A/N: Hey everyone! I know I said I'd get this up as soon as possible, but as you can tell this chapter ended up a lot longer than I'd originally anticipated... and therefore took longer to write. Hopefully it was worth the wait! Thanks to anyone who has read/alerted/favorited/reviewed this story! I can't believe that I'm only three reviews away from 100 reviews on this story... it's just surreal! A special thanks goes to JustAStrangerPassingBy, CantBuyLoveRentIt, MrRyanSmall, Onyx Nailo, Dear Near Scary, RoseBelikov'at', CrimsynLies and sassy selena for their kind words of support! You lot are my inspiration- I really mean it! And as always, many thanks to the lovely KennyIsOrange for continuing to be an awesome beta! With no further ado, I give you the next chapter! Enjoy!
Chasing Aspirations xxx
It's kind of funny, Puck mused, how someone you had considered one of your best friends could immediately become your worst enemy given the right situation... given the right girl. Quinn Fabray and Sam Evans; he'd heard it whispered in the corridors but he hadn't believed it... hadn't wanted to believe it. Sam was his friend. He knew how Puck felt about her... he was meant to like Kurt; he was meant to be gay! It couldn't be true... could it?
But one look at the pair strolling down the hallways had easily demolished the walls of denial that the mowhawked teen had built up around himself, the truth hitting him like an ice cold slushie.
Somehow though, despite the pain her decision was causing him, he couldn't hate or blame Quinn for making it. As he'd said to Sam, she deserved so much better than him, she deserved someone who treated her right, bought her flowers, sung sappy duets with her, offered to carry her bags to class... she deserved romance... and Sam could probably give her that.
But he still felt a resounding pain in his gut, the familiar sharp tug of betrayal. Because while he couldn't blame the ex-cheerio for her actions, he sure as hell could blame the blonde douche that held her hand as the two gazed lovingly into each other's eyes... So frickin' charming.
He felt his anger double (if that was possible) when he spotted another student across the hallway bearing the same look of hurt, as he observed the new couple. Kurt... I didn't even think about how this would affect him but... shit! I haven't seen him this bad since Karofsky. The jock shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge any thoughts of the bully from his mind; he had enough to deal with without his thoughts wandering down that path.
He let out a sigh of relief as he saw Rachel and Mercedes grab the pale looking soprano and drag him out of the hallway. Never thought I'd be grateful to Berry but I'm glad Kurt's got her and Aretha to look after him. Fuck knows he needs them right now... he's just lost two friends and gotten his heart broken by a backstabbing dick.
I can't believe that douche. He actually said he liked Kurt, not Quinn...he seemed scared to tell him though. Is he actually using her because he doesn't have the guts to be honest about his feelings? That asshole! And of all the girls he could have chosen, of course he chose Quinn. The one who'd already been to hell and back last year thanks to me and those stupid wine coolers, the one who Sam knew I loved and he just... Puck fists clenched, nails biting into his skin and he struggled to control his breathing.
I thought he was my bro. I thought we were tight but... obviously I was wrong. He's betrayed me, he's betrayed Kurt, he's betraying Quinn... and he's betraying himself. I don't know which one I should feel worse about. Point is... This. Has. To. Stop. I won't stand by and watch her get hurt again... I may not be good enough for her, but I'm sure as hell a lot better than some cowardly little shit who betrays his friends and uses others to hide who he really is...
The couple passed by his locker, the blonde jock actually having the nerve to smile at him. You better watch it Evans, or I'll wipe that grin off your face... permanently. The glare he offered in return seemed to upset the blonde as he stopped walking, looking like he wanted to say something, before he decided against it. Like he actually gives a damn how I feel. Maybe I'd have believed it before but now I know better...
The ex-cheerio turned to see why Sam had stopped, her eyes meeting Puck's own, and for a moment the world seemed to melt away. It was just Quinn and Puck, no crying counter tenors or jerkass jocks... just them, however corny it sounded. Then of course, said jerkass tugged on his girlfriend's hand, jerking her attention away from Puck and back to him. And before the mowhawked jock could say a word, they were gone, walking away down the crowded hallway, once again ignoring the other students who were still either staring at the pair, or spreading rumours, whispered gossip continuing to spread across the school like wildfire.
