The One and Only [COMPLETED]

Chapter 33

A/N: Hello :)! I'm not dead, surprise! I will elaborate on my two-month absence in the author's note at the end of the chapter. It's a long chapter by the way, so enjoy!

Song above is "Earned It" by The Weeknd. You'll know when to play it, trust me. 

Pictured is Hailey's dress. 

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Chapter 33

Andrew's POV:

I frown at my reflection, glowering at the tangled tie around my neck. I swear it's teasing me with it's sleek black smirk. The way it twists and knots around my neck reminds me of a deadly snake.

I growl unintentionally as I untangle the knotted mess until the tie is hanging untied and loose around my neck. I almost take it off completely and just screw the thing, but then there's a knock on my door, and seconds later, it opens.

Karen stands in the doorway in a sky blue dress, watching me struggle with properly tying my tie. "Need some help?" She queries, the hint of a smile on her face.

"You think?" I grumble, still tugging the tie this way and that.

She shakes her head and stands in front of me, blocking my reflection in the mirror. Immediately, her hands find the ends of the tie and she twists and turns the fabric between her fingers until there's a perfect knot at the base of my neck. Once she finishes working her magic, she moves from in front of the mirror and lets me see my reflection.

A white dress shirt is covering my torso, tucked into the black dress pants I'm wearing. My hair is gelled just enough so that it doesn't look messy, but at the same time it's not preppy either. The aroma of cologne is clinging to the fabric of my clothes, as well as the atmosphere of my room.

I guess I look kinda okay.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm fucking sexy.

Karen grins at me, her eyes staying on my reflection. "Oh, Andrew, you look so handsome!" Her eyes light up for a moment, and then she reaches behind her to grab something from my bed. When she turns to me again, I see that she's holding the jacket to complete my suit. "Here, you need this."

Playfully rolling my eyes at her, I accept the jacket and put it on, fastening the middle button. When I look back at Karen, there are tears in her eyes. "Karen," I groan, nevertheless enveloping her in my arms. "You promised me you wouldn't cry."

"I know, I know," she mumbles against my chest. "I can't help it. You've just grown up so much, and you're so smart and handsome. If your parents were here--"

I hug her tighter to get her to stop talking--well, more like blubbering. "Hey," my voice becomes stiff at the mention of my parents. "They're not here, and they never will be again, so let's leave them out of today, shall we."

Karen pulls herself away from me, looking into my eyes. "It's okay to be upset, you know. You don't have to hide it. They were your parents--"

"Karen," I cut her off with a firm voice. "I'm fine."

But I'm not fine.

If you haven't already guessed, today's my eighteenth birthday. When I woke up, the only thought I had was that it was just going to be another, ordinary birthday. However, it wasn't long until I remembered that it wasn't just going to be another ordinary birthday.

It's my first birthday without my parents.

I was numb to the pain at first. No one had brought it up, or acknowledged the elephant in the room. So I thought, for once, I could pretend it was all a dream. I could pretend that my parents were alive and well, that there is no such thing as death. It was nice really, to not feel a throbbing in my heart, a knife in my gut. For once, I felt relieved. But, unfortunately, it didn't last long.