Nick knew that Blaine leaving Dalton was in the past and he couldn’t undo anything, even if he really wanted to. Nope, not at all. He felt for Blaine, he was unable to do anything and it was all up to the New Directions and they have done the work. He shook his head, looking down. “No, not really. All I really know is that he was jealous of what you and Kurt had, and that is why he wanted it to happen to him and not you. Still doesn’t make it right. But the only thing he told us was that it was JUSTa slushie before hand.” Nick told his friend, remembering the day. It all went so quickly and then continued. “We all just found out what he put in, it was rock salt… gosh Blaine if I had ANY idea it would happen I would have stopped it in a heart beat. There is no doubt about it. I am so sorry this happened to you. Let me tell you something, he will get what is coming. Dalton’s zero tolerance policy might finally have a use.” He said, grabbing his friends hand. “How do you feel though really? Does it hurt? Of course it hurts, sorry.” He said looking down at the floor. He did’t know why he couldn’t talk to Blaine in this state. This is not how things should be. “I am glad to see you too Blaine. You have no idea. Things will get better soon. Warblers honor.”
“I thought my relationship wasn’t an issue anymore.” That was wrong. Blaine knew that “cloud” lingered in the background of their conversations that often borderlined on inappropriate. Ones he denied to Kurt were anything close. To the point that he felt guilty for lying. But he didn’t think the underlying tension would come to a head like this. Above all? Sebastian was his friend. A betrayal of stealing a setlist and announcing it to his friends where he got the information was an extreme in Blaine’s book. One he had yet to confront Sebastian on but after he got over the hurt? He fully planned on doing. Until–things spiralled even worse and here we are. An extreme that went beyond–beyond. Everything was broken. Blaine was left sitting in the hospital overnight wondering how he could have saw it coming and stopped it. Instead of feeding into it like he felt he did. This was all so screwed up. “It hurts–yeah. They kept me here because–under eighteen and just taking safety measures. I’ll go home in the morning til I come see a specialist and they determine the extent of the damage and what has to be done.” Don’t even get him started on how petrified he was when he thought about what might happen if it was too much. No amount of reassurance from the E.R. doctor could put that worry to rest. “Nick? Before any of you say anything? I want to talk to Sebastian first. Listen. I haven’t named him as being the one who did it. I got in trouble but..I know what he goes through at home. If his Dad found out? Can you tell the guys to let me talk to him? Just–don’t say anything yet. If it comes to that–we can. I promise. Please promise me too, okay?”
A moment passed where Jan could only squint in thought as she tried to remember if she got everything else– but it passed just as quickly as it came before she shook her head with the smallest of smiles once more.
“I THINK I’m good. My mom was getting on me about packing last night, so really the only thing I probably forgot was the jacket just walking out the door. But who knows? I probably DID forget something, I just can’t think of it right now. It always ends up that way if I’m on a trip.” A moment of pause before she glanced quickly at the rest of the group, looking back seconds later. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m pretty sure that, aside from my performance clothes, MOST of the stuff I have is all fandom shirts and jeans.”
“Nothing wrong with fandom shirts and jeans!” Being half asleep and only part way into his coffee in the morning ended up with him pulling a Criss Angel trick with the overly stuffed bag that he was sorry he forced into his locker now that he was wide awake with his cheeks puffed out and a grunting tug–tug that was less than graceful trying to get it out.
Finally! Stumbling backwards as the bag came loose–Blaine staggered to a stop with a look of pride and regret. Picking back up with the conversation to skip over that little faux pas–he slung the strap of that bag over his shoulder over the one that was already there. “I have a throw I brought for the bus ride,” he laughed and bobbed his head from side to side, “Thus the–how did I think stuffing this in my locker was a good idea moment. Jacket’s all yours. We’re going to go get dinner and see what there is to do after,” he leaned in all conspiratory like, “Sort of a let’s have fun while we are together and away from the parents thing. Come along anyway?”
Nick could not help himself. He could have done something to help prevent this. If only he knew that this would happen, Sebastian’s stupid actions could have been worse, thankfully they were not but that is besides the point. He wiped the tear from his cheek and sat down, taking a deep breath as if it would help compose himself. He smiled at boy next to him, he really missed Blaine so much. Nothing has ever been the same since Blaine left Dalton. “I am fine really…except my best friend is in the hospital because of something the Warblers- well Sebastian did. So no I am not okay.” He paused. “How are you?” He questioned him. “That is the real question. I am sorry I just now came… I wanted to come to your side when it happened. That is one of my biggest regrets.” He told him. Sebastian went way too far, Blaine had to have a surgery to help him get better and that had to be expensive. He knew it was.
