AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry for the long wait! I got caught up in mid-term season and really couldn't find time to write. To make up for it, there's a bit of a longer chapter here and chapter four should be coming shortly. This about ends the lead up to the main story, and we should be into the new school year next chapter. Thank you for the reviews and the favorites it means a lot! Also, can you believe that we're almost at the end of Glee? Yikes. Enjoy chapter three and thank you for your patience!
Chapter Three
To say Sam was anxious to get out of the house was an understatement. After spending the entire morning rearranging furniture, moving boxes, re-rearranging the furniture, moving more boxes, and babysitting the twins, it was safe to say that Sam was in desperate need to have a little fun.
He had his whole day planned out, primarily consisting of hanging out with Blaine. He felt bad for just ditching him out of nowhere yesterday, and Sam definitely wanted to hang out with the boy again, especially after staying up til 2am texting him back and forth.
Sam had been surprised at how quickly the two of them connected. From Marvel vs. DC disputes, to guilty pleasures, and even to Sam's weird interest in internet fan fiction that apparently Blaine also read when he couldn't sleep, the two had more in common than one would assume. It had shocked Sam just as much as it shocked Blaine, seeing as throughout their entire junior year they barely made any time to actually get to know each other. While yes, there had been times when things between the two of them were somewhat tense (Blaine apologized for that, once again) they found it surprising that they had never made an effort to try to get to know one another.
What was even better was knowing that the two of them were going to be leading glee club together. While Sam was excited about being a captain, part of him was initially nervous over if he'd be able to handle it. But Blaine had been a leader of a glee club before, and he oozed talent, so Sam knew he had the right partner.
Their friendship was definitely arising out of the unexpected. It's as if the friendship gods had decided that they'd be perfect together, but it took glee club and Kurt Hummel to bring the two somewhat closer together.
That was another thing. From the way Blaine acted yesterday, Sam knew that the break up was still a fresh wound. As Sam knew, break ups were not easy to get over. Blaine and Kurt probably had a longer relationship than Sam had had with any girl he's ever dated, and he knew that it probably hurt Blaine so much more than any break up ever hurt him.
So Sam knew that until Blaine told him he was over the break up (and did it convincingly enough), Sam wouldn't leave his side. It's tough to deal with a break up, Sam concluded, let alone without a bro to lean on. And if Blaine needed Sam to talk about it with him, or to never mention Kurt ever again, Sam would do that.
Sam walked into his room after moving the last box into storage. We sure have a lot of stuff for a family that used to be poor... Sam thought to himself. Stripping off his damp blue v neck, he threw it into his laundry bin tucked into the corner of his new room and went to his dresser to grab a new shirt. Pulling out a white v neck, he put it on and ruffled his hair, trying to make something out of the mess that it was.
In the corner of his eye, Sam saw his phone light up. Leaning over to see who had texted him, he saw that it was Blaine. Picking up the phone, Sam read the text.
Blaine A.: Hey Sam, we still on for today?
Sam smiled down at his phone. He quickly typed out a reply.
Sam E.: Yup! Pick you up in fifteen?
Blaine answered almost immediately.
Blaine A.: Awesome! Cant wait :)
Sam sprayed some cologne on himself before making his way down the stairs. His mom and dad had decided to leave Sam to some work and had volunteered to take the twins to a nearby park. Although his dad wasn't very pleased with finding a moving truck, some unmoved boxes, and no Sam, he was surprisingly lenient at letting Sam go out after a few leftover chores in the morning.
Sam locked the door behind him as he stepped out of his house, jumped into his truck and began the drive to Blaine's with the widest smile on his face. He was gonna make sure Blaine had the best day ever.
X X
Blaine waited anxiously for Sam in the comfort of his empty home. He hadn't gotten as much sleep as he had hoped, but t least the time as spent talking to Sam as opposed to crying like the previous nights. Regardless of how well rested he may or may not have been, Blaine was preparing himself for tackling the day head on, a concept he had yet to attempt in the last little while. If Blaine was being honest with himself, he was somewhat nervous about going out today.
