Andy

"It's been a long week, without you, my friend. And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again." Andy said to me, and I gave him a small, stressed smile. Recognizing the lyrics from a song I'd shown him one night.

I couldn't get myself to calm down. The encounter with Andy still had my heart thudding frantically, and my hands siezed to stop shaking. I was fretting what the news would be... It could be a number of things. I prayed it was nothing serious.

Andy reassured me multiple times on the way down the stairs that it was nothing serious, but I still worried.

I found my parents in the kitchen, sitting on one side of the table. My Dad smiled at me and gestured for me to have a seat. My Mom got up long enough to make tea, setting the cup in front of me. I looked down at the swirling darkness, waiting for them to speak while I fidgeted.

Andy took the seat beside me, patient, but looking worn. No, what I yelled at him for wasn't fair, he was only doing what he thought was right. But that didn't mean what he did, and continued to do the whole week, was okay.

My Mom took a deep breath to begin, and my gaze flickered to her.

"So... We need to tell you something. We just need to to listen, and understand, okay?"

I looked at them both in confusion, but finally nodded.

"I was fired two days ago."

I stared at them, and then at my Dad alone, stuttering for words.

"What?" I whispered in disbelief. "Why?"

He took a deep, patient breath, and I sighed... Realizing why.

"Because you were late that day?... It was only an hour! You came to get me, took me home, and you were back!

"I know, I know... But this was a timed project. And we cut it pretty close. We still finished by the deadline, but Harold Gallager made a point to tell me, he didn't need employees who couldn't take their jobs seriously." His tone was irritated and saddened.

"But you've worked there for sixteen years." I murmured in confusion. "It was only one slip up. How could that possibly be enough?"

"Actually, I think this has been coming along for a while now..." My Dad admitted with a sigh, "I butt heads with Harold every now and again, and he is the kind of man who only wants things done his way. Plus, he wanted to bring new people onto the payroll, but that means getting rid of old employees. So in a sense, having an old dog put down."

"Oh..." I could feel my heart sinking. There was more... There always is.

"But... That's not all of it." My Dad added on, enhancing my fears. "Afterwards, the same day, I ran into Micky Bronson at the grocery store of all places. You remember him?"

"Yeah..." I sighed in thought, Micky had a younger daughter who was my age. Micky and my Dad used to be coworkers until Mickey relocated to California to start his own construction company. But in the time I'd known him and his daughter, we'd been good friends. "What was he doing back?"

"Visiting family." He shrugged, clasping his hands together on the table. "It was like a God send, running into him. I told him what had happened, and he offered me a job on the spot."

My breath hitched as the pieces began to come together... "But... He lives in California, right?"

He pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "We'd have to move."

"Isn't there anything else here?" I wondered in fear. Fear of the unknown. I'd never been out of Utah, not even to visit what family I had in California. It was all foreign and new to me.

"There is, but none it compares to the income we could earn out there. Micky already offered me a twelve dollar an hour wage on the first week. This could be something we really need. A fresh start."

I could see he was trying to remain upbeat about it, for my sake. But I could tell he was just as terrified about it as I was.

"With new neighbors, friends, places and things..." I whispered, taking a deep breath. I'd be putting Pendant behind me... Was I even ready for that?

I took a deep breath to calm myself down, yanking my hand back in surprise under the table when something cold grasped it. I had forgotten how cold Andy was. I looked at him, his blue eyes wide in concern, another squeeze around my hand.

"When would we leave?"

My parents pursed their lips and sighed, looking at each other before replying. "This week. We'd have to rent an apartment until either the house sold here, or we made enough to buy a new one. We'd be leaving Monday, if that's the case. To make a trip, at least, to check things out first. Actually moving? I'd say within the next few weeks. We have enough money saved to hang around for a while."

My heart sank... All the people I had met and loved here, CC, Jake, Jinxx... I wouldn't see them again for a long time.

"Are you sure we have to do this?"

"We don't." He replied, "But it's something I'd like to try. There's a lot to see in California. Plus, your mother's sewing business could pick up out there. You could persue a great career at one of their many schools and collages, there's plenty of jobs and work..."

