Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 15:48:56 -0800 (PST)
From: T J <dreemarz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Dare to Dream 1: Chance Encounter

Dare to Dream
     By: TJ

If you are offended by male/male relationships and sexual relationships, or
homoerotic situations and scenarios, then please leave, for your own
benefit. If this conduct is illegal in your area, or if you are underage,
you must leave. Otherwise, enjoy. This is copyrighted by me, so please
don't copy or steal, ask and you'll be rewarded (maybe).

Chapter 1
    Chance Encounter

-----Darren-----

	I let my hands glide over the smooth keys, enjoying the soothing
melody as it rushed in pitch towards no end. I sighed as the room fell
silent as my hands stopped moving. No matter what I did, I couldn't calm
myself, the nerves in my stomach threatening to overtake me. I heard the
door open slightly and shut quietly as footsteps made their way across to
me.

	"Darren?" Concern was etched in that one word and I smiled slightly
to myself.

	"I'm fine Emma, it's just my nerves." A huge sigh of relief came
from behind me as I felt two arms embrace me.

	"You'll be fine. Just you see, you'll knock `em dead." I laughed as
she began to step back and take a seat next to me.

	"But I don't want to Emma. I just want to get this over with. The
faster I go to college, the easier life will be. At least then, I won't
burden you too much." No matter how many times she denied it, I knew I was
a burden to her. I was a sixteen year-old growing boy that needed plenty of
food and clothes. Although I did ration myself on what I ate and was very
stringent so as not to waste a single penny, it wasn't easy, by any means.

	Emma was a twenty-two year-old that was currently studying law. She
had finished her undergrad and was taking her graduate classes in hopes of
making it big. And knowing her talent, she would make it big, hands down.
She worked part-time at night at the local restaurant in order to help me
with my studies. Although I too was looking for a part-time job, I just
wished I could help her more.

	It's a miracle really that I even survived that incident a couple
of weeks ago, an incident that I haven't talked about ever since. Emma,
being my only living relative, was asked to take me in. Being the generous
person she is, she readily accepted and dropped everything for a few days
to help me with my injuries. I could never thank her enough, but somehow,
someday, I'd find a way. That was my promise to myself.

	"Darren, we are not going to have this discussion again. You have
never been and never will be a burden to me. You are my godsend, my angel
from heaven. You have no idea how beautiful you are, both inside and
outside. That voice of yours knows no limit, and those hands, can't even
begin to draw or play anything shy of perfection. You mean to me more than
anything I could have Darren, you are my child. When your mother had you,
do you know what she said?"

	I froze for a couple of seconds as I heard her mention my mom. She
had not once brought up the topic of my parents in all this time I lived
with her. It was up to me to bring them up, and I had not mentioned them
since those days she stayed with me to help me recover. I silently shook my
head `no' as I fought to control my emotions.

	"She said, `Look Fred, it's an angel. God sent us an angel.' Your
parents were very proud and thankful to have you. I know, from the bottom
of my heart, that they would have expected nothing short of what I've done
for you because they would have done the same for me. Do you understand
Darren?"

	I slowly nodded my head in assent as I gazed out the window. It was
overcast and the clouds were darkening rapidly. I sighed as I stood up and
went across to the window. Placing my hand on the ledge, I turned back to
Emma and smiled at her.

	"Thanks Emma. I needed that." She came up to me and grabbed me in a
tight hug.

	"You go out there tomorrow and make your parents proud. Make me
proud, angel." She used her nickname for me and I smiled. Although she used
it often, it was always special for me, to hear her say it. It meant so
much more than just a couple of letters stringed together to me.

	"I'm going to head out for awhile. Check out the neighborhood." She
nodded as I trudged my way across to the door and outside to the living
room. Quickly throwing on a jacket and some shoes, I left the warmth of the
house.

	Stepping outside, I was hit with a gust of cold air. I pulled my
jacket tighter around my body as I treaded aimlessly, following the cracks
in the sidewalk. I heard a car coming behind me and glanced at it. The car
was a dark red sports car that was driving rather fast, it seemed whoever
was in it was in a hurry. As I glanced at it as it passed me by, I noticed
there was only the driver but it seemed he was talking on the phone. He
looked in my direction and gazed at me with green eyes before laughing at
whoever he was talking with and flying past.

	I envied him. He still had his innocence intact; I on the other
hand, had lost mine. I suppose I was a tad bit too bitter towards society,
but I felt I was justified in feeling so. Rightful justification, at least
in my mind, and that's good enough for me.

	I shrugged my shoulders and continued on my walk, just grasping and
dismissing thoughts as they flew through in my head. I heard the distant
rumble of thunder and a huge updraft of wind came rushing from the west. I
glanced in the direction and could see the faint traces of lightning as the
wind continued to pick up.

	If there's one thing I love, it's the feeling of wind through my
hair. My hair was long enough to where it reached the bottom of my neck and
could cover my eyes, but not long enough for a ponytail. No matter how many
times I had tried in previous years, it was adamant in refusing to be
styled into anything. Personally, I felt that gelling my hair would be a
waste of time so I let it fall however it wanted to and I guess I just got
used to the look.

