No One Else Compares (1/?)
Title: No One Else Compares
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend.
Kurt Hummel remembers the day he met Rachel Anderson-Berry more vividly than he remembers anything else in his 18 years of living.
The same Kurt Hummel would also deny ever wanting to know the girl before his first day of high school.
And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he didn't know that Rachel had a brother named Blaine.
If asked, Kurt would agree that yes, he would never have guessed that his best friend's little brother, Blaine Anderson-Berry, would eventually become his boyfriend.
Kurt Hummel didn't have a clue what high school would be like. He didn't know if he would ever make any friends. He didn't know what kind of crowd he would fit in.
But one thing he did know was that there were bound to be some people who wouldn't accept him.
So fourteen year old Kurt Hummel shouldered his bag and walked into McKinley High with his head held high. Having come from the more elite class of his middle school, Kurt only recognized a few students here and there, none of them even bothering to give him a small nod.
Well, that was one way to start the year.
And then there were the all-mighty students who had ruled middle school. He recognized Noah Puckerman - the resident bad boy who had picked on Kurt the few times they'd actually been in the same classroom.
And then there were others like Rachel Anderson-Berry, who he talked to all of four times and he already wanted to tape her mouth closed. She apparently had 'a voice to die for.' Or so he'd heard from their previous music teachers.
Kurt glanced down at the sheet of paper gripped tightly in his hand, searching for the right locker that matched the number on the paper.
He glanced around, noting that he must have hit the freshman hallway since most of the students had decreased in size by a good two feet.
The key word in that sentence being 'most.'
He cringed as he saw David Karofsky, jeering with a group of boys similar to his burly size. Kurt ducked his head and tried not to draw attention to himself - thanking his father for suggesting he wear something more down low than his original designer outfit he had on earlier that day.
Luckily, the burly boys didn't seem to notice him, and Kurt continued walking down the hallway in search for his locker.
He eventually found it, smiling as he opened it and started to place his books and the little magnets he bought in it. He peeled his jacket off and gently placed it on the hook, grinning at how organized it looked once it was all put away.
"Hi," a voice said in his ear.
Kurt turned to see none other than Rachel Anderson-Berry standing behind him, her hand held out and a wide grin on her face.
"I'm Rachel," she said quickly, "I know we've met before but I couldn't help but notice that you weren't talking to anyone, and I don't really know anyone either so I thought that maybe talking to you would be a good idea. After all, I have two gay dads so -"
"Wait," Kurt cut the rapidly talking girl off, his eyes widening. "What does us being friends have to with your gay dads?"
"Well, I'm assuming you're -"
Kurt's eyes widened and he clamped his hand over the girl's mouth, shutting his locker and dragging her into the girls' bathroom before she could say anything more. He kept his hand in place as he checked under all of the stalls, only releasing her once he was positive the bathroom was empty.
" - gay," Rachel finished. "And don't be freaked out. I have exceptional gaydar. After all, living with two dads and a gay brother will do that to you."
Kurt's eyes widened again. How did this girl know he was gay when he'd only known for sure that previous summer?
"You can't tell anyone," he whispered, his eyes wide as he gripped the girl's hands. "Please, Rachel. I haven't even come out to my dad yet."
Rachel nodded. "Don't worry," she said seriously. "It took my brother forever to come out to my dads. And they're gay. He shouldn't even have thought of it as a big deal or that they wouldn't understand."
Kurt chuckled, but his mind was whirling. In all of the years he'd vaguely known Rachel Anderson-Berry, he didn't know she had a brother.
"If you're wondering why you've never met him, it's because he started going to private school in sixth grade," Rachel explained. "He - well, he was getting picked on a lot at our old school, so my dads sent him to boarding school so he'd be safe."
Again, not for the first time in the past five minutes, Kurt wondered why Rachel was telling him all this.
"So, basically what I'm trying to say is that I have a soft spot for gays, and since I now know for a fact that you're gay -"
"Wait," Kurt interrupted her once again. He had a feeling it wasn't something that was easily doable, and yet he'd managed to do it several times within their conversation. "You weren't sure about whether or not I was gay?"
"Well, no," Rachel shrugged. "I couldn't be sure unless you told me. After all, my dads have told me about how many of their hags used to think they were straight and -"
"Hags?" Kurt quipped. "What are you talking about?"
