AN: Set during season 1 of Glee but takes place at Dalton. What were our favorite Warblers up to that year?
Prompt - Frank - "You know, I always believed that nothing ever really changed. I'm old enough that I know that there's always gonna be trouble. War, taxes. Bad guys now are pretty much the same as bad guys have always been. That's not how I feel today. I feel like the world is getting worse and worse and worse. And that what we're watching is the slow, steady descent of the human race." - 'ER'
I had been watching the new kid, Blaine Anderson, since he had first arrived at Dalton. The fact that he had started school on the same day the last quarter of the school year had began told me that he didn't come to our school under normal circumstances. As our lockers in the main academic building were next to each other, I hadn't missed his startled jump when I had losed mine that first morning. Nor did I miss the bruises that hadn't quite faded away yet. From what I had seen the guy was withdrawn from those around him, and seldom made eye contact. I couldn't help but wonder if his lack in any school clubs or groups wasn't simply it being so close to the end of the school year.
After spending a week making these observations I had come to the conclusion that one of the things Blaine needed most was a friend here at Dalton. As no one else seemed to be making the effort, I decided that someone was going to be me.
"Hey," I greeted him as I approached our lockers at the end of classes. I noticed him jump at the sound of my voice and didn't miss the way he immediately clutched a school book to him as if using it for a shield. "Wes Hawkins," I continued, holding out my right hand to him.
Blaine flinched at the motion before he recovered and tentatively shook my hand. "Blaine Anderson," he said in a voice just barely above a whisper.
The reaction to my greeting convinced me fully that whatever had brought Blaine to Dalton had not been pleasant. I didn't know his story, but I didn't need to in order to see that his fear was real. Whatever he had been through had left more lingering effects than just the bruises that had now finally faded away altogether. I couldn't imagine going through something that could leave me that fearful of everything around me. It reminded me again of how sheltered my life had been up to this point.
It also made me more determined to be Blaine's friend not only because he need one, but because even one small act of kindness was a way to fight the evil that the evening news depicted daily.
"How do you like Dalton so far?" I asked, trying to make small talk.
"It's okay," Blaine replied his eyes focused on the floor between us.
"I imagine transferring so close to the end of the school year is overwhelming," I continued, undeterred by his short answer. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were friendships. "I realize you may not want to join anything so close to the end of the school year, but you should check some of the groups out, see what they're like. I'm actually heading to Warblers practice now if you're interested in music," I offered.
Blaine shrugged in reply. It wasn't much, but it was a start.