Pancakes at The Diner (on pause)

09: In Which Andrea Has Problems

The pancakes in front of Andrea have gotten cold, and she picks at them with distaste. Her appetite is gone, maybe it's the nerves, and she doesn't quite know what to do with her hands now that she's not eating. She watches Milo wander around the room, wishing desperately for him to walk over. She hasn't seen him since the event she's christened The Big Reveal of Problem Number One, and that scares her. It scares her that she might have scared him off, that if maybe he knew more about her then he'd never speak to her again. And it pains Andrea to admit it, but Milo is the best friend she has.

He's talking to someone else now, and Andrea has nothing to keep herself busy with this time. Milo notices her stare and gives her a quick smile before returning to his conversation. The girl is fairly pretty, and Andrea wishes she had the guts to talk to pretty girls with that kind of ease.

Milo makes his way over to her table, smiling as though nothing happened between them. "Not a pancake day, huh?"

"I guess I'm just not hungry today," Andrea says, looking up at his face carefully. Milo seems the same as he's always been, eager to chat and crack a joke or two.

A small frown works its way into his features. "Are you okay? You're looking at me funny."

"Yeah," Andrea blinks. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Okay, well, if you want to talk?" Milo's voice trails off. Andrea's not particularly inclined to expose any more secrets, so she scrambles for a new topic.

"Who was that girl you were just talking to?"

Milo glances over to the table he just left, a soft smile reappearing on his face. "Oh, Monique? She helped me close up a few days ago."

"She's pretty," Andrea says, almost automatically.

Milo looks down at her. "Sorry, what was that?"

Andrea claps a hand over her mouth, color rushing into her cheeks. "Oh my god, did I just say that out loud?"

"Um," Milo says. "Yeah." He takes note of her furious blush and the fact that her hands are shaking at the same level they did when she told him about her tremor. "So, you're...?" Again, his voice trails off, like he can't bring himself to say the word. Even in the middle of a mild freakout, Andrea has to laugh at how uncomfortable Milo looks. She might as well just come out and say it.

"Lesbian? Yeah." Andrea says. The Big Reveal of Problem Number Two. "That's not going to be a problem, is it?" She's looking at Milo with intensity now, in a way she'd never have been able to muster up the courage to before her fight with Gregory. She might even thank him for that someday, eventually.

"No, of course not." Milo recovers remarkably well. "I just... I wouldn't have expected that is all. I'm learning all kinds of new things about you lately, aren't I?"

"Guess so," Andrea says.

"So about Monique," Milo says, a teasing grin working its way onto his features, "I could introduce you two..."

Andrea hides her face in her hands. "Oh my god, please, no."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Milo teases. Then, softer: "I'm here for you, okay? If you ever want to talk, just call me. I'll give you my number."

"I think that's the first time a guy has offered me his number after finding out I'm gay," Andrea says thoughtfully. "Or offered me his number at all."

"Funny," Milo says, completely deadpan. He enters his number into Andrea's contacts and watches like a hawk while she types in a message and sends it.

"I've got your number now," he tells her, "So you'll never get rid of me."

"Thank you," Andrea says after a few seconds of silence.

"And I hope you know I won't go around telling everyone," Milo continues. "So thank you for trusting me too."

Andrea pushes the cold pancakes around her plate to avoid looking Milo in the eye. "It's not like I haven't told people," she finally says. "I told my therapist when my mom made me go, and she told my mom. My mom was fine with it, of course, but she made it a bigger deal than it was, you know. Tried to get me to go to Chatham GSA, pride parades, things like that."

Milo nods, but Andrea doesn't see. "And it was nice that she was so into it, but it was just one more thing I couldn't handle. She wanted to tell my dad, but I won't let her."

Andrea looks up at Milo as she says the last sentence, but his face is as unbothered as ever. "He doesn't live with us," she says, clarifying, her voice shaking a bit on the last word. "I don't like him very much. Problem Number Three"

"Right," Milo says, glancing at his watch. "Look, I'd love to talk more but I have to get back in the kitchen or Martha will kill me."

"Oh," Andrea says. "Right. Yeah. Go do your job."

Milo's already heading back to the big double doors. "Text me!" he yells, and it seems like the entire rooms looks at the two of them. Including aforementioned Cute Monique. Milo gives Andrea an exaggerated wink and the doors close behind him.

Andrea catches Monique's eye, she'd been watching the two of them with mild curiosity. Andrea forces a smile on her face before she blushes and returns to her cold pancakes. That was a problem for another day.

---

hey everyone. it's been a while. again. but that doesn't matter, right? anyway, i hope you enjoyed a little more andrea reveal. i've been doing my best to drop hints throughout the story so far, so maybe to some of you her little revelation wasn't such a surprise.

i've been gone for a while, and there's a whole list of things i could blame (how to get away with murder, halsey, years & years, carry on by rainbow rowell, my inability to focus on anything except my tumblr dashboard) but enough with the excuses. i'm trying my hardest to get back to writing regularly.

this chapter is dedicated to puzzling bc she left a very nice comment on my last chapter! remember i do dedicate chapters to people who comment things. i want to talk to you guys! let me know how you like the story, your theories, your favorite characters, anything. or, if you'd like to talk to me about bands or books or tv shows i'm good with that too! i just love interacting with you lovely people.

(seriously. i always reply.)

also... holy crap over 2k reads what is this madness. seriously. what. why do so many people want to read about my trash characters? you know what, i won't question it. but thank you, all of you. honestly. it means so much to me.

so. i hope all you lovely people have a wonderful day and read something that makes you happy!!