AN: Hey everyone, wow, this took so long to start/finish/upload and I am immensely sorry for that.
I'm also sorry if I got any of the school-grade-name-things wrong, I'm Australian so I really have no clue (apart from what I see in TV and movies and books) about the American schooling system.
I am very much liking your reviews and all the alert/favourite emails I've been getting, keep them coming because they make me super happy.
If anyone wants more of a visual on Miss Thompson, in my head she kinda looks like Zooey Deschanel, so yeah. I also have further plans for her in the story, so I'm sorry for the kinda craptastic ending to this chapter but it had to be that way (not giving away any more hints).
Annnnnnd I've been working on some more oneshots, including one from the newly named Sugar Cookie 'verse, in case anyone is interested in that, and some ahem-smut-ahem, but I'm not sure when (if ever) they will be uploaded.
Okay, enough of my nonsensical rambles, I hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews would be just the greatest thing in the whole world.
Blaine held his mom and dad's hands, one on either side of him, as he walked up the front steps of the school he now knew very well. Almost another year at West Lima had passed, and third grade was nearly coming to a close. This meant parent teacher interviews. This also meant that because Blaine was one of the best students in the lower grades, the school board had offered for him to skip fourth grade and go straight to fifth.
Blaine had contemplated the choice, because as everyone had said, it was his choice. But to be honest, Blaine was scared. He didn't want to leave behind all his friends. He didn't even want to leave Miss Thompson, who he had been lucky to have as his teacher both years he had been at the school, but that was inevitable either way. Blaine liked change as much as the next guy, but he just wasn't ready for this one.
His parents were already telling him to do all his homework and be smart and a good student. That would just get even more overbearing if he skipped a grade. And what about Kurt, Tina, Mercedes, Rachel, Finn; all his friends? Would they want to hang out with him if he was in with the bigger kids? Would they think he was weird or mean for leaving them? And what about the bigger kids themselves? Blaine had heard some sixth graders calling another younger kid, Jacob, names the other day. Things like nerd and wimp and some even meaner ones that Blaine didn't even know the meaning of. Would they be like that to him?
So many questions were still going through Blaine's head when he crossed the threshold of the main doors. He spotted Tina and Mike, whose parents were talking very fast in a language Blaine didn't understand, over by their classroom.
"This way Mom, Dad," he said, tugging them by the wrists over to his friends.
The adults began to talk as Blaine asked Tina what her and Mike's parents had been saying.
"Oh, they were speaking Mandarin so I don't really know. I was never good at learning it but I know some. Mike knows more than me," Tina said, smiling at the other boy.
"I wasn't paying attention," Mike said sheepishly, "hey Blaine, is that your Mom? She's Asian too? You never told me that."
Blaine looked up to where his Mom was in a deep discussion with Mike's Mom. He heard words like 'clever' and 'opportunity' and knew there were talking about his grade skip, which made even more butterflies scatter about in his tummy.
"Uh yeah, she's half Filipino. My grandparents are. Filipino that is. I guess it just never crossed my mind before."
The three talked about Mike's soccer game and Tina's flute recital that had just passed that weekend as the cool Sunday breeze drifted in from open classroom windows. It was a clear, starless August night and Blaine wanted nothing more than to just forget about stupid school and stupid parent teacher conferences and just run about in the slightly too-long grass outside.
Then he saw a familiar head of chestnut-ginger hair and pale skin enter the corridor and his face lit up into a big grin.
"KURT!" he yelled, running at his best friend and flinging himself at him full force, nearly toppling the taller, ganglier boy over.
Kurt laughed and squeezed Blaine around his middle, "Hi Blainers," he said happily.
"Hey kiddo," said a gruff voice from way above Blaine's head.
Blaine let go of Kurt, though Kurt still had one arm wrapped around his waist, and looked up at Burt Hummel with shining puppy-dog eyes.
Blaine loved Burt. He was so tough and big and strong and so unlike Kurt, but at the same time so kind-hearted and smiling and happy and so like Kurt. Sometimes, it confused Blaine, but he need only look at Kurt's Mom to see the link. Kurt's Mom Elizabeth was the most beautiful lady in the whole world. Sometimes Blaine felt bad saying that, even if it was just between him and Kurt, because he SHOULD think that HIS mom was the most beautiful lady in the whole world, and she was. But there was just something about Elizabeth Hummel that everyone loved.
Blaine though that if Kurt was a lady (and that made him giggle 'cause how weird would that be) he would look just like his Mom. She had ginger-gold hair that fell in thick waves down to the small of her back, pale jade green eyes the same shape and transparency as Kurt's but different colour, and flawless skin slightly darker than Kurt's. She was always dressed perfectly, and Kurt said that was because she made nearly all her own clothes (Kurt helped too). But most importantly, she was the sweetest, most compassionate and most understanding person Blaine had ever met. Elizabeth was there when Blaine hurt his knee at the park and his house was too far away. She was there when one of the older kids took his toy car at his and Kurt's bench after school. She helped them play tea parties and dress ups and never shook her head with disdain or frowned like any of the other parents. She ALWAYS listened to what Blaine had to say.
