As his second week of school began, it was starting to get colder. October was approaching quickly for him as he'd come in the third week of September.
Andre's mom kept calling to ask if he was wearing warm clothes and keeping his umbrella handy.
By the end of the week rain clouds threatened to burst on them and did so on Friday afternoon.
It was the last class of the day and the teacher was planning on a trip outside, but she didn't want to risk her students getting sick from the cold and rain.
Andre and Ramona sat quietly at a table doing their homework.
"Oh for Pete's sake!" Ramona said, slapping down her pencil. "Go talk to him already." She hissed at Andre.
Barry had been shooting pleading looks at Andre every few minutes and it was getting on Ramona's nerves.
Andre picked up his stuff and motioned for Barry to follow him.
Barry jumped up, but collided with the side of his desk and toppled over. He bounced back and zipped to Andre, stopping once he realized who was at the table.
Andre sat down and gestured for Barry to sit.
Barry silently groaned and sat.
"What are you two doing?" Kenny whispered hoarsely.
"You've been on that page for ten minutes." Barry answered. He meant for his tone to be harsh, but it came out as amusing and pitiful.
Kenny narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care?"
"Because we're your friends, doofus." Barry said. "Do you think that something as stupid as a pastry comment is going to separate us? Hello, we live in the same room."
"I guess I overreacted." Kenny mumbled.
"No kidding, I missed you." Andre said. "It's been driving me nuts not talking to you. I actually considered calling my mum. Why have you been avoiding me?"
"I didn't want you asking questions."
"You could have said that."
"Does that mean both of you forgive me?" Barry asked.
"My mum talked to me for an hour until my dad told her to go to bed." Andre said.
"I took down the pictures." Barry said. "How did she see them, anyway?"
"She looks at my profile page to make sure I'm being safe and you tagged me in the photos. She can see that too."
"If I didn't know she was a concerned parent, I'd say that's borderline stalking."
"Yeah, but if I block her she'll think I'm doing something bad. My dad had to convince her to let me go on it so I could keep in touch with my family. My Uncle Nigel is busy and I don't see him a lot, but he's on Facebook."
"I know something she couldn't follow you on." Kenny said with a grin.
"What is it?" Andre said.
"No." Ramona piped up, having approached them from behind. "You are not going to get him wrapped up in that stupid gossip wheel."
"You didn't think it was so stupid when you were gossiping." Barry snickered.
"I BARELY go on it." Ramona said.
"Can you tell me what it is?" Andre asked.
"It's called Central Community." Barry said.
"Oh here we go." Ramona groaned. "You're corrupting another one."
"I wasn't corrupted!" Kenny squeaked.
"It's a chat room." Barry said. "It's for the students of CPH. Our school, in case you didn't know. And the students in the apartments have it."
Ramona rolled her eyes. "You are something, aren't you Barry?"
"What does that mean?" Barry asked.
"Never mind, just know that I will only be on it when Andre is because I do not want to corrupt him. And that's if homework is completed."
"I'm almost done."
"Liar."
"How do you know, are you SPYING on us?"
"Why would I want to spy on you?"
"Because you love me."
"Ew, I do not!"
"I dare you to kiss me and then say that."
Ramona scoffed. "I will not."
"You can't resist me."
"Barry, you are disgusting and I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last person on Earth."
"Well yeah because you would be dead if I was the last person. Then I'd kiss you and there's no way you'd resist. Isn't that logical? I mean, you would think it was."
Ramona turned red. "Barry, you are the pitiful stain of stupid on the shirt of humanity."
"Then why are you still talking to me if I'm so stupid?"
"Alright, we'll stop you there." Kenny said. "Before this turns ugly."
Ramona huffed and walked back to her table.
"It was actually amusing for a while." Barry said.
"She called you a stain." Andre said.
"She's in denial. By the way, we're engaged." Barry said in a carrying voice.
"LIES!" Ramona shouted, causing the class to turn around. She immediately put her head down.
"Don't look at my beautiful fiancé." Barry said. "On with your work, people."
