Chapter Twelve: Time Is Only A Number

Within a few weeks, I was nearly able skate.  Andi blaming the time on me being such a klutz and me, of course, blaming it on him being a sloppy instructor.  Now, starting as of today, he was attempting to teach me how to tricks.  Amateur tricks that is and key word being attempting.  Yeah..

Just yesterday, I learned Crystal's parents were going through a divorce.  One that wasn't going so well and apparently they kept putting the pressure on her to solve all their problems.  Nice parenting there.  Not.  Anyhow, Crystal was apologizing profusely to me yesterday for her behavior at the mall three weeks ago.  I forgave her instantly after finding out her situation at home.  I mean if it was me I'd be acting the same way.  Speaking of the mall, I still had absolutely no idea what was going on with Jenni.  She'd been growing steadily worse and missing a few odd days here and there.  It almost felt like she was avoiding me.  Why?  I don't know.  I was worried but there was nothing I could do if she refused to let me in.  Even today I had asked her if she wanted to hang with Andi and I yet she nearly immediately declined and seemed rushed to get off the phone.  Like she wanted to avoid talking to me, avoid the questions she knew I'd ask.  I-

"S**t!" I cursed aloud as I fell to the pavement scraping my hands as I fought to catch myself.

"Damn!  Lex, you okay?" Andi asked as he stopped skating and rushed over to me.

I smiled to myself at the new nickname before pushing myself up to a sitting position with my elbows.

"Yeah, yeah.  I'll be fine."

Andi was kneeling at my side, "Lemme see."

"Dang," he cursed lightly as he examined my hands, "Come on, let's go inside and I'll get these all fixed up."

He lifted me to my feet by my elbows, gentle as always, and steered me towards the front door to his house.

"Go sit in the bathroom by my room.  I have to go find where Moms hiding the first aid kit these days."

He grinned at me, leaning down to give me a peck right on my nose before heading off to search for the kit.  I followed his order and went to the bathroom, hopping onto the counter.  I kicked my feet as I waited before looking at my injured hands.  They were bloodier than I thought they were and had little bits of gravel and grass sticking to the blood.  I shuddered faintly, grossed out by the blood.  However, I was more grossed out by the grit stuck in them.  Just as I was attempting to pull a particularly nasty piece of grass off Andi entered the bathroom.

"Oh no you don't!" He scolded me putting the kit down and grabbing a hold of my wrists so not to hurt my hands.

"I'm going to clean them for you because.." he chuckled, "knowing you you'll only make them worse."

I glared and he put his hands up in a jokingly defensive way, "Hey hey now, I'm only stating the facts."

Andi smirked as I pouted because I knew as sad as it was, he was right.  I was accident prone.  Self- destructive.  A klutz.  FAILURE AT LIFE!  Okay, so not the last one but you get my point.

He turned the tap on, carefully running my hands underneath the water and brushing the grit and grim from them as delicately as he could.  Getting most of it, he turned my hands, drying the backs on a towel while keeping my palms turned up.  He grabbed a bottle from the kit and looked sympathetically at me before muttering a short "sorry".  I was about to question him when I felt him take my left wrist and hold it firmly, tilting the bottle down.

"Ouchie," I hissed as he poured the mysterious liquid onto the scrapes.  It burned!

"What is that?"

Andi grimaced at my expression, "Rubbing alcohol, I couldn't find the peroxide..  Sorry, I know it stings."

I clenched my teeth as he did the other hand, "It's- ouch, uh sorry.  It's not your fault anyway though.  I should have been paying more attention to what I was doing out there."

He looked up for a moment from cleaning my hands with an inquiring gaze.  I watched as he shook his head at some inner question he must have been asking.  He went back to cleaning my hands but I was curious.

"What?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look up as he began to wrap my hands.  Yeah, when I said klutz.. I wasn't kidding.  I seriously did need bandages.  But that's besides the point.  I wanted to know what he was thinking about.

"You.  You were going to ask me something and then it looked like you just brushed it off or whatever."

He looked at me for a moment before returning to wrapping my hands.  I was slightly irritated that he didn't think it was necessary to answer me.  Surprisingly, less than a minute later he patted my hands, silently deeming them finished and well, and turned to lean his back against my chest.  I wrapped my arms gracefully around his neck, avoiding my bandaged hands and rested my chin on his shoulder as he began to speak.

"I was going to ask you what you were thinking about but then I actually thought about it," he laughed a little bitterly and I got even more confused, "There's only one reason you would look like that and be that distracted."

Andi sighed, breaking my hold as he pushed away and turned to meet my eyes, "Jenni."

My gaze instantly dropped to the floor as he hit the bulls eye and I recalled my earlier thoughts.  If only she would talk to me.  Care a little like the best friend I knew she was.

