The following week, Kurt and Blaine did their best to stay together, making sure that neither of them was alone for long. The school year was drawing to a close and with that came final exams. They spent every moment together, studying for their shared tests and helping each other with the classes. Without even realizing it, Blaine and Kurt started to blur the lines of friendship.

“I’m sure you did fine, Kurt,” Blaine said, peering over his shoulder and rubbing his back to calm him.

“I’m just not a math person.” He squeaked, “I’m so worried about that exam. It’s worth 40% of our grade!”

“Kurt, relax! We studied for hours.” Giving him a quick hug from behind. “I’m sure you did very well.”

Kurt tilted his head up with a smile, leaning onto Blaine’s stomach.

�

The bell rang signifying the end of the school day and the last day of the year. Kids scrambled out of the building, eager to start their summer vacation. Kurt and Blaine walked out of the school together and hopped onto their bus. They talked about their excitement about the summer and the plans they want to make.

“Can we go to the beach again this year?” Blaine practically begged, tugging on Kurt sleeve, “I had so much fun the last time we went.”

“Ugh, Blaine you know how I hate the beach. I’m so pale, I feel like I’m glowing!”

“We can tan if you want?”

“No, you’ll tan. I’ll burn, then freckle.” He said with a laugh.

“Come on, Kurt, it won’t be that bad! Pleaaaase?!”

Kurt looked at him with kind eyes. How could he say no to that face?

“We’ll see.”

Blaine practically bounced out of his seat. It wasn’t a complete yes, but it wasn’t a no either.

They jumped off the bus fifteen minutes later at the bus stop and walked arm in arm down the road to Blaine’s house.

“I’m so excited for tonight.” Kurt said contently.

They had planned out their afternoon earlier in the week. After school, they would take the bus to Blaine’s house and then have a Harry Potter movie marathon to celebrate the end of their eighth grade year and the start of high school. Later when Blaine’s parents came home, they were going to have a bonfire in his backyard, with the supervision of Mr. Anderson, to burn their old school papers.

“Me too.” He said, blushing lightly.

What Kurt didn’t know was that Blaine had been planning something else all week. He had finally decided that he was going to tell Kurt he loved him. It was going to be perfect. That night, around the fire, while they were sitting close, Blaine would take Kurt’s hand and tell him about his feelings. And with any luck, Kurt would feel the same and they could start their freshman year together, not just as friends but also as boyfriends.

“Oh crap!” Kurt said, pulling Blaine out of his daydream.

“What’s the matter?”

“I forgot my movie!”

“Which one was it?”

“The first one, The Sorcerer’s Stone,” Kurt said with a sigh, “Do you mind if I call my dad real quick? I’m sure he can bring it over.”

“That’s a good idea, that way we can get everything set up while we’re waiting.”

Kurt pulled out the new cell phone he had gotten for his birthday to make the call.

“Hey, Dad… Good, how are you? … Oh, sorry. I was wondering if you could bring me my Harry Potter movie? … Yeah, the first one… Awesome, thanks so much, Dad. I’ll see you in a bit… Love you too. Bye.”

“Everything all set?” Blaine smiled.

“Yup, he said he’ll be over in about 15 minutes or so.”

“Great, I can’t wai-” Blaine stopped in his tracks. Kurt stopped after a few steps, looking at him with a quizzical expression.

“Blaine? Blaine, what’s wrong?”

“Yeah, Blair, what’s wrong?” called a voice. Kurt’s head whipped around to see Jeremy and James Bubb standing with arms crossed, blocking their path.

“Everything seems perfect to me,” said his twin.

Kurt backed into Blaine, who put an arm in front of him protectively.

“Stay away from us, Jeremy,” Blaine warned, “I mean it.”

“Whatever do you mean, Blair?” James sneered.

“Blaine.” He corrected through his teeth.

“You know, we’ve had it up to here with your attitude, Blake. You and your little princess,” Jeremy said, pointing to Kurt while taking a step forward. “We don’t like the way you have been acting.”

“Acting? Acting how?” Blaine asked, taking a step backward, trying to keep a good distance between them and the brothers.

“Touching each other, hugging, holding hands, it’s not normal. No one wants to see you and that little fag of yours-”

“Don’t you dare call him that!” Blaine shouted. Kurt winced at the words, looking down at his feet, shaking in fear.

“We’ve gone easy on you so far, Anderson. I think it’s time you got what’s coming to you.”

“Blaine,” Kurt whispered, “run.”

Simultaneously, Kurt and Blaine turned to run the opposite direction only to run into something in their path. In front of them stood a tall blonde boy with cruel grey eyes. He was clearly older than the four other boys, at least fifteen or sixteen. He towered over them with a sneer across his face.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The boy asked, pushing them back.

“Took you long enough to get here, Aaron.” James called, advancing with his brother.

“Yeah bro, we were gonna have to start without you.”

Blaine grabbed Kurt’s wrist and took off into the woods next to Blaine’s house. They wound through the trees, trying to escape.

“Blaine,” Kurt panted, “Blaine, I think that’s the older brother Jeremy and James have been talking about.”

But Blaine didn’t have time to respond. He stopped them short, just barely dodging a rock barreling past their heads. The frightened boys turned to find that the Bubb brothers had surrounded them in the small clearing. Blaine backed Kurt up near a tree, trying his best to protect the boy he loved. Aaron advanced slowly on Kurt and Blaine, a large branch in his hands.

“Nowhere to go, fags,” he spat.