"Ohmygod, Kurt," Rachel sighed, exasperated, her hands now gripping Kurt's shoulders. "This is why you're becoming my friend. So that I can teach you about everything there is to know about gays."
She's insane, Kurt thought. Get away while you can.
But . . . it felt nice for someone to know what he'd been keeping inside the whole summer. This girl - as strange as it, as she, was - she understood, at least on some level.
"So," Rachel went on. "You're going to come over on Friday, and you can meet my dads. I don't think my brother'll be home - he's a year behind us so he's still in middle school."
Great, Kurt thought, I've made a friend who has an annoying middle school brother.
"Rachel, slow down," Kurt insisted, having a hard time keeping up with the girl's quick talking. "We're friends now?"
Rachel nodded vigorously. "Of course," she stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "And our friendship starts today."
"Wait," Kurt said again, probably for the hundredth time during their conversation. "Are you only befriending me because I'm -" he lowered his voice, still afraid to say it out loud. "- gay?"
"No!" Rachel replied immediately. "I mean, that definitely has something to do with it, but we would have become friends eventually, I'm sure. Everyone says you have a really good voice, so we would have become competitive friends eventually."
Kurt looked at the girl with his mouth agape. He couldn't believe that this was happening or that this girl was real.
"So," Rachel continued. "I'll see you Friday, mmkay?"
Kurt nodded slowly, watching as the girl got a pleased look on her face before she turned and walked out of the bathroom.
"I don't know what the hell just happened," Kurt said to himself as he turned to fix his bangs in the mirror. "But I'm sure I'll regret it."
He sighed and walked out of the bathroom, wondering what else this day had in store for him.
Unfortunately, the rest of Kurt's day didn't go as well as the beginning had. It was still equal on the strange factor, but it definitely wasn't as pleasant.
If he could even call his little run in with Rachel Anderson-Berry pleasant.
Kurt was walking down the hallway, clutching his books to his chest as he tried to find his next class. He gripped his map tightly in his hand as he studied it, glancing around every now and then to make sure he was going to right way.
However, something on one of the bulletin boards caught his eye.
Glee Club.
There was only one name on the list - which of course was Rachel's.
Kurt looked around once before quickly signing his name. He walked away from the board slowly, as if he hadn't been there at all.
Kurt had always liked to sing. His mother had always used to sing to him, and once he was old enough to sing along she would always tell him that he would grow up to have a beautiful voice.
And he did - he knew he did. But it was just that - well, his voice was a little high for a boy his age. Granted, maybe he just hadn't hit puberty yet, but all the other boys his age were no longer able to sing the soprano parts.
So Kurt was just assuming that he was going to be a countertenor. And he didn't have a problem with that.
But he knew some people would.
Even before Kurt himself knew he was gay, the bullies would throw slurs at him. Heck, they were making fun of him even before he knew what those words meant.
So of course he knew that people wouldn't take his singing voice well. But he knew that, if he were to join Glee Club, the people in there wouldn't make fun of him. Singers appreciated a good voice, no matter what it sounded like or who sang it.
"What did you just sign up for, Hummel?"
Kurt whizzed around, his eyes going wide. He saw David Karofsky and some other burly boy whose name he couldn't place walking up to him.
"Leave me alone, Karofsky," Kurt said, his voice low and stern. "We're out of middle school now. You can act your age."
"Well why don't you sound your age then, huh Hummel?" Karofsky jeered back, knocking fists with the boy beside him. "This is Azimio. We met today."
Kurt gulped at the two boys and slowly started to back up. He considered turning around and running, but he knew that would only make it worse.
He glanced around once, noting that the hallways were now empty. The bell must have rung a while ago, meaning that there would be no witnesses if these boys were to kill him.
But he doubted they could kill him. They weren't that much bigger than him, and Kurt had played soccer for a week during that summer when his dad had sent him to soccer camp.
That definitely wasn't enough to reassure him though. He watched as they approached him, the cup of slushie Karofsky was clutching in his hand suddenly catching his attention.
No. God no. He'd heard about this. This was basically the horror story told to all the middle schoolers who ever got picked on.