Not because of Sam! Most definitely not because of Sam.
Sam had been a total blessing to Blaine, coming completely out of nowhere and becoming his rock. If you had told Blaine a couple months ago that he would be crying into the arms of Sam Evans over breaking up with Kurt Hummel, he would probably tell you that you were crazy. And yet here he was, trying to forget about Kurt and thinking about the fun day he was gonna have with Sam.
He wasn't sure where or why Sam had come into his life, but he honestly couldn't complain whatsoever. Back at Dalton, he was always seen as the Alpha, the singer of the Warblers who lead the group as the front man. He had a couple of friends, sure, but most of the time people were a lot closer to each other than they were to him. And then he moved to McKinley, where it was a completely different territory that Blaine had trouble maneuvering in. Blaine wasn't unpopular, per say, but he most definitely didn't have as many friends outside of New Directions as he would have hoped. And even so, he didn't really make as many connections within New Directions than one would have thought. So to say that Blaine was caught off guard when Sam had shown up and allowed Blaine to break down in front of him would most definitely be an understatement.
Blaine heard the faint sound of a truck honking its horn. Looking out of his window, he saw Sam waiting in the driver seat of his truck, tapping his steering wheel to the beat of a song waiting for Blaine. Not wanting to keep Sam waiting, Blaine grabbed an oversized grey cardigan to wear over his white polo and black skinny jeans, and rushed down the stairs, out the door. Sam unlocked the car door and let Blaine in.
"Hey Sam," Blaine said with a smile.
"Hey bud. You're looking a little worn out, you sleep well?" Sam asked curiously, backing out of Blaine's driveway and making his way down the road.
"Not really if I'm being honest... guess that's someone's fault," Blaine replied sarcastically, turning to Sam with a smile.
"Oh, please, you're the one who wouldn't stop texting me."
"I didn't reply to you for like, two seconds, and you sent me three texts asking me if I was dead."
"Well, I just wanted to know if you were there or not so that I could pass out."
"You were just waiting to get rid of me, weren't you?"
"Oh, of course." Sam replied with a grin.
"Jerk."
"Name calling is not necessary, Blaine."
"Yeah yeah yeah...," Blaine turned to look out the window, "so, where exactly are you taking me?"
"I was thinking we'd start with some coffee from the Lima Bean, and then I had a place I wanted to stop by just for the heck of it."
"Are you gonna tell me where this place is?"
"Nope. Surprises are better anyway."
"Alright if you say so."
After driving in silence for a few blocks, Sam spoke. "Hey, my phones plugged into the speakers if you wanna play some music off of it?" Sam suggested.
"Yeah, I could go for some music. Should I just assume all you have is country?" Blaine said with a joking tone.
"I'll have you know I am more than just a country boy, sir, I have other interests."
Blaine scrolled through Sam's music library searching for something to play, "dude, I haven't heard this song in ages!" Blaine exclaimed as he selected a song.
Sam heard the first few beats and immediately smiled. "I should warn you, as soon as this song comes on, I gotta start singing."
"Well, I'd be happy to join you."
All star – Smash Mouth
Sam
Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was lookin' kinda dumb with her finger
And her thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead
Sam allowed himself to get taken over by the song and the road, turning to Blaine and beaming while he sang. Blaine took this as a sign that this was his time to join in.
Blaine
Well the years start coming, and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
Sam
So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the backstreets?
Blaine
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
The two boys looked to one another (with Sam making sure his priority was keeping his eyes on the road) as they sang the chorus.
Both
Hey now, you're an all star get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
Blaine
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now wait till you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
Sam
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water's getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire, how about your's?
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored
Both
Hey now, you're an all star get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star get the show on, get paid
All that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
Sam pulled into the parking lot of the Lima Bean and grabbed his phone before stepping out of his car. "Dude, we need to jam with each other more often."
