reason to change ♡ daddy issues sequel

till' i'm dyin!

viceroy,
don't take me for a fool now.
i'm only tryna' come down!

➳

bricks weathered from the wet season filled him with the familiar sense of nostalgia. if every building had a story, then this one surely had hundreds. although run down, the school was much nicer than the other high school across town.

three years ago andy ascended these exact steps. three years ago, andy did not picture himself being in the place he was in now. as he entered the building, the warmth and smell of books made him smile. to tell you the truth, andy hated school. despised it. yet, each night was spent looking forward to waking up the next morning and attending. not because he loved learning or because he enjoyed the classes, but because he always got to see his friends. the group of rowdy teenagers always seemed to make the best out of everything.

especially now. after all, he was dating vic.

sure, he wasn't one hundred person better. but he was doing fairly well. everything had fell into place. andy felt so silly. all the times he had been nervous over asking to hang out with vic, every time andy spoke to him with shaky words and shy looks, all those nights he lied awake worrying over every possible ending to the scenarios he made up. all for nothing. because for once, someone had loved him back. and he never felt better than walking side by side, fingers intertwined with vic's.

"over here!" oli called from the end of the hallway. throwing a balled up detention slip at andy, he rushed over to the boy. oli was the first one to greet him. always. usually smoking outside the building or somewhere within the vicinity of his locker, the outspoken boy was hanging around somewhere.

andy rolled his eyes. waving him off, he snatched the paper from the ground, tossing it into a nearby trashcan.
"detention already? what'd you do, curse mr. jackson out?"
"that's from last week dipshit." oli shot back. the two squinted at each other before bursting to laughter.

"well, whatever." snorting, oli tried to remember his locker combination.
andy tapped on the metal, humming along to this charming man by the smiths as he shoved textbooks into the small space.

it had been a while since he laughed. laughed truly, to be exact. he laughed yeah, he wasn't trying to be that dramatic. each one felt guilty and cheap. something to add to white noise, not something genuine.

it was now though. it had been for a while now. andy had an idea where it came from.
andy swore the baby-faced brunette somehow saved him. in one form or another. and he did. maybe not completely. there was still plenty of work he had to do, but not as much as before. andy was no longer the car engulfed in flames after a wreck, but rather the charred scene left behind. damaged, but not doomed.

➶

the weather in washington state was beautiful around this time of year. spring had just rolled around. chilly in the morning and night, warm during the day. sunny drifted over them through parted clouds. the sky was a glorious blue similar to hydrangeas dotting a garden.

more often than not, the gang would hang out in andy's car and listen to the latest record he got his hands on. the car rides spent listening to nevermind & (what's the story) morning glory? were something they would always look forward to.

andy was the 'designated dj' as oli put it. today's soundtrack: basement's colourmeinkindness.

"hey kellin, do you know the way?" andy laughed, tilting his lighter so it met his cigarette. blowing smoke rings, he flashed a smirk at vic. the brunette rolled his eyes as he kicked up his feet onto the dashboard. vic knew they'd end up coming home smelling like cigarettes, but he didn't mind it. although the smell drove his mother crazy, it comforted him. it reminded him of his best friend.

"that's a dead meme and you're stupid." kellin exhaled.

"how can it be dead when it's barely been a few days?" oli argued. kellin let out a laugh, or playfully pushing the eldest of the four. vic added onto oli's reply which caused kellin to retaliate. next thing you know, all four of them had raised their voices, bickering over complete nonsense.

no matter how much they teased each other and through every stupid fight, they'd always care about each other.

then it was quiet. pine—a mutual favorite among the group had begun playing. oli laid back and mouthed the lyrics, whispering along as he rested his head against the car window.

there was a certain point where all andy's ailing disappeared. a smile embedded in his lips as he reached over, toying with the soft curls brushing vic's shoulders. andy felt like a summer breeze, a spring in his step he couldn't control. humming through his teeth, a toothy grin settled on his lips before he opened his mouth to speak.

"i love you guys." andy giggled. he had become more outspoken lately. voicing his thoughts was something he always had trouble with. everything was changing so quickly, and for the better too.
"oh shut up. you're so corny." kellin whined.
"shh. don't ruin the moment." vic laughed, pressing a finger to baby-pink lips. kellin simply scoffed and pushed his hand away.

the air drifted over them like ocean waves. and once again, andy let himself smile.

➶

first chapter! it's so short ah sorry. i hope y'all like this as much as the first book.
much love. ♡