I apologize for the lack of updates, if anyone cares for the reason it's at the end. You ever wonder how you can have so much to do and still find the time to do nothing? Anyway, this chapter is partly filler and partly plot related. Read, enjoy and remember reviews make me smile. :D

Rachel POV

The silence continues until Noah breaks it.

"Let me get this straight, Santana just implied Karofsky's in the closet." He states. "So unless I'm interpreting wrong, he's gay."

"Yep." Brittany says from where she is now sitting.

"Okay."

"Wait, you guys knew? Because none of you seemed phased." Kurt asks.

"Yep."

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"No... Well I never actually thought about it until just now but it seemed possible so I'm not surprised." Noah states.

"How'd you guys know?" He asks

"Well apparently Brittany knows and sees all and as for Quinn and I... uh... Santana told us." I say.

I look over at Quinn and we have a silent conversation agreeing that bringing up what Santana did and said wouldn't be a very good idea.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question too?" I continue.

"I'm no Santana with exceptional gaydar but I can take hints." He replies.

"Hints?"

"You'll be surprised at what you can see when you're always looking around for a person."

No, I wouldn't be surprised because I've seen many things while watching Quinn.

"And I'm pretty sure I saw him checking out Puck's ass. Not to make you feel weird or anything." He adds.

"Why would I feel weird, isn't it a compliment? I do it all the time to hot girls, I feel honoured I'm hot enough to be checked out." Noah replies.

"You're right, I'm sorry, I forgot you think like that."

"Just a thought." I say. "Instead of watching people's asses how about you actually verbally complement them."

"I don't think strangers react nicely when you go up to them and say 'nice ass'."

"Right..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Santana POV

I find Dave in the back of an empty classroom which was kind of a letdown. It's not that I expected to find him in a closet but you have to admit it would have been hilarious if I did.

"What do you want?" He asks angrily as I approach him.

"Well fuck, I'm happy to see you too." I reply sarcastically and sitting on a desk in front of him.

"Why would I be happy to see you? It's your fault I'm in here hiding."

"You were hiding long before I did anything." I say pissing him off more but I quickly recover. "Sorry, not a moment for those jokes."

"I kept my side of the deal, if you even care to know." He says as he deflates.

"Yeah I know, I did too."

"Then why wherever I turn there's someone watching me and whispering?"

"Well, no one thought they would see the day Dave Karofsky apologizes to the so called losers."

"I don't give them any wrong, I was a real jerk."

"I remember the days when I was a bitch."

"You still are." He says with a small smile.

"But now I do things people never thought I would." I continue completely ignoring his previous statement.

"Isn't that because you're whipped and Brittany has you on a leash."

"Okay, I'm trying to have a moment and you're ruining it. One more wisecrack and I'm out of here."

"Sorry."

"What I'm trying to get at is, it's in the past. You said it yourself you were a jerk but people can and do change."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Come on." I say as I hop off the desk. "It must be lonely hiding in here by yourself."

"We are we going?" He asks but follows me anyway.

"Somewhere you wouldn't have to hide and can just be yourself." He looks at me skeptically so I continue. "Believe me, it beats being here, even though it's full of weirdos Plus, no time like the present to start the change."

We walk in silence and it seems like Dave is processing different thoughts since he doesn't seem focused.

"Here we are." I say when we reach the auditorium door gaining his attention.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It was either this or leaving you there which I must say would have just been sad and my ideas are nothing if not good. Just trust me on this. Okay?"

He nods and I give him a moment before I dramatically push in the doors. "I'm back bitches!" I shout.

Everyone stops and the room grows quiet.

"Thank God." Kurt exclaims. "I thought that would never end."

"I can't believe I entertained that argument." Quinn says placing her head in her hands.

"I'm disappointed in myself." Rachel says with a sigh "I still have yet to understand how Noah gets people to join in his pointless arguments."

"It's a skill." Puck answers.

"Do I even want to know?" I ask.

"No, please no. We don't need to bring up it back up, it was idiotic." Kurt replies.

"Now you're just making me curious Kurt."

"Differences and similarities / pros and cons of leering versus compliments, which is better?" Puck asks.

"You guys are right, it is stupid." I reply. "And if you didn't notice I brought Dave back with me."

Dave is now sitting next to Brittany, who seems to be the only one who noticed him, while she tells him something.

They greet him and we eventually settle down to eat lunch.

"You're not eating Dave?" Brittany asks.

"No I didn't bring any." He states then whispers so low that I barely hear him. "And I don't think I could have handled going to the cafeteria."

"You can have some of mine." She offers.

"You don't have to do that Britt." I say. "We can send Puck to get some."

"Why me? Why can't you go?"

"I would but can your conscience handle it if I snapped and injured someone who looked at or came too close to me?"

"Yes."

"It's okay, no one has to go, I'll survive."

"Each of us can add a portion of our meals together for you." Rachel says then turns to Dave. "You are not allowed to decline, it's unhealthy to skip meals."

"Plus Brittany would have given you food anyway, no one tells Brittany no." Quinn adds.

"Even so, if Brittany asked Santana she would even go to the end of the earth to find food and force it down your throat if she had to." Kurt states.

"Your input was unwanted and unnecessary." I say as I flip him off.

"Be nice, San." Brittany scolds

We do as Rachel says and each place some food into a plate. I fail to completely stifle a laugh as the situation causes me to remember Brittany's comparison of Dave to a stray cat, which is looking oh so very accurate at this moment.

"What?" Puck asks me.

"It's nothing."I reply.

"You know, you still haven't answered my question from before."

"I wasn't planning to."

