"You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees."

Before the story...

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The conversation continued in hushed whispers throughout the lesson, and Addy opened up to Andrew about her life growing up in a bustling city. She shared with him her other passions, like sailing and exploring fresh places, while he told her of his own life growing up in a small town.

Andrew described to her his childhood home: the smell of pine trees after a rainstorm; soft green grass that tickled his bare feet as he walked along the shore; the sound of gulls circling overhead as they searched for their next meal. The stories were mesmerizing and fascinatingly detailed. It was as if she were living them right alongside him. During class, when the teacher wasn't looking, they passed notes back and forth between them – little musings about their lives, hopes and dreams. Little did they know it then, but these conversations and notes would be the beginning of something special; a friendship that would last forever.

*

The school day passed quickly, disappointing both of the two new friends. When they approached the school gate, Addy went to wave him goodbye.

"I'll talk to you tomor--..." she thought of something and suddenly had thin lips, the kind that pursed to form a rosebud of a smile, and long, white teeth - like the incisors of a squirrel before it scurries up a tree. "... hey, want to explore the city?"

Andrew's face lit up and lit with joy, "That sounds like a great idea!"

The two of them strolled through the city and shared stories about their lives. They stopped for lunch at a small cafe, where Addy introduced Andrew to Pad Thai, her favorite dish. By the time they reached Addy's house in the late afternoon, they were both tired but happy. As they stood in front of her door she asked him if he wanted to come inside and have dinner with her family.

"I'd love to!" he said eagerly.

*

The cozy living room was a sight to behold. Pictures from their many adventures hung on the walls, capturing the beauty of the places they had explored. Candles danced around the room, their warm light illuminating colorful fabrics draped across chairs and sofas. The scent of sweet honey and spice combined with jazz music playing softly in the background completed the scene of comfort and joy.

Addy's giggle cut through like a knife. She kicked off her shoes at the door and looked askance at Andrew as he did the same. "Shoes!" she said, giggling again.

It took him a moment to realize that she was making a joke. He laughed until he saw the look on her face, wondering if he had missed something obvious. Soon, Addy was giving a tour of her two-story house, not including her parent's room because that's restricted to her. When she was done, explaining the use of every piece of furniture, and showed him to -- but did not enter -- her parents' rooms, which held only piles of clothes and opened crates still smelling of Chinese woodworkers' tea (breathing it in caused unbearable sneezing fits), they went into the kitchen for dinner. Once she was done with that, which took half an hour from ordering at McDonalds to getting delivery food to sitting down around a too-small table for one, she explained, "My mom will be home soon with McDonalds, are you okay with chicken nuggets?"

Andrew, who had never tried chicken nuggets before, was hesitant and uncertain at first. He wasn't sure if he would like them or not, "I-I've never had chicken nuggets before... what if I don't like it?" He would feel bad if he used her mother's money for nothing and wasting so much food.

"Don't worry," Addy said, noticing his anxiety. "You'd love them! They're my favorite." She smiled at him encouragingly, and Andrew felt reassured.

Just then, Andrew heard the front door open and the sound of paper rustling in the living room. Addy's mother had arrived with the McDonald's bags! Addy brought out plates of chicken nuggets for both of them and poured glasses of soda to share. As they ate their meal, they talked about their common interests - music, sports, movies - until they were interrupted by other conversations from around the table with Addy's siblings and parents joining in on the fun. Soon enough, it felt like family was gathered around that table for a nice home-cooked meal instead of a feast of fast food delicacies!

Andrew loved the attention he was getting. Not as self-absorbed but that he never received this much attention in a long time. He felt like he was cared for, but he didn't let his feeling get in the way of the fun, and enjoyed the time with his new friend and her family while he was there.

*

Andrew reluctantly stepped outside and turned himself to the door as he spotted Addy, the gravity of leaving weighing heavy on his heart. Addy followed him and Andrew found himself wishing he could stay longer--long enough to erase the loneliness that came with saying goodbye. He thanked her for her hospitality and kindness.

