Author's Note: Hi, everyone!  Thanks for not giving up on me...I know I'm a terrible updater...SORRY!  I will probably wrap this story up in 5-6 more chapters...but who knows how long that will take me! ^_^  Suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism is always welcomed. 

...

~Andrea~

Somehow we made it through our junior year.  That summer I worked as a full time waitress.   Micky and I talked on the phone at least once a week or we met up.  I don’t even know what we talked about…but it didn’t matter. 

“Hey!  You’re early.”  I was surprised to see him in the restaurant.  Micky chuckled. 

“I know.  I’ll wait.”  I pointed to one of the booths in my section.

“I just have one table I’m waiting on, then some side work and we can go.  You want a coke?” 

“Please.” 

“Your boyfriend?”  The older waitress teased from behind the counter .  I felt my face get warm and I glanced over at Micky who smiled at me from a distance, completely oblivious to my embarrassment. 

“He’s just a friend.”  I said, purposefully wiping down the menus.

“For dinner and a movie?  Honey, if you get a man to take you, that’s a date.” I shook my head.

I mean...one of the definitions of the word "date" is an appointment to meet at a certain time (I've always been a word person.)  So, technically, it was a date without the romantic undertones or nerves or uncertainties.  Micky was just Micky and I was always free to be myself around him. 

...

~Micky~

“That guy was totally checking you out.”  I said, laughing as we got into my car. 

“Who?” 

“The one at your last table.” 

“Micky, there is no way-“

“Trust me.  He was practically pining after you.  You’re such a heartbreaker.”  She bit the side of her thumb and glanced at me.

“I’m not a flirt, right?”  She asked in a small voice.  I smiled at her.

“No, Andrea.  You’re just oblivious.”  She pouted and looked out the window as I pulled out of the parking lot.  “Guys notice you.  It’s not like you aren’t pretty.”  She made a face.  “You really don’t want to date anyone who has asked you out?”

“I’m too busy…and I don’t think I could trust someone enough.”  She twisted the ring on her index finger. 

“Come on.  There has to be at least one you thought about dating.”   She hesitated.  “Come on.  Tell me.”

“Seth is nice.”  She admitted.  I laughed.

“Speaking of someone pining after you-“

“Ugh!”  She whacked my arm. 

“Ouch!  No hitting the driver!  Your life is in my hands!”  She laughed and rolled her eyes.  “Admit it.  I’m right!  He’s almost a stalker he likes you so much.” 

“Tsk…he just always needs a girl beside him to boost his ego.”  She said, looking out the window.  “We’d be a mess if we got together.  Two very insecure people.”

“Don’t you want to be with someone and get married someday?”  I asked finally. 

“Mmm…I don’t know…that’s kind of scary.”  She tucked a leg underneath herself as she thought. 
“Why?”

“I might end up with someone like my dad. I watch my mom tip-toe around him, trying not to set him off…but then any little thing will do it…and he can never be wrong.”  She paused and looked at her hands.  “I don’t need that.”  I glanced at her.

“I worry that I’ll end up with a nasty divorce like my parents.”  I admitted quietly. 

“Oh, Micky…”  She sighed, leaning her head against the window.  “I wonder if parents realize what they do to their kids.” 

For a while, all we heard was the tires on the road and me shifting gears.  Finally, she shook her head and smiled again.  “Where do you wanna eat?” 

…

There were several times when I found myself looking at Andrea, being with Andrea…and wondering what it would be like to fall in love with her…to be more than friends…even wondering if, maybe, I was already in love with her...

It was little things...watching Les Miserables side-by-side on a school fieldtrip and glancing over to see her crying all still and silent listening to Fantine sing that song about dreams…watching her do her homework…watching her laugh at my jokes…and watching her bare all her vulnerabilities to me…  I just wanted to be with her.

…

“Let’s make sure we do something one of us has never done before our senior year ends.”  I said, sitting across from her at the burger place.

“What is this?”  She laughed, grabbing one of my french fries.  “Like fulfilling a wish for each other?”

“Yeah.  Pick something.  Anything.  We’ll do it before we graduate.”

“You first.”

“I’ve never made a sandcastle at the beach.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  So next spring, we have to go.”  She laughed.

“Okay.  We’ll go.”

“What about you?”  She shrugged.  “Come on…there is nothing you haven’t done?”  She smiled.

“No…there is too much I haven’t done.”  She admitted.  I remember looking at her with this serious look. 

“Anything, Andrea.  We’ll do it all in one day or one weekend.”

“Oh…I don’t know!”

“Come on.  Just little things.  Mine is building a sandcastle for crying out loud!”

“Photobooth.” 

“Really?”  She nodded.

“You said anything.”  I laughed. 

“Yeah…we’ll do it.  The beach to build a sandcastle and the mall for the photobooth on the way back.” 

“Really?”

“Really.”