Chapter 9

Kurt's POV

Can anybody find me somebody to love?

Each morning I wake up I die a little

Can barely stand on my feet

Take a look in the mirror and cry

Lord what you're doing to me

I spent all my years in believing you

But I just can't get no relief,

Lord!

Somebody, somebody

Can anybody find me somebody to love?

I don't get it. Everyone seems to have love. Blaine has Rachel, Finn has Santana, Puck and Zizes got engaged. Mike and Tina Chang got married. Quinn is in a relationship with a good man, and Brittany and Artie got engaged. Where did that leave me? Single and miserable. Well, not miserable, per se but still. It didn't used to be that way. I remember how Blaine and I met, and how I swore that I'd get him to love me. And then he did. Then that fucking party changed everything. He got drunk and made out with Rachel. As I left my office I locked the door, I turned and ran smack dab into someone that I hadn't had any communication with, Dave Karofsky.

"Kurt?"

"Dave Karofsky?"

"Yeah, it's me. How've you been?"

He said, extending his hand for me to shake. I wasn't scared of him, now. Blaine had taught me a lot since we'd been together and it was courage. That courage made me stronger. I shook his hand and looked at him.

"I've been good. How have you been?"

"Good. Good. Life's been good to me, man. You look like your headed out somewhere."

"Rachel's making her stage debut tonight. I told her I'd be there to support her."

"Can I join you?"

"Sure. So, what brings you to the big city? Last I'd heard you were studying acting at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor."

"I am. Well, I've actually transferred out here. I'm going to NYU now. Their theater department is top notch. So, you work here?"

"Work here? I own this company."

"No shit, is that true?"

"Totally. This is Kurt Hummel Productions. We do mostly off-Broadway productions, but we did have a co-producer credit on 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying' and we were responsible for landing Darren Criss for two weeks."

"That was you guys?"

"Yep. So, it seems I have an extra ticket. Would you care to join me?"

He looked shocked that I'd even asked him. He'd changed, I could see that in his face. He wasn't the same Karofsky that had bullied me in high school. He was a much different man. He nodded and looked at me.

"So, so much has changed with me."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

I asked as we started towards the parking garage that housed my car. He stopped and put his hand on mine and spun me to look at him. I looked into his eyes and that's when I noticed it. The truth was finally in his eyes.

"Well, I'm gay."

And then I shocked myself. I hugged him and then pulled away. This was a step in the right direction for him, and I knew that he was a lot more confident in himself. We got into my car and I knew this might be a good thing for the both of us.

I work hard everyday of my life

I work till I ache my bones

At the end I take home my hard earned pay all on my own

I get down on my knees

And I start to pray

Till the tears run down from my eyes

Lord-somebody-somebody

Can anybody find me-somebody to love

(He works hard)

Dave and I ended up at the theater and we were smiling and laughing. We walked around to the theater and flashed the backstage passes I'd gotten us. We went through the door and I easily found Rachel's dressing room. I knocked once, and the door opened and Blaine stood there. He looked at me and then past me and saw Dave standing there with me. His eyes widened and then looked at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Dave and I came together. He saw me coming out of the office and we came together. Is Rachel here?"

"Yep. She'll be glad to see you."

"Good."

Blaine said, opening the door wider and letting us in. Blaine shook Dave's hand and I went right over to Rachel. She was in costume, and I didn't want to mess that up. She saw Dave and I standing in her mirror and she squealed at me and hugged me.

"Kurt! You made it! And you brought a date! Hey Dave."

"Hey Rachel. Looking good. Congratulations."

He said, as he walked up to her and hugged her. She didn't seem shocked by him being here. I'd known Rachel a long time, and I knew when she was trying for a setup. I think she knew this all along, and was trying to tell me something.

"So, how long have you two been in communication?"

I asked Rachel teasingly. She giggled at me guiltily and I knew that she was behind this whole thing. She hugged me again, and then she whispered in my ear.