And Puck was left with a resolve... a resolve to try and win the beautiful, angelic, ex-cheerio from the arms of the closeted jock... because in that moment when their eyes had met, he'd seen many things... but none of them were happiness. And maybe it was the crappy lights in the hallways playing tricks on him, or just his own wishful thinking, but he'd also seen something there that he didn't see in her eyes when she looked at Sam. Love? He hoped so.
Mind racing towards his new purpose, he began to make plans for the wooing of Quinn Fabray, momentarily forgetting his concern for Kurt and his anger for Sam and choosing to focus on a much more positive emotion... Love.
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"...But I thought he was gay..." Santana rolled her eyes as she listened to the whispers of a group of freshmen cheerios. Did they honestly believe that the 'relationship' between Barbie and Ken was real? Please. I've seen more chemistry and sexual tension between Finn and a packet of large fries after we spent that night... The Latina cringed slightly, remembering how awkward that meal had been for both of them. Working with the jock on the duets assignment had been, in short, hell thanks to that lovely experience.
The point is, there's no way those two are actually interested in each other. No, trouty mouth over there obviously has the hots for porcelain. It's obvious... well it must be since even Berry's realised the attraction there. Quinn must have known that too... huh. Thought she put away the bitch when she put away the cheerios uniform... guess I was wrong. After all, there's no way she's attracted to Sam either. There has to be some kind of motive. A reason that she's set this up. I know her, there's got to be something or she'd just have forced the jock into telling Kurt how he felt...
As for Sam's motives, well that's a bit more obvious, after all... I can relate. He's scared. Scared of what people might think if he dated Hummel, scared of what they might do... to both of them. I can see it in his eyes. Sure he pretends to the world that he's content with life but I can still see it... the fear. It's the same old act, pretend that you're happy, that nothing hurts, that you don't have a huge terrifying secret that you're afraid to admit to anyone, that you don't know that you're different and that people won't judge you for it...
But you live in Lima Ohio you're judged for everything you do and you're absolutely frickin' terrified because you know that you're different, and you know that you care too much about someone you've been told you shouldn't... and when you're with them it all just seems to melt away... but they're still out there with their judging eyes and their vicious words... and you know that. So the fear remains.
And it takes over. Makes you do stupid things, lie, hide, run... anything just to get away from the truth, away from being brave and facing your fears. And yes it's stupid but you can't help yourself... your mind stops being rational and you're left to rely on instinct... the instinct to survive...
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"It's nice just to talk sometimes... isn't it San." Said girl smiled as she gazed fondly at the girl sat beside her, their pinkies entwined, as the two sat perched on the edge of the Latina's bed.
"Yeah it is." The two sat in companionable silence, the blonde moving to place a soft kiss to the Latina's lips before she broke the silence.
"It's nice, it's like we're Brittana." Santana's brow crinkled in confusion.
"Brittana?"
"You know like Santana and Brittany? Mike came up with while we were working on our duet. He said since we're together tha..."
"Woah, woah. Hold up. Have you been telling people we're an item?" The blonde cocked her head in confusion.
"San?"
"Because you know what I've told you about saying that..."
"Saying what? I haven't said anything." The Latina let out a quiet sigh of relief. "But... would it be so bad if I had? I want to really be with you San I..."
"Don't say it."
"But I..."
"No Brit! I told you how this would go down when we started this thing. This is just friends with benefits. Nothing else okay? This means nothing! And we are not and never will be a couple." The blonde was on the verge of tears as she spoke, Santana desperately tried not to notice as she turned her head away from her friend.
"But why?"
Because I'm scared. "Because I don't love you."
She tried to pretend that her heart didn't break as she watched Brittany rush out of the room, leaving her alone on the bed, trying to take deep calming breaths... It didn't work.
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She hasn't spoken to me since... I can't blame her. I wouldn't speak to me either. I was scared, so I lashed out at her. I hurt her... I made her cry and I have to live with that. And it frickin' hurts every time I think about it... I hate being so scared! I hate it! ...But I am. I'm still terrified. Terrified of coming out... even more terrified of losing her because I can't.
