Pilot: Windsor House "and so I told Mrs. Ramsey that I really didn't care if I have to stay in a dorm; it's long enough a commute for gas money and I just can't stand the thought of having to have my dad pay for any more than he and Carole already have" Kurt hugged the books to his chest and kept his head down. Blaine considered this posture. Kurt held himself ramrod straight with good bearing as usual, but the way he kept his head down and refused to look most Dalton boys in the eye made it clear that he had yet to become truly comfortable in the new environment. Blaine glanced at David, who was looking up from where he had been previously studying sheet music, also glancing at Kurt. The two Warblers exchanged a glance that acknowledged what they had both noticed, and the lead Warbler turned to the prospective one: "Well, we'd be more than happy to have you at our dorm, of course." "Oh, you board?" Kurt blinked up at him. "Windsor." Blaine nodded, averting his gaze with as much of a casual air as he could adoptwhenever Kurt bestowed the full power of those incredible cesious eyes (at the moment amplified by the floods of sunlight from the bay windows) towards him, thinking rationally became difficult. David pretended not to notice the steep drop in Blaine's general intellect and simply rolled his eyes. But he said, "There are still a few rooms free at Windsor, you know." Windsor House, in the East wing was one of the three dormitories of Dalton, the others being Hanover House, farther in the West wing, and Stuart House in the North wing. The South and Main was where all the major classrooms and facilities were housed. Blaine noddedjust slightly too enthusiastically to be noticed. "We can talk to Mr. Howard for you. He's the head of Windsor House." "Are you sure that's all right?" Kurt asked carefully. He had only been to Dalton for a few hours and was still getting his bearings, but even he understood that there were certain societal standings in the school. Each dormitory was protective of its own fraternal pride and the boys often segregated accordingly when traveling in packs. Kurt marveled at the amount of gossip he'd heard about all this in under a day and concluded that boys talk generally as much as girls do. "Of course it's all right," David smiled kindly. "Besides, even though the group is a big hodgepodge, there are more Warblers in Windsor than there are in Stuart and Hanover. We're pressed for rehearsal time as it isit'll be easier for you to catch up if you were practicing with us. Assuming you get accepted, of course." David looked almost apologetic as he amended that last part. Kurt swallowed and let out his breath. "Right." He nodded. "I get to finally try out." "Hey, don't worry too much," Blaine smiled. "You'll get in, I'm sure." Kurt smiled faintly at him. "Thanks, but since you've actually never heard me sing, I'll take your prophecy with a grain of salt." He smirked and lifted one charming eyebrow.

"There's Wes," Blaine then waved his friend over in an attempt to not get snagged by another Kurt-gives-me-an-adorable-expression trap. "And he's still alive! He dodged Madame Saint-Clair's bullet." Catching sight of the other three, Wes jogged up to them, breaking free from the mass of boys that just came out of the French professor's forum. David greeted him with a grin. "And how did it go? Was there blood? Your brain seems to be intact." "I refuse to study any more French," Wes sighed with a little melodrama as propriety allowedhe had manifestly determined to help Blaine rein in the madness in Dalton so as not to scare the new boy too much just yet. "If I promise to refuse my parents' yearly trip to Paris, I won't need it anymore, right?" The others laughed. "I'll help you, if you like," Kurt offered with a grin. "You?" Wes raised an eyebrow. He glanced at the other two boys before turning back to Kurt, "No offense butdoes McKinley drill juniors that hard on Advanced French?" "Trust meI can help," Kurt said confidently. "I've over-exaggeratedly given emphasis on French." The red and white uniform that was still hidden in the depths of wardrobe was a testament to that. "If you don't pass next week's oral, I'll buy you lattes for a week." "Well, what do you knowwe are just too lucky to have you." Wes' expression flashed to Blaine, implying something that the other boy might've previously said. Blaine colored up just slightlybut he did "accidentally" jab Wes in the ribs as he cleared his throat and moved forward to keep his place next to Kurt as they walked. The two behind them looked at each other and bumped fists with barely disguised snickers. Blaine looked at Kurt and gave him a smile. Kurt returned it, still anxious, but felt better.

I'm Kurt. And this is Dalton Academy. As you may know, I just transferred here in order to avoid somedifficulties in McKinley. Don't get me wrong: I love the glee club back at McKinleybut the truth is, push came to shove and nowhere I am. I'm officially a student at Dalton. My problem is that my plans got as far as actually going to Dalton. Now that I'm actually here, I realize that I've made absolutely no plans as to what I intend to happen to me here. Fortunately, I have Blaine, David, and Wes to, for better or worse, lead me to some direction."Come on!" David called as he jogged ahead down the steps. "If we want to catch Howard, we've got to get in early into the Dining Hall!" "What are you talking to Howard for?" Wes asked as he followed. "Getting the newbie into Windsor."

Wes' smothered burst of derisive laughter was checked by Blaine's glower. Wes backpedaled. "Whoa, I mean, sure. Hey, maybe Howard won't kill us if we ask this time. Gee, good luck getting up to the professor's table, David, I won't be joining you, but I'll be sending flowers to your grave." "Is there something about Mr. Howard I should know about?" Kurt asked, blanching just a little. "I am to meet the man and I think I'd like to remain intact after I do." "It's not you, it's us," Blaine sighed. "This isn't the first time we've tried to get someone into Windsor." "Or the second," chipped in David. "Or third," added Wes. "Or fifth." "Or sixth." "What is going on here?" Kurt stared. "New people don't last long at Windsor" Wes smiled faintly. "And when they do, it doesn't really help Windsor's case." "Why?" The other three paused, looking at each other. Kurt looked at them and gestured expectantly. "Well?" David grinned. "We're not supposed to scare you this early, Blaine said so." The lead Warbler lunged at himDavid ducked, tucked, rolled and sprang up againbut Blaine turned back to Kurt and responded, "Don't listen to him. It's just that it takes a special kind of person to tolerate some of the crazy that goes on in Windsor. Not just in the common room. It'severywhere." Kurt, a veteran of madness who had survived over a year of glee at McKinley where he had been drunk, slushied, had walked around as Lady Gaga, had been a football player, a cheerleader, had experienced hallucinations, some incredibly wild performance numbers, dealt with a psychopathic cheerleading coach, a neurotic guidance counselor, a glee teacher stuck in the 80s, accrued a heated battle against soulless robots (Vocal Adrenaline) and, most importantly, had dealt with the issues of the entire glee club and Rachel Berry (who deserves a separate mention), now lifted an eyebrow. "Crazy?" "No." Blaine turned up the wattage of his smile. "Come on, Mr. Howard, seriously. You're not going to have a problem with Kurt."

"That's what you said when you brought Dwight." "And Dwight is still in Windsor!" David exclaimed happily. "Unfortunately, he still is," the tall sprightly man glowered down at them. "When you told me that he had odd habits, you didn't say it was that he was even more superstitious than an old homemaker in the 1800s." "So he likes to hang cloves of garlic at his windows" Wes, who, despite his better judgment, decided to participate in getting the new one into Windsor to spare them Blaine's promise of undying vengeance should he not, tried to adopt a nonchalant tone. "We've already convinced him to stop lining his doorways with salt!" "And we told him to stop "ghost hunting" at the old cathedral!" David supplied. "how's the caretaker doing, by the way?" "I don't know what kind of food coloring Dwight used, but as I understand that "brand" on Mr. Tamerlane's arm is still there!" Howard all but roared. Blaine winced, grateful that they'd caught the house head while he was still in the hall. They were given a few odd looks by some passing Hanover boys who may have known what was up. Kurt remained at one side, quiet, seemingly intent on trying to ignore what he was hearing. "And seriously, Kurt is more normal than some of us," Blaine said with a smile. "He went to his old school's glee clubthat's about it. We were hoping he'll join the Warblers." "If you want him to join your group, that's fine, but he'll be complaining me in a week, I'm sure," Howard crossed his arms over his chest. "Actually," Kurt finally said, and they looked at him, "I've put up with quite a lot of strange things at my old school, I'm sure this isfine." Howard seemed to be taken aback by this and moved past the other three boys. He looked Kurt over through his spectacles. Kurt looked up at the man's great height and did the same. Todd Howard had been the head of Windsor house for nearly twenty years. Having been given that position allowed him to watch the nation's future leaders come and go from Windsor House, some of them returning to visit on occasion. In recent years, things often did not go as peacefully as he liked. Sometimes even less. Windsor may be a very popular house, but if there was anything about it that was notable, it would be that life is never (for better or for worse) boring. Making a living out of refereeing all this at the very least allowed him to read a boy's bearings early on. He gave Kurt a look over. "What's your name, son?" "Kurt Hummel, sir," Kurt smiled. Howard considered the small boy with the elfin features. "So you sing?" "Yes."

