Define 'Courage': Blaine's life before, during, and after Dalton and Kurt.

This is written in Blaine's point of view. Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk.

*Warning* There is violence and intolerance in this chapter! Rated T for safety.

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I Ran, Kurt

"How many of you would agreed with the statement that all men are created equal?" my English teacher Mrs. Simmons asked after five minutes of allowing the students to answer the questionnaire. Only a few people raised their hands; I was one of them. "Wow," Mrs. Simmons said in surprise. "There aren't that many. Raise your hand if you don't agree."

The majority of the class raised their hands, including Kenneth Grant. He was a tall boy with toned muscles, tan skin, and dark hair. He was attractive, but too much of a jerk for me. Most of the girls had crushes on him. "Would anyone like to share their response?"

"I would," Kenneth said loudly, and Mrs. Simmons smiled and nodded at him. Kenneth stood up and faced the class, looking down at his paper. "I responded saying that I do not agree that all men are created equal. For one thing, there are some men that are athletic and others that are nerdy and wimpy. It's easy to figure out who's superior there. And also, there are men that like women, and then there are men that like other men. Men that are interested in women are obviously far superior to men that like other guys." He smirked arrogantly.

"Thank you, Kenneth," Mrs. Simmons said, clapping her hands. A bunch of the other kids clapped their hands with approval. I couldn't believe how taken in they were with the horrible response he had written. My face turned red and my hands went numb the moment he mentioned "men that like other men." It was almost as if the insult was directed right at me.

When class was dismissed, a girl named Joyce said hello sweetly to me and hurried away. If I was interested in girls, I may have considered asking her out. She had a crush on me, and she was a very nice girl. But I liked boys. Joyce didn't do it for me in that way. I didn't mind being her friend, but I was never going to be her boyfriend. Of course, she didn't know I was gay. No one did. When everyone found out, they would treat me the way Kenneth Grant thought I should be treated. Like a filthy animal. I was filthy because I was attracted to guys.

Tyler Smith was one of my best friends. He was gay, and had bleached blond hair that fell in front of his eyes. I didn't have a crush on him, but I found him attractive. He was rather shy about his sexuality; he didn't talk about guys or dress flamboyantly. He was out and proud, but he didn't flaunt. I hoped that I could be that way after I came out - proud, but subtle. I sat down beside him at lunch, and three boys walked by. Kenneth, Reggie Williams, and Jay Schumacher. Reggie was gangly and practically albino with white hair and silver eyes. He also spoke with a lisp, but he was still one of the most popular boys I knew. He dated almost every girl (all the 'cool' ones anyway), won several superlatives, and was friends with almost everyone (every one who was anyone). Jay was another strange one. He had the oddest face I ever saw, but he walked around thinking he looked like Johnny Depp. As if. The girls seemed to think he looked like Johnny Depp too. I was attracted to boys, yet I didn't see what these girls saw.

The three of them glared at Tyler, just because he was gay. I was uneasy because I wanted to come out soon, and they would be glaring at me soon, most likely. Jay said, "If he wants to eat, he should go do it at a gay bar." The two others sneered, and they were past.

"They're such jerks," I said to Tyler.

"I know, right," he agreed. "The worst thing is when they snap at you for 'checking them out.' Like I would ever be caught dead checking one of them out."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" I chuckled.

"They seem to think that because I like guys, I like all guys," Tyler laughed.

"Ignorant," I muttered.

"Wow, you seem awfully bitter, Blaine," Tyler noticed. "Why are they getting to you?"

"I'm gay, Tyler," I said. I almost couldn't believe the words had escaped from my mouth.

His jaw fell. "Y-you're kidding," he said in shock.

"I'm serious as a heart attack," I argued, shaking my head. "You never suspected it?"

"Well, you were cool hanging out with me," Tyler pointed out. "Most boys would never do that, but I thought you were just pretty liberal." I considered asking him out at that moment. What? He was a cute older guy. I was a freshman, and he was a junior. "Have you told your parents yet? Do they know?"

"No," I sighed.

"Would they kick you out if you told them?" Tyler asked.

"I don't know." It would break my dad's heart if I told him. He was so convinced that he'd raised the perfect son, a boy just like him. I didn't have the courage to tell him just yet.

"My dad died five years ago," Tyler explained. "I told my mom I was gay three years ago, and she was pretty cool with it. I don't know how my dad would have taken it."

"My parents think they know me so well," I said, propping my elbow up on the table. "If I tell them I'm gay, it'll just come up as a big shock."

Tyler squeezed my shoulder shyly and said, "Good luck." He wanted me to tell them.

"Thanks, man," I replied, and I gazed into his eyes. I almost asked him out just then.

When I got home that day, I paced my room for hours and hours. I wrote speeches for how I would come out to my parents; what I would say to them. Nothing sounded right. I tugged at my Polo shirt and fidgeted with my preppy pants. I eyed the Ralph Lauren collection inside my wardrobe, and suddenly wondered if all the fashionable clothing my wealthy parents bought for me during my life had turned me gay. It didn't matter that I'd played several sports and Little League games growing up. Maybe the adorable clothes turned me gay. No, that was ridiculous. People are born gay. I'm not sinning. I was born this way. This was how I was born.

