Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor would I care to with the current writing.
Non-Kurt scenes following "Dance Alone"
AN: Happy Closed Canon Day! This is the last part of "Dance Me to the End of Love". The third part of the Dance 'verse, "Dancing in the Dark", will be in Kurt's POV again. I'll start posting that mid-April, and just as with DmttEoL I'll continue to post as part of "Dance Alone".
For the anon reviewer feeling this was turning into a collection of drabbles: this is how I chose to tell this story, to add more perspective. I'm sorry you're not enjoying it, but it was a deliberate choice to, so to speak, answer all the "but what about this?" questions I was getting. However, we're getting back to Kurt again after this, and I hope you will enjoy that part at least.
Dance Me to the End of Love
Carmen (Revisited)
First week of July
"The number you have called cannot be reached right now. To leave a message–"
Carmen hangs up. Leaving a message will do her no good – it hasn't the last three times, after all. For all appearances, Kurt Hummel has vanished into thin air. Carmen has left several messages on his cellphone, has tried emailing him and has sent actual physical mail to his home address, all without response.
She can understand, in a way, considering the reason behind all of this – considering she's part of the reason – but at the same time it angers her. Second chances from her is rare, and having offered that and be ignored is new to her. Pride is fine, to a point, but there is a line and Kurt Hummel is close to crossing it.
Oh, there's no way Carmen is going to withdraw his acceptance – she'd be an idiot to even consider it – but she does need an answer, and fairly soon. Class rosters need to be finalized, and there's only so long she can draw things out.
Time for another approach then.
It takes some digging, but Carmen finds a cellphone number for Burt Hummel, the father. Business hours being what they are she waits until the very end of her own working day, to try and make sure Mr Hummel has time and opportunity to talk to her, and makes the call. This time she doesn't get a generic voice mail, but instead a living human being. She breathes out, relieved. Now maybe she can get somewhere.
"Mr Hummel? My name is Carmen Tibideaux. I'm calling from–"
"Yeah, I know who you are." The voice is gruff, and there's barely contained anger there. "What do you want?"
"About five weeks ago I sent your son a letter, regarding his acceptance to NYADA. I also left a message on his cellphone. Both times I asked that he contact me to talk about the details, but I have yet to hear back from him."
The sound that comes across isn't what she'd call polite, and Carmen feels her back stiffen. Yes, she's in the wrong here, but she's also trying to fix that. She deserves some respect, dammit.
"Lady, are you telling me you actually expect Kurt to come crawling to you? You practically spat on him, treating him the way you did, and now you think that an overdue acceptance letter – one he should have gotten to begin with, might I add – is going to fix things?
"Are you on something?"
And well. Carmen didn't expect either of the Hummel men to be happy with her, but she does expect everyone she talks to to at least act like a decent human being. Hummel Sr isn't, and that makes her bristle. She's on the verge of lashing out, when her guilty conscience resurfaces. There are reasons for the treatment she's receiving, and they are all valid Carmen knows .
"Mr Hummel, please. Let me assure you, I am not expecting anyone to 'come crawling'. I am fully aware of the injustice done to your son, and my part in it. I cannot change what has already happened, as much as I would love to. What I can do is try to fix things, starting with making sure Kurt gets the spot at NYADA he should have had from the beginning." Using a student's (actual or prospective) given name feels wrong, always does, but it's the best option when talking with a parent.
"You mean the spot he would have had if you hadn't fucked up."
Rude, but to the point. Carmen has to give Hummel Sr that. And well, she kind of admires that he doesn't pull his punches when in defense of his son.
"Yes."
"And would that be the spot Rachel Berry got instead? Or would she be keeping that?"
And there it is, the question she's been hoping to avoid. She should have known she wouldn't be allowed that grace.
"Rachel Berry is still enrolled at NYADA for the fall semester, yes."
There's a short ugly laughter at the other end, and Carmen steels herself. Yes, she didn't expect this conversation to be pleasant, but it's only getting worse by the minute.
"Look lady, I don't think you truly understand what it is you're asking here. Kurt has spent the last three years being Rachel's competition, just as much as he's been her friend, and that combined with the fact that she was engaged to my other son means I know her. Okay? You may think you have her figured out now, but let me tell you, you don't.
"In my experience? If Rachel Berry wants something, she goes for it with every weapon at her disposal, and she doesn't care if she's fighting dirty. You know, like she did when it came to NYADA. She sold Kurt out without a second thought, not caring about their friendship, or the fact that she was set to marry his brother.
"None of that mattered, not when it came between Rachel and her dreams.
"And now you expect Kurt to go to school with her, knowing she doesn't deserve being there, knowing she tried to stop him from being there? To share classes with her, like nothing's wrong? Like she didn't stab him in the back? Like she won't do it again, without a moment's hesitation? Because she will, since she's apparently getting away with doing so the first time.
"She'll trash-talk him to everyone who'll listen, and it'll be high school all over again, and all because you thought it okay to base admissions and rejections on gossip instead of merits.
"Do you not understand that Kurt might not want to subject himself to that ever again?"
