Prompt: Dumbledore - "Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself." -'Harry Potter'

"Porcelain, is that true?" Principal Sylvester asked.

I nodded my consent, hoping that it would be enough.

"That's not true. I didn't say anything," Karofsky protested, which told me I needed to speak up. I wasn't letting him walk all over me again.

"That's what he said. He said he would kill me if I told anyone."

"Told anyone what?"

At that question it was Karofsky turn to feel fear. The feeling that I had been living with the last few weeks, was clearly evident on the bully's face. In this moment, Dave Karofsky, didn't seem so terrifying to me. Instead, I could see what he truly was - a scared and confused adolescent. I could see myself in him. I could identify with him for once.

I remembered what it was like trying to hide from who you really were. All the energy spent denying to others and to yourself a label because of the stigmatism that label represented. I hadn't wanted to admit that I was gay because society said that it was wrong. By aligning myself with that label I would set myself even further apart from my peers.

All any teen wanted was to fit in. To be liked by the people that you shared a building with five days a week. They wanted to hear their parents say that they were proud of them, even when we made mistakes.

I spent so much time hiding in fear from who I was, that I had made myself miserable. The first time I had admitted that I was gay to Mercedes felt like a weight being lifted from me. It was a relief to not have to lie to my best friend anymore. And then my Dad had said those words every teen wanted to hear. He had told me he was proud of me and I couldn't help but wonder if he still would be if he knew the truth. So I had told him and found out that it didn't change anything. My Dad still loved me and was still proud of me. I had spent all those years afraid for no reason at all.

Things may not have gotten all better, I still faced problems, but admitting who I was hadn't made things worse and at least now I wasn't lying to myself.

As much as I wanted Karosky to come to that realization, I knew it wasn't something I could force on him. He needed to take that step when he was ready to do so, and as Blaine had said weeks ago, it didn't appear it was going to be any time soon.

"Just that he was picking on me."

Karofsky's relief was evident and no matter the outcome, I knew I had made the right decision.

*Dailogue from "Furt"