Chapter 1: New Girl
Albert POV
It was Thursday morning. The weather was particularly warm out for early May, which was a welcomed change from the bitter cold of the previous winter. I was walking to school with my two adopted sisters, Laura and Carrie. Carrie was a few strides in front of Laura and I, looking way too happy to be headed off to the schoolhouse. Laura, on the other hand, looked tired and almost dreading the school day ahead, but that was not because she did not enjoy school. Quite the opposite.
After earning her teaching certificate from the school board superintendent almost half a year ago now, Miss Wilder, the actual school teacher, gave Laura the position of assistant teacher to help her prepare to take over the class when Miss Wilder finally decided to leave Walnut Grove. Laura, or Miss Ingalls as she now liked to be addressed as, had been teaching the class and grading all of the papers over the past two weeks, which meant she was staying up late to get all of her work done. Miss Wilder had offered to help Laura with the grading, but my stubborn sister needed to prove to herself and to everyone else that she could handle the full responsibilities of being a teacher.
I bumped my shoulder into Laura's as we walked together, wanting make sure she was awake and alert. "Hey teacher. You've got enough energy to teach the class today?"
Laura glanced back at me with an annoyed look on her face, but I could tell she was too tired to reprimand me. "I'll be fine. I just had a slow time getting up this morning is all. As soon as I walk into that schoolhouse, sit behind my desk and hear everyone talking, I'll be wide awake."
I chuckled. "I hope so. Remember, you have that history lecture to give today."
"Oh yeah. You're right." Laura sighed in defeat.
"Seems like being a teacher isn't as easy as you thought it would be." I commented.
"I never said it was going to be easy. I just need to get faster at grading papers and be more organized with my work. If Miss Wilder, ma and Mrs. Garvey can all do it, than so can I."
"Glad to see we haven't warn the enthusiasm out of you yet."
"Albert! Laura! Hurry up! We'll be late." Carried called back to us.
"No we won't, Carrie." Laura responded to the well-intended command. "I'm the one who rings the bell."
As we walked through town and that all too familiar building came into view, I noticed that all of my other friends were playing a quick game of baseball before school officially started. I really wanted to sprint over there and join them. Getting to play games with the other kids was my favorite part of school. The learning was nice too, but nothing could beat the feeling of having everyone laughing and having fun together.
"Albert, would you go tell everyone to finish up their game?" Laura asked of me. "I'm going to make sure Miss Wilder is here, then I'll ring the bell."
"Alright." I nodded. Hopefully I wasn't turning into a teacher's pet.
Laura made her way inside the schoolhouse, Carrie found her friends sitting on the steps and I headed over to the group of boys still very much invested in their game. Part of me wanted to go against Laura's demand and jump in for one final hit, but my better judgement was getting the best of me this time.
"Hey, guys! Laura says she's gonna start school. Finish up the game!" I yelled out to everyone.
"Come on, Albert." Of course Willie would be the first one to protest. "We've got a man on second and on third base, and it's my turn to hit."
"We'll finish the game at lunch, Willie." Andy commented from third base, motioning for everyone else to retreat.
Willie scoffed. "You're just saying that because my team was just about to score against your's."
"I'm saying that because school is about to start."
I started shacking my head at the bickering. Andy and Willie were two of my best friends, but they were not as friendly with each other as they were with me. Although they did consider themselves as friends, it was based on the fact that they both went to the same school and lived in the same town, so they had to interact with one another. It is unlikely they would chose to stay friends in the long run.
Andy was my first real friend, besides Laura, and I considered him my best friend, even though we are at different points in our lives. Andy is two years older than both Willie and I. At first, the age gap between us did not really affect our friendship. But now, Andy being sixteen and Willie and I being fourteen, the differences in our ages was starting to show. Andy would hang out with the older boys in town more often and was definitely starting to look like a young man verses a kid. Willie and I still looked like young boys and could have fun with the little kids in town.
I suppose that is why Willie and I were becoming more friendly with each other over time. Of course, there was also the short period when Andy was furious with me and wanted nothing to do with me. It was almost a year ago now, when Clay Mays and I stole a pipe and smoked it in the basement of the blind school during a community picnic. We accidentally left the lit pipe in the basement after being kicked out by Hester Sue and it caught fire. Half of the building was engulfed in flames and Andy's mother, who had stayed to help clean up, was almost trapped inside.
