Fic: Mad World, Chapter 2
Mad World, Chapter 2
By: Mytay
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Hints of pre-Klaine, Kurt, Burt, the whole Glee club, Blaine, and others.
Warnings: Some swearing, homophobic language, and in later chapters, violence (more specific warnings when those parts are posted).
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, anything Glee related. Nor do I own the song whose title and bits of its lyrics I am borrowing for the title of this fic and its chapters (Mad World, originally sung by Tears for Fears, though I prefer the Gary Jules version).
Summary: Here we have teacher realizing he may have been mistaken in his actions (or inaction) towards his student.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter 2: Worn Out Places (Previous: Chapter 1 )
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Will Schuester knew that he wasn't doing everything he could for Kurt Hummel and what happened with Shannon Bieste only made it even more apparent. He walked away from that feeling both elated and heartbroken, because she truly was an amazing woman and deserved more than what he had given her.
At the end of it all he saw Kurt, standing out from everyone else in his bright yellow sweater, sitting on the floor after what had to have been yet another locker slamming, and he instantly felt nausea creep up and overwhelm him.
Kurt was haughty and disdainful at times. He could be a bigger diva than Rachel (or well, 'as big as' would probably be more accurate) and confrontational besides; he never hesitated to speak his mind, and rarely tempered his words when expressing his frustration or anger. While all of that could at times rub Will the wrong way, right then, sitting on the floor with his knees pressed to his chest, Kurt looked resigned and so world-weary it was almost bizarre to see such an old expression on such a youthful face. He looked lost too - confused in a way that was really inconsistent with everything Will knew about his student.
He watched as Kurt gathered himself and his things together, making his way slowly down the hall, heading out to the parking lot.
Will wanted to reach out and help him, but he honestly didn't know how, beyond some of the limited action he'd already been taking, without his Glee kids' knowledge.
Kurt had accused him of letting things slide, and Will admitted to himself that this was true. However, being around his Glee club had been teaching him some pretty huge lessons - and not all of them were of the uplifting sort.
When he first realized that Kurt's problems were more specific than the general 'Get the Gleeks' abuse that his other students were suffering under, he'd gone to Figgins.
"You do realize how potentially serious the situation is with Kurt Hummel, right?" Will had pointed out after a long conversation about the types of lawsuits that would ensue if the principal didn't impose stricter punishments on those who thought stealing Artie's wheelchair would be 'funny'.
"Situation?" Figgins had asked distractedly, clearing assuming that their meeting was over.
"Yes, situation - his bullies . . . I think their slurs are dangerous, and my kids only just stopped them from seriously hurting him a few days ago." Will felt a smile twitch at his lips as he recalled the truly impressive sight of the Glee club in all their Gaga and KISS glory scaring those jocks away from one of their own.
"Now, William, don't exaggerate -"
"I am not exaggerating!" Will exclaimed, frustrated as he often was when in this man's office. "Finn Hudson told me they were going to beat Kurt up - we're talking about assault."
"But it didn't happen, Will - and you haven't provided me with proof that it will." Figgins shuffled around a few papers, peering at Will over the top of them. "Kurt Hummel has never filed any complaints with us, or gone to any member of the staff for help or advice. I can't take any action based on something that you didn't actually see, and more than that, didn't actually happen."
Will had been about to launch into yet another tirade about lawsuits since that seemed to be the only tactic that worked with this horribly dense man. He never get the chance, though, because right at that moment, Sue Sylvester had marched in, an angry litany bursting forth about the school nurse providing aspirin to a Cheerio with a headache even though Sue had a strict no 'performance distracters' of any kind, and deplored anything that muffled the pain she imposed on her Cheerios in order to keep them obedient.
He ducked out of the office before he could get caught in the crossfire, and he'd filed the Kurt issue away for another day.
Will had completely forgotten about it, he was ashamed to admit. He hadn't really thought too much about what Kurt was going through until his father's heart attack brought him back to the forefront of his thoughts.
In-between his own bouts of selfishness (particularly his Rocky Horror plot to win back Emma) he kept one eye on his student and eventually approached him only a few days back when Kurt was looking completely depressed and resigned to his fate. It was at that point that Kurt had plainly stated that Will and others at the school were letting it all happen.
