Chapter 8*
April 2010
"Zandy, get in the f*cking dress!" Andy yelled at me through the dressing room door. We were currently in a trailer a few blocks away from where the premiere of Halloween II was taking place.
"No! I refuse to wear a dress like that out in public!" I yelled, pointing at the dress even though he couldn't see me do so.
"I'm dressed up, that means that you have to be, too! Now get in the d*mn dress!"
It was true, Andy was in a full on suit. Dress pants, jacket, dress shirt, shoes, tie, the whole shebang! He had even combed his hair back, which was extremely weird. I had only ever seen his hair relatively short in pictures from when he was like thirteen.
"Ugh! Fine," I groaned, giving in. "But it's only because we'll look like idiots together."
Taking the dress off the hanger, I wore it for the first time since my secret fitting. Don't ask.
It was a deep purple color, which wasn't too bad, but the shade was a little too classy for me. It had a tight fitting bodice and it slowly flowed out into an A-line skirt that reached just below mid-thigh, so my tattoos were visible. There was a white lace layer over the skirt that was designed with small flowers and swirled patterns that would've been rad if the lace was black. It was a halter top, so my back was completely exposed to the crisp spring air.
And then, there was the horrible lack of material that made me feel awfully exposed and a bit promiscuous, in a totally bad way. It was the deep plunging neckline of the stupid thing! It came practically down to my naval and didn't exactly keep the girls covered. My chest wasn't exactly a 'practical' size, you could say. I had always had a large chest and this dress gave no help in hiding that fact. The outside of my bust was covered, but the part that was usually protected by a tee was out in the open and in plain sight. It was horrible! I'm sure Andy hadn't seen the dress in full, or else he wouldn't be making me wear it.
I shuddered and put on the impractical black, four inch Louis Vuitton peep toe heels with lacy flowers in the front. My 'look' for the premiere was completed: dress; shoes; curled hair pulled into a side ponytail; and 'mandatory' red lipstick. I had complied with all the 'requirements' but had put my foot down on the makeup, piercings and tattoos. I kept my eyeliner, mascara, and pale foundation. I least I had some dignity left, though I couldn't keep the khol I usually put on. I was fine with giving that up for a night, though.
I tucked my cell phone in the much appreciated pocket on the right side of my dress and took a deep breath. I opened the door to the spacious dressing room in Scout's movie trailer that she was letting us use to get ready.
When I opened the door, Andy was facing away from me, his jacket now open, revealing the black dress shirt underneath. He was adjusting his tie, loosening it significantly around his neck. His shirt was untucked form his pants and his hair was a bit messy now, probably from running his hands through it. His black hoop ring in his lip was in and he was tugging on it with his teeth nervously.
I tapped my toes on the floor anxiously, waiting for Andy to get me out of this trailer so I could get this thing over with quicker. He turned to face me all the way and his jaw dropped open and his eyes bugged out of their sockets. I could feel his eyes roam over me, all of me. And it was pretty unnerving, yet kind of encouraging at the same time.
He cleared his throat and restored his composure. "Ready?" he asked, opening the trailer door.
I smiled convincingly and nodded. He held his hand out to me and led me out of the trailer. We hailed a cab and it took us the three or four blocks to the site of the premiere. We stepped out and walked a little way to the V.I.P. entrance of the pre-premiere party. Once we stepped onto the red carpet, snaps from cameras started going off and screams erupted from the crowd of lucky fans that were able to get tickets to this thing.
Andy kept his hand around my waist, holding me close to his side.
"They don't even know who we are, do they?" I said into Andy's ear.
He shrugged. "They may not, but we're just something to look at. And we're here, so we may as well be famous to them."
Suddenly, a girl from the crowd shouted, "Andy Six!" above all of the other shouts.
"Then again," Andy said, leaning down to speak in my ear, "maybe they do know us."
"It's Andy Six!" more people yelled.
"Correction," I said, "they know you." He looked down at me and shrugged again. I rolled my eyes.
As we walked our way down the carpet, people kept asking me to stop and pose for a picture. I kept trying to explain to them that I wasn't a star and I wasn't in this movie. But they didn't care; I was just something new to look at and snap pictures of. I posed as they asked me to, stopping when anyone called my attention their way. I didn't know how Scout did this, I wouldn't be able to do this all the time. It was tedious and a bit boring. But I guess when you're an actress, you want to be nice and take the pictures for your fans.
