these darkened stars {andy biersack}

chapter five

the rest of andy and alex's car ride was silent, save for the soft sounds of the radio that he had turned down earlier because he was too irritated to listen to anything at the moment. by that time, most of his anger had cooled off, and only guilt remained. he wanted to tell her that he was sorry for being runner-up for the world's biggest douchebag, but he didn't have the guts to give her any type of real apology, so he figured he'd do it in the morning. at least, that was the plan.

it was getting late. the sun had long since set, and they had been driving around town for an absurd amount of time now, both of them too stubborn to speak to one another so they could figure out where to stay for the night. eventually, andy got tired of it and pulled into a small hotel, figuring he would give her a gesture of goodwill by checking in somewhere safer than a motel 7. not that she'd make the connection, anyway.

when andy got out of the car, alex followed, albeit a little reluctantly. the waters they now tread on were untested, unknown. she wasn't exactly sure of what to do, other than allow him time to cool down and sleep it off. hopefully, they would talk in the morning.

before walking inside, he opened the back door where a large black suitcase sat upon the seat. he grabbed his backpack from the floor next to the middle seat and zipped open the suitcase, replacing the clothes he wore the day before for fresh ones he could change into once he showered. he also brought a pair of sweats, in case alex was uncomfortable with him sleeping in his briefs.

"you ready?" he mumbled as he walked past her and towards the building. she nodded with pursed lips, heaving her duffel bag straps on to her right shoulder and leaning to the left so she could carry it easier.

she wasn't fully equipped for the life on the road forever, most of the contents in her bag were clothes and toiletries. yes, she had money, but it would start dwindling down soon and it was already painfully low. barely enough to start over. in the morning, she would either make up with her new hotheaded acquaintance or leave, finding a new ride or a temporary place to stay until she could find a job and make enough money to pay rent. she hoped for the best—it was easier than picturing herself wearing the same pair of clothes every day and begging people to give her a job or a little money because she couldn't afford proper housing and lived off of food stamps.

andy got them a single hotel room with two beds so they wouldn't be stuck sleeping in a bed together, and when he received the key cards he went to give her one and noticed she was struggling with her bag. automatically feeling bad, he took it off her shoulder and swung it pretty easily up to his, carrying it the rest of the way.

"thank you, kind sir," alex mock curtsied, a lopsided smile spanning her lips.

he gave her a small smile and carried on, hoping she knew he was doing the best he could at the moment. later they would talk, he decided. after they both showered and settled into bed. that was a good time to talk, right? when they were both too tired to care about their emotions?

the elevator made a ding, signaling that they had arrived at their floor. their hotel room was located on the third floor, which was the highest floor of the hotel. it was nice, andy liked having a bigger view, even if it was only the city he was looking out at. it was quiet in the hall, their footsteps and the sound of alex using the key card to open the room the only noises heard on the floor.

they were simple rooms. the walls were painted an off-white and beige, bare of paintings and other wall decor. there was a dark wooden table with two matching chairs and a small lamp atop it next to a dresser and a mini tv. definitely better than where andy had slept the previous night, where there was nothing but his pestering thoughts to keep him company.