Dandevdrew

Okay, so the Hammers are not having the best of seasons and last year wasn’t much better. But they were the last team to beat Arsenal at Highbury and the first team to beat them at the Emirates. I’ll conveniently forget that the Gunners took six points from us this season! For the record and it wont really appear in the story as it is not that relevant, Dane is a West Ham fanatic. Aaron is Arsenal till he dies and Isaacs is a dyed in the wool Spurs fan. Sammy has no club allegiance, but he would probably go to a game at Upton Park if Dane dragged him along. That said, after seeing the pictures of Jack Wilshire in Speedos on the internet last year he would probably be a lifelong supporter of the player. For Sam it’s not about teams, it’s all about the individuals! I’m glad that you liked Aaron, I’ve got a lot planned for the guy in the up and coming chapters.

Hi Eon, thanks for your review, I really appreciate it. I have on occasion wondered if I use too much localised slang in the character’s dialogue? On the one hand I write what I hear them saying in my head, on the other hand I am also aware that some words do not travel. And I don’t just mean across the pond either. It always amazes me that a country as small as Britain has so many regional accents and turn of phrases. For example, my native accent is considered to be generic (or queen’s) English. But because I live a few miles down the road from London’s east-end, I find that at times a cockney accent will slip in. On top of that, I have spent quite a lot of time over the years in Scotland and while I do not have the accent, I find that I often use phrases that I have picked up in Edinburgh without realising it.

Wow, that’s a whole heap of H’s there! But I’m glad that I’m still creeping you out The butt grabbing game was inspired by a clip I saw on YouTube ages ago and I guess it just festered in the compost of my deranged imagination only to appear in this story as a light-hearted bit of fun. Aaron telling Sam about his lumping everyone into the same category as each other is directly from my life. At school there were a hardcore group of bullies that made my life and that of others hell. Then there were those who hung around with them, I saw them all as the same, but in truth they were nowhere near as bad. In fact after leaving school I became friends with some of them as we drank in the same pub and went to the same clubs.

Thanks Sam, I am glad that you liked it. To be honest I really enjoyed writing this chapter, probably why it took six weeks to finish instead of the usual six months!

Thanks for your kind words about my story. A number of Sammy’s experiences are drawn from my own when I was at school. Even now, years later I still find myself waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare about school. Over the chapters, Dane has probably changed the most, but I think that both of them have changed for the better through each other’s influence. We’ll see more of that in the next two chapters. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

There was silence in the group, I guess they were all trying to process what Dane had just said. Again, there were sudden subtle changes in the way these boys were standing. A couple of them backed away a pace or two, and there were varying looks of confusion on their faces. I could tell when Dane’s smile faltered for a brief second that he realised that he’d gone too far and that his mates were in no way ready to hear what he had just said. I think the only one of his ma

I thought this list would be harder that it was to compile. So many words, how do I choose the ten nicest to me? Then from the I don’t know where I came up with mine to share with you all. Friendship Trust Love Honour Loyalty Imagination Dreams Wonder Curiosity Safe

