PERFECT│s.m

TWENTY SIX

"He's not in right now. What's up?" Vik sweetly asks.

"I-" Andrea froze. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't just tell him she was about to confess her undying love to his best friend. "Wait, where's he gone?"

"I don't even know," he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "He just ran out of here with his phone attached to his ear." She groans, biting her lip. "Maybe he went to his place?" Vik suggests.

Her head lifts up to face him with a grin, thanking him with a hug before she ran off, racing to Nandos.

♡♡♡

"Simon?" she questions as she stands in front of a table that contained a lonesome boy, who had his head down on the wood before him. He didn't move, but she knew it was him. How could she not? "Scoot over?" she softly asks. He does, but keeps his head down. "Si, what's wrong?"

His head lifted, the shock of hearing his nickname in such a calm tone of voice wafting over his body. He could really use Andrea's company right now. She was so caring and loving with him, and sometimes he needed to be treated as if he was fragile.

Andrea felt her heart collapse when her eyes met tear stained cheeks and red, glossy eyes. She felt a stab in her stomach, feeling as if she'd cry herself. "Oh, Si," she pouted, pulling him into a hug.

She knew, from experience, not to ask what happened right now. A moment later he'd soon inform her. But for now, he just wanted to be held. So there they sat, two kids crying in the middle of Nandos. One crying over upsetting news and one crying over the other's tears.

"They cremated Joanna," Simon's raspy voice spoke. Andrea practically choked on her own spit.

"What?" she asks.

"Yeah. Spread her ashes while we were on our way home, I guess." He sighed, thinking about how he'll never get to kneel beside her grave and cry to the poor girl who got caught up in her jealousy and never thought straight.

"I'm so sorry, Simon," Andrea whispered. Here she was now, back to blaming herself for Simon's agony. She felt horrible for doing this to the one she loved most in the whole world.

Simon could see it in her eyes and how she was zoning out that she was now taking the fault on this again. He felt guilty that he brought this back upon her.

"It isn't your fault, if that's what you're thinking," he whispers as he leans close to her. She doesn't move, nor speak. She didn't want to get into an argument with him on how wrong he was for thinking Joanna's death was not at all her fault. "Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?"

Andrea looked back up at him finally, her heart beat speeding up. But she settled with the thought of delaying her confession. It just wasn't the right mood anymore.

"Oh, I, uh," her mind raced for an excuse, but failed to find a decent one, "just couldn't sleep."

"So you came to Nandos?" he questions with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, no. I went to yours, looking for you, and Vik suggested I come look for you here." He nods as if he understood, but he really didn't. Maybe it was true that she just couldn't sleep, but he felt there was something else bothering Andrea. He decided to leave it alone and let her talk about it when she felt it was right.

"So..." Simon mutters.

"So..." Andrea sighs.

"You should probably head back home and get some rest." Andrea's heart shattered once his words hit her ears. She felt she'd never be able to confess now. And it was killing her inside to keep this huge secret all to herself. So, like usual, her thoughts sped out of her mouth like vomit.