Chapter 15
"Hey, nice job, Anderson. I've purchased tickets for the Westside Story show tomorrow. You know, to show my support for you and your mysterious messenger," said one of his fencing teammates as they approached one another in the hallway.
"Yeah, that was some romantic shi-stuff you wrote, man," added a jock from the lacrosse team. "Good luck landing your dude, and all."
The response to his post on Dalton Underground had garnered attention from his classmates and his instructors alike, most of them extremely supportive. Normally that kind of approval and attention was something he craved, but right now all that mattered was that he still had heard nothing from Blue.
Even though he had thought about texting Kurt or even calling him, he decided against it. He didn't want to badger or harass Kurt, and he knew that it might actually help him to have some space. Hell, he may not even have seen the message yet. Tina assured him that she'd make sure that Kurt knew about it, but that didn't mean Kurt had read it. And even if he had, it didn't mean that Kurt would be there. He had every right to be angry at him, and Blaine knew that there was a chance that Kurt wouldn't show on Friday.
Blaine sighed as he continued down the hallway. His final class was over for the day, and he had a few hours before Warbler's practice. He was in such a distracted state of mind when he reached the end of the hall, he didn't even see the man seated by his door. He fumbled with his keycard when he heard a familiar sound.
"Ahem." Kyle Anderson cleared his voice and stood from his fold-out chair. Blaine was unsure how long his father had been waiting there for him. "Blaine, may I come in?"
Blaine nodded as he scanned his card and opened his door. "Is everything ok? You never visit me here," Blaine asked, as his father followed him inside.
Kyle looked directly into Blaine's eyes. "How long? How long have you been aware that you were gay?" Kyle looked as if he was about to burst into tears.
"Um, I guess I knew for certain in junior high, when I was thirteen, although I'd started questioning my sexuality a little before that," Blaine replied as he pulled out his desk chair for his father and sat down across from him in Nick's.
"Four years," Kyle muttered. "Four years of you hearing me make insensitive comments and jokes. Four years that you had to be worried about if you would have support from me. No wonder you didn't tell us," Kyle sobbed as he hung his head in shame.
"It's ok, dad," Blaine assured his father, patting his knee.
Kyle shook his head and looked into his son's eyes. "It isn't. I'm your father, and it's my job to support you and help you find your way in life. I was trying to push you to follow the same path that I took. No wonder you went to Cooper and your friends instead of me."
"You wanted me to be successful. There's nothing wrong with that. As for the jokes and comments, I knew you weren't really comfortable around gay people. I've seen you around Rachel's dads. I knew you didn't quite get it, but you were never cruel to them. I was never afraid that you were homophobic or anything."
"Then, why didn't you say anything?"
Blaine dropped his gaze down to the floor. "I don't ever want to disappoint you," Blaine admitted.
"You never have," Kyle replied, smiling. "But that's not the point. I want you to be who you are, not to pretend to be who you think I want you to be. Yes, it would've been nice if you had followed in my footsteps, but not at the expense of your happiness. You have to pursue your own dreams."
"So wait. You would be ok if I went to performing arts school?" Blaine asked.
Kyle nodded his head. "If that's your dream, then I'd be more than ok with it. What I'm not ok with-"
Blaine held his breath, waiting for his dad to say that he wasn't ok with his sexuality.
"-is you denying yourself from achieving happiness because you thought I would not be ok with part of who you are. About this gay thing-"
Blaine dropped his head, his eyes shifting to the carpet as if he were trying to commit the design to memory.
"I know you know that I've been a little uncomfortable with it, but that's my issue, not yours. You are my son, and I support you regardless. And when you meet someone, as long as he treats you with the respect you deserve, I'll show him the same respect."
Blaine's eyes filled with tears at his father's words. "Thank you. Thank you so much," Blaine said, standing from his chair as his father stood from his.
Kyle shook his head. "Don't thank me. I'm your father. It's what I'm supposed to do. And I'm sorry for making you think that I wouldn't still love you if you did find a guy you love."
Blaine opened his arms and hugged his father tightly. "About that. How do you know if you're in love?"
"You think of that person before you think of yourself, and their happiness is more important than your own. Why?"
"Because I'm pretty sure I'm in love," Blaine smiled.
"Well then, I'd like to meet him," Kyle smiled softly.
"Well, it's a little complicated at the moment. He's not really talking to me right now."
Kyle frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"
"It's a really long story," Blaine replied.
Kyle sat back down in his chair and motioned for Blaine to do the same. "I've got time. Tell me about him."
"Oh my God, what if he doesn't show," Blaine worried as he checked his pocket watch for the fifth time since he had arrived backstage. He fumbled to put his watch back into his pocket, only to start pacing again.
"He's going to show. He promised he'd be here, but he doesn't have my same dedication to punctuality," Rachel sighed. "He's making me crazy," she said to Nick and Jeff as she walked over to her makeup table. "I've never seen him like this. Oh God, what if he's still all anxious and says his lines incorrectly, and I have to come up with something off the top of my head? What if he shimmies left instead of to the right and slams into me? This is my opening night. What if he screws it up?"
Jeff stage whispered to Nick, "She's worried he'll drive her crazy, but as far as I'm concerned that car's already arrived and receiving parking tickets."