But I always thought Sam would fight that fear. I thought he was brave... well braver than me in any case. After all, he led that attack on Karofsky, not caring what anyone thought of him. He openly defended Kurt in a way I could never bring myself to if Brit was being harassed... not that I would let anyone get away with that, I would just handle things in a secretive and more subtle way.
Before this Sam would always hold Kurt's hand in the hallways, way too clingy to be considered merely friendly... people had noticed, but they hadn't cared all that much. He was practically out of the closet so why hide now? There must be something else to this; probably something to do with Quinn, I just know there's far more to this than meets the eye.
I just hope he comes to his senses before it's too late. Because fear is nothing if you compare it to the pain of not having the person who makes that fear worth it. Fear made me lose Brit... the most stupid thing I've ever done. I'll be damned if I will let anyone else make that same stupid mistake. Come on Evans, don't you realise he loves you! Do something about it before someone else realises how amazing he is and you lose your chance.
I know you want to protect him, just like I want to protect Brit, but you can't save him from everything. One day, he's gonna have to fight his own battles... the choice you have to make is whether or not you'll be there to fight them alongside him... I hope you make the right one.
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Kurt sat, wedged between Rachel and Mercedes, as they snuggled up on the shorter female diva's couch, the table in front of them covered with scattered tissues, pizza boxes and a couple of empty ice cream containers, as they continued to watch the movie playing on the screen in front of them.
But the counter tenor wasn't really paying much attention to the film, choosing instead to stare blankly at the floor, as his two friends, also not caring much for the movie flickering across the screen, exchanged worried looks. Ever since they'd found him breaking down in Mercedes car, the boy had been unnaturally silent... and pale. It was almost as if the life had been sucked out of him and all that was left was this shell of their friend. It was more than a little concerning.
Rachel had been texting Tina since they'd left school, desperately trying to persuade her not to mount an attack on the new couple, with incredible difficulty... caused by both the girl's stubborn nature, and Rachel own desire for revenge. She let out a soft sigh as she felt her phone vibrate for the seemingly the 100th time that hour.
Do you think Quinn actually likes Sam though? Because I saw her look at Puck earlier and... Let's just say there was more attraction in those few seconds of eye contact than there's been between Blondie 1 and 2 all day. I swear if she's using him as well as hurting Kurt, I won't be responsible for my actions. T x
She took a deep breath, trying to repress the growing feeling of anger at the thought of Quinn using Sam, the same way she had used Puck and Finn when she'd found out about the baby. She could still remember the way the blonde had chosen to subtly manipulate the two to compete against each other in some twisted battle for her affections... was this what she was doing now, only with Sam instead of Finn as a competitor?
If she's using him... I'll help you. But she might not be. Maybe she's just given up on Puck. R x
But that still doesn't give her the right to do this to Kurt! She knew how much Kurt liked him and she still did this! How could she? T x
The brunette's eyes glanced up from the message, across the couch to where Mercedes was trying to console Kurt. His eyes met hers for a second and the emptiness she saw there... she looked away, quickly texting a reply.
I don't know T. I really don't get it. But we've got to remember that Sam's partly to blame for this too. R x
How is he though? He didn't know how Kurt felt, so it's not as if he knows he's breaking his heart. You should have seen him in English when he realised Kurt wasn't there. He was a mess. T x
A mess? How so? And what was Quinn's reaction to this? R x
He was really worried. Came over to ask me what happened. Naturally I glared at him and told him it should be obvious. He looked a bit confused by that. Is he seriously that clueless? And Q looked mildly annoyed by him, but not too bothered which brings me back to the theory that she's using him. T x
Clueless. Was it possible that he was clueless enough to believe that Kurt wasn't interested? Would that have driven him to giving up and pursuing someone else? Could he really be that blind? Maybe... Rachel resolved to watch the blonde's actions more closely in future. Maybe if she could figure out how he felt, she could help him. Maybe she could fix this mess. For now she just typed a quick reply, mind already whirring with ideas.
