Notes: I'm very, very sorry fpr the delay. Life's been crazy latelym but now I'm back in the game, and I promise that next chapters will be more intense, and will come faster. Also, huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and alerted the story. You guys rock!
2. A brand new start is all we need
The only thing that Hunter can think of when he steps out of Headmaster Well's office is that he's here. He is here and this is where he's going to stay, and everything else just doesn't matter all that much.
He walks through the elegantly decorated corridors and all he sees is red and blue and velvet. The colours seem brighter, and the polished wood smells stronger, and everything seems bigger and more luminous, and as he approaches his destination he wonders why he never noticed these things before.
It's not until he's standing in front of his dorm room that the realization hits him like a bucket of scalding water. He's staying. He's staying. This is still his room, that was not the last time that he'd sit on that bed, that was not the last night that he and Sebastian would have as roommates, that was not... And there it is; he is staying. He slept with Sebastian because that was the last chance they had and suddenly...suddenly it's not.
He has never been more scared of anything in his whole life.
He sits there on his desk chair and stares at the sleeping form on the bed. Sebastian hasn't moved since he left this morning; he's sprawled on the bed, sheets tossed and crumpled at his feet, pillows scattered on the floor. The image is a vivid reminder of last night, every second of it is written on Sebastian's skin; love bites, bruises, hickeys, the peaceful smile curving his thin lips. It's written on Hunter, too, for sure, but he's realizing just now how much he wishes it wasn't. You cannot erase what's written in the flesh, once written, stays written -once a Warbler, always a Warbler.
Fear and anger wash over him like electric bolts. Sebastian knew, of course he knew, there's nothing that Sebastian doesn't know, and the real meaning of it is that Hunter got tricked, his whole future is now screwed, while the other boy sleeps with the peace of those who got what they wanted.
He tries to breathe to keep calm, but the second he inhales, Sebastian breathes in, too, and his eyes flutter open, green and fogged by sleep, and they search the room until they land on Hunter.
"You're here." He murmurs, and he seems so truthfully relieved, that it only serves to infuriate Hunter even more.
"You would know." Hunter answers through gritted teeth.
Sebastian seems to catch up almost instantly, and it fills Hunter with a twisted, unwanted kind of pride, the fact that Sebastian's mind seems to work just as fast as his.
"Hunt, I didn't know..." Sebastian begins, sitting up, eyes instantly searching Hunter's.
"Like hell you didn't know." Hunter answers, glaring at the other boy "The letter was signed by the fucking Warblers. Don't you dare tell me you didn't...?"
"I knew about the letter." Sebastian cuts him off "I didn't know it would work, I didn't want to..."
"Why didn't you tell me then?" Hunter's voice rises, his eyes grow darker, his knuckles start to shake. "If you knew you should have told me, that's what friends do, Sebastian. Or you just wanted an excuse to get into my pants? Was it that? That's low, even for you."
Maybe he didn't punch him, but by the look in the other boy's eyes, he might as well have.
"You know, fuck you!" Sebastian snarls, standing up and starting to get dressed, without looking at Hunter. "Fuck you and fuck everything. This is what I get for caring; do you think that it was fun for me, thinking that I wouldn't see you again? Do you think I enjoyed knowing that maybe all hope was in vain, that the letter would change nothing?" He turns to look at Hunter then, eyes greener than ever, sadder than ever. "Did you think I enjoyed knowing that you only fucked me because you thought you'd never see me again? Well, good news, not-even-remotely-bi-curious Clarington, you got your wish. As far as I'm concerned, you're gone."
He slams the door when he leaves, and Hunter's left sitting there, feeling how slowly all the anger peels away from him like burning flesh, and is replaced by something much deeper, and much hurtful.
He might have just screwed everything up. Again.
.