"Is that all?" "WellI like fashionable clothes." "And?" "And what?" "Unusual sleeping habits? Food allergies? Odd hobbies? Tendencies to destroy property? Uproot magnolias out of compulsion? Walk backwards? Release lab animals? Recite the entire Summa Theologica? In Latin?" Kurt was barely able to stop giving him an "are you crazy?" expression. He instead looked at the corner of his eyes to Blaine. Blaine just shrugged, trying not to smile. Howard saw where he was looking and glanced back to Blaine, who immediately put on another charming grin. David and Wes were veritable twin angels who looked like they had no idea what Howard was talking about. Howard turned back to Kurt. "Are you positive that you would like to board at Windsor?" "I don't see why I shouldn't." The coughing from Wes and David nearly gave it all away, but even Howard seemed to understand. He sighed and looked at Kurt. "Fine. Windsor it is." He turned to the other three. "I'll be keeping an eye on this one, make sure you boys don't scar him too much. After Marcus Holland fled Windsor for Stuart" "His loss!" David scoffed. "Reed thought he was sick and was just trying to help" Wes added. "Which is why he threw twenty two comforters on top of him while he slept?" "Guys!" Blaine snapped. Silence. The three boys looked at Mr. Howard expectantly, and Howard looked at the new boy, cogitating. Kurt took this opportunity to give Mr. Howard his best "I-really-don'tgive-a-damn" expression. "So when do I move in?" Kurt had read all about the school's housing in the pamphlet he ended up reading during the truly awkward one and a half hour ride to Westerville with his father on this first day of school. As far as background went, it seemed as though all the dormitories were desirable and extravagant in ordinary standards as majority of Dalton's elite student body resided in them. As it stood, Windsor House was by far the most desirable house, with a great deal of accomplished alumni graduating from it and all but being hand-delivered to Ivy League schools. That was how it looked like from the black-and-white. When Blaine, Wes and David brought Kurt to Windsor for the first time, that massive manor-style building with ancient

columns and could put some of the nation's best collegiate fraternity houses to shame, it looked as though it would live up to everything it had been acclaimed to be. And it did, in one way or another. "Youall live here?" Kurt asked, watching some boys go into the dormitories. Inside, past the oak doors, a vaulted entrance hall greeted them. The floor was marble and across the great wooden beams overhead that broke the sunlight, a massive drop-down banner in deep royal blue cut through with a golden ray, Windsor's colors. The architecture was exquisite; from the rich tints of the wood to the elegant hues of the walls and the tasteful dcor, Windsor might as well have been an exhibit at a museum depicting old world elegance. "Yes, wellWes used to be in Hanover," Blaine smiled. "Really?" asked Kurt, following the others down the hall. "Why did you switch?" "It was more exciting here." "All right, I might be starting to get a little nervous," Kurt said, frowning at them. Blaine laughed and put his arm around his shoulders. While Kurt tried to restrain his heart from flying out of his chest at this sudden action, Blaine tried to exude feigned coolness. "Okay, look, those things that we talked about with Howardthey're extreme cases. The boys here are rationalmostly. Don't worry. We wouldn't actually put you in danger." Something upstairs exploded, making Kurt jump. Everyone in the hall barely batted an eye. Without so much as breaking his stride, Wes pulled out a fire extinguisher standing at nearby and handed it to a boy who was seemed to have arrived in the hall for that very reason. Everyone carried on. Before Kurt could marvel at this, his phone rang. He pulled it out and read the text.

Hey Kurt! You at Dalton? What are you up to? MKurt smiled and quickly replied. Thinking of boarding. K

Soyou'll only be around on weekends? MKurt felt a twinge. He'd seen the look on Mercedes' face when he had announced his intention to leave. She was the first person who he should have talked to about it and in the end, she had been one of the last. Even he had to admit that after all that he and Mercedes had been through together, she deserved more than a last minute announcement without even consulting her prior to his decision.

Sorry, M. I just thought it would help Dad and Carole if I stopped commuting so much. -K I get that. Don't worry about it. M You know I'll be right over in a heartbeat if you need me, right? K

Kurt, relax. We understand. And don't worry, we'll catch up on everything on weekends. MThere's that "we" that Kurt was dreading. It hadn't just been Mercedes. It was the whole club. He started to wonder what they were doing now. It was lunch time, so they must be in the cafeteria, or maybe even in the music room rehearsing for whatever performance Mr. Schuester had planned for them. Mike, Tina and Mercedes would be dancing, to what Puck might be playing on the guitar, and Artie might be trying to explain to Brittany that facials were not things done by fascists. Santana and Quinn might be discussing some madness by coach Sylvester while Sam kept his arm around Quinn. Rachel would be baffling Finn by obsessing about rehearsals, and since Kurt was no longer around, she might well be taking the solo that would have supposedly been for him. If he hadn't left. "Kurt?" He looked up and saw the other three staring at him in concern. He blinked. "What?" Wes glanced at Blaine, who had been trying to catch Kurt's attention twice and had only now succeeded. As he expected, Blaine looked apprehensive. "Is everything all right?" "Yeah," Kurt breathed, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "Fine. Why?" David raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at Wes. Wes looked back and then looked at Blaine. Blaine kept his eyes on Kurt as he moved forward. "You sure?" he asked. "Yeah," Kurt nodded and smiled for good measure. The problem with having so much in common with Kurt was knowing when he wasn't telling the whole story. But for now, Blaine decided to overlook this and grabbed Kurt's hand with a dazzling smile. "Come on, I'll show you the rooms." Kurt, blindsided by the grin, could do no more than smile and follow him up the handcarved staircase. David and Wes looked at each other and just shook their heads with a laugh. "I seriously wish they'd get a move on," David complained, loosening his tie. "If I hear Blaine pine over him one more time" "I don't know, the last time Blaine had a crush on someone, it took him two months to actually say something to him" Wes said doubtfully. "Let's not talk about that, it pains me to remember what we had to go through," David winced. "I remember when he heard this song and decided that it was perfect for their situation and it was the only thing playing in his room for a week." "I avoided his room like the plague." "I actually had to live with that; we shared a room, Wes. WE SHARED A ROOM. I kept earmuffs next to my bed!"

"And yet here we areagain," Wes sighed, waving to the stairs where Blaine and Kurt had disappeared to. David made the same long-suffering sigh. "What we do for the sake of friendship" Kurt was pretty sure that Blaine went this way down the halls, but after the older boy had let go of his hand for a moment to talk to a Warbler in one of the rooms, he found himself lost. Surely he couldn't be that hopeless in navigation, but Windsor's corridors not only looked identical but they looked similar in every floor. Kurt had simply wandered away for a moment, staring at the art that hung on the walls, the furnishings, the fact that the floors were carpeted and that the wood furniture looked as though antique dealers would have heart attacks upon seeing them. And now he had no idea where he was. And he had the feeling he was being watched.

And now I remember that thing I told Coach Sylvesterabout feeling like I'm in a horror movie Kurt glanced around surreptitiously. He thought he heard movement behind him, but there was nothing there when he looked. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned back in front of him and found that a blonde boy was standing there with a Cheshire Cat grin."Hello, Alice," he said, ice blue eyes sparkling. "Pardon?" Kurt stared. "Welcome to Wonderland," spoke an identical voice behind him. He quickly turned and found the same boy, with the same grin, standing the same way. Orat least that was what it looked like. "Okay" Kurt stared back and forth at the two of them. The twin behind him made one smooth step with his long leg and was now standing next to his brother. The pair of handsome twins were grinning. "You look lost, Alice," said one. "Did you fall down the rabbit hole and hit your head?" "Because if you're lost, we can point you to the right way," said the other. Kurt decided that even Brittany's hallucinations might have made more sense than this, but he shook it off and just flashed them a rather nervous grin. "I'm Kurt. I'm" "New," the twins chorused. "We know." "Andyou are?" The twin on the left raised a hand. "I'm Ethan." "I'm Evan," said the other twin.

And in unison, they both grabbed each of Kurt's hands. "Come on, Alice!" they chorused. "We'll give you orientation!" Not really having the strength to protest and not really able to hold back the twins dynamos who were currently pulling at his arms with enough force to amputate, Kurt flustered, "Actually I was here with Blaine?" "Blaine?" "We know where he is." "He's downstairs!" "He's looking for you!" "He won't mind if we borrow you for a bit." And Kurt was unceremoniously swept into a Windsor room for the first time. The hallways only prepared him partially for what a room in Dalton actually looked like. It was like stepping into the set of the Tudors. It didn't look like much from the outside, but inside was the size of a large apartment, with no walls to separate the common area from the beds. There was a central area where comfortable furniture lay. In the twins' case, there was a lush white couch, a glass coffee table, with a large television screen. The coffee table was occupied by some massive nerf guns that looked out of place amidst thick schoolbooks. Beyond this living circle were the beds, one on each side of the room, each standing on a wooden dais that served to separate it from the common area. The beds were wellkept antique four posters with sheer drapes. One bed was made, the other was not (but it had school clothes all over it). There was a third dais, directly across the doors, that could serve to hold another bed, but in this case, it just served as an extension of the common area. "Okay!" said one twin, probably Evan, plopping Kurt down unceremoniously onto the sinfully luxurious white couch in the common area. "This is what a Windsor room looks like." "Actually, it's what every dorm room looks like," said the one who was probably Ethan. "We've seen the others." "But Windsor is still the best." "Of course." "UmI don't mean to be rude, but could you guys possibly talk in one straight go one at a time?" Kurt asked, confused. Ethan laughed. "Blaine says it helps if you just think of us as just one person. If you're new, that is. You'll get used to it."

