Author's Note: Hi everyone. As I have mentioned on my previous chapters, I finally found a beta, Miranda, who is the only one left to suffer reading my bad writing. I also want to apologise for not able to update for two wks. because Miranda and I were trying to go over the chapters. Thanks for the support and here ya go.
Chapter Four: News
Dormitory
Doltore, Crystalvale
02-Oct-2019
7:51 AM
"At exactly 4:15 in the morning, Sam Evans was rushed to the emergency room of Hythe Memorial Hospital in Hythe, Crystalvale. Sam's parents claimed they heard their son screaming then later found him unconscious on his bedroom floor. Sam Evans is the soulmate of has yet to be found Mercedes Jones. The seventeen year old young man has been avoiding the press since Miss Jones went missing and even refused to go back to Dalton Institute of Arcane for his senior year. Sam Evans has been transferred to a private room and is already recovering.
The Mercedes Jones case remains the top priority of the Protectors. Although previously considered as an inside job, that has now been ruled out after a thorough investigation of all employees present at the Jones's vacation house in Griffin Lake, Barmwich. There are growing speculations, as today marks its ninth day, that Mercedes Jones might be-"
The television suddenly turned off. Tina was clutching the power cord, hands were trembling and eyes unfocused. Her rumpled appearance as well as her obvious tension weren't because of the chilly morning. Tina stood in silence beside the 84" flat screen TV in the living room.
"Stupido!" Santana threw her spoon into her bowl of half eaten cereal, appetite now gone.
Puck was having his second when he unceremoniously slammed the box of cereal on the coffee table. "Fucker."
Tina flinched at the sound of them yelling. She moved away from the TV and tentatively sat at the edge of the sectional italian sofa. She was aware Puck and Santana hadn't been referring to her but she was already having trouble deciphering things. Her nerves were going haywire. It was a struggle to keep calm knowing absolutely nothing of Mercedes whereabouts.
"I'm done here." Santana stomped away not without first knocking over the box of cereal. The lack of progress on Mercedes's case was putting her on edge.
Puck sighed. He decided to forgo his breakfast and started to collect the bowls, the scattered lucky charms would have to wait for the house service to be cleaned. He looked at Tina on his way out, "Are you okay?" It was a dumb question yet he still asked. Out of everyone else he was sharing with on this floor, Tina was the most unstable.
The mohawk haired student was patient to wait for an answer that never came. The way her eyes glazed was Puck's cue to leave. He thought it was for the best, so he let her be.
There were five occupants of the entire sixth floor. The rule pertaining that the sixth floor was off limits had been strictly implemented. Four years ago it went through a full renovation and finished after a year in time for Sebastian and Puck to enter high school.
Unlike the rest of the floors, it had been turned into a stylish penthouse. There was a small hallway upon entering the arched mahogany double doors which led into three more hallways. On its left was a long hallway which had five modern style double doors. Each of the doors shared the same design, three aluminum thin fine strips laid horizontally on a soft dark grey color. Meanwhile on the right side was an open huge contemporary styled kitchen. Further down the same hallway were another five similar looking double doors. These led into the bedrooms.
Walking straight from the entrance door, a living room would come into view. The walls were painted off white while the furniture came in either white or black. The color scheme was perfect to compliment the cherry hardwood flooring. A built in electric fireplace was in the stone veneer and right above the fireplace was a wide screen TV where a gaming console was attached.
There were also glass window walls on the right side of the room where the rooftop terrace could be seen. The terrace had its own set of rattan couches with red cushions, paired with two round rattan tables and a metal fire pit at the center. Outdoor lighting in the shape of a ball scattered all over the floor. A little bit away from the couches was an elevated floor where a jacuzzi sat.
It was a lavish space and might be too much for five people but for some reason it was suffocating Puck.
As soon as Puck exited the room, he came face to face with their youngest occupant. Kurt was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes were closed. He was the only person Puck had seen wearing pajamas with hair so immaculate. It was like the younger boy's hair didn't know what bed hair should look like.
"Morning Princess. Did you hear the news?" He somehow regretted talking as soon as the words escaped from his mouth. Kurt pushed himself away from the wall and headed back to his room. Puck grumbled, "Good morning would be nice."
Kurt closed the door of his room, there was a soft thump when his forehead made contact with the door. His palms grew hotter each second and he was aware his eyes were already scarlet. He had expected the Protectors, an equivalent of police in human society, to fail. It upset him to no end because this case might end up like one of the many unresolved issues, completely forgotten and unable to shed light on what exactly happened.
