Andy Barclay was tired.

He had been working out all day (it seemed the military wanted superman muscles) and he was tired. And it was not only that. Shelton had been picking on the little guys again, one of them being Andy's newfound friend, Howard Whitehurst. It went the same way it always did. Andy stood up for him. Shelton threatened to beat him up. Andy held him back. Shelton was bigger than him, but Andy was getting stronger.

Still, now he was tired.

He sighed and lay out on his cot. Colonel Cochran said he wanted to meet him later. Probably about the doctor-in-the-military-thing. He smiled. He'd always wanted to be a doctor. Like his dad. And in the army, if he was a doctor, he could contribute to his country without having to kill people. He never liked the idea of taking other people's lives. They had families, too. He couldn't imagine having to live with the fact he'd killed someone's brother. Or husband. Or father. He'd rather know he'd saved people's lives. He closed his eyes. He'd sleep until five. Then he'd get up and go meet Cochran. His breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

Krista and Ellen had walked in just as he had fallen asleep. "Shh..." Krista was warning her giggling friend. "I guess we'll let him sleep, right?" Ellen nodded. She looked at the sprawled out young man. "Maybe I can sneak in next to him," she joked, and they laughed quietly before closing the door.

***

'Nisha had taken the boy with her on the tour bus. He was extremely quiet, only speaking when spoken too, and even when he spoke, it was barely a whisper. "You hungry, Charlie?" she asked. He nodded. "Alright-y," she shouted at the group, making the boy flinch. "Sorry," she said. Then she turned to her friends. "We got Mickey D's on the way, uhh..." she looked at her phone's restaurants app. "Wendy's... ooh some Chinese..." Lanika rubbed her stomach. "Yes... Chinese sounds great right now," she said. Lil' Shawn just nodded in agreement. "What about you, honey?" she asked the boy, trying to be quieter when she spoke to him. He shrugged. "It all sounds real good," he said softly. 'Nisha shrugged. "Okay then, but if you change your mind..." Then she tapped the driver. "Kay, we all ready to go!" she sang.

Charlie watched them with wide eyes. Something about the loud girl. 'Nisha. She was familiar to him. He couldn't remember why. He held his knees against his chest. He felt disoriented, but that was nothing new. He had been feeling like this for a long time. All he could think about was Andy. He had to find Andy. Then maybe he could go home. He would tell Andy he would be good. Maybe Andy would let him cuddle with him again. Or maybe they could eat peanut butter sandwiches together, like they used to.

***

Krista couldn't believe her eyes. "Quanisha! You've changed so much!" she exclaimed as the young woman hopped off the bus. 'Nisha turned to the girl in her uniform. "Awww... look at you, girl! Wearing that uniform you always talked about! You learn how to shoot?" Krista laughed. "Yah... and other stuff too," she was giggling. Lanika and Lil' Shawn were coming down the bus steps behind her. "Guys. Where's Charlie?" 'Nisha was asking. She turned to Krista. "We found some poor little kid in the some alley on the way here." Her voice lowered. "He's the sweetest thing, but he's so quiet, and he looks so scared. I don't know what he's been through at all."

Krista nodded quietly. Her red-headed friend texting on her phone. "Put that up before someone catches you, Ellen," she said, elbowing her. "I'm texting Mr. Sleepy. He should be up by now," she replied. Krista looked at her friend's message and laughed. "Quanisha! You remember that boy we used to think was so cute back in kiddie school? Andy Barclay?" The girl dropped her mouth. "Omigod! I can't believe you remember that!" she was laughing. "Yes! He was cute though… I wonder what he looks like now," she said, pursing her lips. "Well, you could see him now, if he'd wake up and get over here!" Krista laughed, pointing towards where the boys' dormitory stood. Quanisha linked her arm with her old friend's. "Well, he can see me at my concert! C'mon you guys! I gotta check out where my stage is at!" she said to Lanika and Lil' Shawn, who followed behind her.

They had forgotten the boy. But he was contented with other matters. "Andy," he murmured quietly to himself with a smile as he trotted off to where the brown-haired girl had pointed.

***

Brett Shelton knew who she was the moment he saw her. Quanisha. He remembered her, and to him, she was more beautiful now than she'd ever been before. Perhaps he could impress her now. He was designated the leader of his little troop by Cochran himself. He puffed his chest in pride. She would have to like him now. He strode over to her, where the De Silva girl and her red-headed friend stood with that noodle, Whitehurst. He could easily win her. He was much better than that worm.

What was he saying that was so funny anyways? He was just a nerd. A tech-nerd. There was nothing funny about computer chips and re-wired robots. Nothing. Quanisha was just being nice, he was sure. She was being polite. He tapped the small-framed boy on the shoulder. "Private Whitehurst!" he exclaimed loudly, enjoying watching the surprised victim jump three feet into the air. Howard turned and looked behind him, flustered and stammering, "Y-y-yes, S-s-ir?" His cheeks were slightly pink with embarrassment. Shelton grinned coyly. "You're needed to clean the outhouse, Private," he said, sniggering under his breath. He had made a fool out of Whitehurst. Quanisha would see he was a big man now, and she would want him, because women liked power. They couldn't resist it. Howard ducked his head and slunk away sheepishly with another meek, "Yes, Sir."

