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Kindergarten: Jingle Bells:

Blaine hates the stupid Christmas Program. He hates singing and smiling and being in front of everyone's parents and being under the hot stage lights and wearing those stupid black dress shoes. He is in kindergarten. He can't handle that kind of pressure yet.

He sighs to himself from his spot on the risers in the auditorium because he knows he's nothing but a liar. He actually hates these recitals because they always arrange the students by height and Blaine is so ... short. So short. He hates being next to all of the girls and the kid in the wheelchair. He likes those people -- he just wants to be a little bit taller. Is that too much to ask? He considers sending that request in his letter to Santa but ultimately decides against it because man, he really could use some more Legos. He has resigned himself to a lifetime of shortness. He will be short forever.

He watches some of his classmates run around the stage until their teacher calls them to order. She physically moves them to their assigned spots and Blaine is unamused to find himself front and center yet again in between Rachel and Quinn. All the boys get to be in the back row but no, Blaine gets to be one of the kids that stands on the stage in front of the risers. In front. He doesn't even get to stand on the risers. Life is so unfair.

Plus, ugh, they're stuck singing Jingle Bells and all the second graders get to sing Rudolph. Even more unfair.

He's dwelling on his misfortune when he hears the other class make their way into the auditorium, watching the kids from Class A warily. Blaine doesn't hang out with the kids in Class B much. They see each other during lunch and recess, sure, but typically they all hang with their own. He's surprised, then, when his teacher moves one of the boys from Class B in between Blaine and Rachel. Blaine looks over curiously because he's pretty sure that this is the boy that lives right across the street.

The boy is staring back.

"I'm Blaine," he says brightly. He holds his hand out because that's what he sees his dad do to all of the old guys he hangs out with.

The boy stares at him and cocks his head.

"This is neat," Blaine continues, undeterred, as he moves to touch the boy's sweater. It looks furry and soft.

The boy shifts his arm away. "This has to be dry cleaned."

Blaine blinks. "I ... don't know what that means."

The boy ducks his head and smiles before looking back up to meet his eyes. "It means you have to be careful."

"I'll be careful," Blaine says very seriously, eyes wide. "I promise to be careful with you."

The boy smiles.

Blaine decides to try again. "I'm Blaine," he says.

The boy turns to face him. "Kurt," he says back.

Blaine grins. "You're short like me."

"Yes," he replies, raising one eyebrow.

They watch each other for a few moments until the teacher from Class A yells at them for being loud.

"Want to be my friend?" Blaine whispers, trying not to get yelled at.

Kurt ducks his head again and Blaine can't see his face. "Yes," he answers. "I do."

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It's the last day of school before Christmas break and Blaine slowly makes his way back from recess, not bothering to try to hide his sadness. Kurt never even showed up. It's the last day they'll get to see each other and Kurt never even showed up. He brightens immediately, though, when he gets back to his desk. Sitting there, right on top of his spelling worksheet, is a piece of construction paper with a glitter tree. He sits at his desk and stares at it, a tree drawn with straight lines and a piece of brown construction paper glued to the bottom as the tree trunk. It's got glitter ornaments and a shiny gold star sticker sitting on top. It's lovely and Blaine can't stop smiling until he remembers the paper he gave Mike to put on Kurt's desk. He's immediately ashamed because his was drawn with some crappy crayons and definitely lacking the strategically placed glitter.

He accepts the fact that Kurt is a better gift giver and hides his drawing in his desk until it's time to leave, lest the elements or Sam's dirty post-kickball hands destroy Kurt's perfect tree.

Blaine's mom helps him hang it in his room when he gets home and it stays there until January when she takes down their tree in the living room. He watches her closely as she carefully removes it from the wall and gently places it in the box with all of the Christmas ornaments. She smiles and tells him she'll hang it again next Christmas.

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