hey guys! im so appreciative of all of you who took time to R&R and those of you who have put this story on alert! it means so much! so thank you! i am also sorry that its taken so long for me to post this chapter up, i planned the chapter after i finished the first but i just couldnt put my plans into proper words. i forced it out of me today, im not sure if i like this chapter or not so im sorry if you dont like it! please R&R good or bad :) thanks!
What if it's not him? What if he doesn't want to see me? Why the hell am I putting myself through this? I already have a loving family! Eurgh I hate sweaty palms, damn nerves! How am I going to explain to him how I found him? I don't know if I can take the rejection, I'm not one to cry, but if I'm rejected by him I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself. Okay, just knock… are they in? I saw a car in the driveway so they must be. Knock knock … how long are they gunna make me wait? I might as well just turn back around. I feel rejected already there's no point sticking around to be rejected more… oh wait is someone opening the door? Oh god! Say something Brad! C'mon! Why is she staring at me like that?! Say something! 'Hello?'
The Johnson family lived in Lima, Ohio when they adopted a baby boy, Brad. It was an open adoption, but neither of the birth parents specified that they wanted to hear from them in the future. Once they had adopted their baby boy they moved to Kansas to raise their family.
They lived a normal life, nice house, front and back yard and a golden Labrador. Brad had been bought up to appreciate sports and was pretty good at everything he did; George Johnson was a sports writer, so they always had father-son bonding over sports.
The Johnson's loved Brad with all their hearts, but they knew that they would have to eventually tell him that he was adopted. So not long after he had turned fourteen they sat him down and told him. To their surprise he took it better than they thought he would, he said "I always thought there was something different about me because I look nothing like either of you." For a teenage boy he was very understanding about what he had been told; informing his devoted parents that it changes nothing and he still loves them, but he will one day want to seek out his birth parents. It was then that the Johnson's realised that they had bought up an amazing, kind hearted, considerate young boy.
The situation about Brad being adopted had not been re-visited until a year later, when a family issue forced the Johnson's to move back to Lima. Their new house was nice, much like the one back in Kansas. Brad had been enrolled into the local school, William McKinley; he wasted no time in signing up to the sports available. With football season just starting it was perfect timing for Brad to have joined. He made friends quickly and he was soon considered 'popular'; however he did not like what some of the others on the team did to their fellow students - slushie facials.
He never personally threw one because he thought that it was too demeaning and he was just not one to influence that on someone. He usually just stayed quiet, however this one day there was a new girl standing at her locker, and one of the jocks said with an evil grin "let's welcome her to William McKinley". Brad felt awful, he knew what it was like to be the new kid, he was just lucky enough to not be on the end on a slushie facial. Ben was just about to throw it in her face but Brad put his hand on Bens arm "no man! You can't throw that in her face, it's clearly her first day. Just don't do it!" he was trying to keep a strong tone, but you could hear him pleading. The girl had looked up shocked, Ben just pushed him out of the way and shouted "shut it Johnson! You'll pay for this later" and with that he threw the slushie in her face. He had mouthed sorry to her with an apologetic smile while the guys were dragging him away.
After school that day the guys told him he had to pay for what he did, he was expecting a beating or something, but the guys had something funnier planned. You see Brad loves his hair, and this hadn't gone unnoticed by the others, so they pinned him down while Ben shaved his hair off. Brad ran a hand over his head expecting it to be bald, and was surprised when he felt a strip of hair. No freakin' way! Why wouldn't they shave it all off? He stood up pushing the guys out of the way and looked in a mirror OH MY GOD! No way! What the hell is mum gunna say when she sees this on my head! Dad with laugh but oh god! Mum's gunna freak! The guys were all laughing at the look on Brads face when he realised he had in fact been given a Mohawk!
He wasn't sure about it, but Ben stated "you gotta keep that," pointing at the Mohawk "although it was meant for punishment, it suits you" grunts of approval from the others followed.
He was right, his dad laughed when he re-told what happened, and his mum did freak out.
Things changed after that, he noticed weird looks from some of his teachers, and then things got really strange in football practice. Coach Tanaka was looking at him like he was someone else. Why is he looking at me like that, have I got something on my face or something? Brad was convinced after coach called him 'Puckerman' who the hell is that? That he had lost his mind. It wasn't until he was looking at the cabinet in the locker room that he saw it.
In the old cabinet there were a few trophies and photos of previous teams. His eyes were drawn to one in particular 'WMHS football team 2010' there was some tall lanky dude with a goofy grin, but next to him was a muscular guy with a Mohawk, which looked just like him. Coach walked by "yo! Coach who is this?" he said pointing; Tanaka retreated back and looked "the one with the same ridiculous hair as you?"
