Chapter 24: Decisions

It's the day of the of the skateboard competition. Brian hasa new skateboard because Vinny went to the nearest sporting good store which is two miles outside of Lake Winnetka. Vinny hates the idea of Brian skating but, it's what Brian loves to do. Andrew is at home at least that Elliot thought until he went up to his room. When Elliot walks in he sees a note on Andrews bed.

Dear Dad,

I hope that you and your new girlfriend will be much happier now that I'm gone. I'm going to Seattle to find Mom. I know she'll take me in.

Andrew

The note falls to the ground as Elliot feels his heart drop into his stomach. He goes to Vinny's cabin.

"What's up Elliot?" Vinny asked him as he saw him.

"Andrew's gone." Elliot told him.

"Are you sure?" Vinny then asked him.

"Yeah. He left a note and it said that he was going to Seattle." Elliot explained.

"Why the hell would he go to Seattle?" Vinny then asked him.

"Heather lives in Seattle." Elliot told him.

"He could be anywhere." Vinny said to him.

"I need to find him." Elliot told him.

"I'll help." Vinny said to him.

Brian comes out with all his gear. He looks at Vinny.

"Don't tell me something came up." Ban said to him.

"Andrew is missing." Vinny said to him.

"He is?" Brian asked them.

"Yeah. And I'm going to help Elliot find him." Vinny explained.

"Dad, I'm competiting in two hours." Brian told him.

"Elliot I have to watch my son compete. I'll help you look for Andrew when we get back." Vinny told him.

"Thanks Vinny." Elliot said to him as he got into his car and left to go look for Andrew.

Two hours later and Elliot still can't find Andrew. Vinny is at the skate park for the competition. Elliot arrives to see if Andrew is there.

"Did you find him?" Vinny asked him.

"No." Elliot replied.

Brian sees his Dad and Elliot talking and overhears that Andrew is still missing. 'I have two choices, I can either help look for Andrew or compete in the competition.' Brian thought to himself. Brian decides to go help look for Andrew. Brian goes over to his Dad and Elliot.

"We'll help you look for Andrew." Brian said to Elliot.

"What about the competition?" Vinny asked him.

"There's one every year." Brian told him.

Vinny, Brian and Elliot go looking for Andrew.

At the Lake Winnetka bus station Andrew is sitting at the bus stop for the bus to Seattle.

Brian is on his skateboard and goes by there because it's on the way to the arcade there. He sees Andrew. He skates over to him.

"What are doing here?" Andrew asked Brian surprised to see him.

"The competition is every year. I'll have to wait one more year to win it." Brian told him.

"You should because in a few minutes I'll be on my way to Seattle." Andrew said to him.

"You bought a bus ticket to Seattle?" Brian asked him.

"No. I'm going to sneak on and pray that the bus driver doesn't stop me." Andrew replied sarcastically.

"And people say I have an attitude." Brian told him.

"What are you complaining about? At least your parents are still together." Andrew told him.

"Andrew, my Aunt Sarah is a great person." Brian told him.

"Here we go." Andrew said with a sigh.

"Well she is." Brian replied.

"Not according to your Dad." Andrew told him.

"Don't pay attention to him when it comes to my Aunt Sarah." Brian explained.

"He makes alot of sense." Andrew then told him.

"That's because you hate my Aunt Sarah." Brian told him.

"And your point?" Andrew then asked him.

"You shouldn't hate someone until you've spentsome time with them and got to know alittle better." Brian told him.

"Like you did with me?" Andrew then asked him.

"I guess me and you aren't that different after all." Brian replied.

"I'm ten times nicer then you, Dude." Andrew said to him.

"That's because you're too nice." Brian told him.

"I'm not nice to your aunt." Andrew replied.

"That's true but, she's a nice person when she's not angry at my Dad." Brian explained.

"She hates your Dad." Andrew said to him.

"My Dad and Aunt Sarah don't hate each other. They just like to get under each others skin." Brian explained.

"Why?" Andrew then asked him.

"My Mom says that's the way they always were. Eversince they met each other eighteen years ago." Brian told him.

"That sucks." Andrew said to him.

"Not really. It brings them closer." Brian said to him.

"Them arguing all the time brings them closer?" Andrew then asked him.

"I know arguments aren't suppose to bring people closer but it does in my family especially on my Dad's side." Brian said to him with a laugh.

"They didn't bring my parents closer. It just made it worse. And it finally drove them to get a divorce." Andrew told him.

"Andrew I see how your Dad acts around my Aunt Sarah and he seems happy." Brian told him.

"I haven't seen him that happy since, ever." Andrew replied.

"And my Aunt Sarah is the happiest she's ever been." Brian then told him.

Andrew calls his Dad and asks him to come get him and Brian at the bus station.

"What happened to you going to Seattle?" Brian asked him.

"A bus ticket from here to Seattle is too much money plus, I didn't bring any money with me." Andrew told him.

"This was all just a trick to get your Dad to pay attention to you?" Brian asked him.

"No. I was really going to Seattle if I had the money but, I didn't." Andrew told him.

Elliot gets there and when he gets out of the car he goes over to Andrew and gives him a hug.

"Don't ever do that again." Elliot told him.

"I thought you were mad at me?" Andrew asked him.

"I was but, I didn't want you to run away." Elliot replied.

"I'm sorry Dad." Andrew said to him.

"Me too. And if you don't want me and Sarah going out, that's fine with me." Elliot said to him.

Andrew thinks about it for a minute. "If she makes you as happy as you seem then, she's not as bad as I thought she was." Andrew replied.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'." Elliot said to him.

"It is a 'Yes'." Andrew said to him

Elliot brings Brian back to his cabin. Then him and Andrew go back to the Boulders.