The steady flow of negative energy was only feeding his anger. So he blocked everything and just focused on breathing until the familiar humming in his body became apparent. Kurt had noticed that he was starting to slip back, back to how things could easily overwhelm him like when he was a kid. Being temperamental to boot was just as bad. Kurt thought he had improved in managing his emotions, no, he remarkably improved through the years. However there was no denying he was becoming worse each day to the point that he felt like drowning.
This resulted in him being even more cautious.
Kurt walked to the center of the room he was occupying. Just like the other nine rooms, it was unnecessarily big. Each room was fancier than the last, and Kurt had simply chosen the one he could tolerate for the span of his stay. The walls and ceiling had gorgeous wood panelling paired with dark hardwood flooring. Initially, the room appeared dreary but adding the right furniture kind of lit up everything.
The super king size bed remained bare as Kurt much preferred the comfort of the backless settee at the foot of the bed. Kurt's dorm room didn't have that much furniture, which he liked. There was a floor lamp next to the headboard, a bookshelf which was now half full from the countless of times he had spent visiting during his early years, a chaise lounge chair conveniently placed near the large window, a decent size walk-in closet, and a luxurious looking bathroom half the size of the bedroom.
The sight of his Louis Vuitton luggage piled high beside his walk-in closet was a reminder that he was really doing this. His enthusiasm with the idea of school was nonexistent. Going to class was tedious, staying at Dalton was a task.
Class A
Doltore, Crystalvale
02-Oct-2019
11:30 AM
Confused. This could best sum up Blaine's emotional state. He had barely slept last night in an attempt to figure things out. Nothing made sense aside from the fact that he was hopelessly attracted to one Kurt Sterling, but his mind refused to accept that. He wanted to hate the gorgeous boy who just waltzed in and created havoc to his once peaceful life. He wanted to, but he couldn't.
He disliked how Kurt's angelic face was the content of his dreams, the one his eyes would look for whenever he stepped into their classroom. It was clear to him that he was definitely confusing Kurt Hummel for Kurt Sterling. It was hard not to because of the way his stomach did a somersault and how his body craved for the boy. He didn't even understand why. Blaine only knew the moment he had first laid his eyes on Kurt, he was done for. Kurt was like an oasis in the middle of a desert.
This growing problem he had regarding Kurt Sterling didn't thrill him one bit. He was viewing him as sinfully flawless and even perfect, things he had reserved for his soulmate. It was wrong to like someone who wasn't your soulmate, at least for Blaine it was. He shouldn't manifest any attraction towards anyone, especially those in close proximity. He felt like he was already cheating on his soulmate by the mere thought of Kurt Sterling. He should learn to control himself this early, he couldn't afford to be attracted to every single guy who shared the same first name and middle initial as his soulmate. It was unethical and very wrong.
Everyone had someone meant for them and instead of fantasizing someone else's soulmate, Blaine should focus on his. There was no doubt he would go apeshit if someone tried to chase after his soulmate. So, in the end, he decided that his only concern was to find Kurt E. Hummel. No more side tracking.
It was wishful thinking, of course. When he had realized Kurt was absent, he went back to square one - obsessing over Kurt. Blaine snapped at Nick when the older boy had told him to listen in class. Mike also got his fair share when he made a mistake by asking to borrow a pencil. Even Wes, who just happened to look in his direction, made Blaine angry. It was safe to say Blaine Anderson was a mess.
Blaine was tapping his pencil non-stop as the cogs in his head were working overtime. He needed Kurt Hummel, he was the prevention as well as the solution to his insanity.
"For the Nth time, listen to the class." Nick hissed. His eyes remained on their teacher.
"Leave me alone." Blaine whined. He pulled away his notebook and book in a childish manner.
Nick huffed, he eyed Blaine knowingly. "Really, Blaine. Did you think I wouldn't notice? You're sulking because K-"
"No I'm not! And who's Kurt?" He mentally slapped himself when Nick started cracking up.
"Good lord, you got it bad, Anderson."
"Not only Mr. Anderson, but you as well Mr. Duval will be in a bad situation if you don't stop talking in my class." Mr. Gibbs, their AP Biology teacher, addressed the two students. He gave them a pointed look, and after a moment of silence he said, "Next time I catch you two talking in the middle of my discussion, I'll send you out."
