"Hello?" A deep, familiar voice said, slight confusion lingering in his tone. "Jake, if this is you pranking me again I'm gonna be pissed."

"Hey, Colbs." Andi shakily breathed, hoping that the speakers picked up on the quiet words.

A loud clatter rang through the other end and what sounded like a glass being dropped made her cringe away from the phone.

"Andi?"

—-------------------------------------------------------------------

"The one and only," Andi joked, hoping to bring back the air of friendship that had been lost so many years ago.

"You're fucking with me right now," Colby said in disbelief. "Who put you up to it? Was it Jake?"

She laughed at his mistrust and shifted the phone around to her other ear. "No Colby, this is really me."

"I don't believe you," The boy said firmly. "If it's really you, then tell me something that only Andi would know."

"Um," She started, taking a moment to search the memories that she had pushed to the back of her mind. "Okay, I've got something."

"Go on then."

"Would not-Andi know that in sophomore year we got lost in the woods but you had to shit so bad that you used the McDonald's bag in my backpack-"

"Okay, Okay!" Colby cut her off, obviously not expecting such an embarrassing story to surface.

"Believe me now?" She asked, a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Yeah, I believe you." He reassured her, laughing into the phone.

That laugh. Andi had spent years pushing the thoughts of him to the back of her mind. Locking away any previous feelings behind secure gates. But that laugh. It had brought them all out, every moment she and her friends had spent together, every feeling that she had ever had for the boy came crashing over her. She missed him.

"But holy shit, I cannot believe it's you," He continued, and then paused abruptly. "Wait, is everything okay?"

"I-," Andi paused for a moment, taken off guard at how fast he had read her. "Um no actually, I've got a little situation."

"Well shit," The boy started, his tone completely serious now. "What's up?"

"You and Sam still live in LA, right?" She started hesitantly. She had watched their videos, so she knew that they both did. She just didn't want to push anything on him, especially after she had disappeared so suddenly and then just left them in the dark for years.

"Yeah, we do, Jake too. We all live in the same apartment complex. Why?"

"So funny story actually," She laughed awkwardly. "I'm kind of in LA right now, and the guy I was going to rent an apartment from basically just double-crossed me and now I have nowhere to stay."

"Holy shit, you're here?" He asked, a shuffling sound in the background. "That's bullshit! Can he even do that?"

"I don't know, but he just did," She sighed, rubbing her temples with her free hand.

"Wait, so where are you?" He asked worriedly. "Please tell me you're not just standing on the street or some shit."

"No, of course not," She laughed. "I've just been sitting in the airport for the last half-hour."

"Well fuck Andi, you should have called me sooner" He started, the sound of keys jingling in the background. "You can 100% stay at my place if you want to."

Relief washed over her at his words. Still the same old Colby. Always there for his friends no matter what. "That would be amazing, thank you so much."

"Yeah, of course." He reassured quickly. "What airport are you at?"

"LAX," Andi breathed out, the stress from earlier easing away slowly.

"Okay, I'm on my way," Colby said, the door of his car shutting in the background of the call. "Stay there and be safe."

"Yeah, I will," She smiled. "You're a lifesaver, Colby."

"Anytime Star. I've got to let you go while I drive, but I'll be there in a few minutes."

A cheesy smile covered Andi's face at the mention of the old nickname.

"See you then," She whispered, and the call ended.

Andi sat there for a moment, mind racing as she tried to process all that had just happened. Colby Brock, her high school best friend whom she had ghosted four years ago, had actually picked up the phone. He had offered her a place to stay. He was picking her up. He had used her nickname. He still cared about her.

Wow. She had really fucked up. She had fucked up by ghosting them. The first year wasn't her fault, but the three years after? That was all on her.

Andi shook the thoughts away, not wanting to bring on the unwanted emotions. She would deal with it all some other time. Right now she needed to focus on the task at hand.

She collected her bags and then made her way to the front of the airport where the parking lot was located. It was a clear, cool night, so she didn't mind standing outside to wait. She opened up her phone and saw that there was another text from her younger brother.

The adopted child

You get home ok?

Dude the guy I was renting from basically kicked
me out

Are you serious? What are you gonna do now?

Well, I called an old friend... so I'm going to stay at his place

NO FUCKING WAY
YOU CALLED SAM AND COLBY DIDNT U

Just Colby, but yeah.

Thank god, you needed to get over yourself and
call him
You guys going to get together?

Ew ok, I'm not talking to you abt this.
I'll talk to you tomorrow

Whatever you say
CANDI IS BACK AGAIN!!

