Love and Fame: A Klaine Story

Chapter Thirty Six

When I wake up that morning, I realize I forgot to turn off my alarm. It blares at the usual five thirty am and I'm already halfway to the shower by the time I remember I don't have to be up anymore. I can't help but chuckle to myself as I fall back in bed.

This is it. Today I official graduate high school.

If you had asked me how I felt about this day even one year ago, I probably would have said something along the lines of not soon enough. Looking back on them, the four years I spent in high school changed me the most I'll probably ever change in that short span of life. Freshman year I had walked the hallowed halls of McKinley terrified of the world, terrified of myself, terrified of who I was. I wasn't honest about who I was that first year of high school, constantly denying it to even myself.

And then sophomore year I grudging accepted myself, going through the darkest period of my life that I hope will never happen to me again. I still hid who I was for the better part of that year, however despite the terrible beginnings, that year marked the beginning of the craziest roller coaster I've ever ridden called glee club.

Junior year wasn't much better, and in some aspects it was worse. But I was honest about who I was to everybody in my life, not just myself. I held my head up high despite everybody knocking me down, refusing to change to fit their view of how the world worked.

Finally, senior year. This past year has been absolutely crazy, in all the ways I never expected. I was finally proud of myself, accepting things I never thought I'd ever really accept about until much later in life. I learned to love myself above all else, and a large part of that reason was because of Blaine. Crazy, stupid, amazing Blaine, who taught me things about myself I never knew before him.

I wake up for the second time with the sun shining through my windows, the clock on my nightstand reading nine. I sit there in bed for another hour, playing stupid games on my phone just because I can. Because I don't have to be at Rachel's until noon in order to pick her up. I don't have to go to school, because today is the day I finally graduate.
God, it sounds weird still. And the twinge of fear that hits every time I think about the future and the unknown is still there.

"Kurt, breakfast is ready!" I hear my dad yell through the door, and I grin. I quickly get up and head down, unable to stop smiling as I walk into the kitchen, where Finn is already sitting at the table scarfing down Carole's pancakes.

"Someone's happy this morning," Carole remarks, giving me a knowing glance as she sets out several pancakes on a plate already full of them. I laugh, grabbing my own plate from the cupboard.

"Well of course. We are graduating high school today," I say, shooting Finn a quick glance to see if he was as happy as me, but he just continues to shove pancakes into his mouth seemingly faster than he's chewing them.

"Don't remind me. I already think I'm going to cry," Carole states, and I quickly laugh, grabbing several pancakes and sitting down opposite of Finn.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Carole," I tell her. Finn finally looks up to glance at his mother, mouth still filled to the brim with pancakes. He says something that sounds almost like a thank you, which just causes me to look at him in disguised disgust.

We quickly get through breakfast, and I'm before I know it, Finn and I are heading to Rachel's, our polyester gowns in their garment bags in the back of my navigator.

We quickly get to Rachel's house, parking in the driveway since we are just going to be picking her up. I knock on her door, and she quickly answers.

"Hey, guys! Come in, everybody's down in the basement," she says, leading the way down to her too familiar basement. I turn to look at Finn, mirroring his confused look. I thought we would just be picking her up and heading to the pre-graduation alphabetical line up together. Nevertheless, we follow her downstairs to find the entire glee club hanging around together.