Andi turned around again, shifting as if to leave, before twisting again, "God.. Love, see-" he stopped again, struggling with the words, "I didn't want to be the one to remind you and cause you that pain but go figure I open my big mouth anyways."

I hopped down from the counter and watched anxiously as Andi shifted repeatedly.  I wasn't reassured until I had my arms wrapped around his waist that he wouldn't leave.

"Why are you so...antsy?" I asked, searching for the word as he shifted yet again.

"I just never wanted to be the one to cause you pain.  And it was dumb of me to bring Jen- her up when I knew you'd only get upset again and-"

I hushed him, "No.  It's not your fault at all.  Honestly?  It's Jenni's fault and as worried as I am about her, I'm also pretty angry with her that she doesn't think she can trust me enough to tell me the truth.  That's the part that hurts and whether you bring it up or not, I'm going to think about it and it is going to hurt." I shrugged, "I know it's going to hurt but I'm almost learning to live with it.  I mean, she's been lying to me or well.. not exactly lying but avoiding conflict and withholding the truth, whatever it is, from me for almost three weeks.  Maybe even longer!  I don't know.  But don't ever blame yourself for that because it's really not your fault."

Andi sighed exasperatedly, as if trying to get me to see his side, "I know it's not my fault.  I know that logically.  But all the same.. it hurts to see you in pain.  I don't know if you can understand but you're probably the most important person in my life right now and to see you hurt hurts me.  And worse, I can't do anything about it."

I gave him a squeeze before letting go, "Don't worry about it.  When the time is right, she'll tell me." I bit my lip, "I hope anyway.."

I shook my head, "Whatever, let's stop being a completely depressing couple and go have some fun!" I yelled over my shoulder as I skipped out of the bathroom.  I stopped when I got to the bottom of the stairs and pulled out my cell looking through the contacts.

Ah-ha!

I smiled and waved at Andi as he arrived at the top of the steps.  He gestured to the phone I currently had glued to my ear and mouthed "Who?"  I simply grinned and shook my finger at him, an obvious "I'm not telling you!"

"Hello?"

"Hey baby!  My completely sexy other lover!"

I watched Andi's jaw drop and my grin grew.

"Mmm, yep, of course.  You wanna go out tonight?  Like for dinner?"

I saw Andi making his way downstairs and by now he actually looked seriously pissed.

"Sweettt.  Bye gorgeous!  Oh, by the way, you can meet my lover boy tonight too!"

"Yep.  I'm bringing him!"

I laughed as I hung up the phone and Andi swept me into his arms with a growl, "Who was that?!"

I giggled and hid my face in his shirt, laughing at his jealously which unbeknownst to him, was completely and entirely unneeded.  He pulled me away from his chest and glared at me dumping me on his couch.

"Seriously, Alex.  Who was it?"

I looked up at him and began laughing uncontrollably again.  He was just towering above me, arms crossed and pure jealously strewn across his face.  In any other situation it would have been terrifying.  But knowing he had nothing to be jealous of had me laughing again at his completely unnecessary anger and jealous nature.  Besides, he was kinda sexy when he was mad over nothing.

I calmed myself a bit before looking up into his impatient face and tapping foot as he waited.  His shoulders shook a bit as he contained what I assumed to be anger at me and I decided to let him in on my little secret.

"I was talking to Michelle you dumbass," I reached out to swat playfully at his leg, "Nothing to worry about.  Promise."

Andi's shoulders instantly relaxed and I was pleased to see the anger and jealously fall from his face.

"Although.." I watched as he tensed up again and giggled, "We are going out to dinner tonight with her and some new guy shes been seeing."

Andi rolled his eyes at me and sank into the couch next to me, lying his head in my lap and looking up into my eyes.

"You know you cause me more stress than anyone else I know, right?"

I laughed and massaged his hair as I spoke, "It's unneeded babe.  Completely and utterly unneeded."

"It's necessary.  What would you do without me?  Seriously." He sighed and closed his eyes, "God that feels amazing."

I stopped for a moment to kiss his forehead, "Thanks."

It was quiet for awhile, me having nothing to say and Andi only making a few groans of his liking for the massage he was receiving.  A whiles later he cracked a eye open at me and caught me staring at his beautiful features.  I didn't care what anyone said nor did I care for anyone who would argue, I had a gorgeous boyfriend.  Although annoying that he was aware of it at times, I loved to be the one that he chose.  He thought I was gorgeous which, of course, only made him even more perfect in my eyes.

I saw his lips moving and realized he was speaking, very obviously to me as I was the only other one in the room with him.  I blushed a bit, embarrassed that I had been staring at him so conspicuously even if he was unaware of my avid thoughts.

"Say that again?" I asked.

He smirked at me and I almost thought that maybe he had known my thoughts but that would be unknown for all he asked was, "What time are we leaving?"

I laughed, "Time is but a number, my friend."