I tuned out, the numbness spreading throughout my body quickly became anger.

"We're moving, for no damn reason?" I demanded in a low voice, scowling at my father. "That's the plan? Instead of getting a new job, we're gonna uproot and move all the way to California for a job that might not even be worth the trouble."

"I know you're upset. That's why we didn't tell you."

"I'm upset because you didn't tell me sooner! Now you're telling me, we're going to California on Monday to scout it out, I haven't even had the time to mentally prepare myself for this." I pressed my palms against my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut.

"I'm sorry." I apologized in a flat tone, "But you're making a terrible mistake."

I shoved my chair back from the table, yanking my hand from Andy's, I ran from the kitchen, up the stairs to my room, where I locked the door. I went to the window immediately and curled up in a ball of panic and anxiety, hugging my knees, looking out the glass at our cheerful front yard. I couldn't get the negative thoughts out of my head.

I'd never see my front yard again in a couple of weeks. I'd probably never return to Apture. I'd never get to graduate with the kids I'd known my whole life. I was leaving behind the family and friends I have here.

"I'm sorry." Andy's deep voice rumbled sympathetically behind me. I sighed, hugging my legs tighter. "I'm not in the mood to talk." I murmured in reply, feeling the numb emptiness consuming me as I continued to gaze blankly.

"Really?" He scoffed, pulling out my desk chair to sit across from me. "Because I really think you need to. Keep it bottled up inside isn't going to do a damn bit of-"

"Niether is telling me what I need to feel and think." I snapped at him, my gaze finally trailing to meet his, "This really isn't what I need right now. Because atop all else, today has to be the day for fucking surprises. First you show up, to rattle off to me why you stayed, and then my parents tell me we're moving over some bullshit reason, and you want me to express my God damned feelings? Okay, here's one for you: I'm outraged, hurt, panicking, and feel like my heart is about to explode. My neck hurts, my voice sounds like a strangled cat, I hate the fucking world and wish that for once, I could simply disappear into the background of things. But no, I'm a fucking circus attraction." I told him with heavy sarcasm and hurt in my tone. "How's that?" I breathed as a tear rolled down my cheek.

He didn't reply, so I sighed and kept going. "I'm heartbroken, and feel betrayed. I wish there was one fucking person on this planet I could talk to right now who wasn't going to patronize me. I want someone to fucking tell me I'm being a bitch, to calm the hell down and fucking chill. But you won't do that... You're my God damned therapist." I snarled. His eyes flickered black and he glared at me.

"For the love of God, Ash. I'm trying to fucking help you."

"You're trying to hurt me." I whispered, my voice merely a whistle stuck in my throat.

His jaw clenched and flexed, annoyance and pain played out in a beautiful symphony across his face as the moments passed. Finally, he spoke. His cool voice coming out in a low, broken whisper while he looked down.

"Do you want me to leave?"

It was a legitimate question, and I found myself considering the answer. I silently assessed my thoughts, remembering the agony that was heartbreak. The pain that followed me for days after the funeral. The day he was supposed to be gone for good.

"No." I finally whispered. "No, I don't want that. I'm just hurt with the things you did... And I hope you can accept, it'll be a while before I can forgive them." I sighed. The pain felt like pressure in my chest, threatening to send a river of tears to my eyes. It wouldn't matter, though. He'd seen me cry one too many times.

He sighed in irritation. "How many times do I have to say, it was for you?"

I looked at him, but I couldn't find an answer for him. "I missed you." I replied softly, looking out the window. In some ways, it felt like he was still gone because of the impossibly thick piece of glass that seemed to between us. I just wanted to start cracking jokes with him, but there was something within myself, that I couldn't quite explain, that kept me from doing so.

Notes

I want to take a moment to express my amazement. This story I moved over from Mibba, where over there it currently has 13 subs,3 recs, 9 comments and 23 overall readers. In the two weeks it's been up here, it's gained over 2,000 views. That just blows my mind, thank you all!

Chapter inspired by... Hospital For Souls by Bring Me The Horizon. I thought it had a nice credit-y vibe to it.

Shoutouts...
- anathema
- BVB_Rebel_Love_Song