Maybe he is that clueless. He obviously cares for Kurt if he was worried about him. R x
Yeah. Well I'm madder at Quinn than Sam right now anyway. Still, if I find out he did know how Kurt felt; you can bet I'll kick his ass all over Ohio. No one knowingly hurts one of my friends and gets away with it... Gotta go, Mike's waiting for me so we can go to Science together. TTYL Rach, T x
Bye Tina, R x
Rachel placed her phone back on the table, eyes returning to the TV screen only to realise the movie had long since ended and that Mercedes and Kurt were no longer in the room. Forehead crinkling slightly in confusion, she stood up and went to search for her missing friends, therefore not noticing the new message that flickered onto her screen. It read:
Hey Rach,
Have you seen Kurt? I haven't since this morning and no one will tell me what's happened. Have I done something wrong? Please, just... if you've seen him, just tell me. I don't even need to know where. Just tell me he's okay.
Sam x
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"...Kurt I know it sounds crazy but it's true. Quinn thought that this plan would encourage you to act on your feelings for Sam. I swear she means well, she didn't mean to hurt you..." Kurt let out a slightly bitter laugh, cutting Mercedes off.
"Oh yes, I'm sure hurting me was the last thing on her mind, but she still did. No she didn't consider my feelings when she did this Cedes, she only considered her own. I guess in that sense she really didn't mean to hurt me? But that doesn't really matter does it?" He let out a sigh. "Look, I'd love to believe that this is all some big plan to get me and..." He furiously wiped away a couple of tears that threatened to spill at the thought of a certain blonde haired jock before continuing "...him together, I would... but it's not, no matter what she's told you. If she'd wanted that, she would have just talked to me or something instead of coming up with some seriously twisted plan to..."
"But Kurt, you don't understand. Her plans are always like this. It's not that she's betrayed you, more that she's incapable of creating a successful 'master plan'. Didn't I tell you about that blind date she set me up on?"
"But Cedes this is different. Loads of people have bad blind dating experiences but not many have one of their closest friends go after the guy they like..." Mercedes raised an eyebrow at this comment. "Okay fine, lots of people experience this too. So what? I doubt the fallout of that date made you hurt this much." A few more tears spilled over, prompting his best friend to pull him into a warm hug, murmuring words of reassurance. After a few minutes, the soprano pulled away to meet Mercedes gaze. It scared her to see how resigned it looked... like he'd already lost hope.
"Look I appreciate this, really I do, but let's face the facts here. Quinn wouldn't be dating Sam right now unless she was either attracted to him or could use him for something. Either way, it'll have nothing to do with my feelings, despite whatever lies she's fed you." He squeezed his friends hand gently, offering her a sad smile before continuing. "I'll get over this Cedes. It may take some time to heal, but I have you, Rach and Tina to help me and it's not as if I haven't been let down before so... don't worry. Just please don't try to give me false hope, it hurts too much."
Their eyes met and Mercedes realised that no matter what she said to the soprano, he wouldn't change his beliefs about this situation. Nothing she could say would make him see the truth now... but maybe he'd listen if it was Sam doing the talking? But that would mean talking to Quinn and right now I really don't want to be anywhere near her. Still, if it's for Sam and Kurt...
Her train of thought was cut off by the sound of Rachel walking down the stairs, home phone in hand, as she spoke patiently to the person on the other side of the line, rolling her eyes at some of the caller's comments, before lifting the phone away from her ear and turning to the pair.
"Um Cedes? I know this isn't the best time but, Brit wants to come over. Apparently something happened with her and Santana and she doesn't really want to be alone. Also, Tina called and asked to be picked up and brought over. I would get them myself but... I don't know where their houses are so could you?" She nodded causing Rachel to flash her a brief smile of gratitude. "Okay just give me a sec... yes Brit, she said she'd pick you up... Yes Brit, bringing you diary will stop your cat from reading it... Bye Brit."