It was a miracle Mrs. Garvey was able to survive and escape with Mary and Adam's baby in her arms. A week after the fire, Clay and I both confessed to being the ones who were smoking the pipe in the basement that day. At first, when Andy found out about my involvement, he was stone face. But then, the very next time we found ourselves alone together, he lashed out, punch me in the face and cursed at me about how horrible and irresponsible I was. I almost killed his mother. It took a few months for our friendship to heal. It was during those months when I became closer to Willie.
Just as the school bell started to ring, everyone sprinted inside the schoolhouse to find their seats. Once I was inside, I found my normal seat sitting next to Willie, with Andy sitting in the seat right behind us. Willie was trying to tell me about the baseball game, but was interrupted by Miss Wilder's clapping.
"Class, I'd like to introduce a new student."
Why on earth would anyone start school so close to summer vacation? I did not bother looking up. New kids seemed to come and go so frequently.
"This is Macy Smith. Her family just moved to Walnut Grove from Cleveland, Ohio. Now I hope you all are welcoming to Miss Smith."
I finally glared up at the new student and my eyes were immediately glued to her.
Macy had the most beautiful silky blonde hair that fell down to her back, with a few pieces pinned up delicately. Her skin was flawless and fair, with bright green eyes standing out. She definitely had a more mature figure than most of the other girls in school, so she was certainly a bit older than me. She dressed in a light cream colored lace top and a plaid brown skirt. She was gorgeous and I could tell that most of the other boys, and some of the girls, thought exactly the same. What was a stunning girl like her doing in Walnut Grove?
"You may take any seat, Macy." Miss Wilder said with a smile, certainly noticing the warm reaction of her class towards the new student.
Macy nodded and smiled at Miss Wilder as she stepped down from the front of the room. She had the most stunning and effortless smile. I immediately looked beside myself to see if I could push Willie off of the bench so that Macy could sit next to me. Unfortunately, when I looked over at Willie's face, it seemed he had the same exact idea I did. The two of us started elbowing each other for the seat.
However, Macy did not even glance at us. Instead, she slid herself into the sit directly behind us, right next to Andy. At first, I was still happy that Macy was sitting so close to me, but then I looked at Andy's face. A charming smile and an interesting gleam in his eyes that I had never seen him show before. One glance back at Macy's blushing face and I knew Willie was not the only competition I had for this new girl. It was kind of strange because Andy never normally gave much attention to girls in a romantic sort of way.
I sighed and faced forward as Miss Ingalls began the class lessons.
"Alright everyone. First, we're going to go over your arithmetic homework, then we'll move onto the history lecture." Laura began to explain her plans for the day, still looking tired. "Now, I've written problems from your homework onto the boards. I'm going to ask three of you to put your answers up and don't forget to show your work. How about...let's have Emma, Margret and Albert."
I immediately stood up went to the blackboard closest to me, not even bothering to bring my homework papers. Figuring always came easy to me. I picked up the piece of chalk, took about five seconds looking at the long division problem and jotted down my answer.
"Don't forget to show your work, Albert." Laura called me out. I wrote the numbers I brought down and made sure they were extra neat. "Thank you."
After I finished, I turned around and saw the two other girls, who were both relatively smart, still working on their division problems with homework papers in hand. I went to sit back down in my seat, but my attention was caught on Macy's beauty again. It looked like she was trying desperately to hold back a laugh. Then I noticed Andy was smirking, like he was the cause of Macy's laughter. I didn't think I heard him say anything.
The rest of the school day seemed to drag on. Laura's history lecture went on forever and most of the students stopped paying attention near the end of it.
As lunch finally rolled around, the baseball game from earlier that morning picked back up. I volunteered to be on Willie's team since they needed another outfielder. Honestly, I could have cared less about the game. I was standing so far away from Macy eating her lunch on the steps, I could only stare at her from afar. I had never seen such a beautiful girl before. I barely even heard her speak, but could still feel myself getting moony-eyed right before a ball was hit in my direction.
"Albert, pay attention!" Willie yelled at me from first base.
"Right. Sorry." I mumbled, barely even comprehending what Willie said. What was that girl doing to me?
"And take a few steps back. Andy's batting."