Ramona was the first to leave. She'd zipped out as soon as the bell rang.
"Totally in love with me." Barry said.
The boys gathered their bags and umbrellas.
"What is that?" Barry asked, looking at Andre's opened umbrella.
Kenny looked at it too. Both of them were trying not to giggle.
Andre blushed. "My mum packed it."
"A teddy bear?" Kenny said.
"My mum…"
"Don't worry, Alvin, we'll get you a new one!" Barry said. "Or you could trade Mort."
"Thanks, and please don't call me that. It's bad enough that Alice does."
"Sorry."
"Guys, it's that man again. He's looking at me." Andre said.
The man was standing in the same place, holding an umbrella this time.
"Maybe it's your Mom's friend, he was looking out for you right?" Kenny asked.
"Henry wouldn't be standing in the rain." Andre said.
"Let's go ask him." Barry said.
"No!" Kenny and Andre shouted as Barry ran across the street.
"Hey YOU! Why are you spying on my friend?" Barry demanded.
"What makes you think I'm spying on him?"
"Because you're staring at him."
"Leave him alone." Kenny whispered, trying to tug Barry's jacket. Barry shook him off.
"What do you want?" Barry asked.
"I think it'll be clear in due time." The man said.
"Barry." Andre groaned, also tugging Barry.
"Make it clear now." Barry growled.
"Barry, come on." Kenny said.
"Let's get out of here." Andre said. "Just leave him."
"I'd listen to your friends if I were you." The man said.
"Is that a threat?" Barry asked loudly.
"KENNY!"
The boys whipped around to find Kowalski hurrying towards them.
"Hey."
"Why were you talking to a stranger?" Kowalski demanded. "It's cold and soaking out here, get inside so I can scold you properly."
Barry turned to look back at the man, but he had gone.
The boys followed Kowalski inside.
"What were you thinking?" Kowalski asked. "He could have had a gun for all you know. What if he had done something?"
"Why do you care?" Barry snapped.
"If I had ignored you, then I would have to explain to your parents that I let you talk to a stranger and be killed." Kowalski said. "Don't you agree that your parents along with Andre's would be furious if they found out I let three twelve year olds be killed by a stranger wandering the streets?"
Andre bowed his head shamefully. Kenny determinedly stared at a painting on the wall.
"I don't agree." Barry snarled.
"And why is that?"
"Because I don't have parents!"
The others looked at him.
Barry had no response but to run away. He ran to the elevators.
"Did you know this?" Kowalski asked.
Kenny and Andre shook their heads.
"Alright, let's go talk to him." Kowalski sighed, leading them to the elevators.
"Uh, Kowalski." Andre said.
"Not now."
"But-"
"Give me a minute to think."
Andre shrugged.
They walked into the elevator.
"Kowalski." Andre said again.
"What?"
"We're…not alone."
Kowalski looked around and blushed. "H-hi."
"Hello, Kowalski." Doris said.
"I tried to tell him." Andre whispered to Kenny.
Kenny nodded.
It was an awkward ride. When they had reached the third floor, Kenny nudged his brother in the ribs to make him remember what he was doing. Andre waved to Doris as the doors closed again.
Kowalski was still pink when they reached their destination.
"Barry?" Kowalski said once they were in.
"Unless you live here, get out." Barry called.
Kowalski decided to talk to Barry while the other two stayed in the living room.
"What do you think that guy wanted?" Kenny asked after a few minutes of silence.
"I don't know, but he looked strangely familiar. I feel like I've met him before." Andre said.
"Really, in England?"
"Actually, in France. My mum and I went to visit some cousins when I was three and I think I saw him."
"Did he do anything?"
"No, I think I saw him enter our bakery once. He spoke to Dad, but I don't know what they talked about. I asked Dad and he didn't want to tell me."
"I think he knows something about that guy."
Andre was about to express his agreement when Kowalski and Barry came out.
"Would you like to explain?" Kowalski asked kindly.
