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Andy's outside your window
~CC’s POV~
I’ve spent the past billion hours in a hotel room in this rainy city waiting for Andy to pick the right moment to meet Emily. We even drove by her house, not that we saw anything more than a house. He ducked down in the passenger seat as though her x-ray specs would detect his presence outside. “Seriously?” I’d shouted. “What’s the big deal?”
He death glared at me and pointed forward as though I might stop the car and reverse it to make him relive our creepy slow ride past her house.
~Emily’s POV~
I decided not to break the silence between Andy and I, if he wanted to speak to me he would have. I started to keep my mind busy by sketching mask ideas for the ball and had 5 crumpled drawings on the floor when Chris snapped me a picture of cows in a field.
Andy texted, “How are you babe?” When I failed to reply to Chris.
My heart jolted at the words. “Good.” I read aloud as I texted back. “Designing masks.”
“Are you studying med-surg now? :P” He wrote.
“My friend invited me to a party on Saturday.” I wrote before thinking of how that would sound.
“A quinceañera?” He asked.
“That would be a lot more fun.” I smiled. “But it’s a masquerade. Alumni, esteemed faculty and invite only.”
“Oh, I see.” He texted back. I think I lost him somewhere. “Why’d your friend get an invite and not you? :P”
“He plays violin and put me on the guest list.” I texted and went back to sketching masks, this time changing the oval shape on the edges of the mask to look more like wispy butterfly wings. If I use metallic spray paint on craft foam, it should look like it’s made of metal. I’ll probably reuse my prom dress, the ball doesn’t have to be a big deal unless my parents find out I’m going.
I heard loud music blasting outside my bedroom window and peeked through the curtains. “DAD!” I shouted and grinned. “THERE’S A DEALER OUTSIDE!” I yelled at the silver sports car with tinted windows.
“THAT’S WHY YOU GET A RIDE TO SCHOOL HONEY!” He shouted back from downstairs. The car drove away as though it heard us.
~Andy’s POV~
CC has been pretty good at putting up with me since we left the Hospital, we’ve wasted a lot of time playing video games and avoiding the obvious reason we were holed up in a hotel room in a city neither of us had been in before. I was scared to death of meeting Emily. I could barely talk to her anymore, I would hold my phone in my palm until it was hot, type and delete things over and over.
“It’s gonna look pretty bad if you keep ignoring her.” CC said flatly as we drove aimlessly through the streets one evening. “I’m just saying.”
“Where are we going?” I shouted, staring at the GPS and feeling my heartbeat increase to eleventy.
“Approaching your destination.” The GPS said softly. CC slowed the car down and I knew somehow that we were right outside of Emily’s house.
“NO!” I slid my legs forward and ducked my torso down in my seat, hiding from the passenger’s side window.
CC’s quiet chuckle broke into an uproar of laughter. “Seriously?!” He shook his head and punched my shoulder. “What’s the big deal?”
I angrily pointed at the windshield. “Stop it!” I yelled.
“Okay.” He shrugged and stopped the car.
“NO!” I repeated as I sat bolt upright in my seat. This can’t be how I meet Emily. “Don’t stop the car!” I punched his shoulder back. He was laughing too hard to care.
“Dat look on your face!” He snapped a picture on his phone.
“DON’T SEND HER THAT!” I reached for his phone.
He opened the window and held his arm out. “I’ll drop my phone on the road; maybe she’ll find the picture.” He teased.
“Ceeeeeceeee!” I yelled, looking at Emily’s house and lowering my voice as though I were afraid the house might hear me.
"I sent it.” He said causally, throwing his phone into the console.
“WHAT?!” I grabbed the phone as he laughed.
“Relax, I sent her a picture of a farmer’s field .” He changed the radio station.
I breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t feel any tension fade away. I was physically closer to Emily in that moment than I ever had been before. “How are you babe?” I texted while looking out at her house. She told me some guy invited her to a masquerade this weekend. I stared at the house blankly, showing CC the texts.
“Did you notice a suit in your backpack?” CC asked.
“What? No.” I shook my head like he was crazy.
“Too bad.” He sighed. “It looks like we’re crashing a masquerade this weekend.” He smiled and finally drove away from Emily’s house.
