“Y-yeah. I mean, it might help,” I sighed. We walked downstairs to the basement where the sessions were. Not surprisingly, we found Brittany sitting on the front desk, talking to a few adults. “H-hey Brittany,” I waved as Kurt gave her a hug.

“Hey guys,” she smiled, hugging us both. “I’m glad you’d come Blaine.”

“Yeah well ... I wanna see how it is,” I gave her a weak shrug.

“Well good. Now c’mon, the group starts soon,” Brittany said as she started to lead us to a classroom. “Oh Kurt you can’t come in.”

“What why not!?” I stammered before Kurt could process what she said.

“Because this is a private session. Only for those who’ve been abused. It’s confidentiality.”

“It’s okay Blaine, I’ll wait out here---“Kurt started.

“No no no no no no no,” I whimpered.

“Blaine, that’s the rules,” Brittany said. “C’mon it’s not bad,” she smiled, pulling me into the classroom before I could say anything. I whimpered and started to shake, my eyes darting all over.

“No no no no no no he’s here he’s here,” I rambled, trying to back away. I saw the others around me and I know I look crazy but I know he’ll be here.

“He isn’t here, want me to check?” She asked me. I just kept muttering. “Here look,” she went and opened up all the closets. “No one here,” she said, walking over to the file cabinets, opening the drawers. She was doing it in such a sincere way, not mocking me like the ones in the home. “Nothing in there. Better?”

“Lock the door,” I choked out. She nodded and clicked the lock. “Th-thanks. Sorry,” I added quickly.

“Don’t be,” I turned to see a boy with a grungy but soft look. “We had to take the piano out when Reese came,” he chuckled.

I nodded slowly and took the seat beside Brittany, surveying the others. Besides Brittany, there are two other girls here, and besides me, there are two other boys here.

“Guys this is Blaine and he’s new here and I know him from school. He went to a gay school---“Brittany started.

“An all boys’ school, Dalton,” I corrected.

“Yea, Dalton. But now he goes to McKinley with me now,” Brittany finished. “He’s cool, he always dresses nice.” As to emphasize this, she gestured to my outfit.

“Hey Blaine,” the boy who spoke before waved. “I’m Garret.”

“I’m Ariella,” The girl next to Brittany waved. I spotted the cane next to her, a walking stick used by blind people. Her bangs fell over her eyes.

“I’m Reese, but everyone calls me Schroeder,” the next boy said, and then I realized he had no hands.

“I’m Natalie,” the last girl waved.

“I’m Erik,” the last boy gave a nod.

“And I’m Brittany,” Brittany said. “Blaine, would you like to tell us why you’re here?”

“Because you invited me,” I shrugged.

“And? You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Brittany shrugged.

I fiddled with a loose thread in my sweater. “I-I guess because of my dad. He used to, um, beat me,” I said, surprising myself. It’s funny how easy it was to roll off the tongue now.

“Welcome to the club, Blaine,” Erik let out a chuckle.

“Um yeah,” I scratched behind my neck.

“All your life?” Natalie asked.

I pulled on the thread and shook my head. “For uh about a year. It started when I started dating my boyfriend,” I whispered the last word.

“Oh,” Natalie frowned. “He didn’t like that you were gay?”

“He didn’t like me acting on it,” I sighed.

“I understand. My cousin tried to ‘fix’ me,” she shifted in her seat. It took me a minute, but I understood.

“O-oh sorry,” I squirmed.

“It’s fine. I still have a girlfriend and he doesn’t so there,” she snickered.

“What made it stop?” Garret asked.

I broke I gave up I lost I ran away I was a coward “The last time I thought he was going to kill me,” I pulled my legs up so I was sitting crossed legged in the chair. “So I-I ran away and called my boyfriend and he got his dad involved and they took me to the hospital even after they promised me they wouldn’t and the doctors put everything together,” I rambled. “I thought he was going to kill me and I got scared.”

“It’s okay,” Brittany patted my leg.

“He just was hitting me and he popped my shoulder out and it was just---just dangling there and then he took my hand,” I held out my burnt hand. “And he took it and threw it on the stove. It was on the stove,” I shuddered.

“Ugh why is it always the hands?” Schroeder chuckled. “...Sorry, I use humor to deal with it,” he lifted his hands---no not his hands, his stumps---and gave a weak smile.

“Schroeder’s grandfather, he was living with them, got pissed that he would practice playing the piano that one night whilst he was playing, he was 12, he slammed the key cover down on his wrists until they were nearly off,” Garret explained.

“I used to be so good, that’s why they called me Schroeder, after the Snoopy guy. The one that plays piano?” Schroeder said. “But now...” he sighed.

“S-sorry,” I said, truly sorry. I could barely keep myself together when I saw my keyboard smashed, I could only imagine what I’d do if I could never play again.

“There was a piano in the gym that we had to move cause every time he sees one he becomes this depressed little monkey,” Brittany informed.

“Yea so your little search party thing was not that bad,” Erik laughed.

I had to chuckle. “Alright.”

“He burned your hand?” Ariella asked.

“Yea,” I said.

She moved her hair and the scars across her eyes matched the ones on my hand. “My stepmother put metal spoons over the stove and pressed them against my eyes. She was tired of my ‘dirty looks’ I was giving her.”

“I’m sorry,” I squirmed in my seat.

“It’s okay; it was nearly 12 years ago. It happened when I was four,” she shrugged. “I lived with my adopted parents since.”