"Thank you," Kurt grinned. Evan continued, "Here at Windsor, there are two to three people in a room. Unless you're special, you can request for your own room. Like if you're a captain of a sports team. Or if you've always broken the ninety-eighth percentile in class." "But that's difficult," Ethan said blandly. "Because everyone gets amazing grades here." "Everyone." "Yep." "Excellent is average here." Kurt wavered slightly, trying to take all this information in. While he looked for "challenging" back at McKinley, this wasn't quite what he expected. "Everyone. All right" "There are three dormsWindsor, Hanover and Stuart, and we like Stuart the least." The other twin made a thumbs-down gesture and a grimace. "Why?" he continued before Kurt could even open his mouth to ask, "Because they're a bunch of brownnosing asskissers and that's basically all you need to know." "And you'll protect your fellow Windsor boys from them to the death, and we'll do the same for you," nodded the other twin sagely. "Windsor is, without a doubt, the best housedon't mind Hanover, they're harmlessbut Stuart is looking to trip us up with every step. Do not trust them." After that statement, the manic gleam in their eyes died away to Kurt's relief. "Curfew is ten on weekdays, eleven on weekends," said Ethan. "Until then, you can run around doing basically whatever you like. But if you don't make it, you'll get locked out." "Which is why it's useful to have us as friends," grinned Evan. "Because we can get you back inside and Howard would be none the wiser!" Ethan looked proud. "We can unlock any door, any window, on campus. Both literally and figuratively." "This must be your thing," Kurt raised an eyebrow, wondering if these two were for real. They seemed like the type who might be pulling his leg. "They said that everyone in here has something off about them." "Wellnot only," Evan smiled sweetly and then offered Kurt a Nerf gun. Kurt considered, then smiled and took the gun. "Good choice," grinned Ethan. And he pulled out his own nerf gun and shot Kurt right at the forehead. When Blaine walked out from the twins' room not more than ten minutes later, he was livid for a few reasons: one, after yelling at the twins for grabbing Kurt without letting the

rest of them know where he was, two, for getting Kurt mixed up in their twice-a-week Nerf battle, and three, for assaulting him with said Nerf guns the moment he walked in. Leaving the new boy alone in Windsor House was never a good idea, but at least Kurt was breathing when he pulled him out of the nerf war going on. Barely, anyway. Kurt was laughing so hard that he was stumbling in his walk, Blaine's hand clutching his firmly, and he looked the older Warbler and choked, "What are those guys on?" "We wish we knew," Blaine smiled, amused nevertheless at how Kurt seemed to have been enjoying himself. He leaned a bit closer to inspect Kurt's scarlet forehead. "They got you there, all right." "It was worth it watching Evan manage a perfect matrix backbend after my first clear shot at him," Kurt swallowed, smile turning rather awkward at Blaine's close proximity. Blaine, however, looked intrigued. "How do you know that one was Evan?" "I don't," Kurt admitted. "He justfelt like Evan?" "That was actually Ethan," Blaine grinned. "He's the springier one." "Oh so they do have differences," Kurt laughed. "Very few." Blaine stopped at one door and opened it. "This is my room." Kurt looked inside and saw that though it may have been completely alike the twins' in architecture, it was all veryBlaine. The furnishings in the middle common were different, made of warm comfortable colors and material. There was a thick rug under the middle common, and only one bed looked in use. Since it was surrounded by a study area heaped with books, pens, papers and a sleek laptop and had a corkboard full of Warblers' photos, Kurt assumed that this bed was Blaine's. The other dais had a bed, but it was pushed to the side and the space left was full of pillows large enough to sit in. The middle dais, to Kurt's utter fascination, had been set up as a small theatre with a cinema screen. "Howdid you even get that screen in?" Kurt gaped. "It's actually pretty oldit used to be in one of the AV rooms, but when they upgraded, I asked if I could have it." "And they let you?" Blaine grinned. "It's not for me entirely. A lot of the Warblers come here to hang out. So we pulled strings." McKinley's glee club couldn't even afford transportation, let alone a whole cinema screen, Kurt marveled. He walked around the room, looking at Blaine's collection of theatre posters and stopped at the corkboard full of photos of Warblers and others who weren't in the Dalton uniform. It suddenly struck him that the room was very quiet. And then he looked up. "Waityou room alone?" "If a person had as much as ten other boys crashing in at every given hour to harmonize, make noise, and generally cause confusion, roommates don't last long."

Kurt smiled and sat down onto the couch with a sigh, looking around. "So you're here, by yourself" He looked around the largeness of it all. "Helps me appreciate the quiet time better, when the boys don't come by," Blaine admitted, sitting next to him. A silence fell that was neither awkward nor tense. They both looked tired without really acknowledging what it was they were tired about. Both seemed lost in thought for a moment. Blaine roused himself first, and saw Kurt staring into his phone. There was nothing on the screen. Blaine nudged him gently. "Hey." For an instant, Kurt glanced to him in response before he leaned against his shoulder, not even trying to smile this time. Blaine looked at him, a bit surprised, but welcomed it while it lasted. He put strong arm around Kurt's shoulders, not sure if he was trying to soak up warmth or impart it to the other boy. In spite of himself, Kurt turned his face to Blaine's shoulder and let out a shuddering sigh, and Blaine clasped his free hand in his. "it gets easier," he finally murmured. A pause. "when?" Kurt whispered without moving, clutching a bit tighter onto his hand. "When indeed" Blaine sighed. He glanced at Kurt again. He was always so close to those enticing lips that had first mesmerized him that afternoon at McKinley's damp staircase. And just like then, he turned away from them before he did something regrettable. He wanted to tell him everything so badly, but though he thought about it day after day, there simply weren't any words at present to explain what he felt about him. Even he himself couldn't properly understand how one boy managed, in under a day, to win over his attentions without even knowing he did. And with everything that had gone on, he would simply hurt Kurt right now; he was sure that Kurt did not need this new complication. In his current state, any move from him would be seen as taking advantage of him. And he would never forgive himself if he just managed to add himself to Kurt's problems right now.

For nowI'll protect you. From everything. even from me.Blaine smiled down at Kurt. "when you trust yourself to stand again." Kurt looked up. Blaine's smile widened. "You must be an amazing person, Kurt, to have withstood all that for so long." He turned away, eyes wandering to the mass of photographs on his corkboard. "I didn't last that long." "Blaine?" Kurt sat up, looking at him, brow furrowing in concern. But Blaine just looked at him with that same warm expression. "You're really so much

stronger than you think you are. Kurtcourage can also mean believing in yourself to rise past everything and become who you want to be again, at a time when everything seems to have fallen apart." He took Kurt's hands. "This time, thoughI'm with you all the way. Like I told you before, I've got your back. All right?" Kurt looked down at their hands, and back up at Blaine's smile. He felt his eyes sting as they filled with tears but his pride refused to let them fall, blinking them away. He laughed through the haze in his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. All right." Blaine laughed and grinned at him. "Hang in there." Kurt just laughed, wiped his eyes and nodded. "It's like something out of a Julia Roberts movie," Wes grumbled, rolling his eyes goodnaturedly from the hall, having seen the whole scene play out. David grinned at him then looked back at the two in Blaine's room. "I'm going to have to agree. But they're almost disgustingly adorable." "Blaine actually looks happy," Evan smirked, and Ethan added, "which is better than watching him stare at his Blackberry waiting for a text from his pretty pretty nymph." "Is it officially his pretty pretty nymph yet?" David asked. "Not yet. If the way they're being so fidgety around each other is any indication. And you know as well as I do that if Blaine were ever officially "with" anyone, well" Wes rolled his eyes. "He'd be struggling a lot less." He gestured to the two chatting amicably inside the room. "Can he sing?" asked Ethan curiously. "You did mention he was from McKinley's glee club." "The only McKinley tape we've got has that small girl with the major pipes up front," Evan commented. "And Blaine's little nymph was chorus vocal." "Well Blaine insists he can singI don't know how he knows when even Kurt says that he's never heard him," David shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough," Wes nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, keeping his eyes on the couple on the couch. "He'll have to sing for Harvey and Medel. They'll decide." "He'll be fine," chorused the twins. "And how would you know?" David raised an eyebrow. Evanor was it Ethan?smiled as he studied Kurt's bright smile as he looked up at Blaine. "Just a feeling."

Episode 2: Warbling

I'm Kurt. And this is Dalton Academy. As you may know, I just transferred here in order to avoid somedifficulties in McKinley. Don't get me wrong: I love the glee club back at McKinleybut the truth is, push came to shove and nowhere I am. I'm officially a student at Dalton. Blaine, David, and Wes are helping me get used to things here, but after meeting the twins and seeing Windsor, I'm starting to get a little bitconcerned. And from the looks of things, this was only the beginning. I just hope I know what I just got myself into.Blaine, looking down at the book he had just pulled out from the stacks, turned a corner of the shelves and collided with a figure that was waiting for the opportunity to catch him in private. He looked up, startled, and then immediately rolled his eyes. "Dwight! I told you a million times to stop lurking in the shelves." "Blaine," hissed the slightly taller, skinnier male, so pale that he was almost translucent, the only color on him being his lips (red from perpetual nervous biting), and the crop of black hair contrasting powerfully against his pallor. He was hugging a large tome with a pentagram on the cover. "I need to talk to you!" "I thought you weren't allowed into the library anymore," Blaine blinked. He imagined that someone throwing rock salt onto the shelves was one incident that library staff was not going to overlook. Dwight waved it away, irritated. "Whatever, I need my research material. I am this close to exorcising the church bell tower once and for all." "Look, Dwight, intriguing as all this is" Blaine rolled his eyes and glanced to the librarian who was starting to wonder where the noise was coming from, "I need to get back to my geography assignment." "I need to talk to you about that new kid." "Kurt?" Blaine glanced at him as he headed back to the desk he had claimed. "What about him?" "He's moving into Windsor, right? Shouldn't you consult me first before all this? What if there's something malignant in one of the empty rooms? Do you remember that time Reed went into one of the closets in an empty room and he came running out screaming?" "One, Reed has the tendency to go extremely over the top with everything as he is terribly danger-prone," Blaine responded calmly, noting in great detail the tropical areas as detailed in the book. "And two, Reed didn't go into a closethe went into one of the bathrooms to get some cleaning supplies left there, tripped and the shower curtain collapsed on him. Of course he would run out screaming."

