Andy
He struggled with his mental issues more often than not. He didn't know when he developed them, he didn't know if they were permanent. He had grown abusive, insecure, clingy, unlike anything he was before. He began to despise himself, his own blood boiling as the hate grew and spread like wildfire.
He first moved out to the Academy when his love for film directing truly blossomed. He left his mansion and his wealthy, brain-surgeon parents, even though they didn't live too far away. His mother was everything to him. She was kind, with a heart of gold. She spoiled him almost to death when he was younger, simply because he was an only child in a wealthy family. Growing up, his mother was his place to hide when he was afraid, a friend to play with, a hand to hold.
His father was just as respectable. A family man with ambition, a role model for his son. He didn't spend much time playing catch in the yard with Andy, but he certainly taught him right from wrong and the value of being a part of a tightly knit family. He was supportive of Andy's decision to go to the Arts Academy rather than medical school, where he could follow the family footsteps.
It felt so ironic; his parents were brain surgeons and he wasn't mentally perfect. Maybe, he used to be. Maybe, he created the imperfections himself. Maybe, they had been there the entire time, invisible. He was afraid of letting his parents down. He wanted to impress them; he wanted to do well in school, get his degree, and show them that he could be the son they deserved.
His mind wandered off, and he began to think of his first date with Darien. He remembered the shock on Darien's face when he learned how rich he was, the softness of his voice, the twinkle in his eyes. They were so different then, quiet and shy and always worried about the butterflies they felt around each other. Everything felt fresh and new. He had Darien right where he wanted him. He loved him. Andy himself really didn't know how they got to the point where they are now. For what reason did he have to abuse such a sweet boy? He couldn't think of one.
The image of Darien's sweet smile was torn apart as he began to remember the fear in his eyes as he overpowered him. He remembered keeping Darien's friends away. He remembered slashing Seth's tires. Each memory filled him a little bit more with guilt, but it became so much that he thought he might explode. He wanted to apologize, to both Darien and Seth, but he knew neither of them would want to see him.
On top of that, he was still so upset that he was cheated on in the first place. It almost justified his actions of keeping Seth away. Everything was so confusing; his heart was broken because his love cheated on him, but he also felt he deserved it for being a horrible person. He always felt so back and forth, like he was two different people. Two faced, multiple personalities.
Despite being sad over Darien, and despite still having a love for him, there was another person that caught his eye. Someone kind, soft, genuine. Someone who did their best to accept him, to speak to him, to spend time with him even though word was out that he hurt another individual. Someone who cared.
Her. He pictured Caroline's soft red hair and her little giggle. Just the thought of it made him feel like a brand new man. She was gorgeous, he knew that. Everyone knew that. He was lucky that she would even consider sitting with him to study. It was even crazier knowing that she was friends with Seth and Darien. He didn't deserve her, but a part of him really wanted her.
She'd never say yes, though. Would she? Would she politely deny the request if he were to ask her out? Would she nod and smile? Would she spit in his direction and walk away laughing? Was he so vile that she could do something such as that? No.. he must not be that bad if someone as sweet as Caroline was hanging around him. She was a gem, priceless. He admired her free spirit, her shy personality, and her effortless beauty.
***
Andy sat in the café where Caroline was working, quietly typed away on his laptop, and occasionally sipped on some tea. He was clearly very invested in his work, not really looking up much from his computer. He was also wearing glasses, which was a very new thing. He was dressed in his more 'normal' clothes now; he ditched the hoodie for a nice short sleeved button up, but he decided to keep the dark jeans and a better fitting pair of converse. Despite all things, he was a real cutie pie.
Caroline watched him from a distance, for reasons she did not know. She was very interested in Andy in general, probably because of recent events. He was confusing, he was complex. One minute he was being charged for assault, another he was the sweetest person she had ever spoken to. She knew she probably shouldn't get too invested in him; he could be dangerous. No, she knew he was dangerous, or at least, he had been before. Still, something was drawing her closer to the boy.