Oh, she does. Carmen understands better than she ever wants to – she's been there, after all, since being black is no easier than being gay – and she hates how she's part of the problem.
"Mr Hummel, I understand. Believe me, I do. I wouldn't want to share a class room with her either in Kurt's position. The problem is that I can't just kick Miss Berry out, not like this. I have called her and let her know she's on probation, so to speak, and I explained to her that it would be in her best interest to withdraw voluntarily. She refused.
"I understand how you, as a parent, would be happiest if she was gone. You are, as any parent should, looking at what's best for your child. However, I, as a dean, have to look at what's best for my school – my child, as it were. And pushing things with Rachel Berry would not be.
"No one wins if Miss Berry trashes this school's reputation. Not her, not me, and not your son."
It's a bit of a gamble, mentioning how easily this whole ugly story could ruin her school, but Carmen hopes her honesty will soften Hummel Sr up a bit. She needs that, so he can talk to his son on her behalf, because she suspects softening Hummel Jr up is beyond her abilities.
"I can't cut Rachel Berry off, as much as I'd want to. I can't promise that should Kurt attend NYADA he wouldn't have to share classes with her. I can't even give him time to get over this, as the class roster needs to be finished and handed over Monday morning. If I don't have an answer from Kurt by 8AM Monday, sadly he won't be able to start at NYADA this fall.
"What I can do is keep a spot open for Kurt to start in January, without reapplying or auditioning again, should he wish to wait. I can hold that spot until December 20th.
"Now, as I said, Rachel Berry will more or less be on probation, and all of her teachers will be on the lookout for unreasonable behavior. Miss Berry's days of getting away with things, and being catered to, are over. I believe she will either flunk out or withdraw before Christmas." Okay, so it's more "hope" than "believe" but there are limits to how honest she's willing to be with someone out for her blood.
"That would allow Kurt to start his schooling here in January without having to deal with Miss Berry."
And there it is. Her final card to play. She's keeping her fingers crossed that it will be enough.
"Maybe she will. But either way, let's face it. It's not like Rachel Berry is my kid's sole problem with your school. He looked at you and saw a professional. Someone who'd look at him and actually see his talent – who wouldn't ignore it because he's different, and because him being himself makes narrow-minded idiots uncomfortable. He thought you were someone who wouldn't just push him to the side and pick Rachel instead.
"Well. The joke sure was on him when it came to that one, wasn't it?"
Carmen flinches. She should be over this by now, she tells herself, should have reconciled herself with the fact that she'd messed up. Apparently not. And apparently Hummel Sr isn't done yet. Because of course he isn't.
"Let me make something perfectly clear, Madam Tibideaux." The disdain flows from the man on the other end, and Carmen takes a deep breath and bites her lip to keep herself from snapping at him. She caused this, she reminds herself. She fucked up, she hurt his child, and she deserves his disdain.
"As far as I'm concerned you've proved yourself unsuited for your job. If it was up to me, I'd have your head on a plate, or at least your job. I would love to have you fired. Luckily for you Kurt's a good kid, and won't let me. But be aware. The minute he changes his mind? I'll be coming for you, with everything I've got."
Carmen holds back a snort, because really? Threats? The man owns a garage, for crying out loud, and not even a high end one, but a run-of-the-mill, every-day garage in the middle of nowhere. Who is he to threaten Carmen Tibideaux?
She doesn't verbalize the thought though, because she really is smarter than that. Both father and son are upset enough with her as it is, and since Carmen really does want Kurt Hummel to take his place at NYADA she can't afford to make either of them any angrier.
The words – not to mention the way they were spoken, with quiet, steady certainty – worm their way into the back of her head though, and an hour after hanging up Carmen still can't get them out of her mind. There was something about the way Burt Hummel spoke that registered as an actual threat, she realizes. Telling herself it's ridiculous doesn't help, and she resorts to opening up a search engine.
Not even 30 seconds later she shuts her laptop with a bang, shaking.
Burt Hummel, owner of Hummel Tire and Lube, yes. But also Burt Hummel, US Congressman, running on a platform defending the arts in schools. Exactly the kind of man Carmen Tibideaux wants on her side – and instead she's managed to make an enemy of him. And something tells her he's the kind to make a formidable enemy.
Once again she curses Rachel Berry, and William Schuester, and the Anderson kid. She curses the day she met them. And then she curses herself, and her gullibility. Because as much as Carmen would love to blame someone else, the truth is that while they lied to her, she was the one to swallow those lies. She was the one to not check their stories.
She made a mistake she'd never let a student live down, and she's the one who'll have to live with the consequences. She, and Kurt Hummel.
Now all she can do is hope that Kurt Hummel will show himself a better person than her, and his former friends, and will take his place not only at her school, but in the world.
Because Kurt Hummel? Has it in him to be a star. Carmen believes with that given the right guidance and support Kurt Hummel will become a unique performer, who'll be celebrated, and who will burn so bright. And Carmen doesn't want to be responsible for putting his light out. She prays she hasn't already done so.
~The End ~