Hi guys! How weird is it that it's March already? January is notoriously long, February just zipped by and now it's March. In the blink of an eye, it'll be April, then summer! Weird…
I'm so humbled by all the comments and "story alert" notifications I've been receiving for my story. Thank you so much! You're all very kind and I hope to keep you further entertained as we move along.
In this chapter, Kurt auditions for the oldest all-male glee club on the Yale campus. Also, I've introduced a character who is based on Cameron Mitchell (of The Glee Project.) You'll know who he is when you read about him. Hehe!
Once again, I thank all of you for following my crazy tale. See you next chapter! Enjoy!
The Monday morning following Sebastian's epic Halloween party, Kurt was awakened and startled at dawn to the sound of a strong, assured knock on his dorm room door. Yawning, eyes barely open, and scratching his head, he slipped into his cushy slippers and trudged over to see who on earth was paying him a visit before the sun had even risen.
He checked through the peephole and saw two young men of about his age standing alone in the hallway. Kurt couldn't help but feel that the two looked vaguely familiar. The one on the left was tall, thin, and a fiery redhead while the other was short, stocky, and a golden blonde. Their contrasting physical appearances reminded Kurt of Laurel and Hardy, the famed comedy duo of quite a number of Old Hollywood comedies from the 1930s. They both wore navy blue Yale cardigan sweaters. Baffled but curious, he slowly opened the door.
"Good morning," the tall redhead said, bowing slightly. "Please allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm David Feldman. And this here is Eric Donizetti." He gestured toward the blonde to his left. "We'd like to apologize for dropping by so early, but we'd very much like to speak with Kurt Hummel."
Kurt stepped aside, allowing the young men entrance to his dormitory. "You've come to the right place," he said, yawning once again and making his way into the kitchenette. "Would you like something to drink? Or would you like some breakfast?" He tried to be as direct as possible.
The blonde called Eric chucked awkwardly. "Again, we do apologize for coming at this ungodly hour, but we have something very important to discuss with you."
Kurt took a seat on the edge of his bed with a glass of orange juice. "What can I do for you two?"
"We saw you perform at Sebastian Smythe's Halloween party on Friday night," David said with a smile. "I must say that we all three were quite impressed."
"The vote was unanimous between us and Sebastian," Eric continued. "We decided that a talent such as yours could simply not be overlooked."
Kurt's eyes darted nervously between the two. He wasn't so sure how Sebastian fit into the mix. "Who are you?"
David grinned. "We're junior organizers of the Howlin' Bulldogs, Yale University's oldest all-male glee club. Eric and I have come here this morning to see if you'd like to audition. Sebastian's been with us since his first week here and he speaks very highly of you."
Kurt's heart beat excitedly as he hardly could keep the smile off his face. He nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, I'd love to audition!"
Eric smiled. "Excellent! We're holding auditions at the Whitney Auditorium this Thursday afternoon starting at 2:30 pm. Prepare any song that you feel best showcases your vocal talents and abilities." He and David both proceeded over to the door. "We'll let you return to sleep."
"See you on Thursday, Kurt," David said, already half outside the door. "We're looking forward to it!"
The second he was alone again, Kurt swiftly grabbed his cell phone and sent Sebastian a text message. He smiled the whole time as he typed away: "Why didn't you tell me you were a part of the glee club here? Thanks for the audition!"
After about a minute, he received a response. "You didn't ask me." This was followed by a winky emoticon. "I know auditions are Thursday, so I'm going to be there to cheer you on!"
Kurt closed the phone and did his best not to squeal in excitement.
Human emotion is a strange beast. It's so quick to change and can be altered at the drop of a hat.
So went Kurt's feelings and emotions as he walked into the lobby of the Whitney Auditorium. Around him, a bunch of young men his age were all seated, mentally preparing for their respective auditions. Kurt felt all eyes on him, sizing him up, as he stepped through the doorway. He did his best to ignore them but nonetheless felt the heat flush in his cheeks.
He plopped down next to a thin, lanky blonde with large tortoise-shell horn-rimmed glasses that were similar in style to Sebastian's black ones. Kurt watched as the boy plucked a few notes on his guitar. Catching him staring, the bespectacled young man turned toward him with a smile and a nod. "What's up?"
Kurt turned his head away but still spoke. "Not much."
But the blonde was very sociable and friendly. "You're here for the auditions, right?"
"Of course," Kurt nodded, feeling the awkwardness disappear.
"Awesome!" The young man shifted in his seat. "Here's hoping we both make it in!" He suddenly extended his hand and smiled. "I'm Brian. Brian Fox."
"I'm Kurt Hummel," Kurt replied with a grin. "It's very nice to meet you."
At this point, they both noticed how everyone else was staring at them. "What's up with these guys?" Brian shook his head and continued to whisper. "They're all wound up too tight. They seriously need to chill out."
Kurt chuckled and smirked. "No kidding," he said under his breath.
Just then, the doors to the auditorium opened and one of the auditioners exited, looking pale. Kurt saw David appear from behind the door and the two waved to acknowledge one another. "Brian Fox," David said, reading off of a sheet.
The blonde rose enthusiastically, grasping his guitar. "That's me!" He briefly turned his attention back to Kurt. "Break a leg, buddy! It was nice meeting you and I hope the next time I see you, we'll both be Howlin' Bulldogs!"
