Author's Note: Wow hi, I haven't updated this in a long time. This chapter's just been sitting in my drafts for the longest time, and it was finished too. I just had to polish it up a bit. Sooo, also another thing I should add to here is that I don't own this story in any way. I'm putting my own little twists in it so it's not just a rewrite with the characters names put in there. But damn if Cassia and Kurt don't think alike about most things. Seriously. Shit's cray. Anyway, I know there isn't any Kurtbastian interaction, or any mentions of Sebastian at all, but there will be soon! It's just going to be Klaine for a little while, but don't worry, they're not endgame. Happy Reading!
Disclaimer: As awesome as it would be, I don't own Glee or any of it's characters. I also don't own Matched in any way, shape or form.
The day of my seventeenth birthday is definitely a busy one. It is filled with gossip amongst my friends about their current Matches, and soon-to-be Matches while we eat our afternoon meals at Secondary School, that were just sent from the city.
It's also filled with last minute preparations and alterations to my suit. My suit has to look perfect. I have to look perfect. Doubts swirl through my mind. What if my Match doesn't think I look good? I spend the time when I'm not at school calming my nerves, but it's really hard. I'm not necessarily scared, just anxious.
Tonight is my Match Banquet. My Dad says it's lucky that I have been selected for my Match Banquet to be tonight. You can be selected any time of the year when you turn seventeen, but I was extra lucky that it landed on today of all days.
I always dreamed that I would be Matched on my actual birthday, but I never really thought it would ever happen. They were very slim odds. This makes today especially special for me. Though it is special for all of the teenagers in our region of the Ohio Province, it is better for me.
But I am still nervous. I shouldn't be nervous, but I am. My father and my step-mother assure me it will be perfect. I can only hope that it will be.
On the ride over to the City, they both tell me about their first Match Banquets. My father and his Match, Carole, weren't Matched at first. They had other Matches, but they're gone now. They are lucky that the Society had made an exception for them because of their losses, and Matched them together in their later years.
I hope my Match will make me as happy as Carole makes my father, or as my mother did while she was alive.
I am lucky too that the Society has made an exception to their rules. It has only been recently that they changed it that two people of the same gender may be Matched. I am grateful for that.
It wouldn't be like the Society to go against what our data says about us. And mine, as well as many others, have said that we prefer members of our same gender to be with. It would be cruel for them to deny us something that is perfect for us.
That's what the Society aims for anyhow. Perfection. The Officials decide everything, based on your data. They choose who you love, where you work, and when you die.
It is only best that all of these aspects of our life are decided for us. The world was a bad place before the Society came along. It was a constant struggle for everyone, and everything has turned to rubble under their feet. We try to forget that that past does not exist. We only stay in the present, and admire how wonderful it is.
While I'm caught up in my thoughts of how my Match Banquet will turn out, I haven't realized that a familiar boy with a curly mop of hair is now sitting beside me in the train.
He smiles brightly at me. Not a trace of anxiousness is on his face. I wonder if I look as nervous as I feel.
"Are you nervous?" Blaine asks, a hint of an amused smile tugging at his lips.
I guess I do look pretty nervous
"Is it that obvious?" I ask, fiddling around with the clasps on my mother's old coin purse. It used to be her mother's too. And her mother before that. And now it's mine. I'm not ashamed that it's considered a girl's accessory. It was my mother's, and I still love it. It is also my Artifact, and that makes it even more special than any of my other possessions by the Society's standards.
Blaine chuckles softly. "It is. You keep playing with that." he points to the coin purse. I have been rather fidgety, I must admit. And who could blame me?
In a matter of minutes, when I walk into City Hall, the one person who I am to spend the rest of my life with will be revealed to me at long last.
I don't see why Blaine is calm as cucumber at this moment, (which is weird, because I don't think cucumbers feel things like being calm) and I am just the opposite. Doubts cloud my thoughts as my parents make conversation with Blaine, whose parents didn't join him for some reason.
