Future [Andley]

Eight

What was it like to be a tree?

Andy thought this as he laid quietly on his bed, head turned to the side and gazing out the window. His room was on the second level of the hospital. His view was a simple and large tree, sunlight peeking out where it could between the clumps of leaves and branches.

Trees came in all shapes and sizes... Pine trees, oak trees, maple trees... They all had their own colors, and their own purposes that only they could serve. 

Some were small, some were big. Some were narrow, others were wide, others droopy and long. What was it like to be a tree?

If Andy were a tree, maybe he'd be Goldspire Ginkgo tree. It had a weird name. Andy was weird. The tree was tall and thin, and so was Andy. Maybe if Andy were a tree, he'd be that.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Andy turned his head and smiled a little bit, watching as Ashley closed the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked back out the window.

"Do you ever... wonder?" Andy asked.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "That depends. Wonder what, exactly?"
"About things. Nature. People. The future." Andy murmured wistfully. Ashley laughed a bit.

"Can't say I do, no." He shrugged. "Care to tell me what it is you're wondering about, though?"
Andy's eyes flickered around the scene outside the window, observing the thin branches move with the wind, while the larger ones stayed put, keeping the smaller branches rooted. Maybe that was him and Ashley... Soon, at least. Ashley would be his rock, and Andy would need him to stay rooted.

"Trees.." Andy smiled. Ashley laughed again.

"Trees, huh? What about them?"
"They're interesting." Andy murmured, looking over at Ashley. "What if trees represent a persons soul?"
"How so...?"
"Strong in some ways... Weak in others. Some are weak at the branches, some are weak at the base. Some of them die quickly, some of them flourish for a long time... Like some people. Y'know?"
Ashley blinked a few times as he processed. "I suppose. I never thought of it like that, I guess."
Andy smiled fondly and looked at the ceiling. "I think that way all the time... It makes the world more interesting."

Ashley nodded slowly. "How do you mean?"
"The world is so dark, Ashley. It's so full of hatred and bitterness, but looking at things and just... wondering. It makes the world seem more colorful than it really is; more alive. I feel more alive when I think."
"And that's why you're so zoned out in class, huh? Why you doodle absently the way you do?"
Andy nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes I doodle to keep track of what I think. That doesn't make much sense to you, maybe, but it does to me."

Ashley smiled. "Explain, then. What were the butterfly drawings about? What do you think about them?"
"Butterflies... They're incredible." Andy laughed breathlessly. "They're fragile, but they're beautiful. They manage to transform from this small little caterpillar to a majestic creature with wings all colors of the rainbow."
"But some people are scared of them. What's majestic about that?" Ashley teased.
"I think of that as a representation of how people are afraid of... change. Things they don't understand. Like how people don't understand-"
"You...?" Ashley finished quietly. Andy nodded, saying nothing more. "I'm sorry, Andy."

Andy shrugged and turned his head to look out the window again. It wasn't that he was necessarily mad at Ashley, but more so because... Well, Ashley was right. People didn't understand him, and they wouldn't understand him if they knew about his secrets. He was just thankful Ashley had understood... Did he? Or was he just being nice...?
Andy couldn't tell. He should be able to, but he couldn't. His feelings for Ashley had clouded his judgement for so damn long, it was actually a bit ridiculous.

That brought his mind back to that dream he had had when he was out cold. Was it real? Or rather, would it be real?

What did it mean?

"So anyways... Um. How are you feeling?" Ashley changed the subject. Andy shrugged quietly and shifted to look at him again.
"Okay, I guess." Andy sighed. When he saw Ashley had a look of genuine concern in his eyes, he smiled a bit. "I have a bit of a headache, but it's whatever. It's kind of dull."

Ashley smiled faintly. "I guess that'll happen after nearly cracking your skull open."

Andy rolled his eyes in return and shoved him teasingly. "Shut it, it's your fault."
"And I'll make it up to you as soon as you're out of here, alright?" Ashley sighed. Andy gazed at him with a large amount of adoration in his crystal ice.

"Alright." He murmured and grabbed his hand gently. "But you better not fuck this up, okay?"
"Who, me? Never." Ashley grinned.
Andy shook his head. "Ashley, I'm not kidding." He sighed. "Please... Don't make me regret trusting you."
Ashley smiled sadly. "I won't, Andy. I promise."

Andy's heart fluttered. He promised. So that meant it'd be okay, didn't it?
All he could do was hope.

Hope for the best. That's all he had.