I unknotted the tie for the 5th time and honestly decided to go business casual. I threw tie on the floor just as Cooper walked in.
"Not going to the dance baby brother." Cooper bent over and picked up my green tie.
"I'm not a baby," I said, "and I can't tie that stupid thing."
Cooper sighed, "Come here." I threw my head back in defeat and dragged my feet over to Cooper.
"So tonight," he started putting the tie over my head, "I want you to have fun. Ignore those losers, they don't know a thing. People will talk their whole life, but you don't have to worry about them."
I looked up at him, "and why not?" Half the school didn't care where as the other half did everything they could to make my life a living hell.
"Because they will never have the courage you, and their older brother isn't the next face of Free credit report dot com." Cooper smiled.
"What?!?" I gasped, "You got in?"
"You know it, tonight is the last night I am Cooper Anderson. From now on I will be that guy from the credit commercial."
"With the smile?"
"With the smile," cooper tightened my tie and pulled me in for a tight hug.
The doorbell rang, "looks like you date is here." Cooper said.
"I'm nervous," I said as Cooper walked to the door.
"Want a shot of tequila?" Cooper asked. I was unsure if he was serious or joking with me. But then he shot me his winning smile and answered the door.
I looked at myself in the mirror adjusting my coat. "Blaine!" Cooper called.
"You can do this Blaine, it’s just Matt, another night with Matt" I told myself walking out the room. Cooper and Mr. Davison were talking when I saw Matt.
He looked amazing, his hair was slicked back like Leonardo DiCaprio in the Titanic, and his soft smile sent butterflies threw my stomach. "Hey," I said weakly.
"You clean up nice Blaine," Mr. Davison said, pulling his camera up and flashing a picture. "I prefer candid photos but Jill insists I get some poses."
Matt walked over to me and gave me a hug, "you look great." We said at the same time and laughed.
The camera flashed again making us laugh harder. "Dad," he complained.
"Sorry." He let the camera dangle around his neck. "Hey Blaine where are your folks? I was hoping to finally meet them."
"They went to dinner at Whiskey, hard to get reservations." I said knowing that they honestly didn't even care about my first real dance.
"Oh yeah, the parking lot always looks full when I drive by. It’s alright, I'll take extra pictures." Mr. Davison said.
"Can I get a 14x11 I don't want my new apartment to be bare," Cooper said.
"Of course, where do we want the pictures?" Mr. Davison asked. He and Cooper started talking walls and lighting.
Matt turned to whisper to me, "Sorry about all this, my mom is one those scrapbook people."
I laughed, "I've seen the room," I joked getting him to give me a wide smile. "It’s not a problem, I think it’s nice." My parents don’t have time, and when we do take pictures they are done professionally. Cooper has always had a shake hand, but he tries.
6 poses and 35 flashes later we were on our way to the dance I was excite. Even as the gossip progressed and the whisper and stares were enough to give us chills. We had fun together. We found our own corner in the gym and just danced, laughed and enjoyed each other’s presents.
Matt took my hand as we walked outside, I was shocked at first but he was so warm we locked fingers and waited by the curb for Mr. Davison to pick us up. Across the street the juniors and seniors were having their dance, the music creating white noise that if concentrated on hard enough you could tell what was playing.
"I'm glad you asked me out Blaine." Matt said, "This beats an episode of Smallville anyway."
"I forgot it came on Fridays, you have to start reminding me to watch it." I said. Smallville was Matts favorite show, I already preorder the season for his birthday, but he didn't need to know that.
"I will," he promised just staring at me for a moment. His gaze screamed kiss me, but I had no idea how, or what to even do. How would I even start something like that? Do I lean in first? My lips are chapped; what if my breath stinks....
He noticed my hesitation and turned away for a moment. I suddenly felt really hot and nervous I hoped he didn't notice how clammy my hand was getting. "Blaine, I really like you," he started, "and I was hoping we can you know."
"Date?" I asked regrettable, why was my voice so high, I cleared my throat and tried again at a normal level. "Matt do you want to be my -b- boyfriend?"
"Hey Fagots!"
I turned my head as saw Aaron the junior football captain and ringleader to my daily dumpster tosses with a few of his friends and fellow torturers walking towards me and matt.
"Come on," matt pulled on my arm to go back inside.
"Where you going fag?" He asked.
"Just leave us alone, Aaron, were not bothering anyone." Matt said as we walked backwards.
"Well you see, you existence bothers me?" He said just before he swung on me punching me flat in the eye.
