With a shaky breath, Kurt made his way up to the witness stand.
Usually, he relished it when all eyes were on him, but this was unnerving. It also didn't help that his family, Will, and Blaine were all giving him their best encouraging smiles as he turned to face the courtroom.
"Raise your right hand," the bailiff instructed him. Kurt obliged.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or face the consequences set forth in this state for perjury?"
"Yes," Kurt replied, glad that they decided, for once, to honor the separation of church and state and didn't make him swear on a Bible.
"Could you state your name for the record, please?"
"Kurt Hummel," he stated dryly, keeping his voice as free of inflection as possible.
"Could you please explain to the court how it is how you came to know the victim?"
Kurt didn't miss the smirk Blaine had on his lips and then he realized why. Telling the court that he'd met Blaine while spying for New Directions probably wasn't going to exactly put him in a good light with the jury.
"The witness will answer the question," the judge said.
"I…uh…was visiting the grounds," Kurt said.
"Could you please explain why you were visiting the grounds?"
"We were all trying to decide on a number for a challenge in Glee Club. I was sent in to spy." Kurt chose to leave out the part that it was just a rouse to get rid of him so the guys didn't have to wear feather boas and anything remotely fabulous, but chose to leave that out.
"Spy? What for?"
"The Dalton Academy Warblers were a group we hadn't yet competed against for the upcoming Sectionals competition. I knew I was trespassing, and I knew it was wrong, " Kurt was quick to add, "but I put on a dark blue blazer that I owned so I could blend in, made the ninety-minute drive to Westerfield and found the Warblers in one of their impromptu performances. Blaine…I mean, Mr. Grey was the lead singer. I congratulated him on his performance, and we struck up a friendship. As it turned out, we had a lot in common."
"Such as?"
"We were both gay. That for me, personally, was a huge deal. I was the only one…like me…at my old high school. At least, that I was aware of, at any rate. We'd both had similar experiences with bullying because of our sexuality."
"OBJECTION!" Karofsky's lawyer bellowed. "I don't see how this tale of trespass has anything to do with the case at hand!"
"Establishing pattern, your honor," Mr. Hughes replied. "Also establishing the motive for the attack."
"Proceed cautiously, Mr. Hughes," the judge warned.
"How do you know the accused?"
"We attended William McKinley High together," Kurt said, refusing to look in Karofsky's direction.
"What was the nature of your relationship with the accused?"
Kurt sighed, looking down as his lap as his spoke. "Near-daily dumpster-tosses. Slushy-facials. I was frequently threatened with physical violence."
"Threatened how?"
"I'd stopped going to the men's bathroom at school because I was most often cornered there. I was shoved in lockers. And then he threatened to kill me." Kurt chose to leave out the kiss. That wasn't going to help matters.
"Who?"
"Dave Karofsky."
"And that's what prompted you to transfer schools?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why you were treated in such a way?"
"Because I was gay. Because he knew he could get away with it. Because it wasn't until it escalated did ANY of the teachers actually DO anything about it."
"How do you KNOW it was because of your sexuality?"
"He called me things like 'queer' and 'homo' and 'fag' when talking to me. When I finally confronted him about the attacks, he kissed me. He tried to do it again, but I managed to get away."
Audible gasps could be heard around the courtroom. He could hear his father's voice saying "Oh my GOD…" somewhere in the crowd, but he still refused to look up. He was glad Finn and Carole were there to try and calm him down.
"THAT'S A DAMN LIE!" Karofsky screamed from his seat at the councilor's table.
The judge rapped her gavel. "Mr. Karofsky, you will control your client."
"Mr. Hummel…just one more question," Mr. Hughes said, laying a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Mr. Grey and Mr. Karofsky attended different schools. How is it that the accused and the victim even knew each other?"
"It was after…that happened that Mr. Grey came to my school to help me confront him."
"That makes you the connection between Mr. Grey and Mr. Karofsky, correct."
Kurt nodded.
"Please answer the question," the judge said.
"Yes," Kurt answered hoarsely, eyes not leaving his lap.
So he'd done it. He spilled Karofsky's secret. He'd tried to protect it as long as he could, but he just…couldn't. He had to tell the truth. Truthfully, he didn't know WHY he felt the need to protect Karofsky's secret. Maybe because he was afraid of what Karofsky would do to him, what his father would think of him if he knew. He could feel tears springing to his eyes and he held in a breath in an attempt to keep them at bay.
"No further questions at this time, Your Honor," Mr. Hughes said.
Paul Karofsky was shorter than his nephew, but somehow managed to look to Kurt to be even more intimidating if that were possible.
Kurt still wasn't able to look up from his lap.
He couldn't face anyone. Not after that.
"Mr. Hummel, " he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "You like to draw attention to yourself, correct?"
Kurt's head shot up then. "I don't understand the question, sir," Kurt said, furry building up in his chest.
"I mean…you were reported to wearing a powdered wig, ridiculously high plat-formed shoes and a metallic top with matching leggings, am I correct."
"That was a costume!"
"And the feather hat you chose to wear one once? That was a costume, as well?"
"No…" Kurt said softly.
"Mr. Hummel, you make a…habit of making people feel uncomfortable, yes or no?"
"I make a habit of being myself. It's not my fault if it makes people feel uncomfortable," Kurt said, defiance flashing in his eyes.
"So you were being yourself when you made advances towards one Finn Hudson, the boy who was to become your step-brother? You were being yourself when you confronted Sam Evans about his sexuality in the shower?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "I developed a crush on Finn because he was pretty much the first guy who ever went out of his way to be…nice to me. I thought Sam was gay because he transferred from an all-boy's school and dyed his hair."
"And now?"
"Sam and I are friends. Not great friends, but friends. Finn and I are brothers," Kurt said tersely.
"Is it true that you are involved with Mr. Grey?"
"No," Kurt said. "We are friends. He has a boyfriend."
"Is it true that you kept the victim's likeness pinned up in your locker?"
Kurt nodded, reeeeally wishing he could crawl under the closest rock at that moment and just stay there until the end of time.
"Please state either yes or no for the record, Mr. Hummel," Paul Karofsky insisted.
"Yes," Kurt answered.
"Had you developed feelings for the victim, as well, Mr. Hummel?"
"Objection!" Mr. Hughes thankfully interrupted. "This line of questioning has no bearing on this case. Council is reaching, your honor."
"Sustained."
Kurt breathed a sigh of relief.
"You become enamored fairly easily, don't you, Mr. Hummel. Were you…enamored with the accused?"
"No."
"No further questions."
"Mr. Hummel, you may step down."
Going back to his dad, Finn and Carole after all that revelation was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. Burt just put his arms around him when he made it back to his seat.
Instead of taking his old seat, he opted for sliding into one of the pews in the back, but Kurt didn't have to sit there long.
"The court will recess for lunch. We will reconvene at One PM to here continuing testimony."