I looked away from Macy and saw Andy standing at home plate. He was getting both bigger and stronger, so it didn't take much for him to hit the ball all the way over to the mercantile. I glared in his direction. That was the reason why Macy sat next to him instead of asking to sit next to me. Andrew is older than me. Well, if Laura taught me anything, you don't necessarily have to be older to love somebody.
Andrew hit the baseball right in my direction. I wasn't able to step back fast enough to catch it in the air, but managed to get a grasp on it after one bounce. In a split second, I saw Andrew taking strides towards first base and Willie with his hands up for the ball. I fired the ball towards first base with as much strength as I could give it.
It was only after the baseball had left my hand, did I realize what I had done. It was not a quick lob to Willie like how I should have thrown it, but a hard, well-aimed missile heading straight for Andrew. Luckily, he saw it coming and slid down into first base, the ball barely missing his shoulder. Suddenly, the sound of clapping filled the air. All the kids watching the game cheered for Andrew's impressive play, including Macy.
I screwed up bad.
As I watched Macy clap and smile from the sidelines, I could feel both Andrew and Willie staring at me. They must have realized the way I threw that ball was no sudden mistake. I had no idea what was getting into me. My luck turned around when the school bell rang and I quickly made my way back inside. I faced forward the rest of the school day, not wanting to own up to what I had done.
After school, I went back home with my two sisters. Our ma greeted us as she was outside the house finishing up laundry, when she asked something of us.
"Could one of you be a big help to me? There should be an important letter at the post office I was meaning to pick up today, but I was at the resturant school all day and didn't have the time to run over to get it."
"I can pick it up for you ma." I said first.
"Thank you, Albert."
"What's so important about the letter, ma?" Laura asked before I could walk away.
"Well, I can't really tell you why it's important just yet." Ma explained, or lacked to explain.
"Oh, I understand." Laura said lowering her tired eyes. "I better get to grading."
"I'll be back soon. Don't start my chores without me." I joked, hoping Laura or Carrie would pick up some of my house work since I was running an important errand for ma.
As I was walking down the road back into town, I noticed someone else heading in my direction. I did not recognize who it was at first, but as soon as I saw that bright blonde hair, I stood up straight and smiled wide. "Hi Macy!" I called out to her as we approached one another.
Macy hesitated for a second. "Oh hi...Albert, right?" A soft smile appearing on her own face when she recognized who I was.
A feeling of pride and happiness swelled inside of me when she said my name. "That's me. I'm sorry I never properly introduced myself back in school."
Macy nodded her head at my apology. "Oh that's alright. To tell you the truth, I've already gotten everyone else's names jumbled up. But I remember you were the one who was really fast at arithmetic."
She remembered who I was over everyone else and it was because of my being smart! I could not ask for more, except two or three years on my age. "Well, you have to be a quick thinker when you want to become a doctor."
"You're going to become a doctor?" The beautiful smile reappeared on her face and I could tell she was excited about hearing my plans for the future. It's not everyday a former orphan now living in a farming town wanted to become a doctor.
"Yup." I continued to explain so as to improve my impression even more. "After I finish my schooling here, I'm going to apply to the state university. Miss Wilder says I might even have a real good chance at getting a scholarship."
"That's incredible, Albert! I sure wish I was able to do something as great as becoming a doctor." Her cheerful tone faltered a bit. Now it was time for me to bring it back up.
"Well you seem plenty smart, Macy. I'm sure you'd be able to do anything you set your mind to. Is there anything you really want to do?" Even though I'm still a kid, I know women like to talk about their own interests.
"Well...I want to travel and write about all the different places I visit, but that can't really help people like how being a doctor can." She was definitely looking for more confirmation from me.
"Don't say that. Think about all the books in the world that help people learn and feed their imaginations. You could be a source of inspiration for people of generations." I tired speaking to her emotional side, leaving out the details that becoming a great writer in this day in age is not necessarily for women.
"I suppose you're right. But it's still just a day dream for me." She was still faltering.
"Then don't let it be. Tell everyone you know that someday you're going to be traveling the world and writing thrilling tales about your adventures."
Macy suddenly started to laugh and I could tell it was a sincere laugh. "You really are something else, Albert."
My heart swelled. Maybe I had a chance with her after all. "Hey, why don't you come fishing with me sometime this weekend? I mean if you'd like to. I can show you the best fishing spot in the county."