"I'm still convinced it was a poltergeist," Dwight grumbled. "This still doesn't explain to me anything you wanted to talk about with regards to Kurt." "He's strange" Dwight finally said. "It's worrisome. It could be dangerous. Almost suspicious." Blaine graced him with his attention now, though he raised an eyebrow. "Really. How? Did you see him emitting a bright magenta aura?" Dwight fidgeted, scratching at the corner of his book with his long fingernails. "no, he seemed terribly unhappy." Blaine finally lowered the book at this. "What do you mean unhappy?" "Fine, not completely 'unhappy'. Morelost." Dwight took a pause, then looked up with big dark eyes filled with horror. "He's not possessed is, he? We don't need any more spirits wandering the halls!" Blaine waved the accusation away almost irritably, summoning superhuman patience. "What makes you say he's lost?" "I was in his Ecology and Environmental Studies class. He kept staring at floating dust specks. He wasn't paying attention to Mr. Newman. And only the truly suicidal do not pay attention to Mr. Newman when he's outlining the exam coverage!" "Boys!" The two jumped as the librarian materialized at their elbows, frowning disapprovingly. "If you must carry on this way, you'll have to step outside and stop disturbing other students!" Blaine decided not to tell her that the only other two students in the library were solidly asleep in their cubicles. "Sorry, Mrs. Abernathy." "And Mr. Houston, what are you doing in here? And with that book again!" Eyes wide, Dwight fled instantly, bounding away like an antelope, his open blazer flapping behind him like a cape and still taking the book with him. Blaine picked up his own bag and left at a less hasty pace, pulling out his Blackberry. An emergency minimeeting was needed. "Blaine, he's been here one day," David said, almost exasperated over the tall black coffee that he was attempting to down. "It's natural for him to beconfused." "And after getting assaulted by these two earlier" Wes jerked his thumb to the twins, who were sitting at the same table. They pretended as though Wes had mortally wounded them with the accusation. "And why, oh why would you listen to Dwight? This is the guy who carries a spritz bottle full of holy water everywhere he goes "just in case"." "Dwight is observant, if anything," Blaine protested. "Because until he's actually boarded,

he can repeal the transfer, so I don't want Kurt second-guessing his move here within twenty-four hours of doing so." "He'll be doing that all day and tomorrow, until he finally gets used to it," said David sensibly, yanking out some tissues and wiping down his part of the table. "When you transferred here" "Shh!" coloring a deep crimson, Blaine all but threw his coffee at him, not wanting the subject broached again. Wes swatted him off David. "I considered it a defining moment when we finally got you to start talking. Only to find out that you had a die-hard crush on Tom Felton." He sighed deeply, long-sufferingly, like a reminiscing war veteran. "It was like we had opened a dam and we couldn't get it to stop" The twins were choking on their frappes by now, laughing too hard to be coherent, having to hold onto each other to remain upright. Blaine glared with all the force he could muster in his current riot of emotions (anxiety, embarrassment, and the utter urge to decapitate one of his so-called "friends") and said, "We've got to do something to at least make him feel better." "How about we have a few games?" Wes asked, humoring their clearly enamored lead singer. "We can break out RockBand again." "We're not allowed to play RockBand in the common room anymore," David reminded him. "The incident with the mop and Mr. Tamerlane's pet duck?" Everyone on the table winced. "How about paintball?" chorused the twins. "No. Also no longer allowed indoors. Charlie isn't even out of the hospital yet." "Bake him a cake?" "The kitchen ceiling is still scorched." "There's got to be something we can do that won't do property damage," Blaine grumbled in one of those moments where he wished he lived in a quieter dormitory. Everyone was silent for a moment, either thinking of what they could do for Kurt, or what they could do at all seeing as how their pastimes were being banned one by one. This was when the twins sat up, as though getting twin lightbulbs on their heads. They blinked at each other and nodded. They both looked at Blaine. "We have an idea," said Ethan. Evan nodded. "But we'll have to get started now, if we want to make it in time later for the Warbler meeting." Kurt had earlier received a message from one of the student runners that a Mr. Greg Harvey and a Ms. Sylvia Medel were requesting him to come to the second music room

early so that they would be able to formally meet him for the first time. His throat going dry, he recognized their names as the choir director and music teacher in charge of the Warblers, and that the second music room was also semi-officially "the Warblers' Hall". As if that was not enough, a message had appeared on his iPhone during his last period:

Kurt, something important came up in the dorms. But I'll definitely be at Warblers' meeting with you. Meet you there. BlaineThis left Kurt standing outside the hall feeling rather anxious and staring at his phone as though he willed it to somehow convey his need for Blaine to come as soon as humanly possible. He had never been one to be anxious or nervous about such a thing (he was quite sure that he could easily out-diva these boys if he had to) but he had seen the Warblers perform and if anything, they looked like a solid unit that worked seamlessly with one another. And with Sectionals under a week, if he didn't manage to prove himself capable of adapting to their style, they might not think he was up to speed at all. Their style was definitely different from New Directions'. And if he couldn't at least be in a glee club He looked around these large, imposing halls and sighed. He may have felt out of place back in Lima, but he also had yet to fit in here. Not for the first time, he felt that painful twinge of doubt, and then guilt. Everybody believed in him, and yet here he was, moping. Ridiculous. This was completely un-fabulous. His phone started to vibrate in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find that it was a call. From Rachel Berry. Well this was asurprise. Kurt looked around and ducked to a nearby hallway near the open arches that overlooked the gardens. He answered the call, lifting it to his ear, not really sure what to expect. "Rachel?" "A-hem," Rachel cleared her throat, seeming to come from a slight distance. When she spoke, she wasn't speaking to him. He heard her say, "All right, he's on! All of you, look alive! Come on!" That same imperious tone as always, and he heard, in the background, sound of minor grumbling"He can't actually see us, Rachel"from the boys, and giggling from the girls, and the sound of shuffling feet. Kurt's heart jumped to his throat. The call was on speaker phone in Rachel's end and the whole McKinley glee club was there. "Kurt!" Rachel called from wherever she was standing, sounding immensely pleased with herself. "I" Finn coughed at this, and Rachel made an impatient noise, "I meanwe have something for you."

"What?" Kurt almost laughed, unable to believe his ears. "We hope you like it!" Tina said happily, and he could hear her smile from her voice. He could hardly believe this. "What are you guys?" The music started, slow and gentle. Kurt listened, gripping the phone to his ear. The flash of recognition came when he recognized the strains, and the glee club began to sing.

I've heard it said That people come into our lives for a reason Bringing something we must learn And we are led to those who help us most to grow If we let them, and we help them in return Well, I don't know if I believe that's true But I know I'm who I am today Because I knew youThey were singing a modified group rendition of Wicked's "For Good". He could hear Rachel's powerful voice soaring above the others, taking fine control, Mercedes' ardent vocals, Tina's pure tones, Quinn, Santana and Brittany lifting up their voices. Each girl had a turn at a solo line, and to his surprise the boys supplied the backing vocals with Artie's notes holding clear distinction.

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for goodJust like that, Kurt could already find himself standing by the piano in the McKinley club room, watching as his friends stood in front of him, singing to him. He could practically see them smiling up affectionately at him, their voices enveloping him with a single clear message: No matter what, after all they had been through, Kurt and the Glee club had changed each other for good, and with hands held tight, they will be together, helping each other, in one way or another. Leaving did not mean forgetting, and it did not mean real parting. They all still had each other.

And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness For the things I've done you blame me for But then, I guess we know there's blame to share And none of it seems to matter anymoreKurt didn't know when he started crying, but tears were flowing down his cheeks so much that he struggled to wipe them away. Assaulted by one hundred memories of each moment in Glee clubthrough the frustrating days, through the bright; from being utterly ignored in the middle of the courtyard, to the applause onstageKurt clutched onto their support at this moment.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better And because I knew you... Because I knew you... Because I knew you... I have been changed for good...When the song faded away, with Rachel and Mercedes holding the last notes to fade and the strains quieting, Kurt could barely speak, feeling as though his heart was liable to explode. "Uh, you still there, Kurt?" he heard Sam ask after nearly a minute of silence from his end. Kurt lifted his head, stifling a sob that he was sure they could hear (because the girls made soft exclamations of dismay), and finally managed to laugh to assuage their concerns. "You guyswhat was that? You actuallyyou actually got Mr. Schue to bypass Journey?" There was delighted laughter at the other end, sounding relieved. "We just put this together todaysort of behind Mr. Schue's back since he wants all the focus on Sectionals," Finn admitted, sounding sheepish. "Kind of a sudden thing." "Whose idea was this?" Kurt demanded, grinning from ear to ear. "Mercedes?" "Actually it was all of us," Mercedes said, laughing a bit. "We wanted to do something for you, but Rachel wanted to use Wickedbecause you'd never accept anything otherwise. We just wanted to let you know that we're all here for you, Kurt." A pause. "Oh, and don't you dare hold back on Sectionals! I don't want any of your punches pulledbring it." "Oh it's on," Kurt preened a bit, smirking. "Once I join them officially, you all can expect to be steamrollered. Please, you'll be crying all the way back to McKinley."

