The Andrew Complex

TAC: 10

As soon as I step out of the bathroom again, I make a beeline for the kitchen where I hear the rumble of Andrew’s familiar voice and Adam’s snicker. My dad is standing in front of the stove wearing his ridiculous apron, a grin on his face as Bernie started talking about the time that some lady chased him off her property. I shake my head as my mom titters around the boys, a wide smile on her face as her gaze lingers on Andrew’s model-like face. The kitchen falls into silence and as I’m ready to round the corner and reveal myself, my mom says, “So, which one of you is dating my Lena?”

I hear a couple choking noises and something falling on the floor.

“Is it you, Andrew? Honestly, it makes no sense that anyone is that protective that he got two of his friends to come over to watch a girl for the night. I mean, you guys look lively - wouldn’t you rather be out partying? Meeting girls?” My mom continues calmly, her tone tinged with false innocence. I mutter a couple of expletives, every bone in my body wanting me to round the corner to stop her investigation. Of course, the bones that mattered didn’t want me to go at all.

“Actually, Andrew has just gotten out of a relationship.” Adam says uneasily, breaking the awkward silence.

“Really?” My mom says excitedly. I shut my eyes again, easily imagining my own mother jumping in excitement in the middle of the kitchen. “Wait. How about you, Adam? Are you interested in Lena?” She asks, a grin clear in her voice.

Someone chokes as Adam answers ‘yes’ calmly. And then someone else chokes as Adam goes on to say, “She’s a very beautiful girl and I’d like to ask her out.”

I take that moment to round the corner and stare at the group of people innocently. “Who would you like to ask out, Adam? I sure hope it’s Tessa...” I say, spearing him with my glare.

Adam doesn’t mess a beat, instead opting to grin widely. “Actually, I was talking about -”

“Let’s go home.” Andrew interrupts abruptly, shooting Adam a look through narrowed eyes, obviously angry at something that I couldn’t figure out. Adam gets up, shrugging, throwing me a mischievous grin, causing red flags to start waving in my head. Andrew shoves Adam, causing the grin to falter for a second before he’s in my face, pulling me into a very warm hug that I returned out of instinct. I smiled at him, questioning him with my eyes, not sure what was going on. He shakes his head and ducks down, pressing his lips to my cheek.

I hear a strangled noise and Adam snickers before letting go of me and walking calmly out my broken front door.

“Bernie!” Andrew snaps, irritated. I turn to see Bernie sloppily inhaling his pancakes and bacon and then waving goodbye happily at me. “Thanks a lot, Miss!”

As soon as the three boys left, my mom rounds on me, smiling so widely that my cheeks were hurting just looking at her.

“Your father and I were gone for, what, another two months and then this? When we came home three months ago, you were still moping around the house with not a friend in sight, let alone male ones and now we’re home again and suddenly you have three male friends?” She shrieks, excited. “And,” she continues, grinning. “I hear wedding bells between you and that Andrew boy!”

I stare at her drolly, confused. “Adam is the one that...”

“Yes, yes. I know about Adam. Clearly, though, there’s something going on between you and Andrew. The two of you ooze chemistry. I feel like I’m reading a teen romance novel!” She sighs, content. “Of course, this morning your father had a conniption seeing that many males in the house while we were gone. You owe me one for getting him to calm down and stop from beating Bernie with a bat.”