Alive & Kicking (Stay Until Your Love Is)

7

For several moments nobody spoke, as Bender, Andy and Claire stared at Brian, their mouths hanging open in shock. Allison, who seemed less concerned, surveyed the scene with casual disinterest.

Eventually, it was the redhead that spoke.

"This isn't funny Brian."

Brian looked around him before shrugging. "Who's laughing?"

"Well noticed, Dork. Nobody's laughin' so turn this fuckin' boat around!" Bender ordered.

"That might be a little difficult, guys... I kinda paid for a day trip," he admitted.

"You know, I don't really appreciate this Brian. You lied to me," Claire pointed out. "I told you I get seasick and you said–"

"Give it a rest Claire, not everything's about you, y'know?" Andy snapped.

Bender snorted. "Spoken like a man after my own heart."

With that, he turned to look at Brian again.

"Seriously though, Braniac. Go tell whoever the hell is drivin' this damned thing to turn around."

Brian looked between the three of them before he spoke again. When he did, he did it with a confidence that he had summoned from somewhere within.

"No!"

"What the hell, Bri?" Andy sighed.

"What is wrong with you?" Claire whined, looking at him as though he had lost the plot.

"That's a little rich, Cherry."

"Do you ever stop being an asshole, even for just five minutes?!" she snapped.

"This!!! This is what's wrong with me!" Brian cried, throwing his hands out in front of him. "I can't stand this! We're supposed to be friends!"

"Oh, well I'm sorry, I didn't get the memo," Bender commented.

Brian shook his head, hopelessly. "What happened to us? What happened to the four friends I met in that Saturday detention?"

"People change, Brian," Claire said, softly. "You know? We're not kids, anymore. Maybe it just got too hard... maybe we're too different."

"We didn't even try," he pointed out.

"I'm chokin' up here. Now tell your captain to turn this fuckin' boat around!" Bender ordered.

"No," Brian said again, taking several text books out of his bag. "We're not turning anything around until you all sort this out. I've got studying to do."

With that, he disappeared down the small hatch that lead to the cabin below deck.

Cursing, Bender hopped back up onto the upper deck, lighting up another cigarette and pulling out a battered-looking Walkman.

Silence followed, during which Claire ad Andy exchanged a look. And then she huffed, sitting back down and taking a book from her bag – some sort of romance novel.

Exhaling, Andy glanced around him, wondering what to do next.

=o=o=o=o=

Allison sat with her head rested against her arms on the lower railings, feet dangling over the side of the boat. She couldn't recall having ever been on a boat before, and under normal circumstances wouldn't have had much of an issue with the trip, were it not for her friends knocking lumps out of each other.

She wasn't sure how long she had been there, staring down at the waves as they broke against the side of the boat, but eventually she became acutely aware of the fact she was no longer alone.

She averted her eyes, and the white sneakers to her right told her that Andrew had joined her.

When she didn't move, he sat down on the deck beside her.

"Hey," he said, softly.

Allison didn't respond. She didn't know how to, and she didn't trust herself to.

Eventually, he reached out a hand and pushed her hair back behind her ear, craning his neck to try and get a better look at her face.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Silence.

"Alright... can you at least turn and look at me? And I'll talk?" he offered.

Allison did as he asked, scooting round to face him.

For a moment neither of them spoke, sitting opposite each other, cross-legged on the deck.

Finally, he took her hands in his.

"Didn't really think this through," Andy admitted, smiling sheepishly.

For the first time, Allison allowed her eyes to meet his.

Another pause.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't have to say that–" she began.

"–Yeah, I do. I know I've been a jerk. It doesn't matter what happened, I shouldn't have let Bender speak to you like that," he shook his head. "I should've stood up for you."

"Not if that's not how you feel," Allison said, softly.

He frowned. "What? What d'you mean?"

"Come on, Andy. Things haven't been... right between us in a long time," she pointed out. "Not since I decided to stay in LA..."

"I understand why you did," he countered.

"I know, but... it wasn't what we planned, was it?" Allison said. "You don't have to be okay with it."

"I'm really trying, Ally," he told her, gently.

"I never wanted it to be like this," she told him, lowering her eyes. "It wasn't easy, you know? Making this choice."

"I know that. I just miss you so much, that's all," Andy whispered.

"I just... I spent so long without having my mom..." she began.

"I know."

"I dunno, maybe it was selfish. Maybe I can't have both," Allison shrugged.

He frowned. "What?"

"I don't wanna end up like John and Claire," she told him softly, wiping at the tears that begun to run down her cheeks. "I don't want you to end up hating me."

"I could never hate you Ally," Andy told her, reaching out to take her head in his hands.

She shook it off. "You say that now... but college is a long way off ending..."

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"When I decided to stay in LA, you felt like you didn't get a say, right? That I took control of it."

The Sport nodded. "I guess."

"So I'm giving the control back to you. I'm giving you a say," Allison told him, looking him dead in the eye again. "Do you wanna break up?"

=o=o=o=o=