Finally, we found Scout, talking to some fans and signing objects. She looked up and saw us, her eyes happy and excited.
"Hey guys," she called in her happy, twittery voice, waving us over. I smiled and hugged her when we were close enough.
"Scout, you look beautiful," I said excitedly. Scout and I got along greatly now. We were like sisters.
Scout was in a short red dress, black boot pumps, her beautiful brown hair thick and wavy, and her makeup natural and gorgeous. She was always so pretty.
"Why thank you, Zandy" she laughed, smiling. "But you should really look in a mirror. You're stunning. I love the dress."
I groaned. "I hate it. I feel so exposed! And I know you had them make me this dress. Don't try to play ignorant, Scouty."
I hated the way the dress felt on me. There was too much leg showing and I really felt like putting on some pajama shorts underneath. And then there was the top that revealed way too much of the stuff that I have tried to keep hidden for the past four years. It also seemed like everybody here was staring at my back, arms and legs. I definitely had the most tattoos here.
Andy obviously had quite a few, but they were all hidden in one way or another. Scout had one on her finger that says 'My Vow To You', but it was always hidden. And I'm sure the other cast members had tattoos, but they were hidden as well. But, I liked to wear my tattoos proud anyway, so I didn't really mind the stares.
She faked innocence. "Well, I can honestly say, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Zandy."
I nodded slowly, and narrowed my eyes at her. "Yeah, okay, I'm gonna believe that."
Scout laughed. "I didn't expect you to. But you look hot, Z." I rolled my eyes.
Suddenly, Giuliana Rancic from E! was beside Scout and I. Andy was a few feet away talking to Rob Zombie, the director of the film. Giuliana had a mic in hand and a camera person behind her.
"Hi Scout, do you mind if we do a quick interview?" Giuliana asked politely
Scout shook her head and smiled. "No, of course not. Let's do this thing," she replied enthusiastically.
"Okay, three, two, one," she counted down to the camera guy. She stood on the opposite side of Scout, wrapping an arm around her and smiling into the camera.
"We're here with Scout Taylor-Compton, the leading actress of Halloween II. What's it like playing Laurie Strode, especially when Jamie Lee Curtis played Laurie in the original movies? Do you feel you have to fill in her shoes when you act as Laurie?"
Scout seemed like she was prepared to answer it already. "I loved playing Laurie! She's such a unique character and has such a strange, fun personality and is really an intelligent girl. And walking in the footsteps of Jamie is just amazing. It was a little challenging at first, but I got it through my head that times have changed, the character needed to be modernized. So that's what I did, and after the first Halloween remake, I actually talked to Jamie and she applauded me on my work. I was so elated when she said she wouldn't have Laurie any other way."
"That's amazing," Giuliana complimented. "We got some comments on our show website asking us to ask you if you're style is put into Laurie's wardrobe."
"Actually, it is to a degree," Scout said. "I'm really into the boho, indie style of clothing, but I like darker colors and I'm bit crazy with things. So yeah, Laurie's style is a bit like my own, and some of the things in the movie are my actual pieces of clothing."
"Really? I've never heard of an actress doing that before. But Rob is open to anything, so I could totally see it." Giuliana and Scout laughed and nodded to each other.
Giuliana put her hand to her ear, listening to her earpiece. "Well Scout, everyone in the studio is dying to know; who is this lovely lady next to you?"
I blushed when I realized she was talking about me. I tried to walk away toward Andy slowly, but Scout grabbed my arm and pulled me to face the camera and Giuliana.
"This is my boyfriend's best friend. They've known each other for a long time," Scout answered, smiling in a kind of 'I know something that you don't' way.
"Well, might I say, you're beautiful," Giuliana complimented me. "What's your name, sweetie?" Then she proceeded to point the mic in my direction.
I swallowed my embarrassment and answered her strongly. "Alexandria Night."
"That's a pretty name. But you surely go by something shorter," she persisted.
I nodded, a little more relaxed. "Yeah, Zandy or Alex, but I prefer Zandy. Only my brother calls me Alex," I answered.
Giuliana smiled. "Are you here as Scout's support?"
"Absolutely," I answered with a smile. "Scout and I have been friends for a while too, and I loved the original Halloweens and the first revised one. She's an amazing actress and it's awesome to be here with her."
