Needing is One Thing

Chapter 11. It's always darkest before the dawn

Mika woke to the sound of her phone buzzing, her textbooks scattered around her on her bed. She'd fallen asleep, pretending her homework still mattered. The day had been painful, James avoiding her or outright ignoring her while his brothers tried to find any excuse they could to put the two of them together.

At least she escaped for a few hours at school, only to have Naomi and Suzu try to get as much information from her as possible on "the date" as they'd labeled it. But it was nice to talk about Andrew. Thinking about him didn't make her want to cry or scream. In fact, she had found herself smiling with her friends when she told them how happy he'd been when she'd agreed to meet him again on Friday.

"So you asked him out?" Suzu smiled wickedly. "That's our Anderson, taking things into her own hands. You dominate that boy! I bet he's the kind that likes it."

"Can we not go there?" Naomi blushed, embarrassed. Mika had to agree with Naomi.

Reaching for her phone, Mika bumped one of her books and it slid off the bed to land on the floor with a bang, startling her fully awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and checked her phone. It was only 11:30 pm.

Mika, are you awake? It was Andrew. They were supposed to meet for coffee on Friday, it was only Wednesday. Why is he texting me so late?

Yes. She swiped back to him.

Her phone started ringing and Mika answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Mika, I'm sorry to bother you." Andrew sounded tired and upset. She'd never heard him sound this way before. She slid off the bed, onto her feet.

"Andrew, are you okay?"

"I...no. Not really." He didn't sound good.

"What happened?" Mika asked, beginning to pace. This isn't like him. He always was so cheerful before.

"I, that is, would you come outside?" Andrew quickly blurted it out. He was having a hard time talking to her on the phone.

"Outside? Okay..." He hung up and Mika stared at it for a second, wondering what was going on. She dug out some clothes, took the quickest minute shower she ever had in her life, and threw on some makeup to try and hide the damage all of her crying had caused. She didn't need him asking about it.

The upper halls of the mansion were dark. She could hear the television down in the sitting room, the sound of video games and Sam and Matthew jeering at each other as the boys played, echoing through the house.

Sneaking down the stairs, Mika looked out the foyer window to see Andrew's car parked at the end of the driveway. As quietly as she could, she slipped outside.

Andrew was frantically pacing back and forth at the foot of the steps. Dressed in only a light button-down and khakis, his shirt was untucked and his hair was tousled. He turned to her when she closed the door and Mika gasped. He looked pale and worn out, his eyes red and raw. He looked exhausted.

He looks how I feel.

"Andrew, are you alright?" Mika ran down to him. His eyes lit on her and he drew a deep breath, relieved.

"You're alright. Mika," he breathed her name and pulled her into a hug, just holding her to him. She felt him take a deep breath, calming down. He murmured her name again, turning his head to lean it against the top of hers. The warmth of the embrace drew her to answer it by leaning into him.

"Andrew, what's wrong?" she whispered as they stood together.

"My father. He's...dead." She almost didn't hear him, his whisper was so quiet.