So, yesterday I was a little sick and stayed away from all other forms of human life (which I am also doing today, coincidentally) and this little chapter made its way into the world. I feel like a proud parent, because I was so worried about this, but flossticle read it over for me and i think her reaction was pretty positive, so I hope you like it too! :D

Three

'Hey, Jeremy!' Blaine called, lifting his shoulder bag higher and running to catch up to his friend.

'Oh, hey, Blaine.' The boy turned around, grinning and shot Blaine a nod. 'Ready for gym? This could get nasty.'

'Why?' Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Didn't you hear? Miss Laurens is away because of "personal reasons" and they've brought in a sub who apparently is really bitchy. And you know what we're doing this week right?' Blaine shook his head. Jeremy's voice was hushed when he continued. 'Fitness tests.'

Blaine groaned jokingly and pushed open the door of the locker room. Some of the varsity footballers were already inside, changing for their training session. They were all much taller and considerably more attractive than the other freshmen in Blaine's class.

Don't look. Things will only be bad if you look, Blaine.

He pulled his gym uniform from the locker and dumped his schoolbag inside, before pulling off his shirt and tossing it on top. He really needed to take his gym shirt home and clean it.

'Hey, Blaine?' Jeremy asked, and he turned around to face him. 'Have you got a spare pair of-'

And then Blaine couldn't remember another word. Because Mark Lyons, senior, quarterback and all round hunk had just taken off his shirt.

'Blaine!' Jeremy called again, trying to get his attention, but he was too absorbed in the smooth expanse of skin that was Mark Lyon's upper chest and the hard indentations of his abs. 'Blaine!'

'What?' he said finally, shaking his head to distil the image as Mark pulled on his shoulder pads.

'Do you have a spare pair of socks?' Jeremy's voice was suddenly much lower and his eyes were darting around the room, never focusing on one thing, and especially not on Blaine.

'Yeah, sure,' he said, turning towards his locker. He reached in and pulled out a pair of socks that had been sitting in the bottom since the start of the year, on his mothers' insistence. 'Here you go, Je-'

'Blaine?' a deep voice asked. He turned around, coming face to face with the one person that made his heart race. He was the most popular guy in school. All the girls (and Blaine) wanted to date him, and all the boys wanted to be him.

Blaine was a freshman, he was Chaz Anderson's little brother, a nobody! Bottom of the social food chain! And yet here he was... Mark Lyons talking to him.

'What's your last name, Blaine?'

'A- Anderson.' Mark Lyons is talking to me, he thought, his brain short circuiting.

'Blaine Anderson,' he murmured softly, mulling it over under his breath. 'Are you gay, Blaine?'

Blaine nodded mutely, not daring to speak, not daring to ruin this perfect moment that must certainly be a dream.

'Write down your number,' Mark Lyons said, holding out his hand. 'I want to call you sometime.' There was a catcall from one of the other seniors but Mark waved them off with his free hand.

Blaine took the one offered to him gingerly, scrawling his number on it with shaking fingers.

'There,' he whispered, checking it over in case he missed a digit.

'Thank you, Blaine,' Mark Lyons said, and then he was gone, grabbing a football from the pile near the door and heading out on to the field.

'Blaine are you insane?' Jeremy was tying his shoelaces hurriedly as the last of their classmates filed out of the locker room, many whispering under their breaths.

'What?' he asked, confused.

'You just gave your number to Mark Lyons! Please, tell me you were joking when you said you were gay, Blaine.'

Blaine only shook his head. If this was a dream, he might as well be truthful about it.

'You're a freak, Blaine.'

And that's when he woke up. That's when he realised he wasn't dreaming. Because in his dream, Jeremy would never call him a freak.

What had he done?

It was barely an hour later when the whispers truly started. It was only quiet at first; the odd person would turn in the hallway as Blaine walked past on his way to his locker or his next class. By lunchtime, a few jocks and cheerleaders had stopped to point and whisper to their friends.

And then, while Blaine was on his way to Political Science, his brother had stopped him, pushing him against the wall.

'What did you do, Blaine?' he hissed, shaking his shoulders. 'I got asked by Mark if you really were gay at lunchtime. What am I supposed to reply to that? "Yeah, he's a pretty cool kid?" I'm the brother of a fag! Did you consider what this would do to my reputation before you forced your number on Mark Lyons.'

'He- he asked for it.'

Chaz scowled. 'Just because you like staring at other guys, doesn't mean you have a right to kid yourself that normal people return your feelings.'

Blaine paled. 'I didn't- he wanted-'

'You stay away from Mark Lyons, okay? He doesn't like fags, and he never will.'

'Chaz!'

But his brother was shoving him away and storming off down the corridor.

That night, Blaine didn't talk. His mother asked him what was wrong, but he only shrugged and ate his dinner in silence. He didn't look at Chaz, and as soon as the meal was over, he crept up the stairs to his room.

'Shit.' He slammed his fist into his pillow and tried to stop himself from crying, but the tears fell from his eyes unbidden. 'Stop being a girl, Blaine,' he muttered to himself. 'It won't help.'

But there was nothing he could do. All he felt was anger at himself: for thinking that Mark Lyons was actually interested in him, for letting his emotions get the better of him, for letting himself get caught up in the dream.

There was a ring, and he glanced at his cell phone. The window was lit up with an unknown number and he reached for it. Mark.

'Hello?'

There was only one word replied before the line went dead.

'Fag.'

So if you didn't figure it out, which I hope you did, this chapter is a flashback chapter :D Next chapter will be back to "current" time with Kathryn and Blaine back in the library :) I hope you're enjoying this story and thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You make my day lovely! :D