With the most perfect parents in the world, maybe that was why Kurt was so amazing.
"Hi Burt, hi Lizzy," Blaine said, eyes still shining, from his place in their son's arms.
"Hello Blaine! How's my favourite boy?" said Elizabeth, ruffling Blaine's hair (gracefully, because everything Elizabeth did was graceful) and smiling like an angel.
"Mom!" Kurt exclaimed, pouting.
"Second favourite boy."
"Liz!" Burt smirked.
"Oh hush you two."
Blaine giggled, "I'm good Lizzy, how are you?"
"Just lovely Blainers."
The family-plus-Blaine was interrupted by a jumping Tina, "We're going into the classroom to listen to Miss Thompson for a while now!" she squeaked, before jumping away.
"Why is she jumping?" Kurt asked Blaine.
"I don't know… wanna jump too?"
"Sure!"
So they jumped all the way back down the corridor to their third and once second grade classroom, the Hummels trailing behind and laughing at the two exuberant boys.
Miss Thompson ushered everyone in out of the cold, greeting Kurt and Blaine with a quick 'Hey dudes!" on the way past.
Miss Thompson began her speech about the past year to the assembled parents and guardians and the children quickly zoned out. Blaine tried to be attentive, it was good manners to listen to someone when they were speaking, but he was distracted by a tugging on his blazer collar. He looked down to see Kurt pulling at it and inspecting it, little pink tongue poking out from between his lips.
"Where did you get this?" Kurt asked, still in fashion mode, "It looks designer."
"My grandparents gave it to me for Christmas last year and it still fit so Mom made me wear it tonight. It's itchy."
"It's pretty," Kurt sighed, "if you don't want it, can I have it?"
"I suppose," Blaine whisper-laughed.
Kurt was funny when he saw what he called 'les choses brillantes' (it was French for shiny things. If there's one thing Kurt loved more than shiny things, it was French). He was like a cute, curious, inquisitive kitty-cat. Blaine loved it when Kurt was like that.
Soon it was time for the individual conferences, and Blaine, Kurt, Finn, Quinn and Rachel sat outside together on the steps. They felt rebellious being outside all by themselves like this. Well, Blaine did anyway. He'd never done anything rebellious in his entire life, so yeah, he thought he was pretty cool. So he decided to be even cooler and show off to his friends by walking along the edge of the water pipe attached to the wall, near the steps. It was pretty high up, but despite Rachel's words of "No Blaine! You'll get us in trouble or hurt yourself or something! Blaine get down!" he clambered on up anyway.
Finn and Quinn cheered and clapped excitedly as Blaine got further and further and higher and higher, while Rachel had her hands over her eyes and Kurt just looked on amusedly. Blaine was doing pretty well, not even worrying about how he was going to get down yet. That is, until he saw a tiny black spider on the wall in front of his hand. Blaine hated spiders. They were scary. So Blaine panicked and cried out, and then he was slipping and falling and falling and then he was in the forget-me-not bush outside the classroom window. His back and shoulder hurt a little, but apart from that, he was fine.
He heard shouts and hurried footsteps coming towards him and then Kurt's face was right in front of his and the look on it was just so concerned and shocked and hilarious that Blaine had to laugh. And soon Kurt was laughing too. And then everyone was laughing, until even Rachel was peering over Finn's shoulder with a little smile on her nervous face.
"S-spider," Blaine choked out as Kurt and Finn pulled him up, which made everyone laugh even harder.
"Oh Blainers, whatever will we do with you," Quinn smiled.
In next to no time, Kurt and Blaine were the last ones sitting on the steps. Kurt was fiddling with the friendship bracelet Blaine had made him for his eighth birthday. This meant that Kurt was deep in thought about something.
"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Blaine asked, bumping their shoulders together.
"Nothing… well, not nothing. Um…" Kurt began, Blaine just stared at him openly, "well. I was walking around the park by myself the other day when you couldn't come play and I walked over behind this tree and Tannie and one of the older boys were kissing. It was really weird. Sometimes I forget that Santana's a year older, but still she's so young. Why were they kissing? Aren't only grownups meant to kiss? Or are we meant to kiss too? Like us kids? Sometimes the high schoolers are kissing AND touching each other at the bus stops and stuff. Does that mean we have to? Am I weird because I-I don't want t-to?"
Blaine processed what Kurt had just told him before speaking.
"I don't think it really matters. I guess if you wanted to you could, but just 'cause you don't, doesn't make you weird. I don't really wanna either. I mean, we're only eight. And girls are gross. They have cooties and stuff… I think. That's what Finn said…" he trailed off.
"I'm pretty sure that's just a lie, Blaine," Kurt supplied helpfully.
"Oh. Well. Anyway, I'm not gonna kiss anyone 'til I know for sure that I love them. 'Cause you're only meant to kiss the people you love. You can't just kiss anyone, that really is gross."
"Yeah."
They sat in silence.
"Thanks Blaine."
