Don't hate on the Neil! I swear he's a decent guy. If you don't believe me...or even if you do...Read on!
Blaine slid into his desk chair, dumping his Warblers things in a heap next to him. He opened his laptop, prompting it out of sleep mode, and saw the Skype app pop up right away. Neil was online. He connected to him and waited impatiently as the window popped up.
"Blaine!" The familiar face appeared, and he grinned.
"Hey. How'd the test go?"
"Good. I think. It's hard to tell sometimes, but I answered all the questions, so..."
"It's a start?"
"Exactly. So did you finish the reading?"
"Yeah. Just barely." Neil gave a crooked smile.
"Did you guys get out of Warblers early? I though you probably would be late if anything."
Blaine leaned back a bit, folding his hands on his stomach.
"I was supposed to do some duet practice after primary rehearsal, but Wes stole my partner."
"Julia said you two were actually going to do Baby It's Cold Outside. But she has Eves practice on Wednesday nights. How'd she get out of that to come to Dalton?"
"No, not Julia. It was my practice partner from here. Joel Martin has to leave early for Christmas and Wes needed a fill in for his quartet." Neil raised an eyebrow.
"Who is it?" Blaine shrugged.
"No one. Just one of the new guys."
"Right." Neil just crossed his arms and stared through the camera.
"What? We should get started on lit." Blaine grabbed his book from the desk and flipped open to a random page.
"I'm waiting."
"I don't understand." Blaine played obtuse well, but not nearly as well as Neil played stubborn.
"Bullshit. I've been your best friend for two years now. I know your tricks." Blaine snorted slightly and just turned the page, trying to look absorbed.
"Blaine. Practice partner?" He could see the conflict in his friend's face. He wanted to tell him, tell somebody something, but it would take dragging out, like it always did with Blaine. Luckily, Neil had the time today to play along. Neil dropped his voice and dragged out his vowels. "Blaaaaaine."
Combined with drawn together eyebrows and a stern "muppet eagle" look, as Julia called it, it only took one glance for Blaine to let out a bark of laughter and roll his eyes.
"Kurt! Kurt Kurt Kurt. It's Kurt, shut up." He admitted, looking irritable, but bashful in a way that made Neil smile.
"The public school boy who pulled a you? That's awesome. You gonna put the patented Blaine moves on him during practice?"
"I have the worst friends." Blaine complained pathetically. Neil just grinned
"It's all love kiddo. You know we just want you to be happy. Which reminds me- Andrew got engaged! He and Jacob are gonna tie the knot next summer, so you've gotta come."
"That's great. Really. Tell him congrats from me."
"I will. So...this Kurt guy..."
"So...The Grapes of Wrath?" Blaine flashed the cover at Neil and he could tell that the gossipy part of the conversation was over for now. Blaine had his release of telling him about this kid, but he would clam up about it now for a while.
"Okay. Let's get down to business. Do you want to go thematically or by chapter?" Blaine flipped through the pages randomly, before opening it to the front page and bending the cover around so he could hold it in one hand.
"Um...Can we do quick run through on chapters and then maybe themes after?"
"It's a good plan. When it the essay due, by the way?"
"Next Thursday. Right before the concert."
"Ah the life of the senior Dalton Warbler. No sleep, so much oregano oil. Well, make sure you get the draft to me by Tuesday morning. I'll look it over between classes and have it back for the evening."
"Okay. Thanks, as always." Neil laughed.
"Same deal as always. Just try and get in the way of Wes and Julia as much as possible while Andrew and I are out of geographical range for brotherly duties."
"Chapter one?" Blaine proposed. Neil nodded in agreement
"Chapter one. You talk, I'll type."
Neil had been one of his first friends at Dalton. He had leant him toothpaste his first night, when Blaine had nearly broken down in the bathroom at the realization he hadn't thought to bring his own. It was the homesickness and nervousness more than the toothpaste, really, but Neil had nicely pretended not to notice any of it. That was pretty much the first and last time he let Blaine get away with anything.