The slushie machine from hell, was what it was referred to.
"You ready for this, Hummel?" Karofsky jeered. "You'll be my first slushie facial."
Kurt stopped walking and closed his eye, clenching his fists against his books and bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
And then he felt the cold ice hitting his face, his eyes stinging immediately. He raised his hand up to wipe it away from his eyes, which only made the burning worse. Kurt cringed and felt the liquid sticking to his face, wincing as he tasted the purple corn syrup.
"That's what you get, Hummel," Karofsky jeered, his voice sounding farther away, giving Kurt hope that he and his minion were leaving. "We'll see you around."
Kurt stood there for another moment before opening up his eyes, whimpering a little as the liquid stung them even more. He ran to the bathroom, the tears already flowing out of his eyes.
This was supposed to have stopped in middle school. It wasn't supposed to have gotten worse.
But now that he thought about it, whenever he'd asked his dad if it would get better he would always avoid answering.
He slowly washed the frozen liquid off of his face, cringing as he tried to work it out of his hair. God, it was going to ruin his skin. Maybe he would start a nightly skin routine if this became a daily occurrence.
Once it was washed off of his skin and mostly out of his clothing - minus the big purple stain - Kurt sat down on the ground.
And he honestly never felt so alone.
He dropped his head into his knees and continued to cry, clutching his bag beside him, hoping that maybe it could somehow provide him with a source of comfort.
Kurt chuckled wetly to himself. This was pathetic. He was looking to his bag for comfort.
And he never imagined that his school life could get any worse than it had in middle school.
Apparently he was wrong.
Kurt sat there until the next bell rang, and even then he didn't make to get up. He didn't want to go back out there with purple stains all over his clothes. Everyone would know what happened, and then he'd be humiliated as well as slightly terrified.
So he stayed on the bathroom floor, wincing slightly when he heard the door open and hoped that whoever it was wouldn't notice him or would just leave him alone.
But no. Of course it had to be Rachel Berry-Anderson.
"Kurt!" She cried when she saw him, squatting down beside where he was sitting against the wall. "You weren't in our last class. We apparently have English together."
Kurt nodded stiffly, refusing to meet her eyes. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes again, and he wanted to just tell the damn girl because at least she actually cared about him, on some level.
"Anyway, you should probably get going and -" Rachel cut off once she noticed Kurt's stained shirt and his puffy eyes. "What happened?" She sat down beside him and looked at him with concern written all over her face.
"Karofsky," Kurt mustered out, the tears now falling on his cheeks again. "It's apparently called a slushie facial."
Rachel sighed and dug around in her purse for a moment. She pulled out her phone a moment later and pushed a few buttons before holding it to her ear.
"Daddy?" She said into the receiver. "Yes, I'm fine but - Yes, daddy, I said I was fine, but my friend . . ." Rachel told one of her fathers what happened before shutting her phone and turning back to Kurt.
"Come on," Rachel said as she stood up. "We're leaving."
"But - But school's not over," Kurt said as she grabbed his hand.
"We're leaving," Rachel stated again as she picked up his stuff and started dragging him out of the bathroom. "One of my dads will be here in a few minutes."
"We're going to your house?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows raising as the two made her way out of the school.
Rachel nodded and sat down on the bench outside of the school, waiting for her dad to show up. "I can't imagine you want to go home and explain this to your dad if you haven't even come out to him yet," she said. "So you can clean up at my place."
Kurt nodded and sat down next to her, a small smile playing on his lips.
It seemed like this friendship with Rachel Anderson-Berry might actually work out.
A minivan pulled up next to them a few minutes later, the back door opening. "Hop in!" The man called from inside. Rachel smiled and climbed in the front, gesturing for Kurt to get in the back.
"So you're Kurt?" The man asked.
Kurt nodded shyly, his eyes looking at the floor of the car. "Thank you so much, sir," Kurt said.
"If there's anyone that understands, it's me," the man said. "And you can call me Hiram, kid."
Kurt nodded but didn't say anything.
"Daddy," Rachel said a moment later. "I signed up for Glee Club today!"
"Didya, pumpkin?" The man said, grinning at his daughter.
"My audition is Thursday," Rachel went on.
