Blaine liked school. He realized that was a weird thing for a teenager to say, but it was true. 

Why?

School may not be heaven, but it was much better than home. 

Why?

It wasn't that he had any major family drama. His parents didn't hate him, he hadn't been abandoned, he hadn't been kicked out for being gay, and he really didn't have any dramatic issues at home. Despite the lack of any glaringly obvious family trauma, though, things weren't good at home. While his parents didn't reject him, they also didn't embrace or support him. He was just...there. It was almost as if he was merely a tenant in their home rather than their son. His family felt more like a group of civil people who just happened to live in the same house for a very long time. It got worse when he came out. They all remained civil, but the atmosphere was always stiff, tense, strained, and uncomfortable. 

All his life, Blaine tried to connect with his parents in various ways, but nothing worked. He tried to win their affection by getting doing well in school, by getting solos, by doing anything and everything he could to try to impress them, but to no avail. His parents would occasionally show mild approval, if he was lucky, but were generally nonplussed by his efforts and achievements. 

Why?

Blaine could never live up to their expectations. He was a burden, a disappointment, a chore. He was adequate—good, at best—but not great. Not enough. 

The only person in his family who he ever felt close to was his older brother, Cooper. 

Why?

Cooper was the one who loved and accepted him, who laughed with him, who listened to him, who cared for and defended him, who cheered him on and encouraged him, who was proud of him, who believed in him, who helped him deal with everything. Cooper was away in California now, though, perusing his acting career. It's great that he's going after his dreams and all, and Blaine is truly happy for him, but he selfishly wishes Coop could come back. 

Blaine had school, though, so it was okay. At school, people were nice and had some good friends. He had good grades. Most importantly, though, he had glee club, where he got his chance to shine and was able to escape his reality and lose himself as he did what he loved. In glee club, Blaine was able to immerse himself in the music, the lyrics, the choreography, and the rush of performing and forget all his troubles, loneliness, and insecurities for a while and he treasured every moment of it. 

Another thing Blaine liked about school was Kurt Hummel. 

Why?

Kurt Hummel was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous man alive. Kurt's chestnut-colored hair, brilliant blue-green eyes, angelic features, seductively swaying hips, and slightly taller lithe, toned physique were emblazoned in Blaine's memory and occupied his thoughts often. There was more to Kurt than met the eye, though, Blaine could tell. Everyone knew Kurt was insanely talented and brilliant to boot, but Blaine could tell there was even more than that, and he wanted to find out what that was.

How he would manage to do that, though, he hadn't a clue. 

Why?

Kurt was the only person at McKinley who hadn't talked to him. He would think Kurt was avoiding him, but that would require Kurt to acknowledge his existence, which he never seemed to do. Sometimes, he would catch Kurt staring at him from across the room in class or at lunch, but that was all. Honestly, it was endlessly frustrating to Blaine. The one person he wants to be noticed by is the one that doesn't notice him. Of course.

Blaine was nothing if not determined, though. He would get to know Kurt Hummel. He just hadn't found a way to do so.

At least, not yet.