"Blaine, dear. Come down to the dining room. It's time for dinner," my mother Samantha called. "I made fedicini alfredo." Mom had recently become fascinated with Italian food. My dad's mother was Italian, and she'd taught my mom all there was to know about cooking pasta, spaghetti, penne, and fedicini alfredo. My mom was absolutely obsessed now.

I hurried down the stairs to the dining room where my conservative father Richard sat, his nose inside the newspaper. "Hello son, how was your day?" he asked cheerfully.

"G-great," I stuttered nervously. "Just fine. Thank you. How was yours?"

"Splendid," he replied, "except when I had to deal with all my lazy employees at work."

Mom laughed at what he said and handed me my bowl of pasta. "Here you go, honey."

"Thanks, Mom," I said smiling weakly, and I sat and listened to my parents talk about work and current events. I almost considered not coming out to them tonight, but I finally decided to get their attention and get this over with once and for all. "Mom, Dad, may I please borrow a moment of your time?" I asked with an anxious exhale.

"Sure kid, what's up?" Dad asked. Both my parents gave me bright smiles. They wouldn't be smiling in just a few moments. I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, wishing desperately that I could disappear.

"They say that when you're a teenager you make discoveries about yourself," I eased into it. "Those are the years when you start to figure out who you are, who you're going to be, and what you're going to do with your life. I've recently learned something about myself, about my sexuality. What I've learned is that… I'm gay."

Dad took a deep breath the way I'd done. We were similar in many ways; both handsome, intelligent, and charismatic. Physically, the only thing that set us a part was that he was one-hundred percent Caucasian, and I was fifty percent Filipino like my mother. But after tonight, Richard Anderson would see that ethnicity was not our only difference.

"Now, Blaine," Dad chuckled uncomfortably. "I know that some of your past encounters with girls have been rather awkward, but that doesn't mean that you're gay. You just haven't found the right girl yet. Believe me, once you do, you'll be over this phase."

"It's not a phase, Dad," I sighed. "It's who I am. I'm gay. I like guys." I lowered my head and stared at my polished black shoes. "You're not going to kick me out, are you?"

"Of course not, Blaine," Mom promised; she attempted a smile, but it looked more like she was having gas pains. Dad didn't look happy, but he didn't look hateful. Richard and Samantha didn't hate their son for being gay. They weren't thrilled about it either, though.

They were disappointed. I tried not to remember the looks on their faces when I came out to them. I came out to the rest of the world – on facebook, no less. My info had currently read 'Sex: Male.' That's all. Nothing more. The night I came out to my parents I logged onto my computer and added 'Interested In Men.' A few of my friends from school commented on the update and wrote things like "Wow, it's a bummer your account got hacked, man. Once you get it back, you'd better change your info or else everyone's gonna think you're gay." I swallowed and replied, "No, I am Blaine, and I am gay." Some of my closer friends sent me private messages, asking me how the hell I came to this conclusion. I explained to them that I tried to change my sexuality many times, but I couldn't. One or two of my friends didn't care. The others removed me. Some even blocked me. That hurt.

I played sports in middle school, but once I started high school I decided that performing arts were more my calling. I still enjoyed sports, but I'd rather be a part of a choir than a team. While playing sports in sixth grade, I was on a team with Reggie Williams, who was now a junior. I had the misfortune of walking by him in the hallway the day following the evening I came out to the worldwide web. All I did was walk innocently by him.

"Watch where you're leering, queer," Reggie spat at me. What? I wasn't even looking at him! But I didn't stand up for myself. I just kept walking, my hazel eyes staring at Reggie in confusion. The bully continued, "I don't want you staring at my ass, fucking homo."

I didn't say anything in response, but in my mind I said I may be gay, but I'd rather marry a woman than stare at your quote-ass-unquote. I wished that I had the confidence to say this aloud, but how could I? Reggie was one of the most popular boys in school. If I opened my mouth, Reggie and his army of friends would get me. I walked to lunch quietly and sat down with Tyler. He observed my fashionable Ralph Lauren outfit and eyed it enviously for a second.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked. He'd seen the facebook update, so he knew I'd come out.

"Terrible," I replied. "Have people been talking about it?"

"Yeah, especially the girls," Tyler chuckled. "Most of them think it's hot, but a few of them are bummed out. They were hoping to go with you to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Now that you're out of the closet, you might try finding a guy to go with."

I smiled at him. "I think I've found one."

Tyler choked briefly on his drink. "I was being sarcastic, Blaine."

"Tyler Smith, will you go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with me?" I asked charmingly.

"Oh, well… don't you think that's kind of risky? I mean, you've just come out, Blaine. People are really cruel to gay guys, especially when they're together. It might be dangerous for us to go togeth –"

"Why do I have to hide who I am?" I wanted to know. "Why do you? We're not even going as boyfriends or anything, just as friends."

"Don't you get it?" Tyler hissed. "People here wouldn't know the difference."

