YEARS {Glee/Klaine} ✓

Chapter Thirty Three

Kurt

A week later, I found myself pacing the apartment, holding my phone a significant number of inches away from my ear as my professor rattled off yet another list of reasons why my actions were "wrong and irresponsible".

Once the call had ended, and I had responded with what felt like dozens of apologies that I wasn't overly sincere for, I hung up and headed for the door.

"You're leaving?" Rachel's voice suddenly interrupted. I looked over to see her reading a magazine on the sofa. "What did your professor say?"

I let out a sigh and shrugged, hands in my pockets. "Nothing I didn't already have coming. But what's the point now? The show is over, and they gave my part to the understudy full time. I'm sure it was the opportunity of a lifetime for him."

"I still can't believe you ditched opening night moments before curtain..." Rachel mumbled behind the pages. "It was very..."

"Stupid?" I finished for her. "No kidding."

"I was going to say romantic," she replied, tossing the magazine on the coffee table and sitting up. "But what's romance without a little stupidity, anyway?"

I ran my fingers through my hair for a moment, thinking. "I just wish I knew where I belonged, you know?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.

"Going back to Lima, even after I said I wouldn't... it just felt so real. As if nothing but the truth was given to you there. Here, everything is dressed up in lights, always getting you to feel like problems are much smaller in a bigger city, like it's your imagination. In Ohio my life would've been over if my professor had fired me from my first big role... but now I'm here, it's over, and we even just finished our first year of college, well, semester, at NYADA. And I feel nothing."

Rachel stood up slowly, coming over to join my side. "It really has been one crazy year in New York City..."

"Do you wish you could go back?" I blurted suddenly.

She thought for a second before answering. "Sometimes. But you're right-- when I'm here, I feel like I'm living on a cloud, being a star, and even Finn is only a phone call away. Then it's only a moment in Lima before you realize that not everything is what you make it out to be."

"I have to get out," I sighed.

"So you are leaving," she commented. "How far will you go?"

"Not as far as Ohio," I answered, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "I'm not sure. Maybe just to one of the parks, or a cafe downtown or something. Somewhere I can ground myself."

"Oh honey," she replied, "you know it's impossible to ground yourself in the concrete jungle."

"Would you like to come?"

"That's okay," Rachel replied. "Santana should be getting off work soon. Are you going to be alright on your own?"

"I'd say I'm okay on my own."

* * *

It's pretty crazy how fast a year flies by, I thought as I sat on a park bench, watching pigeons hobble around the same park that I had been pleasantly surprised in only weeks ago.

This time last year, I was almost graduated from high school. I had a national championship win under my belt, and a perfect daydream of what my life would be like in as a star. Later on I had failed to impress NYADA, only to be accepted second semester to begin my life as a student in the city.

I'd say things could be a lot worse. But nothing seemed to compare to the turning point of opening the letter, addressed by Mr. Schuester, inviting me to come back to where it all began and launching what would become an almost completely new chapter in itself.