AN: Hi Everyone! :)

Thank you to 50 followers! Ahhhhh! Lol

Thank you to my support. :)

On to the story. I decided to switch gears and focus on Dave here for a bit. This will be in two parts. This is the first. This will be important to the story.

Paul is here too. A few chapters will be centured around Dave. Just a heads up for you incase you wanted more Sebastian. He'll be back though.

Song is "All Of Me" by John Legend.

Ok, I'll shut up now. Lol

Have a great day! Please be kind. Please review!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3

Chapter 25

Oreos are supposed to make one feel better. Dave got everything he needed for it too. A glass of half-full (or half-empty, depending on his point-of-view) of milk and a rolling pin. Then, he would crush the Oreos and dump it into his milk. It made the milk into a gray shake, like a McFlurry from McDonalds. He preferred it this way and he wouldn't eat Oreos any other way. It made him feel better.

He took the glass into the living room and turned the TV on. Since his parents weren't home from work yet, he thanked the Heavens above that he was a latchkey kid. He had total control of the TV, his snack food, and chores could suck it. He channel cruised for a little bit, settling on MTV2.

What would I do without your smart mouth

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out

Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down

What's going on in that beautiful mind

I'm on your magical mystery ride

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

A heavy sigh escaped Dave's mouth as he drank some of his Oreo shake. The video was good. The shake was better. And he never felt so confused. Too many things had hit the troubled teen's mind that he really couldn't focus anymore. He didn't know whether to do his calculus homework or go fishing. Dave even chuckled a little at his stupid joke. Hey, when you're one David Karofsky nowadays, it's not like life is very understandable.

He channel surfed again. Cartoons, Judge Judy, early evening news, a douche commercial, a tampon commercial, a pre-natal vitamin commercial –

Dave switched the boob tube off. That last one threw him for a loop. In a world where men can get pregnant or a toupee blowhard can become president, Dave knew his focus had to be on the present. And his situation simply baffled him.

An hour passed. The shake was tasty but now gone. He considered another one but his mom's good cooking was worth the wait. Dave lumbered up to a sitting position and remembered that Sebastian was pregnant. Then, he stood up and reminisced that kiss with him in the auditorium. He walked into the kitchen, rinsed his glass out, and recalled that stupid, stupid conversation at Scandals with Sebastian. It was so long ago (at least, to a teenager) and he tried to forget it.

But he couldn't. He just couldn't. Instead, he unloaded the dishwasher and filled it with his empty glass. He stared at the emptiness of the washer, the emptiness of the glass, and felt, well, empty. Dave just couldn't wrap his head around ANYTHING anymore!

Snarling a little, Dave walked back into the living room. Waiting there was his bookbag of homework and his cell-

His cellphone! Snatching it up, he played RESIDENT EVIL, his favorite. Although his phone's version was dumbed down much more than his console's version, it nevertheless consumed his time. As he killed this zombie or that one, he no longer thought of Sebastian. Nope. Not him. Not at all.

The garage door opened. Dave sighed a little and realized his dad was home. He could hear his dad open the door and grunt his way up the breezeway stairs. Dave shifted a little on the couch and waited for Paul's arrival.

"Hey."

"Hey."

And that was it. Conversations with men can be so easy.

A few minutes later, Paul reappeared in the living room. Gone was his gray suit, the uniform of a lawyer. In its place, he wore faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt, the mark of the common man. He strolled through the room with an air of authority that Dave had become quite accustomed to. With another grunt, Paul sat down in Archie's chair and reached for the newspaper. Meanwhile, Dave continued to kill zombies.

But Paul realized something – something that was uncharacteristic for his son.

"Hey." Paul said.

"Yeah?" Dave replied, eyes glued to his phone.

"The TV isn't on."

"Yeah. Playing a game."

"Oh."

Paul opened the newspaper and began reading the big news in Lima, Ohio. He scowled at the news of the big murder trial in Lima. A doctor was accused of killing his wife by asphyxiation. Paul was always bitter that this guy didn't hire him as his attorney. So, he perused a few other areas of the paper. He checked the obituaries and discovered that he was still alive. That was a good thing.

