Honor (Kickstarting My Heart # 1) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

18~Memories

My eyes drifted around me. Andy had his arm draped over my shoulder, his eyes on the tombstone, while both of our parents stared at the stone like it was poisonous.

"We should get going. I. . . It's starting to get chilly." My mom said, wrapping her jacket tighter around her. Mr. McLaughlin looked over at Andy, silently asking if he was ready to leave.

"You ready to go?" Andy whispered in my ear. I shrugged, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"Yeah. Y. . . you guys are coming over for dinner, right?" I asked Andy's parents, smiling at them. They both nodded and my mom answered.

"Yes, honey. Now go get in the car before you freeze to death." I smiled at my mom before taking Andy's hand and walking back toward the cars.

*

"Stop! Andy!" I started giggling again as Andy tickled me, smiling down at me deviously.

"Are you going to stop pouting?" I nodded, breathing heavily as he moved off of me. My dad walked in then turned around and started to leave.

"Sorry, I. . . I didn't mean to interrupt you two." My dad said. My cheeks started to heat up when I realized what he meant.

"Dad. . . we weren't. . . what do you need?" My dad gave me a sad smile.

"Your mother and Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin were wondering if you guys wanted to join us watching Home Movies." I glanced over at Andy and he nodded, hopping off the bed.

"Sure." Andy told my dad before taking my hand and pulling me off the bed.

"Well, come on." My dad said, grinning. We followed him down the stairs and I ended up curled up on Andy's lap. The video that my parents were watching wasn't very old, it was only a couple years ago. We had been at Andy and Bren's first game,which they had won. I could feel my mind start drifting into the memory as I stared ahead me blankly. . .

***

"Oh, Brendan! We're so happy for you!" My mom yelled as she and my dad pulled Bren into a bone crushing hug. Bren gasped for breath and ran over to me.

"They are trying to kill me, Ariel!" I giggled and congratulated him.

"I'll go grab your bag from the locker room. The only person that should be in there is Andy." I told my brother. He nodded and I turned around and ran toward the locker room. Once I reached Bren's locker I opened it and pulled out his bag. It wasn't until I grabbed the phone and saw the texts that I realized that it wasn't Bren's phone at all.

Jensen: Just tell her, Andy. I mean, what's the worse that could happen?

Tell who what?

"I hope you're having fun going through my phone." I jumped at Andy's voice, nearly dropping his phone. He ripped it from my hands and started to move closer to me until I was back against the lockers.

"You like invading my privacy, Ari?" I shook my head, my heart racing.

"No. . . I thought it was Bren's phone. I'm sorry. I. . . I didn't know." He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe a word I had just said. I felt him grab my arm as I squirmed away from him.

"Ariel? How much did you read?" He asked. I opened my mouth and let out a shaky breath.

"I. . . I would tell the girl you like her, Andy. I bet she'd be thrilled to know." I said, my heart shattering as I ripped my arm from his grip and rushed out of the locker room, grabbing my brother's bag on the way out.

**

"Ariel? You okay?" Andy's voice pulled me out of my daydream and I stared into his beautiful eyes.

"That text between you and Jensen, that was about me, wasn't it?" He didn't even have to question or think about what I was talking about.

"Yeah. I. . . I thought you realized it back then. But I guess I must have scared you pretty bad. You probably thought I hated you." I nodded, laughing a little. Our parents were giving us strange looks and finally Andy and I both looked at them.

"What?" Andy and I both asked at the same time. We exchanged looks before turning back to our parents.

"Nothing. It's just. . . I'm glad you guys can rely on each other. I'm happy for you." My mom whispered, Mrs. McLaughlin nodded in agreement.

"Do you have any idea what college you're going to go to, Ariel?" Mr. McLaughlin asked. I shook my head, but Andy interrupted me before I could reply.

"She's smart enough to go anywhere. I sent in a few applications to Harvard and the University here in Minnesota for her." I blinked in surprise and turned to face him.

"You did what?" All four adults started laughing.

"I figure that they'll process you and everything by the time you're done with Senior year. They'll give you a scholarship, I promise." I shook my head and moved off his lap.

"Andy, what about you? Where are you going to go?"

"If I get a football scholarship, I'll go wherever they need me too." I could feel my heart clench.

"Then what about us?" He squeezed my hand reassuringly and grinned.

"We'll figure that out when the time comes. For now we need to worry about how I'm supposed to get you to that stupid job interview on Friday and still be able to play in the game." I tried to fight him, but our parents interrupted us and we all moved to the kitchen. As everyone talked over dinner I could feel Andy's hand grab mine under the table and I smiled down at my food. It was that night that I realized that things were starting to change. That maybe everyone was starting to heal, and maybe. . . things wouldn't be so bad anymore and we could try and move on.

***AN**

Just a filler chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway! 

Let me know what you thought!

~ChasingMadness24