"People dream about changing the world like this, and we can," Angelo exclaimed, his light blue eyes beaming with excitement. "We have the world at our fingertips, and all we have to do is grab it. Don't you want to?"
The question hung over Andrew's head like a heavy fog, causing a shiver to race down his spine. There was something so wrong about what they were doing, performing underground experiments on children, nontheless. However, Angelo was right about one thing: this was their chance to change the world in a way that no one else had before them, in a way that no one else could. Of course he wanted to, but was he willing to let one of his children take the massive fall if the experiments failed? He didn't know.
As if reading his thoughts, Angelo placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You know that I love Aria and Andy Jr. as if they were my own kids, and I would never purposely put them in harm's way. If I thought for one second that this wasn't going to work, I wouldn't have even asked you." Andrew nodded in agreement. He knew that Angelo cared about the kids; he was like an uncle to them.
"Same goes if I had children of my own," he added with a sly grin. "This is an honor for both you and your kids. When the experiments work, it will be your child that everyone will look up to. Everyone will want to be like them, and it'll be all thanks to you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Andy, not just for us, but for them, too."
Andrew took a step back and studied Angelo. From the time that Andrew had met him 20 years ago, he had always been skinny for his age. His dirty blonde hair fell in his face, and he had to brush it out of his eyes for about the fiftieth time since they'd been talking. He was dressed in casual blue jeans and a small gray windbreaker that was guaranteed to do nothing to protect him from the harsh winds that raged outside. Andrew reminded himself that this wasn't just some fame-hungry scientist- this was the guy who he'd gone to the Homecoming Dance with when neither of them had dates, the guy who had talked him into asking out Melanie Guzman, who was now his wife, the guy who had insisted that Andrew go clubbing instead of crying over Angela Roberts. This was his best friend he was talking to.
Also, he'd said, "When the experiments work..." When, not if. Andrew found that his friend's sheer confidence boosted his own. Before he knew it, he was nodding his head and the smile on Angelo's face was so wide that it looked like his face might crack.
"So you'll do it?" he asked, practically jumping up and down, like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Yeah, I'm in."