Just as I had answered the question, Andy came up and asked if he could talk to Scout before taking her away to an uncrowded area of the event. Their lips started moving and I saw the look of disappointment go across Scout's face.
Giuliana continued to ask questions, and I answered, but I was constantly wondering what Andy and Scout were talking about.
{Andy's POV}
"Are we gonna do this right now?" Scout asked, ready to put on a show.
I nodded. "Yeah, now's as good a time as ever," I responded. Even though I wasn't actually going to be breaking up with Scout, I felt bad doing it here. There were people everywhere and they were bound to see something. But we had decided a long time ago that when we 'broke up' it'd be a mutual feeling that we were going to put on. So, hopefully, no one was going to hate my guts after tonight. That was the plan, anyways.
"So, we just stand here and pretend to be talking things over?" she asked me. I nodded.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Well, in that case, I have to say that Zandy looks hot tonight!" she squealed happily.
"Yeah, I've noticed, " I responded in a pained voice.
Scout giggled. "Can't keep your hands off of her, eh?"
I shook my head in disappointment. "You have no idea."
When I had seen Zandy standing in the dressing room doorway in that dress, I nearly died right there. Part of me wanted to yell at her and demand that she change so no one but me would see her in that little of clothing. But another part of me wanted to let her walk out there with that tiny dress on, showing her off to the world. If all things went well, she'd be my girlfriend to show off, anyway
"She seems to be a bit uncomfortable behind the camera," Scout commented, pointing to where Zandy was still with the hostess of that TV show on E! She kept shifting her weight from foot to foot, trying to answer the questions the best she could. I wanted so badly to walk over there and take her away, but I was supposed to be breaking it off with Scout. But, give it a few more minutes and we'd be done.
For the next five minutes we just talked about the movie. I was definitely anticipating it. I've always loved Scouty's acting style, and she was awesome as Laurie Strode in the first movie. We both tried really hard to keep the smiles off our faces until the end of our conversation. This would show people that we were happy with where we stood in our relationship if anyone was watching us. We hugged when we decided it was a good time to end this.
Finally, I was allowed to go and save Zandy from the torture she was going through. Scout went off in another direction, saying hi to fans and joining her co-stars.
{Zandy's POV}
'Andy, please save me,' I chanted in my mind as I answered the endless questions that Giuliana was asking me. It was one right after another and I almost couldn't keep up. Finally, when I glanced back, Andy was coming my way, hopefully to steal me away from this God-awful camera. I didn't mind being in front of a lot of people or talking on camera. But when it was live and I know billions of people are watching, it gets a bit intimidating.
Andy was by my side in an instant, wrapping his hand around my waist.
"You must be the infamous Andy Six," Giuliana commented as he stood beside me.
"Well, that depends on why I'm infamous. Did I do something wrong?" he asked jokingly but trying to look hurt by her statement.
She laughed. "No, it's just Scout talks about you all the time. How are you and her, by the way?"
Andy shrugged nonchalantly. "Good friends," he responded. I looked up at him, shocked. What the heck was that supposed to mean? Did they just break up?
Giuliana gave him a surprised look also. "So you're saying..." she trailed off.
Andy nodded. "Yeah, but it's not a big deal. We're always gonna be really good friends."
"So, no awkward, post break up stuff, huh?"
He shook his head, making his hair fall out of place even more. "No, we're cool. I think we've both got our eyes on somebody else already. Well, I know I do." When he said this, he made no gesture to give a hint or even tell us who it was, which I think was mean, but that's just me. In my head I was calling him a meaner.
Soon after that, Andy and I left, wandering around the place, catching glimpses of other famous people.
"So, who's this girl you've got your eye on?" I asked him, smiling to say I wouldn't mind, even though I did. I was in love with this boy and he was refusing to acknowledge my feelings, not that I showed them. I was a very secretive person.
"If I told you that, you wouldn't be surprised when I brought her home," he said, glancing down at me.
I groaned. "I hate surprises though! I don't want to be surprised, it's so annoying!"
He chuckled. "Too bad Z, it's a surprise." I frowned.
After about another hour of talking to people from the movie and Andy signing some stuff for the fans that called out his name, we were escorted into the showing room. The movie was started up quickly and we sat next to Scout and Rob Zombie, which was awesome.
And the movie was fantastic! Everyone did such a great job, and apparently the critics thought so too, because they were smiling and applauding at the end.
