LOVE LANGUAGE||Isaac Garcia-Walter

<Chapter 1>

Andrea Howard was unsure of what to say.

That's been the case for the last six months, actually. Ever since her uncle, aunt and older cousin had died in a car crash earlier that year, she'd been struggling with what to say to people. What to say to her friends, her teachers, and especially her only surviving cousin, Jackie.

Yet, here she was. Getting off of a plane with that same cousin and about to be on her way to go live with another family that isn't hers. 

Andrea fiddles with the handle of her suitcase as Jackie looks around for the Walters next to her. Sighing, she takes a breath; pushing her curly hair out of her face and catching her cousin's attention. "Jackie, I know that this is a lot, this whole year has been. But it's always going to be us against the world. I'll always be here for you, okay?"

Jackie only half smiles, her shoulders sagging at the mention of the rough year that they've had. She looks at Andrea earnestly. "It's been a tough year for you too, Rae. This is your second time going through this, I can't imagine what it's been like for you."

It was true, this was Andrea's second time losing her family. When she was nine, her original parents had died in a plane crash on their way home from a business trip. Her father, Nolan, was Jackie's father's brother. In his will, it was written that Andrea would go to her uncle if anything ever happened to her family. When the accident happened, she went straight to live with Jackie. 

Her life was almost perfect before Jackie's family had passed, Andrea was almost over the passing of her parents, she had perfect grades; her life was perfect. But when the car crash happened, she panicked. At first, she didn't know where she'd go, but when she learned that she'd be going with Jackie to the Walters', she didn't know how to feel. She hated feeling like a burden, and she'd just stopped feeling like one.

Yet here she was, back to square one with everything.

"Jackie! Andrea!" They see a red haired woman and her husband shuffling over to them, glancing at each other knowingly. 'They must be the Walters', Andrea thinks.

Bracing herself, Andrea puts on a smile, silently hoping that the Walters will make her and Jackie's lives more bearable.

--

Meeting the Walters was an adventure for Andrea and Jackie. Wreaking havoc all around the house were the children of George and Kathrine. Andrea hadn't been here long, but she already knew where she stood at the Walter house. 

She hadn't met everyone yet, as she went off on her own once they'd arrived at the house. She was currently outside in the yard, playing with their dog, Albert. Andrea loves dogs, always has. She had one before she moved in with Jackie's family, but it was given away once her parents died.

As she was walking along the ranch, she came across a beaten up tennis ball, quickly bending over and picking it up. She whistled quickly, Albert running over to her with a sloppy smile as drool oozed from his mouth. Andrea smiled, kneeling down and getting to his level.

"Hey, boy. You wanna play?" She coos at the dog, petting the top of his head with a grin. She quickly stands up and waves the ball at him, Albert barking at her. Winding her arm up, she throws the ball hard, Albert chasing it into the distance. Looking down at her hands, she realizes how dirty the ball was; as it's residue was all over her palm.

Looking around, she wipes the dirt on her light blue jeans. However, there's a boy there when she looks back.

"You must be New York number two." One of the Walter boys is in front of Andrea, his tall figure hovering over her shorter one. He has blond hair, styled like a 90s celebrity. To the average eye, this boy was to die for, but he wasn't Andrea's type.