“Where do you live now Blaine?” Garret asked.

“I-I live in a foster home but my boyfriend’s parents are working to become certified to take me in,” I said.

“You close to his family?” Garret inquired.

“Yeah ...”

“That’s good, we need people you know. Especially since it’s still fresh. It sucks,” Garret said. “I’ve been in foster care all my life, with strangers all the time.”

“Garret was sexually abused in foster homes,” Brittany pointed out.

I flinched, I don’t know why, but it made me a little sick. “I’m so sorry.”

“Its fine, I’m back with my mom now, so it’s better,” he shrugged. “And I have here. It may seem stupid, but this little group helps.”

“Made me less cynical,” Erik chuckled.

“Well come on, Erik. Everyone else spilled. Even the noobie spilled,” Schroeder teased.

“Oh what we all gotta coffee clutch it?” Erik laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “When I was a kid my dad would beat the shit out of me, up until, erm, last year? Yea I think so. Don’t know why, don’t care to. All I know is that the cocksucker, no offense,” he nodded to me, “is getting his own shit in a four by four cell.”

“It’s sad that he was telling the truth about being a lot less cynical,” Ariella laughed.

I let out another chuckle, this one a bit closer to a laugh. “So um, did you guys start this yourselves?”

“No, Sister Wilma did. There’s other groups here, we’re the teen group, there’s a little kids one, one for adults, a NA group,” Brittany listed off. “Sister Wilma is really nice.”

“This whole church is,” Garret said. “For one they don’t care what you and Natalie are, or the fact that Erik doesn’t even believe in God.”

“Th-they don’t?” It was a stupid, childish question.

“Nope.”

I waited for Blaine outside in the hall flipping through Star magazine. As far as I could tell, nothing terrible was happening. I heard the door lock click, but I figured that was to make Blaine feel better. I heard muffled voices at the other side of the door, but nothing I could make out. Soon I see tiny feet stop in front of me.

I looked up and smiled. “Hi,” I waved to the little girl. She had long blond hair so light it was almost white. She was young, maybe six or seven, and was clinging to a big white stuffed bunny. “I’m Kurt Hummel. What’s your name?”

She just kind of stared at me. I chewed on my lip. “Well, what’s your bunny’s name?”

“I’m Bunny,” she said, talking to through the rabbit. I should have guessed.

“That’s a cute name,” I smiled at the rabbit. “Hi Bunny.”

“She’s Ivy,” she shuffled her feet, the bunny held in front of her mouth.

“Well hi Ivy. That’s a very pretty name,” I smiled at Ivy now.

“Ivy says thank you. And that you have a funny last name,” he heard her giggle behind the bunny.

“Why thank you Ivy, I am flattered,” I laughed.

“And you’re voice is funny.”

“Yes I know,” I laughed again, Ivy’s giggling growing.

“There you are, you’re grandmother’s waiting for you up front,” a nun appeared, grabbing Ivy’s arm gently. “Oh leave this poor boy alone,” she chuckled.

“It’s okay, we were just complimenting each other’s names,” I laughed, as Ivy kept giggling behind her bunny.

“Well say bye to the boy Ivy,” the nun smiled.

“Ivy says bye Kurt! And she wants to know if you’ll be here next week?” Ivy looked up at him with these puppy eyes that would melt Blaine.

“You can count on it,” Kurt saluted. He waved bye as Ivy walked away grinning, holding the nun’s hand. When she disappeared, he heard the door click opened and saw Blaine and Brittany leave with a few others.

“Hey Kurt,” Blaine smiled. He just looked great, like his mind was emptied a bit of all that happened. But I could still see it, behind his eyes where he still looked like a kicked puppy.

“Hey how was it?” I asked.

“It was ... Good.”

“How do you feel?”

“Better,” he smiled.

“Hey Blaine same time next week okay?” a boy slapped his good shoulder lightly.

“Got it Garret,” Blaine said.

“Good cause I have a date here too.”

“W-what?” Blaine chuckled.

“Hey you made friends and I made friends,” I smirked.

We stopped at a diner after the group for some lunch.

“So how was it? Were the other kids okay?” I asked Blaine as we ate.

“Yes mom,” he teased. “It was a group thing not the first day of school.”

“Oh shush,” I swatted him. “Just that one boy seemed a bit ... Scary!”

“Who, Garret? Or Erik? Schroeder’s too chill to look scary,” he laughed.

“Who looked like the rocker wannabe?”

“Garret. Nah he’s cool,” Blaine said, chewing on a French fry. “I think he and Brittany, like, run the group.”

“Oh?”

“Yea. Like everyone talks but they like ask questions and make sure everyone gets to talk.”

“Oh. How is Brittany in the group?” I asked.

“She’s actually very good. She’s a lot smarter than you guys give her credit to be,” he sighed. “So what’s this date I heard about?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, just this little girl I met today. It was weird though, she was talking through a stuffed bunny. But she was cute,” I giggled.

“Awe,” Blaine teased. “That’s so cute you got a little girlfriend!”

“Oh stop it, you’re still the only one for me,” I smiled at him, taking his hand. “I’m glad that this helped you today.”

“Me too,” he said, rubbing his thumb in circles on top of my hand. “I hope it lasts.”

“Why not?”

“Because I go home tomorrow night,” he sighed. “That house doesn’t help.”

“You’re stronger than that,” I kissed his knuckles.

“I doubt that,” I said under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” I tightened my lips.