Hope for the Broken Hearted [attn Dare]

[Annie Holmes]

A girl tiny figure stood outside the school waiting for a boy to show up and whisk her away for lunch. The texts had been exchanged, the time set, and the girl hopeful. Though her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from all the tears that day, there was a small smile on her face. Almost out of a force of habit more than anything else.

People had rallied around her, told her what they thought about what had happened, and how she should forget about people like Philip Lim. The thing was, she couldn't. He was hurting, some of it was self inflicted pain, but he *was* hurting. He'd lost his little sister to the gang war that'd taken place not-so-long ago. He firmly believed that his religion said that he would go to hell for being gay and that there was nothing he could do about it. Or maybe she was reading too much into that last part, but the point was she didn't WANT people to tell her how horrible Phil was and how wonderful she was. She'd lost her friend. Though her own actions, she's shoved him out into the open where he didn't want to be. Nevermind that most everyone knew anyway, it was his comfort zone she'd shattered, and he had every right to be mad.

Tears began to fall again as she wallowed in her thoughts, the corners of Annie's lips twitched out of halfhearted smile and she lifted a hand to wipe away the evidence of her hurt.

She just wanted things to go back to the way they had been before. Was that so wrong? But she also didn't want Phil to lie to himself. To shove part of who he was away. She wanted him to not think that her parents were going to hell, that she was a product of a mistake. The ONLY reason she was there was because her dad's had wanted children, that they'd had so much love to share they built a family when parts of the world and a lot of people said it was "wrong".

At least the state said it was ok for them to be married. To have children, and to raise a family.

Though she wasn't in the habit of praying, Annie sent out a pleading thought to the universe and God.

Please, she begged, wiping away more tears as they left tracks down her cheeks, Please help him be more comfortable. Please...

When Dare showed up, Annie did her best to put on a smiling face, to greet him with a hug her arms wrapping around his scrawny frame. Lunch would be better than the first part of the day. It had to be. Just HAD to be.

[Dare Madison]

Dare had firmly put the day before out of his mind, not because he didn't care about Phil but because he just wasn't able to handle it yet. When he saw Annie standing outside the school looking very small and forlorn, he almost leaped from the limo and ran to her. He wasn't expecting the hug, but he returned it gladly. He pulled away so Annie could read his lips as he had only learned a few words in sign so far. "I am so glad to finally meet you," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

"I thought we could go to Real Food Daily, but if you aren't fond of Vegan cuisine we can go somewhere that they have meat and vegetarian options, I am not militant in my beliefs," he said before leading her to the limo and helping her in. He went around and scooted in beside her," he hoped he spoke carefully enough that she would have gotten that, but he was prepared. If he had to he had brought his laptop that he could type out whatever he needed to say. He waited to give her the basket so they could establish where they were going first. He was wearing his favorite patched jeans and a bright pink tee shirt with a blue and pink button up over it. He remembered that Phil had told him she liked bright colors.

[Annie Holmes]

It was so cute when people talked more slowly so they were certain she could read their lips. Annie understood, and knew that when they weren't familiar with her that they could talk normal and she'd still be able to follow. It was a sweet gesture, and not one she was going to cast aside as ignorance. It was Dare trying to be helfpul.

Thank you, she signed, her flat hand bowing away from her chin, palm up. Settled into the limo she looked around. It wasn't her first ride in a limo, but they never failed to amaze her, how much space was actually inside. Spotting the laptop she pointed to it and raised her eyebrows in question, then signed so he could get the gist of what some signs meant for she had no way of knowing how much he understood and how much he didn't. Can I use that to type at you?

When she got the approval nod, the teen pulled the electronic over into her lap and typed, her finger flew across the keyboard.

Real Food Daily sounds great! I haven't had pure vegan before, but Iman's a vegetarian too. Though I don't think she's as strict about it as you are. She'll eat my cupcakes which have egg product in them. If I'd known you were a vegan I would have made soy cupcakes for you yesterday!

Turning the laptop so Dare could see, Annie arched her eyebrows at him. As an after thought she pulled it back and typed again.

How come you didn't think we could be friends?

[Dare Madison]

Dare smiled at Annie warmly. "I am not vegan, I am ovo-lactarian, I eat unfertilized eggs and milk products. I just know this place doesn't slip in any meat products like some of the supposedly vegetarian restaurants in town do. I am faithful to no meat, but I love cheese,"he admitted with a crooked grin.

Dare was glad if his lap top made things easier, but he wasn't ready for that question. Somehow through their shared suffering the night before, he felt a connection to Annie that made him hesitate to lie to her. "It wasn't that I didn't think we could be friends... I was really down on myself and I didn't think I could be friends with anyone. It was very bad," he said, doing his best not to mumble. He kept his eyes level with hers. He was ashamed of what he did, but he didn't want her to think he was hiding anything. "I was being very selfish." Admitting that was hard for him. One thing he normally prided himself on was being very generous with his time, his money and himself.

[Annie Holmes]

It was very interesting, learning about the different sorts of vegetarian. Annie'd had no idea there were so many different types. Sects? Branches? Denominations? What was the right word for this sort of thing? But then the subject turned to what had happened the night before and her heart, broken as it was, tried to reach out to Dare.

A small hand lifted from the keyboard of the laptop and patted Dare's as she shook her head, one hand typing (albeit slowly)

It's ok to be a little selfish some of the time. Just please remember that there are people who like you. Going away and hiding is ok... other stuff. Well - please don't. Turning the screen so he could read again, Annie smiled to take the bite out of the text. It was hard for written word to get any real feeling across and often it was taken as more harsh than the writer had intended.

Turning the screen back again, Annie typed quickly, But let's not worry about that! I'm glad you texted me this morning. It was a bright spot and gave me something to look forward too. I love your outfit too, lots of color! So many people in the music industry thing that "black" is the only feasible color out there.

She was trying to make the best of their shared pain. If nothing else, they could be friend and have a fantastic lunch together!

[Dare Madison]

Dare read the screen and smiled at Annie, promising silently he wouldn't go to that dark place again at least not alone without someone to drag him back. "I like black too," he admitted, "but I will wear bright colors for you." He reached down onto the floor and picked up the basket he had made up for her and set it on her lap. "To help you with spreading sweetness," he said referring to the contents of baking supplies. There were wonderful silicone baking pans with heart and star-shapes, 2 dozen individual cupcake 'liners in bright colors that had feet and lots of decorating supplies. A decorating kit with decorator bag and a full assortment of tips as well as assorted colored gels, sprinkles and pretty much everything the store had carried. "I hope this is good stuff, if it isn't please return it and get things you can use," he said not invested in his choices just her happiness.