If Only || Glee

Ch. 4 || Preggers

Kurt was in a crisis.

"Listen, I'm almost completely sure my dad's not a raging homophobe but I can't let him know I'm gay yet. I'm not ready! I'll never be ready!"

Ryder walked down the hall with the small boy, listening intently as he ranted. "I'm pretty sure my mom wouldn't date him if she even suspected he was homophobic," Ryder tried to lighten the mood. But Kurt's tense face wasn't letting up at all. "Why would he even think you're gay?" Despite the blatant signs. 

Kurt relayed the story of how he had recruited Tina and Brittany to help him with Beyonce's "Single Ladies" choreography in his basement, and how his conveniently his dad walked in on them at the most intense point of hand-waving.

"Then Tina --bless her soul-- tried to cover for me by saying we were training for football. Football! And Brittany said I was the kicker!" He ran his hands down his face as the two guys entered the choir room for their after school Glee Club.

Ryder shrugged his bag off, dropping it beside the chair he slumped down in. "To be fair our kicker does suck. Couldn't hurt at least attempting, and Coach Tanaka loves me so I can totally get you a tryout." Kurt only returned a smile and a relieved nod to the tall boy, obviously overwhelmed by the impending circumstance.

During rehearsal the tall brunette had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as Rachel stormed out, again. She had done it three times the week before. Each for a different, but equally stupid reason. This time however, Tina was given the solo of Maria from West Side Story, to which Rachel responded by claiming it was "her  solo". 

Finally Ryder couldn't take her babbling anymore and set his sheet music aside angrily, pointing her finger at her accusingly. "Has anyone ever told you "no", Rachel?" He titled his head at the girl, mid-whine. "I mean --you expect to get every solo, can you not let Tina have this one opportunity? Is that too much spotlight shifting for you?" 

She stuttered, looking around the room for support. Her eyes met Finn's, begging him to say something. When he sat still in his seat she inhaled deeply, releasing a faux sob and stomped out of the room, her flats making a click-clack noise as she stepped fervently.

Mr. Schue shrugged and continued with the lesson, allowing Tina to show off her voice better than ever before. 

"Congratulations, Tina. Good work today everyone! See you tomorrow!" He waved at the teens as they filed out of the room. Most of them were ready to crash in their beds at home, but for Kurt Hummel he actually had to do something. It was already torture.

Ryder stretched on the grassy field, preparing for practice while Kurt stood above him. He held a helmet in his hands hesitantly. Ryder assured him, "You're gonna be fine, Kurt. Just remember to keep your eyes on the ball. And that all these meatheads' opinions of you don't matter, I know you can do this. Especially with Beyonce." He smiled, standing up and clapping the boy on the back. "And please put your helmet on."

Kurt let out a long sigh mumbling something about messing his hair up before begrudgingly putting it on. The two boys walked up to the angry looking coach, Kurt trailing slightly behind Ryder. The tall boy grinned towards the older man. "Hey Coach Tanaka, I was hoping that maybe you could consider my friend Kurt here to be our new kicker?" Ryder raised his eyebrows hopefully, silently pleading with his brown eyes.

He only nodded, blowing his whistle and commanding everyone to take a knee. "Six games. Our kicker, Mr. Langenthaal, is zero for twelve in field goal attempts. As most of you statistically minded people know, that sucks! So Mr. Langenthaal will thusly be in charge of hydration services. The next player that can get a football between those uprights will get his job," he yelled and gestured to the tall yellow field-goal, looking around the huddle at the players.