"I sure hope so," Kurt replied. "Thanks again!" He smiled as he watched Brian disappear with David into the auditorium, leaving Kurt to review and prepare his song.
Twenty emotionally agonizing minutes of waiting later, Kurt found himself stepping onto the Whitney Auditorium stage. A lone microphone in a stand was the only item on stage, save for an accompanist seated behind a black upright piano. Heart pounding, he giggled nervously and blushed as Sebastian applauded his entrance from the stands. Sebastian was seated a row in front of David, Eric, and another young man Kurt had never seen before.
"Good afternoon," the stranger said from the back of the auditorium.
"Hello," Kurt said into the microphone.
"I don't think we've met yet," the new person continued. His voice was deep and resonant, but velvety smooth. The sound of it sent tingly shivers down Kurt's spine. "I'm Lucas Worthington, the senior director of the Howlin' Bulldogs. It's to my understanding from David, Eric, and Sebastian here that you're quite the talented vocalist."
Kurt held his head down bashfully. "So they say…"
Lucas audibly chucked. "While I trust their judgment, I'd very much like to hear for myself." He sat back in his seat, folded his arms, and watched as Kurt gave his sheet music to the accompanist on stage right. "What are you singing for us?"
Kurt didn't answer. Instead, he nodded to the pianist who immediately began plunking out a funky, beat-driven rhythm on the keys.
Kurt held on to the mic stand as he crooned the opening lyrics:
"Color me your color, baby. Color me your car. Color me your color, darling. I know who you are…"
Sebastian grinned and nodded along to the beat of the music. However, he was only half listening to Kurt's audition because he was too busy listening to David, Eric, and Lucas discuss the matter in depth.
"Well, what do you think?" It had been Eric who had asked the first question.
"He sounds just as good if not better than he did on Halloween," David added, speaking more to Lucas.
Lucas didn't say anything. On the contrary, he remained absolutely still, silent, and focused on the fiery intensity of the young man onstage.
"Come up off your color chart. I know where you're coming from…"
The music crescendoed and crashed as Kurt actually tilted the mic stand toward him and belted out the angst-ridden notes.
"Call me on the line! Call me, call me any, anytime! Call me, my love! You can call me any day or night! Call me!"
David, Eric, and Sebastian all stood up and cheered to show their support even as the song continued. Lucas remained seated, but it wasn't because he disliked the song choice. On the contrary, he loved "Call Me," but he was too busy gazing awestruck at the boy who strutted his stuff up on the stage.
If anyone had been looking at his changing expression at that point, it would have been quite clear that the young glee club director was absolutely taken by the prospective singer.
Before anyone realized it, the song was over, and the three of the four Howlin' Bulldogs present erupted once more into cheers, catcalls, and enthusiastic applause. Kurt, gasping for air, smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you," he said softly into the microphone.
"Well," Lucas began, licking his lips to regain his composure. "As it turns out, I had every right to believe David and Eric's words. I'm quite impressed. Your voice is simply breathtaking."
Kurt nodded affirmatively but could feel the heat in his cheeks. "Thank you so much," he repeated into the mic.
A good fifteen seconds of silence passed. Kurt could actually hear his heart pounding in his ears as he watched all four boys whisper and speak softly amongst themselves. From Sebastian's body language, (his back was facing Kurt,) he could tell that his new friend was really pulling for him.
Finally, after what felt an eternity, David, Eric, Sebastian and Lucas all returned their attention back to the stage. "Thank you for taking the time to audition this afternoon," Eric said. "David, Lucas, and I will finalize our decision over the course of the next couple days and will post the choices on Thursday at precisely noon on the front door of Woolsey Hall at the south side of campus. As they say in the world of theatre, 'Break a leg!'"
Kurt was positively numb. Whenever he had auditioned for plays, musicals, or even singing spots for glee club competitions in high school, the wait between the audition and the cast list is what always drove him crazy.
He snapped out of his reverie when he realized that Sebastian was climbing onto the stage. "What just happened?" Kurt asked the question with a complete lack of expression.
"Hey, at least you know they liked you," Sebastian said, gently patting his friend's back for comfort and reassurance. "Don't worry about it, Kurt. You've got this! And even if you don't, who cares? What does it prove? What does it mean? Nothing. It doesn't take away from your talent."
Kurt knew that Sebastian was trying to make him feel better, and he smiled at the attempt. But he was wrong. Winning a spot in the Howlin' Bulldogs was a big deal. It was important it would make him genuinely happy.
Kurt didn't know what it was, but the minute he started singing at Sebastian's party on Halloween night, something changed within him. It was his first time singing in almost three years, and with each and every note, he could feel the layers of heartache and heartbreak since then melt away in an instant. He had forgotten how much joy singing and performing brought him and despite the fact that he loved designing costumes, he didn't want to limit himself to strictly that.
All this ran through his mind as Sebastian put his arm around Kurt's shoulder. "Come on," he said. "Let's go get some ice cream. But remember what I said, Kurt. Everything's going to be alright."
Kurt once again smiled warmly. "I sure hope so, Sebastian," he said, heaving a heavy sigh and thinking of the spot in glee club that hung in the balance. "I sure hope so."
To be continued…