Andi laughed at her brother's text and then looked up as a familiar red Toyota Corolla pulled into the parking spot closest to the airport doors. The nerves that she had been suppressing since she had dialed Colby's number all came crashing over her as the car parked and the lights turned off. She contemplated turning and running the other way, buying a ticket to somewhere else, and continuing hiding from the past.

All of those thoughts faded away into nothing the second her eyes met the boy who jumped out of the driver's side door and looked around for her. He was wearing a pair of black cargo pants and a gray No Name hoodie, his blue hair ever-present under the parking lot lighting. It took everything Andi had not to cry on the spot. She had missed him so much.

She took a deep breath to push the nerves away and then made her way over to the car, her suitcases rolling behind her.

Colby's eyes landed on her, and he froze momentarily. Andi hesitated, thinking that maybe he had taken back what he said, but that theory was put to rest when the boy's face broke out into a large smile. He rushed over to her and took the duffle bag off of her shoulder, also grabbing one of the suitcase handles.

"Thank you, that strap was starting to dig into my shoulder," Andi smiled. Those Kansas manners never seemed to go away.

The two made their way to the car and began packing the bags into the trunk.

"So," Andi started, smiling at the blue-haired boy. "Still rocking the old Corolla?"

Colby laughed and shook his head, opening the passenger door for the girl. "Hey, the ladies love the Corolla."

"Oh yeah," Andi laughed as she got into the passenger seat. Colby ran around to the driver's side and got it. "I'm sure it's just the ultimate chick magnet."

"Hey, it got you, didn't it?" He teased, reversing out of the parking lot.

Her jaw dropped and she turned to him. "Just for the record it did not get me. In fact, I didn't even know you still had this old thing."

He laughed and silence settled over the two as they drove down the slightly busy roads. Andi looked out of the window, trying to ignore the slight tension in the air. It wasn't terribly uncomfortable, but she could definitely tell that Colby wanted answers.

"Hey," He started, breaking the silence first. "Are you hungry?"

"Incredibly," Andi groaned. It wasn't a lie, seeing as she actually was very hungry, but she also wanted an opportunity to explain everything.

"How does McDonald's sound?" He asked, pulling off of the main road.

"Sounds great," Andi laughed, looking back out of the window at all of the passing buildings. "I love a good old-fashioned McDonalds chicken nugget."

The boy laughed and looked briefly over at the blonde girl who was leaning her head halfway out of the opened window. A small smile tugged at his lips, and he quickly looked back at the road.

They pulled into the McDonalds parking lot and Andi grabbed her wallet from her backpack. Colby grabbed his keys and phone and turned the car off.

"Hope you don't mind going to get food with someone who looks homeless," Andi laughed, looking down at her baggy gray sweats and blue Navy sweatshirt.

"Oh please," He laughed, opening the car door. "You should see what Jake wears when we go out."

They made their way inside and were instantly met with the sound of idle chatter and the occasional laughter of the children playing in the play-place.

"If you go get a table I'll order," Colby said looking up at the menu.

"Yep, I've got it," Andi nodded, pulling her card out of her wallet. "Here's my card, the pin is-"

"It's on me," Colby smiled, pushing her card away.

Andi narrowed her eyes. "But I'm the one that was hungry."

"And I'm the one that offered to take you, so it's on me," He countered.

"You're not going to give this up, are you?" Andi sighed, putting her card away.

"Nope," Colby smiled, lightly pushing the shorter girl away from him. "Now go get a table before all the good ones are taken."

"You don't even know what I want," She laughed, letting him push her towards the seating area.

"Ten piece meal with a sprite and ranch?" He recited from memory, looking down at her to see if he was right.

"I-," She started, shocked that he still remembered. "Yeah, that's spot on."

"Yep, I knew it. Now go." He laughed, dragging out the 'O'.

Andi found a table for two not too far from the play-place and sat down. She pulled her phone out to see that it was nearly midnight. Thank goodness for 24-hour restaurants.

Colby made his way to the table and put the number card in the middle. He sat down and looked expectantly at Andi. They both knew the real reason that they had come.

Andi sighed and looked away from the blue-haired boy. "I take it you want answers."

"Well, I would appreciate them," He started, picking at his black nail polish. "But I'm not going to force you to say anything that you don't want to."

"No, it's fine," She started. She had dreaded this conversation since the moment that she dialed the boy's phone number, but there was no way that she could leave him in the dark. "You totally deserve answers."

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Word count: 1870

Fun fact- Andi has gotten the same McDonalds order her entire life.