Silence - Andy Fowler

Seven

I don't care if I lose my mind, I'm already cursed - Alexander Rybak - Fairytale

Andy left after around an hour. Samuel decided not to include him in any conversation resulting in him sitting in pure silence for the time that he was at Samuel's house. I kept trying to make conversation with Andy but was constantly interrupted by Samuel.

As soon as Andy had left the house and was definitely out of earshot, Samuel stated asking me lots of questions.
"Are you crazy?! He could get us expelled!" He said.
"I know. He's a good guy, Samuel, I promise." I said.
"How can you promise? You've known him for a matter of hours. Suddenly you know everything about him?" Samuel sighed.
"I can talk to him. You know how weird that is." I said.
"No, Lou. It's a move forward in confidence. It doesn't make him special." Samuel said.
"He's funny." I said.
"Have you actually had a conversation with this guy? He could have a criminal record!" Samuel sighed. I'm pretty sure he realised what he'd said straight away, but I decided to be cold with him as he was annoying me.
"I've got a criminal record. That doesn't make me a rubbish person. You know I'm not a bad person. You know that for a fact, Samuel." I said, glaring at him.
"You know I didn't mean it." He sighed.
"I don't understand your problem with Andy." I said, folding my arms.
"Oh let's see. He's cocky, he made us skip school, he got you to leave another family and he doesn't give a hoot about anybody's feelings but his own!" Samuel said.
"He's sad." I told him.
"He can be sad all he wants, it doesn't make me care." Samuel scoffed.
"He's very sad. I can see it in his eyes. I want to help him. He's... He's special." I said.
"Lou Parker do you have a crush on this guy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I felt myself flush red. I couldn't have a 'crush' on Andy. I'd only known him for a few hours. He was intriguing, however. He made me want to get to know him. He made me want to help him. He made me want to talk. He made me feel safe. He made me happy. But I most definitely didn't have a 'crush' on him.
"No!" I said.
"Yes you do! Lou!" Samuel said.
"I don't..." I said. Every time I said it, I believed it less and less.
"Give me a second to comprehend this. You wouldn't go out with me. A kind, sensitive guy who wants to be a performer... Yet you have a crush on an older big headed annoying idiot that will probably end up scraping chewing gum from the bottom of McDonald's tables? Even for you, Lou, that's confusing." Samuel sighed.
"I do not want to go out with him. I just want to help him." I said.
"Oh is that what the kids are calling it these days?" He laughed.
"I do not have a crush on Andy Fowler!" I shouted.

Great timing, Lou. Just as I'd shouted, I heard Samuel's bedroom door creak.
"Sorry, I forgot my phone. It must have fallen out of my pocket." Andy said, walking into the room and looking for his phone. He had a slight smirk upon his face and kept glancing at me. I felt myself blushing almost scarlet as Andy wandered around the room.
"Got it. Thank you for your kind hospitality, Samuel. Thank you for inviting me, Louise." Andy said, walking back out again.
"You'll be needing a hospitality if you don't shut up." Samuel mumbled when Andy had left.
"Don't say that." I said.
"Don't want me to upset your precious boyfriend?" Samuel teased.
"Stop it! I don't like him like that. Now, even he knows that." I sighed.
"So what is it then? Why do you care about him?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I really don't know. There's something about him..."
"That you love. Yes. Lou, I know you won't admit it but you have a crush on Andy." Samuel said.
"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked him.
"I just do. He loves himself. He thinks he's it. He's not. He's annoying." Samuel said.
"He's just putting on a front. He's sad. He's just... Silencing it." I said. I didn't like that Andy couldn't speak out about his feelings. I just wanted to help him.
"He's irritating and that's it." Samuel sighed and I didn't carry the conversation on from there.

We stayed that way for weeks. I always asked Andy to hang around with me and Samuel, much to Samuel's annoyance. I thought that Samuel may soon begin to like Andy but it didn't happen. Andy stayed quite clear of Samuel when it was possible, too. I liked them both. They were both my best friends. That was how we were. Andy would come up with a crazy plan, I'd laugh at him and Samuel would roll his eyes and explain all the reasons why the plans couldn't go any further. I'd moved in with a couple named Luke and Tom and they were very nice. They respected that I didn't talk and, just like Samuel's mum, didn't ask me too many questions. I liked them a lot. Which was strange. I'd never given any of my families chances. But I felt like I was being a good person by giving my new family a chance. Ever since I'd met Andy, I've felt like being a better person. I don't know why. Samuel says it's because I love him but that isn't true. It's probably just a coincidence that I decided to grow up and be a better person at the same time as I met Andy. After all, Andy was one of my best friends.

That was until I found him sitting on his porch in tears when he should be in a French lesson. That's when everything changed.