"That sounds fun, but I'll have to let you know a little later. My ma and pa still need help cleaning and setting up our new house." Macy explained.
"Oh, I understand. You just let me know when you want to see that fishing spot."
"Will do and thank you. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Albert."
"Yea. I'll see you then, Macy. Goodbye." I honestly did not want the conversation to end so soon, but Macy started to walk away and I really needed to pick up the important letter before the post office closed for the day.
The following day at school was one of the best days at school I had in a long time. Miss Wilder took control of the class to introduce new arithmetic and gave us our last reading assignment for the school year. I understood the arithmetic within five minutes and actually was looking forward to reading the short novel Miss Wilder had chosen for our assignment. Macy sat across the aisle from me with one of the other girls, instead of sitting next to Andy. At lunch, the same baseball teams from yesterday played against each other once again. This time, I was the one with the incredible play, running from first to home plate and scoring the final run for my team. After lunch, Miss Ingalls quickly finished her history lecture and let the class out an hour early.
Over the next week, I was becoming more aquatinted with Macy. The two of us would talk sometimes during lunch or while walking home after school. She even asked to see the fishing spot I had told her about. We set a date the following weekend for the two of us to go fishing together. I was so excited and a bit nervous. I wanted Macy to like me because I really liked her. Was this how Laura felt when she was trying to get Almanzo to notice her?
When the day finally came, I was happily getting ready to take Macy Smith fishing.
"Where are you going?" Laura asked while climbing up into the loft we shared.
"I told you. I'm going fishing."
"Since when do you brush your hair real nice to go fishing?" Laura commented. I stopped combing my hair, which was something I had been doing for ten minutes. I wanted to look good when Macy saw me. Maybe look older and more mature.
"My hair was just bothering me this morning is all, so I'm trying to fix it." I did a few more sweeps of the comb through my hair, unsure if it really did anything for me.
"Who are you going fishing with?" Laura asked again. If I had known I was going to be interrogated, I would have left sooner.
"Why do I have to go fishing with somebody? Can't I go fishing alone?"
Laura gave me a puzzled look. "I just thought that after I was done with my work, I could join you."
No. I did not want my sister there ruining any chance I had with Macy. "Well...I don't know which fishing spot I'm going to yet. Besides, I thought you would want to spend the day with Almanzo."
"He's making a delivery to Sleepy Eye. If you don't want me to come, you could just say so." I could sense the sadness in Laura's voice. Ever since she started teaching and became engaged to Almanzo Wilder, the two of us hardly spent quality time together. Laura was always working or spending time with him. I could not even recall the last time we went fishing together.
"I just wanted the afternoon to myself." I did not want to hurt Laura. She was my sister and I did miss spending time with her. "How about I come back later in the afternoon and the two of us can go fishing for supper?" I said, not knowing how long I would be with Macy.
"Sounds like a plan." Laura smiled as she climbed down from the loft to continue her work.
After giving myself one last glance in the mirror, I left the little house and made my way over to the Smith residence. The house Macy's family moved into was definitely better looking than my home. I had yet to see how they furnished the place, but no doubt it was probably beautifully decorated. Like Macy.
"Hi Albert." Macy walked up to me from the front porch as I was approaching her home. "Thanks for taking me fishing today."
I smiled a bit too wide. "I'm happy to."
"My pa has been wanting a fresh fish dinner for the past week." Macy continued to explain in her sweet voice.
"Well, then let's get going." I motioned for her to follow me and we started walking side by side. "Have you ever fished before?"
"Of course. My pa and older brother loved fishing together and they always took me when they had the chance."
Our conversation continued as we journeyed to the fishing spot I had pick out. It was secluded and quiet, almost peaceful. It was the perfect spot to spend time with the girl I liked and who I wanted to like me back. Once at the water's edge, I showed Macy where the fish bit the most and we took a seat together.
"So, how do you like Walnut Grove so far?" I asked her to keep the conversation going.
"It's nice." She nodded her head slightly. "Definitely quieter than where I used to live."
"I know what you mean." I said without even thinking.
"Oh, where did you and your family live before you moved here?" Macy asked.
My face went stale after realizing that I had a lot to explain in answering her question. "Well, to be completely honest, I'm adopted. I met the Ingalls when I was living on the streets in a Dakota territory city."
