CHAPTER NINE
He doesn't hear from Kurt until a few hours before everyone else is due to arrive, a short text asking if it's still alright that he come to the party. He sends back a quick yes and then starts freaking out a bit. Not about spending time with Kurt, because he's over that mystery, but that his Carmel friends are going to be meeting Kurt, who is very clearly out. Not that he expects any of them to have a problem, but he's kind of ended up inviting most of the math club, which he supposes he's unofficially a member of.
Terence is coming as well, after stopping by the party which Honey is pissed he isn't attending. He's had to be slightly evasive with Terence, telling him that he has to stay home and babysit. He knows his cover will be blown when his dad and Claire return from the dinner date they have planned, leaving him completely free to attend a party if he wanted. Except he doesn't. He's kind of looking forward to the math club coming around; a couple of them are really into ball and like talking game stats with him and they want him to try a board game.
Mickey and Kara, his girlfriend, are the first to arrive, and he wonders if he needs to say anything. There are two out gay kids at Carmel, but they're both part of Vocal Adrenaline and no one fucks with Vocal Adrenaline. Terence is the next to turn up and he frowns.
"Dude, you bailed on the other party already?"
"Meh. It doesn't start until later, so I'll go then."
"Oh. Okay, cool," Dave replies, but there seems to be something resigned about him, but he's pretty sure he's paranoid after trying to read Clair and his dad for the last few weeks.
They're ordering pizza for dinner, and he introduces them to Claire, his dad and the twins and takes them through to the den, still undecided if he should say anything. He doesn't want them to say anything to upset Kurt, although he knows Kurt can look after himself, he'd prefer to avoid unnecessary drama. What the hell, he can ask.
"Uh, how do you guys feel about gay guys?"
"Are you coming out?" Mickey asks, tone teasing.
Oh fuck. He glances around; Terence's eyebrows are so high he can't even see them, Mickey merely looks curious, maybe amused, although Kara looks suitably shocked. He doesn't want to deny it, but he's not exactly psyched himself for coming out to anyone, let alone three people. He snaps his mouth shut, realizing he's been gaping at them and swallows, desperately trying to think of what he can say.
"Holy shit, you are…" Mickey breathes, taking his silence as admission and his heart starts racing.
"Uh…" I wasn't meaning to? His mind supplies and he closes his eyes. "I… no. I'm not coming out. Uh." His breathing has started shortening and he sits down on the nearest chair and rubs his face. Screw it. "I wasn't meaning to come out, but uh, yeah. Surprise?"
Terence snorts from across the room and he glances up to meet amused eyes. Kara is wide eyed and he wonders if there is somehow a rumor going around that he is gay and Honey is trying to convert him or something. He wouldn't be surprised, because girls talk, although considering how much of a gossip monger Nathan is he knows guys can be just as bad.
"So, if you weren't meaning to come out, why did you ask us about how we feel about gay guys?" Mickey asks, because that seems to interest him more than the fact he's just come out.
"Oh. I have a friend coming from my old school. He's gay."
"And out I take it?"
"Yeah. He's… definitely out."
"So, what Honey was saying is true then…"
"I…" Oh god, he knew it. "What's she saying?"
"Well, that you're so heartbroken over your split from… Santana was it? Your ex girlfriend that came here that one time?" He nods. "Well, she thinks you're so heartbroken that you've decided you're gay so you don't get your heart broken by another woman. And apparently she's the one to mend it and convince you that you're not gay…" Kara states, and then she's laughing, breaking down into snorting giggles and he groans, letting his head fall into his hands.
"Dude, you told Honey Willows that you're gay?" Terence asks, disbelief written all over his face.
"Yeah. But she didn't believe me…"
Kara is laughing so hard she's started having difficulty breathing and Mickey has started chuckling as well and Dave huffs, glad his life is clearly so amusing. He's kind of glad Nathan isn't here, because he'd be laughing just as hard.
"She has the biggest mouth in school…" Terence mutters, and he's glad he isn't freaking out, because he wouldn't blame him.
"I did kind of ask her to keep it quiet, that I wasn't ready to be out…"
That seems to start Kara off again and he wonders what else has been said. When a couple of others turn up it seems to calm her and Mickey down, and there's an unspoken agreement that they won't be telling anyone what he's in advertently told them and he relaxes.
LSY
He knocks on the door, nervous despite Dave's assurances that his Carmel friends are a mixed bunch he's still half expecting to walk into a room filled with jocks. Claire answers the door though, grinning widely and enveloping him in a hug.
"Happy New Year Kurt."
"Hi. Happy New Year," he replies automatically, grinning, hugging her back.
"Go through to the den. They're all in there. Currently arguing over movie choices I think. Or pizza toppings."
"Okay, thanks…"
He kind of wants her to come with him, especially when he hears a bout of laughter from the direction he's heading, and he knows they aren't laughing at him, but he still feels like they are, and he isn't even in the room yet.
