Part 19
"Okay so where is this new Warbler of yours", Charles asked and smiled at Wes and Lucas that were watching the doors, nearly glaring at them. They had been waiting for Kim for almost an hour and he still hadn't shown up.
"I don't understand", Wes said and rubbed his neck. "He should've been here by now. He said he would show up."
"Maybe he was too nervous?" Mitch asked kindly.
"He didn't seem nervous", Lucas said and rubbed his chin as he thought of it. Otto rolled his eyes.
"Well I have better things to do than wait for someone that won't show up", he said and walked to the door and opened it and a hand knocked him in the face.
"Ow!"
"Sorry!" a voice that sounded slightly panicked said. "I was about to knock on the door but you opened it so I hit you instead of it!"
The Warblers all started to laugh as Otto rubbed his forehead. He glared slightly at the boy standing opposite him with brown eyes full of shock. He started to blush and looked at his feet. Otto glared at him and then turned to Wes and Lucas that were still laughing.
"Is this him then", he asked and Lucas nodded.
"Well", Brad said and smiled. "Let the kid in Otto."
Otto stepped aside and motioned for the boy to come inside and he walked in carrying his guitar case in hand. He was blushing and everyone was still laughing. Brad, Joseph and Austin weren't laughing anymore, they were in full council mode. Wes and Lucas also stopped laughing and looked at the boy that stood in the middle of the room looking awkward.
"Silence", Brad barked and the boys sobered up one after one. They all at down and Austin turned to the blonde boy in front of him.
"So", he said. "You are Kim Johansson then?"
"Yes", Kim said and nodded.
"Why were you so late?"
"I didn't mean to. I forgot people in this strange country call their teacher mister, misses or miss and then the last name. I called mister Norton for Howard and he got angry on me. He said I didn't know how to show respect. I tried to say him I was sorry but he didn't believe me."
"Norton is a moody old geezer", Joseph said. "Ignore him."
"It is hard to do when he is screaming at you so spit wines."
"Uh… spit what?"
"Wines", Kim said. "Wait that's not the word… vad var det nu…" (what was it now) = what is said in Swedish
"What?"
Kim didn't answer he seemed to be thinking really hard and Nathan leaned close to Wes.
"Where was this guy from you said", he asked.
"Sweden."
"Oh… huh he's kinda cute."
Nathan didn't notice Mitch glare at him and Kim suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Just det! Oh sorry! I um… well what I meant to say was that it is hard to not listen to him when spit fly from his mouth." (Right!)
Brad nodded, still feeling a bit confused.
"So uh", Austin jumped in. "Have you chosen a song?"
"Yes. Off my idol."
"What?"
"Oh sorry I meant by…"
"Right", Joseph said and put his pen down. He guessed the song wouldn't be that exciting and the boy walked over to the CD and put a CD in and waited for the music to start. When it did drums and a trumpet started and then Kim sang:
Min resa var mot solen, långt bortom alla slutna rum,
Där allting är oändligt, och alla gränser har förevigt suddats ut.
Jag ville se miraklet, och höra ord som föder liv,
Bli buren av en styrka, som bara växer när jag anat mitt motiv.
Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,
Ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.
Och så när allt förändrats, när tiden inte längre finns,
Så ser jag oss tillsammans, och då är resan slut,
Det enda som vi minns.
Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,
Ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.
Stad i ljus, i ett land utan namn,
Ge, ge mig liv, där allting föds på nytt.
When Kim stopped the boys were all looking at him with awe. His voice was strong and really good. They hadn't understood a word but that didn't matter at all. All they knew was that it was beautiful and that Kim was good. Jesse on the other hand seemed to disagree.
"How can we have a guy in the choir that doesn't speak English", he demanded to know.
"I speak English just well", Kim said and glared at him slightly.
"It's just fine", Jesse spat. "I speak English just fine."
"No you speak American. I speak English."
"Why you cocky little-"
"Jesse", Brad barked and the boys turned to him. "Cut it out. You are not the one deciding here and you are not acting as a gentleman! Stop this unnecessary squabbling or get out."
"Fine", Jesse said and sat down.
"But I'm afraid Jesse makes a valid point..." Brad turned to Kim. "It is an unnecessary risk to bring you into the Warblers right now."
"Unnecessary", Kim asked and took his CD. "I then understand. Thank you for shown interest." He walked to the door and slammed it shut behind him.
"You can't just let him go", Wes shouted at Brad. "He's good!"
"Yeah but he doesn't sing in English", Austin said. "And his accent and grammar isn't the best."
"Of course it's not the best he's lived his entire life in Sweden for fuck's sake!"
"Wes mind your language", Brad warned.
"When you start minding that broken ears of yours!" Wes walked to the door and threw it open.
"Wesley", Brad barked and Wes stopped and turned to him, giving him a death glare.
"Cute", he said. "Really cute." And then he walked out of the room slamming the door shut. Brad blinked in confusion. Lucas sighed and got up slowly before following the youngest Warbler.
