Chapter Five
A/N: Just a little note to make things clearer. Dixon is a fictional celebrity. Think of an Adam Lambert type when you think of him. Happy reading!
Jennifer got to school earlier than usual that morning, but she didn't mind. She used the extra time to get acquainted with the school without it being full of students. As she walked around, she discovered the auditorium. She let herself in and walked onto the stage, looking out at all the empty seats. Maybe singing again wouldn't be so bad. She tentatively hummed a few notes. It felt good, but that made her nervous. She wasn't used to getting such pleasure out of something so simple and that made her stop humming. She sighed and decided to see what other rooms she could discover.
As she opened the door into the hallway, a royal blue military jacket with gold embellishments and epaulets passed her.
"Kurt!" Jennifer smiled. Kurt whipped around but didn't smile.
"Hey, how did everything go with the hunk yesterday?" She asked, and then paused, watching his reaction. "Oh no, what happened?" She hugged him. Kurt inwardly struggled with wanting someone to talk to about Blaine and wanting to know what she was keeping from him. Blaine won. Kurt felt the need to be a little selfish. He could ask her what she was hiding later.
"I asked him if we were on a date and he told me he had feelings for me but he thought it was because I am gay and I am his friend." He blurted, telling her everything from the moment they met up to last night as she listened and was sympathetic. He could tell she genuinely cared. It made him open up and tell her about his struggles with being bullied by Karofsky and what happened. He told her about his father's hospital visit and marriage, and everything else that was bothering him, including Mercedes. By the end, he found that he had worked himself into tears. Jenny hugged him.
"I'm so sorry that things haven't been very easy for you. I can't believe you've been dealing with all of this on your own. Haven't your friends helped you?" She asked.
"They don't really know much about anything, but they try to help. You are the first and only person I have told about all of this and I already feel so much better." He wiped his tears away and smiled.
"Good and I promise I am going to help you figure all this out." She squeezed his hand as they got up and walked to class.
"And I promise I am going to find you a new wardrobe." He smiled, plucking at her sweater.
"What's wrong with it?" She looked down at her clothing.
"What's wrong with it? Oh honey, you need my help." He hugged her, sitting down in his seat as she sat down beside him. "I've already been thinking about it. You obviously like to be comfortable so I'm thinking sort of a boho chic with lots of scarves and long t-shirts and sweaters and leggings and lots of cute slouchy boots!" His eyes lit up as he got carried away. "Oh that would look perfect on you! Maybe we will add a little rocker edge in there too- maybe like Dixon's style." Jenny started laughing. "What's so funny?" Kurt asked, assuming it was a lack of self confidence. "You could totally pull it off, you just have to let everyone else see the person I see." He thought for another minute. "And your hair is gorgeous, I just need you to stop putting it in a messy half ponytail/bun thing. Ever heard of a blow dryer or straightening iron? Maybe a curling iron?" Jenny laughed.
"The only styling tool I own is a blow dryer. My brother has a straightener but he took it with him when he left."
"Oh, that's right! I forgot your brother was out and proud! What was his name again? Johnny?" He recalled.
"Yep. Johnny, my big brother." Jenny smiled even though the conversation made her realize how much she missed him.
"He left? Where did he go?" Kurt asked.
"He went away for work. He's pretty successful." She said proudly.
"That's great. What does he do?" Kurt asked. Before Jenny could answer, Mercedes interrupted them.
"Morning Kurt. Hey new kid, you are in my spot." She gestured to the seat Jenny was sitting in.
"Sorry." She mumbled an apology, immediately getting up to move.
"No." Kurt put a hand out to stop Jenny. " Mercedes, her name is Jenny, and she can sit here for today. There is a spot right behind her." Kurt snapped, slightly annoyed that she was being so rude instead of happy that he reconnected with his old best friend.
"Jenny this is Mercedes. She has some jealousy issues." Jenny looked down at the floor, feeling guilty for taking Mercedes' spot.
"Mercedes, it's okay. I'll move." Jenny got up and moved one seat back.
"Thanks." She replied coolly, sitting down and turning to Kurt. "Are we still on for our plans tonight? Or are you going to cancel on me again?" Mercedes asked. She woke up in a bad mood, and seeing Jenny sitting in her chair with her best friend and talking about things that Kurt should be talking to her about just fanned the flames.
"Yes, Prima Donna. We are still on for our plans. You and I need to straighten a few things out, Princess." Kurt huffed back. At that moment Jenny felt like she was intruding on Kurt's new life and all she wanted to do was back off. She quietly picked up her books and bag and moved to the far back corner. Kurt was so busy arguing with Mercedes that he didn't even notice. That was the way Jenny wanted it to be.
After first period, Jenny shared no classes with Kurt. She was slightly relieved. She did share a period with Finn before lunch though.
"You're Jenny right?" Jenny was startled and looked way up from her textbook to see a monstrously tall boy standing over her desk. She stood so that she didn't have to crane her neck.
"Hi." She nodded. "You are?"
"I'm Finn, Kurt's step brother." He offered his hand for her to shake, which she did.
"Right, he told me about you this morning. Nice to meet you." Finn nodded, looking around suspiciously as if someone might be listening.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" He lowered his voice.
"Um...I don't...follow?" She said cautiously.
"Anything at all you want to tell me?" He tried again.
"I can tell you that you are kind of creeping me out right now." She moved behind her chair.
"Oh. Alright. Sorry." Finn slumped away. Ever since the conversation the night before about Jenny's past, Finn had taken it upon himself to figure it out. He mentally ticked off the straight forward approach. Jenny sat down again, trying to recall if Kurt had said anything about Finn having a mental illness, but couldn't recall anything.