Macy put her hand on my arm and I felt my heart jump. "Oh my gosh, Albert. You really lived on the streets? Alone? How did you do it?"
I did not really want to tell Macy I mainly gambled and stole for a living. "I shined shoes for cash, some nice venders would give me spare food and I made my home under a staircase."
"Wow! Forget about me writing books about traveling, you should write about how you lived on the streets and how you're working to become a doctor." Macy smiled. I was certain this was helping with my impression on her.
"Yea. That would be some story." Just then, I felt something tug at my pole and reached down to grab the line. Macy watched as I pulled up a small grey fish. "Little guy ain't he? I think I'll toss him back."
There was a brief moment of silence before Macy finally spoke again. "I suppose I should tell you why my parents and I moved here."
"Is it supposed to be a secret?"
"Not exactly." Macy's demeanor changed to a saddened state. "My pa just doesn't like to talk about it. We had a small store in Cleveland. Him and my older brother ran it together. But then my brother, James met this girl. After three months of courting, James wanted to marry her. My ma and pa were happy at first, but then James told them that him and his fiance were planning to move to New Orleans. Pa was in total disagreement and went as far as to discourage James from marrying her all together. James eloped and moved away. Pa didn't want to keep the store after James left and decided to retire to the countryside."
"I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Do you still have contact with him?"
"My ma writes him, but pa refuses. I think he's hoping James will come back without that girl."
"How do you feel about it? I mean, I suppose you miss your brother."
"I do. It feels like something is missing every time I go home and when we're sitting down for supper."
"I'm sure your brother didn't mean to hurt your pa."
"I know that. It still hurts though. Oh! I think I got one."
"Here, let me help you." I held Macy's line for her as she went to grab the hooked fish. "That looks like a good one."
Macy and I kept talking for the next two hours, about school, home life and our future plans. Neither of us were catching much fish, but we were having a great time anyways. I could not stop staring at Macy's smile. I was growing more attracted to her personality rather than just her beauty. I hoped she was beginning to like me too.
Over the next two weeks, I saw more and more of Macy. She continued to sit right across the aisle from me at school. The two of us almost always talked before school started and after it had ended. On one Saturday, I ran into Macy and she invited me to go fishing with her and her pa at the same spot I had shown her. Her pa seemed like a very quiet man. Very nice, but quiet. My guess was that it was because of his son practically abandoning them.
Before I even realized it, the end of the school year was here. Normally, I would be extremely excited for summer vacation, but not having school meant I would not see Macy as much anymore. I started to believe that Macy was growing to really like me. She always smiled at me whenever I waved to her and always went out of her way to say hello to me.
The afternoon before the last day of school, while I was finishing up my chores in the barn, I heard a rig driving up to the little house. I walked outside and saw none other than Almanzo Wilder.
"Hi Albert. Is Laura here?" Almanzo asked me with a smile on his face.
"No. She went into town with Carrie. They should be back in a few minutes. Why don't you wait around for her?" I told Almanzo. It was not an unusual occurrence for him to visit our home. Almanzo and Laura were a couple weeks away from getting married.
"Thanks. Need any help?" Almanzo jumped off his rig.
"Nope. I just finished up." I said, closing the barn doors behind me. "Are you staying for supper?"
"Oh no. I just wanted to ask Beth if she would like to accompany me to the summer festival." He told me.
I had completely forgotten about the festival. Nellie's restaurant was hosting the event after the final day of school to celebrate the beginning of summer and to advertise the new and improved menu. Practically everyone in town planned on going for the food and music. "Almanzo, you and Laura are already engaged. Do you really need to ask her to accompany you?"
"Well, I suppose it's assumed, but I still want to be a gentlemen about it."
That got me thinking. Macy would most likely want to attend the festival, but would she want to attend it with me? I could at the very least ask her to dance with me. I made up my mind in that moment that I would not only ask Macy Smith to have a dance with me at the summer festival, but I was also going to tell her about my feelings towards her. I had fallen for her.
The last day of school finally came. Miss Wilder and Miss Ingalls did not do much teaching, but instead passed out the last of our graded assignments. Willie was afraid he did not get good enough marks to continue to the next grade, but after helping him average his scores, he ended up passing. The school day had ended with a cry of excitement coming from the students.