Blaine bowed his head to blurrily watch his hands ball two fistfulls of blankets. This was all so wrong. The Warblers became his competition when he left Dalton–true. But he always had it in mind that they were brothers before rival performers. Nick, Jeff, Trent and the others were undoubtedly the catalysts to him becoming who he was after being a shell of himself. Dalton and they saved him. They knew him. Knew what happened. And they promised that they’d always be there for one another. Yes. He left physically but the his love for them? Ran deep. Deeper than performances and song lists. The bond they had was supposed to survive everything. Or maybe he wouldn’t have–no. He couldn’t think that. Leaving Dalton wasn’t a mistake but leaving them vulnerable and in the hands of someone that could make them into what he saw inside that parking garage? Felt like his responsibility. Whether it or was or not. “I’m so sorry that you’re upset, Nick. You got here as quick as you could. Honestly? I’m just glad to see you,” he smiled but there wasn’t enough unf in it to be much of one. “What was he thinking? Has he said anything? If that’d hurt Kurt,” he clamped his mouth shut and shrugged. What was he supposed to say on how much worse that would’ve been?
“I came to apologize on behalf of us.” Nick began, when he entered Blaine’s hospital room. He didn’t expect a peep out of Blaine, but he still wanted to make things right even if the others didn’t exactly agree with him. They had just left McKinley after the confrontation with the other New Directions. Nick informed the other Warblers that he would return before curfew, Sebastian of course put his foot down but honestly he didn’t care, Blaine was his friend. And he had to make things right, there was hopefully a chance. “I had no idea he put rock salt in that slushie. We all had no idea.” He told him as a tear fell down his cheek. Things should not be like this. He was a mess, everybody was a mess but Nick was the only one who cared enough to take the initiative. He was happy that there was nobody in the room for this, he didn’t exactly want an audience.
Blaine could barely talk Kurt into leaving when his father came to pick him up. Only after reassuring his boyfriend repeatedly while high as a kite–a feat that deserved some sort of credit that he was able to make a solid case while feeling like he was floating on cloud..er..twenty–did Kurt agree to go get some sleep. A out of it as Blaine was? He couldn’t make himself do the same unless he couldn’t fight the fog floating through his brain. Now that he was alone? His mind was too busy with thoughts about the Warblers to drift off. –What happened to them?– Thinking that he never knew Sebastian was hitting home hard. Wondering how he could have been so blind to someone who he once thought so much about as a friend was one thing. But the others? Blaine ended up sitting in the bed with his fingers laced together, biting his lip and trying not to cry because it hurt too much as he tried to figure out the answer. –None of them even tried to help.– Hearing someone coming into the room–Blaine turned his head so he could see who. “Nick?” There was no hiding his surprise. Giving no pause–Nick tried his best to explain. Confirming Blaine’s suspicions about who did it didn’t make him feel better. Only worse. Blaine’s heart sank even further at the sight of him crying. “Nick,” he repeated himself in a slow whisper. “It’s–Please. Don’t cry. Come here. Sit down. Let’s talk. Are you okay?”
Isaac quickly ran through a scale on his sax as he listened to Blaine. He shrugged and adjusted the mouthpiece of the instrument. He really didn’t disclose this kind of information, but at this point– he didn’t care. “I know quite a lot of his stuff…” He tapped his feet. “Really kinda like him,” He murmured, not really to the other boy, but to his saxophone.
Watching Isaac give the confession of being–dare he say–a Timberlake fan towards his saxophone made Blaine’s smile grow until the whites of his teeth showed. Okay. That was sort of adorable. “Isaac? I promise not to tell anyone your deep, dark secret. I mean–most of this school knows and rolls their eyes at some of the music I love the most. I’ll spare you the same treatment. Mind if I start with a few notes? This piano is as in tune as it’s ever going to get.” Sad. But true. “Join in whenever you want.”
Isaac let out a soft laugh as he slid his reed into his mouth to wet it. “I’d happily give Timberlake a go.” He smiled and slid the now wet reed into the sax. “Which song do you wanna go for?” He knew all of them, but he was not going to admit to that.