Will had to agree with that assessment now. Kurt shouldn't have had to fight this alone - he was just a kid, and while standing his ground and keeping his head held high was something every kid should practice in that situation, that didn't mean it was on them, on Kurt, to curtail the bully's behaviour. It was on the adults in positions of authority. He was going to do right by Kurt from now on - he deserved better. Just like Shannon.
It had only been an hour since school had let out, and there were a few kids and teachers still around, naturally, those involved with clubs and sports' meetings, the marking of assignments, waiting for rides or just generally lingering for no other reason than boredom. There was no time like the present for getting things done. Will abandoned a pile of lackluster Spanish quizzes and headed for Figgins' office.
The principal was on the phone, holding his head in one hand.
"Yes, Mr. Hummel, I understand."
Will paused in his determined steps, letting the door swing shut behind him. He should've seen this coming.
"Yes, I . . . no, of course not, but you must -"
Will could hear Burt Hummel's voice going up several notches in volume, and though he couldn't make out the exact words, the tone was clear enough. It made him smile a bit. The first reason for that was because it was reassuring to have the reminder that yes, Burt Hummel was the type of man who would go to hell and back for his son - Kurt wasn't without support at home. The second reason was less sentimental; Mr. Hummel letting his displeasure be known might have made it easier for Will to get through to Principal Figgins this time.
He sat down on one of the chairs before Figgins' desk, waiting patiently, fighting hard to keep the smile completely off his face. Mr. Hummel had never seemed particularly long-winded to him, but it appeared that anything to do with Kurt sparked the orator in the man. Will wished he could hear what was being said.
Figgins eventually hung up, though it was clear by the fact that he was left hanging mid-sentence that he wasn't the first to do so. Will gave the principal a few minutes to gather himself, out of common courtesy, and when he felt enough time had passed, he kicked off their impromptu meeting.
"So, I take it Mr. Hummel is phoning on behalf of his son?" Will asked, the smile he'd been holding back manifesting itself in his voice.
The other man's stare was distinctly unamused. "Yes, Will, that was the case. How can I help you?"
"Actually, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to talk about probably the same thing that Mr. Hummel was filling your ears with. Because I did try to tell you months ago, last school year, that Kurt's situation was getting dangerous, and things have been escalating ever since - and the situation isn't limited to Kurt, either."
Figgins sighed. "Yes, William, I know. But I've told you before - there is little I can do without an actual complaint and since young Mr. Hummel hasn't come forward -"
"Pardon me, sir, but that's absolutely ridiculous - you've punished kids for far less than what those bullying jocks have been doing to Kurt, and with far less evidence."
"And if things get serious -"
"And you consider putting a wheelchair student in a porta-potty and rolling it . . . what? A good-natured prank? Are you going to wait until Kurt is in the nurse's office bleeding or unconscious? Until he's hospitalized? Tell me what it's going to take to get you to do something."
Figgins raised his hands in supplication. "I tried to put the motion of a 'zero tolerance' policy to the school board, but it's a complicated thing to implement, and there were many objections, from both them and some parents who felt that it was an extreme reaction to something they viewed as a minimal problem -"
"Minimal?" Now Will was offended not just on Kurt's behalf, but for all his Glee kids, and many others who he'd seen slushied and pushed into lockers. It had taken him a while to figure out the dumpster toss thing, and when he did, he did what he could, but he couldn't stand guard by the dumpsters all day. There were only so many detentions he could give out. "But, you do have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment and other types of lewd behaviour? Which is fine, but don't you realize that the bullying in this school is getting out of control, making it just as important, if not more so?"
McKinley's principal suddenly looked very tired. "You know something, Will? I agree with you - the climate in this school is getting to be tense . . . but my hands are tied and quite frankly, Mr. Hummel is one student -"
"Who is in danger!" Will finally exploded. "He is in actual, physical danger within these school walls and this is not the way it is supposed to be - not a single student should be afraid to walk to their locker or to class because they might be assaulted on their way there, and not just in the overtly violent way Kurt has been - but with slushies, or dumpster tosses. You should be doing everything in your power to make sure that is the case because if not, one of these days someone is going to get seriously injured and it will be all our fault - the faculty's fault and the school board's because as of right now, we are not meeting even the most basic requirements at keeping our students safe!"
