As wonderful as Andrew Detmer was to some, his flaws seem to tower over top of him, drenching him in insults, assumptions, and betrayal. He learned quickly in life not to speak much, no opinions of his counted. But in his mind, already twisting off its natural course and developing darkly, his opinion was the only one that mattered. If he had a problem, he only talked about how he was affected, a side effect of not being able to express himself for the first eighteen years of life. He often became an oxymoron of himself, saying how people should be stronger than their oppressors, and being an oppressor above all. When he was criticized, questioned, he often lashed out or stayed quiet, depending on the situation. However great the argument, he made his voice heard, shared his side of things, never backed down. It was unwise to challenge him, try to change him, but if you tried it the calm way, making him see your side with kind words and explanations, you could seldom get an agreement from him. 

His broken way of life, created by his family and friends, well it terrified him. If he made one wrong move, one wrong step, he could cause a crack in the glass. A crack that could never truly heal, no matter how it was patched up. He took to staring out the window for comfort, the Man often with him, drowning in their shared sorrows of hurt and rebellion. For they were the same in so many ways, and the Man was like the Matt that Andrew had always wanted. Kind, funny, a little bit rude, but it made him feel better knowing that this man was just as real as he was. No mask could take over his face for long around Andrew. 

He looked down at himself one day, staring at his hands, then his feet. He questioned the Man who walking next to him. "How the hell have you survived six years of this? Hell and high water, how do you get out every time, stay on top every time?" The Man looked at him softly, taking his hand and looking down into Andrew's slowly rising eyes. "I don't. Sometimes the hurt just piles up, and I have to deal with it. I've made mistakes, but I've always had people around who have my back, just like I have yours. So speak your mind, Detmer." He smiled at the younger boy. "Cause you and I both know, that in the end, we'll be okay if we just stay stronger than this. Trust me, kid." "I do. I'll always trust you, I guess. I've never really trusted people before you. Maybe I should start". And with that, they decided that they would keep on going, break through the walls placed in front of them. They wouldn't go quietly, not by a long shot.