Puck is eleven. He has an end-of-summer tan that goes a long way towards hiding a lot of dirt and maybe a few bruises. His dark hair is a little long and he brushes it out of his eyes, as he slips through the park gate and crosses the almost empty Lima Parks and Rec parking lot at dusk.
His steps slow as he approaches the familiar car. He hadn't known his dad was back in town. "Hey!" yells his dad as he steps out of the car. "Look who's here to pick you up!"
"Hi, dad." says Puck warily. His dad seems o.k. right now, but he can turn quickly. "Where's Mom?"
His dad grips his shoulder, hard. Close up, Puck can smell booze on his breath. "That's all you've got for your old man after a month? I've been in Akron working my ass off to put food on the table and this is what I get?" Since Puck knows his mom sits up late at the kitchen table worrying over the bills, he highly doubts that, but he doesn't say anything. He starts casting around in his mind for something safe to say, but he's not fast enough.
"You little shit." his dad says flatly, grabbing Puck's upper arm. Puck twists, trying to get away, when they both hear a little noise--barely louder than a squeak. Someone is standing behind them at the gate. A dark-haired girl, a few years younger than Puck is watching the scene with big, scared, eyes. She is in swimming gear, with a little flowered cover-up and sandals and Puck thinks vaguely that the pool must be closing.
His dad spits on the ground and hisses, "Find your own way home..." With that, he gets back into the car and peels out of the parking lot.
Puck and the girl stand looking at each other in silence. "Rachel..." a voice calls from the other end of the parking lot. They both turn and Puck sees a man standing next to a car, waving. The girl waves back, but then turns back to Puck.
"Are you all right?" she asks, shakily.
Puck looks at her sullenly. "Mind your own business" he mutters.
"Rachel!" the man calls again, and she turns and runs lightly towards him, looking back once. Puck watches her go, watches the man--her dad, Puck tells himself, hug her and sweep her into the car. When she's completely gone, he lets out the breath he didn't even know he was holding and heads down the road to Finn's house.