Barry took a deep breath. "When I was born, my sister was nine years old. My parents were never really happy together. They were planning on getting a divorce when my dad died in a car crash. I was five and my sister was fourteen. My mom's health had been getting worse through the years and my sister was left to take care of us. She got into trouble when she was sixteen for drinking at a party. My mom was pretty mad. My mom died a year later of liver and kidney failure. I thought my sister would take care of me…but I was wrong."
He paused. The others were respectfully silent.
Barry inhaled again.
"The day after the funeral she told me she'd dropped out of school. I thought she was brave to do that so she could take care of me. But one day I waited at school for two hours for her to pick me up and…s-she...she never came. I went home and she wasn't there…I called the police and…I wasn't allowed by myself if…if there wasn't anyone there…I didn't have any family left…and they put me in a foster home. No one told me anything after that…I went to the police station to find out…but they said she wasn't found…I changed my personality so I could try to forget but…Kenny and Kowalski came…and Kowalski was like an older sibling…I didn't know how to react…it brought up bad memories…
"I stay in the apartments because I hate going back there. There are too many children and I had to share a room again. I'm allowed at Ramona's or Allie's during the holidays, but I have to go back to the foster homes in the summer. I often go to Ramona's house a few weeks before school. I don't mind sharing a bedroom with Eggy because he doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. I have to share my room with two of the other foster kids and they're really noisy and annoying. One of them is six years old and he wakes me up at midnight just to tell me he has to go potty when he knows he could go by himself. And the other one is a baby and he cries until someone picks him up. It's usually me because there are three other small babies and only two caretakers at night. I love kids, but not when I'm trying to sleep."
"And when I got mad, it hurt because no one would really discipline you." Kowalski said.
"Yeah, I hardly get disciplined because of all the other kids. I'm the oldest there and the most ignored. I'm not ignored on purpose, it's just because everyone else is so busy. I make the other kids laugh. That's when I enjoy their company, when I can make them laugh and not when they're whiny."
He avoided eye contact until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kenny.
"Barry, you know we'd never judge you, right?" He said.
Barry nodded slowly.
"Then don't be afraid." Andre said. "We're your friends."
"When you said you wanted to leave, I thought it was my fault…I drove someone away again…"
"Nah, Hunter's good company." Andre said. "And tell you what; you can come to my house whenever you want."
"Really?" Barry asked, a familiar grin on his face.
"Yeah, as long as you don't mind taking your shoes off before you go upstairs. Mum's afraid if we jump with our shoes on, the ceiling will fall down. Dad says it's just polite."
"Could I come?" Kenny asked.
"Sure, if your dad doesn't mind. Maybe you could come during the break." Andre said.
Kenny grinned.
"Kenny, I need to talk to you for minute." Kowalski said.
Kenny's smile faded.
"Wanna see my room?" Barry asked.
"Okay." Andre said, knowing the two brothers needed a private conversation.
Barry's half of the room was decorated with posters of the rainforest. There was also a tape outline of a slice of pizza on the wall.
"You like Pokémon?" Andre asked, eyeing Barry's sheets.
"Yup, I defeated all the gym leaders. I also battled against Mort and as the game said 'Trainer Barry battled Trainer Mort and won handily' or something like that. I couldn't believe Mort had six badges when we played. Guess how many Fred has."
"I don't know, five?"
"Zero. He says he can't get past the guy lying on the ground in Viridian City." Barry snickered.
"Doesn't he realize you have to get the parcel first?"
"Nope, so I moved on to the next generations. Mort hasn't done anything in Ruby because he doesn't know which Pokémon to choose."
"I chose Mudkip." Andre said. "My friend, Ginger, chose Treecko and my cousin Daniel chose Torchic. We used to play together when it was raining or when there was heavy snow. My mum would only let us play in the snow when it let up a little."
"Which one did you pick for the original?"
"My friends and I cheated the system." Andre said. "We basically came up with nine new trainers and we traded until all three of us had each starter. It was hard to do in Red, Green, and Blue, but easier in Fire Red and Leaf Green."
"I wish I did that, I got by on Bulbasaur." Barry said. "Hey, what are you going to be for Halloween?"
"Were you going trick or treating?"
