A/N:

Holy crap, you guys are so amazing with your support! Thank you so much. So this story has a little more meat in it, sort of setting up the kind of world I'm building here ... it would really mean the world to me if you could reply in reviews and tell me what you did and didn't like so I can see how I can tweak it and maybe even improve my writing. Again, thank you so much!

Hope you enjoy!


Chapter Two

A month later, Kurt and Burt Hummel were driving along a paved pathway leading to two impressive, wrought-iron gates. As they creeped closer, Kurt started to glimpse the grandeur beyond: it was like someone copy-pasted a picture of a manor from Jane Austen's mind right onto Ohio soil. It far surpassed impressive. It was borderline intimidating.

Kurt had read every bit of information he could find about Dalton over the past month, every alumnae experience available online, and refused to believe it could really be as incredible as described.

And yet, as his father parked in the visitor park space, Kurt couldn't help feeling humbled in front of the majestic architecture of the cluster of buildings, the immaculate gardens and the orderly fields stretched before them.

Burt let out a low, appreciative whistle. 'Pretty fancy school for Ohio, huh?'

But Kurt remained silent.

'Hey,' his dad made him look up at him. 'If someone's picking on you, harassing you, or even looking at you funny, you call me, got it?' Kurt nodded meekly. 'Now let's show these posers what Kurt Hummel's made of.'


The Dalton complex was divided into seven impressive structure, all grand, yet each with its own unique style and atmosphere. On the right, Kurt could see a massive greenhouse, adorned on the outside with lovely flowers and bushes and trees stretching behind it into an adorable, quaint orchard, besides which was a vineyard. To his left, there was a kitchen hall adjoined to the dining room. Beyond them were two more enormous buildings Kurt couldn't really identify, a barn, a stable (Kurt's insides squirmed uncomfortably – he wasn't really the equestrian type), and in front of him was the impressive manor that greeted them through the gates. There were big, brass letters above the double doors, saying: DALTON MAIN BUILDING.

Well, I guess this is it, Kurt thought timidly.

He and his father walked up to the main building, looking around at the ostentatious landscaping: there were flowerbeds along the pathway leading to it, bushes behind them, and two parallel lanes of trees that created an elongated archway. In the middle there was a fancy fountain that tinkled lightly and made Kurt wonder exactly how much money those students' parents must earn to afford them going to this place and how much the school must receive in funds to support such an illustrious piece of land.

When they entered, however, Kurt was in for a shock.

From the incredible views outside, he expected everyone in this place to be stuck-up snobs who walked with their noses up in the air, hardly speaking and focused on learning. The sight that greeted him threw him for a bit. There were clusters of boys sitting here and there in couches and pouffes in the lobby, some were mingling on the stairs ahead, and a few were running here and there, yelling at each other to stop or shut up.

Burt chuckled. 'I guess you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.'

Kurt had no idea what he meant by that, as he was pretty sure those boys had never been to the country, but a voice to their right sniggered in agreement.

'I'd say,' said the voice, and when Kurt and Burt turned t see who it was, they were greeted by a well-dressed, middle-aged, mustached man who was standing there, holding a stack of papers under one arm and was just starting to stretch out his hand to greet Burt. 'You must be the Hummels. I heard about you from Dean Greyson. My name is Hank Salazar, I'm the history teacher here. If you could follow me, I think I should be able to direct you to the Dean's office.

'Thank you!' said Burt, immensely pleased to see a friendly staff member on their first day here, and prompted Kurt to join him in following Mr. Salazar up the stairs.

They had barely managed to make it two steps before someone knocked, hard, into Kurt, who immediately clutched onto his father, his eyes wide with fear.

'Hey! Watch where you're going, will you? I thought this school was supposed to be against bullying!' snapped Burt at the terrified boy who turned around at his voice.

