Future [Andley]

Three

Andy sat in his biology class the next morning, staring out the window. There was a small blue butterfly fluttering around the school garden. He watched it's delicate wings move in snap in rapid movement, carrying itself to another leaf to once again sit peacefully.
Sometimes Andy wanted to be a butterfly. Sure, it was a bit weird. Most people, if asked, would say they'd like to be a dog, or a cat, or a bird, even. Andy wanted to be a butterfly.

They were such small and delicate beings. They were carefree. Beautiful, no matter the color of their wings. Whether they were the ugliest shade of green, or a midnight black, or a bright orange, the world looked at butterflies as a portrayal of innocence and fragility; breath-taking. They were a nature photographer's prime model when available.
Who wouldn't want to be constantly perceived as beautiful, and get attention every now and then?

To Andy, that sounded like his kind of life. He loved attention, but he loved positive attention. He never got that much.
Sometimes Andy liked to think of himself as a caterpillar. As odd as that may sound, it was true. Caterpillars weren't as much appreciated or worshiped as butterflies, but they were the same thing, weren't they?
Caterpillars spent long periods of time hidden away in a cocoon. That was where they grew, where they slowly became the beautiful butterfly they emerged as.
Andy thought of himself as one of those now; as a caterpillar swaddled away in a silky confinement to become... better. Beautiful. Happy.

He wanted to be happy...

Happy with his life. He wanted to be happy with himself. He wanted to make someone else happy.

"Hey, man." His friend Josh slid into the seat next to him at the lab table. "Frog dissection today. Yuck." He set his backpack on the floor next to his chair.
Andy looked over at him, smiling a bit. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that..."

"Mr. Ramsay, I believe I've told you before that you and Mr. Biersack are to be separate for this lab." The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose.
"But why?" Josh rolled his eyes.
"Because last time I allowed the two of you to be lab partners, I distinctly remembering neither of you finishing your lab sheets. The point of this class is to learn, not goof off with the lab supplies. Now trade with Mr. Purdy and be Mr. Pitts' partner."
Josh grumbled something and slid off the lab stool, grabbing his bag. "Sorry, man. See you after class." He muttered to Andy. Andy pursed his lips and nodded, hanging his head as another body took place on the empty seat.

"You do the dissecting, I'll fill out the sheet." Ashley said shortly, taking out his pen. Andy furrowed his brow.
"Wait, why do I have to do all of it?"
"Because. Now c'mon, I'd rather not have to schedule extra lab time to finish this." Ashley muttered. Andy sighed and pulled on the latex gloves, that the teacher had passed out, and tugged the disgusting tray over to his side of the table. He swallowed thickly.
"What's the first step?" Andy asked, picking up the mini scalpel.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Carefully slice open the mid-section with a singular, vertical cut." He read off the paper. Andy nodded and did so. Ashley continued to feed him the instructions until they completed the core dissection part.

"Now what's the largest organ in the frog's body cavity..." Ashley muttered as he read. "Uh, the large intestine." He wrote it out, the black pen scratching against the paper.

Andy frowned. "What? No it's not. It's the liver. Did you even look at the frog?"
Ashley shot him a glare. "I'm sorry, did I ask you?"
Andy immediately looked down, staring at the table. "Sorry... I'll be quiet." He sat down on his stool. He felt Ashley staring at him with a critical yet contemplating gaze.

"Fine. Largest organ is the liver." He huffed out a sigh and scribbled out the initial answer he had written out. Andy couldn't help his small smile that took form on his chapped lips, but he quickly hid it. Ashley only wanted a good grade, that was all.