Sideways

Chapter 3

It wasn't until Friday night that Blaine decided it was time to call Kurt and arrange a meeting. He had finished the book after he had gone home from the library on Wednesday evening, but he didn't want Kurt to think he had gone straight home and done exactly as he had instructed. So, he waited it out and after dinner, he excused himself from the table. His mother waved a hand, not even looking in his direction. His father had already disappeared out of the room to make a call in his office. The dinner plates would be in exactly the same place in the morning.

Blaine closed his bedroom door and collapsed onto the bed, making a mental note to go back downstairs later and load the plates into the dishwasher. He dialled Kurt's number, then pressed his phone to his ear, the dial tone starting up and waited for a long time, listening to the even rings the phone was making. Blaine had almost hung up, deciding Kurt was either busy, or simply didn't want to talk to him. He guessed he couldn't blame him, really. Blaine and the guys had bullied him every day this week. Not a day had passed that he didn't get a cup or two of slushie emptied over his perfectly coiffed head. Blaine had even locked him in the janitor's closet on Thursday morning. Apparently, he'd been left there until lunch time.

"Hello?" Kurt said, finally answering his phone. Blaine took comfort in the sound of his voice. He didn't know why, didn't even want to know why, because it freaked him out. He didn't want to think about it.

"I finished the book."

"Blaine," Kurt said and his voice gave away no emotion. Blaine couldn't tell if he was happy to hear from him or not. He reminded himself that he didn't care either way, then went on talking.

"Yeah," he said. "So, can we meet up tomorrow, or something?"

"Tomorrow," Kurt said, thoughtfully.

Blaine wondered what else Kurt might have planned for tomorrow. Maybe he was visiting a relative. Or getting some super early Christmas shopping done. Or seeing his boyfriend.

Blaine felt the empty feeling returning to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't experienced it since he had gotten home from school that day and he'd thought it was finally gone, but apparently not. He was going to have to see a doctor soon, fearful that he might be developing an ulcer, because there was no other explanation.

"Yeah, tomorrow's fine," Kurt said finally on the other end. "Where?"

Blaine felt a little flustered. He was feeling like that a lot lately. Earlier that day, Quinn had been telling him some 'super important gossip' and he'd blanked on her completely. She was, needless to say, less than amused.

"Uh, wherever," he replied, weakly.

"Wherever," Kurt repeated. "We could do it on a bridge? Or maybe we could just sit ourselves on the side of some empty road? Oh, I know! On our way in here, I saw a park with this cute, little sandbox in the centre. Do you think if we asked nicely, the kids would let us borrow it for, like, an hour or so?"

"Yes, God, Hummel, you're hilarious," Blaine rolled his eyes.

"I am hilarious, actually, but that time I was just being smart, something you obviously wouldn't know anything about," Kurt said, in that snooty tone. "You did say wherever, though, so I assumed the location was open for any suggestions and I like to be creative."

Blaine simply groaned because Kurt was a frustrating son of a bitch sometimes. He wondered why he had ever felt that tiny twinge of pity for him that first day of school.

"Library, then," Kurt stated.

"No."

"No?"

"No," Blaine said, again, feeling himself flushing. Luckily, no one could see him at that moment.