He dropped the newspaper and stroked his chin. Paul looked over at his son and could see the focused look on his kid's face.

"Did you empty the dishwasher?" Paul asked.

"Yeah."

More gunshots from Dave's phone. More zombies "died".

"Did you do your homework?"

"After dinner."

Paul dropped his hand. "How about now?"

Dave sighed. "It's just a little calculus."

"'A little calculus'?" Paul chuckled. "Dave, calculus isn't just math. It's a foreign language. It takes intense study and-"

"FIIIIIINE!" Dave threw his cellphone in the bookbag and stormed out of the room with a typical teenage tantrum. Unfortunately, that was a bit unusual for the kid. Dave was normally much calmer about things like this and Paul was instantly concerned. So, he lumbered his bellied-frame up and followed his son. Dave was at the top of the staircase when Paul called out to him.

"Hey!"

"What?!"

Paul's eyebrows furrowed. "What's going on? You OK?"

"Yeah. Fine."

Dave vanished. Paul scowled. And that's when he remembered to get the pork chops out of the freezer to thaw.

.

Minutes passed. Paul had the chops under lukewarm water and wanted mashed potatoes for dinner. But when he realized the potatoes were in the basement, he knew his hips and knees wouldn't survive the trip up and down those stairs. If he hadn't been at work all day, he could've done it. But aches and pains to an overweight, forty-ish year old man can be all-consuming. So, he decided a little slave labor would be beneficial.

"Dave!"

Pause. "Yeah?!"

"C'mere!"

"What?!"

"I said, come here!"

A few seconds later, rumbles could be heard bounding down the staircase and Dave appeared in the kitchen.

"What?"

Paul turned around. It looked like his son had been napping. Dave's eyes were puffy and a little red.

"Go downstairs and get the sack of potatoes."

Soundlessly, Dave went to the basement. It didn't take the athlete very long to come right back up with the dusty bag. He dropped it on the kitchen floor near his father and turned to leave.

"How about peeling some with me?"

Paul could see Dave's shoulders tense up. Dave's head even rolled a little bit. Once again, Dave was silent as he turned around and grabbed a knife from the drawer. They plopped down with simultaneous grunts. And at the same time, they grabbed a big spud and got to work. Paul thought it was amusing that they did all of that at the same time. But Dave wasn't amused.

They passed the time in silence. There were many times both Paul and Dave could be quiet men and working together like this didn't bother them. They could be fixing a car and one would know what the other one needed. When Paul needed a ratchet, Dave already had it ready. And when Paul needed gasoline for the lawn mower, there was Dave walking the heavy gas can out to him. They were connected in a way a father and son should be. It was only right.

That's why whatever was bothering Dave bothered Paul.

"So, what's up?" Paul casually asked.

"Nuthin'." Dave dully said. He was almost done with his potato and Paul was a little jealous that he was done before him. Even a father and son can be competitive.

"Really?"

Pause. "I guess."

That's when Dave started to shake. The knife wobbled with effort and Paul's years of experience, both as a father and attorney, revealed that something was on the kid's mind.

Paul sighed. "Any trouble at school?"

"No."

"Any problems with that glee club?"

"No."

"Did you fight with your mother?"

"No."

Paul glanced at him. "Well, Dave, I'm running out of questions. Is there anything you'd like to talk-?"

"No."

Paul smirked. "Can you say anything else besides 'no'?"

Despite the dumb, Dave chuckled. "Yes!"

At least it got the kid to smile. They worked together in silence again After about three potatoes were peeled, Paul was surprised when Dave spoke up.

"Hey dad?"

"Yeah?"

Dave picked up another potato and began peeling. Paul could see Dave was shaking again.

"If I were to…" he bit his thumbnail, "If I were to tell you something, would you promise not to get mad?"

"No." Paul quickly replied.

"No?"

"No. I can't promise anything like that. But I can promise you that I'll listen."

Dave didn't seem satisfied. "O-OK."

Paul finished his shaved potato and dropped it. "Soooo…?"

The athlete wouldn't look at him. Instead, he just looked down and stopped working. Now, Paul was really concerned.