After the movie, Andy and I went out to dinner. It was only around six in the evening, so it was about the right time for dinner. We went to the trailer to get changed first and then went to one of my favorites; Pasco's pizza. No better way to end a great movie than with awesome pizza.
Andy and I were changed back into our regular clothes and walking down the sidewalk to my favorite pizza place. I had been there so often, that the owners knew my name. Mr. and Mrs. Tuzzolino are the nicest people you will ever meet.
They greeted us like we were grandchildren and sat us down quickly, taking our drink orders. Mrs. Tuzzolino filled our drinks while her husband took our food order. We quickly decided on a large pepperoni and sausage, stuffed crust with breadsticks. We could easily eat all of the food between the both of us.
The missus came back with our drinks and fled away to take someone else's order.
"What'd you think of the movie?" Andy asked me, taking a sip of his Coke.
I smiled. "It was really good. I think Scout did an awesome job, as always," I said, twirling my straw in my iced tea. Dark sodas made my stomach hurt, and I didn't particularly like any of the citrusy ones.
"Yeah, she's a very talented actress," he commented, seeming genuine.
"Yes she is. So why did you two break up?"
"We didn't want the same things anymore. I'm big into my music and her with her acting and movie rolls. And we decided it was time to break it off. We didn't love each other like we used to. We both thought it was best if we were just friends. It's not like those horrible break ups you hear about; when the girl cries her eyes out and makes the guy look like a complete jerk." He chuckled. "We're cool still. We'd always be good friends."
I smiled. "I'm glad then. I just didn't want to find out she was putting on a facade at the movie. 'Cause I would kick your *ss into next week if you hurt her."
He chuckled. "I don't doubt that in the least bit."
"Good. So who is it that you like?" I tried to sneak the question in there to see if he would answer me without realizing it.
"Good try, but no," he said, frowning. "I told you, it's a surprise."
"And I told you that I hate surprises," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Just tell me!" I whined.
He shook his head adamantly. "Nope. Like I said, you won't know until I bring her home."
I groaned, throwing my head back. "You frustrate me to no end, Biersack!"
"I try," he said, taking another sip of his soda. I glared at him.
"Fine, be like that."
"I am being 'like that'." He made air quotes around the last two words. I rolled my eyes.
"Can you at least give me a hint?" I begged.
He sighed. "Fine." He paused, probably thinking of what he could say that would give the least away. "She's beautiful."
I rolled my eyes again. "That could be any number of Hollywood actresses your age."
"She's not an actress, but I think she would make an excellent one."
"Lady Gaga?" I inquired. Seriously, that boy has the biggest crush on her.
He smirked. "No, although she would probably make a good actress. She seems very theatrical."
I groaned. "Anything else?"
"She has an amazing singing voice."
"Again, any number of girls in Hollywood."
"I love her eyes."
"Lauren Conrad. I don't really like her, but she's got a unique eye color."
He shook his head. "She's tall, with really long legs."
"Khloe Kardashian."
He rolled his eyes. "She's got a rad taste in clothes."
"Mary-Kate Olsen."
He grimaced and I laughed. Just then, Mr. Tuzzolino came over and set our pizza on our table.
"Godetevi miei i figli piccoli!" he called to us and he walked away to set down another order.
"What the heck does that mean?" Andy asked before picking up a steaming slice of pizza. It didn't seem to deter him from shoving it into his mouth as quickly as he could.
"'Enjoy my little kids'," I responded. I had learned Italian when I was younger. I don't know why my mom had made me take the lessons, but I was kind of glad for it now. It was a cool language to know and it came in handy when owners of restaurants knew little to no English. I was working on perfecting Spanish and learning French.
I picked up a piece of pizza and stuffed a big chunk into my mouth. It was really hot, but I kept it in my mouth and chewed it as quickly as possible without looking like an idiot. Pretty soon, that piece was done and I was reaching for my second. In between slices, I'd eat half a breadstick so Andy wouldn't be left with all of them.
By the end of our visit, I'd eaten three slices of pizza, three breadsticks, and finished four glasses of iced tea. Andy had eaten the other five slices and a breadstick, leaving us with six to take home. At least I could take them into work on Monday. If I was lucky, Jamie, a guy I worked with, would find them and eat a few.
We put the breadsticks in the car and walked over to the nearest elementary school. The sun had set just a few minutes ago and the dark rain clouds could be seen moving their way in. I could tell it was already raining where the clouds were over, currently.