"Come on, just humour me."

"No, please don't." Kurt interjects.

"You seem to be very against it, Kurt. I'm interested as to why?"

"You didn't have to sit through the senselessness."

"I don't understand why he's fixated on it?"

"Because he wants to see if he can create any links to back up his logic." Quinn says.

"And what would that be?"

"Nuh-uh, thoughts on the topic first, then you get answers. Compliments vs. Leering." Puck interjects.

"It depends on who's doing it. Taking some examples: Jewfro, everything he says and does can be considered creepy. Your leering can creepy, I'm sure whoever you're watching can feel you undressing them with your eyes. You also have the ability to make a compliment sound sleazy."

"Okay that doesn't happen and you know that's not what I meant." He says

"You asked for my thoughts." I reply with a shrug.

"To the person on the receiving end a compliment would be better." Dave says which surprises some of us that he joined in.

"Why?" Puck asks, just happy that someone is entertaining his statement.

"Because it's lets them know what the other person was thinking." He replies.

"It also brings their attention to you because sometime people don't notice when they're being watched." Rachel says. "Damn it, I was trying not to join in."

"You lasted pretty long, seeing how you are Rachel Berry." Kurt says and Rachel glares at him. "I meant that in a good way." He continues.

"Therefore making it less creepy than leering." I add. "Because we can all agree it is kind of creepy when someone's just watching you without saying or doing anything."

"Wouldn't it be uncomfortable if some stranger walks up to you and starts complimenting you on your achievements in life?" Puck asks.

"That depends. Who's the stranger?" Brittany asks.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes." She states and Puck looks at her expectantly.

"If it's a famous person most people would fan-girl and freak out." I clarify.

"Okay so it's a normal, not famous person."

"I'd still be more creep-ed if they stare at me from across the room."

"What's with your fixation on the word creep?"

"What's with your fixation on this topic?"

"Touché."

"And that will be the last statement of this conversation." Kurt intervenes.

"Joy kill." Puck mumbles then goes to sulk causing us all to laugh.

We eat the rest of our lunch in peace.

Dave POV

After we're finish eating Brittany, Quinn and Rachel go to mess around on the stage while Kurt tries to get Puck to stop sulking.

"So was I right or was I right?" Santana asks.

"Is there an option that won't inflate your ego?" I question.

"I was just trying to make it easier for you to answer but your own answers are accepted." She says then shrugs. "They all would mean the same thing anyway."

"Well, I'm not saying that your right but I do prefer here to the classroom. It feels... warm." I say not finding a word to describe the feeling properly.

"That's because you feel welcome and accepted. These people are the most accepting, forgiving, free spirited, caring, giant softies. It's like they radiate it so when you're around them you get this warm fuzzy feeling." She replies.

"How can you guys just accept me like I haven't been a complete pain in the ass?"

"Some of us do it because it was done to us. We were a pain in the ass, especially to Rachel, but she forgave us and gave us a chance. It would be hypocritical for us not to do the same for you, you know, do onto others as you would like them to do onto you, and all that shit. For the rest I don't know, they have their own reasons."

"Do they know?.. About me?"

"Isn't that something you should be asking them and not me?"

"I know but..."

"You're scared you'll let something slip and that if they didn't know, they'd know then."

"See you understand."

"But, there are just some things you have to do on your own."

"And this isn't one of them."

"I know but I'm making it one." She says with that damn smirk.

"I was right, you're still a bitch." I state plainly and she laughs.

"I relapse sometimes." She replies after she stops laughing. "But seriously, there won't always be someone there; this might be some good practice for later in life. On the bright side if you do let it out they'd still treat you the same."

"Even Quinn and Puck?" I ask skeptically.

"Why wouldn't Quinn? Last time I checked she's still our best friend even though Britt and I are together. And I know sometimes guys act weird when they first find out that another guy they share a locker room with is gay but Puckerman's a special case. I'm sure he'd even be flattered that you were checking him out last week." She says with a chuckle.

"True. That's definitely different. Wait- you saw that?!" I ask flabbergasted.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But I will say, try being a little more discreet." She replies then runs off to join Brittany on the stage.

What have I gotten myself into? I ask myself and a thought resonates through my head. The devil's play box.

I'm really sorry for not updating sooner school and life got in the way. I started writing this chapter 3 weeks ago then I got hit with writers block so I was just throwing things out there and seeing what stuck. That ran on to the next week where I was also out passing tests but failing the Pure Math mock exam. Who needs math anyway? This week all of my school IAs were due so I had to do those along with another test. I was going to update this week when I finished them but I underestimated how much time they would have taken. Today I ditched my classes so I could finish my last chemistry one which took like 7 hours straight. I was so happy. I came home and was listening music when I was getting food out of the fridge and knocked over a small pot of fish, so it spilled in the fridge and on me. My phone was right under it so you can imagine it was swimming in fish like oily gravy. So I cleaned up my phone and the kitchen. Luckily my phone was fine but then I dropped it like a total dumbass and the battery came out. I was like 'okay imma just put it back in, it's been through worst.' So I put it back in and a piece of my screen was fogged over. 'Okay that will eventually disappear.' Then I remembered I didn't save the story after I finally finished writing it. 'Okay auto-recovery has my back.' Try opening it, error. 'FML' so I had to re-write the half the chapter. And that is the story of how my day went to shit. "Wait, that's not what we were talking about? Oh well." Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll now be catching up on some well deserved sleep. Next week I'll be out failing my Physics and Chemistry mock exams. Then the week after that is the start of actual CAPE exams so I've got a lot of studying to do. Who needs any subjects anyway?