Part 3

Jerry Jonston had been in a sour mood ever since Wesley kicked them out. He felt sorry for the kid but didn't know what do to about it or how to help him. When it had been just the two of them there everything had seemed fine and Wesley seemed to be enjoying himself. But as soon as Otto and Nathan mentioned that Wesley had kept Jerry from class… it all crashed and burned.

What made this small child so afraid of breaking rules? Who were his parents anyway? Why would they send an "underage" kid to Dalton? Why did Wesley practically have nothing in his room?

Jerry was sitting on a bench in the hallway thinking of all of this. He was clutching the fabric on his black slacks and ignored the dust on his black blazer and shirt. Jerry was a senior and chairman of the Warbler council. He had dark hair and dark eyes like the majority of all Asians in the world. Jerry had no siblings and his parents barely knew him. They traveled around so much in business that he barely saw them at all. This year he'd even have to celebrate Christmas at Dalton with a few exchange students and a few teachers, the janitor and Carmichael. Oh the joy…

As he sat there he suddenly heard a ticking sound coming down the marble hallway. He smiled. He knew that sound and he looked up just in time to see a girl in black stilettos, grey stockings and a grey short skirt, white shirt and navy blue blazer with red ripping walk towards him. She had long strawberry-blonde hair, green eyes and she was skipping on her way. That's why Jerry recognized the sound.

"Hi Justine", he said and the girl stopped in front of him.

"Oh hello darling", she said. "How are things with the little one?"

"Could be better… why do you ask?"

"Oh he was so cute in Warbler practice and I got worried when you didn't come back. He isn't an evil demon in disguise is he?"

Jerry laughed.

"No Justine", he said fondly. "Far from it in fact."

"Oh", she sat down on his lap and put her arms around his neck. "Then why didn't you come back to practice?"

"I had to take care of him."

"Jerry don't let him be another of your pity-projects", she scolded.

"Hey!"

"I just say it from experience darling."

Jerry looked at her and noticed the faint stubble on her cheeks.

"Forgot to shave today", he asked.

"Stupid beard", she grumbled. "But back to your mini-you. What's he like?"

"Lost and broken."

"How?"

Jerry told her everything. I guess you are all wondering about this girl at Dalton. Truth is it is not a girl at all. Her male name is actually Justin and he is a drag-queen. Justin loves to dress like a girl and everyone at Dalton accept him for that. Justin is a strawberry-blonde boy that is a bit of a bore and sour soul. Justine is the opposite. She is always happy and ready to play pranks on people. Justin wouldn't be caught dead performing a prank. When Jerry was done with his little talk Justine got up.

"Well then darling", she said. "Show me to this little one of yours."

Jerry rolled his eyes but got up.

"Don't scare him", he warned.

"I would not dream of it!"

Wesley heard a knock on his door and walked over and opened it. Before he could stop her this tall girl walked inside with an apologetic-looking Jerry following close behind her. She looked around the room.

"Gosh such a horrid room", she said. "It lacks taste but we will sort that out sooner sweetie. You and I will soon have this room as pretty as I am."

"Uh…" Wesley looked at her and then at Jerry who had slapped a hand to his face.

"I'm Justine Gideon", she said and walked over and pulled him into a hug. "Welcome to Dalton sweetie."

"Uh… thank you", Wesley said confused. "Uhm… what are you doing in here?"

"Oh darling Jerry here told me how awful you were feeling and I just had to come see you to make sure everything was alright. Are you feeling better sweetie?"

"I am feeling confused", Wesley mumbled.

"Why?"

"Um… isn't Dalton an all boys school?"

"Oh I'm not a girl all the time", Justine said and sat down on the bed. "So tell me everything about yourself."

Wesley just stared at her and Jerry decided to step in.

"We actually came here to ask if you wanted to eat some dinner Wes", he asked putting a hand on Wesley's shoulder.

"Oh such a cute name", Justine cooed.

"Will I have to sit with Alvaro again", Wesley asked shyly.

"Absolutely not", Justine said and got up. "Who put you with that dolt anyway? He is a mindless dolt ignore him. That's what I do. You are sitting with me, Jerry, Mark and the other Warblers."