Wes was pissed. How could the council just do that? Had they no tact at all? Unnecessary?! They'd practically called Kim's entire audition unnecessary with that comment! Wes was so angry he kept mumbling underneath his breath as he stormed down the hallways. He didn't even notice that Lucas was walking beside him or that the older boy was chuckling merrily at all his mumbles and grumbles.
But Wes being pissed off was nothing against about the way Kim was feeling. Wes and Lucas found him in the gym, hitting a sandbag over and over again while he yelled and growled things in his native tongue that made no sense to the two boys outside. Well they understood the word "idiot" but guessed everything else were just curses and insults. They heard the council members' names being mentioned and their own as well.
Kim didn't think life was fair, not fair at all. His dad just dropped the bomb on him a week before they were about to move to the US. He would move with his dad but attend some damn private school! He did not want to do it. He knew he'd be mocked for being a foreigner. He had seen all those blasted high school movies were everything turns out alright, but he wasn't stupid enough to think that they were reality. Life was never fair and high school here in USA was surly as bad as his högstadie-time would be.
Oh right you have no idea what högstadiet is do ya? Well it is the time that most kids in Sweden sees as the hell hole of their lives and there "no sane person want to work". The kids in högstadiet are in grade 7, 8 and 9 after that comes gymnasiet… USA's sophomore, junior and senior years. Kim wasn't stupid. He'd been bullied his whole life, why would this school be any different?
He didn't want to be there! He didn't want to be American. He wasn't American and the way he was looked at by the kids in his neighborhood… and at this school… told him that they didn't want him to be American either.
He wiped his brow. Kids looked at him oddly and spoke very slow so that he would understand or spoke with a fake Germanish accent to tease him and at first he hadn't cared… but now he did. Those fucking jerks on the so called Warbler's council had practically told everyone that arguing about him was unnecessary… they surely meant that he was unnecessary because his English wasn't fucking perfect. He threw the gloves aside and went over to a towel but it was swiped from him and he sighed heavily.
"Ow!" he heard someone exclaim after a slap had been heard and he turned to his right and saw one of the other jocks rub both his arms as that African American with glasses was glaring at him and that little Asian kid was glaring daggers. Kim cocked an eyebrow. For someone as small as that little kid… the kid sure knew how to glare. The kid walked over to him and handed him the towel.
"Here", he said and Kim took it carefully. The kid smiled a bit. "It gets easier."
"What do you know about that", Kim asked and wiped at his face. The kid laughed and smiled.
"I'm 13 and stays at an all boys private high school", he said and Kim stared at him.
"Okay", he said and pointed at the kid with the water bottle he just picked up from the bench. "I don't know everything about your school but I don't think boys that are 13 goes to high school."
"No they don't", the kid said and smiled. "I am in 7th grade and that means I'm supposed to be in a middle school but still here I am and I came last year."
"Wait… why are you here then?"
"That is a long and very depressing story but the point is that I am here and I know about the looks, the stares, the comments, the mocking and of course… the bullying. When I came to Dalton I was sure everyone would bully me, just like they did at my old school… but no. No one here is like that."
"Kids here are very understanding Kim", the African American said as he walked over. Kim remembered his name being Wes… or maybe it was Lucas…"The kids will stop staring."
"Yeah right", Kim said and walked towards the locker rooms and headed for the showers.
"They will, trust me", the African-American said.
"Well I find that a bit hard to believe", Kim said and disappeared through the door to the showers but still talked to them. "I've been promised a lot of stuff before. 'Kim I promise no one will look at you strangely because you are Swedish'. Well everyone keeps staring at me… it creeps me out."
"I can understand that", Wes called. "You are a bit on the blonder side so of course they'll stare."
"Shut up!" Kim called as Lucas laughed good heartedly.
"But a lot of boys are blonde so they'll soon get used to that", he said and smirked. "So… Do you want to tell me what's wrong… Swiss?"
The water from the stall stopped and Kim stuck his head out.
"First of all I'm Swedish", he said. "I'm not from freaking Switzerland." He headed into the showers again. Wes gave Lucas an accusing look.
"You like teasing people don't you", he asked.
"I never mean anything with it", Lucas said and smiled. "Shorty."
"Stop calling me that!"
There was a snort from the showers and the two Warblers smiled at each other. Kim came out and headed for a locker to get his clothes. Lucas walked over and leaned on the one beside him.
"You can trust me on my word Swiss", he said.
"Sorry but I have a slight language-issue to overcome if you hadn't noticed", Kim said dryly.
"Is that your biggest problem?" Wes asked curiously.
"No that is practical grownups staring at me as if I was an animal at zoo and when I'm upset they just stare more."
"Well excuse the stupidity of it all but you are very fascinating", Lucas said. "It's not often we get a real Viking here."
"Want me to get my battle axe?"
"No."
"Be quiet then."
"I think you were great", Wes said out of the blue and the older boys turned to him.
"Uh… thanks?" Kim said as he pulled a T-shirt on.
"That song was amazing, what was it about?"
"It's… hard to explain in English."
"Who sings it in original and what's it called?"
"Tommy Körberg sang it… is name familiar?"
