Jeff Sterling was fidgeting with the hem of his plaid shirt as he looked at his best friend. Who was a better person to come out to than his very best friend? No one. He was nervous though. What if Blaine was pissed? Or didn't want to be friends afterwards? Blaine kicked Jeff, "What's wrong, dude?"
"Blaine, if I tell you this, you can't tell anyone and promise you won't be mad…?" Blaine and Jeff were at the end of their 8th grade year and Jeff had to tell someone before he killed himself over all of it.
"I promise, Jeff. What's wrong?" Blaine looked worried.
"Well… I don't know how to really say this…" Jeff rambled making Blaine chuckle.
"Just say it, Jeff. Calm down." Blaine knew his best friend would keep rambling.
"Okay. Blaine… I'm…. I'm uhm… I'm gay." Jeff was biting his lip as Blaine looked at him, "Really?"
Jeff nodded as Blaine looked at his legs, "I am too…"
Jeff's eyes widened, "Blaine!"
"Yeah…?" Blaine was embarrassed so Jeff touched his face, "The Sadie Hawkins… We could…"
"We could." The two boys were relieved that they weren't alone.
"Blaine, who have you told?" Jeff asked softly.
"My brother and parents…"
"You are the first person…"
"Jeff, you need to come out to your family."
"I know."
Jeff ran up to his room and called Blaine, "Blaine! I did it!"
"Really? That's great. Now to conquer the Sadie Hawkins…" Blaine murmured.
"We'll have each other," Jeff told him with his new found confidence.
"Lets do it."
Jeff was dressed in a blue and green plaid shirt and a nice pair of jeans as he walked up to Blaine's door and knocked. Blaine appeared dressed in a blue polo shirt with a nice pair of cuffed jeans. Their parents cornered them for pictures before they climbed in Jeff's dad's car. Blaine took Jeff's hand in an attempt to calm his friend but Jeff still looked panicky.
Jeff welcomed the unfamiliar touch. Holding Blaine's hand was new to him but… Comforting and nice. Maybe he had made the right decision coming out. Everything was moving so fast to Jeff and this was the first time he felt like everything would be okay.
Blaine liked the feeling of holding Jeff's hand. He bit his lip and intertwined their fingers. Jeff smiled at him, to let him know it was okay. Jeff's dad glanced at the two boys and smiled uncomfortably. Blaine wondered how that talk really went.
A Few Days Earlier
"Mom, Dad I have something to tell you," Jeff murmured staring at his blue sneakers.
"What's that, son?" Mr. Sterling asked as they sat down for dinner.
"Well, can it wait until everyone is here?" Mister and Missus Sterling nodded as Jeff's three brothers and one sister sat down at the table.
"Everyone, Jeff has something to tell us," Mr. Sterling announced making Jeff wince.
"Uhm. Hi. Well… I don't know how to say this… But… I'm.. Uh," Jeff stuttered making Mr. Sterling narrow his eyes, "Jeff, come on. We don't have all night."
"I'm gay!" Jeff blurted making everyone stare at him.
"Jeff, honey, you haven't had a girlfriend yet…" Mrs. Sterling murmured.
"You can't honestly know," Mr. Sterling told his son.
"Mom! Dad! Please… Yes I can. When I look at a so-called "pretty" girl, I don't feel anything. When I look at a so-called "hot" guy, I feel… Can we not discuss this at the dinner table?" Jeff pleaded.
"Jeff, can we talk in private?" Mr. Sterling asked, his voice steely.
"Uh, I guess," Jeff muttered following his dad into his room.
His dad's eyes were hard, his gaze piercing. He pushed Jeff on the bed, "Jeffery Christopher Sterling, you know we don't approve of this."
"Approve of what? The fact that I like boys or the fact that I won't have the picture perfect life you and mom wanted?" Jeff demanded harshly.
"Jeffery! You know that it isn't okay!"
"Dad!"
"You haven't kissed a girl."
"So?"
"You don't know you're gay."
"I have NO sexual attraction to girls! None! Nada!"
"Jeff, we can get some pictures or something…"
"DAD! No. I'm gay. Please just accept it. Please."
"Just… Go to your room."
They arrived at the dance and Jeff's dad told them to have fun awkwardly as they walked into the dance. Jeff leaned over to Blaine, "This is it."
"What do we do?" Blaine whispered back as they hovered in front of the school.
"Walk in holding hands?" Jeff whispered to him.
"I guess. Lets do this." Blaine reached for Jeff's hand and laced their fingers together.
They took a deep breath in unison before entering the decorated gym. No one noticed them at first but then the looks started becoming viscous and misunderstanding. They entered in the middle of an upbeat song but the song changed to a slow dancing song and Jeff took Blaine's hand, nervously leading him to the dance floor. They wrapped their arms around each other's necks and sway to the music, since the traditional slow dance would be a bit weird. They got a few looks but they tried to ignore them.
Jeff and Blaine stood outside waiting for Jeff's dad to pick them up. They had a good time despite the few odd looks. They were relived everyone knew. Well, they were relived until the school bully leaned against the wall next to Blaine.
"How are ya, fags?" Jeff winced at the use of the word "fag".
"We aren't…" Blaine was having trouble forming words.
"Oh, you aren't? You weren't the two fags," Jeff winced again, "That were dancing like fags in there?" Every time the word came up Jeff bit his lip.
"Just because we're different doesn't give you the right to torment us!" Blaine exclaimed giving Jeff the courage to say something, "Do you know how hurtful that word is?"
The bigger boy smirked as his friend came and stood next to them. Jeff was tall for his age but the boys were bigger than him. Blaine was just small and easily intimidated.
"Words can't hurt as much as this." Jeff and Blaine closed their eyes as the two boys started wailing on them.
By the time someone saw, Jeff's brown hair was matted with blood and had a broken rib and nose, while Blaine had two broken ribs and blood everywhere.
The two boys finally learned why everyone made being gay out to be so hard; people are hateful.