Somehow, Sugar had spent her first year at McKinley bully free. There’d been occasional incidents, sure; the inaugural food fight, getting caught in the crossfire of the hockey teams regular slushings, all came with being in the glee club – but she’d been sort of/maybe/hopeful friends with Santana, so. The bullies were unwilling to cross ‘Snixx,’ or so it was said. But then everyone graduated, and oh so suddenly she wasn’t a Troubletone any more. She wasn’t even Sugar to most people. She was the rich kid. She’d known from the first day, something like this was only a matter of time.
It had still surprised her, though. How fast it had happened, in flashes. Her bag slid across the floor by a hefty throw, the guy standing tall and filling her vision. Her mouth catching on itself, lips shaking, pressing herself against the wall. Sugar shook her head once, twice, no, “I’m not giving you a cent,” far braver than she’d ever feel. She braced herself when he brought his arm back, fell into a crouching position, hands to her face, protecting it.
The punch didn’t come, though, and through the harsh filter of her ears she heard Blaine’s voice, a punch and a crash, then coach Beiste’s voice. Bringing her hands down, she opened her eyes, watched the three figures. Beiste hauled the jock away, leaving Blaine there, and Sugar slowly stood, nerves still alight with sparks. But the mask went up, and she picked her bag up, facing the boy. “Could have taken him, but you saved my nails, so,” she lied, hoping he’d understand.
Once the Coach released him with a firm shake to his shoulders and a mumbled lecture of how she understood what he was doing. But he needed to refrain from that in the future–which he nodded to but didn’t meet her eyes while agreeing because there was no way he’d let someone take a hit if he could stop it–Blaine turned to face Sugar thankful for two things. First? That she was okay. Second? That his feet were on the freaking ground and the embarrassment of pretty much dangling from Coach Beiste’s hands was over.
“You definitely could have taken him and I’m surprised he wasn’t knocked out with a single punch before I came up. Who knows? I probably saved his dignity by interrupting the smack down you were about to unleash on him.” Yes, he got that lie and the understanding smile he gave her said he wasn’t about to disagree. He’d been down the road she was on before. More times than he’d like to count. But wasn’t one more than enough considering the subject?
A hand was reached out for Sugar to take and Blaine inclined his chin towards her bag with an upward twitch of his brow as the offer to carry it for her too. If her nerves needed a rest before she took on the burden of hauling her things across campus. “Now that’s in the safety of probably yet another detention for this week? How about we skip last class and go get some coffee? There’s a shop across the street. It’s not the Lima Bean but it’ll do in a pinch? Your choice. No pressure. I don’t want to end up like he almost did,” he grinned jokingly trying to lighten the mood.
pianokeysandbowties 