The two continued chatting all the way to Rachel's house, where she abruptly jumped out and opened Kurt's door for him.
"Come on," she said. "You can shower and I can give you some of Blaine's clothes. You two should pretty much be the same size.
"Oh, Rachel," her father called, but Rachel just waved him off and dragged Kurt into the house.
The inside of Rachel's house was fabulous, and that was coming from Kurt.
"Wow," Kurt breathed as he looked around. "This is amazing."
Rachel shrugged and sat him down at the dining room table. "Stay here," she instructed. "I'm going to get you a snack."
Rachel shuffled out of the room, leaving Kurt to take in the surroundings alone.
It was just outstanding.
"That's what happens when you have two gay dads."
Kurt's head whizzed around at the voice, which was definitely not Rachel's.
He turned to see a boy around his are, his hair slicked back and his hazel eyes practically glowing.
Kurt felt his mouth go dry, for reasons that were unknown to him.
The boy came further into the dining room and sat at the table across from Kurt.
"Skipping school with my sister?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at Kurt.
"Umm . . . no," Kurt replied after the initial shock wore off. "I - uh - I -"
"What?" The boy snickered. "Don't want to admit to her brother that you're her new boyfriend or something?"
If Kurt would have been drinking something, he would have spit it at the boy sitting across from him.
"Umm, no," Kurt replied, his eyes wide. "It isn't like that at all, actually."
"Well then what is it?" The boy asked. "I think I have a right to know, considering I live here and all."
Kurt sighed and met the boy's hazel gaze again. "Look," Kurt said slowly. "I had a little incident at school because some jocks don't approve of me."
The cocky expression on the boy's face instantly was wiped off. "What do you mean?"
Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his already messed up hair. "They threw a slushie at me," he whispered. "And in the past they've - they've called me some names."
His eyes widened and he leaned forward a little bit. "Are you…?"
Kurt nodded, the boy not needing to finish his sentence. "I haven't officially come out or anything," he said quietly. "But apparently some people can just tell. Take Rachel for example."
"Wait," Kurt said after a moment. "You're Blaine."
Blaine smiled and nodded. "The one and only."
And, okay. So Rachel's younger brother was attractive. No big deal.
"Okay," Blaine said after a moment. "I know this may sound weird since I'm younger than you, but just hang in there, okay? Don't let the bullying get you down like it got me down."
Kurt nodded but kept his gaze on the black haired boy.
Blaine blushed a moment later, leaving Kurt a little confused. What had made him blush?
"Shouldn't you be at your elite boarding school or whatever?" Kurt asked after a moment.
And Blaine blushed again. "Actually," he said slowly, averting his eyes from Kurt's gaze and taking a sudden interest at the lines in the wooden table. "My old school was only through grade seven. So the next level up is Dalton, which goes has grades 8 through 12. But it doesn't start until next Monday."
Kurt nodded and watched the boy. He wondered what it would be like to go to an elite boarding school with a zero tolerance policy.
"Okay, Kurt, I've got some veggie sticks and some crackers and -" Rachel's voice came from behind him. "Blaine!" She cried. "What are you doing here?"
Blaine grinned at his sister over Kurt's head. "Just keeping your friend some company," he explained as he stood up and stretched his arms out. "I don't start school until next week. I think that's what dad was trying to tell you," Blaine explained. "But I'll be going now, though, so you don't flay me alive."
Kurt chuckled and watched as he left the room.
"Bye Rachel," he called over his shoulder. His eyes met Kurt's for a moment. "Bye, Kurt," he went on. "I'll see you around."
Kurt nodded and gave him a little wave as Rachel set down the snacks in front of him and sat in the seat Blaine was sitting in only moments before.
"You guys could be really good friends, you know," she said as she took a bite of a carrot. "Even if he is a little younger."
Kurt nodded and picked up a cracker.
"But I think he might have a little school boy crush on you," Rachel said after a moment. "I mean, he was practically bright red when I walked in here."
Kurt blushed and looked down at the crackers in his hand.
"Anyway," she continued on after a moment. "You can eat and then I'll set you up for a shower."
Kurt nodded and plucked a cracker in his mouth, thanking Rachel for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
And, as annoying as Rachel Anderson-Berry may be, he could tell that she really meant what she said when she told him they were going to be friends.