"I don't want to intrude", Wesley mumbled.

"Oh he's such a doll", Justine said and took his hand and pulled him to the door. "Come along sweetie."

Wesley looked horrified but got dragged along anyway. Jerry face-palmed again but followed the excited "girl" and her latest doll.

Wesley felt out of place again sitting among the Warblers. Jerry sat on one side of him and that tall boy Mark sat on his other. He felt like a midget! And things weren't made better by all the boys walking by staring at him. Wesley only poked at his food not daring to look at anyone.

Justine had been watching him the entire time. Wesley Montgomery may be 12 years old, but his Asian features made him look younger. She hated that you could never tell how old an Asian were, at least she couldn't. She'd met Jerry's dad and uncles and had thought two of them were still in high school but both told her they were over 30. Asians she had concluded looks young all their lives and then suddenly turn old when they reach 100.

Wesley was poking at his food looking scared and uncomfortable and Justine knew why. Everyone kept staring at him, even some of the Warblers. She was getting fed up with it so when a group of boys walked past, staring at the small child and whispering amongst themselves she'd had enough. She felt like that mostly because Wesley noticed this and looked ready to cry again. She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up.

"That's it", she shrieked and walked up to the group just passing by. "I've had enough of you and all others!"

"Uh", one of the boys asked in confusion.

"Yes he's a kid in comparison to us", she yelled so everyone could hear. "Yes his tiny, yes he shouldn't be here but he is so deal with it people! You can't keep acting as if he is the strangest thing you've ever seen!"

"Justine", Otto tried to calm her down.

"He is a person damn you! Stop treating him as an abnormity!"

"Justine!" Mark called.

"He has as much right to be here as any of us so shut all your whispering traps and stop staring at him! How would you feel if everyone kept staring and whispering about you?"

"Justine", Nathan tried to sooth her anger.

"If anyone has a problem with Wes being here take it up with Carmichael and leave Wes alone! Nothing of this is his fault so shut your traps and stop staring!"

"Justine", a few Warblers called frantically. All boys in the room were looking embarrassed and the ones she was yelling at looked scared.

"Seriously he's a child and you treat him as an animal in the zoo", Justine went on. "He is a boy! A student here and Dalton has a zero-tolerance for bullying if you haven't forgotten it!"

"Justin", Jerry barked and Justine twirled around, ready to lash out at him but she saw him standing up, hands resting on the table and his eyes shooting fire.

"Enough", he growled.

"But-" she began but he cut her off.

"You are making things worse."

She stared at him and then to the side of him… where Wesley was no longer sitting. The small kid had run out of the room at some point when she was yelling. All the Warblers were looking at her, some apologetic, some with eyes that said 'aw man' and others like Jerry and Mark looked angry. She blushed and sat down in her seat looking at her plate. Jerry turned to walk away but Mark put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll handle it", he said. "You stay and keep the others under control."

Jerry nodded and Mark left.

Mark Connors is a tall boy taller than what Finn Hudson would ever be. Mark isn't only in the Warblers, he is in the student council and the football team. He is somewhat known as the Warbler teddy bear but he wasn't always like that. He was actually sent to Dalton to get straightened out. Mark had been to juvie two times for beating up different people. He had a short temper and could never stop himself from hitting someone.

Now he has calmed down because he can use his anger in football and he uses his other energy to sing and work for other students. Everyone loves him but he doesn't love everyone, he more than dislikes Alvaro because he thinks the boy is too cocky and always speak without thinking so he hurt people.

Mark also was known for finding missing people at the school. He somehow just knew where upset boys would go. Wesley Montgomery wasn't an exception. Mark walked to the Dragon and walked into the boy's room. Wesley was sitting on the windowsill looking out at the school grounds with a forlorn look on his face. Mark smiled and walked over to the boy and leaned on the wall beside him.

"What do you want now", the boy asked sadly. "Can't people just leave me alone?"

"Not in this place", Mark said and chuckled. "Boys here care too much I'm afraid. So how are you feeling?"

"Why do you care", the boy whispered and Mark chuckled and sat on the other side of the windowsill.

