CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU x ANDY BARBER

1

It's nighttime, Hazel sleeps peacefully until she hears her phone ring. Andy. 
Why is he calling me two years later without talking to me? 
"Hello?" in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Hazel?" with a sad voice.
"What's up Andy? You come back to talk to me 2 years later without giving me any news about you? I've been worried sick about you... But I was wrong... You forgot about me and I felt so bad..."
"I need to talk to you, Hazel..." 
"To tell me what?" she sighs. 
"That this is the last time you'll hear from me..." 
"What do you mean?"
"I am about to leave this world... I wanted to tell you so many things but I became a terrible friend, a bad husband, and a bad father... anyway, I wanted to say goodbye, Hazel..." He cries.
"Andy, don't do anything stupid... You have your whole life ahead of you..." You are getting more and more worried. "Look, don't do anything you might regret, I'm coming to your house." She jumps out of bed and hurriedly gets ready to go to Andy's house. She gets in her car and speeds down the road. When she gets to the place, she jumps out of her vehicle. She gets in and tries to find Andy. She can't find him, so she calls him. No answer. She runs into the backyard—no sign of him. She runs to his room and sees him by his bed with a bottle in his hand and the box of pills on the nightstand. 
"ANDY!!!" She shakes him to try to wake him up. "Andy please wake up..." She starts to panic and cry.
She moves her head closer to his chest to listen to his heart. 
He is breathing... 
She looks on the nightstand, the box of pills hasn't been opened, he just dozed off. 
Phew, he scared me too much... Don't ever do that to me again Andy...
She puts the blanket over him and goes downstairs for a drink. 

***
She wakes up and Andy is not here anymore. She rushes downstairs to find Andy. Not here…
God, Andy where did you go?!
She’s hearing water flowing, he’s taking a shower.
Phew… He really scared me… I should make some aspirin and breakfast.
A short time later, Andy comes downstairs in his tracksuit, hood over his head. He goes to the living room. 
“Hi, Andy…” He turns around and takes off his hood. 
“Hi…” He approaches the kitchen and sits on the stool. “You stayed here??” 
“Yeah, and I cooked something for you…” She puts his plate on the work surface. “Don’t forget the aspirin…” She puts the glass too. 
“Hazel, I-” He sighs and lowers his head. 
“Eat and then we talk.” He’s surprised how I have changed a lot since we last spoke. He starts to drink and he eats. “Wow, I forgot how well you cook…” He giggles. She catches a bottle of orange juice and pours some into his glass. “Vitamins.” She leaves the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” 
“Going to take a shower…” She goes upstairs and closes the door. She huffs and approaches the sink. She lowers her head before looking at herself in the mirror again. Her hands are shaking. She takes the pills she has in her pocket before she goes to take a shower. 
I should tell him what happened 2 years ago… 
She comes out of the bathroom and gets dressed before going back downstairs.
“Feeling better?” He’s leaning against the wall. 
“Yeah, thanks.”
“So, you wanted to talk…” He slaps his hand on his hip. “Well, now we can.” 
“Why didn’t you talk to me for 2 years?” 
“I tried but you didn’t answer, I was always on your voicemail…”. 
“I waited for your calls and even went to see you but Laurie told me that-”
“That what?”
“Did you still have the voicemails?” 
He checks his phone. “No…” He just got it. “Laurie…”
“Now we know why we didn’t talk to each other for 2 years…” She sighs. “Well, you have to talk with her…” 
He lowers his head. “That’s not possible anymore…” 
She frowns her eyebrows. “Why?”
There’s a silence before Andy speaks. “She’s dead…” 
“What? When? How?” 
“After their accidents, Jacob didn’t survive and after her recovery, she couldn’t take what she had done to Jacob anymore, so she decided to end her life…” 
“Oh my god…” She is speechless, she collapses on the stool. “Oh Andy, I’m so sorry… I should have been there for you…” Tears begin to fall. “I’m a horrible friend… I… I should go…” She stands up and starts to walk towards the exit, but she’s dizzy. 
"Hazel, are you okay?" he approaches. 
"Yes yes, I'm fine I'm fine..." She begins to lose her footing. "I... Andy?" She starts to collapse but he catches her. "Hazel!" He picks her up and puts her on the couch. He leaves her to get a glass of water, but before he can return to Hazel, he finds a pill bottle with her name on it on the floor. He looks at it and doesn't understand what's going on. 
He returns to Hazel who wakes up gently. “Here, drink…” He passes her the glass of water. He shows the box of pills. “Hazel, tell me what’s happening to you…” He places her hair behind her ears. 
Oh no…Well, I don’t have a choice anymore…
“Okay, umm…” She’s fidgeting with her fingers. “I… I was diagnosed with cancer… It appears a year ago…” She lowers her head. 
“Oh, Hazel…” He’s trying to put his hand on her cheek but she stands up quickly. “I shouldn’t tell you, I think I’m gonna go…” She grabs her coat and rushes through the exit. “Hazel, wait!” He’s following her. He grabs her wrist. “Let me go!”. “Hazel, you’re not okay… Let me help you…” She’s crying. “Let me go, please…” She’s falling to the ground. “Let me go…” He kneels, takes her in his arms, rests her head on his chest, and places his hand on her head. “Hazel, shh… I’m here.” He’s stroking her head. She’s sobbing. “I’m sorry…”. He pulls her back. “Hey, this is not your fault. Okay?” He puts his hand on her cheeks and wipes her tears. “Come on, give me a smile… Please…” She’s smiling lightly. “There you go… That’s my Hazel…” He rubs her cheek with his thumb. Their lips are a few centimeters apart. He kisses her. They both look at each other. “I love you, Hazel…” 
“Andy…” She lowers her head.
“I love you so much and I want to be with you…”
She stands up. “It’s impossible Andy, I’m sick and you won’t be able to take care of me every time! You don’t want a girl like me… And I know that since high school...” 
He stands up. “Hazel! I want to be with you whether you are sick or not! I have always loved you, Hazel…” He approaches her.
“I think I should go…” She grabs her coat. She closes the door behind him but he follows her to her car. 
“Hazel, please…” He rushes to her. 
“I need to think, Andy…” She gets inside her car and closes the door.
“Hazel!!” He’s knocking on the window of the car. “Hazel, please!” 
The car pulls away and Andy calls Hazel on his phone. 
"Please pick up, pick up!!!" 
"Hi, you've reached Hazel's voicemail, leave me a message..." BEEP
"Hazel, please come back... I love you!" He hangs up and hopes to see her car again, but no Hazel.
“Hazel, come back…” He’s muttering.