Kurt

The school bus rattled through the streets of Lima, Ohio as it did every weekday morning on it's way to one of Lima's middle schools. On this bus a teenage boy named Kurt Hummel sat alone staring out of the window. It was clear to pretty much everyone that this kid did not want to be there on the bright yellow bus, or more specifically did not want to be going where he was heading. There were many reasons why he was unhappy, for one the death of his mother 3 years before still plagued him and the situation at his middle school was not helping, not to mention the secret he was keeping from his strained father that followed him wherever he went.

All around him other children laughed and joked, excited to be meeting with their friends for only the 3rd time that week. He couldn't help but feel hate towards them as he sat, lonely as usual. No one was brave enough to approach him. Not for the right reasons anyway. He stopped himself welling up at the thought and assumed that these wouldn't be the first tears he felt about to fall that day. Depression filled him more and more every time he set foot into the entry of his dreaded middle school, though if anyone asked he would deny it. To his father, Burt Hummel the owner of a tyre shop, middle school was going great, his son was part of many clubs and had a number of friends who he hung out with regularly. He didn't have the time to stop and notice the sadness in his sons eyes or that these 'regular get togethers' were excuses he made up when the bullies kept him back, especially when he was still also grieving the death of his beloved wife.

"Hey Hummel? What's wrong, can your dad not pay to make your voice less like a girl?" One boy began the torment. Kurt sighed, they weren't even at school yet and it had already began. Things were getting worse and it felt like the whole bus was now laughing at it.

Another boy began to mimic him and an overly high voice that Kurt swore was nothing like his own. "I'm Kurt Hummel and my dad won't let me get all the surgery I need to become a real boy!" The group around him cheered, all in fits of laughter. Kurt did not entertain them more by turning to face them or make an awkward comeback that they'd only mimic and make fun of more, instead he kept his eyes firmly on the view outside the window.

"Cat got your tongue?" Another kid asked.

"Sure sounds like it." Someone else sniggered. The joke caused an uproar of laughter from his fellow students. Kurt slouched in his seat, praying that the tears wouldn't fall.

Finally, it was last period and Kurt took his seat at the back almost feeling excited for the bell to ring so he could rush through the doors and onto the school bus to head home. However, it was English, a period he dreaded yet loved at the same time. The reason he loved it was due to the fact that it was his best subject, he enjoyed writing essays and stories. They were a way for him to escape. However, he dreaded it due to the fact that the very person who had started the bullying was also part of the class. Derek Johnston, a tall and large kid for his age, strode into the classroom his sidekick, Peter Nichol, who was completely opposite in looks, following behind him like a pet.

Kurt's mind was all over the place, worrying what comments Derek might spew that lesson. He was brought back down to earth when the class' teacher, Mrs Brian, called his name. "Kurt?" She said looking at him as if looking for an answer.

"Sorry," He answered. "I didn't hear you."

"I asked if you had completed your assignment?" She smiled.

"The pitch of his voice must be making him deaf." He heard Derek whisper to the right of him, Peter sniggered.

"Now boys." Mrs Brian frowned at them turning back to Kurt for an answer.

"Yes, I have actually." He told her, reaching under his desk for his bag and pulling his workbook out of it. Kurt took pride in handing everything in on time and making each essay he wrote perfect. He stood up going to take it to the front, stumbling on a stretched out foot and dropping it on the floor. He did his best to control his anger going to get it but instead seeing a hand reach out and grab it before he could.

"Here." A boy with dark curls and sparkling hazel eyes gave him a small smile and handed the book to him. He recognised the boy as Blaine Anderson, a student who seemed to get along with everyone he met. Blaine had a confidence that Kurt couldn't help but envy.

"Thanks." He squeaked feeling his cheeks burn though he couldn't quite tell why.

Kurt opened his front door slowly, taking a deep breath before stepping through, just as Burt came through the hallway, he stopped when he saw him. The pair greeted one another with equally fake grins. "How was school?" Burt asked as Kurt took his shoes off in the doorway.

"It was great, dad." He lied, doing his best not to think about how horrible the day had really been. He had been taunted from the bus journey there all the way until the journey back. Bullies seemed to pick up on everything he did wrong as if they were watching his every step just to see if he stumbled on a dodgy bit of flooring. His day had been horrible but of course, as usual, he kept this from his father.