Blaine and Nick had the decency to feel embarrassed. They both apologized to their teacher.
The rest of the class went off without a hitch. Blaine summoned all his willpower to prevent his mind from going astray. It worked for the first five minutes before he gave up. He might as well admit to himself that he was one step closer to insanity.
When the bell went off, Blaine took his time to gather his things. He was dragging his movements to avoid the crowd. The idea of going to his locker wasn't as appealing anymore as yesterday when he had found out Kurt's locker was right above his.
"Are you ready Mr. Grumpy Pants?" David nudged Blaine's arm as the latter slung his satchel bag on his shoulder.
Blaine sighed in response and went to walk beside Mike. The six of them headed for the cafeteria. Wes, David, Mike and Finn easily engaged in a conversation Blaine wasn't particularly interested in. Nick was on his left, busy appreciating the spring scenery in the middle of autumn. Blaine's father informed him during their arrival that it was just for the sake of the opening ceremony and everything would be back to autumn in a few days.
"Hey, I was just wondering-"
"Is this the time where you're going to admit you have a huge crush on Kurt?" Nick rubbed his hands together to prevent them from getting cold. The sun was set high but the wind remained a little bit chilly the entire day. Being near the mountains also contributed to the weather.
"No I don't. In case you forgot, I have a soulmate Nick." Blaine said in exasperation. He ran a hand over his face.
Nick frowned. "Keep lying."
"I'm not!"
"Then stop." Nick finished.
"What?" His triangular eyebrows narrowed. He wasn't sure if he was still following their conversation.
"You don't like Kurt because you already have a soulmate. I'll pretend I get it even if I really don't. You can't like him because you have a soulmate. I think this is more appropriate and if this happens to be the reason then stop. You have already decided." Midway into Nick's lecture, the others stopped their conversation in favor of listening.
Blaine crossed his arms. He felt suddenly defensive. "Shouldn't we all? Be devoted to our soulmate, I mean."
"You're asking the wrong person. I messed up with my own." Nick said dryly.
Their journey to the cafeteria was relatively silent. No one had a clue on how to deal with a person who had openly admitted that their relationship with their soulmate flopped. Even when they bought lunches and started eating, no one initiated a conversation. All of a sudden, someone slammed their tray next to David. The poor freshman jumped from his seat.
"If I didn't eavesdrop on the other class's latest gossip I would remain oblivious. Guess what? Nick Duval is back and apparently as a loyal friend I would be the last to know." A brunette haired girl ranted.
"Hello to you too Rachel." Nick greeted, unabashed of his situation while Rachel was glaring at him. He could see accusation in her eyes but he risked it anyway. He stood from his chair and opened his arms, an invitation for a hug. Nick sighed in relief when Rachel went for it. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. I tried to call you several times but you never answered. I went to your house but the maid told me your family went for a vacation. She wouldn't even tell me where. Did you talk to Jeff?" Rachel finished when they separated.
"I saw him and Brittany. Anyway, Rachel I want you to meet my classmates." Nick changed the subject before it could lead into a Q&A. Rachel was the last person Nick would want to do it with, she was too persistent if unsatisfied with the answers.
"Oh! Where are my manners. I'm Rachel Berry, junior and a diva extraordinaire. I believe I'm the brightest star in here that is why when I pass MeArTh next year I'm doing Broadway like my idol Barbra Streisand. At a very young age, my dads made sure to enroll me in different classes such as ballet, vocal, and piano lessons. Take note how I used dads, so don't even think I'm a pea brain homophobe. Moving on, not everyone can understand me, but of course only people who were born as talented as I am should be able to. Having a talent like mine could easily bring me to stardom." Rachel was speaking way too fast without any consideration to her listeners. They were dumbly looking at her. She flipped her long hair and continued with her unfinished introduction.
"I'm a vegetarian, so in the near future when any one of you is going to order some take-out you must all remember that. I also like having girls' night out but I'm fine with having boys instead." She smiled at them before she frowned in the blink of an eye. "Sorry, I didn't catch your names?"
It was fascinating to watch the reaction of his classmates. The way their mouths were agape in astonishment, clueless of what really hit them. Nick was used to Rachel Berry's crazies by now. He knew how Rachel liked attention so it was no surprise when she always gave a lengthy introduction.
Thankfully, the guys recovered. They introduced themselves one after the other. Finn was the last to speak.
"Finn Hudson." Finn offered his hand for a shake.
