The Latin test turned out to be very painful. Blaine had studied, but apparently had focused on all the wrong things. Plus, he was too distracted thinking about what he was about to do to concentrate. He was sure he passed, but he was also pretty sure he wasn't going to be pleased with the grade he'd get. When time was up he handed the test into the proctor and hoped for the best.

U.S. History was a little easier. Groups of students were making presentations about figures from the Civil War, but his group wasn't up until tomorrow. All he had to do was face forward and pretend like he was listening, when really he was playing out travel scenarios in his mind, thinking about which routes would get him to McKinley and back the fastest. If he hit traffic on the highway it'd be better to go on the backroads, he decided. He was pretty sure he would have a decent window of time, but he didn't want to go into this without thinking through any of the things that might go wrong. Karofsky probably wasn't going to be up for a long conversation. He needed to be clear and concise with him, the way the teachers at Dalton talked about making speeches and presentations. Get the point across and then keep the door open if he wants to talk further. He wished he had a PFLAG brochure or something he could give the guy. He had to make sure Karofsky knew he couldn't pretend anymore, and most importantly, that he couldn't torture Kurt anymore. He had to know that Kurt wasn't alone in this now. Blaine had been bullied at his old school, he had come to believe, because he had been so clearly isolated most of the time. He was awkward and shy in middle school, especially as he came to terms with his sexuality. He didn't have a lot of friends and the ones he did have weren't terribly intimidating. It made him an easy target, he thought regretfully. At the very least if Karofsky knew someone else was willing to stand up for Kurt, he'd probably think twice about trying stuff in the future.

"Mr. Anderson?"

Blaine heard Mr. Karsky's voice just as Nick was giving him a little shove to pay attention. He shook himself out of his daydream, startled.

"I- uh..." Everyone in the classroom was staring. Oh God. "I- I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Mr. Karsky sighed. "I said, will your group be prepared to present tomorrow?"

"Oh y-ye-es sir. We're ready."

"Well I hope so, because today's groups were top notch and I expect those of you who have had an extra day to prepare will have something to show for it. But Mr. Anderson, maybe tomorrow you can spend a little less time looking out the window while your peers are sharing their work?"

Blaine stammered. "S-sorry sir." Blaine was mortified. He never got in trouble at school. He had learned early in his school career that getting in trouble at school nearly always meant getting in trouble at home and he had always complied pretty quickly with that in mind. Being scolded in front of the rest of the class was downright embarrassing. He looked askance at Nick, who was very clearly trying to stifle a laugh. Mr. Karsky turned to write the night's reading assignment on the board and Blaine took the opportunity to mouth "Shut Up" and glare at Nick, who just looked away, amused.

Blaine looked up at the clock, willing the second hand to go faster. When Mr. Karsky dismissed the whole class he pulled Blaine aside to say he expected better of him, that his classmates had worked hard on their presentations and it had been rude not to give them the full attention they deserved. This made Blaine feel like a complete jerk and he muttered another apology, saying he was sorry and that he just had a lot on his mind. It was a quick conversation, but Blaine had to force himself not to glance up at the ticking clock above Mr. Karsky's head. He was a little nervous for a second that he was going to get a demerit, but Mr. Karsky let it go at that. He had never had to speak to Blaine about his behavior before, so he didn't push it.

Well this is already turning out to be a banner day. Blaine was feeling like he'd screwed up twice already- first in probably not doing so well on that test and now Mr. Karsky was irritated with him. He was grateful to finally get out into the hallway and set his mind on the plan ahead. Stopping by his study hall, he asked the bespectacled Mr. Thompson if he could go to the library, trying to act casual. Mr. Thompson, who was busy grading a pile of chemistry tests, shooed him off without a thought. Blaine couldn't help but smile at how easy this was. He didn't even need him to write a pass. The faculty just trusted him to be able to get to where he needed to be. It was so different from at home, where his parents were always demanding the details of where he was and who he was with. Much as he sometimes regretted leaving public school, this was definitely Blaine's favorite thing about Dalton. The Warblers didn't even have a faculty advisor- the administration just entrusted the whole group to the council. Blaine had always thought that was amazing. He really did love Dalton.

It's too bad Kurt can't come here. That would probably solve all his problems.

Once in the library, Blaine headed towards the back stairway behind some shelves. No one was back there so he easily slipped down the stairs and ducked his head out the exit door. The parking lot was empty. This was it. Resolved, he texted Kurt.

On my way. Hang in there.