Instead, his brother Cooper joins us, and is animatedly talking about something or other, and pointing at things. But I do not listen. I'm still thinking about everything, and I don't feel like having to listen to Cooper's ramblings right now, even though I have been amused by them in the past.
I hope whoever he is isn't a bad Match for me. It'd be awful to have someone who you didn't like to be the person you build a future with.
Soon, I come to my senses. The Officials go through a very complicated process when it comes to Matching. They go through everyone's data. They know everything about us, but it's not a bad thing.
They know these things about us that sometimes we aren't even aware of. But their intentions are good. They make everything perfect for us. They give us the perfect Match, perfect job, and the perfect life. Who could ask for more than that?
So I don't think about any kind of faults the Society might have made anymore, because they don't make mistakes. Tonight, I will think only positive thoughts. Tonight is about me.
And I sure do feel like it when I get out of the train, and all eyes are on me. I don't feel strange under everyone's glances. I like the attention. Especially when I look as good as I do now. Tonight, I am allowed to look good. I am allowed to feel like a million bucks, and look like it too.
I can't help but blush a bit when Blaine tells me I look gorgeous. He looks so handsome, even though he always has. There's just something about him tonight as he walks out of the train with me, and the way the light of the moon bounces off of his skin, and his far-too-gelled hair. I return the compliment as we go our separate ways.
"I wish you the best in your result," I say, out of courtesy. Blaine nods curtly, and smiles fondly at me.
"You too," he replies, and he walks to the side of the private room in City Hall where all of the boys are. Boys and girls are not allowed to sit together. I would have sat with the boys, but I requested to stay on the side of the room with the girls. I knew a few of my close girl friends Banquet's were tonight, and I wanted to be close by when they got their Match, and congratulate them.
My father, Carole, and I sit at the table where our name plates sit, along with another family who I know well; The Berrys.
I smile as I sit down next to one of my best friends, besides Blaine, and she looks just as nervous as I do. Maybe more. Hiram and Leroy Berry sit on either side of her, whispering reassurances in her ear, as she anxiously tugs at her pearl necklace, like if she doesn't, it will somehow constrict like a snake, and choke her to death. She gives me a broken smile as I sit across from her.
"Hello, Kurt." she says, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. It must be taking a lot of effort to keep as calm as she is now. She is usually so overdramatic, so I'm very surprised that she isn't having a fit right about now.
"Hello," I reply, taking a minute to look over her. She looks absolutely beautiful tonight. She is wearing a light pink satin gown. It is plain, like every other girl's dress, but it looks perfect on her. "You look ravishing," I say, taking her hand in between both of mine. This seems to calm her down a bit.
"Thank you. You look absolutely handsome." she compliments, giving me her signature Rachel Berry smile. I nod my thanks to her as a hostess comes over to our table.
Her hair is in a perfect bun. Not a hair is out of place. Her smile is strained as she puts each plate of food in front of us, but if anyone notices, they don't comment on it. That's just how all most people who work in these kinds of things look.
Looking good isn't the only thing we're allowed to do tonight. We are also allowed to have a special meal before the ceremony begins. Normally our evening meals consist of bland mashed potatoes and an artificial alternative to what was dead chicken dipped in greasy oil a long time ago. It gives us all the nutrition we need, in portions made just for us, so we don't complain.
Tonight, I am so very glad not to be eating potatoes for the what seems like the billionth time. This meal looks much more appetizing.
Leroy Berry has an amused look on his face when Rachel only pokes at her food (which has a substitute for the fake dead chicken, with something that suits her vegan diet, but I'm not sure what it is) with her fork.
"Such a shame." the older man says, "These meals are always wasted on these kids. They're usually too excited to eat," he chuckles, nudging his daughter.
I whoever, am nearly not too excited, or nervous enough to eat. I don't stuff myself, but I do help myself to a little of everything on the plate as more food comes our way after each course of the meal.
The food feels like it is dancing on my tongue, as though this is a special occasion like a ball. They are even dressed up like us too, wearing little garnishes, but it's only for show. Just like what we wear tonight is only for show. We could wear our normal clothes to this, and it would still feel every bit as special. I wouldn't think it so, but everyone else seems to.
