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biography
David grew up in a low income housing development with his younger sister, and his parents' tumultuous marriage finally came to an end when he was nine years old. The court ultimately granted custody to his mother, but his time was split almost equally between both parents. A few years later, his mother remarried, and went on to have two more children with her new husband. David isn't close with his half-siblings.
Once he hit adulthood, his relationship with his parents began to dissipate. His mother was preoccupied with her new family, and since David and his sister were grown up, his father didn't make as much effort to stay involved in their lives. Currently, Dave talks to his mother once a month or so, and hasn't seen or talked to his father in over a year.
As a socially awkward, overweight and unpopular adolescent, David had few friends and was largely ignored by girls. He met his first and only serious girlfriend through mutual friends when he was twenty, and immediately latched onto her because she was one of the only girls who had ever shown interest in him. They started dating shortly after, despite the fact that she had an infant son, and David foolishly assumed the role of father.
Initially unsure of the relationship and the responsibilities that came attached to it, David ultimately settled into parenthood, smothering the vague pangs of resentment he felt every time he had to turn down plans with his friends to take care of his new son. Four years later, an unexpected pregnancy resulted in the birth of his daughter, April.
With two children to support and money becoming increasingly tight, David took on a second job in order to cover the bills, a decision that was supposed to lessen the stress on the family, but instead, only made it worse. His girlfriend resented him for never having time for her and the kids, thus driving the first of many wedges between them, aggravated by the fact that he spent was little spare time he did have with his friends. Lonely and longing for attention, his girlfriend later cheated on him and promptly told him about it when he arrived home from work that night. Looking back, David regrets not ending the relationship right then and there.
As time wore on, David grew increasingly disenchanted with his home life, and the brewing resentment was getting harder and harder to ignore. A promotion to manager at his first job allowed him to quit the second, freeing up more spare time, but he continued to dedicate most of those days off to hanging out with friends and experiencing the follies of youth he'd sacrificed for family so many years earlier. The fights with his girlfriend got more frequent, more intense, and after a particularly bad argument, David drunkenly went home with a girl he met at a bar as revenge for being cheated on weeks earlier.
After confessing his infidelity to his girlfriend and one last hail-Mary attempt at salvaging the relationship, they decided it was time to call it quits. In 2011, David moved out of their apartment and found a place with a friend, where he's been living ever since. He spends at two or three nights a week with his kids, and despite mutual attempts to maintain civility with each other, he and his ex sometimes struggle with it. Part of him still misses her, but he's never admitted to it.
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• After years of being overweight and pathetically out of shape, David decided he'd had enough and completely overhauled his diet and lifestyle in 2008. He began eating healthier, bought a 24-hour gym membership, and often found refuge there when the tension at home got to be too much. Since then he dropped from 240 lbs to 180, and continues to visit the gym three or four days a week. In the summer, he often goes running before work.
• He's fairly new to snowboarding, but absolutely loves it and spends much of his free time in the winter strapped to his board. In 2011, he won a six-night stay at Big White Ski Resort through a radio contest, and has been slowly saving up to go back ever since.
• During the course of his relationship, he racked up tons of debt due to years of he and his girlfriend living beyond their means. Somehow, conjuring up cash and credits cards for TVs and video game consoles for the kids was a piece of cake, but covering their bills month to month was a struggle. Dave is still in the process of paying it down.
• He met his roommate, Rachel, through mutual friends several years ago, at a karaoke night she was hosting at a local bar. They had a lot in common and enjoyed each others' company, but rarely spoke outside of group outings. They didn't become friends until one particularly sloppy night of karaoke, wherein Rachel drunkenly slipped and fell during a rendition of Cold As Ice and broke her arm. Dave volunteered to take her to the hospital, and they officially bonded while sitting in the waiting room.
• He played in a band called 'The Scorn' throughout high school and into his early-twenties. Their style was a blend of heavy and stoner metal, and while they were never exceptionally good, they received some attention and popularity among people involved in the local scene. Dave dropped out after the birth of his daughter, and the band carried on without him. Prior to leaving, he played guitar and provided some of the vocals.
• Since ending his ten-year relationship, David has been in no hurry to settle down again. He's casually dated here and there, but so far, nothing has turned out to be substantial or last longer than a few weeks. It's not that he's completely closed off to the possibility, should it present itself; finding that special someone just hasn't been a priority, and he's not sure when it will be. He's been extremely choosy regarding who he introduces to his kids, too, for fear that they might get attached to someone who ultimately doesn't stick around.
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