He stood up, not even waiting to hear Figgins' next round of excuses, but just before he left, he turned to face the man again. "Tell me something, sir, and I'm sorry for being so blunt, but do you have a problem with the fact that Kurt Hummel is gay? Is that why you're not giving this the attention you should?"
Figgins slammed his hands down onto the desk. "Do not bring my personal beliefs into this, Will Schuester - while I may believe in things that you do not . . ." The vampire incident with Tina came to mind, and Will just barely held back an eye roll. "I most certainly do not hold any racist or homophobic views."
Will stared at the man for a long time, not sure if he believed him or not. Either way, it didn't matter, because for now he was making absolutely zero headway. As he walked away, he began to plot in his own head. Maybe he could get his Glee kids in on this, implement his own little no tolerance policy - it probably would be nowhere near as effective as an official one would be, but he had to do something.
He got to his office, exhaling one long breath as he stared at the stack of quizzes he was supposed to be marking. He decided to finish them off at home. As he was packing he paused over his agenda, full of lessons plans, important dates . . . and phone numbers, such as the school board's. With grim determination, he finished gathering up what he needed.
A part of him, a small part, was wondering if maybe, just maybe, he was overreacting. He let that fester for a moment as he closed his office door and headed to his car. He grabbed his cell phone from his jacket pocket, flipping it back on. A series of beeps let him know that he had some voice mail waiting.
He punched in what he needed to in order to access his voice mailbox and froze in his tracks as Burt Hummel's low, threatening tones filled his ear.
The tiny, niggling doubt in him vanished.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Author's Note: I like exploring different POVs, and I do that a lot in this story, fair warning :D This chapter was my wish for Will Schuester as of last season - it has yet to come true, but who knows? I can be hopeful. Next up will be someone closer to Kurt.
You guys rock in all sorts of ways - thank you so, so much for reading!
Next: Chapter 3: Worn Out Faces
By: Mytay
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Hints of pre-Klaine, Kurt, Burt, the whole Glee club, Blaine, and others.
Warnings: Some swearing, homophobic language, and in later chapters, violence (more specific warnings when those parts are posted).
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, anything Glee related. Nor do I own the song whose title and bits of its lyrics I am borrowing for the title of this fic and its chapters (Mad World, originally sung by Tears for Fears, though I prefer the Gary Jules version).
Summary: Here we have teacher realizing he may have been mistaken in his actions (or inaction) towards his student.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter 2: Worn Out Places (Previous: Chapter 1 )
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Will Schuester knew that he wasn't doing everything he could for Kurt Hummel and what happened with Shannon Bieste only made it even more apparent. He walked away from that feeling both elated and heartbroken, because she truly was an amazing woman and deserved more than what he had given her.
At the end of it all he saw Kurt, standing out from everyone else in his bright yellow sweater, sitting on the floor after what had to have been yet another locker slamming, and he instantly felt nausea creep up and overwhelm him.
Kurt was haughty and disdainful at times. He could be a bigger diva than Rachel (or well, 'as big as' would probably be more accurate) and confrontational besides; he never hesitated to speak his mind, and rarely tempered his words when expressing his frustration or anger. While all of that could at times rub Will the wrong way, right then, sitting on the floor with his knees pressed to his chest, Kurt looked resigned and so world-weary it was almost bizarre to see such an old expression on such a youthful face. He looked lost too - confused in a way that was really inconsistent with everything Will knew about his student.
He watched as Kurt gathered himself and his things together, making his way slowly down the hall, heading out to the parking lot.
Will wanted to reach out and help him, but he honestly didn't know how, beyond some of the limited action he'd already been taking, without his Glee kids' knowledge.
Kurt had accused him of letting things slide, and Will admitted to himself that this was true. However, being around his Glee club had been teaching him some pretty huge lessons - and not all of them were of the uplifting sort.
When he first realized that Kurt's problems were more specific than the general 'Get the Gleeks' abuse that his other students were suffering under, he'd gone to Figgins.