"Err yeah" Tanaka looked confused as he looked between the photo and Brad "that's Puckerman" and with that he swiftly walked away, leaving Brad gobsmacked. This has to be some sort of coincidence, hasn't it? Breathe Johnson! Breathe! Oh my god! I gotta find some more out! Err where the hell do I go? Or look? Err… err… c'mon think! Aha! Library! They have a library here don't they?
Brad pretty much ran to the library, he was just inside when BHAM! He felt a small body bash into him, when he looked down he saw the terrified look of that girl who he tried to stop from getting slushied.
"Oh my, I'm ever so sorry I must have not been paying attention to where I was going" she rambled out, her eyes were big, blue and she looked so scared. "Oh that's okay it was my fault I was the one rushing and not paying attention" he smiled, she looked grateful and smiled back.
"I'm Claire, I'm new here" wow she's pretty he thought. "Uh…" now is NOT the time to get speechless! And stop staring! "I'm err, Brad, and I'm sorry about what happened to you yesterday!"
Wow he's being so nice! So unlike the other jocks! And he's talking to me! Good looking too. Oh Claire, stop it! Nothing is going to happen! "That's alright it wasn't your doing!"
"Right, yeah well I still feel bad about it" breathe, breathe "I'm sorry I've just gotta try and find a yearbook, I haven't been in this library before, maybe ill see you around?" he smiled and nodded at her not expecting her to respond he began to walk away, but she reached out for his arm "I can help you look if you like?"
What the hell? "Err… yeah sure, that'd be great thanks!" Claire gave him a small smile which caused his stomach to flip again what the hell! He followed her over to a set of shelves and they both began looking for the 2010 yearbook.
They found it within 10 minutes and began flicking though it, when he suddenly stopped. "What's wrong Brad?" god she seems so perfect, she's genuinely concerned, shall I just tell her? Even though I've not told anyone that? No not yet, I've only just met her. Geez!
"Err do you think that this looks like me?" he said pointing at the picture, he wasn't sure why he was feeling so nervous but he was. Claire looked confused as she really looked at the picture, as she looked back up at him she smiled "yeah it does, though your nose is different," he sighed "it's none of my business but why did you ask?"
"I think that he's my dad" he watched her jaw drop and he told her about how he's adopted etc. somewhere in between the story she placed her hand on his, and he put his other hand on hers.
"Wow, that's just wow, you must have fantastic parents to say that nothing will change, they must have been so worried they'd lose you by telling you. Are you sure that this 'Puck' is your biological father?" she whispered earnestly.
******************
"So what do you know about them?" Brad wasn't too sure why he asking because he was sure his parents didn't know who his biological parents were because they would have told him.
"We never met them sweetie, you were bought to us by the nurse" Nina Johnson spoke kindly towards her distressed son. "We didn't even know they went to school at McKinley, but it is a small town so I guess they could have, you do look a lot like that young man in the photograph."
"I just don't know what to do now" Brad whispered, and he really didn't know what to do, although he did know he was exhausted so he said goodnight and went off to bed.
He didn't sleep well at all, he just kept thinking about what he was to do now, how was he going to find them, them he didn't even know who his 'mother' was. He figured out that if he found his father then he could tell him where his mother was, or at least who.
The next day at school he saw Claire and went straight over too her to talk. He took in her appearance, she was petite, blonde hair which fell in soft waves around her face, big blue eyes, she was wearing a yellow dress with a white cardigan and white ballet flats, and he thought she looked beautiful. "Hey" he mumbled, she smiled up at him "hey, how did it go last night?"
"They didn't know anything about them, just that they were 16-17 years old" he didn't mean to sound annoyed but he was a bit frustrated that he hadn't been able to find anything else out. He saw the shocked hurt look on Claire's face and instantly felt bad. "Sorry I didn't mean to say it like that, not to you, sorry"
Her face softened straight away and she smiled up at him "it's okay; it must be difficult for you, just know that I'm here if you need me" and with that they began walking to their first class together.
Claire and Brad spent a lot of time together after that and they soon began dating. The jocks gave him a hard time about it first, but before long backed off. They had both talked at length about how he would find his parents, and he decided that he would wait until he was sixteen and they were on school break before they really started putting plans into action.
They had been dating almost a year by the time his sixteenth birthday came along, and to celebrate they went out for a meal with the Johnsons. "I'm going to start looking for my parents next week, considering school is on break, and when I find them," he took hold of Claire's hand "we're gunna drive to wherever they are to see them" both sharing a loving look.
