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"whenever you're ready"
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Four Years Earlier – Somewhere in Oklahoma
It was one of those rare occasions when Andi was left on her own. Her mother, Lorraine, was away again on another assignment, and Delphine, her tutor and her mother's girlfriend, was shopping in town.
These instances of complete freedom always caught the young blonde off guard. What was she even supposed to do with the time? Her life seemed very sad during moments like these. It was not as if she had friends to sneak out with.
Well, technically, that was not true.
Her mother never allowed her to grow attached to anyone. Attachments were distractions that could get you killed, she would tell Andi. The young girl soured at the thought. Apparently, only her mother was allowed to decide what attachments were dangerous or not, seeing as she formed a pretty significant one with Delphine.
Hypocrite.
Although, a few months prior to her turning twelve, when Delphine had taken the Broughton girl into town with her, Andi may have made her first friend. Usually, she hated going to town with the older woman. The kids her age recognized her because she was different. She did not attend school with them. She did not interact with them. She was a hermit by the age of twelve.
Those quick to conform to social norms did not easily accept difference.
Andi walked behind Delphine with her head down, pushing the cart through the market. The blonde could hear the whispers of gossip. They did not necessarily bother her. Why would they? She did not know these people. They were not her friends.
The only acceptance she ever yearned for was her mother's. That was the most twisted part about their whole relationship. The preteen was so full of resentment toward the woman who gave her life, yet at the same time, all she wanted was some praise, some attention, anything. God, she sounded needy.
However, everything changed that one day in town when she met Erik Schilling.
Erik was different too. He did not care about the whispers when he ran into the younger girl while Delphine was in the bathroom. He did not spare a glance at the wandering eyes of the public during their conversation. It never even occurred to Andi that he was also out of place.
She would be lying if she denied the skip in her heartbeat as she spoke with the charming fourteen-year-old. It was the first time she ever had a real conversation with someone her age where they were not referring to her as a freak at some point.
When Delphine had come back from the bathroom, Andi asked if she could get ice cream with Erik. The French woman knew that Lorraine would be livid if she allowed Andi to go, but Delphine knew the importance of being socialized at such a young age and she did not want to deprive Andi of normalcy any longer. Giving in, she allowed the two to go to the ice cream shop down the street as she finished her errands.
