Hamza was passing the student lounge and noticed that Kurt was sitting at a table, looking down at something with an expression of intense frustration. He truly disliked being reminded of why and how Kurt was at Dalton and feared that might be the cause of his glower, so he hesitated, but went in.
"What's wrong, Kurt?"
Kurt looked up, startled, and laughed shortly. "Just about everything to do with balancing equations," he explained, indicating an open chemistry textbook.
"Do you want me to take a look?"
"If you really want to..." Kurt sounded very dubious that anybody would want to do that, but aside from his relief at not having to deal with any other issue, Hamza actually quite liked wrestling chemical formulas into balance. He pulled up a chair.
"So what have we got here?"
"It's this one." Kurt pointed to C6H14 + O2 - CO2 + H2O . "I can get as far as here," he continued, pointing to his written C6H14 + O2 - 6 CO2 + 7 H2O, "but then I get stuck with the oxygen. There are two on that side and 19 on the other."
"You can balance it out with fractions."
"Really?"
"What, your book doesn't say so? That's unhelpful. So all you need to do is balance it out by 19/2, then multiply by 2 to get the whole numbers again, and now you've burnt your benzene."
Kurt scribbled the numbers and then looked up. "Hey, that does work."
"Would I mislead you about burning anything? I'll have you know that I am the chemistry lab Master of Fire." He raised his head proudly as if accepting the homage of a crowd of thousands. His accomplishments along those lines deserved recognition.
"Oh, really? You should meet Brittany, she managed to set solid steel on fire in chem lab."
"A woman after my own heart. What did she coat it with?"
"Nothing. She managed to set uncoated steel on fire."
Hamza knew that this was technically impossible, so this meant that this Brittany had a superpower. Or Kurt was exaggerating, but he preferred the superpower explanation. "She is now officially the woman of my dreams. We could go hand in hand down the path of life, leaving a trail of embers behind us, and call it the scorching of our passion. If we use the occasional accelerant, that would be our little secret. Everywhere we go, they would call us the Combustible Couple." He sighed profoundly. "If I could sing, I would serenade her with 'Baby, light my fire.'"
Kurt was snickering, which pleased Hamza inordinately. His duty as an observant Muslim was to comfort the prisoner and protect the orphan, and even if here he was limited to providing Kurt with a shoulder to cry on, some friendly words, and a few laughs, it felt good to be able to help, especially since he quite liked the gutsy, funny boy for his own sake. Not being able to help more bothered him, but he had no idea how or what to do, except to make Kurt understand that he would do whatever was in his power. He put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "If you ever need more help with this, or with anything, you know that all you have to do is let me know, right?"
Kurt looked surprised at how serious his tone was, but seemed to understand. "I do. Thanks."
After a brief, companionable silence, Hamza got up. "I think my blood-caffeine level is below 30 percent and that must be stopped. Do you want any?"
"I don't think I've ever turned coffee down."
"A wise man."
Kurt pulled up some pictures of the Glee Club on his phone to point out Brittany. Hamza pointed at Mercedes. "This lady is also the woman of my dreams." At Kurt's look, he added, in a tone of wounded innocence, "Can't a man have many dreams?"
"That's Mercedes, she's my closest friend." Hamza could barely hear Kurt's little sigh. "She's funny and loud and strong and loves getting her shopping on." Hamza was about to ask the question that had bothered him for some time, why nobody had come to visit Kurt, when the smell of chlorine mixed with the smell of coffee.
"Hey," Blaine greeted Hamza, then kissed Kurt on the mouth and slipped his arm around his waist. "I've just got to go shower, something went wrong with the water heater for the showers at the pool. Swim team was not happy." Hamza was relieved that Blaine truly seemed to have gotten over his quick jealousy, though he wasn't how much of that was because Blaine knew that he simply wasn't interested in Kurt. At any rate, it had to make things a little easier.
