Kurt Hummel wasn't a loner per say. He had Rachel and Mercedes to talk to, both who shared his ambition and dreams, and who also knew what it was like to not be like everyone else. Kurt was gay, openly and proudly, but the other students at William McKinley didn't see him as his two friends did; they outcast him and bullied him heartlessly every day. The words of what they would say echoing through his mind on constant replay...as if hearing them in the first place wasn't bad enough.

    He sat crossed legged on the sidewalk, wishing one of his two friends would come and sit with him. But Mercedes was away on a two week vacation; it was senior year and her family wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before she left for college the next year for summer. Rachel on the other hand had simply decided to go sit with her boyfriend that day. Leaving Kurt by himself sitting on the very outskirts of the outdoor half of the lunchroom, watching his classmates laugh and talk amongst themselves and occasionally point in his direction and laugh. Each giggle rammed into him like a dagger, he wanted so desperately for his classmates to like. It had been almost four years in this hell hole and still no one but his two friends talked to him besides the bullies. A pain sprung up in his ankle and he adjusted his boot so he could relieve the friction of the material on his wounds.

  As he reached down the sleeve of his jacket slid upward revealing the several red and pink marks along his wrist and arm. He stared at them with anger and guilt, and also planned to add several more that night.

 Kurt Hummel never wanted to be one of THOSE kids. The kind who injured themselves to feel alive again, to feel anything but the misery and hatred. But in his junior year of high school one of his more active bullies had pinned him in the locker room and stole away the one thing everybody looks forward to getting rid of with someone they love. But David Karofsky not only took Kurt's first kiss, he took away what should have been Kurt's first sexual experience with a man. Nothing penetrative to Kurt's joy, but still enough to cause him to run home and rip his arm open with a pair of scissor; and again the next day when Karofsky threatened his life if he told anyone about it. Since that day every slushie in his face,  every cruel word spoken to him and every physical act of violence toward him caused him to run home and hurt himself. His arms and ankles were covered in scars, and even more in places easier to hide. He was so very tired of wearing jackets in the summertime and boots when it was hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk.

  Yet, almost every day he gave himself another scar to hide.

The memory of David Karofsky and the lock room filled his head and he fought back the urge to scream. He could still feel Karofsky grinding against him, the friction irritating his member through the jeans he was wearing but it didn't seem to be the same for Karofsky as he released himself into his shorts then send Hummel off to his home. Crying and hysterical.  Lost in thought, and feeling terribly alone he almost didn't notice the shadow approaching on the sidewalk.

    Kurt Hummel's eyes followed the shadow up to a very fit and slightly short body. This led up to a handsome face, a face which, was smiling at Kurt encouragingly to take his extended hand and shake it. The pale skinned boy reached up and shook the enthusiastic boys hand and smiled when he introduced himself as Blaine Anderson.

   "What's your name?" The tanned boy asked Kurt, who was still sitting on the concrete looking up and squinting towards the sunlight. "Kurt." He replied as he looked away from Blaine. He'd heard about Blaine, he was the new kid at McKinley and a junior. According to Mercedes he was also gorgeous, a statement which Kurt Hummel could now agree to whole-heartedly.  

  Blaine looked at the spot next to Kurt on the concrete and shifted his lunch to one hand to gesture at the free spot with his free one. "I hope you don't mind but the other kids here don't come off as very nice or gay friendly for that matter, but you seem nice. Do you care if I sit with you?" Kurt scooted slightly and waved his hand as if he didn't care. But his mind was racing as Blaine sat down and hummed quietly to himself while he ate his lunch. Is he gay? There's no way he's gay. But he said that the other seemed homophobic, but what if he's just saying that because he knows I'm gay? Oh shit he's talking wait.