Rachel was quick to grab Finn's offered hand. She shivered when their hands made contact. Finn tightened his hold on instinct. They looked at one another. "A-Are you…"
"I am." Rachel mumbled, unbelieving that she was meeting her soulmate. It was almost three years of waiting until she had convinced herself that she would probably meet her soulmate after high school.
Finn didn't ask. He never let go of Rachel's hand, his other hand pushed the sleeve of her blazer up to see for himself. There on her right wrist was Finn C. Hudson. "Wow."
"May I see your's?" Rachel suddenly felt a little shy with the request. It was obvious her mind hadn't caught up yet with the situation. She was far too calm in dealing with it.
"Uh, my fifteenth birthday is in March."
Rachel was crestfallen, but she shrugged it off and focused on the brighter side. She finally found her soulmate. "It's fine. It's great, actually. We can spend it together."
The smile returned to Finn's face. Mike offered his seat between Finn and Nick and he moved beside David at the opposite side. When everyone had settled down, a series of congratulations were given to the new couple.
Blaine couldn't help but to watch every now and then the newly united couple. The way Rachel made heart eyes at Finn and the way they leaned into each other's personal space. How he wished he would find his soulmate soon.
"How do you find your classes so far?" She asked everyone. She noticed the gleaming badge on Wes' lapel. "Congrats on making it in The Prefects."
"Thanks. The classes are alright, not really what I had expected though. It seems a bit laid back, but since the school year just started maybe I'm wrong." Wes shrugged as all of his classmates gave him a dirty look. It seemed the others had a different opinion.
Rachel giggled. "Wait for the next few weeks and I'm quite sure your view will totally take a 180 degree turn." Her gaze went past Wes' shoulder. She huffed and shook her head.
Blaine looked over his shoulder and saw Santana, a mohawk haired student, and an asian girl with blue highlights heading towards the miraculously empty table in the far corner of the cafeteria. The room was packed with students having their lunch, some were wearing different uniforms that Nick informed them meant they were from middle school. The table which the three were heading for was right next to an open window which Blaine would much prefer than the one they had at the moment.
The mohawk haired guy increased his pace until he was at full speed, running straight to the open window. All of a sudden, he jumped at the windowsill then turned around just to jump again, this time as high as he could with his right arm stretched out. He literally clawed the CCTV camera which was placed at the corner, right on top of their chosen table. When he landed on the ground, his nails were longer, his irises were yellow and his pupils were like that of a feline.
Meanwhile, his two companions settled on the table ignoring the spectacle. The mohawked hair guy squashed the camera with his bare hands, his face stony. He slumped onto his chair as he threw the camera in the middle of the table.
Blaine took note how other students barely even batted an eye. Even the middle school students resumed eating their food as if it didn't happen. It was apparent that new students were the only ones baffled at the display. The three students went to the counter, causing students to part like the red sea. If that wasn't enough, the long line immediately disappeared too.
"It's either Puck or one of them who would do it." Rachel chewed her food slowly. It was an everyday occurrence and eventually she got used to it.
"Puck?" Finn asked before inhaling his third slice of pepperoni pizza.
"Noah Puckerman-everyone calls him Puck. He's in my class along with Sebastian and he received his invitation yesterday including Kurt." This time Rachel's attention went to Nick. Since Nick had associated himself with these students then she knew they're harmless. Being around Nick made her realize that if there was anyone who could be a good judge of a person it would be him.
"I noticed they are treated differently. Those students who live on the sixth floor, are they the top dogs since they are already considered Masters? Nick, Jeff, and Brittany don't flaunt their power like Puck and Santana do." Wes watched them closely. To him, they're rude. There was no denying they were talented students but they were acting like they owned the school. Besides, destroying school property was inappropriate.
"Do you know Kurt?" Blaine's question was met with an eye roll from Nick and an accusatory glare from David and Wes, though it didn't deter him from pushing for an answer. "Rachel."
Rachel paused for a few seconds before snorting. The eagerness in Blaine's tone and how antsy he was while waiting for the answer clued her in. She tried to hold in her fit of giggles but failed in the end. "You have a crush on Kurt. Oh my god!"
"I'm just asking…" His answer died down as Rachel relentlessly teased him. "Never mind."