There was a scoff from the female soloist, but she sounded amused. There was a pause, then Puck said in a low, almost guilty tone, "Hey Kurt. If any of those boys give you problems, you tell me, all right? I don't know about bullying policies or whatever, but they don't mess with you, you got that?" "Yeah," Sam agreed, as Mike and Artie chimed in similarly. "Don't you try and back out now," Rachel declared threateningly. "Don't you dare. We're expecting to see you on the other side. And" her tone softened just slightly, "We're proud of you. I mean, we'll crush you for sure, of course, but we're proud of you." Kurt smiled. He remembered when Rachel asked him to duet with her, and felt that this was so much like that time, and it was their way of telling each other it was going to be okay. He figured that if Rachel Berry of all people would put this together, he had better not let any of them down. "I wish I could sing you guys something back," Kurt admitted. "Right now I can barely think of one." "Come on, sure you can!" exclaimed Tina. "Something! Anything!" "Like Happy Birthday" Brittany said softly. He heard her murmur to someone, possibly Santana, "We're doing this because Kurt's birthday, right?" And just received a sigh in answer. "Uh, something you really really wanted to sing before that you couldn't," Artie suggested, possibly after a sidelong glance at his girlfriend. But Kurt could only think of one. He looked around, found he was still alone, and smiled. "Fine." And he did. "and Blaine says that he would make a fine addition," said a tall, beautiful woman in a well cut black blouse contrasted by a long flowing skirt that flipped around her ankles as she walked, her footfalls echoing in the hall. She was carrying a sheaf of sheet music, and her platinum blonde hair was cut in a shapely short bob, and she wore silver-rimmed glasses. "McKinley did win Sectionals last year and went on to Regionals." "Hm" the taller man with her, wearing a trim three-piece suit and wearing glasses rimmed in black, looked down at the student file in his hands. He scratched his head for a moment, pen resting between his fingers, and said, "He certainly seems promising enoughif he's from another club, then his repertoire should be expansive, but we'll see. Do the other boys have any opinions, Sylvia?" Sylvia Medel shrugged gently. "They all seem quite curious. They don't know very much about him. I understand from Todd that he's to board in Windsor, though." "Ah" Gregory Harvey now smiled both knowingly and almost affectionately, his brown eyes warm with understanding. "Another Windsor boy. If we draft this boy, the Stuarts might start to protest favoritism." And he stopped abruptly, looking up.

"They won't if he earns it rightfully," Sylvia said sensibly, looking down at her sheet music. "I honestly have no clue as to what this boy's range might be, that tape from last year is just aboutWhat? Greg, what is it?" She stared as the older man started urgently shushing her. "Shh" Greg stood at the corner of the wall where two halls met, listening intently. The hall where they stood was where the Warblers' Hall was and for a moment, Sylvia thought that someone was playing music inside. But as she listened, she realized that the song she was hearing was pouring out from the adjoining hall where the open arches were. And it was a voice the likes of which they had never heard in Dalton halls before.

It won't be easy, you'll think it strange When I try to explain how I feel That I still need your love after all that I've done...The two music teachers looked at each other in surprise and peered into the next hall. A boy of slight build stood there, holding a phone to his ear, wet blue eyes staring into the open sunlight of the garden, and that voicethat impossible voice!was coming from him. He was singing a song from Evita into the phone.

I had to let it happen, I had to change Couldn't stay all my life down at heel Looking out of the window, staying out of the sunSylvia stood staring, fascinated, just vaguely wondering if it was one of those apparitions that Dwight Houston kept going on about. Greg looked down at the student file in his hands, then back up at the boy. Immediately, he began to smile and he stepped out into the hall. "Are you Kurt Hummel?" Kurt nearly jumped a foot into the air, abruptly stopping mid-line, turning to deep brown voice that suddenly called him by name. A male teacher stood there, smiling kindly in an unimposing way. "Kurt?" asked Mercedes over the phone, worried. "What happened?" Flustered, Kurt stammered to the teacher, "YesI'mI'm Kurt Hummel." "Kurt, who are you talking to?" demanded Rachel's voice out of the phone. The teacher held up his hands as though to show Kurt that it was okay. His every

movement was quiet and calculated. He said clearly, for the benefit of those overhearing, "Mr. Hummel, I think that song would go quite a lot better with some musical accompaniment Won't you join me and Ms. Medel into the Hall, so she may play it on the piano for you?" He gestured to the phone. "I'm sure whoever's listening to you would enjoy it better that way." Kurt stared, stunned by this completely unexpected reaction. He looked to the phone and back to the smiling teacher. Standing a little further away was a lady in elegant dress that skirt had to be a Valentino, said the fashionable part of his brainand she was smiling as well. "Say yes, Kurt," Brittany supplied helpfully, probably without being aware of what was happening. Kurt swallowed and nodded. "S-Sure. Guysgive me a sec" "Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees!" exclaimed David as he and the other Warblers came running down the corridor, headed to the Hall. "That's got to be a record, even for us." "There's nothing Windsor boys can't do if it's for one of their own," grinned Wes, jogging next to him. "Well, even a one of their own to-be. But credit where credit is due" he looked to the twins. "I had no idea we even had all that stuff in Windsor. "Wasn't exactly ours" grinned Ethan. "It may have been from last year" "Or before that" Evan considered. "Or it could all be ancient," Ethan shrugged. "But they say there's charm in antiques!" "Definitely." "If Dwight hears that you both took down things from the "haunted" attic storeroom, he will maim and exorcise you two," Blaine replied, "and I don't want to imagine in what order he would do so." "Hey look." David pulled the other boys to a stop, pointing down the hall. "What's that all about? There was a small crowd of Warblers around the doorway of their Hall, not actually entering. They were all crushed to the slightly opened doors, listening intently and not making a sound. They barely noticed as the other Warblers approached. "What's going on?" Blaine asked as they arrived, and in unison, all the boys listening hissed or held out their hands to him in the universal "Shut up!" gesture, listening. "What is it?" Wes whispered, looking at them incredulously. "Shh" said Evan, looking up.

"Listen" Ethan, being rather tall, was able to peer up higher from the door.

So I chose freedom Running around, trying everything new But nothing impressed me at all I never expected it toMusic was coming from the Hall, the sound of musical accompaniment to a song that they would never have imagined being played in an all-boy's choir room, as no one would have been able to sing it. And yet as the music swelled, a voice rose from within the room, filling it with soaring notes and seeping out the door, causing them to stand transfixed.

Don't cry for me Argentina The truth is I never left you All through my wild days, my mad existence I kept my promise Don't keep your distance"Who the hell is that?" hissed Wes, staring. "We don't know," muttered one of the other Warblers. "When we got here, Harvey and Medel were already in there with him." "That's a guy in there?" David said, aghast. "Mm" Evan, on tiptoes, agreed from where he was peering into the room. "Yeah, I can see the jacket."

They are illusions They are not the solutions they promised to be The answer was here all the time I love you and hope you love me Don't cry for me ArgentinaAs the music and the voice swelled further, Blaine looked up in sheer realization, eyes widening and backing from the door like he was shot. "Whoa, I thinkis that?" "Guys! Guys!" hissed Ethan, jumping up and down on his toes, wild with excitement. "It's Alice! It's Alice singing in there!"

"I thought you said it was a guy? Who the heck is Alice?" demanded another Warbler. "Nonot Alice," snapped Blaine, pushing his way through the others to get a better look. "Kurt! That's Kurt Hummel singing in there." "No way! The new kid?" the boys crowded further onto the door, their weight pushing the door open just a little bit more. Greg, from where he was standing by the side of the door from the inside, was most amusedly watching the door creak further open as more boys piled on their weight. As David's head popped into the room, he leaned down to the crowd and said calmly, "Would you boys like to come inside?" The Warblers looked up in surprise at their choir director, who was smiling broadly at them. Embarrassed, the group straightened up, brushing down their jackets and feigning composure. They carefully opened the door, coming in and jostling each other for room. From the far end of the room, Sylvia was playing the piano, barely able to stop the grin on her face as Kurt, his back turned to the boys, continued to sing. He appeared happy to receive her obvious unspoken praise, and was singing with everything he had, oblivious of the watching eyes. Lying on top of the piano was his iPhone. As the song slowly faded out, a burst of happy applause came from the iPhone. "You go, Kurt! Yeah! That's our boy!" hooting and whistles accompanied the clapping from the McKinley club. Kurt laughed in relief and pure joy, the likes of which he had not felt in a long time. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. He scooped up his phone and smiled to it. "thanks, guys. And don't worry. I can take it from here." A mix of happiness and confusion now came from the phone. "You were great! It was geez, you guys, Schuester's coming!crap!quick, put it away!Kurt, you were great! Puck, move come on!Hurry up!We love you, Kurt! See you at Sectionals! Bye! Bye, Kurt!" "Bye," Kurt laughed, hanging up. As he did, he heaved a great sigh of relief. And the entire Warblers' Hall erupted into applause and cheering. Kurt whirled around with wide eyes to see the Warblers grinning and clapping at him. "Yes!" David yelled, grinning. "That was great!" "I cannot believe that was you!" Wes said, clapping while shaking his head in disbelief. The twins were clapping as well, the latecomer Warblers who had only managed to catch the last of the song applauding behind them. Kurt looked at them, shocked and somehow delighted. His eyes locked on Blaine's warm ones, and he smiled as Blaine grinned at him, clapping with a knowing look, as though he knew all along that Kurt would win the Warblers over.

