Fairly Normal People

-Chapter Eleven-

Andy and Beth exited onto the streets, said their goodbyes and then Beth took off down one of the streets into the eye searing light of the peaking morning sun. Andy waited out the front of the apartment building, sheltered from the rays by the looming shadow of the bridge overhead and watched as Beth walked away, her brisk walk only interrupted whenever she decided to turn and wave goodbye again until eventually she disappeared around a corner.

"You can come out now." Andy said into the whistling silence.

A small blue light emerged from a nearby shady corner, zipped over to him and from a shower of glittery sparks Lucy emerged.

"Look at you lover boy." Lucy said as she repeatedly nudged his ribs again.

Andy gently pushed her away and then patted her shoulder.

"What's on your mind?" Lucy asked. "You're all quiet and you having your intense thinking face on."

"Tim is still missing." Andy said bluntly.

"Yeah... I noticed that too." Lucy said. "Is this important or something?"

"It's odd, that's for sure." Andy noted.

"Time is money, Andy." Lucy said as she rapped on the glass of her imaginary watch.

"Why are you in such a rush this morning?" Andy asked as they started off towards Hobby Goblins.

"Shhh! Andy they have eyes and ears everywhere!" Lucy said with paranoid intensity.

Andy looked around him and saw only the quiet desolate streets he usually saw that early in the morning.

"Do they though?" Andy asked.

"If you could see them they wouldn't be very good sneaky eyes."

"Sneaky eyes... right." Andy snapped his fingers as he spoke.

Andy tried to bait out another response from her but she averted her eyes, pouted her lips and spent the rest of the walk in silence. Andy chuckled and sighed as he slipped his hands into his pockets. They waved at Murph as they passed, alone like always in his shop, and proceeded to lower the defences around Andy's shop.

"What does he sell?" Lucy asked breaking her vow of silence.

"Murphy?" Andy received a nod in return. "Second hand furniture and office supplies."

"Riveting." Lucy said with a roll of her eyes.

"Not all of us can wrangle tigers or jump from planes as jobs. Regardless of the excitement the world needs people to work the little jobs, the dirty jobs and the real jobs." Andy said dolefully.

Lucy's mouth pursed in deep thought at his words but she stayed quiet until they made their way inside.

"Do you enjoy your job, Andy?" Lucy asked seriously.

Andy paused for a moment in contemplation before he continued his morning routine, turning the sign to [OPEN] before he turned to face her.

"It's my job, Lucy. If it was enjoyable it would be called a 'fun'." Andy said.

"You've worked all these years to keep this place open. Why don't you just let go of it? What's the worst that can happen?"

"It's not that simple." Andy said, his words came out as if they were to be cast to stone.

"You don't make any money from this place, this job actively makes you miserable and it isn't exactly a vibrant or well sought after industry. You sling trinkets for... not even for a living. I'm just saying there is a time to cling on and a time to let go." Lucy said as her arms spoke as much as her words.