doppelgänger

andy

^chance kilgour, andy's childhood and through his teenage years, best friend

As Andy waited out the day until Wolf came home from his new school on the bus, all he did was worry. He hoped he was okay.

Ever since the beginning of Catholic school, Andy himself had been bullied and teased, in the beginning for being overweight, and just when he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, that's when he changed himself. He had gone out to the local drugstore, in walking distance of his home, to buy some permanent hair color and dye his hair black. He started to wear dark makeup, and listening to metal and screamo, and somehow, through all of that... Andy had felt like he was expressing himself better that way from what he felt inside.

His inner demons threatened to come out every time he --

"Andy," a voice said, a reminding tone in it.

Andy snapped himself back into reality -- or what he thought was reality -- and looked at Chance, who was leaning with his back against the front door, his legs crossed.

"Chance?" Andy leaned forward, trying to take a closer look at the illusion in front of him. "What... why are you here? Are you even really... here?"

"Well, I'm here in spirit, but I'm not really here." Chance gestured to his own head, twirling his finger. "I'm kinda sorta in your mind."

Andy furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Nah, bro."

"Then why are you here? Why are you in my mind? Get out! We had a fight! Get out of my life, Chance Kilgour, or I swear --"

"Calm down, Andy. I'll leave... just as soon as I can tell you something."

"What?" Andy spat, glaring at Chance's illusion.

"Just don't forget us, okay? Don't forget our YouTube channel, and Lightning Thunderstein, and Sweeney Todd... don't forget about me."

Andy looked down, taking special interest in the details of the wood flooring. "I didn't," he said quietly, "I haven't forgotten about us."

Chance smiled a little, sighing. "Thanks, Andy. I'll never forget about you or us either. Have fun with Scout."

"Wait, Chance --"

"Sorry, Andy. But it seems our friendship that lasted all our lives isn't better than a sweet girl that you've been dating for nearly six years. Send me a postcard when you move to California and get married. Oh, and also send a cute pic of your kids. They'll be adorable, I'm sure." Chance turned his back to Andy, looking behind him in the corner of his eye. "Goodbye, Andy."

And before Andy knew it, Chance was gone.

Just like that, only in a blink of an eye had Chance and Andy's relationship gone. Over a girl. Over Scout.

Sometimes, when Andy thought about it, he regretted it, regretted that stupid fight, but at the same time he would never drop his girlfriend; his soulmate.

Speaking of Scout, Andy had been missing her and thinking about her constantly lately, as she was gone on set to film another scene for one of her upcoming movies. He hadn't told her about Wolf yet, and he wondered what she would think of the whole thing.

Overall, there was a lot on Andy's mind. He needed some way to get his mind off of it all; some way to escape it.

So he walked outside on the front porch to wait for Wolf, taking a cigarette and a lighter out with him.

As he felt the smoke fill his lungs and exhale, he felt like the stress was taken away for a quick second. So he continued to smoke, until the cigarette was a short stump, no longer able to be used.

Andy cursed, tossing the cigarette onto the pavement and stamping the remains with the heel of his boot. I promised myself to only one, he thought.

Luckily, for Andy's health and sake, before he could go to reach into the pack for another, the high school bright yellow bus pulled up at the end of the driveway, Wolf stepping off, again with an expression that was unable to be read. Andy hoped with all his soul that when he looked up, Wolf would have a huge smile on his face and he would tell Andy all about how great his day was and what an awesome experience he had had at school.

But all that Wolf did when he looked up was give Andy a small smile.

That was it.

"How was your day?" Andy asked, almost shaking with every word. He never thought he'd be so scared about someone else having the same school experience he did.

Wolf shrugged. "It was alright. Better than I thought, I guess."

The weight in Andy's chest lifted, and he smiled. "Good. Make any new friends?"

"Yep. One."

"Awesome. Hey, why don't we get in the car and go get ice cream or something, to celebrate?"

Wolf cocked his head. "Okay."

And with both boys smiling, Wolf and Andy stepped in the car, Andy feeling much relief.