This in itself confused her as well. She wasn't sure if she liked Andy or if she liked Andy. She didn't really catch feelings for people, she was too focused on her career and school work. If she wasn't, she probably would have ended up having a little crush on Seth, which obviously would have gone no where in the first place. She had only ever had romantic feelings for someone once, and that was in high school. It had been a few years, and the feeling was still blurry and unfamiliar.
She wanted to study him more, figure him out. She wanted to spend more time with him. Ultimately, she decided she was going to, but not before consulting Seth and Darien. Those two came before anyone in her eyes. She knew they wouldn't necessarily like the idea, but she wanted to make sure they wouldn't hate her for it.
She found herself glancing back up at Andy, and her eyes met his blue ones just seconds later. She panicked and looked away, knowing damn well he knew he made eye contact with her. Her face flushed red just a little bit, and she focused on the café work to distract herself.
She suddenly heard a quiet, "excuse me, miss."
She looked up to see Andy there, a charming grin across his face. She smiled shyly at him.
"Yes, sir?" She asked sweetly.
"I was wondering what you were doing after your shift," he said, mostly joking around. Mostly. Caroline giggled at him and looked down.
"I think I'm free, except I have a lot to study for again," she admitted.
"You study too much," Andy said. "You need to give your brain a break! Every time I see you outside of class, you're studying or working."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," she admitted.
"Don't get me wrong though, bookworms are cute," Andy said sweetly. She smiled to herself.
"I get off work in about an hour if you want to do something," she said.
"I'll be here. Probably for the whole rest of your shift too, if I can get this paper done in that time," he said and chuckled.
"Let me know if you need anything," she said kindly.
"I do believe I'm almost out of tea," he said quietly. She laughed and nodded.
"I'll bring you some more."
Andy smiled and found his seat and began typing again. It was on, he really had only an hour to complete his paper. His fingers danced around the keys, editing and forming paragraphs. Caroline walked out from behind the counter and filled his tea cup. She looked so cute in her little apron.
"Can I get you anything else?" She asked politely.
"No, I'm good," Andy said, almost eyeing her up and down. "Thank you."
Caroline giggled, covering her mouth as always, and made her way around the room checking on other customers before she headed back to her station. She was just so damn beautiful.
Maybe I can ask her to that Fall Festival thing, Andy thought. The Festival was supposed to happen the weekend after the ball, but everything was postponed due to Z's appearance. The Dean didn't want to put any students in danger, so he decided to hold off on events. The new date for the Festival was coming up quickly. He'd also have to meet with the Dean to be sure he was allowed to go to school events again.
With a few more words, Andy finally wrapped up his paper, barely 50 words above the required word count. It'll do, especially since he wasn't all that great at speech in the first place. He was happy with how the paper was, ultimately, so he decided it was complete. Right on time, Caroline stepped out from the back, her bag in her hand. She was back to her normal clothes.
"Hello, Andy," she said. God, her voice was like magic.
"Hi, Caroline. Would you like to go for a walk?" He asked her.
"That sounds really nice!" she said and smiled. He offered his arm to her, and she took it with a little giggle. He put his laptop bag over his other shoulder and escorted her out of the café.
They walked down the street for a bit, admiring the weather and each other's company. Andy felt the butterflies in his stomach again, and began to contemplate whether or not to ask her out. He swallowed hard and decided the worst she could do is say no. At least, that's what he had hoped.
"Caroline, I've been meaning to ask you something," he finally said.
"Yeah? What is it, Andy?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Well, I was just wondering-" he began.
Suddenly, the ground shook. Purple streaks of lightning began to take over the sky, and the sound of explosions grew louder and louder. The once sunny sky was now black, the purple lightning provided the only source of natural light. Buildings were shaking so hard, they might crumble any moment. It was hard for anyone to even keep their balance.
"Andy, what the hell is going on?!" Caroline shouted, throwing herself into his chest. She was terrified.
"I don't know, but I've got you," Andy said, holding her tight as he looked around for the best place to find shelter. "I've got you."