Chapter 2
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend.
Kurt Hummel remembers the day he met Rachel Anderson-Berry more vividly than he remembers anything else in his 18 years of living.
The same Kurt Hummel would also deny ever wanting to know the girl before his first day of high school.
And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he didn't know that Rachel had a brother named Blaine.
If asked, Kurt would agree that yes, he would never have guessed that his best friend's little brother, Blaine Anderson-Berry, would eventually become his boyfriend.
Kurt Hummel didn't have a clue what high school would be like. He didn't know if he would ever make any friends. He didn't know what kind of crowd he would fit in.
But one thing he did know was that there were bound to be some people who wouldn't accept him.
So fourteen year old Kurt Hummel shouldered his bag and walked into McKinley High with his head held high. Having come from the more elite class of his middle school, Kurt only recognized a few students here and there, none of them even bothering to give him a small nod.
Well, that was one way to start the year.
And then there were the all-mighty students who had ruled middle school. He recognized Noah Puckerman - the resident bad boy who had picked on Kurt the few times they'd actually been in the same classroom.
And then there were others like Rachel Anderson-Berry, who he talked to all of four times and he already wanted to tape her mouth closed. She apparently had 'a voice to die for.' Or so he'd heard from their previous music teachers.
Kurt glanced down at the sheet of paper gripped tightly in his hand, searching for the right locker that matched the number on the paper.
He glanced around, noting that he must have hit the freshman hallway since most of the students had decreased in size by a good two feet.
The key word in that sentence being 'most.'
He cringed as he saw David Karofsky, jeering with a group of boys similar to his burly size. Kurt ducked his head and tried not to draw attention to himself - thanking his father for suggesting he wear something more down low than his original designer outfit he had on earlier that day.
Luckily, the burly boys didn't seem to notice him, and Kurt continued walking down the hallway in search for his locker.
He eventually found it, smiling as he opened it and started to place his books and the little magnets he bought in it. He peeled his jacket off and gently placed it on the hook, grinning at how organized it looked once it was all put away.
"Hi," a voice said in his ear.
Kurt turned to see none other than Rachel Anderson-Berry standing behind him, her hand held out and a wide grin on her face.
"I'm Rachel," she said quickly, "I know we've met before but I couldn't help but notice that you weren't talking to anyone, and I don't really know anyone either so I thought that maybe talking to you would be a good idea. After all, I have two gay dads so -"
"Wait," Kurt cut the rapidly talking girl off, his eyes widening. "What does us being friends have to with your gay dads?"
"Well, I'm assuming you're -"
Kurt's eyes widened and he clamped his hand over the girl's mouth, shutting his locker and dragging her into the girls' bathroom before she could say anything more. He kept his hand in place as he checked under all of the stalls, only releasing her once he was positive the bathroom was empty.
" - gay," Rachel finished. "And don't be freaked out. I have exceptional gaydar. After all, living with two dads and a gay brother will do that to you."
Kurt's eyes widened again. How did this girl know he was gay when he'd only known for sure that previous summer?
"You can't tell anyone," he whispered, his eyes wide as he gripped the girl's hands. "Please, Rachel. I haven't even come out to my dad yet."
Rachel nodded. "Don't worry," she said seriously. "It took my brother forever to come out to my dads. And they're gay. He shouldn't even have thought of it as a big deal or that they wouldn't understand."
Kurt chuckled, but his mind was whirling. In all of the years he'd vaguely known Rachel Anderson-Berry, he didn't know she had a brother.
"If you're wondering why you've never met him, it's because he started going to private school in sixth grade," Rachel explained. "He - well, he was getting picked on a lot at our old school, so my dads sent him to boarding school so he'd be safe."
Again, not for the first time in the past five minutes, Kurt wondered why Rachel was telling him all this.
"So, basically what I'm trying to say is that I have a soft spot for gays, and since I now know for a fact that you're gay -"
"Wait," Kurt interrupted her once again. He had a feeling it wasn't something that was easily doable, and yet he'd managed to do it several times within their conversation. "You weren't sure about whether or not I was gay?"
"Well, no," Rachel shrugged. "I couldn't be sure unless you told me. After all, my dads have told me about how many of their hags used to think they were straight and -"
"Hags?" Kurt quipped. "What are you talking about?"
