AN: Hello Everyone! :)
After an unexpected response to this story I decided to continue. :)
Thank you to those who reviewed wanting more!
Thank you to the three followers and favorite.
I'm truly touched you guys want to read more.
OK- On to the story, we delve into Dave's past here. Dave is eighteen here. Its not voilent... Yet. But that will change soon.
Its a roller coaster ride of emotions!
Quinn is introduced here. So is Kurt.
All I'll say on that. I dont wanna give TOO much away.
If you have questions, let me know.
Thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
Have a nice day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3
Chapter 2
He'd heard many things about it. He heard it was a life a million miles away. And in many ways it was. But Dave was so unprepared for what greeted him in San Francisco in 1973. It wasn't just a different world – it was a different life!
Dave had never seen so many hippies in one place. The famous Haight-Ashbury district showcased people in long clothes and even longer hair. Tie-dyed shirts and people openly dropping acid. It was the craziest city to Dave and he couldn't fathom why people would build a city on top of so many hills!
And the fags. Oh, he knew about them, of course. And it wasn't until years later that he would find out that that was a bad word. But they often spilled out of clubs or shops onto the street, openly putting arms around each other and even kissing. In public! He tried to hide his touristy shock but there's only so much a young guy can do.
Duffel bag over his shoulder, he took a trolley to the army recruiting office and signed in. And then, so, so many medical examinations and tests and reflex tests and eye tests and just too many things to deal with. And yet, he took it all in stride. After all, Dave was doing something to save the world from communism…right?
So when he was finished with the army office, he got his shipping papers – he would be sent to Saigon in two days. Two days. Two whole days in a city where nothing made sense and everything was new. He was offered a place to stay at the recruiting office. But since he was being taken a world away to stay with the army, he wanted to get away as much as he could. Something told him he'd get sick of army accommodations real quick.
And he was right.
Dave walked towards a pay phone. He had to tell his best friend whatever he could about this crazy city. He also wanted to say goodbye when he was shipped to this strange country called Viet Nam. Dave put the nickel in the slot and heard it dial.
"Hello?" the young feminine voice responded.
"Hey, Quinn."
"Dave! So do you have a joint in your hand yet?"
"Oh, ha, ha, funny woman." She giggled. "The place isn't as groovy as people said it would be."
"Why not?" Quinn asked. She sounded like she was reaching for something.
"It's just…weird."
"Oh, that's just you, Dave."
"Ha ha, funny woman."
"You need a new line."
Dave didn't respond. A seagull flew nearby. He'd never seen one in person before.
"So," Quinn began with a suddenly different tone, "when do you leave?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Oh…well, I guess that doesn't give me much time."
"Time for what?"
"Time," Quinn began, STILL sounding like she was trying to grab something from a cupboard or something, "to see you off, stupid."
"Quinn, you don't…what are you doing?"
"Packing."
"Packing?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because my best friend is going to a dumb war in a dumb country that I've never heard of before and my dumb friend enlisted in the army to help his dumb country instead of going off to college where at least she'd know he was safe and leave his BEST friend all alone with no one to protect her from all these dumb men who annoy her and where the hell is my sweater? Or do I want to pack-?"
"Quinn! Shut it." She giggled. "You don't have to come."
"Too late."
She hung up. Dave looked at the receiver and then placed the receiver back in its cradle. He wouldn't allow himself to smile about this. Instead, he opened the door to the phone booth and stepped out into the sunshine. He looked up – the seagull was gone.
.
"Karofsky?"
Dave immediately sat up. He was stretched out on his little bunk in the army recruiting office.
"Yes?"
"You have a visitor."
Completely baffled, he stood up. But then when that happened, he pretty much figured out who the visitor was. It didn't take very much to figure it out when he saw nearly every guy in the facility staring into the waiting room. And when he walked in, he immediately groaned.
"Daveeeeeeey!"
Quinn ran up to him and put her arms around his neck. He didn't even have time to roll his eyes, but he did hear many men groan around him in envy. Dave pulled her arms off him.
"I told you, you didn't have to come." He said, leading her away from the other guys and their leering eyes. "Why are you-?"
"Oh shut up, Daveeeeey!"
He gritted his teeth and growled, "Stop calling me that."
"NO!"
She sprinted out of the office and Dave kind of tried to keep up. But there was a tiny part of him that loved the attention. After all, he was a young man who had a groovy chick running up to him. No matter who you are, that always feels good. So, for the first time since he arrived in San Francisco, Dave let himself smile.
They took the cable car and then another trolley and went window shopping and stopped for lunch and took another cable car and Quinn nearly bought some pot and Dave stopped her and Quinn snatched Dave's hand and ran away and brought life into their lives. You'd think there wasn't a war a half a world away.
By sunset, they were exhausted but having the time of their lives. Dave was reading a poster about a new band called 'Pink Floyd' when Quinn came up to him.
"Whatcha reading?"
"I honestly don't know."
"Oh. Well, let's go."
"Now where?"