"..came here from Dalton Academy because my dad got a new job. Is it nice here?" Blaine looked at Kurt with honest and happy eyes, inviting because Kurt rarely got pleasant looks from people. He thought of his reply carefully, he didn't want to scare this kid on his first day. "Well, your hunch was right Blaine. The kids here aren't very gay friendly, but it's a good school for the most part. Academically you'll get where you need to go." Blaine nodded at the reply, taking a bite out of his sandwich before replying. "That's good. But the homophobia thing is a little eerie. I'm gay, you see and-" Kurt cut him off. "You're gay?!" Blaine looked taken aback by Kurt's surprise, he replied quietly: "Yes, I am. I hope that doesn't bother you." Kurt looked into this near-strangers eyes and assured him that he was gay as well so, no, it doesn't bother him. Blaine smiled and nodded and continued to chatter on. For the first time, Kurt was engulfed in a conversation that wasn't fully about boys, shoes and or shopping. He learned that Blaine Anderson was a sucker for a good Disney movie, loved football, and played a number of instruments.

   "Does this school have a Glee club?" asked the shorter boy when there was a lull in the otherwise active conversation. Kurt paused, there was a glee club; he wasn't in it because those kids got picked on almost as much as he did. He figured if he was in that club that the bullies would never leave him alone. But this Blaine kid seemed pretty grounded and strong. Besides, who knows, he might have been a good singer. So Kurt nodded and told Blaine about the New Directions.

   "Do you know how to sing?" Kurt added on.

"I was the lead soloist at Dalton for our glee club, the Warblers. We were like rock stars around there." Blaine said with a grin and a small laugh. Kurt laughed too, out of irony. "The glee club here aren't the same, they aren't exactly considered cool." Blaine shrugged. "As long as I get to sing I'm content with whatever may get thrown my way."

"Even if it's a cherry slushie?" Kurt replied, looking at the look of surprise on the other boys face. "Do they throw those at them?" Kurt nodded solemnly. "Well, it doesn't matter. I love to perform and glee club will look good on a college application for NYU." Blaine stated. It was Kurt's turn to be surprised. "You're going to New York?" Blaine grinned and replied "Absolutely. It's where stars are born, and I want to be a musician with everything I have. It's my dream. What about you? Going anywhere after high school?"

  Kurt thought about it. He knew he wanted to go to New York as well, and for a split second his mind wandered to the fact that maybe he might go with Blaine someday. Then he snapped back to reality, this kid has sat with him once and already he was planning a future...relationship? Friendship? Something spectacular with a boy who he'd known for 20 minutes. He shook the thought off and replied that he also planned on heading to New York after college to pursue a Broadway career.

  Blaine smiled a toothy grin, and elbowed Kurt in the side before saying: "Who knew I'd find a fellow New York dreamer huh?" Kurt let a shy smile creep onto his lips. Okay, maybe I like this guy a little too much. His baby blue eyes looked up and he was surprised to find Blaine's hazel eyes giving Kurt a once over before smiling at him. Kurt blushed, and just then the bell rang. Signaling lunch being over.

  Blaine stood, brushing the dust off his khaki pants before turning to Kurt to help him up. The boys disposed of their lunch before turning to each other. For a moment they stood awkwardly before Blaine spoke up. "Do you always sit over there?" Kurt nodded and Blaine continued, "Do you mind if I sit with you again tomorrow? I'm still relatively new and you're really awesome to talk to." Kurt blushed slightly again and nodded. Blaine grinned, "Great! I'll see you tomorrow then?" The taller boy nodded once more and was surprised to be wrapped in a quick hug before watching Blaine waltz away from him towards his class. He took off too, not wanting to be late and walked into his Journalism class only to find Blaine sitting at a desk in the back. A desk that just so happened to be next to Kurt's assigned seat, Blaine looked up from his schedule and smiled when he saw Kurt standing, star struck, in the front door. He grinned even wider when he found out Kurt's seat was next to his. Kurt couldn't remember much from that period, as he and Blaine sat in the back stealing glances at each other occasionally. He was fascinated by this boy, and it seemed his interest may have been getting returned.

  Maybe this year wouldn't be too bad for Kurt Hummel after all.