I pulled up the hood to my Batman sweater and Andy did the same with his plain black hoodie. We walked side by side, our shoulders touching, to the park of the elementary school. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. It was a little brisk, but there wasn't even a breeze, so it felt really good.
We arrived at the park and we both immediately ran to the swings. We fought each other for the taller of the two.
"My legs are longer!" Andy yelled at me.
"But I'm the girl! Lady's first!" I screamed back, trying to push him out of the way.
"I'm older! The eldest gets to make the decision!"
"But I'm younger. Youngest gets first pick!"
"Again, I'm taller! My legs need more room to swing!"
"Again, I'm a lady and you're supposed be a gentleman!"
"How about we both sit in the d*mn f*cking swing and stop arguing?"
I paused and looked at him. "Fair enough."
Andy sat and adjusted himself in the swing and then brought me over to join him. I sat on his lap gingerly, trying not to hurt his...male parts.
He chuckled, seeing my apprehension. "You're not going to hurt me, I promise." I took his word for it, hoping he wasn't lying, and put my full weight down on his lap. He didn't seem hurt or phased in any way, so I relaxed and leaned back in his chest.
Andy pushed us back and forth slowly, not even really getting our feet off the ground. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and switched it to camera mode. He took a picture of us, smiling like idiots, but I liked it.
We got off the swings and I ran onto the jungle gym. I went over and pretended to slide down the shortest slide. If I had laid down, I would've been as long as it. I threw my hands in the air and Andy snapped another picture. Getting back to the top of the structure, I stood at the very top platform and smiled down at Andy. Our little trip to the nearest park had turned into a photo shoot for morons.
Andy yelled up at me to pose, so I brought my arms up even with my shoulders and flexed. He laughed at me, smiling that special smile that I loved to see. I threw one leg over the fence that kept kids from falling off this thing, and then the other. Then, I hopped off and landed on the ground in a somewhat crouch. I heard Andy laugh at me and saw him point his phone in my direction.
"I'm recording you," he called to me, smiling again. I smiled and stood up. Spreading my arms out, I ran over to him like a moron, teetering from side to side.
"Rawr!" I called out, getting closer and closer to Andy. When I was up close and personal with the little lens, I flung my arms around Andy. Then I proceed to steal his phone and turn it on him. He frowned at me and tried to shove my hands away.
"Aw, come on Andy! I let you record me acting like a noobcake, why can't I record you?"
"Did you just say 'noobcake'?" he asked me, giving me a strange look.
"Yes I did," I confirmed happily.
"What the hell is a noobcake?"
I shrugged, making the image on screen move. "I don't know, it just popped into my head."
He laughed. "Wow. You're strange, you know that?"
I smiled. "Yes, I'm aware of this."
"Good, noobcake," he said, sticking his tongue out at me.
"Hey! Don't use my own words against me!" I demanded.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that it wasn't allowed."
"Mhm, right," I mumbled in faux anger.
At that precise moment, rain starting sprinkling down. I hung my head back and let the small droplets sprinkle over my face. And then it started come in down in larger droplets; and larger still. I squealed a bit and flipped my hood over my head. I stopped Andy's phone and handed it to him. I didn't want his expensive phone to get water damage. He stored it away in his back pocket and put on his own hood.
Instead of fleeing to get out of the rain, we walked to the nearest street lamp so we could at least see each other. An angelic glow cast over Andy's features, shrouding the undersides of his face in shadows.
I had always seen Andy as beautiful, with the most unique features that complimented each other. Like his stunning, electric, abyss-like blue eyes and his beautiful, bottom-comparatively-larger-than-the-top-one lips. His strong jaw and his moderately arched eyebrows. Everything about him was otherworldly.
But now, he was just gorgeous. Like a Greek god that had been sent down to me by Zeus himself. My best friend, my brother, my right hand man, and the guy I happened to be in love with. Andy was everything I would ever need all rolled into one human being. How was I so lucky as to set my eyes upon him that afternoon four years ago? The world may never know.
"You know," Andy whispered, pushing my hood from my head, allowing the rain to drench my hair, "I think I may tell you who the girl that I'm thinking about making my girlfriend is."
I reached up and removed his hood also. "And who might that be?" I whispered back.