Over the din, Greg raised his voice to call for attention. "All right, all right now" he was grinning at his boys. "Settle down, settle down" "I must say, that was quite refreshing," said Sylvia, shaking Kurt's hand with a smile as the boys now came further into the room, taking their places on the armchairs and divans. "There haven't been a lot of countertenors in Warbler history, Mr. Hummelthe last one was from twenty years ago. I was just about to stop hoping to be able to come across one, much less one with a voice like yours." "W-wait" Kurt looked from her to Greg and back again, "Do you meanthis was my audition?" "We would gladly like to hear another one, if it wasn't yet," quipped a boy from the back, earning laughing agreement from majority of the group. "Now, I don't think there's need for that" Greg smiled over at the group as he brought Kurt, looking at the group in amazement, next to him. "Clearly you've heard Kurt's capabilities" "Boy, did we!" said another boyhoots followed, checked by the director's warning hand. Greg continued, "Settle, settle. This is serious now." But his eyes sparkled. "We have to come to a vote. All those in favor of having Kurt join us, raise a hand." A forest of handsthe twins held up both of theirswent up. Sylvia laughed. "And as decreed by the group" she looked at Kurt and smiled. "Welcome to the Warblers, Mr. Hummel." And in a single cheering wave, the boys ran from their seats and up to Kurt, giving him heavy pats and cuffs on the shoulders before draping all of their jackets on top of him, as was unofficial tradition. Kurt, laughing harder than he'd done in weeks, could barely keep standing, both at the weight of their attentions and the clothing being heaped on him. A hand clasped his, and he looked up to meet Blaine's eyes again. "Feeling better?" Blaine asked him with a smirk. Kurt grinned. "You have no idea." "It's a shame you can't sing a solo for Sectionals," said David, looking deeply disappointed as the boys trooped back to Windsor house. "But when Harvey sets down the song, it's down. It's etched in stone." "I don't mind, really," Kurt sighed, smiling as he clutched onto his bag strap. "I mean, Sectionals is in a week. It'll be a miracle if I learn how to do whatever military drill it is you do to have you all synchronizing perfectly with each other like that." "Yes, fear Harvey," Wes grinned. "He seemed nice though," Kurt said. "Sure he is," Wes agreed. "But he's led show choirs to Nationals for years straight for a

reason. Dalton booked him for us to launch us to Nationals too." "But he'll definitely be thinking about giving you some spotlight," said Blaine, nodding. "I meanwe've never had a countertenor before this. Possibilities are endless." "Sure Blaine," snickered Wes. "For you they are. If Kurt will stand out, you'll be the one who'll most likely end up singing with him." He shot him an added, and you like that idea look. Blaine shot him back an I hate you look before looking at Kurt with a grin that promised mischief. "Say Kurtyou're definitely boarding at Windsor, right?" Puzzled, Kurt nodded. "Yeah. That's what I told Howard, and I will. And besides, all of you are theresomeone needs to keep an eye on all of you." Then he sighed. "Getting my entire wardrobe to Dalton is going to be like Atlas carrying the globe. I suppose I could just take a few thingsbut I can't stand the thought of leaving dad, Carole and Finn with them. They probably don't even know which ones are meant to be dry-cleaned." Blaine looked as though he sympathized. But then he looked up and said, "Hey before you go for the day, come by Windsor for a bit. Pick out which room you want." "Now?" Kurt blinked. "No time like the present," David grinned and grabbed Kurt's hand before Blaine had the chance to. He pulled the newest Warbler towards Windsor, running, leaving a slightly scandalized Blaine to follow after them, Wes snickering as he did the same. "What's this?" David laughed as he picked up an envelope on the floor. He looked at it and tutted. "Ugh. That time of year again." He passed it to Blaine who just sighed and scratched his head. "What is?" asked Kurt. "Ahthe Fall Music Festival," Blaine explained. "School event, like a talent show. Like most school events, the houses will be sending out their best. If a day student wins it, the day students get extra holidays or stuff. If a boarder wins, him and his entire house get special privileges, like extra curfew hours and trips outside campus or whatever." "Oh" Kurt blinked, looking at the envelope. "You all don't look happy." "It's a Music Festival. All of the houses will be sending out their Warblers who stay there," David grimaced. "Add working that out to actual Warblers practice where the whole group performs for the whole schoolit's a lot of work. That's while we're expecting exams and deadlines before Christmas break." "I guess being rockstars have downsides," Kurt flashed Blaine a catty grin. It earned him a playful punch to the arm and Blaine's arm around his shoulders again as they headed to the common room. He barely had time to enjoy this as the moment they stepped in, the twins materialized in front of them, smiling their Cheshire grins once again.

"Hello, Alice!" they chirruped. "Congratulations on becoming a Warbler." "Uh, thanks?" Kurt looked at them suspiciouslyhe did not trust those smiles, and the fact that Blaine, Wes and David had the same ones. "We have something to show you," said Evan. "And we're almost absolutely positive you'll like it," said Ethan. "I'm unarmed with nerf guns, just so you know," Kurt supplied. The twins laughed. "No, no," said Evan. "Nothing like that. Come with us." "Come on," Wes clipped Kurt's elbow and followed the pair of blonds upstairs. With Blaine's reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, Kurt followed suit. The dormitories looked surprisingly empty for this time of day, Kurt wondered as he followed them up the stairs to the hallways where Blaine's room was. In fact, they went right up to the room across Blaine's and stopped at the door. "Here we are!" "I get this room?" Kurt asked, looking at them. "You put it across mine?" Blaine turned to his friends, seemingly baffled now. When they had made plans, he left them at it as he went to fetch some things neededhe did not take part in choosing the room. "Call it a bargain," David whispered to him. "We'll be eternally grateful if you stopped trying to describe how amazing his eyes are, thanks." Blaine bit back his retort and turned back to the twins who now looked at Kurt with affectionate smiles. "Welcome to Windsor." They threw open the doors. Kurt walked in and stared, gaping in shock. The old world finery of Windsor was even more amplified now by the rich antique furnishings of the room. Kurt's new room had been decked out in both old and contemporary style: the gilded frames held blown up posters of musicals and not canvas paintings, and the jet black sound system that was in the room was clearly modern, but all the furnishings were chosen in such a way that they did not disrupt the harmony of the old room. Even the carpet and the bed were made of fine materials, and Kurt had never in his life lain on sheets and pillowcases that had this kind of thread count. The cherrywood study desk was already fitted with a charming lamp, next to which were brand new glossy fashion magazines stacked nearly as tall as the lamp. The shelves held Kurt's schoolbooks. Ethan followed Kurt's gaze and said, "Sure we had to break into your in-school locker to take them, but we promise we didn't touch anything else." "You're ruining the mood," his twin admonished. He looked at Kurt. "We also didn't notice that you have a photo of Blaine and a mini-collage of "courage". Is it some kind of code,

by the way?" Kurt dropped his face into his hand, wanting the polished wood floor to open up and eat him. Blaine just smiled and said, "Come on, everyone has photos of their friends on their lockers. I have a whole bunch of them on the board next to my desk." "How come you never make mini-collages for us, Blaine?" David pretended to whine. He looked at Kurt. "Will you make one for us too, Kurt?" "That's enough from you," Blaine made a face at him before asking Kurt, "What do you think?" "You guysdid all this?" Kurt asked, looking around. "Just a little thing from us," said Wes, smiling. "Blaine said you looked as though you had trouble earlierand I guess the only way we could make you feel at home was to make you a little bit of one." Kurt looked at them, struggling with words. "II don't even know what to say." "Your wide-eyed expression of pure shock is gratitude enoughwe'll want to see it again," said Evan. Ethan pushed Blaine onto him and added, "Now be a good little Alice and play with Blaine while Evan and I destroy Wes and David in a game of Halo." Blaine and Kurt collided and turned red, glancing away from each other. The twins looked pleased and trooped out with Wes and David. "We're leaving them together?" asked David. "Sadly I don't expect anything to happen," Wes rolled his eyes. "At best they'll end up in Blaine's room watching some Disney on the widescreen before our gentleman takes "Alice" home." David rolled his eyes. But Wes grinned, "Hey on the bright sidewe won't have to hear Blaine playing Teenage Dream on infinite loop anymore."

Episode 3: Voices The fact that he could seal up his life in a few boxes was somewhat depressing. At least the boys had been there. David and Wes were looking for a reason, any reason to leave Advanced Chemistry and the twins never needed a reason, while Blaine had steadfastly insisted on being there. Finn also insisted upon helpingbewildered as he was with the troop of blazer-clad boys invading the Hudson-Hummel homebut seeing him lift and load the boxes that contained the mass of "essentials" that Kurt apparently required to live only made the transition from home to boarding school all the more awkward. But the fact that Finn gave him an encouraging smile helped. With that smile, Kurt remembered New Directions singing to him, and nodded back at his brand new stepbrother, as though assuring him he'd be all right. Finn's whisper of "Seriously, what Puck said, all right? Don't forget to let us know what you're up to over there" to him as he left just made him laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're anxious to get rid of me," Kurt had responded. "Whatno, dude, I meanwhy would we" Kurt let Finn flounder in confusion one last time before he grinned and told him he was joking, and that he'll see him on the weekends. He gave his parents a hugCarole gave him a warm, affectionate one, already looking as though she would miss him dearly and promising to pester him for fashion advice; Burt's hug was stronger, more solid, that asked if he would be fine. Kurt nodded to him and without having to say anything, Burt knew his son would be all right for the time being. Then Kurt was ready to go. Burt had carefully watched each of the boys with Kurt as they loaded things into Wes' Hummer"You're not trying to help, you're trying to show off," he'd told the twins when they suggested to take Kurt's things using their personal limoand noted how each of them behaved towards his son. His eyes lingered longer on Blaine and Kurt, which was why on the way to Westerville, Kurt received a text message from Burt: You watch yourself out theredon't let any of them do anything funny. Kurt was confused, but when Blaine saw the text over his shoulder, he understood and just smiled faintly to himself. He didn't need Burt's silent threat of deathas of yet, he had no intention of advancing on Kurt no matter how much every inch of him screamed to. He hoped he could hold out. When they had arrived back at Windsor, Kurt (who had been allowed one full day to settle into Dalton before resuming class) insisted on kicking the entire mass of boys out "You cut enough class yesterday, go back to class and stop digging through my wardrobe!" "We can't help itit's soamplified!"so he had time alone. When he placed the last Dolce into his closet, he pushed the whole mass to one side and held up his new set of uniforms. He gave the blazer a long look before sighing. His mass of designer wear would be officially consigned to obscurity until the weekends. He

thanked small merciesat least he could still accessorize as within school limitations. After the whirlwind of the past daythe classes, learning about Dalton, seeing Windsor, meeting its mildly unhinged occupants, being sung to over the phone by New Directions, auditioning for Warblers and being drafted that same day, and being given his own Windsor roomKurt had run out of emotions and reactions. He had no idea what happened, but all he remembered was that once he finally finished putting up the photos of New Directions onto his own corkboard by the desk, he flopped down onto his downy bed, sinking into the ridiculously soft comforter the twins had given him, and promptly passed out before he woke upwith the entire room black as the nightfall and freezingto a strong hand covering his mouth and hands grabbing his wrists and ankles. His sharp cry was stifled by the hands as he got dragged off the bed and into the darkness.

