The following weeks went by the same way. Blaine went to school, got bullied by the other kids and embarrassed by Cooper.

At the Andersons' mansion he stayed in his room, not bothering the rest of the household.

That way late April became early May turned into the middle of June and the holidays where slowly approaching.

Blaine didn't know if he should be happy about it. Holidays meant no school but also more time at the Andersons' house. Maybe they'd go on holiday. He always had to come along and maybe that meant going to amazing places like the south of France, Croatia and even Thailand but it also meant that he had to share a room with Cooper for several weeks, enduring his comments why exactly he was a stupid excuse for a human being.

Maybe he could have enjoyed being away if he could have escaped his family's company but whenever he intended to do so his uncle called him back saying he couldn't risk Blaine getting into trouble.

If they didn't go on holidays, he would be forced to attend a dinner party every weekend. Uncle Vernon was a successful business man and aunt Petunia was very involved in charity.

All of their friends and acquaintances knew of their generosity to take in their orphaned nephew and how they had given him a home and cared for him like he were their own child.

Well, not really but that's what everybody should think.

Appearance was important to the Andersons and so Blaine had to play house with the Andersons as long as visitors were around, just to go up to his room without even a "good night" to feel miserable and alone afterwards.

No matter how Blaine might have dreaded it, the summer came and with it came Cooper's 12th birthday.

When Blaine came down for breakfast on the last Saturday of June, he was kind of taken aback by the pile of presents in the dining room. He hadn't even thought about Cooper's birthday, caught up in his own little world, though his cousin had been gushing about it since Christmas.

Cooper had already opened all of his presents as Blaine sat down. His uncle was eating breakfast, while his aunt smiled fondly at her son. Said son was inspecting his presents, blabbering why exactly he had wanted to have this or that. Blaine plainly stared at his cousin as he noticed that Cooper had a list and a pen and was checking if he had gotten all he had wanted. He seemed to have, if the enormous smile on his face were any indication.

Miss Figg was pouring uncle Vernon another cup of coffee, who ignored her, before she handed Blaine some already cold toast. He had just opened his mouth to thank her as he heard a sharp intake of breath from Cooper and the sound of a pen hitting the ground.

Everybody looked around and Blaine rolled his eyes at Cooper's shocked face.

"What is it my dear?" His mother questioned softly.

Cooper turned his head slowly, waving accusingly at the huge amount of presents.

"Yes son, what is wrong?" His uncle tried carefully.

Cooper closed his eyes, as if he needed to control himself or just cope with a very big letdown. As he opened his eyes again, they shone with disappointment.

"There is no IPod. On my list is: IPod, black, 60GB. But there is no black IPod with 60GB. I have to say I am gutted. I was very happy but now I just feel very, very sad."

Blaine gaped at this cousin. He couldn't believe him. Cooper had gotten a white one with 30 GB for Christmas while Blaine had gotten... oh right Cooper's worn out sneakers...

He turned around looking at his aunt, who was actually looking guilty and then at his uncle who looked thoughtful.

"Cooper my dear... we figured as you already had one you wouldn't need a second..." Petunia started but Cooper cut her off.

"I love music Mummy! I listen to a lot of music and you can put movies on too! I neeeeed another IPod. Don't you understand that?" Cooper sounded desperate. In fact he sounded like a starving man pleading for some bread to prevent him from dying.

Petunia got up and hugged him tight, murmuring comforting words into her son's hair. She looked pointedly at her husband who cleared his throat.

"Cooper? I see your point and I have an idea. Today when we go out, we'll visit town and we'll buy you another IPod. You really do need another one as it is. Is that acceptable?"

Cooper had looked up sending his father a dazzling smile before rushing over to him to embrace him.

Blaine felt like laughing and crying at the same time. This was insane. He looked at Miss Figg, who looked sort of bored by the exchange, glancing at the clock now and then.

As everyone had settled back into their seats, Miss Figg started to speak.

"Sir, I already prepared sandwiches for you, so I'd like to leave once I cleaned up breakfast."

That got Uncle Vernon's attention. He snapped around his head and glared at her in confusion.

"But Miss Figg, you do know that as today is Cooper's birthday you need to look after the boy."

Blaine looked down at his plate. Every year on Cooper's birthday, he, his aunt and uncle would go on a trip. They had gone to theme parks, to museums and on his 10th birthday even to London to see a musical in the West End! Every year Blaine had to stay behind and spend the day with Miss Figg, what meant that Miss Figg would simply usher him out or send him to his room, while she spent the day enjoying herself, behaving like she were the land lady.

