Wes straightened up glanced at Blaine and sighed.

"There's no mouse under there."

"Yeah, I guessed he would have hidden himself away by now."

"Yeah, it is possible. It's an old building it's bound to get the odd critter."

"Yeah, thanks Wes."

"It's oaky. How you feeling this morning?"

"Ughh, so this is that hang over thing everybody warns you about hua?"

Wes laughed.

"Yeah, we've all been their mate."

"I hope I didn't do anything too embarrassing."

"No, you just cut loose a little. It was good. I think there's a star under there Blaine. I just hope one day that you'll be able to open up without the aid of alcohol."

Blaine didn't know what to say so he just didn't speak.

"Well, stay cool Blaine." Wes said turning to leave.

The second week of Dalton life seemed to be going a lot better than the first. Blaine was slowly getting into the routine of going to classes then going to Warbler meetings (his favorite part of the day) and spending his evening trying to catch up on the school work. Most of that time was spent in his room, occasionally Wes or Dave would pop by and help him.

Half way through the week he found he had to go visit the library for a French dictionary. He checked his watch 6:54, only six minutes until the library closed. He sighed and rushed down the stairs half running though running in the corridors was not allowed. He got to the big oak doors and pushed them open. It seemed like the closing bell had already been rung. The tables and chairs usually full of people studying or having quiet conversations were all empty. Blaine rushed to the language section and grabbed a French dictionary just hoping he could find somebody to check it out for him.

"You've seen one."

Blaine jumped; he had not heard the Liberian coming up behind him. He turned and smiled.

"Hello Mrs. Green. I'm sorry I'm leaving thing's to the last minute I just realized I needed this."

"You've seen one." She repeated as she took the book from him and walked over to her desk.

"I'm sorry, I've seen what?" Blaine asked as she started to check the book out for him

"One of the little people."

"No. I uh.. I'm sorry I don't really believe in the little people."

"Not many people do these days, but they exist. Things go missing form all over the place, little things, they borrow them, people don't notice. What's a lost needle or a lost watch in the whole school? Nothing."

She handed the dictionary back over to Blaine.

"I'm going now. But I think you should speak to the school nurse. You may uh.. need to get more sleep or something." Blaine said nervously turning to leave.

It was during math class that the teacher brought them in sweets as a treat (apparently he did this occasionally) Blaine took three. He loved chocolate but he was going to keep them for later after class. If he managed to complete that essay for Spanish class then he would be allowed to eat them. It was a little bribe to him. During lunchtime when he went to his room to change the books in his bag he placed the chocolates on the desk next to Pavarotti's cage.

He had gone straight from warblers practice to dinner then to the library to work on that Spanish essay. He entered in a group and picked a seat at a desk that was hidden from view from the Liberian's desk by a stack of shelves. He really didn't want to bump into the mad Liberian again, though it surprised him how nobody else seemed to find her weird. He managed to finish his essay though it took him two hours.

He jogged up the stairs stopping briefly to high five one of the sophomore Warblers. He was looking forwards to getting his chocolates, the little square of fudge; the orange cr�me and his ultimate favorite, the mocha cream. He slammed the door of his room open threw his bag onto his bed whistled to Pavarotti and went to the desk for his chocolates. There were only two there, the fudge and the orange cr�me. He swore he hadn't eaten any at lunch time. He looked under his desk but couldn't see and purple foil wrapper. He sighed and picked up the other two chocolates popping one in his mouth.

Pavarotti trilled at him catching his attention.

"Hello Boy, good day? Spot lots of cute chicks outside?" Blaine asked looking out the window at the tree across the field. "One of us should be able to have somebody special in our lives."

Pavarotti moved his head to one side and chirped.

"Yes." Blaine smiled. "You are somebody special to me."

He sat down and popped the other chocolate into his mouth, he wanted to be able to savor it but for some reason he could only think about Gregory. He could only think about the ache in his heart. He knew there was no possibility of him and Gregory getting together, there wasn't any chance before he changed schools so there definitely wasn't now. But he had always questioned himself, did he really like Gregory? Or was it that he was the only other gay boy he knew and he was desperate to experience.. love? Affection? First kisses and loving glances? To just experience those things that other guys his age were getting to experience.

