A/N: Long time and no post, huh? Well, I really did try to post last semester but taking eighteen hours seemed to completely drain my muse and I was never able to finish anything. Though I did get a lot of ideas. So, now that I'm a new graduate, working and taking a few classes for fun, every thing is coming back to me as if I never left it behind. It feels good! Let's see how far this takes me!

I'm very excited to continue with this story and can't wait to hear what you all think!

Okay, before we start, a few things.

Timeline, I did a rewind from the first chapter. I plan on doing a complete working up to the what you previously read. So basically, this point on is a 'from the beginning' and at some point it will be 'the after'.

Translations, I figure it's easier you know what it means going in then at the end, especially with the amount of slang I'm using.

Language, I'm changing the speech style of our two boys (I've already edited the prologue for that very reason). Not because someone told me to do it, but because I finally broke down to admit it was a little hard to understand (not because they would never talk that way, it's a different era and my story, they'll talk the way I want them to talk).

Translations: (In order of appearance.)

going steady - dating

rumble - fight

stay on the money - be alert, pay attention

tail - butt, hide

square - regular, normal person

slick, fly - cool (image wise)

(coolest) cat - a cool person

Jellyroll - hair style (the one Kurt had in the Glease episode)

like wow/crazy - better than cool

birdies/dame - girls, chicks

punk - weak

scorch - popular/ity

bull - athletic or build guy

flick - movie

Well, that's it!

Enjoy!

When something dropped onto Kurt's head while he was trying to sneak a look at his reflection, he just about jumped out of his skin. But when he spun around he was surprised to see the smiling face of Carol, the woman his father had gone steady with and finally married.

Kurt smiled back at the woman.

He was glad that his dad had found someone he could settle down again with. Losing Kurt's mom had been hard, on both of them. Considering that Burt already had a lot to worry about with the shop, keeping up with newer and newer car models, learning how each engine was different and what parts he needed to always have in stock, let alone worrying about now having to raise his son by himself, making sure the house was clean, that they had dinner every night, and having to stay strong about it all because he was a man.

After the disaster that the first family night dinner after Elizabeth had died was, Burt learned that he could lean on his son a little. Luckily enough, Kurt took after his father in the sense that he was strong too.

Even when it was just the two of them, they were not completely alone, their neighbors made sure of that. Several women on their street began to take turns making them dinner, making sure that Kurt was watched after when Burt could not take him to the shop, and teaching Kurt everything that he had started learning from his mother, be smart, listen in school, how to use starch, bleach clothes, cook, bake, sew—and that was easy for Kurt, because it was like his mother was there with him, every step of the way.

He had been fine, he grew up a smart kid... but he was not like everyone else.

It never mattered who it was, what was said was always the same: he was too soft, too girly, too weak, too plain—and it followed him to high school.

Even now, standing with Carol in the local Macy's, milling around with her as she shopped, knowing that he was a part of his family, that he was a part of Finn's gang—he still felt like he did not belong.

"You keep sneaking looks at the person on the other side of the mirror," Carol said, cupping the teen's cheek gently, "I'm afraid you'll lose the one on this side."

Kurt pulled the hat off his head, nodding, "Thanks."

Carol laughed, "Of course. Now, help me find a dress better than the one we saw last week."

Blue eyes rolled as they began to move around again, setting the hat off to the side, gently sliding a hand over his 'do, making sure no hair were out of place.

More of a nervous gesture than anything else. While it was unlikely for him to rumble in a Macy's, he needed to be more aware of his surroundings in case he had a run-in with someone from another gang, let alone a Scorpion, I need to stay on the money. Finn'll have my tail if I get jumped again.

After some searching, Kurt was able to find some dresses for Carol to try on but as he sat in front of the dressing rooms, his eyes never left his reflection—seeing the difference of his appearance, of himself.

Even before he joined Finn Hudson's gang... Kurt Elizabeth Hummel had a complex.

Obviously, he had been just another square in the eyes of Finn and his gang, before he was taken under their wings and forced to change his image. As a T-Bird, bearing the name across your back, you cannot look like your weak or follow trends of those who conform to society.

So his image changed.

Away went his pressed slacks (he still ironed his jeans, just did away with the front crease) and button-up shirts, his shined shoes and folded socks; even his hair changed... actually, that was probably the most important part besides earning his jacket.

"Grease, grease, and more grease," Puck said to him, slapping a can, of said grease, into his palm. "We can't be seen hanging with no square! Yous got to be slick, kid. Fly."

Kurt went to change his hair immediately. Puck was one of the coolest cats he had ever come across, even before the gang had started talking to him; and he was slightly star-struck at the muscled boy even acknowledging him, let along talking to him and giving him advice to fit in better.

He did away with his drab come-over and guiltily stared into the mirror as he worked the grease into his brown locks, feeling a rush at getting the chance to do a hair style he always wanted. Made famous by musicians and actors alike: the Jellyroll. The skinny teen had imaged what it would like to look like those idols, have a freedom that he never felt before, even if it was just through that one aspect.