"She's someone extremely close to my heart and she's everything I've ever wanted," he responded, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Are we really playing the guessing game again?" I asked, a tinge of humor added to my quiet voice.
"We could be," he responded, ducking down so his head was closer to mine. "But you might get lucky and guess correctly."
"Well, then give me some more hints." Gods, I can't believe I was being so blunt. I would never act like this around Andy. But a feeling deep inside me told me today would be the day. The day I took a stand and told Andy how I really felt about him. And, if I was so fortunate to get luck thrown down on me, he'd feel the same way. There really was no evidence to hint to me that he did, but I wanted there to be. Oh so badly.
The rain was falling so rapidly and in such big droplets that we were both drenched. Our hair was wet and sticking to our faces. Our clothes were soaked completely through, and my jeans weren't the most comfortable things to be wearing right now. Water was dropping from his eyelashes, and I could see mine doing the same.
"I've loved her with all my heart since the moment I met her." I nodded. "She's the most amazing person I've ever had the luck to meet." Again. "She means the world to me, and I wish she wouldn't ignore how I'm feeling anymore." Once more. "Whenever she's around, I want to hold her and love her like no one is watching." Another time. "I never want to let her go when I have the privilege of holding her close to me." His face inched infinitely closer to mine, our lips just a mere inch apart. "And when I kiss her cheek or forehead, I want my lips to be a little further down on her face. The place where her sweet voice says my name; either teasingly, lovingly, jokingly, or seriously."
Oh my gods. I seriously could not believe this was happening. Andy had just basically professed his love to me. And I was willing to grab it by the horns and take it on full force.
"Do you know who that girl is now?" he whispered, his cool, minty breath washing over my lips. I breathed in his wonderful scent.
"I think I have an idea. Why don't you show me the whole picture, though?" I asked, being blunt once again. I was really out of it right now.
"My pleasure," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible.
Then, before I could even notice his movement, his lips were on mine, soft and moving in a slow rhythm. My nerves responded automatically and matched his pace and movements. I snaked my hands around his neck and tangled my fingers in his long, black hair. His hands moved from my waist to my face, cupping both of my cheeks gently.
Everything about the kiss was sweet and loving. Nothing was rushed or fast paced. We were relaxed and completely content with just reveling in the feel of being this close to one another; enjoying the sensation of finally being connected in this way.
After minutes of standing there in the pouring rain, our lips locked together in a passionate embrace, we eventually needed to break apart for air. Our mouths pulled apart in a clean fashion and we leaned our foreheads against one another's, catching our breath.
Andy flashed me his breathtaking smile, rubbing small circles on my cheeks with his thumbs. I closed my eyes, letting the feeling of having his warmth so close surround me. Soon, our breathing was controlled and our chests were moving in a regular pattern. I peeled my eyes open and grinned at Andy, letting him know I was happy with his decision. I'd never thought that I'd be excited to find out who Andy was bringing home with him. This was definitely the best surprise I'd ever been presented with.
"You don't know how long I've waited to do that," he whispered to me, placing a soft, quick kiss on my lips.
"I think I could imagine," I responded, smiling slightly.
I was able to feel him smile against my lips. "Ready to go home?"
I nodded sluggishly. "Most definitely.
{**************************************BVB**************************************}
When we got home, we both immediately changed out of our sodden clothes. My jeans were rubbing uncomfortably against my legs, probably causing sores along the sides of my thighs. We both ran up the stairs as quickly as possible. Andy stopped by the thermostat on the way to his room and turned on the heater. My teeth were chattering together and I was trying to rub my arms to get warm. What was once a nice night turned into biting cold weather.
As I entered my bedroom, I quickly stripped from my clothes, even my underwear. Everything I had had on was drenched and definitely need to be washed and dried pronto. I pulled on a fresh pair of warm, dry undergarments and grabbed my brush to run through my knotted hair. My stomach was freezing, so I grabbed one of Andy's shirts that I had stolen and threw it over my head. His familiar scent immediately enveloped me, reminding me of the kiss we shared in the park. I smiled and continued to try and get my hair untangled, which wasn't going so well. Finally, I was able to get all of them out, but my head hurt from tugging on my hair so roughly.
There was a knock on my door and I told Andy to come in. His hair was still wet, but it was brushed and looked smooth and shiny. He was in a t-shirt and black sweats, his feet in dry black socks. He was leaning against my door frame, smiling at me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so smiley?"