"Ohmygod, Kurt," Rachel sighed, exasperated, her hands now gripping Kurt's shoulders. "This is why you're becoming my friend. So that I can teach you about everything there is to know about gays."
She's insane, Kurt thought. Get away while you can.
But . . . it felt nice for someone to know what he'd been keeping inside the whole summer. This girl - as strange as it, as she, was - she understood, at least on some level.
"So," Rachel went on. "You're going to come over on Friday, and you can meet my dads. I don't think my brother'll be home - he's a year behind us so he's still in middle school."
Great, Kurt thought, I've made a friend who has an annoying middle school brother.
"Rachel, slow down," Kurt insisted, having a hard time keeping up with the girl's quick talking. "We're friends now?"
Rachel nodded vigorously. "Of course," she stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "And our friendship starts today."
"Wait," Kurt said again, probably for the hundredth time during their conversation. "Are you only befriending me because I'm -" he lowered his voice, still afraid to say it out loud. "- gay?"
"No!" Rachel replied immediately. "I mean, that definitely has something to do with it, but we would have become friends eventually, I'm sure. Everyone says you have a really good voice, so we would have become competitive friends eventually."
Kurt looked at the girl with his mouth agape. He couldn't believe that this was happening or that this girl was real.
"So," Rachel continued. "I'll see you Friday, mmkay?"
Kurt nodded slowly, watching as the girl got a pleased look on her face before she turned and walked out of the bathroom.
"I don't know what the hell just happened," Kurt said to himself as he turned to fix his bangs in the mirror. "But I'm sure I'll regret it."
He sighed and walked out of the bathroom, wondering what else this day had in store for him.
Unfortunately, the rest of Kurt's day didn't go as well as the beginning had. It was still equal on the strange factor, but it definitely wasn't as pleasant.
If he could even call his little run in with Rachel Anderson-Berry pleasant.
Kurt was walking down the hallway, clutching his books to his chest as he tried to find his next class. He gripped his map tightly in his hand as he studied it, glancing around every now and then to make sure he was going to right way.
However, something on one of the bulletin boards caught his eye.
Glee Club.
There was only one name on the list - which of course was Rachel's.
Kurt looked around once before quickly signing his name. He walked away from the board slowly, as if he hadn't been there at all.
Kurt had always liked to sing. His mother had always used to sing to him, and once he was old enough to sing along she would always tell him that he would grow up to have a beautiful voice.
And he did - he knew he did. But it was just that - well, his voice was a little high for a boy his age. Granted, maybe he just hadn't hit puberty yet, but all the other boys his age were no longer able to sing the soprano parts.
So Kurt was just assuming that he was going to be a countertenor. And he didn't have a problem with that.
But he knew some people would.
Even before Kurt himself knew he was gay, the bullies would throw slurs at him. Heck, they were making fun of him even before he knew what those words meant.
So of course he knew that people wouldn't take his singing voice well. But he knew that, if he were to join Glee Club, the people in there wouldn't make fun of him. Singers appreciated a good voice, no matter what it sounded like or who sang it.
"What did you just sign up for, Hummel?"
Kurt whizzed around, his eyes going wide. He saw David Karofsky and some other burly boy whose name he couldn't place walking up to him.
"Leave me alone, Karofsky," Kurt said, his voice low and stern. "We're out of middle school now. You can act your age."
"Well why don't you sound your age then, huh Hummel?" Karofsky jeered back, knocking fists with the boy beside him. "This is Azimio. We met today."
Kurt gulped at the two boys and slowly started to back up. He considered turning around and running, but he knew that would only make it worse.
He glanced around once, noting that the hallways were now empty. The bell must have rung a while ago, meaning that there would be no witnesses if these boys were to kill him.
But he doubted they could kill him. They weren't that much bigger than him, and Kurt had played soccer for a week during that summer when his dad had sent him to soccer camp.
That definitely wasn't enough to reassure him though. He watched as they approached him, the cup of slushie Karofsky was clutching in his hand suddenly catching his attention.
No. God no. He'd heard about this. This was basically the horror story told to all the middle schoolers who ever got picked on.
The slushie machine from hell, was what it was referred to.