I'm Kurt. And this is Dalton Academy. And I thinkthat I'm currently being kidnapped. Yup. ...I totally didn't see that coming.When he was unceremoniously dropped into what felt like earth and grass, the blindfold that got placed around his eyes finally got removed, and he found himself blinking and squinting as his eyes adjusted from totally darkness to the firelight. And just as he had somehow expected, a mass of boys (in interesting variations of sleep wear) were standing across him on the other side of a bonfire, grinning broadly. They all cheered when they saw his reaction. "Kurt Hummel, you have officially been a Windsor boy for twenty-four hours!" chirruped Evan far too perkily for the hour, wearing bright white pajamas. "And because you have and therefore can no longer repeal your move, we have officially decided to initiate you!" Ethan said happily, in pajamas that matched his brother's. "You know my mother keeps telling me never to sleep without changing?" David said thoughtfully as he looked at Kurt's day clothes which the shell-shocked boy was still wearing. "Says it's unsanitary." "What the hell, guys?" Kurt finally demanded, heart still thudding heavily in his chest as he stared at them, trying to catch his breath. "I thought I was going to die!" "Sorry, we're sorry" Blaine moved forward to try and calm him. Even in Kurt's frighthazed state, he wondered why in blessed's sake Blaine had to wear thata short-sleeved cotton sleeping shirt that fit him far too welland completely derail his train of thought. "It's just something we do to all the newcomers. Right, Dwight?" Blaine glanced back to the crowd.

Wes snickered, "Dwight was screaming all the way down to the grounds." The pale boy, shorter than the rest of the crowd, flipped him off with a highly-defined hand gesture before clutching back at one of the many medallions that hung from his neck. David just shook his head, "He was convinced we were going to burn him at the stake." "I don't put it past you by now," Kurt raised an eyebrow, breathing a little easier now. He realized that Blaine's hand found its way onto his. He looked to him, and Blaine smiled as he asked, "You all right?" Kurt swallowed and turned away from the firelight in Blaine's eyes and his adorably tousled hair. "Yeah. Fine. What's thisum, initiation?" The twins, while deeply, deeply wishing that these two would hurry up and get a room soon, said, "It's your welcome party!" There was a cheer from the boys as they dragged out a massive cooler and a huge sack filled with snacks from the bushes. The bonfire crackled as soda cans popped open and goodies emerged, the boys handing them out. Blaine grinned at Kurt. "We really didn't mean to frighten you." "Yes, you did," Kurt managed to smile. "All right, maybe," Blaine smirked, sitting next to him. "But for the record I was against scaring you. I wasn't sure how your nerves were doing after McKinley. But it was tradition, so" "For Dalton or just for Windsor?" "Ahjust for Windsor," Blaine admitted. "The other houses usually hold day parties." "Did they do it to you too?" "Yes, they did." Blaine paused before giving Kurt and adorable grin. "And unlike you, who relatively retained dignity, I put up a fight in my dorm room and ended up concussing David with a lacrosse stick." "I will still get you back for that," David retorted from one side of the campfire. Blaine laughed and added, "They had to turn all the lights on and hold the party in the clinic after that." "Blaine!" the twins called, gesturing wildly, calling for him to come to where they were huddled with Wes and some other boys. "Duty calls" Blaine rolled his eyes but he smiled charmingly at Kurt, effectively ruining the last of the other boy's brain cells. "Be right back." He got up and went to the others. Kurt followed him as he went and watched him laugh. Then he had the overwhelming urge to smack himself. He was being ridiculous. Clearly Blaine only actually saw him as a friend, and with his amazing record of being shot down by every seemingly perfect guy

he'd gone forFinn? Sam?he was not quite prepared to handle rejection from Blaine.

Friendship is good Kurt tried to tell himself. I mean, this is good for now. Sure, Finn isn't gay and Samwell, I'm still on the fence with him, but he is with Quinn but Blaine is amazing, and he's actually gay andwe're actually close. And we get along so well... If I ruined this now"Hi Kurt!" He looked up as a small boy with a mass of downy strawberry-blonde curls sat down next to him, offering him a diet coke. The smaller boy looked like an older, awkward version of a cherub out of a renaissance painting. Kurt took the soda gratefully and the boy said, with a bright smile, "I'm Reed. I live a few doors down from you." "Hey," Kurt smiled, then blinked. He looked closely at Reed's attire. "are thosethe Dolce pajamas?" "Oh, you noticed?" he looked pleased. "Yeah, I really like themthey're comfortable and if I walk around in wearing these pants, no one notices. And I like your Chanel brooch." He pointed to the one on Kurt's collar. "I used to have one, a different design of course, but you know pins are dangerous and I might jab my collarbone with one, so I settled for some Harry Winston cufflinksotherwise my uniform looks a bit plain. To me, anyway. Oh, that reminds me!" He pulled out a velvet box, opened it, and took out a pina shield of royal blue crossed by a golden ray. He clipped it onto Kurt's collar. "There," he said. "It's the Windsor crest. You're one of us now. Isn't the pin nice? We had it customized at De Beers." Kurt stared with his mouth hanging open at him. Reed look abashed. "Sorry. It's a habit. I talk too much, right?" "No, I meanthank you for this andyouknow your baubles," Kurt said with a curious smile. "Oh, that comes from hanging around my mom," Reed answered. He took a sip of soda and gave a small jerk of pain. "Ow! Man, I don't believe it; I've cut my lip again." "Are you okay?" Kurt asked when he saw him bleeding. "I'm finealways happens to me," Reed answered almost casually in spite of his obvious distress. He got up. "I'll go put something on this, see you in a bit!" And he hurried off. He passed Blaine, who saw him and then looked to the other boys, saying, "All right, who gave Reed a soda can? I told you people, just give him a juice box or something where he can't hurt himself!" He sat down next to Kurt and grinned. "What's with the fish face?" "I think I found my new best friend!" Kurt grinned. "Reed?" Blaine laughed. "Yes, I saw how you dress and I knew you two might get along. Justtry to steer him away from anything sharp, pointy, or otherwise dangerous to most infants. He's" he glanced back to where Reed and winced when the short boy tripped

over a tree root and almost dived face-first, "a little danger-prone." "Yeah, is he?" "We honestly do not know which team he bats for; my radar tells me yes, but it's still a little hazy," Blaine answered, shaking his head. "And we don't ask. We think maybe he's just fashion savvy because he's Van Kamp's son and" Kurt choked on his soda ungracefully. "Hilde Van Kamp? The fashion magazine editor." "That's the one. He's the only other person on campus I've seen with a wardrobe that looks remotely like yours. It's almost appalling." He looked at Kurt's starry eyes and added with a smirk, "and now you're in love with him?" Kurt playfully shoved him with a shoulder and laughed. "Well, I'm glad someone at least shares my uniform sentiments. Why, are you worried I'll fall in love with little Reed?" "I don't know; I might get terribly jealous if you do. Will you?" Blaine asked with a playful smirk that made Kurt flush. "For the sake of all our sanities, when are they going to get a move on?" Wes grumbled as their small group watched Kurt and Blaine flirt without realizing they were being watched. "I think I'm going to hurl up my s'mores if they keep this up." "I think they're really cute," Reed, with a piece of tape on his lip, grinned. "It's too early, I think," Dwight commented, looking a tad displeased at being away from the safety of his salt circle. "Kurt just got here. Bringing whatever spirits and bad auras are tailing him from McKinley." "Have you any idea how long we suffered through Blaine's dramatics when he wasn't here?" Ethan grumbled at him. Evan sighed. "I swear, getting our little Alice here was a relief. Of course we'll still have to suffer through Blaine's daydreaming, but it's better than before" "I don't know, Blaine didn't look that happy whenever he waits for a text from Hummel before," remarked Dwight. "Like he was waiting for the worst newsseemed relieved when everything was okay. And that Hummel has a whole lot of some dark aura from back where he came from." "Oh we're seeing auras now?" Wes said sarcastically. "I'm serious! Why did he move here anyway? Do any of you know?" Silence. David looked contemplative. "Blaine didn't actually say he didn't actually tell us much in between talking about how wonderful Kurt was." He rolled his eyes. "I always thought he thought that Kurt was adorable during his failed spying and just decided toI don't know, go for him," Wes remarked. "I don't know what was happening back when Blaine kept disappearing to Lima, but I just figured he was convincing him to