Blaine looked over to find Kurt's head on his shoulder and his little hand in his own.
"For what?"
"For not thinking I'm weird."
"I could never think you're weird Kurt. Never ever. You're my best friend. Forever."
Blaine rested his head on top of Kurt's and squeezed his hand.
"Boys?" Elizabeth's voice called softly from the main door, "Kurt, we have to go home now."
Kurt and Blaine pulled apart and stood up reluctantly.
"Bye Blainey," Elizabeth said, bending down to hug the small, somewhat sleepy boy.
"Bye Liz. Are you guys coming to dinner at my house this week? Mom said you should so that you and her can talk about skirt patterns. She said 'cause you make the best ones and then you could teach her or when Kurt comes over you could just send him with some stuff or whatev-" Blaine hugged Elizabeth tighter and rambled, trailing off as he caught sight of Kurt making funny faces at him behind his mother's back.
Blaine stuck his tongue out at Kurt and let go, laughing, before pulling his friend into a goodbye hug too.
"I'm sure we'd all love to come to dinner, wouldn't we little man? We'll just have to check Burt's schedule at the shop," Liz ruffled Kurt's hair and Kurt preened under the affection.
Not long after, Burt trudged down the steps, shook Blaine's hand by way of farewell, and the Hummels departed, Blaine staying on the steps for a while to wave at them as they disappeared in their big black car around the corner.
By the time Blaine got back inside the classroom, his parents' interview with Miss Thompson was nearly over, and being the last one, no one else was anywhere in sight.
"Blaine Anderson, where have you been?" his mother reprimanded him as Hugh fixed his tie and Miss Thompson winked at Blaine secretively from behind the desk.
"Saying goodbye to Kurt and stuff. I fell into the flower bush, sorry if I hurt any of the flowers, I'll grow them back if you want Miss."
Blaine's parents brushed off his strange explanation, Miss Thompson replying with a giggle and a quick "I'm sure the flowers will be just fine Blaine."
"Blaine, your teacher was just telling us what a model student you've been for the past two years. That's very impressive kiddo," Hugh cleared his throat, "so Miss Thompson-"
"Oh call me Kate, please."
"Kate, what are your thoughts on the matter of skipping grade four straight to grade five?"
There it was. The ominous grade skip. The butterflies came back and Blaine felt like he was going to be sick.
Miss Thompson looked at Blaine carefully before speaking directly to Mr and Mrs Anderson.
"Well, I personally would not be opposed to it at all. I'm fairly certain Blaine would handle the curriculum just as easily, and I'm sure we could find him a nice class with a good teacher and a few new friends for him too," here she paused and looked back at Blaine, "but really, if I may, I think it's all up to Blaine and whether he wants to."
Blaine looked up from scuffing his shoes on the ground when he heard his name. He saw three faces staring down at him, his father's one of anticipation, mother's one of interest and Miss Thompson's just with a warm smile and the same shining eyes Blaine had when he was nice to someone.
"What do you say son?" Mr Anderson asked seriously, "Do you want to move up and advance, or stay with the… rest, of the children."
Blaine didn't like the way his dad was talking about his friends and the other kids in his grade. He was talking about them like Blaine was better, superior to all of them, when in reality, Blaine knew that Kurt and Rachel and most of his friends were just as smart, if not smarter than him.
"Well… if, if it's okay with everyone…" Blaine started, "I've thought about it a lot too so… I'd really like to stay with everyone. And not skip. If that's okay?"
Miss Thompson was still smiling, just slightly more anxiously than before, and looking to Blaine's parents. Elle looked almost relieved, or maybe just happy that her son was capable of making such a big decision on his own. But there was something funny about the way Blaine's father looked down at the end of his son's sentence. Like he was disappointed in him. Blaine was almost used to that look, and he didn't like it one bit. It also seemed to be getting more frequently directed at him as the years went on.
"Of course it's okay honey," Elle broke the faintly strained silence, "we only want what will make you happy. Isn't that right, Hugh dear?" She sent him a pointed stare.
"Yes yes of course." Mr Anderson was busy fixing his tie and not making eye contact with anyone again.
"Well if that's all settled, I'll send over the book list and name of his new teacher and the people in his class in a few weeks. Can you just confirm your email here for me…"
Blaine's mom told him to go get her handbag and his blazer from over by the door, and then to go and wait in the car. There was just one more thing he needed to do before he left.
Blaine waited until his parents were busy signing forms to tap his teacher on the shoulder, ignoring her surprised expression when she turned to face him.
"Thanks Miss Thompson," Blaine said into her shoulder after flinging his arms around her neck.
She laughed softly and whispered into his curls, "No problem Blainers. Anytime you need someone to talk to, or anything like that, you can come to me 'kay? Always."
Blaine nodded and let go, blushing a little.
"Come along Blaine. Thank you for your time Kate."
As he skipped out into the night after his mom and dad, Blaine felt a lot happier and a lot less weighed down than he had in a while. And he knew that if he did need to, he would take Miss Thompson up on her offer.