"I'm sorry, you what?" Blaine asked again. Did Kurt really say what he thought he said? He wanted to go to church?
"Yes, I want to try this whole Jesus, church, religion thing again." Kurt said with a little smile, looking down.
"Sure, um well, today is Sunday so this Wednesday we have collage small groups. I know you're still in high school, but they won't care. We will gladly take you in. So what made you change your mind?" Blaine was curious, he had to ask.
"Well, I have no where else to turn, really. I have lost my family, I have no plans for collage, almost no money-"
"Garage sale." Blaine added in.
"That won't cover everything forever, Blaine. But it was a start and it helped." Kurt got up from the piano and sat back onto the couch and joined Blaine. "Anyways, where else do I turn? And you guys love it. I'll take my chances for any possible support system I can find and why not try it once? " Kurt looked to Blaine and he looked like he was going to burst. "What is it?"
"Well firstly, I'm very excited." Blaine couldn't hold back his big, excited smile. This was going to happen! "Secondly, even if it doesn't work out and you don't want to stick around with it, that is totally fine. I will still be there for you 24/7 and I can bet you that Mercedes, Tina, Sam, Artie and Quinn will be too. They'll be so happy that you are going to do this. And don't worry if you feel like you don't know much of what's going on or you're just beginning to understand what is happening. It's ok, it's never to late, and we can help you with anything you need."
"Thanks." Kurt said trying to get a word in because Blaine was starting to talk faster and faster.
"Oh this is so great! I can introduce you to everybody, get you a Bible, put you in a small group and enter your information into the church's system and-"
"You're doing it again." Kurt interrupted.
"Dangit! I'm sorry. Please, don't be afraid to tell me to shut up when I start rambling like that again."
"Noted." Kurt stated with a laugh.
"So, Wednesday night, want me to swing by around 5:30 ish? They'll have dinner there so we don't have to worry about getting food anywhere. Plus, you deserve a good home cooked meal." Blaine put his hand on Kurt's knee and smiled.
"Sure, sounds good."
"Kurt, I want you to know that I'm so happy for you. That you want to take this first step, test the waters of this whole thing that your new friends and myself are committed to. I also want you to know that following God won't make your life instantly easier or perfect. But it will make your life so much more positive and it will open your eyes to so many things you would have never even dreamed of. This lifestyle is so incredibly worth it and I'm so happy you want to test it out for yourself."
"Thanks Blaine." Kurt half smiled.
"Well it's been a long, emotional day, I think I better head home. Plus you have school tomorrow and we both have work too." Blaine stood up and they both headed for the front door.
"You'll be alright for tonight?" Blaine turned around before opening the door.
"Yes, maybe I'll reacquaint myself with my old friend, Miss Baby Grand over there." Kurt said, pointing to the white grand piano on the other side of the room.
"Well I won't stall anything between you two. I'll see you tomorrow then, at work?" Blaine smiled again. 'How could this kid always be so happy?' Kurt thought.
"Yep, I'll be there at three." Blaine held out his arms to Kurt after his response. Kurt tightly wound his arms around Blaine and was so grateful for him and the comfort he always brought him.
"I wasn't lying to you when I said you are the strongest person I know. You are incredible and I'm so glad we have each other."
"Where did that come from?" Kurt asked out loud. He thought he only said that in his head, but somehow it slipped out.
"I don't know, but it's true. I'll see you tomorrow, get some sleep alright?" Blaine broke the embrace between them and looked into Kurt's baby blue eyes.
"See you. And thank you again for coming today."
"Don't mention it. Goodnight Kurt." Blaine opened the door and stepped outside.
"Goodnight Blaine." And the door shut. Kurt stood there for a minute and started at the door. "I love you." He whispered.
Kurt heard a knock at the door and looked at his broken watch. 5:30 on the button. "Shit!" He cursed, throwing on the kaki jeans on the floor and searched for a shirt. "Just a minute!" He yelled from his room to Blaine. He found a white and red sweater that he always hated and threw it on before running to the door.
"Hello Kurt." Blaine smiled.
"Hi Blaine." Kurt panted from the running and stress of figuring out what to wear.
"Everything alright?" Blaine asked, stepping into the apartment with his Bible in hand which he set on the small table near the door.
"I can't figure out what to wear." Kurt whined, looking down at his feet.
"Aww, let me help you." Blaine put his hand on the middle of Kurt's back and they walked to Kurt's room.
"Well my church isn't formal at all. So let's go with some simple jeans and a shirt." Blaine offered a light blue button up and Kurt took it.
"Thanks." Kurt looked toward Blaine and thought 'Screw it.' He threw off the itchy sweater and dropped it to the floor.
"Oh! Kurt! Um, I can leave, didn't r-realize you were going to c-change right here." Blaine stuttered nervously.