"That's good." He smiled. Burt held up the newspaper in his hand. "I'm away to go have a read then watch some TV. If you don't join me I'll call on you when dinners ready." He told him. Kurt nodded watching as his dad headed through the doorway to the living room before quickly running up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Peace and quiet at last, he thought, placing his school bag beside his desk. He enjoyed being by himself in his own room after days like these. It allowed him to wallow in his own sadness in private and also meant that his dad wouldn't know about his grief. The last thing he wanted was for him to have to worry about something else.

Kurt threw himself onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, within moments tears began to fall from his eyes as the mean comments and taunts of the day stabbed cruelly back into his mind. Right then he wished that he had someone to talk to, someone that would just listen and would be able to comfort him without making a huge deal of the situation. He needed someone who could hold him and tell him that everything would get better. Kurt Hummel needed his mother, however, she was the only person he could never have.

Meanwhile downstairs Burt sat on the cream coloured leather sofa in their living room, he let out a sigh. He had really hoped his son would come in behind him and take the seat next to him with a grin on his face bigger than the sad one he saw back there. Everyday he felt him slipping further and further away. Of course, he knew that this was partly his fault, the efforts he made to bond were useless and the two shared none of the same interests so he wasn't about to sit him down to watch a game of football.

The number of lines on his forehead seemed to be increasing as stress consumed him. He was just making enough money from the tyre shop to keep them going with one or two luxuries but the truth was none of that meant anything because he could barely speak to Kurt anymore. When his wife was around everything was great, he felt like the happiest man on earth but now she was gone. Burt felt hopeless, the very woman he needed the most was never going to come back.

Another day at school had dragged on for Kurt and he was more then relieved to be finally heading home. What he didn't realise was that he was being followed. Derek grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him into the rock solid wall that was the outside of the school. Holding back the tears Kurt swung around his back against the bricks seeing the large gang of bullies surrounding him. Sadly, this was not the first time that a situation like this had happened, regularly he was kept back to be taunted even more.

"So Hummel," Derek began, "What will it be today? It could be the regular beating, or the brand new egg throw?" The group of guys behind him laughed, partly at his comments and partly at the shocked look on the terrified victims face at the mention of eggs.

"Neither." Kurt mumbled, though he knew it would do nothing to help him.

"Oh come on, you must know by now that it does't work that way." He sniggered.

"Why are you doing this?" Kurt did his best not to break into a desperate cry though his voice gave his pain away.

"Because," Derek answered, pausing for a moment to think up an idiotic comment that would make his gang laugh. "Maybe it'll get you to finally man-up." Surely enough, the puppets laughed.

"What are we going to do with him, Derek?" Questioned one of his fellow bullies.

"I say we egg him. After all, we haven't done it before." He smirked. Kurt felt shivers go up his spine, he was terrified as he watched them all go into their backpacks and bring out the eggs.

"Three…" Derek said, holding up his own eggs, "Two…"

"Hey, stop! What are you guys doing?" Shouted a voice from behind them. They all turned, watching the person as he pushed through them all and immediately took a place in front of Kurt.

"This is none of your business, Blaine. Don't get involved." Derek snapped, annoyed that his plan had been ruined.

"Oh come on. I'm sure none of this is necessary." He shook his head before gesturing towards the eggs in all of their hands.

"Just move, will you?"

"No, seriously, just leave him alone."

Derek sighed, rolling his eyes. "Come on guys, we'll get him later." He told his 'friends' then quickly turning back to Blaine. "You'll regret this, Anderson." With that they all left. Kurt let out a long breath, his body still shaking. He then began to wonder what had made Blaine do that. He didn't know him, he could have just walked on like anyone else would have done.

"Are you ok?" He asked Kurt, giving him a smile like the one he had the day before.

He nodded in reply. "Thanks for all of that. You really didn't have to."

"Of course I had to, I couldn't just stand back and let them egg you." The shocked look on the boys face he had just saved showed Blaine that he clearly didn't get treated kindly often. "Do you want to come and hang out at my place, considering you've missed your bus now anyway?"

"Don't you take the bus?" Kurt wondered, confused about the boys suggestion. He hadn't been asked over to a friends house since Elementary School and that now felt miles away.

"No, I live just a few minutes away from the school!" He told him. "So what's the answer, you can call your dad when we get to my house if that's what's bothering you?"

"Uhm, yeah sure. That actually sounds really great."

"Well, come on then!" Blaine grinned leading the way, as a bewildered Kurt followed on behind him.