"Tell me about it," Blaine added, also stepping out of Sam's truck, "you know, our voices go really well together."
"We'll have to keep that in mind when we lead glee club and figure out who gets to sing during competitions."
"With the consideration of the other voices we have as well."
"Right, of course," Sam responded, "how many voices do we have left exactly?"
Blaine held the door open for Sam and followed behind him, "well there's you, me, Tina, Artie, Brittany, Joe, Sugar and Rory?"
"So... we have eight members?"
"Yes."
"And how many do we need?"
"Twelve."
Sam pondered this for a second, "do you think we're gonna have trouble recruiting new members?"
"I'm not too sure..." Blaine confessed, "McKinley has definitely opened up to us after our Nationals win, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll have people jumping at the opportunity to join us."
After ordering their respective drinks (a medium drip for Blaine and a white chocolate mocha for Sam) the two boys made their way out of the Lima Bean when Blaine bumped into someone.
"I'm so sorry!" Blaine exclaimed. Blaine looked up to see the person he bumped into and was met with a very familiar head of blonde hair.
"Blaine?!" Jeff Sterling yelled, embracing Blaine in a hug.
"Jeff! It's been forever! How's it going?"
"It's going pretty good! I actually just got finished moving into a new place."
"Wait, you moved? Where?" Blaine asked curiously.
"A couple minutes away from here."
"Really? Hey, at least now when you visit your parents when you're on break you can visit me too, right?" Blaine said jokingly. Jeff, along with Jeff's best friend Nick Duval, were the two Warblers Blaine felt the closest to during his stay at Dalton. It had been rough separating from the two of them, and during the debacle with the Warblers last year Blaine was immensely hurt at his friends' actions. It wasn't until Jeff and Nick paid him a visit at home and explained themselves that Blaine was reassured of his friendship with the two Warblers.
"Actually," Jeff replied, "that won't be necessary."
"What do you mean?"
"Well... I was gonna wait to be with Nick to tell you but the two of us aren't going back to Dalton in September."
"Wait, what?!" Blaine exclaimed, "What do you mean you two aren't going back?"
"It's exactly the way it sounds, Blaine," Jeff said with a chuckle, "we have no place there anymore, and with me moving I felt it was time for me to finally break free."
"What about Nick?"
"He's gonna be living with me. Our parents talked about it and they knew we wouldn't survive being apart for a whole school year." Jeff responded with a smirk.
"So does this mean what I think it means?" Blaine asked hopefully.
"It's exactly what it means." Jeff responded with a smile.
"Dude!" Blaine exclaimed happily, "McKinley is gonna feel so much more at home with you and Nick there."
"I was hoping you'd say that, and I was also hoping that your glee club might have room for Nick and I?"
"Of course! We'd be happy to have you both."
"We?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow and looking passed Blaine.
Blaine followed Jeff's eyes and turned around, and felt immediate guilt at the sight of Sam awkwardly standing behind him looking at the ground.
"Oh! Sam I'm so sorry. Jeff, this is my best friend Sam."
Sam looked up from the concrete and met the gaze of Blaine's friend from Dalton. He felt slightly uncomfortable interjecting on this mini reunion, so he faded himself into the background to let the two now former Warblers catch up. "Hi, I'm Sam it's nice to meet you."
"Likewise, Sam. I don't suppose Blaine's been too much trouble for you?"
"He's been ok so far." Sam replied with a smile.
"Yeah, you'll get sick of him pretty quick." Jeff stated.
"Hey! I'm standing right here!"
"You know I'm kidding, Blaine. But just a warning to you, Sam, the minute there's liquor in this boy you should probably just run."
"I can't imagine the horror." Sam said jokingly.
"This isn't very funny you two." Blaine stated.
"Well I'd love to stay and continue to ridicule Blaine but I've gotta get my fix of coffee and head home. It was nice to see you both! See you at the start of the year!" Jeff said before he turned and walked inside.