He walked over and puts his hands on my waist. "Because, I just came home with the most amazing girl in the world." He leaned down and kissed my lips softly, but I enjoyed every second of it.
"Did you really mean all those things you said at dinner? About my eyes and my acting abilities?" I asked him.
"But of course," he said in a fake British accent. I smiled.
"Why don't you get some pants on and I'll go put in a movie," Andy said, hugging me close to him quickly. I realized I only had his shirt on.
"Yeah, that'd be great," I replied. Andy left my room as I searched my drawers for a pair of sweats that I knew I had. I just couldn't remember where I had put them. I finally found them under my dresser, which was really weird. I must have been really tired the last time I wore them.
I pulled on my sweats and grabbed a sweater. I was still freezing from the rain; it seemed to have seeped through my skin and rested on my bones. Taking out my contacts, I grabbed my prescription Ray Bans with the clear lenses. I liked to call them my nerd glasses, but everyone insisted I looked cute in them.
My feet moved on their own accord and carried me down the stairs with an amazing amount of speed. I must have wanted to be with Andy again more than I had realized.
When I had reached the bottom step, Andy was just slipping the DVD tray back into the DVD player. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.
"What are we watching?" I asked him, pressing my lips to his back.
"Friday the 13th," he answered. I could hear the smile in his voice.
I smiled. "Good, two horrors in one night."
He pulled me along to the couch, first planting himself on it and then pulling me down closely next to him. Andy wrapped his arms around me and tucked me into his side. To say the least, the boy was warm, and it was comforting after being cold for so long.
The movie started up and Andy dimmed the lights, reaching over to the switch by where we were sitting. We skipped through the previews for different movies, getting right to the best part; the actual movie itself. I completely relaxed into his side, silencing myself as the movie began.
Halfway into the movie, my mind started to drift, eventually leaving the movie completely. As usual, Andy was on the mind.
Andy, my best friend turned love of my life--not like he knew that. I was actually planning on keeping it that way for a while. I wouldn't confess my undying love for him directly until he said it first. I don't want to freak him out and drive him off, though that wouldn't exactly be easy. Things didn't deter him easily and he'd stand tall until the end. It was one of the many things that I loved about him.
One thing was bothering me though. I felt like the reason Andy gave me wasn't the real reason he and Scout broke up. Something in the back of my head was telling me, urging me, to push him for details. And, if what I assumed was true, the whole truth. I didn't think he was really lying to me, I just wasn't getting the whole truth.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Andy whispered in my ear, dragging me away from my thinking state.
"Nothing," I lied easily. I didn't want to push anything right now, when we were both so happy and content. "Just kinda...thinking."
"Then there must be something you were thinking about," he pressed. I definitely was not going to give in. I'm stubborn and no one can get through me.
"Just things. Kinda just random thoughts. I swear, I went from thinking of ice cream one moment and turtles the next," I covered. But seriously, this has happened before. It's the strangest thing.
Andy chuckled lightly. "Wow, creative are we?"
"You bet I am!" I agreed enthusiastically. We both laughed at my retarded-ness.
We resumed watching the movie after that. I watched it the rest of the way through without drifting off into thought again. Which was good, because this was one of my favorite horror movies.
After the movie ended, Andy pulled out his iPod and set it in the dock, which was only an arm's length away. Immediately, The Mortician's Daughter started playing, the new one from the new album. It wasn't released yet, but the band was able to get the songs downloaded onto their phones and iPods. This version had an extra guitar and violin added to it. It was even more beautiful than before, if it was possible.
I started humming along to the tune as Andy whispered the words in my ear.
"I didn't write this song for Scouty," he stated suddenly, shocking me.
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"I didn't write this for her," he repeated. "I wrote it for you."
My mouth dropped at this, the breath leaving my lungs.
Me? He had wrote this wonderful song for me? Now that I thought about it, it did make sense. My dad was a mortician, and there were lots of inside jokes and sayings we had with each other. Most people didn't fully understand the lyrics, but I always had known what they meant. It all made sense.
"So that means..." I trailed off, trying to fit everything together.
Andy nodded. "Yeah, I've been after you all this time. I haven't really been dating Scout. She's part of my grand scheme of things."
"Scheme for what?" I asked.
"To get you to notice me as more than a brother. Evidently, it worked." A smug smile made it's way onto his face.
