He keeps a pleasant look plastered on his face, even as his world crumbles. He has failed. But, he has class. He will not be a sore looser.
Once they're off the stage, he hands the second place trophy over to Thad and excuses himself for business of a personal nature. He locks himself in the only stall, and sits. He puts his head in his hands. Emotions wash over him.
They needed this win so badly. He can tell the Warblers lost something special in the past year. The program needs a confidence boost. After last year, they should have been on the up-and-up. They worked their asses off. He worked his ass off. So, how did a bunch of public school underdogs beat them?
He knows the answer, even before the question finishes forming in his mind. He is a failure as a leader. He will resign. He will let his father transfer him. He will go back to being … invisible.
The bathroom door opens, and feet pound in. "Dude!" Someone exclaims, "I don't mean to rush you, but if you don't get out, I'm going to explode!"
He brushes his hands hard against his eyes, in a symmetric motion, and is pleased to find them free of moisture. He counts slowly to ten as he flushes the toilet and unlocks the door.
Finn Hudson, he of the badly protected Facebook account hurries into the stall. The bathroom is suddenly filled with the sounds of a middle school low brass section during warm ups.
He washes his hands, slowly, at the sink. He splashes some of the cold water on his face, as well. The performance sweat has dried, leaving him tight and sticky.
He feels a light tap on his shoulder. He whirls around to look at the top of Blaine Anderson's gelled head.
"Congratulations, man," Blaine says, offering his hand congenially. "You guys were amazing."
He takes the offered hand, and shakes it. "You were, too," he tells the shorter boy. He means it, even though it hurts. The Warblers simply weren't good enough.
Blaine pulls him into a hug. He's pretty sure Blaine should hate him, after everything he's done. He knows Kurt does. And, Kurt wasn't even the one to accidently get rock salt in his eye. It's surprising. It's also painful.
"What the hell, Anderson?" He demands.
Blaine just grins, and lets him move away, gingerly. "Some time, you're going to explain why Thad sent out an all points SOS last week," the curly haired boy says. "It seemed to indicate that David was baking a wedding cake, Trent was destroying a toaster, Nick and Jeff were no where to be found, and you had been taken away, swearing, by ambulance. Also that Thad needed notes for English."
He stares at Blaine for a minute, not sure what to make of the statement.
"I'm still in the Emergency Warbler Phone Tree," Blaine explains. "And, Thad gossips like a girl."
He steels himself. He can do this. "Someday, soon," he agrees. "I want to know what it is with Trent and small electronics."
Blaine grins. He hopes they can become friends.
He excuses himself. His emotions somehow under control, he returns to his team to find out how the Warblers deal with loss.