She hung up, taking a seat where Mercedes had been sitting moments ago as said girl headed out of the room towards where her car was parked to head out and pick up the others. She turned to look at her friend, frowning slightly when she noticed the tear tracks that were still visible across his cheeks. The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes, both sat still staring into space, until Rachel, slightly uncomfortable, reached out to squeeze Kurt's hand, bringing him back from whatever thoughts he'd been having.
"You okay?" Kurt scoffed slightly. "Okay stupid question, I know." She looked down at their clasped hands before she continued. "Right now you probably feel like your heart's been ripped out and stomped on, you feel like the world's spinning and you can't make sense of anything anymore, all of your memories with Sam seem like fiction, a part of you hates him but a even bigger part of you loves him in spite of that... and no matter how hard you try, you can't get him out of your mind, he's your every thought and you hate that... but if he asked you tomorrow to be with him, you'd still say yes." Her eyes lifted to meet Kurt's, noticing a shocked look held within the expressive orbs.
"How could you possibly..." She offered him a warm smile.
"You've forgotten that I've been where you are right now. Not that long ago, it was me with the broken heart, hopelessly in love with a jock that seemed to reciprocate my feelings... but he was dating Quinn. I remember the tears, the heartache and the many moments when I considered giving up on him... but I'm really glad I didn't because Finn's the best thing that's ever happened to me." She smiled slightly as her mind briefly wondered to her boyfriend; she wondered what he made of the situation between Quinn, Sam and Kurt. She made a mental note to ask him later before returning her attention back to Kurt.
"And yes he has his faults, no one's perfect after all, but he loves me. I couldn't ask for anything more than that... we were friends first you know? Yes I was pursuing him at the time, but we were friends at the beginning of our relationship. Best friends. But as we grew closer, singing duets and spending time getting to know one another... things changed. And while he was originally with Quinn, he left her. In the end, he loved me..."
"Not that I don't love hearing stories about how in love you and Finn are but is there a point to this story?" Rachel rolled her eyes at the brunette's words before replying.
"Of course there's a point to this! Don't you see the similarities? In love with a jock? Dating Quinn?"
"Okay that's only two similarities which hardly..."
"Heartache? Best friends? Singing duets? Spending a lot of time together?"
"Okay so maybe there are some similarities. So what?" She let out a sigh.
"Kurt we've already discussed how similar we are, what I haven't talked to you about is the similarities between Sam and Finn."
"Really Rachel I don't think..."
"Okay firstly, they're both jocks. Not only that, but they're both great players. Also I hear that Coach Beiste was torn over who to choose for the quarterback position this year... guess who the two candidates were? Secondly there's his love of performing. It's a passion they both share but hadn't really explored before joining Glee club and they're both naturals... well in singing at least. Their dancing could admittedly use a little work." She internally grinned as she saw the hints of a smile creep onto Kurt's face at her last comment. "Then there's Quinn. They both dated her but in both cases they seemed to care more about someone else than their girlfriend. Tell me Kurt, before Sam and Quinn started dating, how much time did they spend together?" She heard a faint murmur of response. "Sorry what was that?"
"Not much. None at all really."
"And how often were the two of you together?"
"Most of the time... but it was to work on the duets assignment." Rachel raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"And did you spend all of your time together working on that duet." Kurt shook his head slightly. "So not all of it was to do with Duets then. He even let you take him shopping didn't he?"
"Twice." The smile on Kurt's face was slightly wider now.
"See what I mean, similarities. Finn and I used to meet up to work on Glee numbers together but we'd end up just talking about things, hanging out, even bowling. That was how we grew closer. Just by talking. Before now, when did Sam ever talk to Quinn? Really talk to her, the way you have."
"He didn't." Rachel nodded.
"Exactly, because they didn't talk. They don't love each other Kurt, it's obvious. Their relationship won't last... Now the final comparison I'm going to make, their best friends. They both had a best friend who secretly, or maybe not so secretly in my case, loved them with all their hearts and they still do... Finn fell in love with that best friend; I know how my story ended. Given the evidence, don't you think Sam might too? Who knows? Maybe he already has."
For once, Kurt was quiet. Deep in thought as he considered his friend's words. Could she be right about Sam? He had to admit, thinking about it, while not as similar as he and Rachel were; the two jocks did possess quite a few similarities... certainly more than he'd noticed.