"Jeff!" Sam exclaimed suddenly, "do you wanna join us for dinner tonight maybe? I was planning on bringing Blaine to Breadstix but if you wanted to join us I wouldn't mind, and I'm sure Blaine wouldn't either." Though the invite was particularly random, Sam knew he needed to get to know Jeff. If Sam wanted to be a good leader at the start of the year, he knew he needed to get to know every member/potential member of the club. And besides, if Blaine liked him he was certain he would like Jeff as well.
"I'd love to, actually. I'll bring Nick too. I'll see you both later tonight."
Blaine and Sam started to walk back to Sam's truck. "That was nice of you to invite Jeff to dinner."
"I just feel like I should get to know him, you know? And I'm sure you want to catch up with your two friends."
"Yeah, it would be good to hear how they're doing and help them get ready for the new school year."
"Exactly. Now get in the car, I've got a cool place to show you."
X X
After driving and chatting in the car for what felt like hours, Sam pulled the truck into a gravel parking lot in what Blaine perceived as the middle of nowhere.
"Sam, where are we?" Blaine asked, looking around at his surroundings.
"A little park outside of Lima, come on I wanna show you something."
Sam grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him towards a giant hill. Blaine should have been hesitant at Sam grabbing his hand, but he knew it was only because his friend was in a hurry to show him something.
"I usually come here to think or if I just need some air to breathe that isn't contaminated by car gas and the occasional smelly teen."
Sam and Blaine reached the top of the hill and sat underneath the tree at the very top. From where they were, they could see just above Lima, with the sun hitting them perfectly and the summer breeze keeping them cool. The trees were surrounding the area in a way that made it feel more secluded, with the hill almost perfectly center and the trees around them. There wasn't any noise besides the noise of the two boys walking, and it wasn't long before they sat down and began taking in the crisp summer air.
"Do people usually come here?"
"No, not really. It's sort of out of the way and there isn't a playground here so I can't imagine parents would bring their kids here."
"This place is amazing, how did you find it?"
"Well, you remember when my family was stuck living in that motel?"
"Yeah, I do." Blaine answered sadly. He knew that that had been a very dark time for Sam and his family, a time where Sam had to hide everything and put on a brave face not only in front of the glee club but also in front of his family.
"Well that motel isn't too far from here. One day I was super frustrated and no one seemed to understand why I was upset and how to help. I wasn't exactly open about my situation with the glee club yet, and my parents had enough on their hands so I really didn't have anyone or anywhere to go to."
"I'm sorry, Sam."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. I tried to run away, thinking that I could run away from my problems and such. But obviously, that didn't work. Luckily though, I stumbled upon this place and sat my butt right in this spot. I didn't move for maybe a couple of hours, and it really gave me a chance to be by myself and think."
"And what did you think about?"
"How life is too short to get down about the little things. That's probably the cheesiest and dumbest thing ever, but it's what kept me going afterwards. I had spent weeks embarrassed by what my life was, and I felt even more ashamed at my parents knowing that I was embarrassed. I mean heck, here I was sitting here, and I had just run away from my family like some angsty teenager."
"What changed?"
"I started to think about how much harder it must've been on my parents than me. Imagine having to face your kids and tell them that you've lost everything, the embarrassment and the shame that comes with all of that. The entire time I was just thinking about how much things sucked for me, when I really should have been thinking about helping my family."
"That's a lot for someone to think about at that age, Sam."
"I know, but it really helped me see things more clearly."
"Thank you for telling me all of this," Blaine remarked, "can I ask you a question, though?"
"Sure thing."
"Why did you bring me here?"
"Because, Blaine, I think you need a place to think. Look, I know you don't wanna admit it to me, but you've still been thinking about Kurt all day."
"I-"
"Don't even try to defend yourself. You know it's true. And honestly, I'm just hoping this place can help you as much as it's helped me."
