Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I do own my original characters: Andrea, Brandon, Shay, Austin, Daniel, Jared, Mr. Reynolds, and Ms. Kline.
Author's Note #2: We have some bullying in this part. I tried very hard to keep it from being graphic.
Part 2:
April 16, 2008
Blaine sighs quietly and opens his locker, taking out his text books for Algebra and English and stowing them in his backpack.
"Hey Blaine."
He turns to see Shay Williams, a girl his own age, with shocking purple hair and bright green eyes grinning at him. She's wearing a simple white tank top under a gray jacket, black sweat pants and white sneakers.
"Hi Shay." he smiles. The two have been friends since sixth grade. "Did you do the English assignment?"
"Nope," says Shay grinning. "I had more important things on my mind."
"Like making out with Michael?"
"Boy, do you know me or what?" she laughs. "Did you do the assignment?"
"Unfortunately." he chuckles slightly as the bell rings. "And yes, I did."
"You are such a nerd."
He laughs and shoves her playfully. As the two head for English, Blaine suddenly flies forward, landing on his stomach.
"Blaine!" Shay hurries forward and helps him up. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah..." Blaine winces slightly as he adjusts one of the straps of his backpack.
He and Shay turn to see three boys standing in the hallway. Their leader - a tall, brown haired, hazel eyed boy dressed in torn jeans and a black t-shirt - steps forward.
"How's it hangin', homo?" he asks casually.
Shay grips Blaine's hand hard.
"Hi Austin." he says.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I gave you permission to speak, Anderson." says Austin, his eyes flashing.
"Don't pay any attention to him, Blaine," says Shay, glaring at Austin.
Blaine shakes his head, staring at the three boys warily; they've made his life hell for three years - how can he not pay attention to them?
Then suddenly, Jared, who's known Blaine since they were six, grabs him by the shirt collar.
"You know I kinda want to hear him scream," says Austin casually.
Blaine's blood runs cold.
"Wonder if they'd ever find his body," says Daniel, who's smirking as he watches Shay struggle.
"Please, no one would, nobody would care if he were to disappear -" breathes Jared.
Blaine hates more than anything that Jared's become homophobic...but then he really should have expected it to happen eventually...Jared and Austin have been friends since fourth grade.
Tears start to form as he realizes no one can stop their tormentors. Everyone avoids looking at him or Shay as they rush to their first period classes.
"Jared let go of him!" Shay moves forward but Austin grabs her by her wrist.
"Excuse me!"
Everyone freezes, and Blaine looks around, his eyes coming to rest on his Science teacher, Mr. Reynolds.
"Just what is going on here?" he demands.
"Nothing, sir," says Austin easily, letting go of Shay's wrist immediately. "Just messing around."
Blaine's heart sinks because he knows that the ignorant old man'll believe Austin; he has all year when he's been caught bullying Blaine.
Mr. Reynolds purses his lips and then nods.
"Get to class. All of you."
It's only when he and Shay are left alone in the hall that he lets the tears fall.
At lunch he is completely alone; Shay doesn't eat lunch at the same time he does, so he sits alone, wishing he could fade out...turn invisible so Austin can't find him.
Jared overturns the bench he's sitting on, and pain flares in his arm when he hits the floor.
But when he catches Austin using the remaining ten minutes of the lunch period to spray paint 'homo' on his locker, he can't take it anymore.
He goes straight to the Principal. Principal Kline is nice and all, but she just brushes off his complaints, saying she'll look into it, but without any real evidence (despite the fact that Blaine shows her the bruise that's already forming on his arm from the cafeteria incident, and even goes far enough to tell her that people have threatened him), there's nothing she can do.
It's more or less what any faculty member has told him each time he complains about being bullied.
And as much as this knowledge kills him inside, it also infuriates him to know they don't care.
At the end of the school day, he runs to meet Shay, praying that Austin, Jared and Daniel have already left.
The parking lot is nearly empty, but Shay has promised to wait with him until Andrea comes to pick him up (It takes her longer today because she's also picking up Brandon from middle school.
Shay pulls a deck of cards out of her back pack, and they play a few rounds of Go Fish while they wait.
Blaine hears approaching footsteps, but he isn't really afraid until both he and Shay are pulled to their feet, and his arms are pinned behind his back.
"We've got unfinished business, Anderson," breathes Austin. He looks over at Daniel. "You got her?"
"Mmmhmm. Bitch isn't going anywhere." his amber eyes glint maliciously as he tightens his grip on Shay.
Austin smirks, and looks at Jared, who's losing his grip because Blaine is struggling so hard.
Honestly he's more worried about Shay than himself...but then his heart nearly stops when Austin speaks again:
"Take him behind the dumpsters. I'll meet you there in a sec."
He sees Shay's face turn white when she sees him pull a knife out of his pocket. He starts struggling even harder.
"Austin," he hears Shay cry as Daniel throws him against the dumpster. Pain explodes up and down his back and he sees stars when his head hits the pavement. "Austin, please - please don't -"
Then Austin and Jared are staring down at him, and he's never felt more scared in his entire life than he does at that moment.
Austin nods and suddenly Blaine's lower half is pinned because Jared is literally sitting on him. He cries out, but Austin shows him the knife.
"I think it's time we mark you, Blaine." he says quietly. "So everyone knows who you are, and to stay away from you." he pauses. "No one will ever want you when I'm finished with this."
Blaine's really frightened now, and he hears Shay screaming somewhere beyond the dumpster. He tries to struggle, but Austin punches him. Dazed, he groans quietly, and then yelps when he feels his t-shirt being yanked up.
"I think right here is perfect." breathes his tormentor, and he lowers the knife.
Blaine blocks out what happens next.
When he's forced back into reality, his back and head are killing him, and his chest is on fire. To make matters worse he sees Shay kneeling next to him, holding his hand.
"Blaine? Honey it's okay, it's me...It's Shay. Andrea call 911!" she screams.
Minutes later he sees his big sister and his little brother, both looking terrified. Brandon's face is streaked with tears and his hazel eyes are red and puffy. Andrea is just about as white as Shay as she calls 911 and tells them to send an ambulance.
"Hurts,"
It's the first word Blaine's fully aware of speaking.
"I know," He notices Shay's lip is split and her cheek is bruised, but otherwise she seems unhurt. "I know it hurts. It's okay - you're safe now."
"What...my chest..."
Shay actually looks like she might throw up.
"You're bleeding...bad." she shrugs off her jacket and drapes it over the exposed skin, pressing lightly in an attempt to stem the flow. He flinches, but then Andrea is kneeling at his head, her fingers trembling as she strokes his hair.
"I'm here," she says softly, "Brandon and I are here, B. It's going to be okay."
"What...did he..."
Shay opens her mouth, but Brandon beats her to it.
"He carved an F on your chest, Blaine." he says, and then he turns away and vomits.
Blaine doesn't bother to fight the tears. He stays silent in the ambulance (though the oxygen mask pretty much prevents him from talking anyway), and later in the hospital room, with his mother and father present, gives his statement to the police.
Everything is fine now.
Except him. He's undeniably damaged.
It doesn't matter that Austin, Daniel and Jared will be arrested and brought to justice.
Because he can never go back to being a normal teenager now.
Wow. So much angst and drama...and poor Blaine.
part 3 coming soon, hopefully with more romance and fluff - 'cause Blaine needs it.
reviews are welcome - constructive criticism only please. no flames.