I’ve spent the past billion hours in a hotel room in this rainy city waiting for Andy to pick the right moment to meet Emily. We even drove by her house, not that we saw anything more than a house. He ducked down in the passenger seat as though her x-ray specs would detect his presence outside. “Seriously?” I’d shouted. “What’s the big deal?”
He death glared at me and pointed forward as though I might stop the car and reverse it to make him relive our creepy slow ride past her house.
~Emily’s POV~
I decided not to break the silence between Andy and I, if he wanted to speak to me he would have. I started to keep my mind busy by sketching mask ideas for the ball and had 5 crumpled drawings on the floor when Chris snapped me a picture of cows in a field.
Andy texted, “How are you babe?” When I failed to reply to Chris.
My heart jolted at the words. “Good.” I read aloud as I texted back. “Designing masks.”
“Are you studying med-surg now? :P” He wrote.
“My friend invited me to a party on Saturday.” I wrote before thinking of how that would sound.
“A quinceañera?” He asked.
“That would be a lot more fun.” I smiled. “But it’s a masquerade. Alumni, esteemed faculty and invite only.”
“Oh, I see.” He texted back. I think I lost him somewhere. “Why’d your friend get an invite and not you? :P”
“He plays violin and put me on the guest list.” I texted and went back to sketching masks, this time changing the oval shape on the edges of the mask to look more like wispy butterfly wings. If I use metallic spray paint on craft foam, it should look like it’s made of metal. I’ll probably reuse my prom dress, the ball doesn’t have to be a big deal unless my parents find out I’m going.
I heard loud music blasting outside my bedroom window and peeked through the curtains. “DAD!” I shouted and grinned. “THERE’S A DEALER OUTSIDE!” I yelled at the silver sports car with tinted windows.
“THAT’S WHY YOU GET A RIDE TO SCHOOL HONEY!” He shouted back from downstairs. The car drove away as though it heard us.
~Andy’s POV~
CC has been pretty good at putting up with me since we left the Hospital, we’ve wasted a lot of time playing video games and avoiding the obvious reason we were holed up in a hotel room in a city neither of us had been in before. I was scared to death of meeting Emily. I could barely talk to her anymore, I would hold my phone in my palm until it was hot, type and delete things over and over.
“It’s gonna look pretty bad if you keep ignoring her.” CC said flatly as we drove aimlessly through the streets one evening. “I’m just saying.”
“Where are we going?” I shouted, staring at the GPS and feeling my heartbeat increase to eleventy.
“Approaching your destination.” The GPS said softly. CC slowed the car down and I knew somehow that we were right outside of Emily’s house.
“NO!” I slid my legs forward and ducked my torso down in my seat, hiding from the passenger’s side window.
CC’s quiet chuckle broke into an uproar of laughter. “Seriously?!” He shook his head and punched my shoulder. “What’s the big deal?”
I angrily pointed at the windshield. “Stop it!” I yelled.
“Okay.” He shrugged and stopped the car.
“NO!” I repeated as I sat bolt upright in my seat. This can’t be how I meet Emily. “Don’t stop the car!” I punched his shoulder back. He was laughing too hard to care.
“Dat look on your face!” He snapped a picture on his phone.
“DON’T SEND HER THAT!” I reached for his phone.
He opened the window and held his arm out. “I’ll drop my phone on the road; maybe she’ll find the picture.” He teased.
“Ceeeeeceeee!” I yelled, looking at Emily’s house and lowering my voice as though I were afraid the house might hear me.
"I sent it.” He said causally, throwing his phone into the console.
“WHAT?!” I grabbed the phone as he laughed.
“Relax, I sent her a picture of a farmer’s field .” He changed the radio station.
I breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t feel any tension fade away. I was physically closer to Emily in that moment than I ever had been before. “How are you babe?” I texted while looking out at her house. She told me some guy invited her to a masquerade this weekend. I stared at the house blankly, showing CC the texts.
“Did you notice a suit in your backpack?” CC asked.
“What? No.” I shook my head like he was crazy.
“Too bad.” He sighed. “It looks like we’re crashing a masquerade this weekend.” He smiled and finally drove away from Emily’s house.
It me.
12/6/21