Andy Squared (19 page)

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” he said, spitting out a mouthful of snow.

“Never turn your back on the top of the hill. Half the kids here don't know how to steer, and even if they can, it's still hard sometimes.” She laughed.

Ryder smiled. “Duly noted.”

While Andrea was preoccupied with Ryder, Andrew picked up a snowball and lobbed it at her. She screamed as it hit her and chased him back up the hill, both of them laughing the whole way up. They collapsed from the exertion after they reached their space and all Andrea could manage was a halfhearted attempt at a throw. It missed Andrew by a foot.

Half an hour later Andrew's mother and grandmother arrived with a large thermos of hot chocolate. They poured small cups for everyone and chatted with neighbors as they leaned against the truck and drank the cocoa. His grandmother watched her husband go down the hill twice and shook her head in amusement.

“He thinks he's still young,” she said fondly.

His mother smiled and shrugged. “Let Dad have his fun. It's good for him.”

They stayed a little longer before heading back. The two women drove the truck with the men sitting in the back with the sleds and tubes. The twins and Ryder elected to walk back.

Though it was still afternoon, dark clouds filled the sky and more snow floated through the air. They walked well away from the road this time, trudging through the thick snow that covered the ground.

“I'm so taking a shower when we get home,” declared Andrea as she tripped yet again. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. For the time being, her thoughts of college seemed to be suspended, which thrilled Andrew.

“I just want to get out of these wet clothes,” he said, squeezing his hands together. His gloves were warm from his body heat, but still wet from the melted snow. “I hope Dad got a good fire going in the family room.”

“I'll have a nice warm place to sleep,” Ryder mused.

Just over a small rise the house came into view. From the chimney a thick plume of smoke billowed, and they hurried toward it. In the driveway the truck sat, still warm, as it settled with an assortment of clinks and clicks. When they pushed open the door they were greeted by a blast of warm air and the smell of fresh apple pie.

“Leave all your wet stuff by the door!” their mother called from the other room. They noticed the pile already there and quickly added to it. Andrea bolted for the stairs and the bathroom door slammed shut behind her.

“I'd say she is really looking forward to a hot shower, wouldn't you?” Ryder drawled, amused. Andrew nodded and followed upstairs at a calmer pace. Once in his room he shut the door behind them and started digging through his dresser for dry clothes.

Ryder slipped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Andrew straightened and felt light kisses drop on the back of his neck. He shivered and turned in his arms to return the kiss. Ryder backed him up to the bed and they fell onto it, a tangle of arms and legs. After a moment, Andrew shoved him off, panting for breath.

“Ryder, we can't. Not here,” he hissed. He sprang off his bed and occupied himself with a clothes search again.

“Andrea's in the shower,” Ryder pointed out with a gesture toward the door.

“And my parents or grandparents could come upstairs at any second.”

“Your stairs creak and the pipes are loud enough that we'd hear the water stopping.”

“You can't hear anything if you get too excited. You didn't hear your uncle approach us the last time.”

Ryder had the grace to look embarrassed for a moment.

Andrew threw a shirt at him and changed out of his clothes, completely comfortable with Ryder watching. He left the soaked pile on the floor and then turned to Ryder, hands on his hips.

“If you're wet, get off my bed. I don't need to sleep in a puddle tonight.”

Ryder sat up, making a show of wringing his shirt onto the bed after he pulled it off. Andrew grabbed it and tossed it on the pile, then handed him a T-shirt. The shirt fit tightly across his broad chest, but it looked great and showed off his arms even better than the last one he wore. Andrew had to remind himself not to stare as he followed him down the stairs into the living room.

His mother called him into the kitchen and cut him a slice of still-warm pie. He grabbed a second one for Ryder and waited in the other room. When Ryder came out of the bathroom, he had dressed in a dry pair of jeans and settled on the floor next to him. They turned on the television and watched
Rudolph
while they ate the pie. The day reminded him so much of being a kid, and he wished momentarily that things were just as easy as they had been when he was ten.
So much to worry about now. College. Andrea. Dating Ryder. Getting found out. If only it were easy again.

