. It was a happier rush. It was that same rush that caused him to lean in and kiss Kurt's cheek. "You don't have to do this."
"Is it weird that I kind of want to?" Kurt whispered, his eyes unfocused but almost sparkling with affection.
"No, no it's not."
"Hey get a room or get your asses in the warehouse!" Jeff called out before grabbing Nick's hand and running towards the warehouse. Kurt shot Blaine a look.
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Never releasing Blaine's hand, they walk inside of the warehouse. Inside, Kurt recognizes Katherine, but none of the other girls. Katherine is standing right in front of David—trying to capture his attention but seeming to have a hard time doing so. It looks like either one might snap any minute. So far from the teasing couple he had seen yesterday.
He's shocked when out of nowhere David picks Katherine up and throws her up against the warehouse wall. The wall actually dents as she falls to the ground. A few of the Cindys try to rally to her but Katherine is up and pushing them away. "It's fine, I said start!" She then rushes forward and delivers a brutal kick to his stomach. David falls back. Kurt manages to just get out of the way before he's right back in it. Kurt watches with wide eyes as the two move and deliver blow after blow. There was nothing graceful or beautiful about the display. It was brutal and cringe worthy.
By the time the fight ended with David pinning Katherine against the same wall he had thrown her against, Katherine smiles. "Way to show some enthusiasm, babe."
David threw his head back and laughed. "Shut up." He pulled himself away and Katherine pushed herself away from the wall. Jeff's fingers dug into Kurt's shoulder.
"Come on, I want to see those powers of yours!" Kurt was about to object when Blaine spoke up.
"No, I'm fighting him."
And there's chapter 11! Sorry it took so long, I've hit a little of a writing rough where my focus is anywhere but my writing. I assure you; updates are coming as quickly as possible though.
So, with that in mind—thank you very much to my very patient readers for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting the story. You all are incredibly awesome, and The Rising Sun is officially at 60 reviews! Woo!
Illlebitz- Mhm, not going to lie it was sort of a spontaneous decision to give Santana powers, hopefully one I don't regret. And I do miss the Warblers on Glee (even if Sebastian made them all his bitch, which I'm not happy about), but I love reading the fanfiction a bit more because the writers always come up with such fun things for them Plus, to quote dream-Kurt in my story, you never know 'what the Dalton boys are up to after hours." Thanks for the review :)
ToniBalogna978- Thanks! And yes, we haven't seen the last of Santana, though she might be gone for a few chapters. As for Kurt's powers, well, I've been rather vague about what his powers truly are but they're best described as 'ghost' powers, so I would say it's more like he blends in with surroundings but his abilities aren't just limited to that. I plan on revealing more about them in the next couple chapters :) Thanks for the review!
miss jayne76- It seems FF does these things sometimes, sometimes it will be days before I get a notice about my own story getting post. In any case, I'm glad you loved both chapters. Yes, I know, I'm evil but we'll find out more about Trent and Kurt in the next couple chapters. Hopefully, FF won't make you wait to read it! Hope you like the new chapter, thanks for the review!
Sharonrose737- Thank you very much! Lol, I appreciate the comment but believe me, I'm not complaining about 58 reviews. Hopefully, it continues to please :)
yaoilover1013- Thank you! Yeah, lol, it's classic gentleman Blaine. Which Blaine is still a gentleman most of the time but he gets wrapped up in angry Blaine a lot (who is just as sexy). Hope you like the update! Thanks for the review!
MegumiDarkAurora- Aw, well I just appreciate you take the time to read when you can. Thank you! I hope you love the update and thank you for the review :)