Shelton couldn't understand how he got in this military academy anyways.

He was expecting the look of approval from Quanisha. But instead he got the three girls scowls. "Same as always, aren't we, Sir Shelton?" Krista almost spat sarcastically. He ignored this. He wasn't here for her. He was here for Quanisha. "I recognize you, Quanisha," he said as huskily as he could. One of her friends giggled behind her, and she closed her eyes. Brett knew she was just taking it in. He dazzled her. That's what it was. He cleared his throat. "I know, I'm stunned at your beauty as well," he encouraged. Her reaction was not what he expected. She snorted. "Yah, I'm amazed, Brett," she said. "I thought you would've grown up by now. Guess I was wrong." She turned her back on him.

Yes. And he had thought she would've been impressed by his power. He guessed he was wrong as well.

***

It had taken awhile, but no one had seemed to notice him, so he had no trouble with being questioned. He had peeked in, door after door, until he had found him, sleeping, with sprawled out arms that seemed so open, so inviting. As if to say, "Come on in, it's warm in here." The boy tip-toed slowly to the young man's side, watching his chest rise and fall to his breathing. It was so quiet, peaceful almost, and the boy wanted to take it all in. He grasped the man's hand with both of his tiny ones, but only just, so that he would not wake him. "Andy," he murmured softly, pressing his cheek against the hand he held so dearly close to him. The man's fingers curled around the small hands, muttering something in his sleep that wasn't audible.

But suddenly, the boy's bottom lip began to quiver. "I'm sorry, Andy," he whispered shakily. Tears began to slip down his cheeks, trickling onto their hands. He kissed the hand gently, but held his lips against it as if parting would mean the end. "I'm so sorry. I'd do anything in the world to only have you back again." He pulled back and held his hands to his lips, trying to stuff back in everything that was trying to escape. He blinked furiously, but rain continued to fall.

I know you said you still loved me.

But I don't know if you can ever forgive me...

***

Andy heard the loud pounding on the door. He sat up suddenly. An emergency? No… he calmed himself. Surely not. There was excited, breathless laughter outside. "Andy? You dressed in there?" Krista. He smiled. "Yah," he called back assuredly, pulling on a t-shirt just as the door opened. "You liar! I saw that!" the girl accused, pointing at his shirt. "You better have some pants on." He laughed. "Relax, Krista. I don't sleep in the nude." His hand was wet. Why was his hand wet? He rubbed it hesitantly, almost as if he didn't want to. He stood up out of his cot and looked around. "Where's your friend? What's her name? Ellen?" he asked, trying to distract himself.

Krista smiled. "Oh, behind me," she said. Ellen popped out from behind her, still on her phone. "Hey, Mr. Barclay…" she sang, holding out the ayy sound."That could be a song, you know. It rhymes." Andy rolled his eyes. "Sure, but who would want to sing about Mr. Barclay?"

"I would." A different voice. He looked at her. She looked familiar, somehow. "Remember me, new kid?" she asked. At his confused stare, she held up an old Barbie. "Quanisha!" he nearly shouted, and embraced her warmly. "How long has it been, Andy?" she asked in reply. She hugged him back. "Ooh, I missed you. Where did you go, anyways?"

It was such an innocent question, but it brought back memories. Good and bad. Andy flinched. "My mother was taken from me that year," he said simply, but not without emotion. "I've been in foster homes since." Quanisha grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "It's okay, hon," she said. "Let's just go enjoy our reunion." He nodded. But even after she had held his hand, he still felt that strange tingle. Like perhaps it was a trace of a dream.

***

The concert was brilliant. Lanika and Lil'Shawn had gotten themselves comfortable with Ellen and Howard, sipping martinis on a long couch in the lounge after the whole thing. Lanika yawned and stretched. "God, I am so tired," she groaned, making herself comfortable on Lil' Shawn's shoulder. Ellen and Howard nodded in agreement. "If it wasn't for restrictions, I'd just sleep here on the couch," Ellen said. Howard blushed faintly when her hand bumped against his. "Yea… That'd be… nice," he stammered, watching her.

They were slowly beginning to fall under the spell of sleep when Lanika jumped. "oh… shit," she gasped. Lil' Shawn looked at her, a bit fazed and a little miffed at being woken. "What, girl?" he asked hastily. "You forgot your phone or something?" Her eyes widened. "No. Worse. Where's Charlie?"

***

Quanisha didn't know where he was. She thought he'd been with Lanika and Lil' Shawn. They thought he'd been on the bus, and the driver thought he'd been with them. Krista and the others helped search throughout the campus, but he simply couldn't be found. "Maybe he really was a ghost," Lanika whispered. "Had to be. Did you notice his eyes? So damn blue and all... haunted. You think we helped him move on?" Lil' Shawn asked. 'Nisha shrugged."I just hope he's alright, wherever he is," she said. The others nodded.

Andy just quietly gazed out into the evening, still rubbing his hand. "Charlie," he murmured softly, thinking.