Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:16:21 +0200
From: Azula Sherry Noise <azulasherry@gmx.ch>
Subject: Andrew's strength chapter 5

Andrew's strength - Chapter 5

"Hello?"

"Is this Andrew? From the cruise ship?"

"Yes. Who's there?"

"I'm Nick's mother."

"Did something happen?" I asked.

It was already the second week since we were home. I'd been checking my
e-mails every hour the first days. Tanya was a bit surprised by my sudden
computer obsession but didn't say anything.

My father and Jessica came home one day after us. With huge smiles on their
faces. They had a great time with passionate love making, swimming and
exploring the island. They looked younger, so in love and perhaps I was a
little jealous.

They'd told us some of the things they saw and we also told them of our
vacation. Julian mentioned Nick and our parents looked happy that we found
a friend. And when they heard how good Julian was at dancing, Jessica asked
if he wanted to attend regular classes. Julian nodded with a huge smile.

The next day Jessica surprised us all when she prepared dinner. Even though
it was good, I wondered a bit why Tanya let her cook but she just
smiled. The next days Jessica was often with Tanya in the kitchen.

After one week I finally got the courage to write Nick. I had written a few
mails but never really had the courage to click 'send', never really
satisfied with the mail.

Julian came running into my room and asked me to play hide and seek. I
agreed with a smile. We'd been playing hide and seek the whole time since
he and Jessica moved in. And it was always me searching.

"One hundred, ninety-nine..." I said as I closed my eyes. I heard how he
left my room. One hundred was way too much but once I tried to cut it down,
he shook his head vehemently and insisted on counting down from one
hundred.

The house was really much livelier with him here. Jessica was also often
home. She wrote for some magazines and worked from her bureau.

"Seventy-two, seventy-one, seventy, sixty-nine, sixty-eight..."

I opened my eyes and saw my computer. And that was the moment I decided to
write Nick. It was driving me crazy not to do anything. And I had still
more than sixty seconds.

'Hi Nick. How are you?' I wrote. 'Right now I'm playing hide and seek with
Julian. What are you doing? How's it going at home?'

"Fourty! Thirty-nine! Thirty-eight!" I then yelled, just so Julian knew I
didn't forget him and then continued writing.

'I really miss you and the lazy lifestile on the cruise ship. In two weeks
we'll go to University. Are you looking forward to it? I wish you only the
best and would love to hear from you. Andrew'

"Twenty!" I yelled and read it again. Should I really send it?

"Seven! Six!" I moved the mouse to the send-button and counted to zero,
then clicked it. I got up and went to search Julian.

I looked everywhere but couldn't find him. In the end I went into Jessica's
bureau. She was writing an article on her computer.

"Hi Andrew."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't want to disturb you. I was just looking for Julian."

She smiled. "He's not here."

I smiled back, seeing Julian's legs under Jessica's table.

"You want to sit down? I need a break." Jessica said and I agreed. We began
talking and I could see how it got more and more uncomfortable for Julian.

After some minutes I thought he'd been tortured enough and bent down.

"Oh, you're here after all!"

"You! Why did you talk so long with mom?" He asked and came forth, rubbing
his legs. Jessica and I just grinned.

She was really friendly and I came to like her. I didn't really know her
that good and somehow I couldn't see her as a mother since she was only a
bit more than ten years older than me. But even though she was a lot
younger than my father, I sometimes saw how much she cared for him. And he
surely did for her. He was home much more often, went out with her in the
evenings, watched movies with Julian and also talked to me more.

On Saturday he looked at me with a serious face and said: "Andrew, can I
talk to you?"

I nodded, wondering what was so important. The last time he talked to me
like this was to tell me about Jessica. We sat in his room and he hesitated
a bit before he began to talk.

"How do you like Jessica?" He asked.

"She's okay."

"I'm glad you like her. But I... you... is it impossible to see her as a
new mother?"

"Erm, she's too young to be my mother and if someone was my mother, it
would be Tanya. She was always there for me these last four years."

