Discombobulate

Chapter Twelve

Denise and Andy survived the night. By the time Andy woke up, Denise had been hard at work. She had unpacked a few more boxes and went out to get the two of them lunch.

Andy found her chewing a french fry and writing in a notebook. "What's that?" She nodded toward a McDonald's bag with the top rolled down.

Denise swallowed her fry. "I hope you don't mind, I stopped at McDonald's again. There's a Coke for you in the fridge. I planned on getting breakfast, but they weren't serving it anymore. I got you fries and chicken nuggets." 

"It's already after eleven?" Andy glanced around the kitchen trying to find a clock. 

"Technically, it's after twelve. You've been sleeping for a long time. Yesterday, you mentioned you came here from Kansas. I didn't know if you flew or drove here. I figured you were exhausted." 

"I tried to get a flight. It would have been a lot easier. The flights were booked and I was in a hurry. I ended up driving for almost sixteen hours. Eight on one day and eight the next day. Is that a Sprite?"

Denise grabbed her drink and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" 

"Because Sprite is one of the worst drinks to exist. I was hoping you had grown since we last saw each other." Andy loved to tease Denise about her Sprite obsession. She'd never met anyone who enjoyed it as much as Denise. 

"What do you want me to drink? Coke? Do you think Coke is naturally brown? They put artificial coloring in it. Leave me and my Sprite alone." Denise took a sip of her drink, but not before sticking her tongue out at her friend. 

"Oh yeah, real grown-up of you," Andy rolled her eyes. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"You're going back home today. I'll pay for your flight and I'll pay to have your car towed back to your parent's house." 

"That's not happening. I'll leave, but you're not going to be paying for my things. I'm perfectly fine driving myself back home." 

"You freaked out about a deer last night. You expect me to believe you'll be fine driving home?" Denise crossed her arms. 

Andy opened the refrigerator. She snatched the large Coke off the top shelf. A straw was shoved in the top. She took a sip of it and turned back to her friend.

"That's a simple fix, I'll drive during the day. I'll stop at a hotel, catch some shut-eye, wake up, and continue the drive. I'm not catching a flight back home. There are a few places I want to stop." 

Denise wanted to object, but she bit her tongue. Once Andy was determined to do something, she was going to do it. There was nothing Denise could do to stop her. 

Andy made her way to the counter and scooted one of the stools towards her. "I could still hang around here for a while. Your bed is big enough for the two of us. We could both use the moral support from each other, it would be fun." 

"When was the last time you considered Brimington to be fun? You need to be with your parents. They deserve to be able to see their daughter. Besides, I know you love Kansas. Last I knew, there was a specific ice cream parlor you liked to visit every day." 

"It was every other day when I visited my parents. My parents could wait a while. Besides, that parlor has been fine without my business." 

"Andy, my family is dead." 

The light-hearted atmosphere fizzled out between the pair of friends. Andy's smile turned into a frown. Denise couldn't help it, she was jealous of Andy.

Andy had two loving and supportive parents. Andy was their only child. Denise wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Andy stayed with her and something happened to her parents. She didn't need to feel added guilt.