"Sam... I don't know what to say."
"Say anything, bro, me and this place will listen." Blaine stared at Sam for a while, thinking of where he wanted to start. He knew that there was no getting out of this, but he also knew he needed to get some closure on the whole "Kurt" situation before he could really move on.
"Do you ever feel like you're so lost, you don't think you'll ever find your way again? Like you were so sure your life was supposed to go a certain way, and then all of a sudden you're suffocating in your own confusion, scared that you've forgotten how to breathe? I know it's stupid of me to feel so scared and confused with Kurt completely pushing me out of his life, and that I should never identity who I am or my life around a boy, but Kurt honestly gave me a sense of direction. With him, everything felt so right. I grew as a person with him; we grew together. And to have him out of my life completely blind-sided me. And now I just feel like I don't know where to go anymore, who I am, who I'm going to be. And honestly, Sam, I'm just really, really scared."
"Do you feel scared with me right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sitting with me here, talking, to you still feel like you're alone and lost? Because I don't want you to feel like that, Blaine. I know I'm no Kurt and I know that you loved him with everything in you, but just because he's gone doesn't mean you have to stay lost."
"I just don't know where to start, Sam."
"Start here with me, right now. This is your year, Blaine. You're the most talented performer we have, the smartest and kindest guy I know, and there's no way someone like you should ever feel lost because of some stupid asshole who doesn't know the meaning of love or friendship."
"You really think so?"
"Dude, I know so. And you may think that you're lost and you won't find your way, but I'm telling you right now that if you ever feel like you can't find yourself or you're too scared to try, I'll be there with you the entire way."
Without thinking, Blaine threw himself into Sam's arms into a warm embrace. "Thank you, Sam. Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for being... you."
"Don't mention it, dude. Just promise me that this year is our year. We go into senior year together, we leave senior year together."
"I promise." Blaine replied with a smile.
"Good. Now, we better get going, we need to meet Jeff and your other friend for dinner."
Sam stood up and began walking down the hill. Behind him, Blaine continued to sit, completely taken over by the release of his emotions. Looking at his new best friend Sam, Blaine smiled. How he got so fortunate in these last few days? He probably couldn't even tell you.
X X
The two boys pushed through the doors of Breadstix, and found Jeff and Nick sat at a booth in the back.
"It took you boys long enough." Jeff said in a joking tone.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Blaine apologized, "Sam, this is Nick. Nick, this is Sam Evans."
"It's nice to meet you, Sam!" Nick exclaimed enthusiastically, "I understand you've been taking care of Blaine for us."
"You might say that..." Sam admitted.
"Hey dude, better you than us two."
"Must you two always undermine me in my presence?"
"It's kind of a skill and a hobby." Jeff stated.
"I think I'm gonna like you two a lot." Sam added.
Blaine sighed, "perfect."
X X
After sharing some friendly chatter and informing Jeff and Nick about the drama of New Directions, Jeff stood up to head to the bathroom.
"Hey, I'll be right back." Sam stated, standing up and following Jeff towards the bathroom.
"Jeff!" Sam exclaimed.
"Sam! Hey man, uh, do you need something? Cuz I was about to... you know..."
"Yeah! It'll be fast a promise."
"Alright, go."
"Ok, so I know Blaine hasn't mentioned it yet tonight but Kurt broke up with him a week and a half ago."
This caught Jeff's attention, "wait he did what now?!"
"He left for New York and didn't want to tell Blaine but Blaine caught him before he could."
"I never liked Kurt." Jeff admitted angrily.
"You and me both bro. But anyways, I've been trying to help Blaine get over it and I was hoping you and Nick could help me out a little bit."
"Yeah, Sam, we'll do anything."
"Great! Well, let me tell you the plan and then I'll let you do your business."
"Make it fast, please, I don't know how much longer I can hold it."
