Runaway

Chapter 16 - Drive

'Andy hi, it's Bradie. I know I was a dick but I just want to let you know the case will be dealt with next week. Obviously it's up to you two if you want to come home but...yeah, would mean a lot if you were there. Bye.'

'Andy, please check your voicemails, your mum is getting really worried and I can't handle this alone. I don't care if you and Shaun are together or not. I don't care if you want nothing to do with the case. Just come home'

'Hi! Andy, it's your brother Bradie here, hopefully you finally turn on your phone because tomorrow is the day when we go to court. It'll be at 9am. I'm not saying you have to be there but it would mean a lot...Bye'

Andy sat by the window side of the plane, staring out blankly at the clouds as those voicemails played over and over again through his head. He knew something was up, he just knew it. They had no choice, they were going to have to leave the second they got to Adelaide, which would be at about 5pm. Maybe they'd nap for the 3 hour travel so Andy could drive back home. Fuck, they were so screwed. Andy didn't think it'd come to an end this soon. This meant he and Shaun were over, that was the only option. He wasn't ready to let it go yet.

Shaun put his hand over Andy's, squeezing gently as Andy squeezed back.

"We'll make it. Everything will be okay" Shaun tried to convince him, Andy looked at him

"I don't care if we don't make it on time, I just feel horrible"

Shaun kicked Andy "We said we weren't going to feel guilty about it"

"It's kind of hard, he's my brother, and my mum was freaking out—she has enough kids to worry about"

"Stop worrying!" Shaun demanded "We'll leave when we get back—"

"I'm driving"

"Fine"

Andy smiled "if I drive fast enough without killing us we should get there right on time"

"Okay, when arrive we'll get dinner at the airport and take it with us"

They sat and planned how they'd work together to get there on time. Taking shifts driving whilst the other slept. It was going to be boring, but that's what they were going to have to do to make it on time.

Shaun didn't even want to think about the possibility of it being all over, he wanted it to last forever. He spent those whole 3 hours thinking about how this began and all the small memories that got him to where he was now. He was horrified to think that what he had with Andy would be over. He honestly wanted to ask Andy out, he wanted to tell him he loved him. He just needed to think it out and find the right moment, he needed this to work. He just needed it to. He didn't know what to tell his parents, his brothers, friends or fans but that didn't matter to him, he cared about that the least. What matters is that they get out of this case without a large sum of money taken from them and could just be with Andy the way he had pictured for a while now.

They got out off the plane and rushed through getting their bags to run to the nearest fast food place where they ended up getting Hungry Jacks despite it being their least favourite kind of fast food. From there they made their way to the car, paying for their stay as they headed out, Shaun loading up the address on the GPS as Andy swiftly drove and ate his fries at the same time.

The drive was exactly how they expected, the same CD's played over and over as Andy tried his hardest to get far. There was a lot of Andy slamming on the breaks at lights and Shaun getting annoyed at him for it. Not that Shaun was much better. But once they got onto the rural freeway they were fine, Andy speeding and trying to keep his eyes focussed in case of animals or idiotic drivers. Shaun tried to keep him calm, holding his thigh as he drove and talking about things they enjoyed to take his mind off of it. It wasn't till it was after midnight, where Andy drove silently through the darkness, Shaun snoring in the seat next to him.

This silence was haunting Andy's imagination, those thoughts he freaked out about still panicking in the back of his mind. He was having those moments where he thought of all their memories, beginning to mourn what they had. He tried to shake it away, he wasn't going to cry like a wuss, and he had to be stronger than this. He had to realise sometimes things just aren't meant to be and that it'll all work in the end. He hoped it'd be okay in the end, he hoped so hard that his knuckles turned white holding the steering wheel so tight. As long as Short Stack was okay, that was the main priority right now. He had to keep focussed on his brother and the fans waiting anxiously for them to come back, focus on making sure no matter what their band still remained at the end of the day. It was still so hard to deal with, but it was going to end soon. Andy had to take a million deep breaths and just remind himself, everything will be okay.