"Yup, I do it every year. I'm going as a zombie. And cue Leonard freaking out. He actually believes zombies live here. I'm going to scare him on Halloween morning."
"I don't know what I will be yet."
"You can be a banana."
"Where did that come from?"
"I don't know!"
The boys laughed.
"Andre, I forgot we were going to show you the chat room stuff."
"Oh yeah, I have to get my computer though."
"We can go to your room."
"Alright."
The boys opened the door and stepped out.
"But he can't!" Kenny was saying. "It's happened before and you've always been-"
"I know, but what if it did? Then you'd-" Kowalski stopped when he heard Barry and Andre. "Hello, I'm pretty much finished."
Kenny looked pale. "Are you leaving?"
"No. Kowalski, can they come to our room?" Andre asked.
"Why?" Kowalski asked.
"He wants to be in the chat room." Barry said. "And whatever my future wife says, no I am not corrupting him."
"Future- yeah, I'm not even going to ask. You can come up."
The boys cheered as they rushed to the elevator with Kowalski behind them. Andre thought he saw a flash of worry in Kowalski's pale face. Kenny looked scared, but he smiled at Andre. Kenny and Barry brought their own laptops.
Andre sat on the bed with Kenny and Barry on either side of him. Barry located the website and smiled.
"Now you put things on your profile. No email will be shown unless you want it to." Barry said.
"Name, Andre Davis. Grade, sixth. Favorite color, blue. Favorite TV show, Lunacorns-"
"WHOA!" Kenny said. "You CANNOT put that there."
"Why not, it's the truth." Andre said.
"You don't have to be truthful." Barry said.
"Fine." Andre said and he got rid of it. "I'll put Pokémon, is that okay?"
"Yes." Barry said.
"Now you come up with a name and join a chat room. Or go to the general room."
"Hmm…How about babyblue?"
"That says you're a baby. How about blondbaker? Since your family owns a bakery."
Andre considered this. "Alright." He said. "Now what?"
"Say something and people will respond."
Blondbaker has joined General Chat room:
Blondbaker: Hello, I'm new here.
Kingcooldude: Okay, first rule, RESPECT DE CROWN.
"Julien." Barry scoffed.
DeBarrynator: No one respects the crown.
Savetheseals: Actually, they don't know it's a crown.
Kentaro: Hunter's right.
Theotterlady: Welcome to the chat room, Andre.
Blondbaker: Thanks.
Mfredi: Who the heck is Andre?
Fred: I don't know, but I had a rabbit named Pisces and it was brown.
"What the heck does the rabbit have to do with anything?" Barry asked.
"I have no idea." Andre said.
"Since when does Fred make sense?" Kowalski asked. Kenny laughed while the others shrugged.
Blondbaker: Fred, we met in the elevator.
Kentaro: Fred, you know you can change your name right?
Fred: But I like the name my mom gave me.
Buffdude: Who cares? Anyway, I wanted to talk about someone important. Me.
DeBarrynator: Shove off, Johnson.
Buffdude: Don't make me hurt you.
Dramaqueen: Oh, that's nice.
Kingcooldude: Hello, my love.
Dramaqueen has logged out.
Kentaro: He scared another one away.
Throbbingcerebellum: Don't you have homework to do?
DeBarrynator: Haha, your name…
Kowalski glared at Barry.
"It's funny!" Barry said defensively.
Mfredi: WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHO THE HECK ANDRE IS?
Buffdude: An orphaned nobody who no one cares about
Kentaro: HE IS NOT!
DeBarrynator: Johnson, I will destroy you.
Theotterlady: That wasn't nice, Johnson.
Buffdude: Want to make out?
Captain: Not on your life.
Savetheseals: SAVE THE SEALS!
Buffdude: Get out, weirdo.
Theotterlady: Leave her alone and I will NEVER kiss you.
Buffdude: One kiss? Then you'll see we're meant to be.
Savetheseals: THINK ABOUT ENDANGERED ANTARCTIC ANIMALS
Buffdude: No one cares about your pathetic campaign. On to important issues. Marlene, please date me.