"I've been talking to him since we graduated. He's single, you're single. I don't want you to suffer or be alone. Dave moved all the way out here. Just be gentle."

And right away, I knew that Rachel was absolutely right. I needed to give Dave a chance, because he probably wasn't that same guy he was in high school. We wished Rachel luck, bid Blaine and her a fond farewell and headed out to take our seats with the rest of the Glee clubbers. Everyone was shocked to see me there with Dave, but this was comfortable. I smiled and Mercedes looked at me.

"Is that Dave Karofsky?"

"It is."

"And are you two together?"

"I don't know."

"What about Blaine?"

"He's dating Rachel."

And Mercedes eyes got wide. Like she hadn't heard that Blaine had gone straight. She turned around in her seat and looked at me. She was fishing for gossip. I wasn't going to be the one to give it to her. I wouldn't do that to Blaine, no matter how truly hurt I was. I shook my head and pointed to the stage. It was Rachel's big night, and I wasn't going to let anything ruin it.

Everyday-I try and I try and I try

But everybody wants to put me down

They say I'm goin' crazy

Got no common sense

I got nobody left to believe

Yeah-yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Oh Lord

Somebody-somebody

Can anybody find me somebody to love?

Rachel killed it in Sunset Boulevard. She did amazing, and I was so proud of her. I looked at her and gave her a thumbs up. I knew that she would be. I looked around and realized that Blaine was nowhere to be found. I had turned to look at Dave, when an usher came over to our section.

"Are you guys the New Directions glee club?"

"We are. I'm Kurt Hummel. This is Dave, Puck and Lauren, Artie and Brittany, Tina and Mike Chang, Quinn Fabray and her boyfriend Brian."

"Okay, good. All of you are on the list. Please, follow me. Mr. Anderson and Miss Berry have requested that you all come backstage."

I gasped. That was a Rachel thing to do. I told them all and we all headed backstage. Blaine was standing outside the door and he smiled at every single one of us. He looked good. But that wasn't my place to say, anymore. We all stood there as Blaine gave directions to the stagehands. We waited patiently, and then he turned to us.

"Hey New Directions."

"Blaine, what's going on? Why did you play with Kurt the way you did?"

Mercedes asked. She was always to the point. Blaine hugged her and smiled at her. He was doing his annoyed Blaine act. He rolled his eyes and sighed. That's how you knew that he was annoyed.

"Mercedes. My relationship with Kurt isn't your business. In fact, it's nobody's business. Now, Rachel is here. She wants to see all of you, though I don't understand why. Half of you don't even like her. But this is what she wants, so enter. But I promise if any of you try to bring her down on her big night, I will have you personally escorted from the building."

And into the dressing room we walked. Rachel had just finished changing into jeans and a white blouse. I squealed and ran over to her and she pulled me into a hug. I watched as Dave stood next to me. He watched the New Directions carefully, as did I. I knew that everyone was watching him, so I pulled away from Rachel and looked at them.

"You guys stop staring at him. He's not the same that he was two years ago. None of us are, okay? So, lay off! Sure, we're all here supporting Rachel, but you guys keep looking at him like the devil incarnate. So just stop."

"We're just-"

"Looking out for me, Quinn? Let's face it. You haven't been in contact with any of us since we graduated, and out of the blue, you text Blaine and tell him you're in New York? You don't know what's going on. Blaine, Rachel and I are a close knit group. Nothing's coming between that. So go back to Lima, or Cincinnati, or Akron…or where ever it was you came from, and pretend that we don't know each other. You're good at that."

And I hugged Rachel one more time, with promises to call her and led Dave out of the theater. And for the first time in a long time, I felt liberated.

Got no feel, I got no rhythm

I just keep losing my beat

I'm okay, I'm alright

Ain't gonna face no defeat

I just gotta get out of this prison cell

Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!

Find me somebody to love

Can anybody find me somebody to love?

While my life was coming together, I hadn't realized that Rachel's was slowly unraveling. And I didn't like that, not one bit.