Chapter Two
The next evening Andros stood among the crowded
room. Now out of his normal environment, he felt a bit conspicuous.
Searching the crowd for Cassie, he finally spotted her standing
with Carlos. Andros smiled when he noticed Carlos walking away
from her. "Time to make my move," he said quietly.
Making his way through the crowd, he finally reached
her standing by a set of stairs. Smiling, he stopped right in front
of her, his eyes drinking in her form, beautiful as always.
"Andros, what are you doing here?" she asked, in shock
that he would leave the mega ship and socialize for the second
day in a row.
"I got a letter yesterday," he whispered softly.
"A letter? How nice for you, now will you please
go away?" she asked, worried by his strange behavior.
"When I look at you," he began, spouting off various
phrases of the letter he had memorized word for word.
Ashley stopped short on the steps, hidden by the wall.
'Andros, here?' she thought, wondering what he was up to now.
"What are you doing Andros? Are you drunk?"
Cassie asked, trying to get away from him any way she could.
"Only with love for..." Andros broke off abruptly.
"Carlos, how are you?" he asked.
"What are doing here Andros?" Carlos asked,
eyeing him suspiciously.
"Andros, there you are. I have been looking all over
for you," Ashley stated, poking her head around the corner.
"Did you bring him Ashley?" Carlos asked, looking
from one to the other.
"Yeah, he's a great dancer. Andros, care to dance?"
she said, grasping his arm and pulling him into the crowd.
Moving to a secluded corner, Andros stopped suddenly.
"I better get going before I ruin your evening more than I already have."
"Don't be silly," she replied, a faint smile lighting up her features.
"Goodbye Ashley," he uttered as he disappeared in front of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening, Ashley sat in her room, thinking about
everything that had transpired over the night. A faint tapping on her
window caught her attention. Opening it, Andros stood on the other
side. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Would you like to go somewhere?" he asked, really
needing a friend who understood him.
"Now?" she asked, noting the time.
"Oh come on Ashley," he replied, looking at her and giving
her a smile he knew she wouldn't resist. He watched her turn around
and grab her jacket.
"Shh.. You'll wake my dad," she whispered as he helped her
out the window.
Setting her down on her feet beside him, he grinned.
"Shh... You'll wake your dad." he mocked. Pulling the window
down softly, they walked off through the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting beside Andros, she listened intently to him go on
and on about her friend. How beautiful she was, almost perfection.
Then the next thing really caught her attention and she found
herself staring back at him.
"What letter?" she asked, intrigued with this new subject.
"A silly letter I should not have paid so much attention to,"
Andros stated, stretching out on his back on the ground.
"Perhaps it isn't even real. I bet it is just a joke."
Ashley looked at him, stretched out beside him,
thinking of what to say. "Ow, this isn't that comfortable," she stated.
"Oh, here," he offered, stretching his arm beneath her head.
"Better?" he mused.
"Yes, thanks. Maybe the letter is real," she said.
"Perhaps, but I doubt Cassie would have given it to me.
I just wish I knew what I found so intoxicating about her," he
muttered softly. Andros turned to look at Ashley beside him.
"Thanks for helping me out back at the party. Could have been
quite a messy situation," he said, running his finger down the side
of her face lightly. "I better get you back."
Getting to his feet, he grasped her hands and pulled her
up easily.
Walking her back, he went through the whole chain of events that
led him to believe that Cassie might have written it. Oh how he
wished she would have.
"If you really like her all that much Andros, why don't call
her and tell her? You can use my phone," she offered.
"I can't do that. Not after what I did." He stated.
"Then write her a letter."
"Oh sure, then she will rip it up as soon as she notices
who it is from. Wonderful plan Ashley," he smiled.
"Don't sign it. Have someone else give it to her, and
if she doesn't like it, then she won't know who it's from. Then
you'll have nothing to worry about," Ashley offered.
"That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?" he
mumbled to himself.
"I could write her a letter, and you could give it to her," he
said then changed his mind. "No, you have already done
enough for me."
"I have?" she asked.
"Yes. You're a good friend Ashley," he said,
kissing her cheek lightly then disappearing.
Ashley stared at the empty space then headed home.