X X
Jeff and Sam made their way back to the table, watching as Nick and Blaine laughed about some stupid story Nick had been telling Blaine.
"And you would think that the Dean would notice his cat was flying off attached to about one hundred balloons, but he was so concerned with his toupee I guess he couldn't focus!" Nick continued.
"That's awesome, Nick, but how exactly did you know how many balloons you would need to get that cat flying?"
"I did a lot of research."
"Hey you two," Jeff began, "we're gonna need Nick for a second."
"What, why?" Nick asked. Jeff whispered Sam's plan into Nick's ear, and Nick went from anger to sympathy in an instance.
"What are you guys doing?" Blaine asked Sam.
"You'll see." Sam replied with a large grin.
Sam, along with Jeff and Nick made their way to the open mics and began to attract people's attention, with Sam picking up the stray guitar and Jeff putting the mics into position.
"Hello? If I could have everyone's attention please," Sam stated. Everyone in the restaurant turned towards Sam, equally confused. No one was more confused than Blaine, however.
"Hi, my name's Sam and these are my friends Jeff and Nick. Recently, a very good friend of ours has gone through a pretty rough time, and we thought right now would be a perfect time to let him know how awesome he is and how much he means to us."
"So we decided to dedicate this song to our fantastic friend, Blaine." Nick added.
"Because no one messes with our boy, and we want him to know that he is a special little snowflake and we'll always be there for him." Jeff added jokingly.
"So here's a song from one of his favorite TV shows. We love you, Blaine."
Blaine was completely dumbfounded at what was happening before him. After hearing the first few notes from the guitar, he immediately smiled.
I'll Be There For You – The Rembrandts
Sam
So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but
All
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
Jeff
You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast, so far things are going great
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees and
All
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
Nick
No one could ever know me
No one could ever see me
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with
All
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, Yeah!
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
The entire restaurant erupted into applause as Sam, Nick and Jeff finished the last lyric. The only reaction that mattered, however, was Blaine's, who was standing and clapping with the largest smile on his face with his three friends. As the three boys made their way to Blaine, he ran up to each of them and gave them a hug.
"Guys... you really didn't have to do that. Thank you."
"Don't mention it Blaine," Nick responded, "you're our boy, and no idiot should ever make you feel low or down."
"Yeah, Kurt's lucky he's not around or else I'd-"
"Jeff!" Nick exclaimed, "what Jeff means is, we're really upset about what he did to you, but we want you to know that we'll be there for you no matter what. Even better now that we're all at the same school again."
"Thank you, guys, really." Blaine thanked the two and turned to Sam, "I'm assuming this was all your scheming?"
"Perhaps..." Sam answered, "just needed some help in getting my point across."
Blaine embraced Sam once again and smiled, "your point was definitely made, Sam Evans."
Sam smiled at the feel of Blaine in his embrace. Nothing felt better than knowing he had brightened someone's day, and having Blaine in his arms like this, Sam knew his goal was accomplished.
X X
After dinner had finished and talks of hanging out were discussed amongst the four of them, Sam dropped Blaine off at his house.
"Did you have a fun day?" Sam asked.
"Probably one of the best days I've had in a long time."
"Well good, I'm really glad."
"Thank you for everything, Sam," Blaine said with a grin, "you really didn't have to do anything at all."
"That's what best friends are for, right? Now get inside and get rested. You need to be ready for when school starts up again."
"Yes of course, mother, how could I forget?" Blaine said jokingly, hopping out of Sam's truck.
"Night Blaine!" Sam yelled at Blaine from his car window.
"Night Sam! See you tomorrow!" Blaine yelled back.
Blaine wasn't sure what it was he was feeling, but he knew that things were starting to look up for him. The entire day had been close to perfection, and Blaine couldn't help but smile at how fortunate he was to have friends like Nick and Jeff. He was especially fortune to have a best friend like Sam. Maybe Blaine wasn't as lost as he thought.
In fact, maybe, just maybe, he had just been found.