"But if he had fallen for me, would he have said something instead of starting to date Quinn?" Rachel seemed to consider this for a few more moments before replying.
"Maybe those two have one more similarity... they're absolutely clueless when it comes to love." Kurt let out a small laugh at that, causing Rachel to let out her own little giggle before grinning at the soprano. "Just don't lose faith yet Kurt. You're so much better for Sam than she is, he'll realise that." She squeezed his hand once more. "I still vehemently believe that you and Sam are meant to be together, just like Finn and I. Just give him time and he'll see that."
"Thanks Rachel. I appreciate your words, however hard I find it to believe them. Still, they did help... I'll try not to lose faith just yet." They shared a look, smiling at each other, before Rachel replied.
"That's all I ask." And with that she pulled him up from where he was sat, guiding him back to the big screen that the trio had been sat in front of before. She flipped open one of the pizza boxes, grimacing slightly as she realised how cold it was. "I'm gonna go and order some more pizza before Cedes, Tina and Brit get back. How about you choose something from my film selection over there." She gestured to the huge stack of boxes filled with different films. "I have them sorted by genre and then alphabetically so it should be easy to find something you're happy with. I'll be back in a minute. Okay?" Satisfied with the nod she got in reply, Rachel left to order, leaving Kurt to search through the first of the boxes which was labelled 'Musicals'.
His eyes caught on one film in particular. The Sound of Music. He half-remembered the days when he'd sat and watched this film with his mother, listening to her soft calming voice and she sang along to every song, the familiar comforting tone somehow making the film all the more beautiful. It had been the first musical he'd ever loved because he'd been able to share it with her. Even now, years after her death, it still held a place in his heart. He didn't even bother to look through the other boxes, satisfied with the choice he'd made.
When Rachel returned a few minutes later, telling him that the pizza would arrive in about fifteen minutes, she smiled as she studied his choice.
"I knew your name reminded me of something. Kurt as in Kurt von Trap?" He nodded.
"Yeah. Mum used to love this film. It was her favourite. We used to watch it together to the point where it became something that reminded me of her, comforting, familiar... I know it's sounds silly but sometimes when I'm feeling upset about something, I like to watch this because then it's almost as if she's there with me..."
"It's not stupid. I have this one tape of my birth mother singing this song to me and while I now know she wants nothing to do with me as a daughter, sometimes I like to listen to it and just... pretend. Pretend that she wanted me in her life, pretend that she cared..." She blinked back a couple of tears that threatened to surface at the thought of Shelby before smiling at Kurt. "It's a great film. You and your mum both have great taste. Want to start it now or wait for the others?"
In the end they agreed to wait until the others arrived before starting the film. While they waited they sat and talked, for once not about Sam or Finn, or Glee but just about themselves, their lives, their dreams... it really was amazing just how similar they really were.
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Mercedes drove back to Rachel's house with Britney and Tina chatting animatedly in the backseat about convincing Mr Shue to include an upbeat number at Sectionals in order to showcase the clubs dancing ability as well as vocals... well Tina was chatting animatedly, the blonde beside her seemed confused judging by her expression. This theory was proved a few minutes later when said blonde asked her friend why they were going to attack someone at Sectionals, causing Tina to stare at Brit in confusion, her mind desperately trying to figure out what she had said to inspire the blonde's comment.
By the time they'd arrived, Tina was trying to explain to Brit that she wasn't really a vampire and she didn't mean she wanted the blonde's blood when she'd claimed she was thirsty a few minutes ago. Mercedes just closed her eyes as she listened to the two, trying to let their conversation block out the events of today... for a few blissful moments it worked.
Opening her eyes once more, she noticed a faint light shinning from underneath her seat. Reaching down to find the source, she pulled out Kurt's iPhone. Things must be bad if he forgot this... She took a deep breath to calm herself, choosing instead to focus on the positives. At least it's not broken or scratched, Kurt would have been beside himself if that had happened... especially if it happened today. Holding the device, she felt it vibrate saying it had received a new message. Overcome by curiosity, she unlocked the screen, eyebrows rising when she saw just how many messages he'd received from Sam over the time since he'd last checked. She opened the first one reading.