Nick chuckled. "I'll see if I can calm him down a little. You look out for the director and that saucy Latina girl that plays Anita. She said something about going all Lima Heights on my prep school ass, and I think she means it."
Jeff gave Nick a sweet peck on the lips and slapped his boyfriend's ass. "Can't have that, now can we? I'll remind Andrew that he's supposed to be saving us both a seat. It's filling up pretty quickly in the auditorium. It might be a packed house."
Nick walked over to Blaine and patted his shoulder. Blaine leaped and screamed in surprise and dropped his pocket watch to the ground for the second time that night. "Damn, are you that nervous? I've never seen you this rattled before a performance," he said, pulling out a chair for Blaine and motioning for him to sit. He pulled one up across from Blaine and placed his hand on Blaine's shoulder again to comfort him.
"It's not the performance, Nick. What if he's decided not to come? Or what if he does come, and he sits in the audience and never gets the nerve to come back here to meet me?" Blaine's hands were shaking and his left foot was tapping against the floor. "Or what if he stays in his seat and laughs at me when I fumble all of my lines?"
"And what if he turns into a baboon and jumps on the stage and carries that loud brunette off to the justice of the peace or aliens land on the roof?" Nick adds.
Blaine rolled his eyes at Nick's crazy suggestion.
"What I'm trying to say is that a lot of things could happen, but it's worth the risk. Besides, Blue told you himself that he has feelings for you. He may not be ready yet, but even if he doesn't show tonight, it doesn't mean you should give up hope. Remember what you always say," Nick grinned.
"Which is?" Blaine questioned, cocking his head sideways.
"Um, you know, what you always say, about looking on the sunny side," Nick sputtered.
"I never say that. That's Johnny Cash, and I in no way resemble him or sound like him," Blaine laughed.
"Well, it's something optimistic like that," Nick laughed.
"It's when it rains it pours, but the sun shines again. Stay positive. Better things are on their way," Blaine replied, laughing at his goofy friend. "You're right. I just want him to be here, to meet me on this stage and tell me that he forgives me and he loves me too, and that we can be boyfriends and move to New York together when we both get into NYADA or Julliard before we take Broadway by storm and become the next Broadway IT couple," Blaine rambled excitedly, his hands motioning frantically.
"How 'bout you get through this performance first," Nick laughed. "But that's a beautiful dream, and I know it will all work out. I gotta go find our seats, man. Break an egg, man."
"It's leg," Blaine retorted, laughing at his friend.
"I know. I just wanted to break the tension. You're going to be an incredible Tony."
"Kurt would've been an incredible Tony. I wish he would've gotten the role instead of me," Blaine said sadly. "I wouldn't blame him for not coming tonight."
"He'll be here," Nick assured his friend with a pat on the shoulder. "Rachel said he'd be here. Alright, I really gotta get out there before I lose my seat. Andrew's saving it right now but you know he'd give it up in a heartbeat if some pretty girl asks to sit there."
Blaine laughed. "Andrew? You had Andrew watch your seats? God, he's probably got a chick on each side of him. You're going to have to sit on the floor."
Nick laughed and stuck out his fist. "Knock 'em dead, man. You've got this. It'll all work out," he said, fist-bumping his best friend. "I'll see you after the show."
"Blaine, ten minutes until showtime," the stage manager called out.
Blaine shook his head. He wasn't coming. Kurt wasn't-
"Ahem." That was such a familiar sound. Blaine turned around and was face to face with Sebastian.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Blaine angrily asked the smug former Warbler. "I thought you were expelled."
"For what? Admitting that I posted a message on a website? I apologized, got a couple of in-school suspensions so it didn't go on my record, and here we are," Sebastian replied smugly.
Blaine shook his head. "Of course. I should've known that you'd get a slap on the wrist."
"Could it be from you? I like a little pain in the heat of passion," Sebastian smirked. "To answer your question, I'm here because you owe me a thank you."
"Excuse me? Whatever the hell for?" asked Blaine, scratching his head in confusion. "For blackmailing me, outing me, causing Blue to leave Dalton? Which of those things should I thank you for?"
"All of them," Sebastian replied. "The way I figure, if I hadn't taken those actions, your pansy-ass would have still been in the closet, clueless as to who you were messaging, that is, if he decided to continue messaging you. As for the blackmail, you got a makeover, met some fellow gays, loosened up a little bit, and gained respect from your fellow Warblers. Not too shabby if I do say myself."
"Um, thank you," Blaine mumbled, clearly confused by the points Sebastian had made.
"Now, see, was that really so bad?" Sebastian grinned like a cat that caught the mouse by the tail and was now just playing with his meal.
"Excruciating," Blaine replied.
"Although, I believe you could do so much better. We could go the physical route, if you prefer, and you can thank me in a variety of ways."
"Hell no," Blaine blurted, shaking his head, "Unless a jab to your nose counts. Then, I'd be happy to oblige."
"Fine, fine. I guess your pitiful excuse for an apology will have to suffice for now," Sebastian chuckled.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "Good, because that's all you're getting. Now, could you please go? I'm waiting for Blue."
"Oh, yes, Blue. Aka Gayface, aka Skirt Hummel. Yeah, he's not coming."
"And how the hell would you know that," Blaine yelled.
"Because he isn't Blue," Sebastian said simply.
Blaine cocked his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. Then who is?"
"I am. I'm Blue."
