love like fools ➙ glee

forty ; jessie's girl.

"Alicia Hastings, are you out of your damn mind?"

She flinched. Kurt's disapproval immediately melted away her fantasies of sunshines, daisies, and the taste of Jesse St. James's lips. The last option had been burning away in her mind for the past twenty-four hours as she tried to emotionally recover from their first kiss in the school's auditorium. If she focused hard enough, she could still experience the tingling sensation of his hands on her hips, or the warm pressure of his mouth molded against her, or how his soft curls tangled effortlessly between her trembling fingers, or . . . .

All right, it was possible that Alicia was a little whipped. Just a bit.

Or a lot.

Maybe a lot.

But now Kurt was glowering at her with so much judgment that she felt like the Gap employee Blaine had tried to woo during Valentine's Day. Alicia fidgeted uncomfortably, feigning interest in the baristas darting throughout the Lima Bean. Her iced vanilla latte remained untouched. "Kurt. My dearest, loveliest friend. Why do you ask that?"

"Jesse. St. Sucks."

"That isn't his last name."

"It might as well be."

Alicia sighed. "I thought you'd be more supportive. I know you aren't exactly fond of Jesse, but even Finn is coming around. Or at least, he's been making an effort."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. The last three months he'd spent away at Dalton Academy, Alicia had nearly forgotten how easily he saw right through everyone. But perhaps especially Alicia. 

The pair had been so close for so long that occasionally Kurt felt like an extension of herself; the exact definition of a platonic soul mate. His disdain stung worse than her own mother's, such as that awful period when they were arguing over Finn last year, and she didn't know if she could endure that again.

"I'm sure he has," Kurt said carefully. "We all know that no one is more understanding over Jesse St. James than one Finn Hudson. Except . . . not really. As I am his live-in therapist, I am quite often forced to listen to his increasingly nonsensical ramblings over his disdain for Jesse, which have only grown bitterer in time." 

Something like dread coiled tight in Alicia's stomach. "Well, maybe I've spoken to him more recently than you have. He told me that he was happy for me and that he was going to try to be more supportive." 

Kurt arched a brow, taking a long sip from his nonfat caramel latte as he stared at Alicia. She still felt thoroughly judged by him, and it made her want to shed her skin like a snake. "Did he?" 

For the sake of her mental health, Alicia chose to ignore that. She cleared her throat, fingers absently tapping against the plastic cup of her vanilla iced coffee. Her usual. "So how are things going between you and Blaine? I predict many sappy yet endearing duets in the future."

Kurt beamed. It was impressive, how quickly his face lit up whenever someone mentioned Blaine Anderson. Despite his resentment towards all of the solos that Blaine received so effortlessly back at Dalton, mentioning Blaine was still one of the only things that would brighten Kurt's expression. She used to be the same way. About Finn. "Your prediction is surely correct. As much as I love being back at McKinley without the paralyzing terror of being murdered, I have to admit that I do miss going to the same school as Blaine."

Alicia nodded. She could understand that. After all, one of the main reasons she had refused to transfer to Carmel High last year was because she wanted to go to the same school as her best friends. "Maybe you could convince Blaine to transfer next year."

Kurt's lips curved into a small smirk. "Already in the works, my dear."

Of course Kurt would plan months and months ahead. Alicia laughed softly, taking a sip of her iced latte. "I'm happy things finally worked out for you, Kurt. You deserve to be happy. I know it was difficult last year with Finn, and then again earlier this year, with Sam."