A Blend of Fear & Passion

Days passed, and as he said, Dawson never showed up. I let the class out early, telling them I had things to take care of that were rather important. Grabbing by things and exiting the class, I walked down the crowded hallway, no one bothering to ask where I was going.

Once in my car, I started it and immediately drove out of the parking lot and headed deeper into downtown. If Andrews thinks I'm going to give up on him that easily, he's got another thing coming.

Time Elapse

Pulling up in front of his house, I saw him walking around the house with a saddened and and angered look on his face. Letting out a determined grunt, I got out of the car and ran up the stairs to the front door, banging on it until he opened it.

After he got over the shock, he quickly became angry. "What the hell do you want?" he asked, not bothering to keep eye contact with me for more than ten seconds.

"You're coming with me," I said sternly, causing him to scoff. Dawson let out a small, irritated laugh before responding.

"And what makes you think I'm coming back to deal with you? Your classes are pointless, you don't push yourself and your students outdo you. I outdo you!" he said, getting more and more angry the longer we stood there.

"You outdo me because I know you're better than me. I've given up on everything when Broadway rejected me. I'm rusty when it comes to it, that's why when we're battling it out, I mess up so much," I said, motioning him to follow me. Sitting down on the stairs, I stared up at the clear blue sky before speaking again. "When I see you dance, hear you sing, I see me at your age. You're the reason why I push myself to such exertion every single day. Even at home, and you're not around, you drive me insane."

"You know you just said I was better than you, right?" Dawson said, sounding indifferent. I nodded.

"Did you know that if someone knew I was gay, that I'd get a one way ticket out of the school?" I asked, causing him to stand up and walk a few steps away. "I'm not going to hit on you. I'm just saying ... it's the reason why I act so fucking flustered and make people push themselves so hard." I laughed manically for a moment. "Funny, huh? In a school where you're taught to be yourself, you can't let it out if you're gay." I looked up at Dawson for a long moment before saying, "I know that being angry with you more than the rest seems like I want to get in your pants, but honestly, I want you get the hell out of this town and make something of yourself."

"Why should I believe you?" he asked, not looking at me. "Why shouldn't I give up on everything, now that I don't have anyone to watch me succeed and cheer me on?"

"I see dozens of students look at you with awe. Granted, they're not your parents, or siblings, but they're better than nothing," I said, my voice sounding strange to me. "Honestly, I was an orphan. I woke up everyday, not knowing what was going to happen. Then I discovered the arts, and I fell in love with them."

I could feel Dawson's eyes on me. Looking up at him, I continued. "When I saw the pained expression in your eyes, I knew that you wanted to give up and get a job to be able to have a roof over your head. We all know the cliche saying of 'You know your parents wouldn't want you to do such a thing', which is why I'm not going to say it. They'd understand."

"You don't know my parents," he said, his voice cracking.

"Do you?" I asked, watching him fall to the ground. I could see his vulnerability. "Listen here, Mr. Andrews. I'm going to ask this of you once, and only once. I want you to come back to class, and prove to those other kids that you've got what it takes to take those feelings and put them into art."

I stood up and walked over to him, reaching out a hand. "Also, I have an extra room at my place if you need a place to crash until you finish school and get a job doing something you love. I know you probably won't accept it, but I wanted to let you know my door is always open." Grabbing my hand and standing up, Dawson never broke eye contact.

"What would the rest of the school think of you? Don't you have a bad-ass reputation to uphold?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I saw that spark in his eye that threatened me to test his limits.

"Every bad-ass has a soft side. Mine is just more hard to see," I said, tapping his face. Walking towards my car, I yelled back, "Hope to see you tomorrow. Everyone is learning new shit tomorrow. Even ones as skilled as yourself, Mr. Andrews." Getting in, I started the car and looked over at Dawson.

"Don't count on it," he called, making me raise an eyebrow. Shaking my head, I drove off, watching him fade into the distance.

"You'll be back, Dawson Andrews. I know you'll be back."