Later that night was the summer festival in the town center. My whole family went together, along with Almanzo and Eliza Jane. There was so much food set out. Ma told me to try the apple pie she made special for the event and to stay away from Mrs. Oleson's blueberry pie. Pa had even brought his fiddle and joined the band playing cheerful music.
I began seeing a bunch of my friends from school along with their parents. However, I had yet to see Macy. I walked around the festival alone, trying to find her. Just then, slow music started to play. I glanced around, saw almost everybody grab a partner and start dancing together. And just like it was destiny, I saw Macy standing to the side by herself, dressed beautifully. Now was my chance! I quickly made my way over to her. At first, she did not notice me. She was staring off somewhere else.
"Macy!" I called out to her with a wide smile on my face.
She was jolted a bit, but was quick to smile at me. "Albert."
I wasted no time holding my hand out, hoping she would accept it. "Would you like to dance with me?"
Macy glanced around, like she was looking for something. Then, she turned back to me. "Sure."
I took Macy's hand and led her into the crowd of dancers. I carefully wrapped my arm around her, not getting too close. We started stepping in beat with the music. To me, everyone else in the room seemed to disappear. "You look beautiful."
She smiled, just like she had done so many times before. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."
"Thanks." It took me a moment to build up the last of my courage to speak those loaded words. "Macy, I've been meaning to tell you something."
"What is it?" She looked at me curiously.
"Well you see it's...it's kind of hard to explain. Macy...do you consider me a friend?"
"Sure. You're one of the first people I really got to know in Walnut Grove."
Now I would say it. Enough holding back. Enough dreaming about telling her. Tell her. Tell her now! "Macy. I like you. I mean, I really like you."
"Albert." I could not read her face. It was almost stale, like there was no emotion. I figured my confession would take her a bit off guard, but not by this much. What on earth could she be thinking? "You mean that?"
"Of course. I've had feelings for you for some time now. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to admit it."
"Albert." Macy looked as if she was really trying to concentrate on what she was going to say. "Don't you think that we...we're both so young and have only known each other for a few weeks."
I could not help my face as it grew sad and my voice cracked under the rejection. "You don't feel the same way about me." I said in a low tone.
"It's not like that, Albert." Macy scrambled to pick up the pieces. "I do like you, really I do. But just not in the way you like me, I suppose. I'm sorry. You're a great friend, but I-"
"Macy. It's alright. It was stupid of me."
"Albert."
"I have to go. I'll...bye."
I could not have felt worse. I really thought Macy would have had some sort of feeling towards me. Maybe not love, but something. Anything! I loved her. From the moment I saw her I felt an attraction towards her. When we spent all that time together, I grew to love her even more. My chest started to hurt. Macy flat out rejected me and all because we were too young. Seriously!
I started to walk away from the crowd of people to be alone. Suddenly, I noticed Willie running up to me.
"Hey Albert. Where are you going?" Willie asked, completely unaware of what I had just put myself through.
"I just wanted to get away from the crowd."
"Well come back to the festival. My pa just told me they're putting out another round of desserts."
"I'm not hungry, Willie."
"Are you alright?"
"I told you, I just need to get away." Were there tears forming in my eye? I ran off to the edge of town where nobody else was. I sat alone, feeling sad, embarrassed and rejected. I wiped my face with my hands. I wanted to go home.
Just then, I saw two people walking off by themselves, a girl and a boy. After just having my heart broken, seeing these two sneaking off to be alone together drove another painful dagger into my heart. That was supposed to be Macy and I walking together not...Macy and...Andrew?
I watched from the distance as my best friend put his hands on Macy's waist, bringing her in so they were only an inch apart. She moved her hands up his chest and finally wrapped them around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her. And it was not some quick kiss. They tilted their heads and locked onto each other for far too long.
I felt a fire of anger was building up inside of me. Macy rejected me because of Andrew Garvey. I had no idea those two were even seeing each other. Andrew was supposed to be my best friend and he had not mentioned her once to me. Macy told me that she and I were too young and did not know each other long enough to be in a relationship. Andrew knew of Macy the same amount of time I had known her. And she was not too young. I was the one who was too young for her apparently.
I wanted to get in between those two and rip Andrew away from her. Andrew was not good enough for Macy. She wanted to do great things with her life like me. Andrew just wanted to work some dirt farm for the rest of his life. After everything I had told Macy, after every conversation we had and every smile she gave me...it was not me she wanted.