Seriously? Someone who didn’t initially have to pretend Timberlake was lame before they agreed to try some out– and subsequently enjoyed themselves in spite of their complaints? Was he dreaming? Leaping at the chance– Blaine shrugged and gave the a few random piano keys a tink, tink. “Suit and Tie work for you? Can’t Stop The Feeling? Just how long is your list of memorized J.T., Isaac? Do I sense a fellow closet Timberlake fan? Or did I just get lucky with my pick and you’re hoping I might pick one of two you know?”
Seeing Jan freezing to death–Blaine didn’t think twice about handing his sweater over. They’d be on the bus soon and he had Kurt to cuddle up to if he got too cold. Something told him that Kurt wouldn’t mind being used as a heater one bit. Actually–Jan might’ve just done him a favor in giving him a reason to use being chilly as an excuse to snuggle the entire ride to Sectionals. Not that he needed one but a back up reason to get extra close was great to have anyway.
“Hey. No problem. Did you bring everything else? Because if we need to? I’m totally game for sneaking off to do some shopping once we get there and settled in. I know Kurt is bound to talk me into it anyway. You’re more than welcome to come along.”
“Yeah–” He picked up the sax with a shrug. “I uh– actually like playing a lot of pop music… You’d be surprised how well it can translate into sax music.”
Blaine watched the other boy with a curious smile. One that gave away to a few blinks and a nod at the mention of pop music. Now Isaac was talking his language! “No, no. I get it. I spent a year turning pop songs into acapella– so–yeah. Pop music it is! Want to give Timberlake a go? I’ve been dying to mess around with some of his new stuff.”
“Well–Great! That’s a start. We can work with that. Who’s your favorite musician? I’m sure I can find something in here we both will enjoy. Grab your sax and let’s give it a whirl?”
Tina appreciated what Blaine was trying to do. At the end of the day, she knew that he had a point but it was hard to see that at times. She kept looking out the window as she bit her lip. After everything that she has gone through, Tina can’t help wondering if there was something wrong with her. Her mind flew back to when she ended up going head first into the fountain. “Do you remember when I ended up in the fountain? I don’t think I ever told you how exactly I ended up in there.” As long as she kept looking out the window and not at Blaine, she could do this. “Mike had sent me a text, you know, after I stood up for myself before Nationals last year. This particular text…..it hit me right in my insecurities. It was something along of the lines that Rachel is one of a kind and that I was being unreasonable.” Letting out a sigh, she tried to not go back to where she was when she got that text. It still hurt to think about it, let alone talk about it which she’s never done. “If my own boyfriend basically told me that I’m nothing special, that wanting to matter is ridiculous then its hard to believe that from someone else.” It was true what they said; those closest to us caused the greatest hurt. At the mention of Dalton, she looked over at him. “Are you sure that would be a good idea? I remember the drama that went down when Rachel was dating Jesse.” Interteam dating never really seemed like a good idea when it came to the New Directions.
Okay. Saying Tina telling him why she ended up in the fountain didn’t settle well with Blaine in was the understatement of the century. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles were stark white and the muscles lining his jawline flinched then tightened with a clamp of his back teeth hitting them together. Everyone who knew the smallest details about Tina would know that wording things the way she said Mike had would not only hit home but it’d do it with enough impact to leave a scar. Proof positive in the way that months after–it stuck with her enough to bring it up now. Whether or not she was being unreasonable–which looking at things from her side..she wasn’t–you just don’t. Keeping his thoughts to himself was becoming increasingly difficult the more he thought about what she must have–and still–felt like hearing that. Try as he might–and it was a lot–to keep from showing how perturbed he was, Blaine forced a smile and took her hand letting the back of her knuckles rest on his knee. “The Vocal Adrenaline idea? No. That part was a joke. I’d never give any of jerks my permission to be within ten feet of you let alone date you. The Dalton guys though,” his head swayed from side to side as he bit the edge of his lip and hummed. “Who cares about what people think? All I’m saying is the idea might have merit. There’s some really good guys at Dalton. Not all of them are Warblers. If you want? We can stop by on the way home,” he grinned and shot her a conspiratory wink, “I could show you around? I won’t tell if you don’t?”
pianokeysandbowties back up 