Wow, what an amazing time you must have had! Would you say that from your perspective as a teenager at the time when the war ended, was there a sense of ‘thank God that’s all over’ and ‘this is the dawn of a brave new world’ where anything could happen or was possible? As for my travels, I spent several months back in 1986/7 when I was 18, working on a kibbutz and back packing around Israel and Egypt. I wouldn’t say that travel broadened my mind in itself; however the people I met certainly did. I was a shy, awkward teenager that was a bit sheltered by my parents. I went out to Israel because my best mate had been there for around a year and he kept on at me to do the same. The organisation that placed volunteers on kibbutz’s put me on one that luckily happened to within hitch hiking distance from the one where my friend was, but was far away enough that we couldn’t meet up too often. That gave me the comfort to know that there was someone to look out for me nearby (he’s always been an older brother figure to me, still is), but not near enough so that I didn’t have to make new friends. The group I went out with were 14 individuals who in a very short space of time became very tight with each other. There was a good mix of nationalities among the volunteers, us Brits, Dutch, a lot of Scandinavians, Swiss and even South Africans. Through those people I learned so much about the world. At the time I had been on a number of anti apartheid demos in London and when I was told that not only were some South Africans going to be joining us, but one of them had been allocated a bed in my room I was not happy to say the least. I think the biggest lesson I learned was that you could not judge a person by their country of origin. As over time I got to be very good friends with almost all the South Africans in that group, two of them became very close. I found that I had so much in common with them, we didn’t entirely agree on politics, but we were able to see through that and put it aside and build a friendship. One of my biggest regrets was that a couple of summers later I was invited out to SA by them to spend the summer driving round the coastline. It would have been great, but I couldn’t go. Not while there was a criminal government oppressing its people in power. They understood my point of view and we still remained in touch for a few years after. Unfortunately by the time apartheid ended we had lost contact, so I never got to have that long summer driving round the coast. I have a million stories from that time and about the people I met. Most of whom I have lost contact with over time. Thanks to Facebook I am back in touch with a couple of them. Looking back, that year 1987, was the best of my life. Even the bad stuff that happened I now look back on and laugh. I wish that when I got back home I hadn’t allowed life to suck me into the rat race as much as I did. I wish I had spent more of my summers back packing around the world. As for teenagers today. Until recently I was the manager of a store that employed quite a few people of student age. I’d tell them stories of my travels and out of the many that I befriended only one of them really caught the travelling bug. I’d like to think that I helped him in as much as I ensured that he had enough hours of work to be able to save up to travel to Australia and when he returned, that he had a job to come back to before he went off to university. Another of the lads that worked for me went off for a summer working in Faliraki. But in the main most of them didn’t like the idea of wandering around the world with a backpack.

I know, I’m shocked as well. Which is odd considering that I’m the one writing this story!!!!

LoL He soooooooo did!!!!! “If you're happy with the one you love, there's no reason to put them through something they reeeaally don't wanna do and something that could possibly do more harm than called for.”That was my take on it. Sammy could care less about anyone in his school so why would he need their acknowledgement of his relationship with Dane? Though I suspect that he would be hoping that Dane gets his act together enough for it not to be an issue for him if anyone finds out or not. “I'm thrilled and totally amused at Danes last line of courage and possibly stupidity. Hope to find out more soon.!! Don't keep us waiting.”They’ll be more coming soon. I promise!“Btw where do you prefer your feedback -- discussion board, a review like this (I like these, everyone can see em) or email?”I’m not proud. If anyone was to discuss the story or characters with me, then I’ll take my feedback any way you or others want to dish it out. I started a thread if anyone’s interested.

Thanks Bugeye, I really appreciate the support that you have given my story. It means a hell of a lot to me.

I’ve just started reading this story and so far I think it’s great. I love the detail from the game at the beginning of the chapter, I could really see the play in my mind’s eye.I laughed out loud when I read this line:“Jason almost pulled his shirt over his head before he ran towards his teammates, but stopped so he wouldn’t get a card.” It’s a rule that I really don’t get. Actually I do get why it’s a rule, advertising and all that. I just don’t agree with it. If a player wants to show some flesh after scoring, it should be his right. I for one wouldn’t complain :)Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading more chapters soon.

Just finished reading all 11 chapters today and I’ve really enjoyed this story. Looking forward to the next chapter.

What an uplifting story. It’s not often I experience such a range of emotions while reading as I have done with this story. Thanks for a great read.

The Arrangement Chapter 9 Jake Fletcher Of course my sister didn’t believe a word I said. Truth to tell, I didn’t really believe what Mike, my best mate, had said either. I mean, Dane o’Hanlon was many things, an arrogant git, a big show off and total wanker. But gay? No, I’d seriously doubt that. And even if he were, the other part of Mike’s story was that o’Hanlon was with Sam Baker in the library audio rooms getting down and naughty. I mean, come o

“Sam, he’s playing you for a fool.” “Yeah, well you sound like an American.” I retorted. “If you have to resort to taking the piss out of my nonexistent American accent then you get that your argument is weak and that you know I’m right.” I’d been chatting with Pete over Skype. He is my best friend and up to three years ago was the closest person to me, but now there’s a whole ocean between us. I’m talking literally here, as he moved to New York along with the rest of his