" Do you think there are other gay guys here? I mean, it's an all boys school and Wes tells me that everybody gets treated the same no matter who they are. Maybe there are other boys like me who were sent here just because they were gay and it's meant to be safer than public school."

Pavarotti jumped down to the floor of the cage. Blaine stopped talking and looked properly at the little bird. Something seemed out of place. He sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair.

"You want dinner?"

The little bird chirped again.

Blaine opened the cage door and unhooked the two little containers one filled with water (with a little yellow feather floating in it) and the other seeds. Blaine took them to the bathroom; he refilled the water container and emptied the seeds into the bin. Back in his bedroom he poured some seeds into the other container and carefully hooked them back onto the inside of the cage. He sat at his desk with his arms folded watching his new pet drink. He suddenly realized why the cage seemed more empty than usual.

"Pav, where has your mirror gone?" He asked. He moved the papers at the bottom of the cage around to look to see if it had fallen. But it wasn't there.

"Did you eat your mirror Pav?" Blaine joked. "I guess I've got to feed you more."

Pavarotti trilled a little song in response.

Blaine forced out a little laugh but he felt unsettled. It was rather odd that the mirror had just disappeared. He remembered the Liberians words. "Things go missing."

"Those bullies hit you on the head a few to many times Blaine." He said to himself. He got up suddenly feeling very tired. Perhaps he needed an early night. He stretched and then started searching through his draws for his favorite t-shirt to go to sleep in. His finger found the grey material without needing to look; it was the softest cotton he had ever felt.

He pulled it out and unfolded it ready to pull it on. But something stopped him. A square had been cut out of the front. It went from the bottom edge upwards about three inches. He shook his head; somebody must be playing a joke on him. It felt odd to think that somebody had been in his room, it was his space. It sent a shiver down his spine to think that somebody had looked through his draws and even opened Pav's cage. He pulled the top on the missing patch showing his belly button. He sighed and got into his bed. He'd have to ask Wes tomorrow, he'd heard that the Warblers liked to play tricks on each other perhaps it was his time. He hoped that was it. He hoped this was a stupid joke and not cruelty. He was starting to feel happy; he was starting to feel comfortable here. He did not want to find that the bullying was already starting again. He wanted just a little more time to be happy.

Blaine sighed, Pavarotti was squawking again. He sighed and turned over in the bed. He wondered if he could just ignore Pav then he might stop. The bird was probably fine he told himself. He was just squawking because he had heard something, perhaps a mouse running around under the floor boards.

"Pav, I love you but will you shut up."

There was a rattling thud. Blaine sat up and quickly reached over to switch on his lamp. He looked over at Pavarotti to find the bird flapping around his cage in obvious distress. Pencils were scattered all across his floor the blue box he kept them in was upturned under his desk. He sighed as he got up.

"It's okay Pav."

He padded on bare feet across the floor trying to avoid standing on the pencils. He bent to reach for the blue box ignoring Pavarotti's loud screeching. Just as his fingers were an inch away from the box it moved. Blaine gasped and straightened up staring down at the box. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The box moved again, jerking forwards as if it had been hit by something inside. He held his breath staring down at the box as it moved again and again. Suddenly he remembered the mouse. He took a deep breath and laughed at how silly he was for jumping out of his skin at something so little. The poor mouse must be so scared. He was obviously just running around under the box bumping into the sides out of fear. Blaine decided to catch it and put it outside.

He grabbed a piece of stiff card from his desk and slid it carefully under the blue box. He held his hand firmly on top of the box and flipped it over.

"OW."

Blaine paused. Did the mouse just say Ow? No it must have squeaked. It just sounded like it said ow.

He looked down at the box. He picked it up and put it on his desk. He slid the card off wanting to see the little mouse inside before he took it to the field. He froze when he saw what was inside. It was not a mouse.

It was a man, a tiny young man no more than three inches tall. He was standing in the corner of the box staring up at Blaine from beneath the rim of a hat.

"I.. I'm sleeping.. I must be sleeping. God please let me be sleeping."