“Hey!” a familiar voice greeted him on the other end.

Andy reached the elevator than and thumbs the up button. “Hey, Matt. What’s going on?” He stepped inside and the big metal doors meet.

“I was wondering if you’d want to stop by.”

The elevator reached his floor, and Andy went to his door, taking the key out of his pocket and sticking it in the hole. “Alright, I’ll be there in a little while. I just got home.”He pushed the door open, cradling the phone between his head and his shoulder. “I’ll be right over, I just gotta grab my- Fuck!”

“What? You have to grab your fuck?” Matt sounded relatively alarmed.

“My car and keys. They’re at Jinxx’s. I drove to practice today, but then we all walked to that bar on the corner, and I walked home from there. Fuck it all!”

Matt laughed shortly. “It’s alright, Andy, I’ll just come pick you up.”

He put his things down on the counter and took a seat at the table. “Thanks, I’ll see you in a little while.”

“I’ll be there in twenty,” Matt told him before hanging up.

Andy placed his phone beside him and pulled over the notebook he used to write down lyrics. He hadn’t realized how much was built up inside him until the ideas started flowing from his mind to the paper, barely giving himself enough time to finish writing the previous line before working on the next. He sat back to read what he had so far and began forming rhythms in his head, drumming his thumb on his thigh. Maybe they’d have a new song to play on Warped if things kept going this way.

His phone started ringing, making him jump. Twenty minutes had flew by, leaving him with not nearly enough time to get as much done as he was hoping to. He was writing the rest of the song in his head when he saw it was Matt and was mildly disappointed. He had been hoping for news from Jake.

“Hey, I’m here,” his friend said after Andy answered.

He stood up from the table, abandoning his notebook and uncapped pen. “Alright, I’ll be right down.”

He took the stairs a few at a time and within moments he was walking back into the afternoon sun, smiling. He hadn’t seen Matt in a while.

Andy opened the door to the car, ducking slightly to avoid hitting his head. Matt greeted him and started the engine, pulling off the curb and onto the street.

“So are you guys playing Warped?” Matt asked.

“Yeah!” Andy said, his smile growing even bigger as he looked forward to the months ahead. “Are you guys in the line up?”

Matt nodded, “Yup!” He was silent for a moment before reaching over to the radio dial and turning the volume down. “Hey, can you help me with something?”

Andy nodded in agreement.

“My girlfriend’s coming over and I’m cooking for her. I don’t exactly know what I’m doing,” he admitted with a small laugh.

Andy shrugged, showing he was indifferent. “Sure. I mean, Ella’s in the hospital for some reason so I probably won’t be able to go pick up my car for a while.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Matt asked, looking from the road to Andy for a moment.

“I’m not sure, all Jake found out was that she was in the emergency room for something.”

A few minutes later they pulled into Matt’s empty driveway. He pulled grocery bags out of the back seat before leading Andy up the back steps to the door. Matt held several stuffed plastic bags in one hand and struggled with the key.

“Do you want me to take some of those?” Andy asked just as Matt got the door open.

He walked in and dumped them on the surprisingly clean counter and then turned to his friend.

“Two trips are for pussies,” he said, causing them both to laugh.

“So why are you doing all this for her?” Andy asked, nodding shortly towards the piles of groceries sitting behind his friend.

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I just feel like doing something nice for her.”

Not allowing the voice in his head to bring back any memories that would ruin the time he had with his friend, Andy forced himself to continue smiling. He didn’t have to pull everyone else down with him. “Well, let’s start then.”

The two pulled the groceries out of the bag and put the things they wouldn’t need until later into the fridge. Matt pulled out a cutting board and knife for Andy, asking him to chop up the vegetables while Matt began seasoning the steaks. He began carefully cutting the red and green peppers and Matt turned on the small radio in the corner of the room.

Andy began softly singing the song to himself, immediately recognizing it as one of his favorites. It didn’t take long for Matt to hear and begin singing himself.

“I’VE LOST MY GOD DAMN MIND.”

“IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME,” Andy added, turning around with the knife still in his hand.

“Wow, careful there, killer,” his friend joked as the music continued to play in the background. “You almost took my head off.”

Andy laughed, “Sorry.”

“Tomorrow’s headline: Matt Good found decapitated in kitchen, with his steaks burning.”

“Not the steaks!” Andy exclaimed, his voice filled with fake trauma.

“There’s enough here for you, too, if you wanna stay the night. I imagine that apartment gets lonely all by yourself.”

Andy gave him a look. “I’m not going to hang around here and be a third wheel. Just be happy I’m helping you cook!”

Matt laughed. “We can be a tricycle...”

“Nope, I’m a big boy. No training wheels for me.”

“Sure?” Matt asked, coming over to his friend and pouting out his bottom lip. He waved the uncooked steak he had in his hands in front of Andy. “It’s calling your name.”

Andy finished cutting the vegetables and turned to his persistent friend. “I can’t,” he answered simply.

“Fine you party pooper,” he joked before returning to his own cutting board.

Matt finished the steaks and put them on the grill on his back porch while Andy put the vegetables into a pan with oil to sizzle. They retreated into Matt’s comfortable living room, Andy taking the couch and Matt the reclining chair, both popping up the foot rests. Andy sighed, glad to be resting after what seemed like a long day; even if his hang over was steadily becoming nonexistent. He was tired from lack of sleep the night before and was completely content with just sitting here with Matt. He forced himself to stand after a few minutes, figuring Matt’s girlfriend would be coming soon.

“I gotta get going,” he said as he yawned and stretched his arms, fingertips brushing the rough ceiling. “Hope the dinner goes good.”

Matt nodded. “Alright.”

“Matt, you drove me here, you doof.”

“Oh yeah! To your house then?” he asked as he grabbed his car keys off the end table and stood up.

“Just bring me to Jinxx’s.”