Wonder. | A Stanley Uris Fanfiction. | IT 2017.

19. More Than Fear.

 Andie awoke the next morning and got herself ready. She slipped on a long sleeved, buttoned, cherry knitted cardigan and paired with a high waisted denim miniskirt. She wore her hair down, letting her waves fall to her shoulders. She walked down the stairs and saw Linda, breakfast ready on the table. 

"Wow, this is a surprise," Andie's eye widened at her mom.

"Oh, don't be mean," Linda rolled her eyes and grinned. "I've just been so busy with work, I'm barely home. I thought I'd do something nice."

"Oh, mom," Andie muttered, walking closer to her mother and pulled her in a hug. "But, I'm barely home too, lately."

"Yeah. Any plans for today, then?" Linda asked, letting go of her daughter. 

"Stan's coming over to help me clean the garage," Andie shrugged as she made her way to the table for her breakfast.

"No wonder you look nice today," Linda scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" frowned Andie.

"Oh, nothing, other than the fact that you like the boy."

"I do not!" Andie defended, receiving a 'are you sure?' sarcastic look from her mother. "He's my friend, but I don't like him in the way that I would dress to impress him."

"Hmm, sure," Linda hummed, still not believing her daughter, causing Andie to roll her eyes. "Wait, but why is he helping you?"

"Oh, he wants to hang out and he offered to help," Andie shrugged, taking a bite of her scrambled egg toast. 

 Once Linda had left the girl to go to work, Andie opened the door of the garage from the outside, letting light enter the dark room filled with boxes rested against the walls. Just as Andie entered the garage, she saw Stanley's bike, making it's way up her driveway. She waved as he stopped and got off it. He entered the garage, and looked around until his eyes froze at something far in the corner of the room. Andie turned to see what the boy was looking at and immediately, she took a deep breath and shut her eyes, knowing what's about to come.

"You have a bike," he pointed out. Andie bit her lip as Stanley continued, "Why don't you ever ride it?"

"I, uh, I don't know how to ride a bike," she lightly chuckled. Stanley's eyes widened at the information. "Don't be mean," she pointed her finger to him.

"No, I just, uh, I can teach you if you want," Stanley looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Why? Are you tired of me in your backseat?" Andie teased.

"NO! Not at all."

"Stan, I'm joking," she smiled. "I'd love for you to teach me."

"Cool," he muttered.

"Cool." 

 Andie told Stanley what they should do first and they spent almost two hours until they finally finished the boxes that contained Andie and Linda's stuff from New Jersey. Their work was fast at first but as time went on, they both got easily distracted by the contents of the boxes, with Stanley asking questions and Andie giving explanations and stories. Once they were done, it was around lunchtime and they went into the house for their meal; leftover homemade mac and cheese. They talked, knowing each other more and more at every spoken word. 

"I like your outfit," Stanley muttered. 

"Oh, thanks. I like yours too," Andie replied, sending a blood rush to course through the boy's veins. 

"So, which box next?"

"Uh, let's do that one," Andie answered, pulling the box to the center space between Andie and Stanley who were both sitting on a stool. "It's blank," Andie mumbled under her breath when she saw the box had no label nor writing on it, which was unusual since the other boxes did.