	As my hair caught in the wind, the flaps of my jacket started to
flutter in the breeze. I huddled closer and felt the beginning of what I
was sure to be a thunderstorm as the drizzle started to descend on me.

	Over the course of naught but a few minutes, the light drizzle had
become a full-fledged downpour and I was utterly soaked. I laughed at my
luck and could only hope this wasn't a symbol about tomorrow. I could only
wish that it was a purification storm, so to speak.

	As I managed to make the trip back home the wind got fiercer as the
rain began to beat more mercilessly on my back. I cursed my stupidity in
not bringing an umbrella and tried to make my way back home but my vision
had been reduced to nothing. My usual keen eyesight was failing in the
curtain of rain that surrounded me on all four sides.

	I heard tires skid past me and was surprised to see a form coming
my way, carrying an umbrella. As the being approached me, I could faintly
make out a man with golden hair but nothing more. Once the umbrella was
over our heads, I recognized the guy as the one who had stared back at me.

	"Hey. Looks like you could use a ride. Come on." Without waiting,
he grabbed my hand and led me to the car. "Here, hold on a sec." He gave me
the umbrella to hold as he opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a
towel. "Use this to dry yourself off. You sure did get soaked." I took the
towel from his and quickly dried my hair and wiped my face. "Go ahead and
get in the car. Don't worry about the seats getting wet, they'll be fine."
He smiled before opening the door for me.

	He closed the door behind me after I got in and rushed over to the
other side before folding the umbrella. He threw it in the back of car and
shook his hair a little to get the moisture out before settling into the
car.

	"Hey bro, name's Brendan. Lucky for you, I noticed you walking
earlier. Otherwise you could have been trapped in this downpour. You're not
from around here are you?" I was speechless for a while because it seemed
Brendan had no inhibition in talking to me like I was an old friend,
reacquainted.

	I smiled at him and shook my head no.

	"I thought so because Kansas' storms appear out of nowhere and they
can be quite vicious." He smiled and put out his hand to me and I gently
shook his in a handshake. His grip was firm, but at the same time,
gentle. I smiled nervously. I tried to pull my hand back but he held on, as
if waiting for an answer.

	"Oh, sorry. My name's Darren. Thanks for helping me like this."
Only then did Brendan pull his hand away.

	"Dude, don't mention it. So, where are you heading?" He looked in
my direction and waited patiently as I fidgeted nervously. I hadn't had
this much human contact in nearly two weeks now. Aside from Emma, I had
kept myself locked up in the house except for solitary walks down to the
local park.

	"Nowhere really. I was just heading to the park." I looked into his
green eyes and there was mischief in them. I was slightly perturbed but for
some reason, I didn't panic.

	"Great. You want to come to a party with me?" His smile became
mischievous too. More appealing actually.

	"Uh, actually, it might be wiser for me to go back home." I
froze. I had called Emma's house home. The first time I had even done it,
and it was in front of a stranger. Go figure. I swallowed before realizing
that Brendan was staring at me with concern. "Sorry. I really should get
back."

	"You sure? You can call up and ask the `rents. Here, take my cell."
He dug into his pockets before throwing me his cell. I stared numbly at it
before he took it back from me. "Sorry, guess I'm being too forceful huh?
Why don't you tell me the directions to your house?" He smiled gently and
nodded for me to talk.

	"I live down by the lake. Just go straight down this road and it's
the first left. I can walk from there." I clasped my hands together as I
stared outside, my nerves getting the better of me. I hated it when my
emotions got the better of me, but sometimes, you just had to make
exceptions."

	"Alright, grab on." I wondered the meaning before I realized what
he meant. I clutched onto my seat as he took off at speeds that broke the
speed limit by at least thirty miles per hour. Looking at the fear on my
face, he chuckled slightly before explaining, "If we don't break clear of
this storm soon, it's going to swallow us up. It's impossible to drive
under such circumstances."

	I looked at him as if he had grown horns and a tail. He took
another sideways glance at me and burst out laughing before quickly
reverting his concentration to the road.

	"Yes, it gets much worse than it is right now, surprising, but
true. Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough." We drove on quickly,
covering what I had covered in an hour in less than twenty minutes. As we
pulled into the neighborhood, I gave him directions to the house. When we
got to the house, I turned around to thank him as I caught him staring at
the house and then back at me.

	"Fuck, you're Darren Lyle?"

TBC: Chapter 2: Revelations

Author's Note:
     Hey everyone. I hope you like the story, Dare to Dream. It's not a
story filled with sex, but it's one about relationship and coming of age.
But please give me any feedback on it, if I should bother to continue it or
just let it waste away. It's your input that'll cause any output on my
part, cause this story's for your enjoyment.

 If you have any comments or suggestions, please email me at:
dreemarz@yahoo.com