When his mother told him that he would be spending the summer toughing about with his aunt, Blaine did not expect that he would be spending it at a dusty camp ground full of Asians.

"You're going to help me clean up after lunch and after campfire time. Other than that you are free to do whatever you want. Just don't bother the campers too much, they have tight schedules," his aunt Jenny said cooly as he put his luggage down on the floor. "It'll be nice to have you around champ. The first week doing all of this alone wasn't a cake walk. I think nine is the perfect age to get a kid accustomed to hard work."

Blaine nodded, trying not to show how badly he didn't want to be there. Why can't I stay home and watch football with my dad? Does he not want me around anymore? Was it something I said? His mind was often full of these thoughts since the beginning of summer when his dad decided that he should man up and rough it out like he did when he was younger.

"Unpack and then meet me in the mess hall so I can show you the ropes."

He nodded again and then waited for her to shut the cabin door before he turned around, sat on his bag and pouted with his head in his hands. This is going to be the worse two weeks ever.

After he had finished unpacking Blaine didn't go to the mess hall, instead he grabbed a book from the small collection he brought with him and began to read. He was two pages in when something distracted him from the adventures of Peter Pan. It was a faint giggling noise coming from out of his cabin.

Blaine stood up from the floor and set the book lazily aside as he walked toward the cabin window.

There were two girls, not much younger than Blaine, hiding behind a tree in front of Blaine's secluded cabin. They were watching a group playing in the shallows of the nearby lake. He watched them too, but couldn't see the appeal. He was never a fan of boys that looked so overly confident and too competitive. These boys pushed each other and raced around as if they were trying to show off.

Blaine knew he liked boys the way girls liked boys but he would never admit it to anyone. Because it's wrong. He sniffed and was about to turn back into the darkness of his cabin but something caught his eye and made him whip back around.

The sun was reflecting off a shiny object and glaring through his window. When the brightness subsided his eyes dashed across the scenery to find the source. It was a portable CD player in the hands of a skinny Asian boy. Of course he is Asian, this is Asian camp.

He watched the boy with the player dragging his feet in the sand by the lake. The other boys were beckoning for him to join them but he held up his device as an excuse not to touch the water. Blaine could see that he did not regret the choice to stay away. He could see a little bounce in the boys step and could almost hear the beat of the song being listened to by the way the boy's feet tapped and kicked at the sand underneath.

Blaine laughed and placed his hands on the window seal and tapped his feet along with the boy even though he couldn't hear the music. He hummed a little and swayed back and forth his curls bouncing up and down with each movement.

His face went red when the boy turned around suddenly and looked at him, not the giggling girls, him. He was slightly relieved when the boy raised his hand in a shy wave. Blaine returned the wave, wiggling his fingers and laughing. The boy's response was quick. He grinned and waved his hand more enthusiastically. Blaine was clapping with equal enthusiasm before he could control himself, yay! New friend!

Excited at the idea of someone to talk to Blaine began to pull at the window so he could socialize properly. Unfortunately the window was nailed shut. He looked up and jumped back a little to see that the boy was inches away from the window his face saddened by result of Blaine's useless tugging.

Blaine shrugged and then twitched his head toward the front door questioningly. The boy began to nod happily but then his face turned back into a frown. Blaine could hear the muffled voices of the other boys. They were beckoning Blaine's new friend to join them. They were out of the water now and calling out to him.

Without really thinking Blaine placed a hand on the window and spread out his fingers, trying to tell the boy not to go. In response the latter placed his own hand in the same position on the other side of the glass, his face in a pout.

The boy mouthed: I have to go.

Blaine nodded in understanding. The kids at this camp had a rigorous schedule and rarely had free time. He was glad that he didn't have to participate considering his aunt was just the cleaning lady but sad at the same time, sad that he wouldn't get to spend time with any of his peers.

Maybe I'll see him again later. Blaine thought with a sigh as he watched the boy run towards the others.

Blaine did see him again a few days later. Lunch was just ending and Blaine found himself with tacky yellow gloves and a full to the edge garbage bag.

He dragged the bag along the floor and felt humiliation flood through him as he passed a table of his peers. This is stupid. This isn't camping. This is child labor. I'm suing…I'm suing dad for this. His face burned even more when that boy walked through the door, the CD player still in his hands and the music still blasting in his ears. He was boldly observing Blaine's situation with wide appraising eyes.

Blaine started to shrink back a little but the kid put his hand up and smiled, gesturing for Blaine to stop. The boy shrugged and then walked forward, he placed a hand over Blaine's to help him pull the bag out of the hall. Blaine didn't think his face could get any hotter but the boy succeeded in proving that theory wrong.

"What's your name?" Blaine asked after they pushed the garbage into the dumpster.

The response was a curious eyebrow raise.

"Oh you don't speak English?" Blaine flushed and looked away from those wide, staring eyes. "Wait, yes you do. You mouthed-"

The boy pulled his headphones off and smiled questioningly.

"What's your name?"

It was time for his friend to be the one to blush and look away shyly. Blaine began to pull off his gloves as he waited for his answer.

A loud shout made them both jump. It was in a different language that Blaine, unfortunately, didn't understand. His friend understood it though and his reaction made Blaine frown. The small Asian ran towards the shout, clutching his CD player with one hand while using his other to wave farewell.

"Are you ever going to talk to me?" Blaine called out after him before throwing his pair of rubber gloves to the ground.