The neon "OPEN" sign flickered before him akin to the way lighthouse beacons welcomed home weathered sailors. Andrew released a sigh of relief at the sight of it. His shoulders dropped as his hands fell limply on either side of him. He started to feel the burning in the soles of his feet and the stiffness in his legs. Though his body was weighed down by the events of the night, he turned his face up to meet the morning sun.
'I survived.' Andrew breathed deeply, relishing the crisp, spring air which filled his lungs. 'I am alive.'
"We made it."
A hand clasped upon his shoulder. Though it was heavy, it was also warm. It pulled him back to the present to remind him that not only was he alive, he was also not alone.
John gave him a departing squeeze of his shoulder before saying, "I'll go in and call the school."
"I'll come with you," Angela said.
She placed a tender hand on Andrew's back, comforting him in the way a mother would, before falling in line beside John to make their way towards the diner. John did not protest. Rather he seemed to welcome her company more than he had prior to last night. Or perhaps John already had an interest in Angela before Little Hope, Andrew could not say.
As Andrew grew older, reading people became harder. The nuances between simple phrases, gestures, or even a smile made Andrew tread lightly for misinterpretations often lead to regrettable interactions. Therefore, Andrew was rather detached from his peers. His peers liked him well enough for he was polite, but overall, he was forgettable.
However, that would change, Andrew thought. Little Hope taught him many things about himself, about others, but mostly showed him how he wanted to live his life. He didn't want to sit on the sidelines anymore and let life pass by him. He wanted to talk to people, to connect with them, to understand them and fight for them when he knew something wasn't right.
He wanted to be present.
"Hey, Andrew, c'mere!"
Andrew was pulled back by a strong grasp before two pairs of arms wrapped around him in what Andrew came to realized was a group hug.
Taylor's soft cheek nestled against his shoulder as Daniel's chin rested against the top of his head.
"I can't believe we made it, Andrew," Daniel said.
"Yeah, and it was all thanks to your nerd brain." Taylor leaned away to playfully rub her fist against the side of Andrew's head. "If you hadn't figured out about the reverend… I don't want to think about what could have happened to us."
"Don't then," Daniel said, "Instead, think about that hot shower you so desperately need."
"Hey! You smell worse than I do," Taylor yelled, but despite the roughness of her voice, her features remained soft as she looked up at Daniel.
Perhaps Angela was right after all, Andrew thought. Taylor and Daniel were together. Nonetheless, both still had their arm looped around Andrew's as to show they hadn't forgotten him. They were connected to him in a way they hadn't been before – they all were, Angela and John included.
'Yes,' Andrew thought, 'this is my third chance to live my life with no regrets.'
And as crazy as it might sound, Andrew didn't regret Little Hope. Little Hope had brought the five of them together in more than one lifetime, but in this lifetime, the five of them would leave Little Hope all together now.
A/N: Thanks for reaching the end; I hope you liked it. I just so needed to get this out of my system since Andrew deserves a happy ending, and I've grown too attached to all the characters for them to not be real ;-;