Hide Your Heart

Mae bit her necklace and pulled Andy's jacket tighter around her shoulders. She was trying to focus on class but it felt impossible as she realized that tonight was Andy and her's last night.

He was leaving on October 30th, the day before Halloween. It was sure to ruin her favorite holiday.

The bell finally rang and Mae jumped from her seat. She grabbed her bag, ignoring the calls from some people she had become friends with.

Andy was outside of the school and he stood up straighter when he saw Mae. She jumped in his arms and he immediately rubbed her back soothingly.

"Oh Mae.." He sighed. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent.

Mint and smoke filled her nose as she tangled her fingers within his long locks.

"Let's get out of here, baby." He said, kissing her temple softly. She nodded, walking to his car. The drive home was silent, with Mae tucked into his side. He kept one arm around her as much as he could.

When they got home, they laid in his bed staring at the empty walls. The room looked bare without all of Andy's stuff in it. His suitcases were laying by the door but his attention was on the tiny girl cuddled against him.

She began to sniffle and he looked down to see her crying. "Hey, please don't cry baby doll." He whispered, wiping her tears away with his thumb. She nodded, "I'm here for tonight. I won't leave your side. Even when I'm gone I'm still yours."

"I know.." She whispered, hugging him around his waist.

"Baby, I know you said you didn't want to get tattoos but.." He sighed. "I'm getting your name tonight and I would love it if you got mine.."

Mae sighed, softly before looking up at him. "How?"

"I know a guy." He said. "And he said he would do it for us."

She moved her hands to rub her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Alright, alright." She giggled as he grinned. "I'll do it."

"Really!?" He smiled, "I love you so much!"

"I love you too." She giggled.

"I just want to show Los Angeles who my girl is." He chuckled, kissing her forehead.

In the next hour they had driven to the shop and explained what they wanted. Mae was nervous about getting names but Andy talked her into getting two with him.

Names and symbols.

They decided to get the same tattoo. An old school, heart with an arrow sticking through with their names on a banner crossing it. Mae was getting her's on the ankle while Andy was on his arm.

He decided he was going to get a Dragonfly opposite his heart. She had told him stories about Eran and their nicknames and he thought it would be a good reminder of her late best friend and of his love.

Mae was getting a six on the back of her neck referring to Andy's stage name. It was the same as a Seagrams whiskey symbol but instead of the seven it was a six. Seagrams was Andy's favorite so it only made sense.

"Ready?" Her artist, David asked as he dipped his needle in black ink. She heard Andy's asking the same and he winked at her.

"Yes." She smiled. Andy grabbed her hand with his other arm as the needle connected with his skin.

Mae hated the feeling and she cringed to think about how bad it would be on the back of her boney neck.

It took four hours in total for them to get all of their tattoos done. Mae ached as David explained the aftercare. She knew her parents wouldn't care- she already texted her dad and he said as long as it was what she wanted then they were for it.

They knew in a sense that she had lost Eran and now she was losing Andy so they were letting her do whatever she wanted as long as it wasn't truly harmful.

"I love it." Mae smiled, looking at his arm beneath the plastic wrap.

"Me too." He smiled, as they walked back into Andy's house. Amy and Chris just shot sad smiles at them and turned away as they walked upstairs.

Mae slipped off her pants so she only wore a black tee shirt and climbed into Andy's bed. "Ow, ow, ow! My neck hurts."

He laughed, "I didn't think you'd get a neck tattoo before me."

"Well, I'm full of surprises." She giggled. He jumped in his bed too making her smile. He pulled her body against his and she sighed.

Her face tucked safely into his neck and inhaled his scent. "Please don't leave.." She whispered. He closed his eyes, fighting every fiber of his being that pleaded him to say "okay". His body would ache for her when she wasn't with him.

"Mae, please don't do this to me.." He sighed, feeling her tears on his skin. "I need your support."

"I k-know." She stuttered. "I'm just worried about you. You don't even have a place to stay.."

"I'll be okay, baby. Don't talk like that." He swallowed, rubbing her back softly. She buried her face in his neck and chewed on her cheek. "I'll be fine."

"You can't stay for a few months and wait for me?" She whispered.

"I'm afraid we'll lose the fan base we have if we don't keep making music. You know I'll come back and see you, Mae." He promised.

"I know.."

Notes