"You ready for this, Hummel?" Karofsky jeered. "You'll be my first slushie facial."
Kurt stopped walking and closed his eye, clenching his fists against his books and bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
And then he felt the cold ice hitting his face, his eyes stinging immediately. He raised his hand up to wipe it away from his eyes, which only made the burning worse. Kurt cringed and felt the liquid sticking to his face, wincing as he tasted the purple corn syrup.
"That's what you get, Hummel," Karofsky jeered, his voice sounding farther away, giving Kurt hope that he and his minion were leaving. "We'll see you around."
Kurt stood there for another moment before opening up his eyes, whimpering a little as the liquid stung them even more. He ran to the bathroom, the tears already flowing out of his eyes.
This was supposed to have stopped in middle school. It wasn't supposed to have gotten worse.
But now that he thought about it, whenever he'd asked his dad if it would get better he would always avoid answering.
He slowly washed the frozen liquid off of his face, cringing as he tried to work it out of his hair. God, it was going to ruin his skin. Maybe he would start a nightly skin routine if this became a daily occurrence.
Once it was washed off of his skin and mostly out of his clothing - minus the big purple stain - Kurt sat down on the ground.
And he honestly never felt so alone.
He dropped his head into his knees and continued to cry, clutching his bag beside him, hoping that maybe it could somehow provide him with a source of comfort.
Kurt chuckled wetly to himself. This was pathetic. He was looking to his bag for comfort.
And he never imagined that his school life could get any worse than it had in middle school.
Apparently he was wrong.
Kurt sat there until the next bell rang, and even then he didn't make to get up. He didn't want to go back out there with purple stains all over his clothes. Everyone would know what happened, and then he'd be humiliated as well as slightly terrified.
So he stayed on the bathroom floor, wincing slightly when he heard the door open and hoped that whoever it was wouldn't notice him or would just leave him alone.
But no. Of course it had to be Rachel Berry-Anderson.
"Kurt!" She cried when she saw him, squatting down beside where he was sitting against the wall. "You weren't in our last class. We apparently have English together."
Kurt nodded stiffly, refusing to meet her eyes. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes again, and he wanted to just tell the damn girl because at least she actually cared about him, on some level.
"Anyway, you should probably get going and -" Rachel cut off once she noticed Kurt's stained shirt and his puffy eyes. "What happened?" She sat down beside him and looked at him with concern written all over her face.
"Karofsky," Kurt mustered out, the tears now falling on his cheeks again. "It's apparently called a slushie facial."
Rachel sighed and dug around in her purse for a moment. She pulled out her phone a moment later and pushed a few buttons before holding it to her ear.
"Daddy?" She said into the receiver. "Yes, I'm fine but - Yes, daddy, I said I was fine, but my friend . . ." Rachel told one of her fathers what happened before shutting her phone and turning back to Kurt.
"Come on," Rachel said as she stood up. "We're leaving."
"But - But school's not over," Kurt said as she grabbed his hand.
"We're leaving," Rachel stated again as she picked up his stuff and started dragging him out of the bathroom. "One of my dads will be here in a few minutes."
"We're going to your house?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows raising as the two made her way out of the school.
Rachel nodded and sat down on the bench outside of the school, waiting for her dad to show up. "I can't imagine you want to go home and explain this to your dad if you haven't even come out to him yet," she said. "So you can clean up at my place."
Kurt nodded and sat down next to her, a small smile playing on his lips.
It seemed like this friendship with Rachel Anderson-Berry might actually work out.
A minivan pulled up next to them a few minutes later, the back door opening. "Hop in!" The man called from inside. Rachel smiled and climbed in the front, gesturing for Kurt to get in the back.
"So you're Kurt?" The man asked.
Kurt nodded shyly, his eyes looking at the floor of the car. "Thank you so much, sir," Kurt said.
"If there's anyone that understands, it's me," the man said. "And you can call me Hiram, kid."
Kurt nodded but didn't say anything.
"Daddy," Rachel said a moment later. "I signed up for Glee Club today!"
"Didya, pumpkin?" The man said, grinning at his daughter.
"My audition is Thursday," Rachel went on.
The two continued chatting all the way to Rachel's house, where she abruptly jumped out and opened Kurt's door for him.