After Jenny got her lunch tray of food, she began looking around for a place to sit, immediately standing out as the awkward new kid.
"Jenny!" Kurt called out. "Over here!" He waved her over to his table where Mercedes was sitting beside him and looking less than thrilled to let Jenny sit with them. Reluctantly, she started to walk towards him.
Out of nowhere, a red and white Letterman jacket blocked her view of the table. She looked up at the big outline in front of her. Suddenly, her tray of food flipped into her face and down her shirt. She was too shocked to do anything. Kurt and everyone else watched in horror.
"Tell your little gay friend I say hello." He threatened in her ear. Everything clicked as he shoved her aside and walked out of the cafeteria. Rage bubbled up inside her- not for herself but for Kurt. In a flash, she was right behind him.
"Karofsky!" She called loudly. He stopped and turned around. She walked right up to him and tried to make herself appear taller, looking him in the eye. "Stop terrorizing Kurt." She warned.
"Or what?" He threatened. "You'll come after me?" He laughed menacingly.
"I'm not afraid of you." She said confidently. "Kurt may be, but I am anything but afraid of you." Karofsky slammed his fist into the locker beside her head. She barely moved.
"Yeah? Well you should be!" He snarled.
"That's the best you can do? You should be?"
"Karofsky!" A blonde-haired boy called from the other end of the hallway where everyone flooded out to see the confrontation. "Knock it off." The bully seemed to think for a moment.
"You better watch it." Karofsky warned before storming off. Everyone either went back into the cafeteria, bored that it didn't come to blows or came to see if she was alright. Coming towards her was a small pack of people let by Kurt in the forefront, and the blonde boy right behind him.
"Why on earth did you do that?" The blonde boy asked. "I'm Sam, by the way." He looked at her like she was insane. Kurt was more quiet.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at the globs of dripping food on her face and on her clothing.
"I'm fine, Kurt. Don't worry about me." She consoled him. A blonde girl in a cheerleaders uniform took her hand and headed for the girls bathroom.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She pushed the door open. "If you want to clean your face off, I will be right back. I have some extra clothes in my locker." She disappeared. Jenny was still seething mad and as she reached for the taps on the sink, her hands were shaking.
A few minutes later, the girl returned with a blue smock dress and a black sweater, belt and flats.
"Here these should fit you." She handed over the clothing and Jenny made her way into one of the stalls. "I'm Quinn by the way."
"Thank you for your help, Quinn. I'm Jenny." She spoke through the stall door.
"Your welcome, just tell me why you did it." Jenny paused while putting on the sweater to examine her arm. She was right, she did have finger shaped bruises on her arm.
"What do you mean 'why I did it?'" She asked. "He's a bully that's why."
"Well you're new here, and new kids don't generally stand up to bullies on their second day at a new school." Quinn checked her reflection in the mirror.
"I guess I'm just not a fan of bullying. I don't care that he came after me, but it bothers me that he goes after Kurt." She changed her shoes and opened the door. She walked out, holding her old clothes wadded up in her hands.
"Much better." Quinn smiled. "Now you look like girl. Can you see without your glasses?" She asked.
"Not without contacts." Jenny shrugged.
"Then at least let me fix your hair." Quin pulled out a brush. Jenny smiled and let her long dark hair out of the elastic as she began brushing it. "So you are Kurt's best friend?" She asked. Jenny hesitated.
"I was, a long time ago. I would love to remain best friends, but I'm kind of getting in the way of his new life and friends, so I'm trying to back off." She admitted.
"Are you sure Kurt wants that?" Quinn asked.
"No, I'm sure he doesn't, but it's causing problems with him and Mercedes." Jenny pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.
"They were having fights before you showed up. It's not your fault." Quinn reasoned.
"I know about those, but I still feel like I'm making things harder than they have to be for him." Jenny had no idea why she was being so honest with a total stranger, it wasn't like her.
"Well do yourself a favour." Quinn smiled in the mirror at her. "And let Kurt tell you when he's had enough." She started working a small French braid into the front of her hairline. "Have you ever considered that now that he's found you and things are more difficult, it would be even worse if you just stopped being his friend right now? Besides, he needs as many friends as possible right now." Quinn referred to him being bullied and to his father's hospitalization. She didn't know he and Blaine had a glitch. Jenny thought about what she said.
"You're right. Thank you. Not only did you lend me clothing but I got advice thrown in for free too!" Jenny smiled as Quinn finished the braid and pinned it back with some bobby pins.
"Your welcome. I hope it helped." Quinn picked up her school bag.
"It did, thanks. My hair looks so nice." Jenny admired it in the mirror, turning her head in all directions. She picked up her bag and clothes.
"I still only give it a week before Kurt has you looking like you belong on some high fashion runway in Paris or something." They left the bathroom together.
"I'm a little worried about that. He said something about boho chic meets Dixon." Quinn raised her eyebrows and laughed.
"Good luck with that one." Jenny joined in laughing as they walked down the hallway together.
A/N: Okay, so not a hugely exciting chapter, but it was nice. I know it was slightly out of character for Quinn to be such a big help, but I feel like she's a bit different since the end of Season One. She's a bit nicer now in certain aspects. Also, I feel like Jenny needs a girl friend as well as Kurt and it definitely wouldn't be Mercedes, so she was my next choice. What did you think of the chapter? Please tell me. Reviews are drugs for me. I know everyone feels the same.