"You're all a bunch of uneducated heathens!" He hears Dave exclaim and he stands at the open doorway, taking in the ten or so people scattered around the room. He's good with names and faces, and he recognizes one guy from the ice rink, and he relaxes a bit, because Dave was right, it does look like a varied group of people, and definitely not jocks.
"Hey Kurt! Come in, I saved you a seat from these vultures."
There's a round of good natured protests and he steps across the room, navigating around strewn cushions and bodies, hesitantly returning the smiles aimed his way.
"Everyone, this is Kurt, a friend from my old high school. Kurt… this is Terence, Mickey, Kara, James, Chen, Julie, Fiona, Mack, Alexia and Ben. Don't worry, you don't need to remember all their names."
"Terence, Mickey, Kara, James, Chen, Julie, Fiona, Mack, Alexia and Ben. I think I'm good," he says, and he feels a little thrill at the look of impressed surprise on Dave's face. A couple of them give him a round of applause and he pretends a mock bow before sitting in the chair Dave has apparently been saving him.
"Can you remember numbers like that?"
"I've never tried," he admits, but he doubts it. He can memorize lyrics and choreography easily, so names have always been easy. Numbers are different.
"I bet I can teach you to count cards…"
"Yeah, you'd kill at poker…"
"You guys play poker?" Terence asks, and suddenly the focus of the conversation is away from him and they're talking about the different types of poker and card counting and how it's not cheating if everyone playing does it.
"You okay?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Dave raises an eyebrow at him and he huffs, rolling his eyes. "Claire said something about pizza?"
The conversation swings again, with Dave apparently liking pineapple on his pizza, which the rest think is disgusting and it feels odd, socializing with people he hardly knows. But no one is treating him any differently, or looking at him pityingly, or being careful not to touch him suddenly. That feels good, to feel normal again and he slowly lets himself relax.
LSY
He's had to go and settle Adam once, and it had taken a while because he hadn't noticed the flashing of the monitor for a few minutes probably, the sound turned off so as not to interrupt the movie. He gets back into the kitchen to find Terence refilling his glass and he jerks his head in greeting.
"Hey. You heading off soon?"
"Ah… yeah. Probably?"
"Dude, you don't have to go, can always just say you were keeping me company…"
"Yeah. I just, I wanted to tell you that there's no rumors about you among the guys… I mean…"
He stiffens, because he'd wondered of course, when Kara had been laughing, if it had been passed on, and it's a bit worrying that there aren't rumors really, not that he knows how he'll deal with them when they do appear. He shrugs, meeting Terence's eyes.
"It's part of why I transferred. Kurt was the kid I bullied the worst."
"And he's your friend now?"
"Yeah, but there's extenuating circumstances. But yeah, we're friends."
Silence gathers, and he can tell Terence wants to say something else, so he waits. A small part of him wants to get back to the movie, but he's already missed most of it.
"He's cute," Terence states, staring at the ceiling and the way he says it makes his jaw drop. There's no mistaking the he's talking about Kurt and he feels instantly protective, territorial and possessive and oh shit. He does have it bad.
"Wait, did you just come out to me?"
"Yeah…"
"Holy shit."
"What, did you think you were the only one?"
"Kinda, yeah. Are you… out to anyone?"
"What do you think?"
"Huh. Not even your parents?"
"No." Short, sharp, and he's so grateful for his dad and Claire right now. "Carl. Among others. I mean…"
"Dude, I get it. I really do. Trust me. I'm not out either. I mean, there are a few people that know. But it's not something I want to advertise. Do you seriously think I've fucked up by telling Honey?"
"Well… I would have said yes. But maybe the girls are keeping really quiet and not telling their boyfriends?"
"Why though?"
"You want me to explain women to you?"
"I could tell you," Kara's voice interjects and they both turn.
"What?"
"It's a bet. Some of the girls think you're actually gay. Honey said that if you go out with her then you clearly aren't, and also that a gay guy wouldn't have an ex-girlfriend as hot as Santana."
"I… what? That makes no sense."
"This is Honey we're talking about. Smart, but kind of clueless when it comes to people and social cues. Anyway, it seems like most of the girls actually believe you are gay, because you have no other reason to tell her that. So they bet her a Prom Queen nomination and enough votes to win, that you wouldn't go on a date with her. As long as you never found out about the bet though. So… oops?"
He stares. Blinks.
"What has my life become? People are taking bets about who I'm going to date?"
"I'm sorry, but I think it's hilarious," Kara says, grinning. He looks to Terence quickly to find him biting his lip in the effort to hold back laughter.
"We could really play this up you know…" Terence states and Kara's eyes light up with interest. He groans and shakes his head.
"Just keep me out of it…" he mutters, and leaves them to it.