Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee.

A/N: Okay…are you guys who are reading this enjoying it? I'm not really getting any reviews and all I can see is that it's getting hits. I need feedback guys, please. I want to make this better if there's something wrong, and I want to know if you like it so that I can keep doing whatever that aspect is right. So please, start reviewing, even if it's just a few words. It doesn't have to be something huge if you don't want to leave something huge. Just a little something.

This is the last chapter BEFORE we get into the more romantic angsty aspects of the story and if it starts getting a little heavy, let me know and I'll try to lessen it a bit. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and please please please please PLEASE leave me a review.

Oh, and to all my readers, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year! :D

Chapter 2: Bravery

"David, are you coming over after school today?" Wes asked as the two boys ate lunch under one of the many trees that graced St. Joseph's Middle School's campus. It was April and after the long cold winter they had endured both teenagers were desperate to be outside.

"Yeah, dad's away on a business trip so it would give Mom a chance to relax, maybe go out with Aunt Tracy or something like that," he said, looking down at the grass. "As long as it's no problem with your parents of course…"

"David, you know my parents love it when you come over," Wes stated, watching his friend closely. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," he said before crumpling up his sandwich wrapper. "Come on we're gonna be late."

Classes that afternoon consisted of David diligently taking notes and Wes continuously watching him out of the corner of his eye. If there was one thing they had gained more than anything out of their friendship, it was that each boy instinctually knew when there was something wrong with the other, and something was indeed very wrong with David. But it was in chorus that Wes received the biggest shock yet. David didn't sing, he just lip synced the whole time. David always sang, he loved to sing, it was his favorite thing in the world!

"D, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Wes asked when they met in front of the library after each hitting their lockers. "You don't have to come over if you're sick."

"I'm not sick Wes!" he shouted, breathing heavily. Wes's mouth dropped open as he stood there, watching his friend. David never snapped like that. Literally in the almost ten years they had known each other he had not once yelled at Wes. After a few minutes of collecting himself the darker skinned boy just sighed and shook his head. "Let's…let's just get out of here okay?" and without another word he headed outside, Wes right at his heels, getting ever more concerned by the second.

They walked in silence for quite a while and then Wes noted a change in the air. Everything seemed…wrong for lack of a better word and David had visibly tensed. "Dave what is it, what's wro…"

"Hey home dog!"

Wes turned around to see two older looking boys walking towards them, well, more like lumbering to be honest. David hadn't moved and this seemed to anger them. "Boy blackie, you better not be ignoring me when I'm talking to you!" Slowly, as though it were agonizingly painful for him to do so, David turned and took a step forward. "Now that's better blackie. And who…"

"His name is David."

"Excuse me?" the taller of the two, the one with the big mouth, growled, advancing on the two boys in uniforms.

"You heard me, because while you seem to be complete morons, I really don't think you're deaf. His name is David, not home dog, not blackie, David, so get it right."

"Well well well, we might have taught blackie his proper place, but it looks like we need to put this one in his." Big mouth moved even faster towards Wes until he was so close the younger boy could smell alcohol on his breath. "My grandfather slaughtered your kind like dogs in a little something we Americans like to call World War 2."

"Most of the world calls it World War 2 and those were the Japanese. I'm Korean dumbass." The guy took a swing at Wes, but all the latter had to do was take a quick few steps backwards and the guy fell flat on his face. His friend looked ready to attack next before Wes raised his hand. "I know Tae Kwan Do and I just so happen to be a black belt. Plus the fact that my father is one of the leading prosecuting attorneys in the state adds up to the fact that you really don't want to take another step forward and if you EVER mess with me or my friend ever again you will regret it. Come on David," and without another word Wes turned, grabbed his friend by the arm and kept on walking. He didn't release David until they were safe at the Kim household.

"Wes, David, is that you?" Mrs. Kim called from the living room.

"Yeah Mom, we'll be up in my room," Wes replied, eyes fixed on David before ushering him upstairs.

"Alright honey. Dinner will be ready by five thirty and we're having David's favorite Sloppy Joe's so be ready!"

"Got it!"

Once the conversation was ended Wes closed the door and his eyes burned through David's head which was bent towards the floor. "Want to tell me what's going on now?"

"You shouldn't have gotten involved," David said quietly.

"Like hell I shouldn't have David! Who were those guys? What did they do to you?"

The other boy went silent, not wanting to say anything. It was his problem, not Wes's. Sighing, Wes took David's hand and led him over, sitting him down on the bed. "Tell me. I'm not letting it go until you do."

"This past weekend…" he started out reluctantly, "when you guys were all in Columbus for your cousins' confirmation I went out for a walk, just wanted to get out of the house for a little bit. I had only been out for like…fifteen minutes when I ran into them…They weren't too fond of the fact that I was of…African descent," David said quietly, refusing to meet Wes's gaze.

"Did they hurt you?" his friend asked as calmly as possible.

"They tossed me around a little, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"That's not the point. You shouldn't have to handle that sort of thing at all David. We don't live in the middle ages anymore; only Neanderthals act like they do nowadays. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't your problem," David said, meeting Wes's eyes for the briefest of seconds before standing and walking across the room. His back was to the other boy as he stood in front of the window, but the tremors that plagued his body didn't go unnoticed.

Standing and walking across the room Wes stood just behind David. "Were you scared/" he asked quietly.

There was silence for a minute before David released a shaky breath and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you think they were going to kill you?"

"For a second I did…"

And then there was a hand on David's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before turning him around so that their eyes met. "David, you're my best friend, and if you're scared, if even for the smallest moment someone is terrifying you like that, it most definitely is my problem, okay? Please don't keep something like this from me again."

"I'm sorry Wes," David said, voice thick as he tried to hide his emotions. The younger boy just smiled and pulled his friend in for a hug.

"It's okay now, don't worry about it."

Later that evening if they told Wes's parents what happened, and Wes held David's hand as any friend would, no one would have to know. And if on the off chance Wes taught David a few self-defense moves the next day in gym, well that would just have to be their little secret.