"Oh. I wasn't even thinking." Kurt stopped fiddling with the buttons of the bottom of his shirt and slouched. "I can never do anything right."
"Oh stop." Blaine walked over to stand in front of Kurt. "It's ok. We all make mistakes, as cliché as it sounds."
Don't worry Blaine began singing the famous Bob Marley tune about a thing. Cuz every little thing, is gonna be alright
He started buttoning up Kurt's shirt for him and tried not to get distracted–or get caught staring-at his pale, smooth skin that was underneath it. When he was done, he smoothed out the collar and shoulders of the shirt.
"Alright, well dinner is going to start in about ten minutes or so, so you ready?" Blaine asked as he handed Kurt some nice casual shoes to wear for tonight.
"Oh, sorry. Hope we're not late." Kurt grabbed some socks, his keys, and headed out the door with Blaine.
They pulled up to a medium sized church just a few minutes later. They walked into a room with off-white, plastic tables and dark gray plastic chairs. There was a stage in the front of the room with a drum set, a couple music stands and microphones. The ceiling and walls had thick planks of wood and dark green paint beneath them. There were people scattered throughout the room, seated and talking at a medium volume.
"What's with the wood?" Kurt whispered to Blaine.
"It's supposed to resemble Noah's ark. You know the story of the flood and two of every animal came onto an ark that Noah made." Blaine hoped that Kurt knew what he was talking about.
"Sounds familiar. Just curious because I wasn't expecting it, it's unusual." Kurt said, looking around at the ceiling.
"You're here!" Mercedes yelped as she hugged Blaine and Kurt when they arrived. "How are you doing?" She asked Kurt as Blaine moved to greet other people.
"I'm doing alright. School is as annoying as ever." Kurt started fiddling with his mom's ring again.
"Uh, I'm sorry. If there's one thing that I'm happy about that came out of high school is that it's over for me." She said with a small laugh.
"Lucky you. No, but Blaine's really helping me out. He's the best friend or big brother that I've never had."
"Really?" Mercedes asked looking over to Blaine who was smiling and laughing with some friends before he looked their way and smiled and waved. "He really cares about you, Kurt. He wants more than anything to be there for you and make you happy again."
"When did he say that?" Kurt raised an eyebrow at her, hoping she was telling the truth.
"Right when you guys met, I believe. He felt bad about exploding at you with trying to sell you into coming here. But here you are and I'm so happy you're here, what a pleasant surprise." Mercedes smiled widely.
"Well, I'm curious about this whole thing so I'm excited too."
"Alright everyone." A man with square-ish glasses, a red and gray striped cardigan, and rolled up jeans with moccasins spoke into a microphone at the front stage. "Hello. Thank you all for coming tonight. So...Blaine! Why don't you pray for us and our dinner."
"Must you always pick on me, David?" Blaine asked.
David put the microphone right up to his face. "It's. My. Job." He said in a very deep, Transformer voice and everyone laughed.
"Alright, I'll do it." He walked over to David and received the microphone from him, cleared his throat and closed his eyes. Kurt looked around and everyone also closed their eyes, some bowed their heads too so he did the same but didn't close his eyes. "Father God, we come before you. Thank you for bringing all of us here tonight. Whether it's our first time here or our hundredth time here, give us something to walk away with. Speak to our hearts and bring us closer to you and each other. Thank you for this food that we are about to eat and for bringing us safely here. We love you and thank you for everything, amen."
"Amen." Some people in the room softly repeated.
"Three bucks get you a drink and a bowl full of mac and cheese." David announced and a line formed towards the front, right corner of the room where a few people handed out bowls of macaroni and cheese.
Blaine walked up to Kurt and said "Wanna go grab some food? We need to get some meat on those bones." He poked Kurt's sides and laughed.
"Sure." Kurt and Blaine walked up to the front of the room and joined the line. "That was a cool prayer thing you did up here."
"Oh, that was nothing, but thank you anyways. David always picks someone at random to pray for anyone before dinner, so you got to see me pray today."
"You mentioned me in it?" Kurt asked curiously.
"Well I figured you might not be the only first-timer here and if not, you know. I just say what comes to my mind when I'm praying, especially in front of people."
"Cool." Kurt said and the line kept moving alone.
"Hey guys." David came up to Kurt and Blaine and gave them high fives each.
"David, this is Kurt. Kurt, David."
"Welcome to Parkcrest, Kurt." And they shook hands.
"Hello." Kurt said with a half smile.
"This is Kurt's first time at a church in about ten years." Blaine informed him. 'Blaine, what are you doing?' Kurt thought.
"Oh really? Well we're very glad you are here tonight and I hope you enjoy it. Let us know how it goes, alright? Oh, and since you're a first-timer, you get dinner for free! See ya." He said with a smile and moved down the line of people, greeting them.
"He seems cool." Kurt said as they were about to reach the food.