“Why are you doing this?!” Kurt shouted over Blaine’s shoulder.

The three brothers laughed in unison, “Why?” Aaron gawked, “You should know why! I know that my younger brothers have told you enough times. The world is no place for faggots like you.”

Blaine blushed deep red, thinking about how much he cared for Kurt. How he would do anything for him.

“So since you seem to refuse to change, you worthless piece of shit, we’re going to have to beat the gay out of you.”

The twins took their cue and pulled them apart.

“No, Kurt! No! You won’t get away with this!” Blaine bellowed. “You’re insane-”

Suddenly Aaron swung the branch smacking Blaine across the face and sending him spiraling to the ground.

“Blaine!” Kurt shrieked. He elbowed Jeremy in the stomach, effectively escaping his grasp. Aaron moved menacingly toward the boy on the ground as he tried to pick himself up. The older boy kicked Blaine in the stomach, making him cough and collapse again. Jeremy, recovering from Kurt’s attack, rushed to grab Kurt’s arm and bent it behind his back. “No! Blaine! Stop, please stop!” He sobbed.

“Stay back, fag,” Aaron hissed, hitting Blaine on the back with the branch.

The green-eyed twin made to cover Kurt’s mouth to stop his screaming. Kurt quickly bit down on Jeremy’s hand, breaking free once again, and made his way to Blaine.

“I said, stay away!”

Aaron swung the branch again, hitting Kurt on the shoulder and sending him to the ground. Kurt, set on his goal, inched toward Blaine to cover him for further harm. Aaron grabbed Kurt’s arm and threw him off the trembling boy. He towered over Kurt, placing his foot on top of one of his legs, holding him down.

“You’re an abomination,” He spat, “The next time I tell you to do something, you better fucking well do it!”

As he said those last two words, Aaron put all his weight on Kurt’s leg, causing a sickening crack to fill the clearing. Kurt screamed in pain, his vision becoming blurry.

How did this happen? How did they get to this point? How had such a perfect afternoon turned into such disaster?

“Kurt?” Blaine moaned, struggling to his knees.

“Blaine,” he whispered in response, tears streaming down his face before blacking out.

“Ugh, don’t you fags know when to stay down?” Aaron groaned, grabbing Blaine by the collar and punching him in the face, sending him back into the tree behind him.

“Kurt?!” called a voice from the edge of the woods. “Kurt?!”

“Shit, Jer, James, let’s go!” With that, the Bubb brothers took off in the opposite direction, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the clearing.

“Oh my god, Kurt!” Burt’s voice choked out as he approached them. “Oh my god.”

He dropped the Harry Potter DVD he was still carrying and immediately pulled out his phone to call an ambulance. He fell to the ground, pulling Kurt into his arms.

“Kurt,” Blaine said again, wanting to be with him but unable to move from the pain. He could already feel his eye swelling closed and he was pretty sure his nose was broken. Blaine felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Kurt, his Kurt was unconscious just a few feet in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. Burt began whispering to himself, crouching over Kurt’s limp body.

“…it that damned kid’s fault…I’m so sorry… this never would have happened… Kurt, Kurt please… if that kid had never come here, you’d be fine… oh god… never again… we’re getting you out of here… never again…”

Blaine began to weep. Burt thought it was his fault they had been attacked. Maybe it was. He was the one with a crush on a boy after all. But there was nothing wrong with that; it was everyone else who was wrong. Feelings like this couldn’t be wrong… could they?

The ambulance showed soon after, along with Blaine’s father, taking the boys away separately.

Blaine just stared at the roof of the car with his one good eye the whole way to the hospital. Through the radio, the ambulance played music softly.

�

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

�

Blaine didn’t get a chance to see Kurt as they entered the hospital. Kurt was sent to the ER right away. He sat alone in his hospital bed with a large bandage across his purpling broken nose, while Mr. Anderson filed paperwork at the front desk. The room was dark and grey and anything but inviting.

Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again

A few days later, Kurt left the hospital on crutches with a cast on his leg. He looked back at the hospital, wondering where Blaine was. He hadn’t seen him since he’d passed out in the clearing and his father refused to talk about him. Was he alright? Was he hurt too?

And it's someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And that’s faith and trust and peace while we're alive

�

Blaine walked through his front door to be greeted with a hug from his mother. He winced, still tender from the beating only a few days beforehand. His parents guided him up the stairs to his room to rest. He asked his mother about Kurt, rubbing the itchy bandage on his nose carefully. Katherine told him that he was fine, but nothing more.

And the one poor child that saved this world
And there's 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

A week later, Blaine snuck out of his house to see Kurt. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen him. He just had to know that he was all right. As he bounded up the street, Blaine could see Mr. Hummel’s car pulling out of the driveway, the backseat filled to the roof, Mrs. Hummel waving goodbye.

Blaine slowed his pace, stopping in front of Kurt’s mother.

“Where are they going?” He asked out of breath.

“A boarding school.” She said brokenly, patting Blaine on the shoulder and turning back toward the house.

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again

�

For days, Blaine didn’t leave his room. How could he? His best friend in the entire world was gone. And he didn’t even get to say goodbye.

His parents, concerned about him, bought Blaine a guitar to have something to focus on. At first, he couldn’t look at it, but as days turned into weeks and weeks into months; he picked it up and taught himself a few chords.

Blaine’s voice rang out in his room singing the song that he could not shake with all the emotion he had been holding in:

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again