"Blaine," Matt screamed, couldn't think my eye felt like it popped out and replaced with lemon juice. I felt another punch hit me in the stomach. It wasn't until Matt yelped in pain when I realized I had to save him.
I opened my good eye and charged after Darius and knocked him to the ground. "Run!" I yelled at Matt as someone pulled my arms back and dragged me off Darius.
"You stupid piece of shit." Hit. Hit. "Don't let him go!" Hit. "Chase after him, we have this queer." Hit. Hit. Kick.
I remembered the day I broke my arm on the trampoline. I wasn't support to be out there alone but I left any way, Cooper was inside studying for his Drivers Ed. Test. At 8 I thought the pain was so excruciating I was going to die. But Cooper ran out the house as soon as I screamed. He picked me up and rushed me to the hospital.
That was nothing.
There wasn't a part of my body that didn't hurt. And as much as I screamed, Cooper didn't come save me. No one did.
"Holy fuck, there's so much blood. Stop Aaron." Kick. "No. Fuck that. I'll clean the world one fag at a time." Kick. Kick. Kick. "Come on guys, let’s just fucking go." Kick. "Burn in hell Anderson!" Kick. "AARON!" Kick. Kick.
I couldn’t breath. I was being drowned yet I was completely dry. It was so silent I thought I had gone deaf but then the noises came all at once.
"Oh my god!" "Call the ambulance!" "Who is that?" "Blaine!"
One voice mattered to me and it came closer, "No. No Blaine. Why did I leave?" I needed air. But I needed to tell Matt it’s not his fault more.
I try to move but I can't. Of course if you can’t breathe you can't move.
"Clear the area!" "Mathew gets out of the way" "who did this?" "No! Let me go." "Mathew is that your blood?" "What the hell happened?" "Blaine! I said let me go!"
The sounds started to sound the same, except the unmistakably high pitch of Matt.
So this is what death was. I always thought God would stop the pain. And there would be white, not black. I guess I was in hell...
Being moved hurt too much to cry about, air. Sweet air! I'll never hold my breath again. The pain is dwindling away. What is going on? I should be dead. Why am I not dead?
I asked myself this question a billion times as slow cuts and annoying pricks traced my body. Then the world most annoying beep. It never stopped; I must be in hell because this is too much.
I opened my eyes only this time I saw just fine. I was in a hospital, so much for being dead. I sat up and felt no pain of any sort. I looked around the room and saw nothing but a door. I stood, walked over and opened the door outside was an angry pacing Cooper. I only ever saw him that mad when father did something wrong.
"Cooper?" I said softly.
"Cooper! Where is he?" Mom ran down the hall with father closely on her tail.
"Two fucking hours!" Cooper yelled I jumped back; he never cussed in front of me. The word sounded lethal leaving his tongue. "What was so damn important that it took you 2 hours to get here?"
"I went home to change," mom said, "but I came. Now will you please tell me what is wrong with my son?"
"Unfuckingbelievable,"
"What your mouth young man! That is your mother." Father said.
"It’s been a long time since either of you acted like parents, Michael." Cooper said in a unforgiving tone.
"It’s been a long time since I had boys I was actually proud of." Father said a harsh tone.
"Will you two stop and please tell me what happened to Blaine." Mom said between the angry men.
The door behind me opened as the doctor came out. "Mr. and Mrs. Anderson."
"Is my son okay?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, I'm right here," I told her but like with Coop, she didn't notice me.
"Your son is in critical condition he had major damage to his right side, breaking 4 ribs one in which pierced his lung, and his femur is broken. On his left, bruised ribs and is appendix ruptured. Minor laceration and a very serious concussion that has led to his current comatose state. We also had difficulty on the operating table; we lost Blaine for a moment. But his vitals have calmed down a great deal and we have managed to stabilize him.”
"Can we see him?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, I will have a nurse take you to him." With that the doctor turned and left us.
Mom put her hand over her mouth and held back a sob. "This is all your fault," she said softly to Cooper.
"What?" Cooper stuttered.
Mom kept her back to him as she spoke. "I did want him to go out tonight!"
"Yeah because he gay." Cooper shot back. “It’s not some contagious disease. Nothing about him has changed.”
Mom turned around and slapped him in the face. "You don't know how much this is hurting me right now! Cooper. He should not have gone; he shouldn’t have asked that little boy in the first place. You encourage all the wrong things.“
"You want to hide him from the world. I have never seen him happier then when he is with Matt. So fine I'll take the blame." Cooper took a long breath before he started crying, "I'll take the blame for him being gay too, and I'm the blame for everything he is and chooses to be. Because I'm the one that raised him." Cooper turned and walked away from mom and father.