So yeah. I like this chapter, mostly because we get to see Karen and a little bit of Dwangela. So I really hope you guys enjoy it. Sorry about the shortness. I'm not sure how I'm gonna write it now, so I just need a little time.

Disclaimer: I own everything. You weren't expecting that, were you? Yeah, 'cause it's not true.

"I'm hungry. What should I try first?" Jim was looking over the buffet table, bringing his bottom lip over his top, surveying the food. He wanted to laugh, because he knew exactly who had brought what. Dwight brought the beet salad, Angela brought the cookies, Kevin brought the bowl of m&ms, Stanley brought the pretzels . . . How typical.

"The tuna sandwiches look good." Karen was looking it over too, wondering how such a random array of food could be arranged.

"Yeah. I'll have that." Jim grabbed a sandwich, taking a bite before setting it on his plate. Meredith winked at him from the other side of the table.

"I brought those." She licked her lips, bringing her eyelids lower. Jim gave a nervous smile.

"Good choice." He was turning to have a seat on the picnic table when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Tuna! I see you went with the tuna! Yeah, great choice, Tuna!" Jim smiled at the guy, who he couldn't exactly place. Where did he come from? And why was he calling him tuna?

"Uh, yeah. I like tuna. Who are you?" Jim was trying to be nice, but he could already tell this guy was irritating.

"Andy Bernard. 18-year-old and soon-to-be Cornell Student." He pushed out his chest, smiling proudly. This guy was a piece of work.

"OK. I'm Jim. This is my girlfriend Karen. Nice to meet you, Andy." He tried to push past him, so he could get to Dwight. Andy blocked his path.

"Cool. Peace out, Tuna." Jim laughed and turned to Karen, who was bringing her eyebrows together and giving him a faint smirk.

"Wow. I mean, wow." Jim kissed her forehead, which made Karen smile more. She craved attention, he had known since they met in the small café in New York.

They made their way to Dwight, in deep conversation with Jim's father, who looked stunned.

"Dwight! Miss me?" His eyes were pure sarcasm, but Dwight didn't pick up on it.

"No." He said it with a firm face and narrowed eyes, like everything else he said to Jim. He squinted his eyes when he saw Karen. "Who are you?"

"Karen. Jim's girlfriend." She reached out her hand to shake his, and gripped hard enough that he was smiling once the handshake was over.

"That is how you shake hands, Jim. It shows power, competence. You could use some of both." Karen gave a little giggle, then frowned when she noticed Pam, standing next to an Indian girl, but softly, longingly, staring at Jim.

Karen tightened her arm around Jim's, taking her focus off Pam and onto what Dwight was saying. Something about the quality of his picnic tables. Her final verdict? Jim is so much better than these people.

XXXX

Pam was listening to Kelly go on and on about how great Karen's shoes were, then suddenly the conversation was on the shoes that Katie Holmes wore when her and Tom . . . it was all a blur, really. Kelly was babbling so fast and so high-pitched that only small dogs from miles away would have been able to keep up. Really.

"Kelly, think I'm gonna go talk to Jim." She left Kelly there, talking about how that was okay and she was going to just talk to Ryan because they were so good together and always had so much to talk about because...

Yeah.

As Pam approached the table, she could hear Dwight talking to Jim about his picnic tables, while Jim nodded and Karen clung to him for dear life. Jeez, talk about attached.

She nervously walked over, laughing with Jim about the absurdity of it all and avoiding the gaze of Karen.

"So, how are you and Roy doing?" Jim didn't care, really. He didn't think it mattered how Roy was doing at all, mostly because Roy was . . . Roy.

"Um, actually I broke up with him. Three days after you left." She was looking at the ground, trying not to bite her lower lip, because it was an awful habit. But when he started talking again, she stopped concentrating. Her upper teeth roamed and dove, pushing into the perfectly applied gloss.

"Oh? Okay." He didn't know what to say anymore, or what to even think. All he knew was that Karen was gripping his forearm hard and Pam was starting to talk again.

"Yeah. And, I, uh, haven't talked to my parents yet, but I got accepted. To Pratt. I don't know what they'll think, so I'm kinda holding off." Jim smiled, genuinely, this time. She got accepted?

"Congratulations. You think you're gonna go?" She was smiling too, making direct eye contact and looking happy.

"I want to. I mean, I really do. And if my parents aren't for it then I'll have to pull the disappearing act like you did." She was still smiling, but his faded at the memory of tears running down his face, almost smudging the note as he tried to calm his trembling fingers. Picking up his duffle bag and guitar, whispering "goodbye" before turning the ignition and driving away, from his whole life.

"Yeah. That'll make you're parents happy." He was grinning again, the memory shoved aside along with his true emotions.

"Oh, totally. But right now I'm focusing more on my happiness. You know, being more assertive. Being open about what I want." She looked directly at him when she said this, and Karen knew exactly what that message meant.

Outside the fence, Dwight was talking to Angela.

"How do you like this party?" He was looking right at her, with an intensity that she couldn't hlep but faintly smile at.

"Good. The streamers are in green, though. So, so whorish. I'm sure Pam was helping with the decorating."

"Yes." He was still looking at her, and without warning he was wrapping her arms around her tiny frame, kissing her so passioniately she pulled back.

"My father's here! We can't do this here!" He gave that smile, full of wonder, at her glare.

"Fine. How about we have a meeting later? We can talk about our college plans." She looked at him sternly.

"Fine. But I'm not sure if I have time to make more cookies." And with that, she stalked off, a tiny smirk playing on her lips.

Yeah? I couldn't help but shove in a little bit of Dwangela. Not much happened in this chapter, sorry 'bout that. I hope you enjoyed it, though. Please tell me what you thought. Seriously. I have never done Dwangela before. Ever. And I wanna know how the Jam parts were, AND I wanna know what you thought of Andy. Oh, yeah, I also would like to hear you're opinions on Karen. Hey, I wrote this chapter, so I am entitled to a review that's not just "Awesome! Update soon!" Sure, those are good too. But if you're willing to give me good feedback then do it! But really, anything's fine.