Charlie called later that evening and asked about what they'd gotten. Andrew talked with him for a bit while Ryder dozed on the couch in a light sleep.

Andrew's grandparents left a few hours after that to head back home and wished them all a Merry Christmas again. They hugged everyone, including Ryder, as they left.

“Drive carefully,” his mother said and waved from the front door. A blast of cold wind blew into the house and stirred the flames in the fireplace. “I hope the storm holds off a bit longer.”

“The weatherman said it's going to blow over, but to expect a big one for New Year's,” his father said from his armchair.

“Maybe we'll have to change our plans, then.”

“Don't worry about it. The party is just down the road,” his father replied.

Andrea got a call from a few of her friends and went out to visit one of them to exchange gifts. As she left she called out that she'd be back later. Andrew's parents sat down with the boys to watch another Christmas movie before heading up to bed themselves.

Once they were alone, Ryder held out an arm and Andrew slid closer, allowing himself the comfort of resting his head against Ryder's shoulder. Ryder's fingers slipped into his hair. It felt nice and comfortable and everything right. He closed his eyes, tired from the day, and swore he'd rest just a minute. When he opened his eyes again, the fire had died down and Ryder's fingers were no longer in his hair. He glanced up at him and saw that he had also fallen asleep. A little alarmed that they could have been caught, he pulled himself out of Ryder's arms and stood. Ryder shifted and lay down on the couch, still mostly asleep. Andrew grabbed a blanket and tossed it over him, then headed upstairs to his own room.

Andrea, luckily, had not yet returned, so he crawled into bed. Once he had settled onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling. Spending Christmas with Ryder had been great. If it hadn't been for Andrea causing trouble, it would have been perfect. A nagging feeling grew in his stomach, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was about.
Probably college and having to deal with Andrea
. Their conversation wasn't finished, and he didn't look forward to the rest of it. But it would be okay. It would blow over. He worried too much; things were just fine.

Andrew was glad Ryder had a great time with his family, and when his aunt and uncle came back, he didn't want to leave. The horses had been cared for in their absence by one of the hired hands, but Cobalt would be missing him. Ryder made Andrew promise that he would come over soon to go riding, which of course he agreed to.

With Ryder gone, the house became much quieter. Even Andrea had gotten used to having him there and his mother missed the extra hand around. After he left, Andrew found himself cornered as she rambled on about how polite and well-spoken Ryder was, and how much he reminded her of his mother. Unknown to her, though, he had also acted as a buffer between the twins because Andrea kept her complaints to a minimum, much to Andrew's relief.

Charlie came over the next day with plans for New Year's Eve. A party had been set up down at the old campgrounds in the next town over. Fireworks had been purchased—and though it went unsaid in front of the parents, alcohol—and just about everyone from their school was going to be there. Sarah had already said she would go, and Charlie's next stop was Ryder's place.

“Sure, we'll be there,” said Andrew.

“Cool, I'll let everyone know. Bring anything if you can, but we should have plenty.”

He waved as he left, jogging out to his car, and backed out of the driveway with tires spinning on the slick pavement.

“Was that Charlie?” his mother asked as she poked her head around the corner of the kitchen. He nodded. “He left already?”

“Yeah, he just came to ask about New Year's Eve. There's going to be a party in the old campground in Stonington. I told him we'd go, is that all right?”

“That's fine…as long as you're careful. And no drinking,” she warned, looking at him sternly.

Andrew held up a hand innocently. “I promise, Mom. We won't drink. I'm sure there won't be anything there, anyway.”

She hesitated but nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen.