"You do realize how potentially serious the situation is with Kurt Hummel, right?" Will had pointed out after a long conversation about the types of lawsuits that would ensue if the principal didn't impose stricter punishments on those who thought stealing Artie's wheelchair would be 'funny'.
"Situation?" Figgins had asked distractedly, clearing assuming that their meeting was over.
"Yes, situation - his bullies . . . I think their slurs are dangerous, and my kids only just stopped them from seriously hurting him a few days ago." Will felt a smile twitch at his lips as he recalled the truly impressive sight of the Glee club in all their Gaga and KISS glory scaring those jocks away from one of their own.
"Now, William, don't exaggerate -"
"I am not exaggerating!" Will exclaimed, frustrated as he often was when in this man's office. "Finn Hudson told me they were going to beat Kurt up - we're talking about assault."
"But it didn't happen, Will - and you haven't provided me with proof that it will." Figgins shuffled around a few papers, peering at Will over the top of them. "Kurt Hummel has never filed any complaints with us, or gone to any member of the staff for help or advice. I can't take any action based on something that you didn't actually see, and more than that, didn't actually happen."
Will had been about to launch into yet another tirade about lawsuits since that seemed to be the only tactic that worked with this horribly dense man. He never get the chance, though, because right at that moment, Sue Sylvester had marched in, an angry litany bursting forth about the school nurse providing aspirin to a Cheerio with a headache even though Sue had a strict no 'performance distracters' of any kind, and deplored anything that muffled the pain she imposed on her Cheerios in order to keep them obedient.
He ducked out of the office before he could get caught in the crossfire, and he'd filed the Kurt issue away for another day.
Will had completely forgotten about it, he was ashamed to admit. He hadn't really thought too much about what Kurt was going through until his father's heart attack brought him back to the forefront of his thoughts.
In-between his own bouts of selfishness (particularly his Rocky Horror plot to win back Emma) he kept one eye on his student and eventually approached him only a few days back when Kurt was looking completely depressed and resigned to his fate. It was at that point that Kurt had plainly stated that Will and others at the school were letting it all happen.
Will had to agree with that assessment now. Kurt shouldn't have had to fight this alone - he was just a kid, and while standing his ground and keeping his head held high was something every kid should practice in that situation, that didn't mean it was on them, on Kurt, to curtail the bully's behaviour. It was on the adults in positions of authority. He was going to do right by Kurt from now on - he deserved better. Just like Shannon.
It had only been an hour since school had let out, and there were a few kids and teachers still around, naturally, those involved with clubs and sports' meetings, the marking of assignments, waiting for rides or just generally lingering for no other reason than boredom. There was no time like the present for getting things done. Will abandoned a pile of lackluster Spanish quizzes and headed for Figgins' office.
The principal was on the phone, holding his head in one hand.
"Yes, Mr. Hummel, I understand."
Will paused in his determined steps, letting the door swing shut behind him. He should've seen this coming.
"Yes, I . . . no, of course not, but you must -"
Will could hear Burt Hummel's voice going up several notches in volume, and though he couldn't make out the exact words, the tone was clear enough. It made him smile a bit. The first reason for that was because it was reassuring to have the reminder that yes, Burt Hummel was the type of man who would go to hell and back for his son - Kurt wasn't without support at home. The second reason was less sentimental; Mr. Hummel letting his displeasure be known might have made it easier for Will to get through to Principal Figgins this time.
He sat down on one of the chairs before Figgins' desk, waiting patiently, fighting hard to keep the smile completely off his face. Mr. Hummel had never seemed particularly long-winded to him, but it appeared that anything to do with Kurt sparked the orator in the man. Will wished he could hear what was being said.
Figgins eventually hung up, though it was clear by the fact that he was left hanging mid-sentence that he wasn't the first to do so. Will gave the principal a few minutes to gather himself, out of common courtesy, and when he felt enough time had passed, he kicked off their impromptu meeting.
"So, I take it Mr. Hummel is phoning on behalf of his son?" Will asked, the smile he'd been holding back manifesting itself in his voice.
