A/N: Sorry for the amount of Alyssa in this chapter, since I know she's an OC and can be annoying to some of you. But it's necessary for Kurt to go through this, since I actually have a couple ideas in mind after thinking things through a hair more. So here you go, another chapter, and more should be out within a few days, since I have so much free time over this winter break. XD
Chapter 14.
When Dave returns to practice, Tyler is missing. He's about to mutter a question as to why to a player near him when the coach suddenly rounds the corner and announces it himself: Tyler Jurcen quit the team, so all of the remaining players need to pick up the slack, and perhaps one or them will have to fill the strawberry blond's shoes by no longer being a benchwarmer.
Dave wouldn't admit it if someone called him out on it, but he's damn relieved. He was afraid Tyler would retaliate during hockey, or do something else of the sort, like go after Kurt; but then again, Tyler doesn't know about Dave's sexual orientation, and that's just as well, because he probably would have gone after Dave with more enthusiasm if he had known.
Karofsky shudders, not liking his thoughts. He chooses to think of Kurt instead, a part of him wishing that the boy were hear to cheer him on again, even if it's only practice. Seeing Kurt in the stands over the weekend, his face lit up with excitement and his mouth shouting encouraging sounds and words… it was the best feeling for Dave. He can't aptly describe it, but if he had to try, he might say it felt like having a belly full of ice cream: calming, contenting, sweet. Everything Dave could have dreamed his hockey playing experience to be outside of the usual aggression and skill mastering; it was like the movies, the girl (or in this case, guy) of his dreams rooting for him, watching him play, and giving him a kiss afterward when he won. Things of that nature.
So with this much more pleasant train of thought in mind, Dave gets on his gear and heads out of the locker room rearing and ready to go.
But the coach stops him for a second. "Karofsky," the coach addresses, "I saw how you play when you're actually in a game, and I'm more than impressed. But it made me wonder: what else can you do?"
"Coach?" Dave questions, his brows coming together.
The man grins. "No, that's my job. But I get what your tone is saying: 'why is he asking me that?' Well, losing a player got me thinking: no one is tied down to one position all the time. Sometimes things need to be shaken up. So I was wondering, Karofsky: would you like to be goalie during practice today? Or maybe a blocker instead? You're already so good with offense, but I wondered if you have other talents hidden inside of you."
Dave's never tried. In soccer during gym class for school, he usually played goalie because he was too lazy to do all that running otherwise, and admittedly, he was pretty talented at keeping those soccer balls out of the net. But to apply that to a small black puck in hockey with all of that gear on? He isn't sure. But blocking he can do; it's what he mainly did in football anyhow.
So, with a curt nod, Dave agrees to it. "I can try, Coach," he says in conformation.
The coach slaps him on the shoulder. "Good, good. Go get on the extra goalie gear and grab the stick. I'll see you out on the ice, big guy." And then the man is off to talk to another college student, and Dave's left grinning a little to himself, because this is actually kind of awesome.
XXX
When Kurt's cell phone rings, he isn't sure who would be calling him or why. There's always so many possibilities; Mercedes, Tina, Rachel, Finn, Blaine, Burt, Carole, Dave, Alyssa, and once, even Puck, and a couple times, Quinn. Kurt isn't sure who it's going to be, so he simply slips his phone out of his pocket and glances at the caller ID.
It's Carole.
Smiling, Kurt answers the phone. "Hullo, Mommy-Dearest," he teases, because while no one can ever fully replace his birth mother, Carole is a great surrogate.
"Hi sweetie!" the woman chimes in happily. "I was wondering: are you ever going to let Burt and I meet your new boyfriend? I'm just dying to see what you mean by your bully changing so drastically! Although I'm sure like some bullies I knew growing up, he's always had a sweet side to him, and just needed the right person to come along and pry it out of him," she says playfully. "And you must've been just the right man for the job, huh?"
"That's one way to put it," Kurt laughs. He glances at their shared calendar in the room, trying to deduce a common free weekend not clouded with hockey games or anything else. "Um… it looks like we can come see you guys the weekend before Thanksgiving, since he and I have separate families to go home to on the holiday itself," Kurt says as he scans the weeks of November.
"Sounds perfectly agreeable," Carole smiles on the other end of the line. "We'll see you then, Kurt. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask: how did that costume party on Halloween go?"
"Splendidly," Kurt grins. "I dressed up as Hannah Montana, with a twist: I used my makeup skills to make it appear as though she got hit by our own tour bus. It was hysterical."
"It would have been; that poor girl is so easy to poke fun at," Carole laughs. "But that means you cross-dressed?"
Kurt shrugs, smoothing his hand with his free hand. "Yes, but tons of guys were cross-dressing, hetero ones included. I didn't feel out-of-place at all."