Raj had told Dave that he wouldn't be able to make it to the party tomorrow night and took him out for dinner that night, to give the Warblers time to finish the last-minute arrangements over dinner. Andreas claimed that he checked the dining hall for bugs, Wes was persuaded not to check everybody's fingerprints for identity verification, and Blaine reported that he had done a perimeter check and secured the area.
Lynne was going to rent a car at the airport and drive in, since it was still classtime when her flight would land and David had an important exam that period. She'd insisted that they not pick her up, that she'd prefer to drive. She should get to the campus no later than 6:00.
Naturally, most of the discussion was about the set list. One of the songs would of course be Happy Birthday, done in Warbler tradition in a variety of styles, and Wes and Blaine went back and forth on the best order. When Peter pointed out at one moment that they had just switched positions and were still arguing, Blaine looked slightly sheepish but pointed out, "It's David's birthday, it can't be perfect enough. Which is why we should do tango style first."
"They're incorrigible," Andreas groaned. "Let's just hope that David doesn't pop the question, or they'll end up planning music for the engagement party, the bachelor's party, the wedding, the reception..."
"You don't think he really would?" Peter looked aghast and the others looked shocked at the idea, too.
"Nah, he's got too much sense to actually do that at 18, they aren't going to the same college or anything, but I bet you anything he's thought about it. He's crazy in love."
"Nobody's taking you on that one, I notice," Wes commented, looking around the table.
"I might, at 29:1, for a stake of $50, if I were allowed an indirect question to David that this table would judge fair," Peter said, thoughtfully, after scribbling on a napkin.
"Come on, guys, we are not betting on David's love life," Blaine protested, but laughing.
"Fine, then, destroy my career as a professional gambler before I even get to begin." Peter elaborately slouched and pouted, as the others immediately chimed in with "awwwwwwww" and "poor baby."
"Wes, shall we settle our mortal dispute in the time-honored fashion of swords or pistols at dawn or by a coin flip?"
"I say a coin flip, but only because of having to get up so early."
Blaine pulled out a coin. "Heads, tango first, tails, Gilbert and Sullivan first." He flipped the coin and groaned. "Tails. Wes, you win."
"Well, that was your original position."
David came into the practice room at 5:00, looking worried. "Did Lynne maybe call or text any of you that her plane landed? She was going to let me know but I did have my phone off during class. Raj, she has your number, Wes, I think she might have yours, too. Her phone just goes to voicemail."
The others looked up from books, laptops, or music. "No, haven't heard from her," Raj said, and Wes shook his head.
"Maybe her battery is dead," Blaine suggested. "Did you see if her flight is on-time?"
"It landed a few minutes ahead of schedule."
"So then she's already on her way," Wes declared. "It's just a dead battery, I'm sure."
Kurt felt sorry for David's anxiety, secretly identifying with the romantic in him that lit up at even a word that sounded like "Lynne" and, as Wes had once reported, kissed her photograph good night when he thought his roommate wasn't looking. His parents had been just as much in love and while he wasn't aware of it as such at the time, had never let a day go by without showing each other their love. His father and Carole had been the same way, and he'd resolved that one day, he'd love somebody like that who would love him just as much. Even after this, he would still have his happily ever after, somehow, with somebody.
David was fidgeting but occasionally laughing at his own nervousness, and the other Warblers were teasing him gently, joking about what he'd be like as a father when his daughter is out on a first date. At 5:45, his phone rang and he grabbed it. "Hello?"
"Geeti? Have you heard-"
"What?" He sat down heavily. "She's not..." The others gathered around, concerned at his stricken voice and slump. "Why...why isn't she..."
"You're joking, right? You're both pulling my leg." His attempt at a laugh was one of the saddest things Kurt had ever heard.
"She wouldn't even tell me herself? And not until she should have been here?" He was wiping his eyes with one hand.
"No, no, I'm sure you didn't know."
"Did she even say why?"
"But she said she was proud that I..."
"Yeah..."