switch schools so he may worship him at his leisure." "There," Dwight nodded with a maddeningly knowing look. "I knew it. I called it." "Called what?" "That Hummel's been cursed. Cursed, I'm telling you. Back in his old town, he must've infuriated some ecto-secreting nightmare and now he's brought the curse to us. And he's got likelikeBlaine under his spell." Dwight flailed from under his flimsy black robe. "Under a spell. Like in Jennifer's Body or something. That was a creepy movie, man." "WhaJennifer'sdude, you have got to lay off all that rock salt," Wes narrowed his eyes at him. "I'll agree with the spell part, I'll give you that," David smirked at the oblivious pair by the campfire. "Come on, they'll subtly flirt forever and get nowhere. Let's go annoy Blaine and break it up." The twins happily trooped after him and proceeded to throw themselves between the two and be gargantuan distractions, culminating in the twins grabbing Blaine and Kurt each and twirling them around in some crazed puppet form of a waltz that sent more than a few boys tumbling into the dead autumn leaves When the entire party eventually started pelting each other with half-toasted marshmallowsthe twins pulling out twin marshmallow guns and rapid firing every boy in their radiusthe elderly groundskeeper, Mr. Tamerlane arrived. The boys, with Kurt in tow, fled like mad back to the dorm before any of them could come within reach of his caneor worse, his eyesightand would earn them a whole new round of sanctions from House head Howard. That party had gone on late, and everyone in Windsor ended up sleeping far later than was advisable for people who had school the next day. Kurt was sure, as he fell back to sleep, that he would never get up, but he woke up the next morning to someone screaming the whole dorm down from the foyer. Someone female, who was extremely unhappy. "AND I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE, WES! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW! GET DOWN THIS MINUTE OR I'LL!" Blearily, he poked his head out the door to see Blaine doing the same from across the hall, eyes still heavy with sleep and looking truly annoyed. The screaming downstairs persisted, more boys down the hall started to peer out. Blaine walked down the hall, rubbing his eyes, and pounded on Wes and David's room. "David. David, damn it, open the door!" After a groan of disgust from the other side, David did open the door, and he looked unlike his usual trim self and he also looked exasperated. Blaine grumbled, "Wake Wes and tell him Tabitha's here before the rest of us hurl her out." "He's got a hangover," David muttered, gesturing tiredly to the other bed in the room.

Wes was buried under one ridiculously oversized pillow, which was so thick that it probably was why he could not hear the screaming. Grumbling was starting to come from the other boys, complaints rising. Blaine narrowed his eyes at the prostrate figure on the bed. "Right. I'll wake himyou get her to be quiet." "I thought they already broke up last week?" David complained, rubbing his face and clearly not relishing the assignment. "They did. But it seems she's only found out now." "I SWEAR YOU AND I ARE GOING TO TALK WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! WES!" "I'll get her to be quiet," Kurt suddenly said, tightening the cord of his robe and flouncing down the halls, dark rims under his eyes. "Whoa! Whoa!" overhearing, the twins bolted down the hall and went running to stop him, barring his way and holding out their hands. "Wait! Hold it, Alicedon't be a hero! Tabitha, sheshe's crazy! Absolutely psycho!" "I have to live with you two, how crazy can she be?" Kurt snapped as he moved past them. Evan turned to his brother with wide eyes. "Ouch." "But true," Ethan admitted with a smirk. Then they realized Kurt was still headed downstairs and quickly chased after him. Dwight was hanging over the banisters that looked down to the foyer, holding a medallion up defensively to combat the wrath of the furious girl in the black leggings, ugg boots, sweater and vest downstairs. She was strikingly beautiful, with perfectly tanned skin, and floods of wavy brown hair coming out of her beanie. But she looked furious, screaming and stamping her feet. Kurt passed him as he headed down the stairsthe twins hurtling after himand Dwight followed, alarmed, hand cocked on the trigger of his holy water sprayer. He was sensing some serious dark aura coming out of Kurt right now. "WESLEY JONATHAN HUGHES, YOU COME DOWN RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR I'LL!" and she then unleashed an earsplitting scream at an impossibly shrill pitch that could have brought the entrance hall chandelier crashing down right on her head. The twins and Dwight winced at this performance, their nails scraping at the wooden banisters as the scream lasted a full ten seconds. Kurt did not bat an eye from where he stood, looking truly malevolent. Tabitha, breathing hard with her exertion, finally noticed the slim boy by the stairs and glowered. "What are you looking at?" And she turned back upstairs and screamed, "WES! DOWNSTAIRS, NOW!" "All right, that's it!" Kurt finally screamed.

Tabitha looked at him and pointed a perfectly manicured finger. "Stay out of this!" "All right, look you little spoiled last season Prada princess," Kurt strode right up to her, swatting her hand away and eyes blazing. "I have had just about e-freaking-nough of your banshee screaming this early in the morning! Were you raised in a barn? I have met troglodytes with more social capacity than you! Now you listen here" He advanced at shell-shocked Tabitha who was rendered speechless by his rage, and he jabbed a finger at her chest, "I have been hurled around, stripped of my designer clothes, stuffed into a uniform, thrown a week's worth of homework in a single day, kidnapped in the dead of night, pelted with half-roasted marshmallows, have had just three hours of sleep, and I have not even done my moisturizing regime! You will calm your iron-fried hair down, you will patiently wait for Wes to come downstairs, you will be quiet, and you will stop screaming with your nails-on-a-chalkboard voice before you break my perfect pitch hearing and that of every Warbler in this House! Do you understand?" Utter silence in the entire house. Tabitha gaped at him, mouth open with no sound coming out. The twins and Dwight, already on the landing, were paralyzed in shock. From the mezzanine, the boys of Windsor were staring in varying degrees of amazement and utter fear. Kurt, breathing hard, now turned heel and strode towards the common room, past the three boys on the landing. Dwight quickly stumbled backwards onto the twins, turning his defensive medallion against Kurt in terror. The twins scrambled after Kurt, who was holding a hand to his temple. "Are youokay?" Evan asked in a soft, frightened whisper. Kurt, who had stopped in the middle of the area, groaned silently as he leaned his head into his hand, face flushed. "I need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee, please." Ethan ran past him immediately to go get it from the kitchen. "Tabitha!" Wes gasped from the top of the stairs, running down and his robe haphazardly tied on him. He ran to the girl on the foyer who was still staring, white as a sheet, at Kurt. "Baby, what are you doing here? Geez, I told you you can't come in the dormgo, just go, okay? Come on" "Hehehe just!" Tabitha managed to say shakily, pointing at Kurt. "Yes, yes I knowand if you value your life, you will never ever do this again" said Wes in a low tone, steering her away and towards the door as David clutched onto one of the banisters, entire body shaking in repressed peals of laughter. Blaine watched the two go before cautiously going up to Kurt as Ethan gingerly handed him the coffee, making sure not to touch him as he did so. The drink might have been searing hot but Kurt took two long sips and groaned in relief. "Well that waswasuh, effective." Blaine stared. "Are you okay?" "what in the name of Marc Jacobs just happened?" Kurt murmured, disoriented, closing his eyes.

"you slew the Jabberwocky?" Evan suggested, eyes wide. "You scared Tabitha Adams out of Windsor," Blaine supplied with a faint smile. "Hopefully for good. But her on-off relationship with Wes might say otherwise. This happens about once a month." Kurt just moaned again in reply, taking another inhale of coffee and almost draining it. " I've barely been here a week and I'm already turning into one of you" he fell and slumped completely against Blaine who put his arms around him and made soothing sounds. Before he could lead Kurt to sit down, Dwight grabbed his arm and pleaded in a whisper to him, "please don't ever make him angry, Blaine. I'm scared. II don't think I can exorcise that." "Duly noted," Blaine said, trying hard not to smile as he went to go sit with Kurt on the couch. "I am so so sorry about this morning," Wes apologized repeatedly as he caught up to Kurt during lunch period. "I swear, she's not all that bad" "You are not helping your case," Blaine remarked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Fine, she can be a little demented, but she's still" "It's fine, Wes," Kurt murmured, waving it away and trying to concentrate on his notes for Theoretical Physics. "I can barely even remember what I said or didmy brain sort of shut off on me and then went on autopilot. I guess I'm sorry for yelling at youruhwhat is she now?" "Still my ex," Wes said with a deep sigh. "On the upside, you reading her the riot act made our talk outside a whole lot less ugly than it might have been." "Cheer up, buddy," David put an arm around his shoulders and grinned. "Your ex was the original pain in the ass anyway. You'll live. And world war three doesn't have to happen as long as Tabitha stays far away from Kurt." He laughed. "Dwight said that if Kurt had died of a heart attack with all that rage right then, Windsor would totally become the next house on The Grudge." Kurt groaned, embarrassed. "I don't want to talk about thisI don't know what came over me." "Kind of impressive, actually," Blaine smiled at him playfully. "I didn't know you could be that forceful. And I'll remember to supply you with coffee immediately on your bad days." Kurt flushed and just ducked back down on his notes, trying to memorize the formulae and forcing himself to stop enjoying Blaine's arm brushing against his. "Hey Kurt!" called some of the students as they passed by. "Congratulations on making it into the Warblers!"

Surprised and pleased, Kurt smiled as he received their greetings, handshakes, highfives and pats on the shoulder. It was only now that he realized what Blaine meant about the Warblers being rockstarseveryone in the hall seemed to know who he was. It was rather surprising. Blaine watched Kurt marveling at all the attention and smiled to himself. The school seemed to be warming up to him well enough. Students would openly stop and chat with Kurt in the halls, ask him questions about school and Warblers, or