Chapter Text
It was an afternoon just like any other. The changing room was filled with giggling girls, all changing from their gym class. Even so did Rachel Berry. She was 12, almost 13 years old, which meant she was practically a woman. Well... not really.
"What's the matter, Lucy?" Rachel heard some girl shout. "You're afraid to shower?"
"I forgot my towel." a shy and shaky voice replied.
"On purpose, of course."
"No-"
"Lucy Caboosy doesn't shower, because she is too fat and she's ashamed of it. I see."
Rachel decided she had heard enough of this, and stood up.
"Leave Lucy alone!" she shouted.
The girl picking on Lucy turned around, frowning.
"You're just as much of a loser as her, Rachel." the girl said, "Are you even supposed to be in this grade? You look like you're ten with that outfit. And your chest is flat as a toddlers."
Before Rachel could respond, the girl had walked off. She was alone with Lucy.
"Are you okay, Lucy?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah..." Lucy replied.
"Is there something I can do for you?"
Lucy looked up. "Can you... call me Quinn?"
Rachel smiled. "Of course. Quinn."
In the changing room on the other side were a bunch of boys changing. They giggled just as much.
A boy had a haircut that resembled a mohawk, but still not quite, as if he had cut the hair himself. This boy was currently spraying axe all over himself as he talked to his friend.
"Dude!" he exclaimed, "I don't know why everyone complains about this axe body spray, it's awesome!"
"Well, some people has asthma and stuff." the other boy shrugged, "So maybe they can't breathe because of the strong smell."
"They can get their ass-ma stuff cured by getting used to it. I'd rather have this manly smell all day instead of sweating, you know?"
"Yeah, I guess."
On the other side of the changing room was a boy that was rather quiet. He wore a vest and a cute little bowtie. Very fancy for a preteen boy. He was just about to pack his things and walk out, but the axe sprayed boy stopped him.
"Hey!" he shouted, "Girly boy!"
The fancy dressed boy ignored him and continued to walk out.
"Hey! I'm talking to you."
"Leave him alone, Puck." his friend said. "He hasn't done anything to you, and we're late for next class."
"Why do you care about next class, Finn?"
"Because my mom says if i'm late to history again, she'll take away my nintendo."
"Dammit!" Puck exclaimed.
"Don't swear, coach Beiste can hear you." Finn replied. "Or worse, coach Sylvester."
"I was planning on playing super smash bros at your place today." Puck sighed. "If your mom takes away your nintendo, what are we gonna do? Homework?"
Finn smiled. "Well, then I guess we have to hurry to class."
Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman (Puck for short) were best friends, and the school's troublemakers. Or, Puck was the troublemaker and Finn just happened to help him because he had nothing better to. Both boys had single moms. Finn's dad was dead, and Puck's dad was just a jerk who left his family.
They ran across the hallway to get to history class. Puck knocked over a bunch of trashcans on the way for whatever reason.
"We're here!" Finn announced.
"Finn, Puck." Mr. Schuester said. "We started a minute ago."
"Oh noooo..." Finn said.
"Hey boys, don't worry. I haven't even called up names yet, so you can just take a seat."
Finn looked relieved. "Thanks."
Kurt Hummel came home from school. He sighed. He had read a lot of books about kids in middle school telling the reader how hard it was, but Kurt thought they just were exaggerating. Turns out, they were not.
Kurt had some friends in school... well, not close friends. There were two people in the grade under him named Tina and Artie. They ate lunch together sometimes, and once Kurt played video games at Arties house. But since they were in the grade under, they didn't have the same scheduele as him, and so they couldn't always hang out. Besides them was a girl named Mercedes, but she hung out with everyone. So Kurt hung out with her maybe, once or twice every other week.
Kurt took ballet on wednesdays, and there was a boy from his school there named Mike. However, Mike and Kurt would never interact at school. Mostly because Mike didn't want anyone to know he took ballet, and Kurt honestly didn't want it either. Ballet was fun, it was a time to feel a bit of freedom from school and everything. But, if people in school knew they took ballet? It would destroy everything. So Mike and Kurt more or less agreed to never speak to each other in school unless they had to, in case someone figured out they went to ballet together. In their minds, if someone saw them as much as laugh together, they could conclude the boys took ballet. Maybe it was a silly idea, but it was safer that way.
There was one friend Kurt had outside of school. Every tuesday and friday, Kurt would go to an all boys choir group. They were pretty good, their coach even thought of signing them up to a singing competition. In that choir group was a boy named Blaine Anderson. Kurt felt special around him. He wished he and Blaine went to the same school. Blaine seemed so confident, and he sang really well. Kurt did, too. None of them had hit puberty yet, and Kurt was a bit happy for that. He was afraid both of their voices would be ruined by the voice cracks.
The happiest day of Kurt's life was once when Blaine's mom was late, so Kurt's dad said he could come home to their house. Blaine was only at Kurts house for half an hour or so, but it was awesome. They were in Kurts room, and Kurt showed him all of his stuff. Blaine liked Kurts vests and bowties. Kurt even showed Blaine something he had hid away in his closet. It was a doll made of porcelain he had bought for his own money, and who he only played with inside the closet.
