Haunted

Chapter 12

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." - Maria Robinson

I opened the door to see Kurt’s smiling face drop once he looked me over, “You even have black pyjamas? Really, Ryley?”

I looked down at myself, “There’s purple in there too,” I answered, before moving out of the way to let him into the apartment.

He smiled again and walked in, “Hey, Mr. Schue,” he said, spotting Uncle Will sitting at the dining room table marking assignments.

He looked up and smiled, “Hey, Kurt! How’s Dalton?” he asked.

Kurt nodded, “It’s no McKinley,”

He smiled solemnly, “We miss you, and there’s always an open spot with New Directions.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Mr. Schue.”

Uncle Will went back to marking his assignments, and I led Kurt to my newly painted room. Which had boxes everywhere.

“We got the boxes out of the storage unit after getting the paint last night. We were up till like, two in the morning finishing painting, and moving the boxes in here. I thought you’d wanna help figuring everything out,” I said, taking a seat on my desk chair.

He walked around the perimeter of my room nodding, he stopped and looked over the contents of the boxes then back to the walls, he came and stood beside me, “I have a plan,” he announced.

I smirked, “Shocking,” I mumbled as he went to one of the boxes and started taking things out.

He took out my lamps and placed them on my desk, I grabbed a few photo albums, “Finn told me you guys are going on an official date tonight,” Kurt observed, taking out my jewellery box.

“That would be true,” I said, taking a couple knick knacks out of newspaper and putting them on my bookshelf.

“What are you gonna wear?” he asked, curiously, opening the lid of my jewellery box and peering inside.

I smiled, “Um, I’m not too sure yet.”

He closed the lid of the jewellery box and walked, without another word, to my closet and opened the door. He was moving clothes, trying to find something. He pulled a hanger off the rod and held it out to me, “This one,” he said, handing the hanger with a purple dress hanging there, over to me, and walked back to the boxes without another word.

I laughed, still holding the dress, “Just like that, huh?” I asked, laying the dress on my bed.

‘Do you disagree with it?” he asked, I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I shrugged lightly, “I don’t, actually. I was just surprised you picked it that quickly.”

He laughed, “Please. I have the eye. I just know.”

I smiled and went back to my knick knacks; it was probably five minutes before Kurt spoke again, “I’m surprised.”

I looked over at him, “About?”

“You. I mean, you finally painted your room, you’re unpacking your boxes, and you didn’t fight me about a purple dress. I’m just pleasantly surprised,” he said, nonchalantly.

I smirked, and put one of my snow globes on my shelf, “It’s like I told Uncle Will, it just felt right to me, to do all this. I think it was just time.”

He smiled at me, “Well I’m happy. And hopefully, everything goes well tonight.”

I smiled back, “Me too.”

--

Kurt left the apartment after doing my hair and makeup, as per his request. I sat on the edge of my bed, toying with the hem of my dress, waiting for Finn’s text. Finally my phone buzzed just before eight. I left my room and saw Uncle Will sitting on the couch watching television in the living room.

“I’m going now, Uncle Will,” I said to Uncle Will.

He looked up at me and smiled, “Alright, have fun and be careful.”

I smiled back, “I will, see you later.”

I took the stirs down so I wouldn’t make him wait in his truck. When I got outside I saw Finn standing beside the passenger side door, he saw me and smiled. I smiled back.

“Hey,” I said when I was closer to him.

“Hey, you look great,” he said, opening the door for me.

“Thank-you. You look pretty nice yourself,” I said noticing his dark jeans and button up top. I got into the truck and he closed the door gently.

“So, breadsticks?” I asked, casually, fully expecting that’s where we would be going seeing as how it was pretty much his favourite place to eat out.

He laughed, “No, I thought we could go somewhere fancier.”

I looked at him curiously, “Not breadsticks, really?”

He smiled, “Well, I was planning on going there, but I told Kurt and he wasn’t impressed. He said he got you all fancy, and that Breadsticks wouldn’t cut it.”