His locks were combed up from the back to the front, meeting in the middle so that there was a sort of midline all the way to his bangs; bangs that were curled together and fell gently against his forehead in a spiral.

He looked—

"Like wow," Puck had said when Kurt first showed up, looking like he was one of them. The young man strode over, slinging his arm around Kurt's shoulders, "Birdies will be dropping their drawers more often with this hip cat hanging around."

Kurt had felt proud, not only because Puck took a quick liking to him, but so did everyone else. They warmed up to him, talked to him, took the chance to know him—

Finn frowned.

Not just then either. Almost every time Kurt was around with the gang.

At home he was nice to Kurt, talked to him plenty, treated him like they were real brothers; but when they were at school, with the gang, around town: a wall went up... and Kurt felt like the punk square that no one wanted to talk to again. That people with some scorch took advantage of, push him around, humiliate him.

So when Kurt looked at himself, it was nothing like when he used to. The feelings were different. He felt less empty than when he was all on his own, but part of the space that had been filled was pure insecurity.

From: "Why don't I fit in?"

To: "Do I fit in? Can they see it? Will they find out? When will I be thrown away because I don't belong?"

The only person that seemed to know Kurt did not belong though, was Finn. It was scary for Kurt too, knowing that a person he lived with, that he was family with, that took him into his gang in the first place—would be the first one to cast him away.

Looking at himself was no longer about the joy of getting ready, it was a task of dressing up, making a character, creating an image. Whether it was about the image fitting him and Kurt feeling like he belonged, or him fitting the image and feeling like a Mattel Barbie, it all seemed to fall on Finn.

...and that was not fair.

"How's the fit?"

Kurt looked over at Carol, immediately assessing the dress, the color, the length, the fit in a matter of seconds. He smiled widely, "Much better than last week's."

Carol's face lit up, "That's what I like to hear!"

"The length is good," Kurt continued, "and the color is really nice on you. Plus, it'll match those heels you wear with that white and pink number."

The older woman's eyes snapped back to her reflection, taking in the dress in a new light. "My goodness, your right. This is the one then." Kurt loved Carol's smile, it reminded him of his moms. "We're done," she said to the dressing room attendant before stepping back behind the curtain to change.

Right then, Kurt heard some rather loud voices from the dress section.

"Come on, baby. I don' know why yous got to be like this," a male voice said.

"I don't know, baby. Maybe because you brought your boys on our date, Jessie James," a female voice responded, clearly annoyed.

Kurt, as subtle as possible, looked over at the couple, only to confirm his suspicions. Jessie St. James (or "St. Sucks" if you are Kurt, Puck absolutely loved that name for him), the one and only leader of the Scorpions of Carmel High, his current dame of flavor (Chi-chi or Cha-cha something) and five beefy bulls trying to look like they were not listening to their leader's business.

Damn, I need to get out of here so Carol doesn't get bugged, the tall teen thought to himself as he stood, knowing that that was the exact moment he would be spotted, the T-Bird emblem sew proudly into the back of his leather jacket. Finn'll kill me more if something happened to his mom... After a short few steps, still a good distance from the curtain, Kurt whispered to Carol, "I know I was supposed to walk you back to the bus stop, but I'm going to go ahead and meet up with the guys. We're supposed to catch a flick tonight."

"Oh, honey," Carol said, stepping out from the curtain that moment, dress over one arm and her purse in the other, "I know how teen boys are so all over the place. It's okay for you to be too, but thank you for telling me and not just running off." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow. Be safe tonight."

Kurt just nodded, unwilling to agree with the woman so he would not have to lie to her. He knew as soon as he stepped away—he would be followed, as soon as he was outside—they would be hot on his heels, and as soon as he reached the first alley—he would be shoved in and beat.

Not exactly the definition of staying safe.

He was not going to run away though, that kind of stuff was never his style, even before when he was still square, he always stood up for himself.

Kurt would put up a fight more than he would before though, he had a name to uphold.

T-Birds were not punks... and he was not one either. No matter what anyone made him feel like.

So when the breeze of the day hit him as he pushed the front door open, his stride changed from the one he used around Carol to a confident and powerful walk: his steps sure, his back straight, his shoulders set, and his head held high.

...because even as he passed in front of the first alley opening, even as he felt a hand grab the side his neck and pull him into the alley, even as he was shoved roughly into a brick wall, even as he was hit with the first punch and dodged the second, he was a T-Bird...

...and that made him strong.

A/N: Yay! Feels so good to be back! I hope you enjoyed this. It wasn't much longer than the first chapter but it's really starting to lead some where so that's a good thing. I really had not planned the chapter to end here but in order to keep myself writing a good amount plus updating regularly, I'm trying to post chapters of similar length so I'm not biting off more than I can chew. Good news is, I've already got the second chapter half written because I had two more scenes worked out for this chapter but Kurt's intro part kept getting longer... So, we'll meet Blaine first thing next chapter! Awesome.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Anjel Starlight

P.S. I posted a new oneshot! It called Untitled Two. It's very cute and fluffy. Be sure to check it out!