"Talk to me, Dave." Paul gently said. "What's going on?"

"I hate band-aids."

Paul blinked. Twice. "Um, what?"

"I hate band-aids. I mean, they say that when you want to say something, you just go for it, like ripping off a band-aid."

"Yeah. That's true."

Dave reached for a potato and was astonished when he found his dad's hand on his wrist. Dave looked at him and at this close proximity, both men realized that a heavy conversation was about to take place. And they were right.

"Dad, do you know a kid named Sebastian Smythe?"

Paul inhaled for a second and then exhaled. "I think so. I think his dad is an attorney." He glanced at his son. "Sebastian doesn't have a good reputation."

When Dave said nothing, Paul let go on his son's wrist. They worked once again in silence and the teen still wasn't talking. But every good parent knows that when something is difficult to talk about, you just give the poor lad some space. There had to have been at least thirteen potatoes peeled but to the Karofsky men, what did that matter?

"Sooo…" Paul began, "what about him?"

"I…" Dave scratched his jaw. "I know him."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

FROM SCANDALS. Dave couldn't just come right out and say this…could he? Dave's internal struggle was only worsened by Paul's frustrated sigh.

"I'm listening, Dav-"

"I've known him for a while."

Paul leaned back. "OK."

"And he's actually…alright."

The elder said nothing. Dave started to reach for another spud but came to a complete halt.

"I've actually known him for almost a year."

Paul exchanged a knife for a potato peeler. "OK. Are you two buds?"

Dave remained still and whispered, "You could say that…"

The elder Karofsky paused and then inhaled. "Ah. I see."

Astonished, Dave looked at him. "You…you see what?"

Paul reluctantly smiled and began peeling. "I see that you're trying to become friends with people who aren't like you. You want to expand your horizons so to speak and-"

"We dated for a while."

Paul couldn't breathe. He just sat there and stared at the refrigerator without actually seeing it. And his poor son was shaking and unable to look at his own father. They sat there in uncomfortable silence, trying to figure out just what everything means. And then, Paul shrugged.

"Finally." Paul abruptly said.

Dave's eyes couldn't have gotten wider. "Wh-what?!"

Paul looked into his son's stricken eyes. "Dave, I've wondered if you're…that way for a while now. Now I know." And then, he paternally leaned towards his only child. "And I still love you for that."

"Awwwww, Daaaaad! I know thaaaat! I mean…." Dave grabbed a potato and would not cry. He would not cry. He would NOT cry. "O-OK…. But there's more…"

Paul rubbed his eyes and heavily exhaled. "OK. Tell me."

"Re-really?"

"Dave," Paul said with a slight chuckle. "I might be forty-eight years old but I think my heart can take more than the news that you're…that way."

"G-gay, Dad."

The elder Karofsky looked him dead in the eye. "Yes. Gay. Hand me some water. I think we have enough potatoes."

Dave looked over and saw the enormous pile of potatoes and giggled. "Guess we'll need the soup pot for that!"

But Paul didn't laugh. Instead, he just stoically nodded. Dave recognized a shift in his father and grabbed the large pot. He placed it on the stove and grabbed the bowl of raw potatoes. And when he started to add the seasonings, he was surprised to see his dad suddenly standing there beside him.

"What else, Dave?"

The teen suddenly turned and grabbed the huge package of frozen pork chops. Automatically, he began thawing them under tepid water. His back was to his dad, but of course he could feel Paul's eyes on him. Dave no longer wiped the water over the package and stared into the backyard. Memories of neighborhood football games, the dilapidated trash fireplace, and every other memory of him

and his dad flowed through his brain. And once again, he was astonished to see his dad had practically snuck up beside him.

"Son?" Paul quietly said.

Dave, who stared out into the recesses of his childhood backyard excursions and longed for that nostalgic time to come back, mistily said, "He's pregnant."

Just then, the second garage door could be heard. Dave's mother and Paul's wife was returning from work.

.

AN: Ok, so what do you think about Paul's reaction to everything? Did you like it? Sorry for the cliffhanger. Lol

Let me know what you thought. :)

Please review. Please be kind. Have a nice day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3