Little Boy Blue

Chapter 2

Lance McClain
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I woke up with a start. I felt scared, alone, and above all, I was confused. Wires leading from my hands connected me to machines, probably to monitor my heart rate. It was then that I realized I was shaking. I looked out of the window to see the busy city streets with bustling traffic below. A small bedside table with pots of flowers and cards beside me. I began crying, I didn't know why, I just began to cry.

I saw a figure shift in a seat near the window. I stopped crying, too scared to make a sound. The man woke up groggily.

"Oh you're awake, finally, it's been three long years." The man sighed. I looked at him with a perplexed expression. Was I supposed to know who he is? The man looked at my face.

"Oh shit, you're crying. Come here hermanito," he said softly. Hermanito? This is supposed to be one of my brothers?

"Who-Who are you?" I said shakily. He stopped in his tracks and sighed.

"It's me, Leandro. You know, you're oldest brother that got kicked out when you turned six?" He said. There's no way that was Leandro. I saw him.. he wasn't that old the last time.

"W-Why are you so big now?"

"It's been three years Lance. Three years since the.. incident. You've been lying in that bed, in a coma for three damn years." He said as though he were holding back a sob.

"You're really Leandro?" I said excitedly. I really missed him, I don't know why momma kicked him out. He nodded and wrapped me in a hug. Once he let go, my head started hurting. It hurt so bad... I almost started crying again. Images of a fire and a really pretty place burning down oscillated through my mind. Images of my mom and other siblings being shot resurfaced. A boy with purple-grey eyes quickly appeared, then disappeared as quick as it came. He was holding me close, I felt safe, and I could only remember how safe I felt by the end of the flashback. By now I was crying.

"Lance, bebé, you've gotta tell me what's wrong chiquitito," Leandro said softly.

"Mommy's dead!" I cried. "A-And so are the others." The crying was painful at this point. My brother had a sad look on his face but tried to calm me nonetheless. The doctors came in and explained everything to me. I was caught in a fire three years ago, a charred beam landed on a table I was hiding under. There's one other survivor but they know nothing about them because he was sent to a different facility to be treated.

I felt so confused. I was thirteen by now. Meaning I had missed three years of schooling. The doctor explained that I'd be taking an exam to see whether or not I'm able to go into the seventh grade like everyone else my age. My brother was gentle with me. He could tell I was afraid.

I made grabby hands for him and he scoffed playfully.

"You're too big to be carried around now Lance. You're thirteen." He said softly. I pouted. I didn't feel thirteen. I gave him my puppy dog eyes and soon he complied. Carrying me all the way to the car and into our apartment.

"Danny I'm home. And I have a surprise." Who is Danny?

A tall man, just around my brother's age appeared. He had dark hair and green eyes, his skin color was similar to my own.

"You brought a kid Leo? Whose kid even is that?" Danny said.

"Leo who is that?" I said softly.

"That's my boyfriend, Danny." He bounced me a bit to reposition me in his arms.

"Leo, whose kid is that?" Danny said once more.

"This, Danny, is my baby brother. Lance." Leo said while rubbing noses with me. I gave Danny a shy smile and waved at him. Leo gently put me down and I immediately grabbed his hand.

"You never mentioned him before?" Danny said.

"Three years ago, he was caught in a fire. The place burned down and a beam fell on top a table he was hiding under because there was an active shooter in the room. He's been in a coma since then."

"You never mentioned that he was a little kid, I thought you said it was your cousin or something." Danny said.

"Nope, it's my ballerina of a baby brother." Leo said with a proud smile.

"Ballerina?"

"He does Ballet." Leo said with a bored tone.

-Time Skip-

Danny turned out to be a pretty okay guy. I passed the exam and was allowed to go into the same grade as the other kids my age. I went into a ballet school for the rest of middle school. It was nice until I started getting made fun of. I was shy and timid, and I cried pretty easily. I was an easy target. So for high school, Leo and Danny sent me to Altea High in the middle of sophomore year.

Though, I never forgot about that safe feeling I felt in that stranger's hold. I would find them someday.