The Crash Years, Anonymous [pdf to ebook reader .TXT] 📗

don’t want to… I totally forgot of what people might think of us. You, walking around with me. They’d think you were the dad.” Andromeda closed the door of her wardrobe. Noah scoffed.
“Andie, you have to go out sometime!” laughed Noah, “people are going to think that about us anywhere we go, just because I’m your friend. And the people who don’t know the truth anyways really don’t know us at all, so it won’t really matter. Come on, you want to walk – we’ll walk!”
Andromeda smiled at Noah.
“Noah, you’re awesome.”
Noah gave an enormous grin before Andromeda dug through her wardrobe again, saying something along the lines of, “now, what to wear?”
“I’m afraid that’s something I’ve never been able to help you with, Andromeda,” laughed Noah.
Twenty minutes later and the two were downstairs in the foyer, both checking to make sure they had everything they needed.
“Crap, I forgot my phone!”
“I can - ,”
“Nope, I got it! I need the exercise anyway,” smiled Andromeda as she made her way upstairs. Noah grumbled quietly to himself as she disappeared, saying something about how unnecessarily stubborn Andromeda was. She always had to do things herself. It was very seldom that she asked for anyone’s help, and that included Noah.
About a minute had passed, and still no sign of Andromeda.
“Girls,” thought Noah quietly to himself.
Andromeda quickly waddled to her nightstand, where she had found her phone, fully charged at all times in case anything were to happen. She didn’t want to make Noah wait, so she half ran out the door, only to be stopped in the hallway.
“NOAH!”
Thinking the worst was making its fate with Andromeda, Noah bolted up the stairs, adrenaline pumping through his veins, as if making him feel that he could take on anything. But as soon as he saw Andromeda, the adrenaline stopped and his legs started to turn into rubber.
“Noah? Noah can you help me? I think my water um, broke.” Noah was amazed at how calm Andie sounded, though her shaking hands noted otherwise. It was weird though, because as soon as he looked into Andromeda’s eyes, it was as if the fog covering his mind lifted and the rubber legs disappeared, as if he was almost meant to partake in this situation and be the strong, supportive one.
“Um, oh yea, YEA! Yea um, here’s my keys,” Noah tossed his car keys to Andie, “go down to my car and I’ll get your stuff!” Andromeda nodded her head with wide eyes as Noah sprinted toward her room, where the diaper bag and car seat would be.
“Woooooooo-my god,” breathed Noah as he gathered as much stuff as his arms could carry, a million thoughts racing through his head as all he could do was try and control his own breathing. This was crazy, he thought, and it wasn’t even his kid.
MILOS BARRY and WASE CHABLASE @ the Chablase residence
“Milos, your phone is going off,” laughed Wase as Milos ignored what she had just said and continued kissing her.
“No it’s not,” smiled Milos. So he had heard what she said. It didn’t matter though, because his mind was still stuck in the same thought, which was to keep kissing her. Wase broke the embrace by laughing as she leaned her head against Milos’ shoulder. He responded by cradling her with his arm.
“Milos, I think you should check it. It could be important,” said Wase, as she handed the phone back to Milos. Milos looked discontent.
“Who would be calling me at this time?” Milos said to his phone as he listened to the voicemail. Wase watched Milos’ expression change from curiosity to wide eyes with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He quickly closed out of the voicemail and practically leaped off the couch.
“My sister’s having her baby!” exclaimed Milos with a huge smile that turned into innocent regret, “Wase, I’m sorry, I-,”
“Milos, it’s fine, go! Be safe. Give Andie my congratulations, hmm?” smiled Wase. She adored Milos and his awkward actions. He could never say anything perfectly, but he was the most perfect person she had ever met in her entire life. She held onto his hand a second too long before he let go, heading towards her front door.
“I will! I, Wase,” chuckled Milos nervously, “I love you.”
As Milos sprinted off down the street, a strange feeling filled Wase with complete warmth and joy. It was as if her ribcage couldn’t contain her heart any longer, as if her brain went fuzzy, but at the same time, life never had seemed that clear before. She bit her lip to keep her from smiling a huge smile, the one that she knew would cause her to melt.
“Love you too, Milos.”
DENVER BARRY and ALEC HARRISON @ the Harrison residence
Denver and Alec were in the dining room, eating a dinner that Alec had thoughtfully prepared. Alec usually did this on the days that Denver had specifically suggested were just for “them,” the days that Alec’s family were all gone, where no one could see them. But somehow tonight was different from the rest. Denver could tell by the way Alec held his words back, as if he were trying to hold back a waterfall.