"Oh, shut up. There's one place I want to go that I've always wanted to."
"Where? Golden Gate? Alcatraz Prison?"
"Noooooo!"
"Oh God, Quinn. Where now?!"
"Just come on!"
Dave let his bulky body be dragged by this waif blonde and off they went again. But this destination came as a total surprise to Dave.
It was just an ordinary park bench.
They sat down and Quinn asked Dave to buy her a malted. He had just sat down and now was being asked to get back up again. He growled. She smiled. He got up and got her the shake. When he returned, she had a totally different expression on her face. He silently handed her the malted and sat down beside her.
Dave looked up. Evening seagulls from the Bay had begun to come inland and Quinn found herself lifting her head. He couldn't imagine a more beautiful sight than a gorgeous sunset with beautiful birds in a dream-like city. And that's when he felt her head fall on his shoulder.
He looked down and her entire demeanor changed. Quinn's shoulder's slumped a little and the malted threatened to melt and spill on her hand. And when Dave started to see it shake in her hand, he slowly took it away and set it on the other side of him. He put his arm around her and they settled there, amongst the sounds of gulls and tourists and trolley bells. A slightly cool breeze blew by, wafting the warm aromas of jasmine and possibly marijuana and Dave closed his eyes.
"You better come back."
His eyes shot open. "Of course, I'll come back."
She cradled his belly. "If you don't come back, I'll have to fly over there and kill you myself."
Dave chuckled. "I'm coming back, Quinn."
"I'm not stupid, Dave. It's…war."
He sighed. "I know."
"Just…just write. A lot. Whenever you can."
"Didn't I tell you?"
Quinn sat up a little, looking him in the eye. "What?"
Dave grinned at her. "I've already started one."
She smiled and put her head back on his chest. An elderly couple walked by, holding hands. Quinn and Dave watched them. The couple seemed so into each other and they were even smiling. All too soon, they passed the young, suddenly troubled couple on the park bench and Quinn sighed.
"I hope that's us someday."
"It will be. It will."
A long moment passed and Quinn suddenly sat up. "I have to go."
"What? Why?"
"Dave, you leave in the morning. And…" she wiped her eye. "I don't want to say…g-goodbye ag-again."
"Me neither."
They stared at each other, watching the worry in their eyes, the sudden frown lines on their faces.
"I wish," Quinn whispered, "the sun didn't have to come up tomorrow."
"Oh God, me too!"
Dave grabbed and held on tight. Quinn burst into tears. And the two best friends held each other in an ordinary park during an ordinary night in an otherwise ordinary city. And when they separated, Dave hated when he saw her blonde hair getting smaller and smaller in the distance. And when he couldn't see her anymore, he tapped his hands on his knees and walked off towards the army recruiting office.
.
The next morning, Dave awoke to the sound of guys moving all around him. This would be his life for who knows how long and he knew to get used to it. He immediately grabbed his belongings and went off to the commissary. And when that was taken care of, he walked out into the parking lot.
There waiting was an unmarked bus the size of a Greyhound. It would be his home until he'd reach the base that would put him on a plane to his future. He wasn't interested in making friends with anyone and simply got on the bus.
Minutes passed. One by one, more guys showed up and got in seats. He found himself staring at the American flag, watching it wave in the gentle breeze. He hoped he was making the right decision. He hoped he'd come home. Hell, he just hoped.
"Hi!"
Dave turned and saw an incredibly cute and smiling guy suddenly sitting next to him. A hand was extended and Dave just stared at it like he didn't know what to do. So, the guy simply shrugged and dropped his hand.
"I'm gonna miss San Francisco. I wish I could've seen more of the city." The guy said. Dave, of course, said nothing, staring straight ahead, hoping the guy would simply shut the hell up. Of course, he didn't. "You know, when I come back, I would hope that we'll have some scratch to go looking around the city some. I sure as hell don't wanna go back to Ohio any time soon. I mean, would you?"
Dave didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted anyone to know was that he was from the same state as this chatty-cathy was.
"Well," the guy shifted his bundle under his seat, "I'm gonna live in New York someday. Picture it," the guy said, putting up his hands like a marquee, "Kurt Hummel: The Star." Dave blinked. "Oh! Sorry. Name's Kurt."
"Dave."
"So, you speak!"
"Um, yeah."
"Well, that's good. I'd hate to be even more nervous about going to this stupid place we're going to and not have SOMEBODY to talk to. I mean, my dad was proud of me being drafted and all. Did you get drafted?"
"No." Dave replied, wishing he could switch seats.
"No?! You mean, you signed up…voluntarily?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Not me. I'm gonna be on Broadway. I'm gonna be a famous singer one day. Just you wait. You'll see my name in lights. Kurt. Hummel!"
Dave nearly groaned. It was going to be a long bus ride.
.
AN: Well aren't we off to a good start for our boys? Lol :)
I'm glad you guys wanted more! :) if you liked it, please review. Please be kind. Thank you! I'll post more as soon as I can. Have a Nice Day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3