The other man's stare was distinctly unamused. "Yes, Will, that was the case. How can I help you?"
"Actually, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to talk about probably the same thing that Mr. Hummel was filling your ears with. Because I did try to tell you months ago, last school year, that Kurt's situation was getting dangerous, and things have been escalating ever since - and the situation isn't limited to Kurt, either."
Figgins sighed. "Yes, William, I know. But I've told you before - there is little I can do without an actual complaint and since young Mr. Hummel hasn't come forward -"
"Pardon me, sir, but that's absolutely ridiculous - you've punished kids for far less than what those bullying jocks have been doing to Kurt, and with far less evidence."
"And if things get serious -"
"And you consider putting a wheelchair student in a porta-potty and rolling it . . . what? A good-natured prank? Are you going to wait until Kurt is in the nurse's office bleeding or unconscious? Until he's hospitalized? Tell me what it's going to take to get you to do something."
Figgins raised his hands in supplication. "I tried to put the motion of a 'zero tolerance' policy to the school board, but it's a complicated thing to implement, and there were many objections, from both them and some parents who felt that it was an extreme reaction to something they viewed as a minimal problem -"
"Minimal?" Now Will was offended not just on Kurt's behalf, but for all his Glee kids, and many others who he'd seen slushied and pushed into lockers. It had taken him a while to figure out the dumpster toss thing, and when he did, he did what he could, but he couldn't stand guard by the dumpsters all day. There were only so many detentions he could give out. "But, you do have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment and other types of lewd behaviour? Which is fine, but don't you realize that the bullying in this school is getting out of control, making it just as important, if not more so?"
McKinley's principal suddenly looked very tired. "You know something, Will? I agree with you - the climate in this school is getting to be tense . . . but my hands are tied and quite frankly, Mr. Hummel is one student -"
"Who is in danger!" Will finally exploded. "He is in actual, physical danger within these school walls and this is not the way it is supposed to be - not a single student should be afraid to walk to their locker or to class because they might be assaulted on their way there, and not just in the overtly violent way Kurt has been - but with slushies, or dumpster tosses. You should be doing everything in your power to make sure that is the case because if not, one of these days someone is going to get seriously injured and it will be all our fault - the faculty's fault and the school board's because as of right now, we are not meeting even the most basic requirements at keeping our students safe!"
He stood up, not even waiting to hear Figgins' next round of excuses, but just before he left, he turned to face the man again. "Tell me something, sir, and I'm sorry for being so blunt, but do you have a problem with the fact that Kurt Hummel is gay? Is that why you're not giving this the attention you should?"
Figgins slammed his hands down onto the desk. "Do not bring my personal beliefs into this, Will Schuester - while I may believe in things that you do not . . ." The vampire incident with Tina came to mind, and Will just barely held back an eye roll. "I most certainly do not hold any racist or homophobic views."
Will stared at the man for a long time, not sure if he believed him or not. Either way, it didn't matter, because for now he was making absolutely zero headway. As he walked away, he began to plot in his own head. Maybe he could get his Glee kids in on this, implement his own little no tolerance policy - it probably would be nowhere near as effective as an official one would be, but he had to do something.
He got to his office, exhaling one long breath as he stared at the stack of quizzes he was supposed to be marking. He decided to finish them off at home. As he was packing he paused over his agenda, full of lessons plans, important dates . . . and phone numbers, such as the school board's. With grim determination, he finished gathering up what he needed.
A part of him, a small part, was wondering if maybe, just maybe, he was overreacting. He let that fester for a moment as he closed his office door and headed to his car. He grabbed his cell phone from his jacket pocket, flipping it back on. A series of beeps let him know that he had some voice mail waiting.
He punched in what he needed to in order to access his voice mailbox and froze in his tracks as Burt Hummel's low, threatening tones filled his ear.
The tiny, niggling doubt in him vanished.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Author's Note: I like exploring different POVs, and I do that a lot in this story, fair warning :D This chapter was my wish for Will Schuester as of last season - it has yet to come true, but who knows? I can be hopeful. Next up will be someone closer to Kurt.
You guys rock in all sorts of ways - thank you so, so much for reading!
Next: Chapter 3: Worn Out Faces