Theotterlady: How many times do I have to tell you?
Buffdude: Just one little date?
Captain: Leave her alone.
Savetheseals: OH HOW THEY CRY, THEY CRY FOR US TO SAVE THEM! POOR LITTLE PENGUINS ARE STUCK IN OIL FIELDS. HARK! WHAT AN ENDING! BUT WAIT, YOU CAN HELP! I WANT YOUR HELP. THEY WANT YOUR HELP.
Buffdude: Well I want to curse, but there are children here so GET THE HECK OUT.
Captain: It might interest you to know that I am the moderator on this board.
Buffdude: Wait, what?
Moderator has terminated chat. Final message: Save the Antarctic and have a nice day.
Andre looked up. Barry was visibly shaking and Kenny was glowering at the screen.
"Ignore him." Kowalski said. "He's being a jerk."
"Does he know?" Barry asked weakly.
"Not unless you told anyone other than us." Kowalski said.
"No, Ramona and Allie think I live with my sister. I haven't said anything else."
"Do you have questions about the chat room?" Kenny asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Who's Captain?" Andre asked.
"That would be Skipper." Kowalski answered.
"I'm going to my room." Barry said hoarsely, closing his laptop.
Kenny decided to accompany him in case he tried to make a break for Johnson's room to destroy him.
"Kowalski, I'm sorry about what happened." Andre said.
"It's not your fault; things can get intense on chat-"
"I meant with Doris."
Kowalski blushed "It's not your fault." He said. "I-I'm foolishly in love..."
He studied Andre for a moment. "Did you think I was angry?" he asked.
Andre nodded. "You guys hate me."
"What? That's not true." Kowalski said. "We're all not sure of each other yet."
"Kowalski, that man was staring at me before."
"I know, I saw him too. He was watching us. I'm pretty sure he was watching Skipper too."
"What if he's watching the four of us?"
"We'll ignore him for now. I want you walking with Kenny and Barry from now on and don't talk to that man."
Andre nodded. "Alright, but what if he talks to us?"
"Ignore him and keep going."
"Should we tell Skipper?"
"Not until I'm sure he's being watched as well."
Andre sighed. "Alright."
When the lights turned out for the night, Andre was thinking. Thinking about his roommates and what was said about them. He looked to where Kowalski was, wondering if he could ask.
"Kowalski?"
"Huh?" Kowalski said.
"What's Rico's home life like?"
"I…I don't think he'd like me talking about it without his permission. Why? Did someone tell you something?"
Andre told him what Julien, Barry, Kenny, and the boy in class had said.
Kowalski scoffed. "As a matter of fact, he's pretty nice once you get to know him. He's just lonely. I know his dad has a girlfriend who's…well she's afraid of Rico. She's afraid of the rumors of the town."
"Do you live near him?"
"No, I live in Bayfield, Wisconsin. He lives in Kirksville, Missouri. He lived there with his sister and his dad for a while. Rikki was born blind if Julien told you a wacky story otherwise, don't believe him. Contrary to popular belief, he's never held a gun in his life."
"How did his mum die?"
"That's a bit personal, you should ask him."
"How do I ask him without being afraid of him and Skipper?"
"Why are you afraid of Skipper?"
"Are you?"
"Er…well…a little. But I think it's mostly because he has so much authority in his voice. He's the grandson and son of war veterans so it's turned him out to be a bit militaristic. If you hang around his family, you'll find out they're all pretty much like that. But they're also nice."
"I'm kind of afraid to ask, but what about you and Kenny?"
Kowalski was silent so long; Andre thought he'd fallen asleep.
"Our father is…strict…in a word…and he sent us out here…" Kowalski stopped.
"Kenny hasn't been eating so much."
Kowalski didn't answer.
"I was just concerned about his health."
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Kowalski said, but there was something odd in the way he said it.
"Will you be fine?"
"I'm sorry; I have to use the restroom." He got up and exited.
Andre bit his lip; he thought he'd gotten too personal.
By the time Kowalski had returned, Andre had fallen asleep.