"Oh... yes." He said, avoiding my eyes.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Well... we're now a family... Jessica, Julian... and we... and,
well... you know..." He hesitated.

"What is it?"

"This is hard for me to say and will probably be hard for you, but I
think..." He looked up and somehow I thought I didn't really want to know
anymore what he had to say. "I know that Tanya was like a mother for
you. She was here and cooked, cleaned the house and all. But I talked to
her, and we both think that it would be better, if she went..."

"You... didn't do what I think you did, right?" I asked.

"I..."

"You did! How could you? Do you even listen to anything I say? I just said
she was more of a mother than anyone else. And you just want to get rid of
her?"

"Andrew, I'm not trying to get..."

"You are."

"No. Andrew, it's not that..."

"You planned it all along when you let Jessica cook, right? But I don't
care what Jessica can. You can't just fire Tanya after all she's done for
me. Things you'd have never done, never did! She was here while you
were... you were always gone!" I yelled and wondered a bit where all this
anger was coming from.

"Andrew!"

"It's true!"

He sighed. "I know. And I'll try to make it better from now on. But Tanya
said that she was glad we were now a happy family and she also said that it
was convenient for her because her sister was sick and she wanted to take
care of her."

I stared at him and tried to understand the words. Without saying anything
I got up and left his room.

Tanya, my only friend in years would go? Just like that. I couldn't believe
it.

---oOo---

After many hugs and goodbyes Tanya went into the taxi and drove off. I had
spent the whole Saturday evening thinking about what my father told
me. Later Tanya had come to me and explained me everything.

And if I liked it or not, I had to accept it if it was what she wanted. But
it was still hard to do. The house wasn't the same when she wasn't there.

The next two days my mood wasn't very good. Tanya was gone and I still
hadn't heard anything of Nick. Julian was the only one that could make me
smile. He had a real talent for that.

And then, one week before I had to go to NYU, the phone rang. I picked it
up, not thinking anything. But then I realized it was Nick's mother and
wondered why she would call me and not Nick.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Yes." Her voice trembled and then she told me what happened. I shook my
head, not believing it, not wanting to believe it.

"May... may I come?" I asked.

"Of course. He told me a few things about you and then I found your phone
number and called."

"Oh... then... I'm coming now."

"Yes. Thank you."

"See you later."

I ran upstairs, got some things and just wanted to leave the house when my
father stopped me.

"Andrew, where are you going?"

"I have to see a friend. I'll be gone for a few days."

"But..." He said. I didn't say more, didn't want to explain that Nick was
in the hospital, fighting for his life. I got in my car and drove off.

Two days after Nick got home to his parents, he went to drive with some
friends and they got into an accident. All of them were injured but not as
severe as Nick, who was still unconscious.

My hands shivered a bit and I forced myself to calm down. I shouldn't get
into an accident as well. I breathed in deeply and slowly calmed down.

I knew that Nick didn't get on with his parents very well but I didn't know
why. He only said that he wasn't as lucky as me.

Soon I arrived at the hospital and went inside.

"Hello. Could you tell me where Nick's room is?" I asked at the reception.

"Nick what?"

"Oh, erm... Nick Strobel."

"Sure." She showed me a map of the hospital. Why did hospitals have to be
so huge and complicated?

"Go to the fourth floor and turn right, then left and then you'll come to
his room." She wrote down the number and gave me the map.

"Thank you." I said. The room wasn't that hard to find and when I knocked,
a woman opened the door.

"Hello. Are you Andrew?"

"Yes. And you're Nick's mother."

"Right. Come in."

I slowly entered the room. There were two beds inside. In one lay an older
man and in the other was... I swallowed when I saw how Nick looked. His
head was wrapped in bandages and his face had bruises. I couldn't see his
body because of the blanket but I was sure his body was just as hurt as his
face.

"Nick." I whispered and sat down next to him. The last time I saw him he
was so full of energy, smiling and full of life. And now?