"Come on," she said. "You can shower and I can give you some of Blaine's clothes. You two should pretty much be the same size.
"Oh, Rachel," her father called, but Rachel just waved him off and dragged Kurt into the house.
The inside of Rachel's house was fabulous, and that was coming from Kurt.
"Wow," Kurt breathed as he looked around. "This is amazing."
Rachel shrugged and sat him down at the dining room table. "Stay here," she instructed. "I'm going to get you a snack."
Rachel shuffled out of the room, leaving Kurt to take in the surroundings alone.
It was just outstanding.
"That's what happens when you have two gay dads."
Kurt's head whizzed around at the voice, which was definitely not Rachel's.
He turned to see a boy around his are, his hair slicked back and his hazel eyes practically glowing.
Kurt felt his mouth go dry, for reasons that were unknown to him.
The boy came further into the dining room and sat at the table across from Kurt.
"Skipping school with my sister?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at Kurt.
"Umm . . . no," Kurt replied after the initial shock wore off. "I - uh - I -"
"What?" The boy snickered. "Don't want to admit to her brother that you're her new boyfriend or something?"
If Kurt would have been drinking something, he would have spit it at the boy sitting across from him.
"Umm, no," Kurt replied, his eyes wide. "It isn't like that at all, actually."
"Well then what is it?" The boy asked. "I think I have a right to know, considering I live here and all."
Kurt sighed and met the boy's hazel gaze again. "Look," Kurt said slowly. "I had a little incident at school because some jocks don't approve of me."
The cocky expression on the boy's face instantly was wiped off. "What do you mean?"
Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his already messed up hair. "They threw a slushie at me," he whispered. "And in the past they've - they've called me some names."
His eyes widened and he leaned forward a little bit. "Are you…?"
Kurt nodded, the boy not needing to finish his sentence. "I haven't officially come out or anything," he said quietly. "But apparently some people can just tell. Take Rachel for example."
"Wait," Kurt said after a moment. "You're Blaine."
Blaine smiled and nodded. "The one and only."
And, okay. So Rachel's younger brother was attractive. No big deal.
"Okay," Blaine said after a moment. "I know this may sound weird since I'm younger than you, but just hang in there, okay? Don't let the bullying get you down like it got me down."
Kurt nodded but kept his gaze on the black haired boy.
Blaine blushed a moment later, leaving Kurt a little confused. What had made him blush?
"Shouldn't you be at your elite boarding school or whatever?" Kurt asked after a moment.
And Blaine blushed again. "Actually," he said slowly, averting his eyes from Kurt's gaze and taking a sudden interest at the lines in the wooden table. "My old school was only through grade seven. So the next level up is Dalton, which goes has grades 8 through 12. But it doesn't start until next Monday."
Kurt nodded and watched the boy. He wondered what it would be like to go to an elite boarding school with a zero tolerance policy.
"Okay, Kurt, I've got some veggie sticks and some crackers and -" Rachel's voice came from behind him. "Blaine!" She cried. "What are you doing here?"
Blaine grinned at his sister over Kurt's head. "Just keeping your friend some company," he explained as he stood up and stretched his arms out. "I don't start school until next week. I think that's what dad was trying to tell you," Blaine explained. "But I'll be going now, though, so you don't flay me alive."
Kurt chuckled and watched as he left the room.
"Bye Rachel," he called over his shoulder. His eyes met Kurt's for a moment. "Bye, Kurt," he went on. "I'll see you around."
Kurt nodded and gave him a little wave as Rachel set down the snacks in front of him and sat in the seat Blaine was sitting in only moments before.
"You guys could be really good friends, you know," she said as she took a bite of a carrot. "Even if he is a little younger."
Kurt nodded and picked up a cracker.
"But I think he might have a little school boy crush on you," Rachel said after a moment. "I mean, he was practically bright red when I walked in here."
Kurt blushed and looked down at the crackers in his hand.
"Anyway," she continued on after a moment. "You can eat and then I'll set you up for a shower."
Kurt nodded and plucked a cracker in his mouth, thanking Rachel for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
And, as annoying as Rachel Anderson-Berry may be, he could tell that she really meant what she said when she told him they were going to be friends.
Chapter 2