Weeks passed. The weeks turned into months, and before I knew it, I had been there for almost two years. It was now April, and my twentieth birthday was coming up. Kurt and I had become best friends, talking and joking like we had known each other our entire lives.

Since I had gotten there, I had joined an Irish Dance class to further help my dancing. I paid for it with my own money, since I had gotten a job at a movie theater in October. I had put on only one or two performances for my school, and they had absolutely loved it. By my birthday, my teacher said that I was ready for competition. I only needed an official competition dress, something I had wanted since I was a little girl but had never had the money for.

My birthday was on a Friday, and that afternoon, I had just finished taking a run when I came to the kitchen to find Kurt at the table, so I grabbed a bottle of water and sat with him for a while.

"You know, it was the damnedest thing; yesterday, after dance class, I was practicing, and there was the strangest man there…. I mean, he was your regular looking guy, but…."

"Odd," said Kurt, puzzled. "Do you know who he was?"

"No…. he was watching us- me and my friends- and was taking notes. I wasn't frightened of him, just… curious, you know? What was that guy writing, anyhow?"

"Ja…. Very interesting, indeed." Kurt paused. "Erin, ah…. I really need to talk to you."

"Oh?" I put down my water. "What about?"

"Well, I…" Kurt glanced around the kitchen nervously. "I can't talk to you about it here. Meet me tonight at eight o'clock outside the doors to the main hall."

"Kurt, is everything alright?" I took his hand.

"Everything is fine, kleines," he smiled at me, squeezing my hand. "I'd just… really like to talk to you tonight."
"Okay," I said quietly, smiling back. "Well! Listen, uh, I'm gonna go take a shower; I feel like….. well, words I cannot say out loud here, with little ears around." I nodded towards the small group of fourth grade girls gathered at the table to my left. Kurt laughed.

"It is quite awful out, isn't it?"

"You said it," I grinned. "I'll see ya later."

That night at ten 'till eight, I sat on my bed, practically boring a hole in the wall with my gaze. I hadn't moved in about fifteen minutes. I just sat there, thinking of what Kurt wanted to talk about. It could have been anything, and I decided not to trouble myself with worrying about it. I sighed, throwing myself back on my bed. After my first night at the school, they moved me to a small, extra bedroom they had next door to Storm's. They had been trying to find me a place with the rest of the students, but somehow we just didn't get around to it, so here I was, with my own room. I looked at my watch again; it was seven fifty-nine. Close enough. Crawling out of bed, I pulled on my shoes and started making my way to the main hall. Kurt was there when I arrived, and he came over to me, giving me a hug.

"Hallo, Erin," he smiled.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Ah!" Kurt turned around to a small table by the doors. "This… this is for you." On the table lay one red rose. Picking it up he brought it to me, and I beamed.

"Oh, Kurt… oh, it's beautiful. Thank you so much!"
"Es ist nichts," he smiled shyly at me. "That is not all. I have something else I want to show you." Turning, he was about to open up the doors to the main hall but stopped. "Come," he motioned for me. I slowly went over to him, taking his outstretched hand and I gasped as he put his right arm around my waist, gently pulling me towards him.

"Now close your eyes," Kurt whispered in my ear, and I did what he said, smiling.

"Kurt, I…."

"Trust me." I could almost hear the smile in his voice as he opened the doors. "Are your eyes still closed?"

"Yes."

"Good. I've got you. Now come on." With his arm still around my waist he led me into the main hall until he had me stop.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"No, no, not yet…." I could feel him right there next to me, his voice in my left ear. "Erin, there's something I have been wanting to tell you for a while now…… and that is….."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIN!!"

A chorus of voices and wild cheering filled the main hall as I opened my eyes in shock. Kurt still had his arm around me and was grinning like crazy at his success. Jean, Storm, Scott, Logan, Professor Xavier, Rogue, Kitty, Bobby, John…. Everyone was there. All my friends and a lot of my classmates…. I started laughing and turned to Kurt. "You traitor!" I slugged him in the shoulder, and he gave me a hurt look through his laughter.

"Ow, Erin! So violent!" Kurt pouted, rubbing his shoulder.

"You deserved it," I smiled.

The party was awesome. I couldn't believe these people had gone to all the trouble just to throw me this thing! As I stood there, dancing with Rogue and another one of my new friends, Kitty, I smiled. I was home, with people just like me. I knew that as much as I loved my family and vice versa, these people were my family now. I'd stopped "fitting in" with humans when I caught my brother smoking.

