3 | ANDRE

My peaceful sleep was disturbed by the blaring of my alarm from my phone. I opened my eyes groggily to the sight of grey curtains and I stared at them in confusion. 

Sitting up, I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. I got my phone from the nightstand and switched off my alarm before looking at the time. It was six thirty in the morning. It took me a moment to realise that I was at Mrs. Young's house. It's been three days since I moved in and I was having a good time.

Getting off of my bed, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants that hang low on my waist and left the room. Since none of the bedrooms, but for the parents room, had built in bathrooms, I had to use the one next to Henry's room. Entering the bathroom, I looked at my disheveled state in the mirror.

My bed head wasn't much of a monstrosity and I was glad since I didn't want to spend too much time on it today. I got my toothbrush and added some toothpaste before working on my teeth while looking at my reflection.

The Youngs and I knew each other through their late son, Nathan. We were childhood friends and I spent more time with these guys than my own family.

Nathan was a fun, cheerful guy who loved to involve others in his antics. I enjoyed my time with him a lot. In my first year of highschool, my dad got a job transfer and we had to move. The departure was tough and hearing that we couldn't visit each other made Henry cry a lot that day.

I chuckled at the thought of Henry. He was a cute, shy kid back then. He would always follow Nate and I whenever we went out and when I slept over, he always wanted to sleep with me. 

I remember Nate being very jealous about this and he usually complained about how I stole Henry's love from him. But I could tell that Henry loved him more than me. He just preferred to stick to me for some reason and I didn't mind because he was cute.

Comparing that lovely child to this bored looking kid was too much of a contrast. Henry was now taller although I towered over him. His brown curls were fluffier and the sides of his head was cut short. He had fiery chestnut eyes that clearly showed how he felt inside.

I spat the toothpaste and rinsed my mouth before washing my face. Today was the first day of my internship and I was excited. I was lucky to have found one just before the summer vacation had began and I wanted to make sure that my resume would be impressive.

After finishing my bathroom activities, I went back into my room and changed into formal wear. Simply put, a white long sleeved shirt tucked into black pants and black shoes. I added a black coat on top since it was a chilly morning and I gave myself a nod of approval after looking at my reflection. I was interning at a law firm that was pretty popular. If I did well, I'd be hired seriously and hopefully become a partner. 

I got my bag filled with all the necessary stuff and made my way downstairs. Entering the kitchen, I froze at the sight of Henry and when he noticed me, he rolled his eyes before pretending to not see me. 

I walked in and put my bag on the seat across from his. I noticed that he was in his school uniform and it looked really familiar.

"Is that uniform from Phoenix High?" I asked as a smile stretched my lips. That place held so many memories.

Henry looked up at me and his face practically read, "Don't talk to me."

"Your brother and I used to go there." I walked to the coffee machine and finding already made coffee inside, I poured myself a cup. Adding in some sugar, I said, "I'm sad that you don't remember me though. You always made me give you my school jersey when I came over."

"Could you shut up?" He asked. "I planned to have breakfast in peace."

I turned and smiled at him. "Are you having fun at school? Is Mr. Swift still the headmaster?"

He stared at me for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh, seeing that ignoring me would do him no good. "He is."

I chuckled. "Does he still wear that toupee that he thinks nobody noticed?" 

"Sadly."

I walked to him and took a seat next to my bag. "How good are you with your grades?"

"I'm doing pretty well, I guess," he said as he lazily stirred his cereal.

"That's good to hear. If you need help, feel free to ask."

Dropping his spoon, he looked at me and I could tell that he was irritated. "Could you stop trying to butter me up? I won't like you either way."

"I'm not trying to butter you up. I just want to talk."

"Then don't. I don't need you behaving like my brother."

Before I could respond, Henry's parents walked into the kitchen and Henry's mood turned worse. Getting his bag from the table, he slung it over his shoulder and pushed past his parents without a word. I was surprised that they let him get away with that. My mom would throw a shoe at my head and my dad would never forget the disrespect for the rest of his life.

"You had a chat with Henry?" Mrs. Young asked as she began to make toast for her husband and herself.

"Depending on how he saw it, you could call it an interrogation," I answered before taking a sip of my coffee. 