"My dad doesn't know I have it." Kurt admitted. "And I know porcelain dolls are a girls thing, but... I thought it was so pretty, and it was so cheap!"
"I think the doll is cool, Kurt." Blaine said.
"So you're not gonna bully me for it?"
"Of course not. I actually would rather want that instead of all the video games and beyblades I get as gifts. It's like... your own little child you take care of."
"When I get home from school, i'm usually sitting in this closet and pretend i'm a father coming home and comforting his child who has been alone and scared all day."
Blaine was silent for a moment. Kurt was nervous and wondered if he had overshared.
But then Blaine took his hand.
"Can I join you and your porcelain child? In the closet?"
Kurt gasped. "Yeah." he squeaked. "Sure."
The two boys then walked into the closet, and sat themselves down. They were silent, as if they were hiding. But it was comforting. They sat there until Kurt's dad announced Blaine's mom had arrived. Just... in silence.
Kurt thought about that a lot. Now, every time he opened the closet and picked up his little porcelain doll, all he could think of was that. He started to imagine scenarios about him and Blaine as he held the doll. It started to become something he looked forward to every day. Blaine. Blaine, Blaine, Blaine, Blaine-
"You girls want some cookies?"
"No, it's alright, mami."
Santana Lopez sat in her room with her best friend Brittany Pierce. They were braiding each others hair.
"Santana, i'm gonna go out for a walk, so you're home alone."
"Okay, mami."
"Brittany, will you stay for dinner?"
"I think so." Brittany said.
"Ok. You girls have fun."
As Mrs. Lopez closed the door, Santana and Brittany exchanged smiles.
"Did you know Lauren Zizes skipped gym class today?" Brittany asked. "I wonder why."
"Remember when I skipped gym class?" Santana asked, "One and a half years ago, I believe?"
"Yeah, you got your first period."
"Sure did."
"So you mean that Lauren-"
"That's what I mean, yes."
The girls grinned.
"I'm glad you and I are so experienced with this already." Brittany said. "We were the first in our grade to get it. I wonder why people aren't asking us for advice."
"Yeah... do you know which girls who hasn't gotten it yet?" Santana asked.
"Hmm... there's only two that i'm sure of, atleast."
"Who?"
"It can just be rumours... but I think it's Lucy Fabray and Rachel Berry."
Santana smiled. "Oh, of course!"
Brittany started to look down onto the floor. "You know, I actually think that girl was kind of mean to Lucy in the changing room today."
"A girl was mean to her?" Santana frowned. "I didn't notice that."
"Yeah, because you were already outside waiting for me to pack my stuff. But someone teased her because she didn't want to shower, and the only one who did something was Rachel."
"Well then... good for Rachel."
"Yeah, but... people pick on Rachel, too. Maybe we should be nice to them."
Santana nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I do find Rachel a bit immature though, I mean she looks much younger and she feels like a teachers pet."
"You're right... but she's just a late bloomer, she'll be mature like us in no time."
Just as Brittany said this, the girls heard a click from the front door. Santana looked outside her window.
"Alright, my mom has left the building." Santana informed. Brittany smiled.
The two girls got onto the floor as Santana pulled a box that was under her bed. Inside was a bunch of barbie dolls, a plastic wand, and some my little pony dvds.
"I'll try to sneak in Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses next time we're here." Brittany said. "If we watch it at my house, my baby sister might catch us."
"In the meantime..." Santana added, "...we'll have these for our princess imaginations."
She handed Brittany a barbie, and took one herself. Then she spoke in a squeaky voice.
"Hi, i'm Brenda Buttonsdaughter. My boyfriend is better than yours!"
"Oh, is that so?" Brittany replied with just as a squeaky voice, holding up her barbie in the air. "Well, my boyfriend is a prince, and we are gonna dance at the ball tonight!"
"Why dance with him when you can dance with... me?"
The girls pressed their barbies together, and hummed on some random melody as their barbies performed a dance in the air.
This was the worst secret Brittany and Santana shared. If anyone would to find out they still enjoyed playing with toys and watching silly kids films, then they would be ridiculed for eternity.
"Who do you have a crush on?" Santana asked.
"I don't know." Brittany shrugged.
"If you could choose any boy in our school!"
"Ok, then I guess Finn's pretty cute."
Santana smirked. "Close your eyes and think of Finn."
Brittany closed her eyes, as Santana kissed her on the cheek. Both girls giggled to this.
"Ok, your turn." Brittany said. "Any boy."
"Puck." Santana shrugged.
"Close your eyes and think of Puck!"
Brittany did just as Santana had done and kissed her friend on the cheek.
The girls exchanged looks and giggled at each other.
But... slowly they both stopped smiling, as Santana glanced at Brittany's lips.
"Are we home alone?" Brittany whispered.
"Yeah..." Santana nodded, "Definetly."
With that, she kissed her right on the lips. And they kissed for a long while. Maybe over a minute. When they finally let go, both of them had butterflies in their stomachs, flying all over the place.
The last secret was bad, but this. This was the biggest secret the two best friends had. And they would do everything they could to keep it.