"Well, that's good," Carole smiles again. "Anyway, hun, I just wanted to check in on you. I'll see you in about in a couple weeks, okay? And don't be a stranger! Call or write some more! I love hearing from you, and so does your father. He's been busy in the shop lately, though; seems like everybody has troubles this year that only he can fix," she relays with a small sigh. "Bye now, Kurt."
"Bye-bye, Carole," Kurt says warmly in response, and then he ends the call with a simply tap on the screen of his iPhone.
Sometime during his brief call, someone texted him. Kurt checks the text and finds that it originates from Alyssa's number. I tried calling, but the line was busy. When you're done, can we meet somewhere? I want to talk.
Kurt text backs a brief 'okay' before suggesting a place on-campus. Alyssa texts back, adding a smiley face at the end, saying that the location is fine and she'll be there in fifteen minutes if Kurt can do the same. He sends his compliance, and with a quick grab of his coat, he heads out the door, keys in his pocket.
XXX
"Kurt!" Alyssa blubbers, and she's crying, her eyes red and puffy, and even though she hasn't known him very long, she immediately wraps her arms around his shoulders.
The soprano stiffens on contact, but doesn't decline the embrace. Instead, he gently pats her awkwardly on the back, trying to console her. "Alyssa, what's wrong?"
She pulls away and shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I'm really touchy-feely, and I know it must be weird for you, and I'm so sorry that I'm so weird, and –"
"Alyssa! It's okay, girl, really. Calm down," Kurt says, trying to send her a weak smile. He pats her shoulder comfortingly. "Now tell me what has you so upset."
The blonde takes in a slow breath and releases it even slower. "Okay. Sorry. You're right," she says, apologizing yet again, making Kurt mentally roll his eyes.
Her brown eyes peer up into his blue ones, and she looks so frail, despite her strong, clenched jaw and fisted hands. She then explains:
"I did it. I called Tyler out on his actions, and he didn't deny it. He told me the truth, actually. He said that he met your roommate on the rink and liked him right away, and that he's always been gay but has always lied and covered it up to everybody except his cousin or something, and he tried to make me feel bad for him, and use my love for him against me! I wanted to scream, Kurt. It cut me deep. I thought he was special. I mean," she chokes, "I was saving myself for him, you know? I-I thought he loved me." She shakes her head, and Kurt brings her in for another hug, because he can tell that she needs it. She sobs into his shirt, "I didn't know it'd be this hard, Kurt! I tried to make myself feel better by tackling him and socking him one in the face, but it didn't, because he let me. He didn't fight back! Why didn't he push me away? Do you think he knows that he did wrong? Do you think Tyler's sorry?" Alyssa pleads, and Kurt has no answer as she leans her head against his shoulder. She's a lot shorter than him; she's maybe five-foot-two, or five-foot-one. She's tiny. She goes on one last time, "But I dumped him. He promised not to talk to me again, since I asked him not to. He's out of my life forever, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with something like that anymore." She whispers, "But I'm not mad at him for being gay. You know I love gays. But I'm so, so mad at him for thinking he could use me, and lie to me, and not receive any consequences. That's why I hate Tyler now. That's why I'm going to ignore his existence for the rest of my life." She sighs, finally letting go of Kurt and drying her eyes. "I don't mean to dump on you like this, Kurt. God, we only just met, for crying out loud. But… I don't have anybody else. All of my other friends live in Madison, Wisconsin; my hometown. Besides my brother and the occasional online or phone conversation, I can't talk to anyone."
Her monologue finished, Kurt finally offers some words of advice. He tells her with a small smile, "You're not dumping on me, Alyssa. I understand more than you realize. I can see why you thought you loved Tyler so much: he was the only other person to show interest in you, to hang out with you, and keep you from being lonely. But you don't need a boyfriend, Alyssa; you're a strong girl who just needs a friend. And if you'll go shopping with me at the mall some time soon, I'll buy you a giant pretzel and a beverage of your choice and I'll be that friend. I left all of my own friends in Lima, which is hours away from here, so I feel your pain."
Alyssa nods solemnly. "Wow. Thanks, Kurt. You're the best, really; you're such a nice guy."
"I try," Kurt grins.
Giggling a little, Alyssa sniffles away the last of her tears and wipes her eyes with her shirtsleeve. "Hey," she says, "Can that pretzel have cheese on it? And be served later this week after your last class? All my classes end by about four each day, so…"
"My last class is around six or seven, I believe, for the later days of the week. The mall is open late on weekends, though. So shall we go out this Friday?" Kurt suggests, and he likes that Alyssa's demeanor perks right up and her lips form a smile.
"Yes, let's! I really, really can't thank you enough, Kurt. And could you thank Dave for me, too? Because without meaning to, the guy helped bring out Tyler's true colors and indirectly helped me get rid of the bastard before things got ugly later on." And she winks, her sense of humor a little dry, but Kurt laughs minutely anyhow.
"Sure, I'll send Dave your regards." Kurt agrees warmly.