Hey Kurt, sorry I had to rush off earlier. How about we talk after first lesson? I'll meet you by your locker.
Sam x
Hey Kurt, I'm at your locker and you're not here. Did I upset you when I rushed off? I'm sorry, please just come and meet me and we'll talk and I'll apologise. Sound good?
Sam x
Okay I've definitely upset you... and I've just realised you're in my English class so I know why. Please just text me back and I'll beg for your forgiveness- I'm not kidding.
Sam x
I know you're mad Kurt, just let me explain why. I really am sorry if I've upset you.
Sam x
Classes were boring without you- I'm a little bit worried that you didn't show up. Are you okay Kurt? Were you ill this morning? I didn't really notice but if you are I hope you feel better soon. Maybe, if you want, I can come over later with some of, my mum's soup. I've been told it has weird healing powers... please reply.
Sam x
Lunch is majorly boring without you here. And for some reason everyone in Glee keeps glaring at me... I miss you. Please reply.
Sam x
Just went into English, you're still not here. I'm starting to freak out a little now. What happened Kurt? I tried talking to Tina and she told me 'I should know'. Has Karofsky somehow gotten to you? If he has just tell me and I'll track him down. Please reply.
Sam x
Okay I think I might have figured it out. Please Kurt I'm sorry but can we talk about this? This isn't a conversation I want to have by text. Just please reply and we'll arrange when to meet up and discuss this. Please just text me something.
Sam x
Just texted Rachel but I've gotten no reply. God Kurt I'm really worried now. Please just reply. Just tell me you're okay and safe. I promise I won't bother you anymore just please be okay.
Sam x
Okay, I'm officially begging now. Please just send me a message- it could even be a fuck off and right now I wouldn't care. I just need to know you're okay. Please just be okay.
Sam x
She didn't bother to read the rest, simply relocking the iPhone and putting it on the seat beside her. Kurt has enough to deal with right now, he doesn't need comforting a slightly hysteric blonde to be added to that list. Instead she opened her own phone up, typing a quick text before she switched off her phone, slipping it back inside her pocket. Brit and Tina had already headed inside while she'd been reading the texts, so she undid her seatbelt and left the car, joining the others who were waiting with fresh pizza and The Sound of Music.
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"Hey Cedes, we saved you some pizza." Said girl smiled her thanks as Rachel handed her the box. The group settled down to watch as Maria began to sing her opening song, Kurt and Rachel mouthing along to the lyrics, causing Mercedes to roll her eyes at the pair, smiling fondly before reaching to take a slice of the food in front of her. She turned to look at the other two girls, noticing that while Tina was fully engrossed in the film, Brit had become unusually quiet.
Rachel said she'd had a fight with Santana... I don't think I've ever seen them fight before. She looks pretty torn up over it. This is probably the first time I've seen her face show something other than confusion or a smile... it's a little heartbreaking. What the hell has Santana done? Noticing that the girl looked ready to cry, Mercedes moved over to where the blonde was sat, pulling her into a hug which the blonde gratefully returned.
As the film progressed, very little was said, the only noises being muffled sobs and the film as it continued to play. Yet there seemed to be an unspoken feeling that lingered in the groups minds... a feeling of emptiness. Like something vital was missing... or someone.
A friend with golden hair, an angel in appearance, eyes bright, smile wide and comforting. Always full of joy and laughter, a feeling that she would share with those around her, telling jokes, diffusing tense situations, putting a smile on her friend's faces. She'd been through much but instead of her experiences leaving scars on her heart, they seemed to unchain it leaving her free to be the person she'd never been but had always wanted to be. She was special.
In another situation like this, she'd be the first one to comfort, cheering up the person who was crying with her kind words and her sense of humour, making them smile again. Ironic really that a person who could cause so much joy could also cause hurt. Ironic that the person that could help, was the one who had caused the problem. Yes, the group tried to ignore it, but her absence was everywhere. Quinn's absence was everywhere... like a dark cloud hanging over clear skies.