My hands trembled and I thought about how short life was. Just seconds
could change everything forever.

"It's really nice you came. When he talked about you, his eyes sparkled and
even though he was really looking forward to go to Florida, I knew he
regretted a bit that he couldn't stay near you." Nick's mother said and I
wondered if she knew.

"Of course I'd come. He's a great guy and we had a lot of fun on the
ship. How bad is it?"

"The doctors say the longer he stays unconscious the smaller is the chance
for him to wake up. But the chance for it is still quite big. They say."

I nodded and then turned to Nick. "Nick, wake up, please. Andrew's here and
wants to say hello." I always heard that there were many people that heard
people talk even when they were in a coma. So why not Nick?

Later I talked a bit with his mother. She seemed to be really nice. In the
evening she asked if I had to go back, but I reassured her that Nick was
more important and she invited me to stay at her place.

I called my father to explain my rushing out of the house without telling
him what happened and he understood. I wondered if I should tell Julian but
somehow I didn't want to tell him bad news and decided to wait.

Nick's mother, whose name was Angela told, me to sleep in Nick's room. I
wondered a bit why she trusted me so much but gladly accepted.

Nick's father was nowhere to be seen and I asked myself, if that was what
he meant when he said, he wasn't as lucky as I was.

When I lay in Nick's bed I could smell him and suddenly remembered all the
nights we spent together. How I missed it. The time we spent on the cruise
ship was so nice, exciting and now...

I had a lot of trouble to fall asleep but when I did, I dreamed of
Nick. About what we did on the ship, how exciting it was. I woke up with a
smile and then fell asleep again. Two hours later I awoke, having dreamed
of Mike. Why did I dream about him? I hadn't thought about him anymore.

I fell asleep again, feeling a bit confused. This time I woke up with a
start. What the hell... did I just dream of... And why did I have such
strange dreams in just one night? That moment Angela came into the room.

"Andrew! They called. They say he woke up!" She said and her voice was
trembling in anticipation of seeing her son again - awake.

I was up in a flash. "Really?"

"Yes."

We drove to the hospital and a doctor was waiting for us.

"Miss Strobel."

"Yes? How is he? Is he alright?"

"Yes. He's healing nicely. But... I should warn you, he has amnesia. He
doesn't remember a thing. But his memory should come back."

"He... doesn't remember..." She whispered. Then she slowly entered the
room. I could hear Nick's voice. It sounded happy. Then I saw that he was
talking to a nurse. A male nurse. Gosh, a male, young, handsome nurse. And
it looked as if Nick was flirting with him. For a moment I wanted to go but
I knew I had no right to feel like this.

"Nick. You're awake." Angela said.

"Hi. Are you by chance my mother?" He asked.

"That's right. How do you feel?"

"My body hurts. But George says I'll feel better soon, right?" He smiled at
the nurse.

"That's right." He said and then got up. "I'll leave you with your mother
now. See you."

"Bye."

George left the room and then Nick looked at me. "Oh, hello. Who are you?"

"I'm Andrew. We're friends."

"Nice to meet you. Are we in the same class or are we neighbors?"

"Neither. You're going to Florida in a week. We met on a cruise ship and
became friends."

"Oh wow. I was on a cruise ship! Gosh, I wish I could remember."

'Me too.' I thought. Nick seemed to be much better and he talked a lot even
though his voice was a bit raspy. A lot of nonsense. I wondered where it
was all coming from. Probably the medication. But even though he didn't
remember anything it was fun. We talked and his mother told him a few
things about his life.

Later the nurse George came by and sent us out so he could examine Nick. I
couldn't help but notice the looks he sent at Nick and wondered a bit, if
what George felt was more than he should feel for a patient.

Angela also looked more happy now that she didn't have to worry about his
life anymore. Compared to that, his memory loss was a small thing.

When Angela went to the toilet I went back into the room and then saw how
Nick and George looked at each other. There was attraction and there seemed
to be fire. I turned without them noticing me and left the room.