I laughed freely, “That sounds like him. Where are we going anyways?”

“Um, a Bistro that Kurt told me to take you to, and also printed out directions for me,” he answered sheepishly.

Again, I laughed, “That definitely sounds like him.”

We talked aimlessly until finally pulling up to the place. We went inside and the host took us to our table. It was really pretty inside, an old rustic vibe to it.

“This is really nice,” I commented to Finn.

He was looking around the restaurant, “Yeah, it might be a better than Breadsticks.”

I raised my eyebrows at him, “Coming from you? Impressive.”

He laughed, when our waitress came to take our drink order, followed a couple minutes later to take our food order.

He smiled at me, “So how’s everything going?”

I shrugged, but smiled, “I mean, I’ve painted, and Kurt came over and helped me decorate. Everything is going pretty well, I think.”

He continued smiling and nodded at me, “That’s great, Ry.”

I sipped my Iced Tea, “How’s everything with you?” I asked putting my glass down.

It was his turn to shrug, “Rachel’s kind of...all over me again. I’ve been telling her that it isn’t going to work anymore, she just keeps asking.”

“She must really like you,” I said off handily.

He chuckled, “Since the first day we met.”

I shrugged, “She probably can’t help it.”

He smiled, and our food came just then.

Finn was such a sweet guy, super nice and...just all around a great guy. He listened, and was funny, and talented. Even though we weren’t ‘dating,’ he treated me really well since day one.

“Ready?” Finn asked, after paying for the meal.

I smiled, “Yeah.”

We went back out to his truck where he, again, opened and closed my door for me.

We talked aimlessly about things; I told him stories about coming up to Lima for a week in the summer with Blake to see Uncle Will and Aunt Terri. Aunt Terri always seemed to come and go during that week, to her sister Kendra’s house. Not that Blake and I minded that is.

Finn told me about stories about his mom raising him as a single parent and then finally settling down with Burt and having a new brother in Kurt.

He pulled the car over and got out, I followed suit. We were at some sort of lake; a few people were walking around on the path. Finn waited for me at the front of the truck and we started walking toward the little bridge that linked two piers together.

“I’ve never been here,” I said, taking in the scenery. Some of the light on the pier came from tall lamps placed along the trail. Most of the light, though, came from the moon, which was full and bright.

“No? I’ve been here at least a hundred times,” he said, then stopped in the middle of the bridge. He put his arms across the rail and just stared out with a faint smile, “it’s just calm here, you know? So much crap can happen at that school, especially in the Glee club. And it’s just nice to not deal with it sometimes, just go somewhere where it’s calm, and just...relax.”

I positioned myself the same way as Finn, arms on the rail and staring out, I saw nothing but really couldn’t look away, “I’ve been at the school just over a month and I can totally understand that.”

He laughed, “Yeah...yeah, I guess it’s not hard to see it. But, I don’t know. Since you’ve come here I haven’t had to come here to be calm and relaxed. It’s gonna sound stupid but you relax me, just your presence. Some of the other girls are more...out there and sometimes put me on edge, but you’re the total opposite.”

I smiled and looked at him, only to see him looking back at me, “Well thank-you,” was all I could muster.

He turned so that his side was against the rail, so he was facing me, “No problem,” he smiled.

And he leaned into me, and I turned to face him and our lips met. And this time...this kiss wasn’t rushed or fuelled by me being drunk and not thinking totally clear. This kiss was different, it felt like he put everything into that kiss, it was the forget your own name, fireworks in the sky kinda kiss. Something that you only see in those cheesy movies that I had a guilty pleasure for.

We broke apart, and we both smiled, “I feel like that should have been the first kiss,” he said quietly.

I laughed gently, "It should have been.”

“Not that I’m complaining,” he said, laughing lightly too. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, mine went around his waist.

And deep down somewhere in me, I knew that this is what I needed. He was what I needed.

And I knew that this was where I was supposed to be.