"Thanks, Geeti...I...I do appreciate it..." David put the phone down, rested his head on the table, and shook, crying, for several minutes. Blaine quietly rubbed his back and Wes was gripping his hand. There were tears in his eyes as well, though Kurt suspected they were tears of anger as much, or more than, of sympathy. David finally raised his head.
"She's not coming. She dumped me. That's why she wasn't answering. She wouldn't even tell me herself."
"Why?" Raj demanded.
David smiled bitterly. "She didn't like my choice of interests. International development is apparently pointless and deadend, and I guess I am, too. She made her mind up today."
"But she was the one who said she was so proud of you for being interested in it."
"That was before I decided to follow up and do something with it."
"Well, at least you're well rid of her," Wes spat out.
David raised a hand. "Thanks, but...that's not what I need to hear right now..." He looked around at the sad, sympathetic, or indignant faces and apparently didn't see what he was looking for. "Thanks so much, guys, for everything, but now, I think I need to be alone for a bit."
"Wait, David, let somebody at least keep you company!" Blaine sounded desperate and David must have understood his reasons before the idea dawned on Kurt.
"No, I'm not going to do anything...stupid." He looked around again. "I wouldn't do that to my parents and I wouldn't do it to you, either." He sighed and wiped his eyes again, then looked around the room. "You guys are the best friends I could ever imagine. In fact, I think once I'm over this, I'm still going to think that I'm a very lucky man, because I've got all of you. But right now, I just really need to be alone." He was out the door and closed it behind him before any of them could react.
Wes growled, "If I ever get my hands on that bitch!"
"Yeah, who the hell does something like that!" Peter looked murderous as well.
"I can't believe she had the nerve to have somebody else tell him." Andreas shook his head, still in shock.
"Oh, I would," Raj ground out. "She probably made my sister do it in her manipulative little way." He mimicked, "Of course, Geeti, you don't have to do it, I'll just ask one of my sycophants to clean up this unfortunate little mess. She won't know David, but that won't really matter, will it? Oh, and it's not my fault at all, if he hadn't broken my trust and done something he should have known I wouldn't like, this all wouldn't have happened." He stopped the sickly-sweet cooing. "I bet that's exactly what happened. What a poisonous little bitch."
"I'm sure she only delayed this long because she wanted to get some other poor bastard lined up. After all, a devoted boyfriend is such an important accessory." The others nodded to Peter's remark in shared disgust.
Wes shook his head as if he was trying to scatter thoughts. "I don't think he's going anywhere near the party room tonight, but let's clean it up just in case. I don't want him to see it."
"Oh, crap, the caterers are probably heading there now." Andreas looked around. "What do we tell them? I don't think anybody really wants it after this."
"How about we ask them to put it all in doggie bags?" Raj laughed shortly. "I know she won't know, but I don't want that bitch to have the satisfaction of having it all go to waste for her sake."
Wes laughed shortly as well. "It's illogical, but you're right, that would feel wrong."
"Or maybe a shelter?" Blaine suggested. "David might like that idea."
"And she wouldn't," Wes added. "Brilliant."
"What about the presents? When should we give them to him?" Peter hesitated. "Or should we, even?"
"Let's play that by ear." Wes rubbed his forehead. "I can't even remember, was there any couple's stuff?"
"The silver picture frame is kind of couples," Peter said. "The rest is all college stuff."
"Okay, we can return that. Let's put all the rest in my room until we have a better sense of what's going on with him."
Blaine returned to his seat near Kurt, who had kept in the background. As the others slowly drifted out of the room, he shivered as if he were cold and muttered, "God, what a mess." Kurt turned to look at him and he grabbed Kurt's face between his hands and kissed him passionately and almost desperately, holding him so close that Kurt almost couldn't breathe. Blaine was breathless as well when the kiss ended, but said only, "We'd better go help them," and repeated, quietly, "God, what a mess."
AN: I think about two chapters to go. I'm going to be away from computer access (and time!) for a while, so it might be about a week, ten days before I update.
A huge, big, extra THANK YOU to everybody who's reviewed! They genuinely inspire me to write more and (I think) better.