"Okay okay. Don't get pouty and annoyed now." She took a deep breath to calm down. "I may or may not know him." She said playfully. "Anyway, as for your question Wes, there is no hierarchy in this school. Students just tend to stay away from them because it's easier than dealing with them. The earring doesn't boost your status; Jeff, Brittany, Nick, Sebastian, Santana, Tina and soon Puck, they work for whatever credit they have right now. It's just the ones who live on the sixth floor created theirs in a very different form in comparison to these three."
"Kurt, you never mention him. He has an invitation like you said." Mike broke his silence. He was more than happy to listen but he didn't miss the way Kurt was left out by Rachel.
"Because he is not going to take the Screening." Nick's eyes bore into Mike. He could tell Mike was hesitating.
"How do you know for certain that he won't?"
"There's more than meets the eye. I thought you understood this better than anyone at this table."
Mike swallowed. Nick's unwavering stare was making him recoil in his seat.
"Has someone died?"
Everyone turned to see the newcomers, the Hummel siblings. They both were carrying their trays filled mostly with desserts.
Jeff was shaking his head while his sister commenced her not so subtle plan. He would never comment on it, though at times it was getting to his nerves like today. He just loved her that much.
"Jeffy I'm taking this seat, you take the other." Brittany was smiling in triumph as she saw her older brother follow without any complaints.
"Those seats might have been taken Brittany." Rachel said in a clipped tone.
"Except their not. No one wants to sit with you. That's what Santana told me." The blonde girl answered offhandedly. She failed to notice how everyone stared open-mouthed at her except Jeff.
"Britt, don't listen to every word Santana is saying. It's not true."
"But she told me Rachel is self-centered. Even our classmates said so. Once, Nick and Rachel had this argument and Nick called her the same. Am I inclined to believe it isn't true?" A genuine confusion now marred her innocent face.
"In case you forgot I'm right here." The girl of the hour snapped. She glared at the table where Santana was, only to find her glaring back at her. As if Santana was fully aware of their conversation. "Less talented people are susceptible to jealousy."
Brittany frowned, while Nick and Jeff simultaneously rolled their eyes.
Rachel stuck up her nose in the air before she remembered the others at the table. Still a bit annoyed, she started another round of introductions. She made sure to give a more lengthy introduction of her soulmate. Her mood lightened when the siblings showed sincerity in congratulating Finn and her.
For the most part, Wes barely contained himself. He started engaging Brittany in a conversation where the said girl maneuvered the conversation to dolphins, unicorns, and her tabby cat.
Jeff was partially listening to Brittany's story of how Mrs. Woods caught her sneaking Lord Tubbington into the dorm during their orientation day which led them both into trouble. He was eating his second cucumber sandwich when he decided to speak to the person beside him. "Am I always the one who is supposed to take the first step in any given situation?"
Jeff's voice was just above a whisper but it never failed to send tingles all over Nick. His heart began hammering so hard and he felt like his throat was closing up.
"You should know by now that seeing one another is going to be a common occurrence. So we can't really avoid each other no matter how hard we try."
"Sorry." Nick managed to say before his resolve crumbled.
The senior finished the sandwich before sparing a glance at the younger boy. "What changed? After two years, you finally think I deserve an explanation. Wow, I really want to get mad right now but I'm just so tired of everything."
"Jeff." Nick had to hold himself together because he was on the verge of crying and it wasn't something Jeff would appreciate.
"I have an earring, did you notice?" Jeff wasn't hearing Nick's pleading voice. He thought time healed the pain already. It turned out he was wrong.
Nick had a very terrified expression upon hearing his statement. This was the worst feeling ever. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I know saying sorry doesn't cut it but God knows I want to go back and redo everything. You don't deserve this, no one deserves this. I'm so coward-"
"Please don't make yourself an even bigger asshole than you really are. You made your decision, I made mine, and so are the others. We can't go back to the way we were Nick. We talk today, the next day or even the succeeding months and years, yet you can't erase the fact that this happened. This isn't a simple wound that can be healed by simply slapping some band aid over it." Jeff took a deep breath. He hadn't intended to be mean but he thought since he finally had a chance to talk to his soulmate, he might as well get out his pent up frustrations. "I knew from the moment I saw you being introduced by my sister we were meant to be together and I don't need a soulmark for it. Damn, I was head over heels in love with you."
Nick bitterly chuckled. He felt so awful because he had never stopped loving the blonde boy. He thought leaving him was the hardest part but being around him was pure torture. He could feel his resolve crumbling but he reminded himself of the reasons he should go on with it. It was for the best. "Perhaps everyone was right all along. We're too good of a pair to be true."