"Would you care to explain the whole situation?" I asked crossly.
Andy sighed. "Okay, fine. Before I met you, I really was going out with Scout, but only briefly. We knew it wasn't gonna work out so we decided to stay friends. Then I met you and I got to know you and realized I liked you. I've liked you since the beginning, Zandy.
"So then, I called up Scout and we created a plan together. We decided to pretend to go out for as long as it took to get you to have feelings toward me. I actually didn't plan on it taking years, but that's just how it worked, I guess. We've pretended this whole time to love each other more than friends, all the while trying to think of new ideas to get you to think of me as more than a brother or friend.
"It took quite a few tries and ideas, but we finally came up with this last one. Our little break up scene was all planned and fixed. While we were supposed to be breaking it off, we were really just talking about you and the movie. And then we acted like we were okay with everything and went on our merry way.
"Then, I finally got the chance to tell you I've liked you, and you seemed willing to it, so I took it. And now here we are, sitting on a couch, me telling you our whole plan."
He took in a deep breath after he had finished, having said the whole thing with basically just one breath of air.
My mind was on overload, but it seemed to pick up on one thing.
"Wait, why didn't you just tell me you liked me?" I asked, a little shocked.
Andy moved us so my back was against his chest before answering. "I didn't want to freak you out if you didn't like me too." He seemed a little sad at this.
I chuckled. "Andy, all this time I thought I'd freak you out if I told you how I felt about you," I admitted.
"Seriously?" he asked, a little shocked.
"Seriously," I confirmed, nodding.
I tuned in his lap so I was straddling his legs. I placed my hands on his cheeks and stared deep into his sparkling blue eyes.
"Andy, I've liked you for the longest time now. When I was going out with Karsten it was hard for me to feel comfortable around him, because he wasn't you. That one time I broke down was because of it. At that time, my feelings for you were crashing down around me and I didn't want to see you as anything more than a brother. It was mostly just because I was dating somebody at the time. He was gay, but he still held a place in my heart.
"Then he left, and my whole world was about you again. I could never stop thinking about you. Every time my mind would wander, it would always go back to you and how perfect you are. It still does. When I'm bored, I sit and think of you. I go over all the reasons why I've grown so close to you, and find the list endless. I wouldn't be able to tell you all the reasons if you wanted me to."
Finally, that was off my chest. I figured, as long as we were having confession time, why not throw that out there? If not now, when? When it would just be awkward to tell him? I don't think so. Zandy Night does not play that game.
"Really?" Andy asked. And we were back to the short questions!
"Really!" I laughed. "I wouldn't tell you that if it weren't true!" I leaned over to kiss the tip of his nose. He scrunched his face up in that really cute way that I've always liked.
Soon, we returned to our former positions; me at his side, squished close to him like a sardine. We listened to music for a while more before I started craving something sweet.
I hopped up from my cozy spot on the couch to dash into the kitchen. I raided the freezer for ice cream, completing my objective. Sitting on the bottom shelf was an unopened, gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Not my favorite, but it would definitely do.
Pulling out our blender, milk, and malt mix, I set them on the kitchen counter. I threw all the ingredients in the blender, and in no time I had two tall glasses of mint malts.
I sauntered back over to Andy, who was smiling at me from the couch. After handing him his drink, I ran upstairs to retrieve my iPod real quick. I came back down and took his off the dock, replacing it with mine. The first song to play was Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer. It was kind of an odd song to see on my playlist, but I liked it. I started singing along, drinking my malt in between verses.
Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me
Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me
Kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me
So kiss me
So kiss me
So kiss me
By the end of the song, I was twirling around the middle of the living room like a moron. I think Andy put something in my drink, even though I had made it....
Andy, who was laughing at my silliness, stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist sweetly. He took my glass from my hands, setting it on the coffee table. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me for (what I counted as) the second time tonight.
It was slow and sweet (literally) like the first one. We both tasted of mint and chocolate, which made it even better. Andy always smelled like mint to me, so this was a sensory overload. My taste, touch, and smelling senses were going haywire.
We both pulled out of the kiss breathless and smiling. We were both extremely happy to be with one another like this. It was all evident on our faces.
Andy looked over to our TV and then back at me, smiling that special smile that sent my stomach in a whirl. He leaned in close and put his mouth to my ear.
"Happy Birthday, beautiful." A happy birthday indeed, and it had technically just started.