"It should be: is the name familiar", Lucas said.
"Don't mark words Beanpole", Wes cut in. Kim snorted.
"Tommy Körberg was the first Anatoly Sergievsky in Chess… the song was Stad i Ljus, City In Light."
"Sweet", Wes said and wrote it down… well he misspelled the last name but he was eager to hear the original. Kim looked at him in somewhat awe and then turned to Lucas.
"Is he like this all the time", he asked and Lucas nodded.
"Wes has a really big heart kid", he explained. "And when he says someone I good he is usually right. That the council refused your entrance because of the language you sang in is wrong. And don't worry we'll get you in?"
"Really", Kim said and packed his stuff into his bag. He looked doubtful.
"I swear it. Now come on." He patted the kid on the arm. "Let's go and get our homework going. Something tells me you might need some help understanding your books."
"That would be good", Kim said and Wes grinned happily.
"Now we only miss a junior!" he cheered and the three boys left. Kim smiled… maybe Dalton wasn't so bad after all.
Isaac Newton, son of a great doctor and an even greater dentist had lived his entire life under pressure of being perfect and to be molded into a doctor. His grades were supposed to be top, they were, he was supposed to join a sports team… he hadn't. Dalton was far away from his parents and he guessed that maybe, just maybe he could get away with doing what he really loved… and that was performing. And maybe… just maybe he could finally meet the boy that would be his first boyfriend.
He had dated… parents' orders but none of the girls they had set him up with made him feel in love. They tried pairing him up with guys and he was a bit more "successful" in feeling things about them… so his parents supported his choice of lovers at least that was something.
But music was not their thing… or theater… or art… or poetry. Isaac wanted to be a poet. He wanted to write poems and plays and songs and… write from his heart. But that could never be. He was going to be a doctor he was born to become a doctor and was molded into that role each day.
But Dalton… maybe he could hide from his parents here and join the clubs his heart belonged to. The Warblers were famous and a membership in the choir would look just as good as any sports team membership in college applications. Just to be able to write Dalton Academy graduate meant a big deal. He had a free pass to the Ivy League already. But that didn't mean he had to like it because he didn't.
His name too was something he wasn't that fond of… everyone made fun of him of it and expected him to be very smart, he was but that's beside the point, they expected him to invent or discover something just because of that name and he didn't like it… at all.
But what he did like was hearing the Warblers perform. When he sat there in the auditorium he had smiled when they sang and when that dwarf joined them he felt that even he with his superior intellect and somewhat lack of social skills would fit in. Dalton really was a place for social misfits like himself and that little dwarf that sang lead. And now Isaac was a Warbler too! He had never been happier. Isaac rounded a corner and slammed into someone and they both fell.
"Ow, ow, ow my poor behind", the one he'd rammed said and rubbed his back as he sat up.
"I apologize", Isaac said and looked up. "I-I-I-I… I…" He lost all powers of speech when he met those dark eyes, saw the brown hair and noticed the small frame. He felt himself blush and it only got worse when the other boy smiled.
"Oh hi Isaac", he said and got up and offered a hand to Isaac. Isaac took it and felt how soft it was and he was pulled to his feet. "Where are you heading in such a hurry?"
"I", Isaac stuttered and looked at his feet. "I was just… um I was… sorry…"
"It's okay", the other boy said and smiled. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself."
"No I landed on you."
"Yeah and I'm so big and soft", the small guy teased.
"Sorry."
"I was only joking honey", the brown haired boy said and patted Isaac on the shoulder. "I'll see you in Glee okay?"
"Yeah… sure."
He got another angelic smile and the other boy hurried off and Isaac realized something.
"Hey", he called and his Warbler teammate turned around. "What's your name?"
"Mitch", Mitch answered with a smile and hurried away.
"Mitch", Isaac said and smiled a goofy grin. Yes there were lots of positive feelings he had about joining the Warblers and now he had just found another perfect reason for getting to know the boys in the club… well to get to know Mitch. Now if just Mitch's boyfriend that stood watching them from the other side of the hall felt that way instead of feeling fury and jealousy bubble up inside him when his Mitch smiled at one of the new guys.
TBC Oh and for those of you that really like this story there is a sort of a trailer for it to be found on youtube ;)
watch?v=5BQOB4RJ4Jg
The link above will most likely NOT work so go out on youtube and search for:
Glee - Little Brother Wes (trailer)
And there you have it ;)
Answer to non-members' (or not signed in members') reviews:
Paula - Tackar :) Och jag har ingen aning om hur det ska gå med "snåla" smålänningar på Dalton ;)
Translation of the song Kim sang:
My journey went towards the sun, far beyond all closed space
Where everything is eternal and all borders are erased forever
I wanted to see the miracle and hear words that bring life
To be carried by a strength that only grown when I realize my motive
City in light, in a land without a name
Give me life, where everything is born again
And so as everything changes, when time is no longer
Then I'll see us together and then the journey's end
Will be the only thing we remember
City in light, in a land without a name
Give me life, where everything is born again
City in light, in a land without a name
Give me life, where everything is born again