After releasing his frustrations, Jeff felt lighter. He wasn't fully recovered, he doubted he could forgive Nick, but he's better. Better in a way that he was able to manage a smile for his soulmate. A smile filled with sadness. "Probably."
"Seriously, who died Jeffy?"
The senior shook his head. "No one Britt-Britt."
"If you say so." She scooped her strawberry parfait. "Anyway Blaine is asking if you happen to know someone named Kurt E. Hummel."
His eyes bugged out, he wasn't sure if he heard his sister right. "What did you say?"
Brittany glanced at the anxious looking Blaine then towards her brother. "Kurt E. Hummel, he's Blaine's soulmate."
He opened his mouth but there's nothing to say. He shook his head vehemently. "There's no one I can recall who goes by that name."
Blaine was prepared for a disappointing result. He could have just let it go if only Brittany and Jeff weren't acting in a peculiar manner. The way Jeff sighed and mumbled into his plate as Brittany's pale blue eyes zeroed in on her brother. The curly haired freshman gambled on his luck. He focused on Jeff until…
"...he deserves it."
The unmistakable voice of Brittany echoed in Blaine's head. His forehead creased in confusion because it should be Jeff. He was reading Jeff's mind.
"I know but you're well aware how complicated this matter is because-"
"Hold on."
Blaine's eyes were as wide as saucers as he felt a powerful force that pushed him out of Jeff's head. He carelessly attempted his way in again only to find it blocked, no way to gain access. He watched Jeff's puzzled look, but Brittany was the one with a furious face. There was no trace of her being a sweetheart.
"You invaded Jeff's mind."
"What are you?"
The female Hummel and Blaine said in unison. Blaine heard it, Jeff and Brittany's voices in the senior's head.
"What the fuck." Jeff said in irritation.
"A mind manipulator who never appreciates people who snoop into someone else's head." Brittany narrowed her eyes.
There was a pregnant tension and no one seemed to want to be on the receiving end of the two Hummels anger. Blainem on the other hand, was somehow unaffected, or if he was he was doing a great job of hiding it.
"You're acting strange and I feel like you're hiding something."
"Which doesn't gives you the authority to hop in my head." The blonde senior said in irritation. He could sense Brittany wouldn't back down so he composed himself. He summoned all his strength to somehow calm down a little bit just to prevent things from blowing out of proportion. "Apologize then we can put it all in the past."
"Jeffrey Seth!" It was a seldom occasion to hear Brittany use her brother's complete name. All the times she had done it, it resulted in her not talking to her brother.
"Blaine is going to apologize and promise not to do it again."
Blaine was tense as he watched the two. For some reason Brittany was beyond mad but there was a calmness to Jeff's demure which was scarier. The rest of the group were eyeing him, their eyes pleading to say the word. Even Nick and Rachel shared the same desperate face.
"I'm sorry. I won't do it again." The curly haired boy sounded robotic. The Hummels seemed like they had a split personality or they were just very sensitive people. Either way, Blaine would make sure to tread carefully from now on.
The blonde junior was shooting daggers at his brother. She nodded, though it was obvious she's against it. She was about to say something when she saw someone enter the cafeteria. In a blink of an eye, she was back to being a sweetheart. She was beaming and waving at someone. "Kurtie!"
Blaine's throat went dry at the sight of the beautiful boy who was slowly taking up residence in his head. His moves mesmerized him, his mere presence could make his heart beat twice as many times as normal. This time though, Blaine noticed something different. There was a slight tug in his core as Kurt came closer and, like anything Kurt related, Blaine simply succumbed to his Kurt addiction. Rationality and consequences came second it seemed.
Today, Kurt was wearing again a Dalton cardigan. The red cashmere scarf was a good addition, accentuating his porcelain skin. Blaine roamed his eyes over Kurt's body, and he liked what he was seeing. Upon realization of his train of thought, he immediately averted his gaze just in time to meet Jeff's gaze. Blaine blushed profusely.
Jeff shook his head as he pulled his attention away from Blaine and back to Kurt. He abandoned his seat and did a once over of Kurt. He appeared fine, yet his eyes had the slightest bit of weariness in them. "Second day of school and you are already skipping classes."
Brittany found herself attached to Kurt. Her arms wrapped around the freshman's slim waist while her chin rested on his shoulder. She was pouting all along.
"That's old news." Kurt patted Brittany's head in acknowledgement. He frowned when Brittany nuzzled into his neck while Jeff's attention was solely on him. "Are you fighting?"