"I'm sorry. He must've been in a bad mood."

Mr. Young sat where Henry was seated and clicked his tongue in irritation. "That kid is always in a bad mood."

Mrs. Young looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't say that."

"But it's true. When is he going to learn that his brother's death shouldn't stop his life? We all miss Nate but here we are, trying our best while all his doing is mop around." 

She went back to looking at the toast. "He's a sensitive child."

"It's been three years."

"People have different ways of coping with pain," I intervened. "He might be taking his time with it."

Mrs. Young nodded. "Henry was very attached to Nathan. He was the only person allowed to enter Henry's room and they talked all the time." She turned around with two plates of toast and handed one to her husband. "I apologize for his behaviour. I'm sure that he'll get used to you soon."

"I hope so." I put down my now empty mug and stood up. "I'll be leaving now. See you guys later."

"Have a good day," Mrs. Young said with a smile.

"Don't get in trouble," Mr. Young said with a small smile and I returned it before getting my back and leaving.

I could see where Henry got angry with me but I wasn't trying to replace Nathan and I didn't know how to make him understand that.

I took a short walk to the bus stop and waited for the bus as I listened to music through my headsets. I decided to stop thinking too much and go to work with a refreshed mind.

~

"You're finally here!" Flynn said excitedly as he pulled me into a hug.

Flynn was a close friend of mine. We met in highschool after I transferred and he was also my ex-boyfriend. We broke up on bad terms but made up when we found ourselves at the same college and become friends. Despite all the history I had with him, he was a touchy guy and that put him in plenty of trouble with others.

I chuckled and pulled away from the hug. "Could you contain your excitement while we're at work?"

He smiled at me, his blonde hair almost falling over his eyes in a wolf cut . "I can't help it. When you told me that you got a position here as well, I was over the moon." 

"Well, it's great that we have someone to chat with."

"Says the guy who can make friends with a rock. Let me show you to your workspace."

"Do we have the same coordinator?"

"I don't think so but I just had to pick you up, Andy."

"Then lead the way."

Flynn started working here before me and with his help, I was able to get a spot quickly. The company was big and busy. Entering the work area, everyone was occupied with files and documents that I was slightly nervous by the workload.

"Here you are," he said. "Most of us work on the tables this side but you have to talk with Mrs. Timbers before you settle down."

I nodded. "Who is she?"

He pointed at a fat, short woman in a black suit who was talking to what I assumed was a group of interns along the row of tables on our side. I thanked him and went to talk to her. As intimidating as she looked, she was actually very friendly and her soft voice surprised me. 

She showed me around and put me under Mr. Davison's supervision. He was also a pretty cool guy and I got used to the environment in a short matter of time. Soon, lunch arrived and everyone departed. The serious atmosphere softened and people talked together while others left to fill their stomachs.

"How's everything going?" Flynn asked as he sat next to me.

"It's okay. I never thought that I'd have this much fun," I answered as I packed the papers on my table neatly.

"We should head out. There are plenty of restaurants around." He stared at me for a while and asked, "Isn't it hot having a turtleneck inside your shirt?"

"Sort of but I have to keep my tattoo out of sight. I don't want to leave a bad impression on the first day."

He chuckled. "Good point. Despite your bad boy image, you pack a big brain inside that head."

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Flynn!" A young woman called as she walked towards us. "I told you to wait for me."

"Oh? I didn't hear you," Flynn answered, clearly showing that he was lying.

"Don't lie to me. You even responded." 

He sighed. "My friend just joined today and I didn't want him to be lonely. Since you were taking your time, I decided to leave."

"You're so mean." She looked at me and smiled. "Hi, I'm Maryanne and you are?"

"Andre," I answered with a smile.

"You're pretty good looking."

"Shameless," Flynn commented with a teasing smile and looked at me. "Don't trust her."

Maryanne pouted. "You always make me seem like a bad guy."

"Aren't you one though?"

"I just like getting what I want."

"Awful."

She looked at me helplessly and I laughed as I shrugged. I liked how things were going and seeing that I already had two people to keep me company, I couldn't help but look forward to the upcoming days.