2: On

The next morning, Kurt is somewhat surprised to look in the dumpster and find someone lying on the piles of paper, old food and other rubbish. Karofsky.

"Karofsky? What are you doing down there?" he asks, trying to keep the balance between his smug, superior tone, and the tone that won't make things any worse for the guy who has been obviously thrown in the dumpster. Then Kurt thinks about what he just said. "Wait, stupid question. You okay?"

"Fuck off, Hummel," Karofsky says, unsteadily sitting up, even as the garbage shifts underneath him.

Kurt rolls his eyes. "Whatever. You need a hand getting out of there?" he says, offering a literal hand – he's extending the olive branch and he knows it.

Karofsky glares at him, jumping out of the dumpster and hitting Kurt's hand away. "Keep your fucking fag hands off me, freak," he swears.

Kurt represses his automatic flinch at that word. "Alliteration. Impressive," says coolly. "But I think that might have been a little hypocritical; don't you?"

Then Karofsky grabs him and slams him against the dumpster, reminding Kurt that, even if Karofsky's sexuality is now revealed as in limbo and his status has gone down accordingly, the guy is still a jock and has a terrifying jock's build. Kurt breathes deeply, and tries not to panic. The worst that can happen is that Karofsky will throw him in the dumpster, and Kurt can deal with that – Coach Sylvester will probably kill him for getting stains on his uniform, but she will probably kill Karofsky more, and that will be fun to watch. And he won't have to pay for the dry cleaning this time.

For a few seconds, Karofsky just stands there, looming over him, and Kurt does his best not to look as terrified as he feels.

"I'm not a fucking fag," Karofsky eventually says. "You better remember that, Hummel."

And with a rough shove, Karofsky storms off and makes his way into the building. Kurt breathes heavily, and tries to calm down.


He walks into Glee club rehearsal with a slightly forced smile. "Hey guys."

"Hey Kurt," says Quinn, as he takes a seat between her and Mercedes.

"Guess what happened this morning?" he asks the whole club, causing them all to stare at him curiously. "I found Karofsky in the dumpster. Not all that sure who threw him in, but he seemed pretty pissed, and I didn't want to ask."

Everyone shrugs and nods. "Okay. What happened next?"

Kurt sighs. "I offered to help him out of there – you know, extended the olive branch. He called me homophobic slurs, got out of there himself, slammed me against the wall of the dumpster and vehemently denied he was any less straight than a ruler. I have a feeling it could have gone better?"

"Maybe he doesn't like olives?" Brittany offers helpfully, and Kurt smacks his forehead.

"Who even threw him in there?" Puck asks. "I mean, most of the guys who used to do that to you were on the list – including me. So who would...?"

"I don't know; I just said that," Kurt says, a little irritated.

"Well, just because they're on the list, doesn't mean they won't be a dick about it," Finn says. "I mean, Karofsky was being a pretty big douche to you, right? He's freaking, and taking it out on someone with the same issue. Someone could have done that to him, right?"

People look around, murmuring as if this makes a lot of sense. Some suspicious glances fall on Puck, who looks slightly affronted. "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with it."

"Actually," Rachel says. "Do you think Azimio might have done it? The sheet said they were often inappropriately violent toward each other after anything sexual happened between them, and Azimio usually started it. I wouldn't put it past him to react to this forcible outing by abusing the one guy we know he has done anything 'gay' with."

"I guess," says Kurt. "I mean, there are probably a lot of people who could have done it. We live in Lima, Ohio after all."

There are nods and an uncomfortable silence.


Tina and Artie walk into two girls in the hallway, standing close together and sharing their lipglosses.

"Tina? Cohen-Chang?" one of them – a tall girl, with tanned skin and reddish-brown hair – asks when she sees Tina and Artie, and Tina freezes in fear.

"Yes? What is it?" she wants to stutter, but she knows Artie would be mad. Calm down. They're just two girls who want to talk; there's no reason to assume...

"Uh, your boyfriend here was... on that list yesterday," the tall girl says, and nobody misses the way she just talks straight to Tina, as if Artie wasn't even there.

Artie wants to think that there's an innocent, helpful explanation for this. Maybe the girls a secretly a lesbian couple looking for advice, or otherwise sexually confused – they were standing pretty damn close together.

The way they the girl talked to Tina, not him, puts a pretty damn big dent in that theory, and her next words kill it for good. "Don't you think you shouldn't... I mean, he's..."

The girl's eyes finally fall on Artie, and she just stares at him, looking like a deer in the headlights.

"I'm what?" he asks, voice flat and dead. "Go on. Say it all."

"I – I," she is left floundering, before her friend – a short blonde – steps in.

"Nevermind. Forget it," she says, smiling brightly and grabbing her friend's arm. "Come on, Bob."

The girls walk off, laughing and talking to each other. Tina and Artie stare for a few moments. "Bob?" Tina eventually asks.

"Some kind of nickname, I assume," Artie says, shrugging.

"So, what was–

"They think I'm gay," says Artie. "They think I'm gay; that you're just my beard, and you should have dumped me as soon as that list made you 'find out'."

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry, Artie..."

He shakes his head. "It's okay," he says. "It wasn't anything I wasn't expecting to happen anyway."

She nods, and they start walking again. He just said he was okay, so he obviously wants her to act like he's okay. So she ignores the fact he looks so upset he might cry.


The next time Karofsky is found in the dumpster, it's Finn who sees him. It's a Thursday, so the garbage was just taken away, and the dumpster is mostly empty. Making it cleaner, but harder to get out of.

"Dude? Karofsky?"

Karofsky turns to look at him, then rolls his head back, groaning. "What do you want?"

Finn shrugs. "Look – I know you acted like a total dick to Kurt about this, but you seem to hate me less than him, so, do you need me to help you get out of there? There's no trash right now; it's like, five sixths of your height."

Karofsky grimaces, but stands up, and grabs onto Finn to get out. Finn can't help but let his mind swirl; there are also slight indications of an attraction to Finn Hudson...

Finn shakes his head. So what if there are? Don't be a dick.

Once he's out (haha), Karofsky grumbles "Thanks," although he sounds anything but thankful. Finn shrugs.

"You're welcome," he says. "Who puts you in there, anyway?"

Karofsky looks away. "Doesn't matter," he says, but Finn doesn't believe him.

"It wasn't Azimio, was it? 'Cause, that sheet thing did kind of say you guys were all violent to each other after you... uh... Anyway, that was Rachel's theory when Kurt told us," Finn explains. "It did kind of make sense. I wouldn't put it past the guy to take this out on you..."

Karofsky doesn't answer. Finn goes on.

"Look, it might be none of my business... But, I've got thoughts. If this... thing means you two are going to like, beat each other up? Think you might need to put a sock in it? I mean, I don't like either of you much, but dude – ow. Probably not a good idea. Couldn't you two just, like, stay away from each other?"

Karofsky looks up, finally catching his eye. But he doesn't say anything.

Awkward.

Finn sighs. "Look, what that sheet thing said... about me? I'm cool with it. Well, maybe not fully, but I'm working on it. I've dealt with this before – I mean, maybe not well, but I dealt – and I can do it again, so you don't have feel uncomfort–"

Karofsky cuts him off by punching him in the face. Hard. Finn falls to the ground, clutching his eyes. "Ow! What the hell, Karofsky?"

"Shut the fuck up!" he barks. "I'm not a fucking fag, and even if I was, would never want your fairy ass."

"Okay, Jesus," Finn says, slowly getting up. Karofsky storms off, and Finn grimaces in pain.