"Yeah, David is really great. Everyone loves being around him. He'd really funny and he's a great speaker."
"Well then I'll have to stick around and come when he speaks." Kurt said with a smile as they approached the table holding a large pot of gooey, cheesy macaroni.
"Blaine, hello darling." A middle-aged women with blond ish red ish hair greeted him with a smile.
"Hello Stevi, how are you?" She handed him a bowl of macaroni.
"I've been better, but I'm always happy to see you kids. And who is this?" She asked, looking to Kurt.
"Hello, I'm Kurt."
"Hi Kurt, we're glad to have you with us tonight. You get a free dinner tonight because you're new here! You look like you need some meat on those bones, enjoy the food."
"That's exactly what Blaine just said. Is it really that bad?"
"No, sweetie. We're just teasing. Have a good night." And they moved down the table to grab plastic forks, napkins, and water bottles.
They sat down at an empty table of seven seats and began eating.
"Wow, this is really good." Kurt said with a mouthful of food.
Blaine laughed, "That's Stevie's cooking, I don't know what I would do without it." He said with a smile full of food.
"Gross! Put that away." Kurt said with a chuckle.
"Are these seats taken?" A man with an Irish accent asked the two friends.
"No, Rory, go right ahead." Blaine said.
"Who you got there, Blaine?" He asked.
"Rory, this is Kurt. Kurt, this is Rory."
"Hello Kurt." He said.
"Hi, I like your accent." Kurt said.
"Ah, thank you, laddie. Just don't make me read chapters of a book or something ike some people here." He gave Blaine a glare.
"Hey, it wasn't just me, ok. David's been here for a year now and he's just slightly starting to get over your accent."
"True, true." He said as he took a bite food.
"Hey, can we join you guys?" A tall guy with dark dreadlocks and a short girl with glasses and down syndrome came up to the table with their dinner in their hands.
"Absolutely." Blaine said through a mouth full of food, trying to annoy Kurt a little.
"Hi, I'm Becky." The girl sat next to Kurt and stuck her left hand out to shake Kurt's.
"Hello, I'm Kurt. This is my first time here."
"Really? Cool. Are you friends with Blainers?" She asked.
"Yes, I am. Do you guys call him Blainers?"
"Yes, he hates it!" She replied with a smile.
"I'll remember that, thank you Becky."
The rest of dinner continued smoothly. Blaine introduced Kurt to many others and Kurt was really starting to feel a bit more comfortable and relaxed in the cozy, wood room.
"Alright guys, finish up your meals, please throw away your trash and head into your groups." David said into the microphone again.
Blaine took his and Kurt's trash and threw them away.
"It was great meeting you, Miss Becky." Kurt smiled at her.
"You too Kurt. Are you going to come back next week or Sunday?" She asked with wide eyes.
"I think I might." He said with a smile.
A tall, medium sized man with not too much hair and glasses said "Alright everyone I'm happy to see you all again. We have a newbie in the room-"
"Fresh meat!" Artie yelled from his wheelchair.
"So, um-" The man said, looking to Kurt.
"Kurt." Kurt said.
"Kurt, why don't you tell us about yourself. We also tell our 'highs and lows' of the week, so why don't you start us off?" The man asked.
Kurt was a little nervous. He was now sitting in a room with eight other guys who were all expecting him to say something about himself. He knew Blaine, Artie, Sam and just met that guy with the dreads, Joe. So why was this so scary if he knew half of the kids in here?
"Well, I'm Kurt. I'm actually a senior in high school at McKinley High, not a collage student. So, sorry if I'm breaking any rules or anything, I just have nowhere else to turn. Um, I have too many 'lows' to count as my life is falling apart. My 'high' of the week is Blaine." Kurt looked at Blaine who was sitting next to him, as everyone else in the room did, and their eyes locked. "I just met Blaine about a little over a week ago and he has been my rock. My parents were killed in a car crash and now I have absolutely no family, money or anything. But I guess now Blaine is my family and he has done so much for me already. Thank you Blaine."
"My pleasure." Both of the boys shed a single tear.
"GROUP HUG!" Sam and Artie yelled. Everyone came into the middle of the circle they formed on the ground and, not to forget Artie again, they embraced each other.
"Now that that love fest if done, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves to Kurt and say our 'Highs and Lows' as well. I'll start off. Kurt, I'm Eric, the leader. If you ever need someone to talk to or anything, I'll always be here to listen and help with what I can. It's what us leaders do so don't ever feel like you're alone, because you're not." Kurt looked to Blaine again. Memories of that song came flooding back.
Baby you're not alone, cuz you're here with me. And nothing's ever gonna bring us down cuz nothing can keep me from loving you…
Memories of Blaine holding Kurt close. Kurt wanted that again, he missed feeling loved and the feeling of Blaine so close. He missed it and he wanted it again.
