I originally wanted this to be about Darren Criss, but a little birdie told me that I wasn't allowed to use real life people in my stories. So we're just going to pretend right now that Blaine is still Blaine, but he's got some Darren mixed in with him, too. Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Darren (if only...).
I flopped down on my bed, exhausted from the evening. My cheeks were still salty from the tears that had fallen not long ago. I curled up with my pillow, not even bothering to turn the light off, and let out a small sob. Then I willed myself to fall asleep, to forget all the humiliation.
Moments later, my door creaks open and someone sits at the foot of my bed. I open my eyes and see him looking at me, concerned. His big, triangular eyebrows are scrunched together in confusion, but he doesn't say a word. He just looks.
After we sit there in silence for about five minutes, I finally say, "My room is off-limits for anyone over the age of thirteen, Blaine."
"Well my room isn't, which means that you usually come and poke your head in every day. And you didn't today, which means something's wrong. Red eyes are usually a clue, too." he replied, trying to add a bit of humor.
"Did anyone ever tell you that you are excellent at reading people?" I sarcastically asked, also trying to make our conversation funny. This is how we speak. It's like a language to us.
"Oh, all the time. But don't try to evade the question, Julie. You came home, don't talk to anyone, and shut yourself in your room. Something's wrong. You can talk to me."
I sigh. "Only if you promise not to tell anyone. You have to swear on your teen vogue magazines. You let this one slip and I will feed them to the shredder. It's a hungry beast, that shredder," I tell him playfully.
"Well you can bet I'm not telling anyone now."
"Not even Kurt."
"Not even Kurt," he agrees, which I know will be torture for him since he and Kurt share just about everything with each other. He's serious.
"Well, and I know it's really stupid that I had you swear not to tell anyone this, because it's just middle school drama, and were, like, probably too young to even have drama, but there's this guy that I really, really like…"
"It's not Nathan, is it? The very same Nathan that you have been talking and talking and talking about for weeks and weeks and weeks now?"
"Shut up! I will introduce him this way forever and that is final!" Blaine laughs, and I start my story again. "Well, he asked me out earlier today, and I thought that we could have something, you know, real. Like I could have someone to talk to, to laugh with, share stories with, someone to kiss away my tears…"
"So what am I for then?"
"You know there's a difference. You're my brother, not my boyfriend. A boyfriend is supposed to make you feel… special. Like the whole world can hate you, but with that one person, life isn't so bad." He nods and there is no doubt in my mind that he knows what I am talking about.
"So anyway," I continue, "He said all this crap to me about him realizing that he's found someone who he could relate to or whatever, and then he asked if I wanted to come see a movie with him tonight at six. And I bought it Blaine, I bought it and I was so stupid. He even sounded like he got all his lines from a bad romance movie, and I soaked up all his lies like I was a sponge."
In a comforting gesture, Blaine takes my hand and stares at me, waiting for the climax of my story.
"Well I showed up at the theatre, and Nathan was there, but he was with his group of assholes, the ones he calls friends, and he explained to me that he wasn't really interested. Turns out there was a bet going on to see how many girls he could get to go out with him. I guess he really did get all his lines from a movie. I'd never been so humiliated in my life. So I said some things that I can't even remember anymore, and I kind of five-starred him on his face."
"You have to admit, that probably wasn't the smartest move," Blaine tells me.
"No shit," I reply bitterly. "I didn't slap him because it would make him buy me ice cream later."
"I get why you hand-printed his cheek. But I'm saying that by doing that, it's not going to help you in the future. I know he's a complete jerk," Blaine lowers his voice as he says that last word; like it's taboo. So, so dapper. "But you might gain some enemies."
I nod, considering this. "Not what I expected to hear," I say matter-of-factly. No, what I expected to hear was "That ass-shit! I'm gonna beat 'im till he bleeds!" I think. Shut up, another voice in my head counters. This is Blaine we're talking to. Dapper Blaine, the one who spoons his soup outward.
"Look, I love you, Julia, you know that. And he's insane not to want to go out with you. Just, next time, be careful. Trust me, if he ever gives you trouble again I'll karate chop the fudge out of him." How come I cuss more than he does?
"I know all that. I just had this vision of you picking out his brains, I guess." I laugh internally. That would be an amusing sight, Blaine Anderson cutting open a child's head and feeding on their brains like soup. Spooning outward, of course.
"How about I drive you to school on Monday?" He suddenly asks.
"What?" I say, smile fading quickly.
"Oh, so this is not a welcome idea? You don't want me to give him a piece of my mind?"
That's an inaccurate statement. I want him to beat the living daylights out of Nathan. But Blaine doesn't exactly scream straight. Gelled hair, colorful (and tightly fitting) pants, ignoring swooning women left and right. And we don't live in a place where rainbow flags are being thrown everywhere. People hate it when others are different. Sure, he goes to Dalton, where everything is "strictly no-bullying" and nothing hurts. But he's been there before. Has he forgotten already?
"Please don't, Blaine. I can deal with this on my own." I almost plead. My situation at school is bad enough. I'm not popular- or necessarily liked, even. I try hard in academics, which seems to be the worst idea if you want to climb up the social food chain. And if they knew... If they knew, my existence would be even more depressing and miserable than it already is. And Blaine would go through Hell and back. That can't happen, not to him.
"Well, now that you've got the idea in my head, I'm having a hard time letting it go." Seems like he's having a hard time letting the smile on his face go, too. Can't he tell that I'm serious? That I don't want him to interfere right now?
"Let it go Blaine, just do it." I force a smile. "I think you've had too many trips to see Karofsky with Kurt. I need to learn how to figure things out by myself." Blaine's determination wavers a bit, but it's still there. "Please. Just let Dad drive me. like always." Of course, Blaine knows our father won't do anything about my... predicament. But I'm stubborn about this.
Blaine's shoulders drop and he says, "Alright. I won't drive you to school. But I'll tell you this: if that boy crosses paths with me, he better hope I'm in a good mood."
I smile back at him now, genuinely.
I'm lucky. I'm really lucky. A lot of girls who have brothers that are in gangs or prison or something and can't help them. My brother isn't one of those people. He's proud of who he is, and of who I am, and I know he will be there no matter what. I could go through a thousand guys, but he is the one I will never give up. I pull him in for a hug. I think about him and me for a while, before I turn back to reality, back to the room where the lights are still burning my tired eyes and the air smells like a clementines, and I mess up his gelled curls. I quickly make a break for it, wiping the sticky stuff off on my shirt as I run.
Hey! There are dire consequences for messing with Blaine Anderson's curls, young lady!" he shouts at me before chasing me around the house. I turn right and left, into this room and that room, hoping to distract him from making plans to get back at Nathan.
So it's not the best story in the world, but it's something I like to think about. Please review, it makes me happy. And we all love being happy.
Oh, I just wanted to add for your entertainment that when I was shopping, I saw a magnet that was in rainbow colors and it said "Yay! Gay!" I thought it was so funny, I wanted to buy it really bad. But, you know, I know some... prejudiced people, too.