YEARS {Glee/Klaine} ✓

Chapter Thirty Two

"I wish I could," I groaned, "but some days everything just feels impossible."

"Well, not this weekend. From here on out, everything and anything is possible, starting with your opening night!" she told me.

I took a deep breath. "You're right. The sooner I can release my stress, I can focus on the good. Thank you for being here when I needed you most, even if I didn't realize it."

"It's so great to have you here, Mercedes," Rachel chimed in, standing up and allowing us all to move into the living room. "I know Santana is going to love it as soon as she gets home from work. It's going to be like high school, all of us together again!"

Skillfully choosing to overlook Rachel's chipper comments, Mercedes took a seat on the couch next to me and began. "So, I heard you and Blaine were on the outs. Somehow you neglected to say much in your e-mails..."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I just want it all to be over. I want him out of my head, but we... started talking again."

Her eyes widened. "And?"

"He asked me to prom..." I leaned back, squeezing my eyes shut while waiting for the reaction.

"Oh my god!" Rachel exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so?!"

"What happened? What did you say?" Mercedes questioned.

"I mean, I turned him down..." I told them. "I had to."

Rachel and Mercedes passed a glance, doing nothing to put me at ease.

"I told him I couldn't go back there. And I can't," I said. "Lima is in the past now. I'm never going to move past this if everything he asks is just a match lit underneath us. I'm done for good now."

"You're serious about this?" Mercedes asked.

"It's not like I could go anyway. Prom is tomorrow night. I have the opening night to give my sanity to," I replied.

"Kurt, I can tell you and Blaine are struggling," said Mercedes, "and I know there's no getting out of your show. But from what I've heard lately, both of you are a mess without the other."

"All he wants to do is see you again," Rachel tried comforting me with a sympathetic shrug. "He wants someone like you to take his mind off the damage."

"And I think you might want to see him too..." added Mercedes.

I thought for a moment before answering. "I can't. I'm not going back to Lima, at least for a very long time. My life is here."

* * *

I felt like I was being choked.

It became harder and harder to breath, and it was dark. I struggled to break free from whatever was strangling me, feeling weaker as I realized I was falling.

"GAHHHHH!"

Suddenly there was a force that shook me back to my senses.

"Kurt!" I heard. "Hey!"

I blinked, peeling my eyes open to see no one other than Mercedes sitting at the end of my bed.

"W-what?" I groaned.

"What do you mean what? You were practically doing flips in your sleep," she said. "And when you nearly screamed, I knew something was up."

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and propping myself up on my elbow.

"I think it's almost three," Mercedes replied, "and because of the whole curtain divider thing you guys have going on, I can hear everything from the couch. Now what's going on?"