When They Call My Name

Whose That?

"Andy, at least pretend to look busy!" Katie rolled her eyes jokingly. "You're setting a horrible example for Shev!" She exclaimed, pointing at the young woman who wasn't even paying attention to them as she doodled on her tablet with ear buds in her ears.

Andy snorted, flipping her off. He was sitting on the couch of the waiting area of Leather Wings, drawing in his sketchbook as he tended to do whenever he was bored or anxious. Today he was merely bored out of his mind.

He had no appointments and one a couple of walk-ins so he spent most of the day working with their new apprentice- Shevy- or cleaning around the shop.

"I am working!" He replied. "Besides, I own the place so you guys doing stuff means I get paid no matter what." Andy reminded her with a smile. "Plus I'm delegating."

"Delegating what?" Katie chuckled.

"Stuff." Andy shrugged.

"Ah yes, thank god you are delegating 'stuff' for us." She scoffed. Andy smiled. Neither meant anything serious in the conversation, it was just playful ribbing between longtime friends. She walked off to do... whatever it was that Katie did when she wasn't checking people in. Hopefully practicing for her state boards.

Andy turned his attention back to his beloved sketchbook, his pen scratching  across the page as he added shading to the contours and shadows of his drawing. He had tried to work on other things- new tattoos for splash sheets- but he kept coming back to one particular page that was now filled with drawings of the same thing.

Well... person, to be exact.

Andy couldn't stop himself, the man from the bus was just so easy for him to draw. His strong jaw, broad shoulders, and perfect smile made it impossible for Andy not to draw him.

His mind kept wandering to the man. He wished he had the nerve to talk to him, but he was so scared. What if he was an asshole? What if he was straight? What if he didn't like the fact that Andy was deaf?

Andy was too afraid to know the answers to any of those questions, so he would rather just appreciate the man's face from afar and never ever speak to him ever. It was quite simple really.

He would rather be a bit delusional and draw the guy like a weirdo than actual be perceived by him or speak to him. Andy couldn't help but wonder if the stranger ever noticed him like Andy had noticed him. Did he also get butterflies whenever Andy got on the bus? Did he also steal glances of him when Andy wasn't paying attention? He didn't know, but god did he want to.

He had so many questions, but all of them would forever go unanswered because he would never talk to him or meet him anywhere outside of their bus rides. There were zero connections between them so Andy was completely safe.

Andy was about to add details into the hair when vibrations of someone knocking on the couch made him look up. Juliet was standing there with a smile on her face. Her long, blonde hair was tied up into a bun and she was wearing a bustier and ripped jeans. She had put in far more effort than Andy had, but he was tired so he didn't care.

"Whose that?" She signed with a wicked grin. Andy immediately snapped the sketch book closed, rolling his eyes. "No one." He replied with a huff. "Am I not allowed to draw?"

Juliet laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Not if you won't tell me who your little muse is." She replied, having the finger spell muse because when has that word ever come up in conversation?

Andy, without much thought, showed her the sign for muse. She repeated the movement before nodding. Even in situations like this, Juliet still wanted to take time to learn the correct signs for words.