Nina began to speak but George interrupted smiling at Nina and giving her the 'he needs to do this his own way' look "that's fine with us son, so long as Claire's folks are okay with you both going without an adult." Smiling at the two of them Claire spoke up "yeah they are fine with it as long as we check in every 5 hours" which made everyone at the table chuckle "well that's a good idea sweetie" Nina confirmed.
One week later Brad and Claire sat with the Lima phone book in front of them and searched for 'Puckerman' they soon came across it, and they thought that it was too easy for them to still be in Lima. Picking up the phone to dial the number they waited anxiously for the other end to pick up ring… ring… the wait seemed antagonizingly long.
"Hello?" the receiver spoke, "hello? Is anybody there?" Brad was just shocked so Claire took the phone "sorry to bother you, but does a Puck Puckerman live at this address?" she heard the older woman chuckle.
"Sorry to laugh dear, I just haven't heard the name Puck for a long time and no sorry he moved to New York about err, 12 years ago. I could pass a message on if you like?" the nice woman on the other end offered, obviously his mother.
"Sorry gotta go!" Claire panicked and hung up. Looking at her nervous boyfriend she took his hand and asked "are you alright?" he just nodded in response. "Well he's in New York, the woman on the phone must have been his mother or something," she paused, rubbing small circles on the back of his hand waiting for his eyes to meet hers, "so looks like we're going to New York, once we search for an address" she squealed.
Neither of them had ever been to New York before, but Claire loved the idea of it, and she loves musicals Brad knew they'd have to go to see one while they were there, and he knew she deserved it for being so supportive.
It didn't take them long to find out where they lived, scribbling down the address Brad stated "I can't believe that we're going to New York, find my parents, its just unreal!" running up to her boyfriend Claire wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, whispering "I know, but it's a good thing, I'm excited, you have nothing to be nervous about, they'll love you!"
"I hope so, I don't know what I'll do if they don't want anything to do with me," pressing a loving kiss to her lips "and I don't know what I'd do without you Claire, I love you" I can't believe I just told her I loved her; I mean I've known I loved her for a while now but what if she doesn't love me back and I have to take this trip on my own, damn it! Wait is she crying? I hate it when she cries!
"I love you too! I have done for a while, just didn't think you felt the same!" she said though sniffles. "Oh Claire! Same here! Aha! What are we like?" they both laughed at their own stupidity.
Three days later they were making their way to the 'Puckerman' household; both nervous about what they would be faced with. But whatever happens at least they had had a great 2 days in New York; after the long drive which they shared, they did a bit of sight seeing and yesterday they went to see Wicked which had Claire gushing about other shows they should see together. Brad wasn't the biggest fan of musicals but he didn't mind them, especially because Claire loves them so much.
They pulled up outside the address, and sat in the car for about 30 minutes. Claire offered to go up to the house with him but he said "thanks but I think I need to do this on my own. I love you!" and with that he grabbed his Letterman jacket from the backseat, it wasn't cold but he forgot his other jacket and he wanted some sort of comfort.
Walking up to the house was difficult he had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other; giving himself a prep talk on the way. He stood at the door for about 5 minutes and with one last look at Claire he knocked on the door.
To say he was shocked to see the door opened by someone who looked just like Elphaba from the musical last night would be an understatement, and he put it down to being coincidental; although he was feeling like his life had a lot of coincidences lately. She seemed equally shocked to see him standing there, so he spoke up "hello?"
She continued to stare and he was nervous enough without the added staring, "hello?" he repeated, trying to keep the nerves at bay.
That seemed to get her attention "Hello, what can I do for you?" she spoke calmly but to Brad it seemed that she too was trying to stay nerve free. A little girl came running to the exchange and that just made his breath hitch in his throat, but he managed to strangle out his next question.
"Is this the Puckerman household? Does a, err," looking at the piece of paper with the address scribbled for a prop "Puck live here?" he asked warily.
He couldn't quite hear what the little girl said or what her mother said to her; but the woman motioned for him to come inside. He had zoned out, not quite believing where he was standing.
He only just managed to zone back in when he saw the muscular figure come down the stairs with his daughter over his shoulder. This man before him must be his father, who is he kidding, he knows it's his father. He noticed that this man and his wife shared a loving look, which made him feel uncomfortable.
When his eyes met those of his father, it was quite clear that they all knew who he was; they were all clearly in shock. He had to search deep for his voice, shifting uncomfortably damn sweaty palms, he managed to formulate something to say "hi, err, my name is Brad, and I'm err, your son."
5 seconds later and Brad had been enveloped into a manly embrace. It felt as if this man he was hugging was trying to tell him everything in just one embrace.