Alyssa eyes him a little. "Kurt," she remarks teasingly, "Do you have a crush on Dave? The way you always say his name… I dunno, it sounds like you dig him." And she giggles at the thought, and it bursts into wild laughter when she notices Kurt's face blossom with magenta. "Ohmigod, you do like him! Your face says it all! Aww, that's just so cuuuuute~! But," she adds disdainfully, her lips putting slightly, "He's straight, isn't he? You poor baby."
Kurt shakes his head, not sure what to say. Alyssa seems like she can keep a secret, but won't Dave feel like Kurt betrayed his trust if he tells Alyssa the truth?
She doesn't seem particularly concerned, however. "Ah, well. You win some, you lose some. But you two would make a cute couple; he's all macho and you're all effeminate-but-still-boyish, just like all my yaoi manga. It's adorable," she concludes, and already she seems to have forgotten all about her episodic breakdown moments ago. This is one chick you can knock down who will get right back up. Kurt respects this about her, because it reminds him of himself.
"Your wacky imagination astounds me," Kurt says sarcastically, and Alyssa simply laughs again.
"Sorry! I see gayness in everything. I wish that every set of male roommates secretly liked each other as more than friends, but of course I know this is impossible. But I can't help myself; I need my daily dose of homosexuality to keep me going." And she grins.
"Alyssa… you're sort of creepy, do you know that?" Kurt remarks with a raise of an eyebrow.
The blonde giggles with a hand to her mouth before yanking down her baseball t-shirt, one of the Chicago teams, Kurt thinks. "I know I am. All my friends back home always knew I was the weirdest one, but we were all pretty weird. Outcasts, I suppose. But the popular kids didn't bully us, thank God." She winces. "Oops! Crap, I forgot… you said you were bullied, didn't you? By Dave and stuff? I'm sorry!"
Kurt chuckles idly. "Don't worry about it, Alyssa. Seriously, you need to stop reacting so much."
"I do that a lot," she admits. "I just like expressing emotion. It's fun, and helps me not bottle it up all the time like I used to in high school. Did you know that I used to be thirty pounds heavier?" She adds, looking self-conscious of herself. "But my mom helped me get into shape, for the most part, before college began. She wanted me to meet boys I might actually like." Alyssa shrugs. "I guess it worked out, because I met you, right? – Except the liking isn't romantic this time, it's just the friend-like, and I think you're right, that's the kind I need most right now." She giggles. "Is it horrible that I'm ecstatic that you're, like, my first real gay guy friend? Does that make me a… a fag-hag? B-because I don't want it to! I don't like you only because I found out you were gay. You're just… really funny and sweet and stylish and happen to like some of the same things I do." And she whispers the f-word, seeming not to like the term very much, but not knowing how else to describe herself. She looks worried, too, as if afraid of being convicted of a crime.
Kurt shakes his head, grinning through and through. He slaps her gently on the arm. "No, Alyssa, it's not horrible that you feel that way, and it doesn't make you a fag-hag. It just shows that you're truly accepting and loving towards people in spite of their sexualities or any other flaws they might have." He smiles softer. "And you're really talkative, which shows your enthusiasm for what you believe in."
Alyssa seems to get embarrassed, her head tilting downward and her ears burning red from where Kurt can see them in front of her headband that matches her baseball shirt. "You really think so?" she murmurs, looking up and smiling, her bottom lip pinched between her teeth nervously.
Kurt winks. "I do. You're definitely something else, Alyssa, but I don't mind; the friends I left behind were the same way, and I wouldn't trade them for the world."
"Yay!" Alyssa claps, giggling to herself. She grabs Kurt's hands and affirms, "I'm so happy! You totally cheered my right back up after my violent break-up, Kurt. And to make it up to you, I'm not letting you pay for a single thing on Friday. Despite the cheap clothing I dress in, I'm actually pretty loaded; I have a decent job and save it all, choosing to live mainly on my student loans. So let me get you some stuff, okay? And in return, you can let me go into my two favorite stores, since I'm sure they are two you'd never step foot in unless forced."
"Stores such as…?" Kurt remarks with a quirked eyebrow.
Alyssa laughs uneasily. "Heh, heh… um, Hot Topic and Sports Galore. I have a soft spot for all the nerdy anime stuff at Hot Topic, and then you know me and sports," she says as she glances down as herself. "I hardly play any myself, but boy, do I love to watch and collect the shirts and caps of my favorite teams. And then I like getting some punk stuff for the other side of me." And she winks.
And Kurt can't help but like this girl, even if she's a tad crazy and annoying, but that's just like Rachel Berry, and Kurt's her friend too, isn't he? So he smiles and nods, and then they link elbows and decide to go get a coffee, but Kurt makes sure to steer clear of the Starbucks-that-shall-not-be-visited, because he really, really doesn't want to see Jason or Blaine there; it's just too… awkweird, a phrase he picked up from Mercedes.