*

The next few days of Christmas vacation went quicker than Andrew would have liked. After finding a printout of majors for UConn students on the foot of his bed one morning he began to sleep in each day and only got up once he knew Andrea had left with her friends. He had become adept at avoiding Andrea as much as possible until he knew how to handle the college situation. Once he went riding with Ryder when the weather had warmed, and the other days Ryder came over to his place and they hung out and watched movies all day. Through it all, no one suspected anything. Andrew's mother began to think of him as a fixture in her house, and his father appreciated the help he offered with the more labor-intensive chores of splitting and carrying wood. Andrew felt more comfortable in their relationship, and snuck kisses whenever they were alone—even if one of his family members was just in the next room.

When New Year's Eve finally arrived, Andrew and Andrea got ready for the night and bundled up in their warmest clothing. Their parents were still home to see them off and were getting ready themselves for the party at their neighbor's house just down the road.

“Remember, no drinking,” warned their mother for the fiftieth time that day.

“We won't,” they answered in unison, rolling their eyes.

“And if you need us, call. We'll have our cell phones, but you can also call the Jacksons' house. You know their phone number.”

“Mom, we get it.”

“We'll be home shortly after midnight, okay? Don't stay out too late. And come home if you're not feeling comfortable, or if anything happens.”

“Alice, really. That's enough,” his father said, steering his wife away from them. “Have fun, kids. Just be responsible.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Andrew grabbed his keys off the table and Andrea shut the door behind them. Snow fell lightly but the weatherman predicted that it would only get worse. There wouldn't be any fireworks if it didn't stop. Once in the truck, they headed out to pick up Ryder before the drive out to Stonington.

“Have you come to your senses yet?” Andrea asked as she sat across the cab, her arms folded against her chest to keep warm.

“My senses about what?” Andrew asked, though he knew where the conversation was going. He sighed. It had taken her long enough to corner him on it. He'd already held off the discussion for as long as he could.

“About UConn. We'll get our acceptance letters next month.”

“I didn't even write the essay. How could you do that?”

“Because you were being stupid about it!” she yelled, throwing her hands into the air. She turned to look at Andrew, her eyes narrowed. She reached forward and gripped the dashboard directly in front of her. “You don't get it, do you? UConn is such a good school and you're going to throw away a great opportunity for what? To go to Utica? Grow up, Andrew. You need to get out of this small town and live a little!” Her breath came out in giant puffs of steam and threatened to fog the windows with all her excitement. Andrew tried to keep his focus on the road.

“No, you grow up. We can't always be together. I don't want to go out of state. What's the big deal? It's not like we'll be in the same classes in college.”

“We could be, at least for our undergrad courses. We can sign up for classes at the same time. It will make the transition easier for you.”

“Andrea, this is ridiculous.”

He didn't have to continue the conversation because at that moment they pulled up to Ryder's house and saw him waiting for them on the porch, jumping up and down. He rushed at the truck before Andrew had put it in park and threw open the door.

“Shit, it's cold out!” he complained.

“Why weren't you waiting inside?” Andrew asked as he cranked up the heat. Andrea reluctantly slid over and let Ryder in, though she kept closer to him than Andrew.

“I knew you'd be here any minute. Is something going on?” he asked as he shut the door.

“No,” they both answered.

The drive to the campground took about half an hour from the Kensingtons' farm, and by the time they got there, dozens of other vehicles had parked in the plowed-out area.

Andrew found a spot near the road and shut down the ignition. Charlie saw them get out and waved them over, holding a red plastic cup.

“Hey! You're here,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“Obviously.” Andrea snorted. Sarah held on to Charlie's arm, laughing. She held a red cup as well and waved it at them.

“Drinks are in the pavilion. Hey, Ryder.”

Ryder nodded. “Hey.”

“They had to cancel the fireworks because it's too wet. But they're going to do them on the second if the storm clears by then.”

“We'll have to come out again,” Andrew said, and made his way toward the pavilion. Ryder trailed after him, and people they knew from school stopped them on the way to chat and catch up. They had to speak loudly over the heavy bass of the music coming from a smaller gazebo just past the pavilion. Andrew introduced Ryder to the people he knew from Stonington. Most of them were on the soccer teams, and a few others he knew from mutual friends' parties.