"Jeffrey is being uncute." Brittany mumbled as she tightened her arms around him. As if she was planning to fuse their bodies together.
"If you say so." Jeff shrugged and looked away.
Kurt glanced at the table and saw one of them was Nick. He stared at Jeff for a while before he opened his arms. "C'mere silly."
Jeff took Kurt's offer in a heartbeat and rested his chin on his available shoulder where Brittany's face wasn't positioned. He reached as far as his arms could, wrapping them all the way to his sister's back. They practically sandwiched Kurt but the youngest never complained.
"You know I hate seeing you two fight." Kurt whispered.
Brittany and Jeff nodded. "I love you."
"Love you both."
Rachel told the others indiscreetly, "They are cousins."
Blaine might have appreciated the action if Rachel had said it before Brittany latched on to Kurt like an octopus. It seemed childish to admit but he somehow didn't find the closeness heartwarming. Instead, there was jealousy blooming in his stomach. It was uncharacteristic for him to harbor such ugly feelings so he tried to squash them. However it seemed to amplify when Kurt dropped the L word. No matter how soft Kurt had said it, his lip reading skills kind of decided to work well this time. And God he was getting envious even more, especially when Kurt had been giving the two his undivided attention. It was like the three of them existed in their own world.
The more he watched, the more his jealousy flared up. Jeff handed his tray to Kurt with the cucumber sandwiches while Brittany added a take out coffee from Bean Me Up. Kurt rolled his eyes pretending to be exasperated but it wasn't the same when he had done it during classes. This one was almost, he dared to say, playful.
"We bought your coffee, it was scalding hot when we ordered it. Since you took your time in dragging your lazy ass down here, it's lukewarm already."
Kurt made a disgusted face at the cup. He wouldn't have dared to drink it if he had already had his daily dose of caffeine. He took a tentative sip, eyes still on Jeff. It was a non-fat mocha which made him roll his eyes.
"Deny all you want. I'm confident that this time it's your coffee order."
"I never said anything." Kurt finished his coffee while listening to Jeff's endless rambling.
"I know you too well Kurt and I know which face means what. Also, please attend your afternoon classes. According to your schedule, you have gym class today."
Kurt finally detached himself from Brittany. With an incredulous expression, he pointed at himself. "You must be kidding. Me? Self-defense?"
"Hush! Just go." Brittany jump onto Kurt's back and kissed him on the cheek.
"Okay, okay." Kurt conceded.
Blaine pretended to continue his meal just like the others but he was hyper aware of what had been happening in his peripheral view. Jeff stepped in and separated the two which Blaine would never admit made him do a little victorious dance in his head. The senior was now coaxing Kurt to meet his classmates and Blaine wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Maybe later he would chide himself for being smitten but he was just a teenage hormonal boy - easily tempted and reckless.
Kurt resisted. He wasn't interested in associating himself with any occupants of the table. When Jeff maneuvered him to face the table, he did nothing except to show his displeased reaction. His hips jutted out to one side, arms crossed, lips pursed and those scarlet eyes fixated on the ceiling.
On the other hand, no one seemed to share the same enthusiasm like Jeff and Brittany except for Blaine. He stood up from his seat between Wes and David, hand already extended. "Hi. My name's Blaine. Blaine Anderson."
It might be a thoughtless idea to push Kurt into this. His only goal was for the younger boy to get acquainted with students his age, his classmates rather than with older ones. Actually he could see no harm in it since he would be with them for years, but it would also be better to expand Kurt's circle of friends. Friends who would be there until graduation. Jeff wanted to chastise himself for being intrusive. The way Blaine had this hopeful look in his eyes made Jeff squeamish at the expected rudeness Kurt might portray.
Blaine's treacherous heart skipped a beat once Kurt's scarlet eyes focused on him. What was more fascinating to witness was the way those red orbs shifted back to glasz. Unable to contain himself, he smiled brightly, all perfect teeth showing and eyes crinkled. He didn't care if he appeared like a five year old who had received his christmas gift early.
The noise surrounding Kurt dulled. There it was, the peacefulness that had been long gone. Everything inside him suddenly felt light and the sensation of drowning began to ebb. His head was also clearer which made him notice that the permanent humming of his power source was missing. It was mind blowing for Kurt because the last time he had experienced this level of normalcy was before he received his gift. Kurt felt amazing.