The boy, who had curly dark brown hair, hazel eyes and was wearing a suit that matched just about every guy in the building aside from Mr. Salazar, stared at Kurt for a second before registering that it was indeed Burt who was talking to him, and then his eyes widened in panic. 'Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to hurt him at all! Sorry, by the way,' he added to Kurt before returning to speak to Burt, who clearly seemed more open to communication than Kurt, 'I'm really late for class and wasn't even looking where I was going. I wouldn't dream of hurting your son … my bad. See you later?' he added hopefully to Kurt, who was really amazed at this boy's manners and striking good looks, but then was struck dumb at being addressed so casually by a boy.

'We'll see,' said Mr. Salazar helpfully, 'Mr. Hummel and Kurt here have just come in for registration and we're on our way to Dean Greyson right now. Blaine, I suggest you hurry if you don't want Miss Devon to write you up as tardy.

Blaine's eyes widened in horror and he spun around and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Mr. Salazar turned to the Hummels. 'That's Blaine Anderson. One of our brightest, but somehow always over-energetic. Let's go.'


When they reached Dean Greyson's office, Kurt was thrown once again by the standards of this school. The hallways were decorated tastefully and in understated tones of brown, burgundy and various shades of dark blue. The Dean's office was a dark, well-polished mahogany that bore gold letters saying Dean Phillip Greyson. Mr. Salazar knocked three times on the brass knocker before a deep, warm voice called out, 'Come in.'

Dean Greyson was an elderly man, wisps of white hair circling his head like a small halo, round glasses perched on his nose; he was dressed in a fine suit and was sitting behind a big desk cluttered with stationary, pens, a desk lamp and various other personal items.

Upon seeing the Hummels enter behind Mr. Salazar, the Dean smiled widely, and gestured to the two seats in front of his desks. 'Welcome, please, sit down. Thank you Hank, I'll take it from here.'

Mr. Salazar exited and father and son sat down gingerly in the plush armchairs.

'Good morning, Kurt,' Dean Greyson said kindly, peering at him over his glasses. 'I see you are interested in starting at our school. We were very impressed with your transcripts, I don't think you should have any trouble here academically. Do you mind if I speak to your father for a few moments? You are welcome to stay of course.'

Kurt shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

Dean Greyson and his father began speaking about the circumstances of Kurt's abrupt transfer. As Kurt already knew why he was here, he tuned out for a bit, but when the subject turned to fees and scholarships he came back and decided he could not keep quiet.

'Sir, I have no problem being on scholarship. I wouldn't want to put a strain on my father more than he already takes. It's the least I can do for everything he's done for me.'

Dean Greyson noticed Burt Hummel trying to discreetly wipe the corner of his eye, and was now focusing on Kurt. 'I see, and do you have any special abilities that you think might entitle you to a scholarship? Sports? Debate? Chess? Glee club? Art? Theatre?'

Kurt hesitated, 'well, I was in my old school's glee club, though I didn't get much solos, and I've always been interested in theatre. Is it something that could be relevant?'

Dean Greyson pondered for a bit. 'Well, we do have a thriving theatre department, and we really could use some new blood this year and I could arrange an audition for you, and I think the Warblers, the Dalton glee club, will be pretty good if you can pass the audition process. It's pretty rigorous, as they are the pride and joy of Dalton, so it's not easy,' he warned Kurt, 'but if you're really serious about it, and pass both auditions in the upcoming week, I don't see why you shouldn't be eligible for the musical theatre scholarship. It also provides high recommendations and extra credit points for colleges after you graduate.'

Kurt's eyes sparkled. 'Yes!' he blurted out. 'I mean, yes, thank you, sir, I think that could be a good one for me.'

'Excellent!' Dean Greyson clapped his hands together. 'Well, I think that settles everything between you and I, Mr. Hummel,' he said, addressing a surprised Kurt, 'do you think you could find your way back to the lobby? I just need a few last words with your father, and then I'll have one of the students from your year give you your orientation. Welcome to Dalton.'

Kurt walked out of the office in a daze. Now how to find his way back to the lobby …. Well, crap.