"Because I know how it feels being somewhere and don't feeling like you belong", he said.

"What do you mean", the child asked and looked at him.

"Most kids at this school are rich, I guess you have concluded that already." The boy nodded so he continued. "But I'm not and I didn't get sent here because of great grades."

"Then why were you sent here", Wesley asked confused.

"To get straightened out."

"You're gay?"

Mark blinked and then started to laugh and had to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Goodness no I'm not, that's not what I meant with straightened out", he said.

"Oh", the boy looked sad again.

"Uh… is that why you're here?"

"No", the boy looked out through the window again.

"So why are you here?"

"To be kept as far away from dad and his perfect little family as possible." Mark looked at him in confusion and then remembered Wesley saying something about half-brothers. He could see that the boy was close to tears so he sighed.

"Anyway", he said. "As I was saying, I got sent here to get straightened out because I had just been released from juvie."

Wesley stared at him with big eyes that held a little bit of terror and Mark chuckled. His voice was very deep so it sounded like a small rumble.

"Relax I am not going to hurt you", Mark said and put a rather big hand on Wesley's head. "I'm a good guy now."

"I believe that when I see it", Wesley grumbled and Mark laughed and ruffled his hair.

"So Wes can you tell me what is really going on", he asked kindly and Wesley mumbled something. "I didn't hear that buddy. What did you say?"

"Why can't people just leave me alone", Wesley asked and buried his face in his knees. "Why does everyone always have to stare at me? I get it. I'm not supposed to be here."

"And with here you mean Dalton?"

"And the world."

"Wes don't say things like that", Mark said sternly.

"Why, it's true."

"No it isn't."

"How do you know", the tiny boy shouted and flew up glaring at the older boy. "You don't know anything about me! None of you guys do! Just leave me alone!"

"Wes", Mark said getting up. Mark was around 220 cm and Wesley was small for his age and only stood 120 cm. Mark was looking down at him and Wesley was glaring up at Mark with an angry glow around him.

"I never asked to get sent here", Wesley yelled. "I don't want to be here! What did I ever do wrong? Answer me that? The only thing I did wrong was being born and that's something I've been loathed for all my life! You got sent here because you're an ex-con! I got sent here to be hidden away so that my father can live on without shame! He sent me away from the day I was born! 8 years with his parents, posing as a cousin and then off to the other side of the nation and then off again! What did I do to deserve this? Is it a crime being born?"

"No."

"In my case it is!" Wesley yelled and he now had tears pouring down his cheeks. "I'm a sin!"

"No you're not."

"I am! My father is ashamed of my existence! Why else would I be here and not with him and the others?"

"It's he who is at fault. Not you Wes."

"Shut up!" Wesley yelled and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. His little body was shaking with tears. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Mark sighed and pulled the distressed boys into a hug and the boy clung to him as he cried. Mark wondered when anyone had ever just held the small boy. Jerry had been talking to him and showing him pictures. Otto and Nathan had tried to include him among the other freshmen of the Dragon but that didn't work and Justine… she had tried to treat him like a child and protect him. But it hadn't turned out well… nothing of it had turned out well.

Mark held the sobbing boy close to him and after a bit picked him up and sat down on Wesley's bed. He had Wesley in his lap hugging him as the small child cried. Mark knew the kid was just distraught about all this and yet again he wondered when someone had actually just held him. The boy was crying so badly it tore at Mark's heart. After a bit when the heartbreaking sobs were ebbing out a bit Mark started to sing softly, changing the lyrics to fit:

Goodnight little buddy, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promise I will never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight little buddy, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the questions you asked me
When we were watching that emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight little buddy, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

Mark looked down at the face of the boy resting his head on his shoulder and saw his eyes closed and he was sleeping. Mark smiled and gently got up and put the boy on the bed and put a blanket over him. He then tiptoed out of the room, determent to find the other Warblers.

TBC

Answer to non-members' (or not signed in members') reviews:

MusicManiac - Yes little Wes is kinda cute. And I did what you asked for... I will present others as the story goes on. More closely on Nathan and Otto for example ;)

Guest - Thank you I'm happy you think this is amazing.