Chrysanthemums

Chapter 3

At glee club the next day, they were shocked to see that Kurt Hummel was there again.

"Mr. Schue, how do you know him?" a girl in a Cheerio uniform demanded.

William laughed. "Guys, this is Kurt, one of my former students. Kurt, this is the new generation of the New Directions. He's going to help out with this week's lesson."

He moved back to the board, writing Duets on it. "We are having a duet competition. Winners get a free dinner at Breadstix."

There was a cheer at that. A girl raised her hand, not waiting to be called on before speaking. "Mr. Schue, we've never done a duet competition before. Do we pick our partners, is there a theme, is–"

"I'm getting to that," William interrupted.

Kurt chuckled under his breath, the girl reminding him of a young Rachel.

William explained everything. The theme was guilty pleasure songs.

"Mr. Schue," it was mini-Rachel again, "I know Blaine usually does the examples, but could Mr. Hummel sing something? He was in glee club, certainly he can sing?"

"It's a duet competition," William said, looking over at the men. "An example that isn't a duet is rather pointless."

Kurt put his hands up in surrender. "We do not have anything prepared. Besides, we don't know about a similar guilty pleasure we share."

"Remember at Sectionals, when our entire set list was stolen?" William said. "I think you two can handle a duet. Besides, love songs and Katy Perry. Easy. A love song by Katy Perry."

Kurt's mind went back to his encounter with the little girl in the park. "Teenage dream?"

"Yes," Blaine immediately said. "That's my favorite song. Ever."

Kurt chuckled.

"Mr. Schue?" a voice piped up, sounding confused. "Two boys can't sing a love song together."

Why wasn't Kurt surprised to see that it was Max Karofsky? He had hardly opened his mouth when several voices piped up at the same time.

"What's stopping them?"

"Why not, Max?"

"Closeted homophobe right here."

"Um, excuse you?"

"Screw you, Max."

"Okay– Just no."

"What was that?"

"Say that again to my face."

"Excuse me? What the hell?"

Kurt closed his mouth again. It was probably the strangest occurrence of his life.

He was used to being the only one who stood up against homophobia. The one voice, speaking up against it.

Now there was a chorus of voices, and he didn't even need to be in it.

"Well, Max, they are, and if you have a problem with that, I advise you leave," William said.

Looking bewildered, Max shook his head, quieting.

William pulled two stools up to the front of the classroom, the band starting the song.

There was a reason love songs were Kurt's guilty pleasure. Because he loved them.

But he couldn't help but feel guilty about them. Guilty about loving, guilty about loving boys. He didn't want to be, but it had been drilled into mind.

You think I'm pretty
Without any make-up on

It took Blaine singing the first lines for Kurt to gather his courage to join in. There was a reason he never did this, at least not in front of people.

You think I'm funny
When I tell the punch line wrong

Kurt had sung the lyrics before he realized Blaine hadn't, confused as to why he hadn't sung. He shot him a look, and they both started to sing at the same time.

I know you get me
So I'll let my walls come down
Down