Cigarette Smoke

Chapter Six

The rest of the car ride was silent after Andy realized that it was really me. The awkwardness grew and I felt pressured to say something, but nothing would come out. Andy was intimidating as is, I didn't want to make him even more upset with me.

As Andy pulled up to the parking lot behind the pier, my eyes began to water again. I had no where to sleep and no money for food. As soon as he stopped the car I got out. "Thanks." I sniffled, but before I could shut the door he replied "What's wrong?" Tears started streaming down my face. "Nothing." I looked away and wiped my eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice me crying.

"Sit." He gestured to the passenger seat where I had stood up from, I did as told. "Why do you wanna talk now? You barely said a word to me the whole ride." He stayed silent. "Because I could tell you were holding back." He finally added.

"You really don't have a place to go, do you?" I shook my head as another tear fell. "I'm sorry." He blurted out. My green eyes lit up in surprise, but soon fell in anger.

"Now you say sorry? When I finally break in front of you? You knew how my uncle was when we were younger. You knew he was abusive! And yet... You still never said a word to me." I was so angry at him.

Just then, a flashback played through my head: I was looking out the window, waiting for Jaxon to come home from her friends. By this time, my uncle had pulled us both out of school after people started asking us about the bruises on our bodies. As cars passed by, I noticed Andy getting off of the bus. As he walked home he noticed me watching him. My uncle stormed into the living room and dragged me off of the couch by my hair, Andy disappearing from my view.

"Oh yeah? Well what about you? You watched me walk home alone. You knew I was being made fun of, and yet you still never said anything!" He fought back. "I was pulled out of school, Andy! I got beat just for looking at you! What was I supposed to do? Who was I supposed to tell?" Tears fell from my eyes. "You could have just been there for me, all I ever wanted growing up was a friend."

Realizing that we were both guilty of wrong doing in the past, I sighed. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, my arms folded. "Of course you are." We sat in silence for a couple seconds. "So you ran away, and now you have no place to stay?" I nodded, agreeing to my stupidity. "I always knew you would." He looked over at me with reassuring eyes.

"Well I always knew you were going to be succesful." I could feel my cheeks burning. "I always heard you singing in your room." I added,.

Another flashback swimming to the surface of my mind: 12 year old me watched and listened to 16 year old Andy sing from my bedroom window. Our windows were built directly across from one another, I was convinced that it was fate. I rested my chin in my hands, staring at him. His voice was one that I had never heard before on a boy, and I least expected it from Andy. As my daydream deepened, I was awoken by a familiar pair of blue eyes. Andy had caught me. I quickly dropped to the floor, shutting my blinds. My cheeks turned red in embarassment.

"You're not too bad yourself, at playing guitar I mean. I always heard you practicing." I gave a small smile. "I should have told someone." he sighed, his finger tips accidentally brushing over mine in a swift movement in which he moved his hand from the glove box to the steering wheel.

"I should have confronted you." I joined him with a sigh. " We should head back to the house." He smiled and brushed my hand again, but this time, it wasn't an accident.

Andy POV
I wanted to hold her hand so badly and tell her how sorry I was for letting that stuff happen, but "Alexandria Roberts, we haven't seen each other in five years, but we used to be neighbors and I knew your uncle hurt you and I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner." Didn't sound very convincing.

Now that I think about it, she had hurt me too, maybe even more so. For every second that we sat in the car together, it got more awkward. Silence was hanging above us like a giant storm cloud, and lightening is about to strike when she opened the car door. We were back at the house already?

I stepped out of the vehicle and took a pack of cigarettes out of the glove compartment. I stuck the metaphorical death stick between my lips and lit it. "Still smoking I see?" Alex tugged her case out of the back seat. "Since 8th grade." I smirked and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Alexandria?" I heard CC's voice calling from the door. "Thank you." I heard her mumble to me before she ran over to CC and embraced him in a warm hug. "Here, let me take your case." CC offered. "No, I got it." I took it from her before she could say no. I walked back inside where Mokus greeted me.

"I'll show you to your room." I walked up the curved stairway, her guitar case still in my hand. We passed three different rooms on our way down the hall. Jinnx's, Jake's, and the bathroom the two of them share, which Alexandria had been using as well. Ashley's and CC's rooms were downstairs. Finally the last and final door on the right appeared. That was my room.

"You'll be staying in my room." I announced. "Are you sure?" Her voice cracked. "I'll sleep on the couch." I took out my room key and stuck it in the lock. I always lock my room just in case a drunk Ashley or a wild CC comes up here at night while I'm not home.

Alexandria's eyes lit up as we entered the master bedroom of house. "What if it's late and I have to use the bathroom and the door closes and locks?" Her voice was small, like it was trapped inside a box. I found it funny that she would think of such a perdicament. "There's one in here." I gestured to the door in the far upper left corner.

Alexandria's POV
"If you need anything, just come down stairs and let me know." I smiled and nodded. "I'll let you get situated. Dinner should be ready in about an hour."

Before Andy left, he mentioned that Jake was cooking his famous grilled chicken and rice. I sat at the edge of the bed and thought to myself: If he has his own bathroom, then why did he walk into the other one?