Meanwhile Blaine dropped his hand. A little embarrassed at his desperation to be acknowledged. He should know better that a look didn't mean the other person was interested as well. Hurt, Blaine sat down and decided to resume his lunch.
He took a hurried step forward when his view of those hazel orbs shifted, only to bump onto the table's edge. He groaned and the pain helped to snap him back to reality, especially to the students at the table who were weirdly gazing at him.
"A-are you okay?" Jeff was red in the face. He was struggling to hold in his laughter.
Kurt poked Jeff's stomach. "You can laugh, you know." And Jeff did, making Kurt roll his eyes. He looked back one last time at the table and found the owner of the hazel eyes. He recognized him, Mr. 2829. Kurt had a quick view of the boy's profile in his head, it was a habit for people he had encountered. Having these two encounters where he caught Mr. 2829 staring and this enthusiastic introduction didn't sit well on Kurt.
"Found your boy toy, Casper?"
"Don't need one, don't want one." Kurt gathered his tray ready to leave but Sebastian had planned differently.
"Pull the stick out of your ass already and start living a little." The junior gave Kurt a sly grin.
"I prefer having it in for a lifetime because I don't dig herpes like you do, Sebastian." Kurt gave him his bitchiest glare.
"Bite me, Sterling." Sebastian mocked.
"Where?" Kurt countered.
Sebastian was flabbergasted. Kurt was the last person he had expected to make an innuendo. He was just prudish in nature and easily got annoyed which was fascinating especially when Kurt started cursing him up and down, front and back.
Blaine's jaw was set. He recognized Sebastian Smythe, he thought everyone might see a picture or two of the brunette junior once in their lifetime. His father was Senator Xander Smythe of Crystalvale, a very charismatic man and superhumans most favourite Senator. Blaine wasn't feeling the same affinity with his son, not when Sebastian was talking to Kurt in a crude way. It irritated the hell out of Blaine.
Nick chuckled at the banter. This showed that Kurt was the only one who could bring Sebastian down a notch or two.
The chuckle wasn't pleasing to Sebastian's ears. Earlier, he had seen two stupid blondes and a nice ass boy whom Snow White paid attention to. Now that he had a better view of the occupants, his expression soured. "Is this the new Loserville?"
"Bas, that's not nice to say to other students."
Sebastian ignored Jeff. He stared down at Nick. "Are you tired of playing hide and seek, Duval?"
"Hey! Don't be a jerk Bas!" Rachel glared.
"Are you going to let an insane dwarf defend you?"
"No, Bas. I'm just speechless how subdued you became. Kurt can surely match you."
"Stop assuming you know me." Sebastian's eyes turned aqua blue. His finger pointed at the group. "That goes for you all." His eyes stayed longer on Jeff, Brittany, Rachel and Nick. "We had a moment for a year? No, more like months but it doesn't mean you know me well and stop calling me Bas like we're friends because we're not. We let you in for a few months and now it's over. We're done, so don't be casual with us. We're done and you will never, ever be a part of us again!" He roared without caring at the crowd watching them. Sebastian never cared.
"Lunch break will soon be over just so you know." Kurt examined his nails while his other hand balanced his tray.
"Are you defending them?" Sebastian asked in disbelief, his attention now on the younger student.
"Definitely not. You're wasting precious time on someone unworthy. Stop blowing off steam on them."
"No, I'm not blo-"
"Enough. You're giving me a headache."
"Since when do you converse with me?"
"Since when do you even care?"
"I never care."
"Now you're the one being defensive."
"If being defensive is being honest, then yes, guilty as charged."
"How I love to see you bow down to me."
"Oh! Just you wait. Between the two of us you're the one who'll be on his knees."
"The only time you can make me is when I accidentally drop something on the floor which is highly unlikely to happen"
"Oh really?" Sebastian scoffed.
"What a stupid comeback."
The two stopped mid-rant when their cells vibrated. Kurt ignored his while Sebastian went to check his own. The silence stretched out as the junior's attention appeared to be devoted to his phone. Kurt contemplated leaving him behind. His phone relentlessly vibrated which made the freshman cave in and finally check who it was. The notifications were coming from their group chat and suddenly dread was seeping into his bones. His hand was shaking as his thumb hovered over the notification and scrolled at the very top of the conversation.
She's dead. - Santana
Mwercdes iuis fdeadd. [LINK to article] -Tina
Quinn texted, Mercedes's body was brought to Hythe Memorial Hospital. - Noah