When I woke the next morning I kept my eyes close and tried to figure out who was still sleeping. I heard three distinct patterns of breath so I knew I was the first awake. I slid out of bed making sure not wake anyone else. I found my way into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me. I took a deep breath to try to figure out what my next move was. I figured washing my face seemed like a good place to start, once I lathered up with one of Kurt's many face washes I grabbed for a towel to dry my face, instead my hand landed on one of his razors. I wiped the water from my eyes and stared at the razor in my hand as if I was waiting for it to do a trick. I have no idea how long I stood there, before hearing a soft tapping at the door and Brittany whispering, "You in there ,Court?" I reflexively threw the razor back onto the counter and emerged. Brittany pulled me into a hug, kissed my left arm, and said "you scared me last night. I know we're not going out or anything but you mean a lot to me Courtney, I wish I was as brave as you." I pulled Brit into another hug. Our embrace was interrupted by Kurt coming down the hallway.
"How are you guys doing?" Kurt asked though I know the question was directed at me. I responded, making him less worried. We went downstairs and began fixing breakfast. By the time the pancakes were ready Blaine had made his appearance, and Finn Rachel, Puck, Tina, Mike and Quinn had joined the group. I knew I wouldn't be able to stomach breakfast given the hang over and the emotional start to the morning, so I turned down the pancakes in the name of veganism. As everyone ate it remained pretty quiet, which I found to be oddly comforting. After breakfast we all gathered our things and prepared to leave. I hopped in Mike's car to hitch a ride home.
As we began the journey across town, I could tell Mike wanted to say something, I only hoped desperately that he wouldn't get the courage to actually start a conversation, when abruptly at a red light Mike blurted. "You're dad, he hits you." I couldn't tell if it was a question, an exclamation, or just an observation. I responded with a simple, "I'm fine." The rest of the car ride was silent.
It wasn't until I got home that I realized what a mess everything had become, everyone knew my secrets. I was so scared of losing what I had found here in Lima.