From there, he had kind of taken Blaine under his wing. Andrew, Neil's older brother, had graduated the year before, and had been known for his Warblers position, and for getting several detentions for making out with his boyfriend in inappropriate places. By his senior year it had become almost a challenge for other couples to compete to find the most outrageous place on campus. Last year's winners had been a surprise. David and Natalie, his old girlfriend, had won by dressing up in sheets and posing as statues- kissing statues- in the middle of the main quad fountain.
With his open attitude, Neil had been a refreshing presence for Blaine when he first came to Dalton, soon a friend, and eventually, when he discovered Blaine was struggling in certain classes to the point of almost being suspended from Warblers, his tutor. And even though Neil was on the other side of the country at Washington State University, he was still helping Blaine to get through senior English Lit and Composition.
Kurt had finished rehearsing with his new quartet, and was grinning in a way that was even obnoxious to him. Now he got to go have duet practice with Blaine, and hopefully after that, get a solid night of sleep. For a Wednesday, it was turning out to be one hell of an evening.
He stopped in front of Blaine's door, ready to knock, but saw that it was slightly open already. He gave a soft rap as he leaned in through the gap.
"Blaine? I finished up-" Blaine turned around suddenly, dropping the novel on the table and looking over his shoulder to Kurt. There was a inquisitive mumble that Kurt couldn't make out, but he saw the Skype window on the screen. There was a dark haired guy, wearing a sweater with block letters spelling out "WSU" on it. Blaine glanced from Kurt the the screen and quickly downsized the window.
"Blaine? Everything okay?" Blaine shut his eyes, breathing out through his nose in frustration at the voice from his speakers.
"Yes, Neil. Just...Go away?"
"Sorry, did I...Only the door was open so I..." Kurt took a deep breath and started again. "I'm sorry I interrupted. I should have knocked."
"Was that Kurt? I want to say hello." Blaine reached behind him and turned down the volume on the computer. To Kurt he looked slightly wretched and unsure what he should do now.
"No it...I mean, it's fine. But I don't think I can do practice tonight. Sorry. English lit is killing me." Blaine gave a half hearted laugh and Kurt could only frown.
"Again? That's what you said yesterday. And Monday." Blaine glanced away.
"Yeah. Well..."
Kurt drew his shoulders back, apparently deciding something for himself.
"Okay. Good luck on your work or whatever then." He gave Blaine a weak smile. "I guess we can try again tomorrow, or whenever works for you."
"Kurt-" Kurt stopped at the doorway.
"You should get back to your boy friend or friend or guy friend or who ever."
"Kurt he's not...He's just my..." Blaine twisted his hands together for a minute.
"Your what Blaine?"
"He's just an old friend." He could tell by the look on Kurt's face that he didn't entirely believe him, and to be honest he didn't blame him. The boy slipped out of the room and Blaine could hear his retreating footsteps as he sat back down in his chair and brought the Skype window back up. Neil's face was just as reproving as he thought it would be.
"Why didn't you just tell him that I'm tutoring you? Or that it takes you a while to do English assignments. It sounded like you were just making a really weak excuse not to see him." Blaine winced a little, knowing how it sounded on the outside that he kept blaming his one class for not seeing Kurt.
"I can't! He's going to think I'm really dumb, and I just...I really like him Neil."
Neil sighed. They'd had variations of the first half of this conversation before, especially when Blaine had first come to Dalton, still cautious of others and insecure of himself.
"You're too hard on yourself. And you aren't dumb! How many times do I have to tell you that having dyslexia doesn't mean you're dumb. You're amazing in math and science, and just because language doesn't come as easily to you, you beat yourself down over it. Have a little more faith in yourself. And in the kid."
"I dunno."
"You should tell him. Tomorrow. But for now we need to get you through the last two chapters and start working on themes for your paper. Just...think about it okay? You're a great guy Blaine. If I wasn't really into breasts, I would totally want to date you."
Neil's giant exaggerated smile made it impossible for Blaine not to return it.
"Fine. I'll think about it. Now come on. I thought you were supposed to be helping me, not distracting me."