"Aspen! Hey!" Avery smiles as she grabs my bag. "I'll go put your stuff in my room. Andie is on the couch. They told me all about your guys' interaction the other day."
I nod and swallow. Not only am I still shaken up from Abby, but now I'm worried about what they have said about me. I walk over and sit down on the couch, a few feet away from Andie.
"All good things, don't worry." Andie grins.
I swear, they can read my mind, can't they?
"Are you alright? You seem a bit anxious."
They can. They definitely can.
"Honestly, like, no. I'm not okay. I was just with this girl and I kept messing up. It was embarrassing."
Andie's smile dropped a bit. "What- what do you mean?"
"Wait, wait for me!" Avery called out, running back from her room and sitting on the couch between Andie and I. "Okay, resume."
I told them both the story. Avery seemed to find it funnier the more and more I messed up, where, the entire time, Andie was making a face like I had stabbed them in the dick.
"That story literally took so long, the sun is leaving." Avery pointed out the window.
Andie jumped up. "Can we go watch it?"
"Of course." Avery grins.
Avery led us to the roof of her building, grabbing our hands as we climbed up, one by one.
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Andie and I sat on the ledge, while Avery leaned over to join us.
I know we talked until the sun went down. I can't exactly recall the topics though. I was too distracted, staring at the way Andie's lips moved when they formed sentences, and how they curled when they laughed. I watched how they tipped their head forward to run their fingers through their hair. I watched how they fumbled their thumbs when they were listening, and how their feet swung over the ledge. Every little detail about Andie was suddenly a novel being placed into my hands, teaching me all their quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Around 1am, Avery said she was going to bed, and headed inside. It was just Andie and I, and there were a million things I wanted to say, but I couldn't get my mouth to move.
"Isn't it crazy," Andie stated quietly, breaking the silence, "That every little house and building down there is full of people, and couples, and families? Living their own lives, laughing at their own jokes, crying about their own problems, and we know none of them? Every window, every little box of light... they showcase stories I may never know."
"Is that a goal of yours?" I turn my head to the city. "To know everyone's stories?"
"Not at all. Then I'd feel obligated to make sure each one has a happy ending, and that's too much stress for me to handle."
"Do you think everyone deserves a happy ending?"
Andie pauses for a long while. I'd do anything to figure out what they're debating, what's making them take so long. They finally take a deep breath and open their mouth.
"Yes, I think everyone deserves one... in the beginning. But, if a person purposely stops someone from getting their happy ending, they should have to give up their own as well."
"Interesting concept."
Silence. Loooong silence.
"Andie?" I ask.
"Yes?"
"You know that you deserve a happy ending, right?"