HEVANS_GLEE_KURT_SAM_THINGS_WILL_GET_BETTER_HEAVANS_GLEE_KURT_SAM_GLEE_KUM_
In another part of Lima, a certain blonde was pacing across his room, eyes filled with worry, hand shaking slightly as his eyes continued to flicker to his phone which lay on his bed. Every time he looked it was the same, no messages, no calls... no Kurt.
Please let him be okay, please let him be okay. Why hasn't be replied to any of the texts I've sent? Is he really that angry or has something happened to him? What if I was right when I guessed about Karofsky getting to him? After all, I'm sure that douche Hunter would be more than happy to help as long as he didn't know about what happened in the locker room... Please Kurt just text. Just say something... just be okay.
A slight buzz from his phone, and Sam darted across the room to check the screen. His heart sank slightly when he saw that the message wasn't from Kurt, but he opened the text all the same and read;
Sam,
Kurt's fine! He hasn't sent you a message because he hasn't been using his phone. He's not ill and he hasn't had a run in with Karofsky so calm down... And please stop sending messages.
Cedes
He let out a sigh of relief, smiling slightly at the thought of Kurt being safe. Thank God. His eyes turned back to the screen to study the message, forehead crinkling in confusion when he considered the soprano not using his phone... It was unheard of. Before the blonde could consider the possible reasons for this sudden change in Kurt's behaviour, he felt his phone vibrate again signalling an incoming call from Quinn. He clicked the accept call button, listening to the ex-cheerio's greeting before he spoke.
"Hey. Have you spoken to any of the girls today? It's just I think Kurt left school early and I've found out it wasn't because he was ill so... do you think we've hurt him with this fake relationship idea of yours?" Concern coloured his voice but there was still a hint of anger in his final words, angering Quinn slightly as she replied.
"Hey don't go blaming me for this idea, you agreed to it okay? And no I haven't spoken to the girls... they've made it pretty clear that they're not talking to me right now..." Her final words trailed off as she frowned slightly.
"Exactly! I knew we shouldn't have done this. I knew this would backfire... we've hurt him."
"Listen to me. Firstly, whether or not we should have done this is irrelevant now... we've done it. We've put this plan into action; we can't do anything now except follow it through. Secondly, if you knew it would backfire, it's your fault for being a part of this plan anyway. And thirdly, we might have hurt him, but I guarantee he'll be jealous right now... so in a sense things are going to plan..." She was cut off by an infuriated Sam.
"How could you even say that? As if I'd plan to cause him any pain! He's been through enough already; I'd never deliberately cause him any more suffering!" Quinn let out a frustrated sigh.
"Okay that's not what I meant! I just meant that at least he's jealous, so there's still a chance that things will work out. Okay? So don't lose faith."
"I hope you're right..." There was a moment of silence, the only audible sound being the calming breaths that Sam was taking before he continued to speak. "...because if I lose Kurt because of this stupid plan, I'll never forgive you." And with that the jock hung up, leaving a slightly shell shocked Quinn still clutching her phone, trying to ignore the dark tone Sam's final words had taken.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, the blonde jock let out a sigh before whispering "If I lose Kurt because of this stupid plan, I'll never forgive myself."
A/N: So what did you think? Let me know! I really didn't anticipate this chapter being so long, it just grew more and more as I wrote... hope you liked it!
What did you all think of Night Of Neglect? I thought it wasn't the best episode ever- not that I'm saying it was bad, it just didn't particularly stand out as impressive. I did enjoy watching Santana stand up to Karofsky and Holly's 'Turning Tables' was impressive, as was Mercedes 'Ain't No Way', but overall I expected more from the episode.
But the promo afterwards... mind blown! 90 minutes of Glee! Gaga songs! Some other 'interesting' song choices- put a smile on my face though! Lauren going for prom queen! And most importantly of all... KURT HUMMEL IS BACK AT MCKINLEY! Can't wait for the next episode of Glee!
All that's left to be said now is a huge thank you to everyone who reads this story! Your support means the world to me! I can really never thank you all enough!
Chasing Aspirations xxx