"Well, Warblers, I assume you're all wondering why I called you all here today, given that our season is over." Headmaster Wells eyes the group of teens, and can't help but notice the absence of Hunter Clarington. "Apparently, someone at the National Show choir Committee has decided that the Warblers have more talent than the average show choir team, and that you have earned, despite the incident, the right to compete. Now, this person has moved heaven and earth to give you this chance, so I trust that you will understand and give it the importance it deserves."
The Warblers remain silent, staring baffled at each other, and then back at the old man standing before them. It's Jeff, eventually, who breaks the silence.
"We're back in the game, people!"
The room bursts into cheers and laughter, and while everyone starts talking at the same time, Nick approaches the Headmaster with curious eyes.
"May I ask, sir, who is this person?"
"You will know when the time comes. For now, I trust you, mister Duval, to get your team back together and prove to everyone that being a Warbler still means the same."
"I will, sir. And, please, tell whoever it is that we are very grateful, and we won't disappoint."
The old man smiles and nods, backing away.
"I'll let her know."
He closes the door behind him, and Nick's left standing at the head of a room filled with ecstatic Warblers and no idea what to do.
"Hey, Nicky, don't panic, you look like you've seen a ghost."
And that's really all Nick sees; a huge, smoky ghost that spreads between them like fog.
"What are we going to do?" He asks, suddenly terrified.
Jeff lays a hand on his forearm and smiles slightly, and he has that kind of smile that makes it possible to believe that everything's going to turn out right.
"What do you think we should do?"
"I don't know. How should I know? We can't screw this up. Who's going to sing lead? I don't know what songs to choose..."
"Wanna know what I think?"
Nick swallows hard, and nods.
"I think it's going to be awesome, and we're going to be fine, better than ever. Because, you know? My vote has always been for you."
"Even with Blaine?"
Jeff smile and squeezes his arm.
"Even with Blaine."
Nick doesn't really know if it's Jeff's smile, or his blind trust, or a combination of both, but, suddenly, he knows exactly what he wants to do.
"Okay guys!" He calls out "Let's start from the beginning..."
.
There was a second last night, when he though that he would never come back here. It was a stupid thing to think, really, for someone like him.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
"Make better use of your money and buy yourself a life."
It has been a long time since he last was so mean to someone. He realizes with bitterness that it's not as fun as it used to be.
"Can I buy you a drink, or should I buy myself a life too?"
"Your money would be better spent on a stylist."
Blaine simply laughs and sits beside him.
"I thought I'd find you here."
"I'm surprised you didn't turn to ashes at the doorway." He doesn't even try to look away from his drink.
"I've been calling you."
"And I've been ignoring your calls."
"What happened to Hunter?"
Sebastian doesn't really want to talk about Hunter.
"His father didn't react very well to the whole steroids scandal. They lose their temper easily, you see, Hunter and his father."
"...Is he ok?"
Sebastian scoffs.
"Why do you care? Your cotton candy mind can't take the guilt all of a sudden?"
Blaine remains silent for a moment, and when Sebastian looks at him, he's staring straight at a shot glass filled with green liquid.
"It must be really bad if you're considering absinth as an option."
Blaine laughs, a humorless, bitter laugh, much like Sebastian's.
"I've been making lots of mistakes lately."
Sebastian clicks his glass with his and smirks.
"I'll drink to that."
"I'm sorry." Blaine blurts out suddenly, without raising his eyes. "I really am sorry."
And Sebastian knows he's telling the truth, because Blaine is one of those people who are good enough to feel sorry for something that wasn't entirely their fault.
"Drink on it, Anderson, and maybe tomorrow it'll be another day."
"You have really changed, Sebastian. I know that what I think doesn't really matter anymore, but I really think that you've changed for the better."
"Do you believe in karma?" Sebastian asks, abruptly. "I think that karma is making me pay, for all those people I screwed over."
Blaine looks at him and smiles slightly.
"All we need is a fresh start, to right all the wrongs." He raises his glass to Sebastian. "I'll drink to that."