Soon the dessert arrives, and my mouth waters a little even before I can take a bite of the rich chocolate cake coming my way. I see that it is dressed up too. The chocolate icing is made to look like little flowers on each slice. Once my slice has made it over to my side of the large, round table, I gracefully lift my fork and take a bite.
I can honestly say it is the best thing I have ever eaten. Even when they sent a plain old vanilla cake with our evening meals during traditional Coming of Spring holiday only months ago. I savor every bite of it (who knows when I'll get to have another taste of something this delicious again?) until an Official stands at the podium that my father has stood behind making speeches, many a time, since he is an Official himself.
"It is time to announce the Matches." he says into the microphone, getting everyone's attention. Again, Rachel starts to fidget with her necklace, and I twist my napkin under the table. I wonder when we will be called. I can hardly wait.
"Rachel Berry."
Rachel stands up slowly, plastering a smile on her face. Now she has her opportunity to act like she is elated, and not horribly nervous, and I think she is doing it very well. Instead of tugging at her necklace, she is playing around with a ring on her finger. I know for certain that it is the special Artifact she is allowed to have. It was one of her great grandmother's back in the day before the Society took over. She won't be able to keep it there for long once she gets Matched. Soon it will be replaced with another ring.
I find it strange how we hold on to things of the past while we wait for our futures to be presented to us.
She doesn't have to wait long before a face appears on the screen. To pretty much everyone's surprise, it is a girl. She has wavy blonde hair, and gorgeous features. She is surprised for a moment, but smiles when she sees Rachel's face on the other side of the screen over in her City Hall somewhere in Ohio.
I feel bad for her, and all of the other boys that she must have chosen to sit with. The boys don't know when their names are going to be called. Only the girls are called, and they're in alphabetical order, so they have some idea when it will be their turn for their fate to be decided. Mine will be in the middle somewhere, so I'll have to wait for a little while, but I am patient.
The girl on the other side of the screen has a warm and kind smile, while Rachel's is all kinds of shocked, but I can see something inside of her that is satisfied too.
"Quinn Fabray," the man at the podium announces. "Rachel Berry, you are Matched with Quinn Fabray,"
I clap politely with all of the others in the room, glancing over at Leroy and Hiram, whose smiles were spreading from ear to ear. They looked so proud. I wonder if they knew that she'd be Matched with a girl instead of a boy. The Officials must have known that she really didn't have a preference. But I'm happy for her. This girl looks like she'll be a very good Match for Rachel.
An Official standing close by, wearing a drab white uniform handed her a small silver box. Inside it is the microcard that holds all of the data about Quinn. It will be the only thing that Rachel has of her until they have their First Meeting in a month or so.
On the screen, the blonde gets hers as well, and looks immensely happy before the screen goes blank, and another girl's name is announced.
A few more girls go before me, including another friend of mine, Tina, who is Matched with some boy named Mike. I've never seen that girl so happy before in my life. She looks so happy she could hardly speak, and it makes me smile.
"Kurt Hummel."
I take a deep breath as I steal a glance at my parents, who give me a reassuring look and a simple nod of the head. I let go of Carole's hand that I've been holding under the table, and stand up.
Now everyone's eyes are on me again, but I do feel strange. I feel like a tiny molecule being studied under a microscope like they do in the Biology Unit over in the City.
Except I don't really know what that feels like, but I do know that it feels very unnerving to have all of these strangers, as well as the Officials watch me while my fate is being decided for me.
I wait for a moment for a face to appear on the screen like everybody else, but my moment is much longer. The screen remains blank, and the sounds of quiet panic from the large room fill my ears. This has to mean one thing.
My Match is in this room, at this very moment.
My heart starts pounding quickly as Officials start to scurry around the Hall. Suddenly a face does appear on the screen, and the crowd silences.
My breathing hitches in my throat as an all too familiar head of dark curls, and a goofy smile appear before me.
Additional Author's Note: Feel free to review!