Jean had rented a karaoke machine that day, and had borrowed a bunch of karaoke CD's from a friend of hers in Boston. They had me go first, so I sang "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." After a bunch of my friends and some of the teachers had gone, Kurt finally jumped up with a CD in hand and bounded over to Jean. He was talking to her quietly, pointing to a song on the back of the CD he was holding and then pointing at me. I looked away quickly, pretending I hadn't seen. Knowing Jean, I immediately cleared my mind of what I just saw and started thinking about my family instead.

"Hallo?" Kurt tested out the microphone. "Ah, yes," he smiled. "It's working. Okay, ah… I'd like to dedicate this one to Erin, since it's her birthday, and…." Kurt looked at me, and I could see miles of thoughts flash behind his yellow eyes, but he said nothing. "Ja. Alright." He smiled at me. "For you, Erin."

I beamed. No one had ever sung me a song, much less thrown me a surprise party. Kurt wasn't two lines into the song by Frank Sinatra when I could feel my eyes fill.

"Someday, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you… and the way you look tonight." It was funny because we never took our eyes off each other the entire song. He came down to sit in front of me; out of the corner of my eye I could see Rogue going nuts. "Isn't that adorable, Dr. Grey?"

"Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm, and your cheek so soft, there is nothing for me but to love you, and the way you look tonight.

"With each word your tenderness grows, tearing my fear apart… and that laugh that wrinkles your nose, touches my foolish heart…."

My eyes were still watering come the end of the song. "Lovely… never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm. Won't you please arrange it? 'Cos I love you… and the way you look tonight. Just the way you look…. tonight."

Everyone was on their feet, cheering, and I could feel tears start to come. "God, Kurt," my voice shook as he took me in his arms. "God….. thank you so much. Thank you, thank you…. so beautiful….." I could barely talk.

Kurt pulled me back for a second. "Erin, you are the greatest friend in the entire world. I've got something for you." With a grin, Kurt turned around and grabbed a somewhat large box from under his seat. "Here…. Open it!"

"Thank you!" I smiled, still crying a little bit. Tearing away at the paper I opened up the box… and started to bawl when I pulled out the dark blue Irish Dance competition dress I had wanted ever since I was little. I couldn't take it. Bolting up with the dress, I ran for the room with the window overlooking the basketball court. It was dark and empty. Collapsing on the window seat, I cried and cried and cried tears of joy, unable to take all the kindness these beautiful people were showing me. I looked out the window a moment, tears still streaming down my face as I studied the cloudless, moonlit sky. Moments later I heard a sound to my left, and saw Kurt's familiar form approaching me. He smiled at me. "May I join you?"

I nodded and he took a seat next to me. "Jean is crying. She said that when she read your thoughts as to why you suddenly left, she could read them perfectly. She said they were such happy thoughts that they made her cry as well."

I smiled at him. "Really?"

"Really really."

"So how did you….?" I held up the dress.

"Well," Kurt beamed. "I remember you telling me you'd always wanted one, and when you finally needed one, I gave Storm the money I had saved for it and she went out to get it. I don't think the shop she got it in would have… liked seeing someone like me in there, so…." He shrugged.

Two years earlier I was a street kid, not thinking anything good would ever happen in my life, and here I was, talking to someone I'd never imagine existed. "Kurt….. this dress is beautiful. How can I ever repay you?"

"You don't need to," Kurt chuckled. "It's a birthday gift, from me to you."
"Thank you. Thank you so much. This is probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever gotten me. Actually…." I thought a minute. "Yeah. The best gift I've ever received. Thank you."

"Bitter schöen," Kurt smiled shyly at me.

I beamed, glancing up and out the window. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Yes….." Kurt took a look out the window and smiled faintly, but after a second I could see him watching me out of the corner of my eye.

"Erin, how would you react if I told you I wanted to kiss you right now?"

I could feel more tears slide down my face as I turned to look at him, smiling. Kurt touched my cheek, wiping away my tears as I leaned towards him and we kissed. Moments later, he pulled away, studying my face.

"What is it, Kurt?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Happy birthday, kleines."

I grinned at him, and went back for another kiss.

We were silent only for a few moments after it was over. "So…" Kurt smiled at me, putting an arm around my shoulder. "What do you say we go back to that party, eh?"

"That would be great," I grinned, wrapping my arm around his waist.

"Good," Kurt laughed with me.

German vocab quiz

Es ist nichts: it's nothing

Ja: yeah/ yes

Bitter schoen: you're welcome