"Is the examination finished?" Angela asked when she came back.

"No. Erm, I think I should go back home now that he's better."

"Already? Don't you want to stay one more day? You're welcome to."

"No, thank you. But I have to prepare some things for University and it
seems that Nick is much better. I'll call."

"Okay." She looked a bit unsure.

"I'll say goodbye. And thank you for calling me."

"No problem. I'm thankful you came. It was nice to get to know you."

"You too." I said and then went inside the room where I caught the two of
them kissing. Luckily the old man was sleeping because this surely wasn't
what George was paid to do. When they noticed me, they both blushed.

"Oh... erm... I should go." The nurse said and left the room.

"Sorry to interrupt." I said.

"It's okay. Did you know I was gay? I didn't even know... but he sure is
cute, right?" Nick asked.

"Yes." I answered. Yes to both questions.

"Was I out to my parents?"

"Gosh, I have no idea! I didn't know you that well."

"You're a great guy. I mean, you came here and we didn't even know each
other well?" He asked and looked me in the eyes.

"That's what friends do, right?"

"Probably. But I haven't met my other friends yet."

"They're probably on vacation. And some of them were in the accident as
well."

"Right. But I heard they were already released."

"Well, I'm sure they'll come by. And if not you should get some better
friends."

"Right again." He said and his smile told me he thought of George.

"Nick, I have to go home now. I'm really glad you're better."

"Yes. Thank you again for coming."

"No problem. Bye."

"I'll call you as soon as I have my memory back."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." He said and I left the room. I gave Angela a hug, not sure why I did
it but it felt right. And then I drove home.

"Andrew, it's time for a new start." I told myself and decided to let
everything, every bad experience I made until now, behind me.

I wouldn't act like it never happened. Sensei had taught me that one should
treasure the good memories but not forget the bad ones. Of course one
shouldn't make them too important but they could teach, help and even
though bad memories sometimes hurt, it made one stronger if one overcame
them.

And I'd start a new life. There shouldn't be that many people that knew me
at NYU and I would find new friends and probably even a boyfriend.

I didn't really know how life would be on campus but I'd make the best of
it.

---oOo---

"Andy, I don't want you to go!" Julian said and hugged me.

"I'm coming back. In a week. I'll be home on the weekends, Jules. I'm not
that far away."

"But..." He looked at me with huge, teary eyes and I felt my heart
melt. Gosh, I didn't want to go without him! He was just soooooo cute!

"I'll be back. And then we'll have a lot of fun on the weekend, okay?" I
asked.

"But... why can't I come with you?"

"You're not old enough yet. But soon you will be going to University as
well."

"But daddy is going, too." He said. Daddy? He called my father daddy?

"He's just going to accompany me. He'll be back this evening."

"So why can't I come?"

"You're invited to your friends birthday, remember?"

"Maaan." He said but then he smiled a bit. "Is it true that University
people are always having parties?"

"Erm, some of them."

"Cool. When I'm at the University I'll party every night!" He said and I
grinned.

"I hope not. See you, Jules." I kissed his cheek and he hugged me once
more.

"Bye, Andrew."

I also said Jessica bye and was a bit surprised when she hugged me. But we
were family now, right? My father drove me to campus - in my car. He said
he'd get home with a taxi.

"I hope you won't party every night like Julian said." He said and
chuckled.

"I won't."

"Good. I thought you weren't the type to drink mindlessly and party
until... who knows what."

"Don't worry."

"I don't. I can see what a good young man you are. Friendly, considerate,
nice and my son."

"Erm... thank you."

"No need to blush." He said and I wondered a bit why I blushed at the
compliment. I always thought I wasn't someone that blushed easily.

"The women are going to come after you. Just don't come home with a
pregnant girl." He said.

"Dad! I wouldn't..."

"I know. Just kidding. I know you'll do great. You can call if there is a
problem or you need something."

"Okay. Thank you."