"Well, they should pay attention," I scoffed. "We're just two gay friends."

Tyler sighed. "Blaine, I really would love to go as your friend."

I gave an irresistible, pearly white grin that made him blush. "Then we shall. You pick me up at seven on the night of the dance. Buy a nice suit. Who says a guy can't look fashionable?"

I was actually very excited about the Sadie Hawkins Dance. On the evening of the event, I borrowed an Armani suit that my father wore to one of his own high school dances. "Are you sure you want to do this, Blaine?" Richard asked. "I say you should think about it."

"I want to go with Tyler, Dad," I replied. "Why is my going with a boy any different than a boy going with a girl? How is it any different from when you went with my mother? Sex isn't everything. I'm not even dating Tyler. We're just friends. I don't understand why people think that because two gay guys go somewhere together, they're dating. People are shallow."

"People are shallow, Blaine," Richard said hesitantly, like he didn't wish to admit that he himself was one of those people. "And I don't want you to suffer the consequences. I think you two should at least bring a girl or two to make it look friendlier, and less romantic."

"You sound just like them, Dad," I said resentfully, and I walked toward the front door when I heard someone beep at me from outside. It was Tyler. I fixed his tie and stepped outside. I got into the car and smiled at my date. "Good evening, Tyler."

"Hello, Blaine," the blond replied, and the two of us were on our way to the dance.

We got out of the car, still laughing about something we'd been talking about on the ride. Tyler stopped laughing and stiffened when he saw Reggie, Kenneth, and Jay standing in a clump in front of the school, glaring right at the two of us. "Blaine," he said.

"Look boys, it's that fag Tyler and his boyfriend," Reggie said, his scowl transforming into a smirk. The same happened to the looks on the other boy's faces. The athletes cracked their knuckles. Reggie decided to call Tyler out since the two of them were juniors and I was a freshman, and in Reggie's opinion, so inferior that I couldn't even be addressed by name. Tyler and I were so afraid that we stopped moving. The athletes lunged forward and attacked. It was a blur for me. All I remembered was that one of the Jay grabbed Tyler and slammed him up against the wall of one of the portables. The blond cried out in pain; I heard a loud crack that hopefully wasn't but very well could have been Tyler's skull. Kenneth grabbed my arms and punched me in the ribs and stomach. I groaned and hollered out at the pain. I'd never been beaten up before, so I'd never expected it to be this painful.

Reggie stepped toward me and sneered. "Ew, I almost don't want to hit him. I only hope that if I touch him, he doesn't like it. Disgusting fag." Kenneth cackled obnoxiously. Reggie cracked his knuckles and punched me in the nose. I could smell the blood. I could taste it as well when Reggie punched me in the teeth. The pain became so much that I fell to my knees onto the cold cement ground. The boys started kicking me in the ribs after all that punching they'd done! Why wouldn't they stop? How could they do this?

Finally, two police officers arrived at the scene and began throwing the athletes off of the us. "What the hell is going on here?" one of the officers demanded. "Why would you boys do something like this on the night of a high school dance?" I supposed that some of the students had seen what was going on, and told the officers who were always at the school because of situations like this. I hoped that the officers would arrest the boys, but a dean came by and said that the athletes were only going to be suspended. Just suspended.

"Don't say I didn't tell you so," Tyler spat, his shoulder smacking mine as he walked by me to the ambulance. I was asked to follow. Tyler didn't speak to me during the ride to the hospital. He only stared down at his nice pants that were covered in blood. My clothes were covered in blood as well. Was Tyler the only one who had the right to be angry? All I wanted to do was go to the dance with my friend; neither of us deserved this.

Fortunately neither of us had been knocked unconscious, but we felt defeated enough to have been. After we were placed in separate hospital beds, the Andersons and Smith's arrived. "I told you not to do this, Blaine!" Richard shouted. "I told you there would be consequences! You're not like those other boys, so you're not man enough to stand up for yourself! I knew this would happen! This is what happens when you're… like you!"

I scowled. "You're telling me that I'm not man enough because I'm gay."

Richard sighed loudly. "Yes! I'm telling you you're not man enough because you're gay!"

"Oh Blaine," Samantha said, trying to make this a little less ugly. She grabbed her son around my shoulders and gave me what she thought to be a comforting hug. She rubbed my back and said softly, "It's alright. You're okay now. It's over. You're safe now, Blaine."

I was glad that Tyler and his family moved to North Carolina only a month later. He didn't want to have to face me every day for the next year after what had happened. It didn't matter. That next year I would be attending school at Dalton Academy, where bullying was simply not tolerated… where one wasn't merely suspended for beating the living crap out of someone else because of their sexuality. My parents had the money Dalton required.

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Author's Note: You all probably think I'm crazy for working on so many stories at once, but with Glee not being on again until November, I am going crazy, pretty much. I need to keep myself preoccupied, so that's why I've been writing so much! I hope to update "TwiLight It Up!" within the next few days. The next chapter of this fic will be where Blaine starts school at Dalton. * Kenneth, Reggie, and Jay are loosely based on some guys I go to school with. *