In fact it wasn't very different from any other day... what was different, was the knowledge of what he was missing out on, intensified every year by Cooper's vivid report on how much fun he had had doing this and seeing that.

Back in the here and now Miss Figg had just started cleaning up breakfast, saying that it wasn't here fault that Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had forgotten that her free day was the same as Cooper's birthday and that she had plans she couldn't cancel and that they would have to find somebody else to babysit Blaine.

His aunt and uncle were glaring at Miss Figg incredulously while Cooper was pouting.

As Miss Figg left for the kitchen all three Andersons turned to look at Blaine accusingly.

Blaine slumped in this seat. This was clearly not his fault!

"I guess he could just stay at home alone... he is nearly 11, isn't he?" Aunt Petunia remarked, glancing at her husband.

"No we can't risk that. Knowing him he'd burn the house down and how would we explain that to our neighbors and friends? They'd think we didn't take care of him."

Blaine snorted lightly which was ignored by everybody present.

"Well then I guess we have to take him with us to the zoo?" was his aunt's next suggestion.

"But Mommy" whined Cooper: "I've been looking forward to spending the day with you and daddy all year!"

Aunt Petunia rushed to hug her son again. Blaine couldn't believe how dramatic his cousin could get. He wouldn't have had a problem with being left in the house, gaining the opportunity to walk around the house without feeling like an intruder. He was positive that his uncle was hinting at the whole Blaine equals trouble thing but he really couldn't think of how he could set fire to the house by accident!

Cooper was still whining, his mother's arms tight around him as uncle Vernon had another idea.

"Maybe one of our friends could take him for the day."

"They wouldn't understand why we don't want to take him Vernon" Petunia answered: "They'd say that it were a great opportunity for our boys to learn something and to spend time as afamily." She pronounced the words ''our'' and ''family'' like they were something absurd and Blaine could feel a ping of pain in his chest.

He closed his eyes, blocking out the conversation, which was happening over his head, to ignore all the feelings he tried to suppress every moment of his life. It hurt.

His eyes opened again as he heard Cooper joining the conversation.

"Wait. You think Blaine could learn something by going to the zoo?" He looked at his mother, searching for confirmation. Petunia looked at Blaine and then back at her son, ruffling through his hair.

"I guess love. People say that it is very educating for kids to visit the zoo." Her voice was soft and she smiled as her son nodded thoughtfully.

Blaine had no idea where his cousin was going.

"We should take him." Cooper said with sudden determination. A confused silence took over the room until Blaine bursted out: "Why?"

Petunia's and Vernon's eyes had flickered to their nephew for a moment but quickly focused back on their son, waiting for an explanation.

"Because" Cooper said in a sing-song voice and a sympathetic look, as if he doubted Blaine's intelligence: "You're marks are under average and I still hope that there is just a small light in your head that just hasn't been lit yet." He smiled at Blaine encouragingly, who just stared back.

He wasn't stupid. It was just that nobody really bothered teaching him properly and as soon as he struggled everybody just gave up on him.

"That is really nice of you sweetheart" he heard his aunt say while his uncle added: "Are you sure son?"

Cooper nodded frantically, still smiling at Blaine.

"Okay then" his uncle stretched: "It's settled. Get your jacket boy. We're leaving in ten."

While Cooper went back to check his presents and his parents started a mental conversation, starring into each other's eyes, Blaine left the room and leaned against the staircase to process what had just happened.

He had always wanted to go on one of these trips but a day with the Andersons just had to turn out essentially awkward! Cooper might want to take him because of his very twisted reasoning and aunt Petunia would be sure to ignore him but it was clear to him that his uncle didn't want him to come.

Right on cue, Vernon entered the entrance hall and approached him. Even though this man was the brother of his late mother, Blaine found it hard to believe that they were related. He just looked like an older, sturdier version of Cooper, with his blue eyes and brown, short hair. You could see that he had been an athlete in his youth by the way he moved, sure of himself and spry but that he had aged and settled down. Only in his face was something that Blaine seemed to remind him vaguely of the woman in the picture in his room.

Still, even if they had looked alike the coldness in Vernon's eyes was a sharp contrast to the warmth of Blaine's or Lily's.

His uncle came to a halt several feet away from where Blaine was standing.

"You are coming to the zoo with us and I expect you to behave yourself. No funny business, no trouble. Get it boy?"

His uncle stared him down, arms crossed over his chest and as Blaine managed to nod, his uncle turned on his heel, reentering the dining room without a second look towards his nephew.