Previously on “The Arrangement”: Wading along while threatening to drop me Dane was laughing as much as I was. But then he suddenly froze. I carried on laughing for a moment until I realised that he wasn’t. I looked up and ahead of me and saw what had made him stop fast in his tracks. There was silence until Dane said one word. “Michelle” And now the continuation: There was a long silence, then Dane let go of my legs and I toppled unceremoniously off his shoulders i

Have you ever wished that you could fall out of love with someone? No, you probably haven’t. I mean why would you? Love is a beautiful thing isn’t it. Two people meet and there’s this spark, no one can adequately explain it. Writers, philosophers and poets, they can all come close. But they can never quite get to the essence of your feelings of love. Why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because it’s different for everybody. Every person that you will fall in love with in your entire life will bring som

The Arrangement Part 5 Hi, it’s Dane here. I guess it’s my turn to give my side of these fucked up events that had been happening since I first caught that little pervert sniffing my shorts at the beginning of term. Having said that, I really can’t be arsed to go back on the story and have the whole thing re-enacted from my point of view. I don’t see much point in that and I doubt that you’d get much from it either. So I think it’s best if I start off where Sammy left off and go into hap

My father left us when I was only four. He met some other woman and my mother was out on her own. Okay, so she got the house and me, but over time I saw less and less of my dad as he started a new family. I can remember wondering if I had done something wrong? Something that made him leave? Something that made him ignore me? But as I got older I just realised that he was just a prick and that my mother and I were better off without him. My uncle, my father’s brother who was good friends

I remember the very first time I saw Dane o’Hanlon. It was the first day at high school and all the year’s new intake were herded into the main hall. 200 or so kids from all the local primary schools milling about, some looking nervous, others without a care in the world. I was one of the former. Before my last year in primary school my mother had decided that we had to move house. She did this because of the bloody schools league tables. The school that I would have gone to was failing pretty b

Over then next couple of months our arrangement paid off for both of us in many different ways, Dane really started to understand his course work and I also got the benefits. After a time he stopped complaining as much that I made him feel uncomfortable by asking him sit in my room in just a pair of shorts while we went over his work and just got on with it. He’d come round to my house after school once or twice a week as was needed and more or less as soon as he was in my bedroom he’d s

I was sitting in front of a computer in the school library doing my homework; I was in the zone and churning out a paper so I didn't hear him creep up to me. “I’ve got a present for you, you little pervert” I jumped at the sound of his voice and the next thing I knew, he had shoved some soft material in my face and clamped his hand round my nose and mouth. “Take a deep breath, I’ve been wearing this damn thing all week for you, so it’s gonna smell pretty rank” I did and it did. But n

Sam Baker had three ambitions. He wanted to get through his last year of school with good grades. He needed to keep his head down, so as not to be the focus of the school bullies. And finally he wanted to be free from school, and free from Dane o’Hanlon. Not that Dane even knew that Sam had the biggest crush on him, in fact Dane barely knew of Sam’s existence.

There's a phrase that has always troubled me. Be careful what you wish for, it may come true. On the one hand having one's hearts desires couldn't be a bad thing, could it? On the other hand, it could destroy someone. Look at all those unfortunate people who have had the luck to win the lottery. Their lives are changed in an instant. Friends and family on the outside are happy for them, on the inside seethe with jealousy, especially if that lottery fortune is not shared out. And for the rest of their life (or for however long the money lasts) the winner will always be on their guard, wary of people who may have ulterior motives. Then there's another thought on wishes that I have. What if, everyone gets one wish in their life granted for them? That may sound great, but what if you have no control when that wish will be granted? Like the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny, the wish fairy is a very busy entity. So, she happens to be passing at the very moment that you inadvertently say "I wish it would stop raining". She grants your wish and moves on. You're happy that the weather has changed, blissfully unaware that you have used up your one wish. Or maybe I'm looking at this wish thing too deeply. Therefore, my three wishes would be: 1) To be able to communicate in and understand every language (Check the wording there. That would include things like computer languages and encrypted codes. The possibilities would be endless) 2) To be able to travel through time and space. (Shades of sci-fi here, but hey, these are my wishes) 3) To be able at will to change my appearance. i.e. to become a metamorph. Maybe these might sound a bit heavy, but believe me, with all three of those wishes I would have a lot of fun. Now, where is that wish fairy when I need her?