Addy felt excited and asked, "If it isn't any struggle, would you like to come back tomorrow? Just to hang out, you know?"

He felt a sense of trepidation as she invited him back the following day. His heart raced; what would his father say?

"I'll ask my father tonight, though I doubt it. He's a very strict man," he sighed as he looked to the concrete below him.

She seemed a little disappointed when he told her he needed to ask first, yet still smiled in spite of it.

"That's alright," she smiled and waved at him.

As Andrew left, Addy noticed something off; why didn't he include his mother? She took a step up to prepare to stop him, "Hey, what about your mother?"

The question caught him off guard, making his step falter before quickly pacing away. Her question stirred emotions in him—the ones hidden deep down—he wasn't ready to share yet.

She watched him go, wanting to take away his pain, but all she could do was watch as he got further away. With a loud sigh, she closed the door to her home, where warmth and joy shone despite the absence of one soul within it.

*

 It was the next day. Addy woke up early, and quickly put on what her hands grabbed on, which was a purple galaxy-themed sleeved shirt and skinny jeans. When her mother came in to wake her up, she watched as Addy just casually walked to her mirror, fully ready and hair did into a high ponytail, her makeup bag in hand. This was strange of Addy, she thought. "What's the occasion?" she asked, walking towards Addy.

"Nothing," said Addy, looking at herself in the mirror. She blended her makeup on with a sponge in circular motions. When her mother left the room, she added some eyeliner and eyeshadow. It felt nice to feel nice in her body in the mornings, she always woke up late with no time to do her make up. She quickly glanced at herself in the mirror again before heading out.

*

When going to school later that day, she felt hopeful and elated; she couldn't wait to see Andrew. She waited by the front of the school until he appeared through the large crowd of students, dressed in a getup of a red button-down shirt and black pants with a green beaded necklace around his neck. He hugged his suitcase closer to him while avoiding eye contact with anyone else but Addy. They smiled at each other as soon as they saw each other; there still seemed to be an awkward tension between them.

Addy approached him cautiously; she didn't want to make things worse for either one of them, especially since he looked so fragile this morning when they had that awkward moment that night.

"You okay today?" she asked with concern in her voice. "I'm so sorry about what I asked you yesterday; it just kind of slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it." As soon as the question came out from her mouth, she regretted asking it because it seemed that Andrew had made himself immune to questions like these -- like a serious topic that couldn't be touched on lightly -- or maybe even at all.

"How about after classes, we could hang out here and I can tell you what happened," Andrew suggested. Addy nodded and smiled, she felt relieved that he was okay.

She agreed to this with a smile and the two of them went off to their classes.

*

As soon as the day came to an end, they made their way back to the same spot where Addy first saw him in the morning. They sat on the steps of a small garden nearby, surrounded by pink flowers that shifted in a gentle breeze.

Andrew opened his suitcase and pulled out some snacks, handing one to Addy before starting his story.

Before he explained, he had to contain himself from sobbing; even the thought brought him immense pain to his chest. "The day I was born, my father had already left. My mother was broken beyond repair and she drowned her sorrows with glass after glass of alcohol. I may have been a miracle child coming out unscathed, but it didn't save her from her fate. She withered away until she eventually lay in a coma, only to never wake up again. The only family I had were the ones on my father's side who desperately tried to track him down, only to fail in their search. After years of being passed around between homes, my foster father finally brought me here with him."

Such a story would have made him like that, Addy thought as she listened. His speaking was fluent, though she could tell he was holding his tears in. Not even remembering good times your mother is painful, but to still love her then would have been sufferable.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..." she whispered loud enough for him to hear. She was taken aback by his story. "If you ever need any sort of comfort, come to me or even my family. I got tired of how much they adored you after you left, so don't hesitate to come to us, alright?" she took his hand into hers as a way to reassure him it was alright. He looked up at her and nodded, feeling the warmth of her touch and the sincerity in her voice. He felt loved by her statement, and nodded.