When we arrived on campus I wondered how I should find my way on that huge
area. We found the room where freshmen got their time tables and some
information about life on campus.

We then got to the rooms I'd live in. With three other guys.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" He asked.

"No, it's alright."

My father nodded, hugged me goodbye and then left and I stood before the
door of the rooms where I'd live for a while.

I knocked and heard a voice. "Come in." I opened the door.

"Hello. I'm Andrew."

"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Nathan. Call me Nate. I just came here
yesterday. There are two other guys. Sophomores."

"Cool."

"Yes. Well, this is our room." Nate opened a door where I saw two beds. All
in all there were two sleeping rooms, a small kitchen, a study and a
bathroom. It was quite big and I wondered if my father's money had
something to do with such a nice room.

"Nice."

"Right. Are you hungry?" Nate asked with a smile on his face.

"Yes."

"I could show you where you can get some food. I don't know where
everything is yet but the guys showed me a few things."

"Cool."

We went to grab something to eat and I knew I wouldn't have found my way
without getting lost. Nate was a pretty cool guy and very talkative. When
we ate I looked at him a bit more closely and realized he had a nice build,
looked a bit like a swimmer. His eyes were brown just like his hair and
made him look really friendly.

I was glad to have Nate as my roommate. I mean, I read books about college
and many weren't that lucky and had to live with guys that listened to
loud, annoying music or ignored one all the time. I admit I didn't know if
Nate listened loud, annoying music, but somehow I didn't think so.

He then showed me around a bit - as well as he knew his way around.

"This is the medical school department." Nate said and pointed at the
building. And a little later: "This is the most popular frat house. I only
heard what kind of parties they throw!" He said when we passed a big house.

"Cool."

He looked at me with a strange look on his face. "You don't sound
enthusiastic. Whatever. Okay, and when we go this way, we come to the..."
He thought a bit, looked around. "Oh, we have to go there and then to the
right..."

"Are we lost?" I asked, trying to hide a smile.

"No! Erm, no. We're right." He said, looking around and after a few minutes
I couldn't hold it anymore and laughed out loudly.

"Okay. I admit, we're lost." He said and grinned at me. Cute grin.

"Great. We should just ask someone. I'm sure we'll find our way back."

He nodded and really, soon we were back in our room. But this time there
were two other guys there.

"You the new guy." One said and grinned at me. He had freckles all over his
face.

"Hey, I'm Andrew."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tyler."

"Hi." The other one said. "Call me Bo."

"Hi."

Both of them looked like jocks. They had good bodies and were probably
working out a lot.

"You do sports?" Bo asked.

"Yes. Martial arts. Are there any training rooms?"

"Of course. You can find everything on campus."

"Cool."

"We can show you tomorrow. Right now we're a bit tired."

"Ok. Thank you."

The next few days they showed me the rooms and they were really big and had
a lot of equipment. But the coach wasn't there yet and I wasn't even sure
if I wanted to join the club.

There also was an information day and then came my first day. I found my
class without problems. I hadn't decided on a major yet but there was this
idea in my head to get into medical school later. In the last two years I
had learned a lot about the human body and it was really interesting. Gosh,
that sounded a bit dirty.

There were already some people sitting in the room, some of them talking. I
just sat down next to one of the guys and said hi. The cutest guy in the
room of course. But he completely ignored me, didn't even look up when I
sat next to him. I wondered a bit, of course. I mean, was it normal to just
ignore someone?

Soon the teacher came inside. He seemed to be nice. Actually, everything
was nice right now. I had nice roommates, a nice friend in Nate, a nice
family...

The day went by incredibly fast and I went to bed feeling exhausted. The
next morning I woke up because of my phone.

"Hello?" I asked, still half asleep. Who called me that early in the
morning?

"Hi Andrew. This is Nick."


---oOo---


Okay guys, that was chapter five. It is the start of something new... I
hope to hear from you. You can contact me at azulasn@yahoo.com

Azula