Everyone went through their highs and lows. Kurt thought it was ok, nothing too exciting. Just people talking about their boring lives. But his wasn't much better. But he didn't cry! That was a first.
"Alright guys." Eric said as the group began to get chatty again. "Let's start the lesson plan for today. We will begin in the book of Jeremiah, chapter twenty-nine, verse eleven." Everyone got out a Bible and Kurt felt a little sheepish because he didn't have one.
"Here, we can share mine." Blaine whispered as he put the book between them and opened to the book of Jeremiah.
"Sam, why don't you read it for us?" Eric said. 'Wow, I don't want to be picked to read a verse or pray in front of people. Yikes.' Kurt thought.
"Alright, I love this verse!" Sam said. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.'" Sam read the words so smoothly.
Eric pulled out a notebook with scribbled notes written down and set it on the ground in front of him. "Thank you, Sam. You see, with that verse guys, it's telling us that God has a plan for us. No matter what life throws at us, it is all for a reason. He made your life what it has been and will be because it's what he wants for you. We forget that He can carry our burdens, our stress, and our hardships. The struggle in life that we all have is never easy, but it is necessary because it builds us as people and brings us closer to Him. He wants to take care of us but only if we let him. The plan He has for each and every one of you guys in this room is spectacular. I believe that you guys are bound to do some amazing things but only if you commit yourself to Him.
"How many of you guys know Ashley?" A few raised their hands. "If you don't know her, she is the one with no hair and a butterfly tattoo on the right side of her head. She is a leader here and she has one heck of a story. To cut it short for you, she had the worst experiences growing up. Her parents didn't care for her, she was raped at a young age, got into drugs and hated herself. As a method of self-harm, she began literally ripping her hair out. The hair started to not grow back. Once she accepted that she was bald, she had given up on her faith. She was angry with God because, you know, what kind of a plan was that? She was in her late teens, early twenties and she had no hair and a horrible life so far. Then she came here, reaccepted God into her life and got baptized here. The tattoo on her head is where she would always pull her hair, it was the starting point where she began doing that to herself. So about a year ago, she got it done and accepted what has happened in her life because it was what God wanted.
"Wow, well we're almost out of time here, so I'll pray us out and then you guys are free to go. Any prayer requests?" Eric asked.
"School for all of us." Joe, the kid with the dreads said and everyone nodded.
"My grandpa. He's still in the hospital with that stomach cancer and he's still not doing so well." A another guy with short, curly blond hair said. Eric began scribbling these requests down in his notebook so he wouldn't forget any
"Bullies." Sam and Artie said in unison.
"For Kurt. He has gone through so much and we all need to be there for him." Blaine said, putting his right hand on Kurt's left knee.
"Absolutely!" Rory said.
"Last call, any others?" Eric said, putting his pen down. "God, we thank you for bringing us here tonight, for these great guys who have such a journey ahead of them. Please help us with all of our schooling and jobs; give us the motivation to study and be diligent in our work. Please watch over and heal Joey's grandpa. Help Sam, Artie and anyone else who is dealing with bullies at school or work or anywhere. Help them to not let it sink into them, give them the strength and dignity to push it away and help them to get stronger off of it. Be with Kurt. Thank you for bringing him here tonight and help him with everything that he has going on. Thank you that Blaine is helping him and help us to do the same. Be with us all this next week, keep us safe and remind us that you have a plan for us that is so worth it. We love you father, in your name we pray, amen."
"Amen." Everyone repeated, minus Kurt.
Everyone stood and started to leave the room. "Hey, uh, Kurt?" Eric said as he stood up.
"Yeah?" Kurt responded as Blaine stood up next to him.
"I have an extra Bible here, you are more than welcome to have it." He handed Kurt a new, hardback book that said 'The Message' is big white letters.
"Oh, thank you." He said with a small smile.
"Sometimes it's really hard to read the Bible because it's so difficult to understand but this version is very easy to grasp and I think you might like it."
"Thanks."
"I'll be praying for you. I'm so sorry about your situation. But you are always welcome here and we're all happy to have you here."
"Thank you, I need all the help I can get. Well I liked it, it was fun. Thanks for the Bible, Eric."
"Don't mention it, I'll see ya."
They all walked outside and Kurt and Blaine headed for the back parking lot.
"So, what did you think of it?" Blaine asked.
"I liked it a lot. Can I come again on Sunday?" Kurt asked, looking down at his new book.
"Would I really say no to that? Of course you can! I'm so happy you liked it. This place and these people mean the world to me and I'm so happy you like it too." They reached Blaine's car and jumped in before Blaine started the car.
"Me too, Blainers." Kurt said with a smile, buckling his seat belt.
"Who told you about my nickname?" He said with a laugh.
"A little bird named Becky."
"Ah Becky! She'll pay for that." They headed down the large driveway and off to Kurt's apartment.
Thanks for reading.