“Alec, what’s up? You’ve been quiet all day.” Alec sipped up his spaghetti, sauce managing to get all over his face much like a child’s. Denver’s heart flipped. Alec looked up.
“Uhh,” Alec sighed, shoulders arching forward. He knew he had been caught.
“Den, are you sure you want to hear it?” Alec bit his lip.
Bad timing, thought Denver as his phone buzzed. What day was it again?
“I… I’m here for anything you want to say,” replied Denver, his mind mentally trying to add up what day it was. An empty feeling hit his stomach.
Friday. It was Happy Hour at the pub. First drink for free. Denver’s mouth watered. He hadn’t had a drink in a week. He knew exactly what he wanted to get, and boy was he thirsty.
“When are you going to tell your parents about… us?” asked Alec, his body language obviously trying to camouflage him with the chair he was sitting in. Denver just stared at him.
“I-I mean… my parents already know… YOU know…,” stuttered Alec as he tried to make light of his previous question. He felt so vulnerable, half expecting Denver to admirably answer his question, and have expecting Denver to throw something at him from across the table. Uncomfortable seconds passed before Denver half-heartedly answered.
“Oh uh… you know. When I get good and stuff. I need some time before they see that I’m good. Because you know, when they do… SEE, then uh… then they’ll like you. They’ll like us. And then it will be um… good!” Alec’s brow furrowed with slight confusion. What type of a response was this?
“And um, speaking of my parents… I have to go. They’ll want me home soon, so… I gotta go,” lied Denver as he abruptly got up from the table, entirely ready to just bolt the house. He was obsessed with drinking; he knew that as a fact. He wanted to give up, for Alec. But tonight was not going to be the night.
“Denver, I thought they wanted you home by ten. It’s only eight,” replied Alec bluntly. It was clear he was suspicious. Denver had hardly touched his plate when they started talking.
“Yea well, they want me home earlier tonight I guess. See you later, Alec,” smiled Denver as he ran out of the house, leaving a concerned Alec behind. Denver’s phone buzzed again.
“Denver!” yelled Alec as he jumped out of his chair to grab Denver’s cell phone off the table. He bolted towards the door that Denver had just run out of. But by the time he had opened the door, Denver was nowhere in sight. Alec let out an exhausting sigh. He checked to see who had called Denver.
It wasn’t a call that had caused Denver’s phone to go off, but rather a text message. It was sent from the phone of Denver’s sister, Andromeda Barry. The message read:
“This is Noah. Andie’s going into labor. Meet us at the hospital, maternity suite no.2 ASAP.”
It was weird, but Alec almost started to cry in relief. So Denver was headed somewhere, he thought, and it was to support his sister Andie. With everything happening lately, Alec didn’t think he could afford Denver lying to him. It was dangerous, he knew, but he liked Denver too much. And it wasn’t always the easiest thing, lending his complete trust to someone so capable of lies.
Somehow the tears had escaped though, and Alec was alone, sitting by the door.
MILOS BARRY @ Anzac Park – on the way to the hospital
Milos had the path so nearly memorized that the darkness of the night did not phase him as he ran towards the hospital. He had already dodged rocks and bushes, jumping in just the right step as to make it over the hurdles effortlessly. But one thing about the night was different. For one, the air seemed so stale.
Happy thoughts filled Milos’ head as he kept thinking about what his future nephew was going to look like. And if Jack Camden ever dared to show up, Milos would give him a piece of his mind. He would be the hero. He would save Andie the misery of seeing Jack ever again. And he would….
Since when was there a tree here? Milos stopped dead in his tracks.
“Look at how surprised you are, Milos,” chuckled a familiar voice. Milos froze.
“I’ll give you this one favor, Milos. I know how you hate surprises,” sneered Garrett as he stepped a little more into the moonlight. Milos tried to step past Garrett as his gang followed shortly after.
“I’m just, I have to see my sister. At the hospital,” gulped Milos. Why, out of all people, did he have to run into the gang? He was about to sprint off when Garrett grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
“You’re the one who told the cops about what you saw this morning, huh? You think you’re too good for us or something?” chuckled Garrett right before his face turned somber. Milos stared at the ground, trying to remember if he did anything of the sort. Nothing came up. Garrett let him go.
“I didn’t tell anybody anything, Garrett.”
“You’re lying!” yelled Garrett as he kicked Milos hard in the gut. Milos collapsed a bit before standing back up, plead-fully looking into Garrett’s eyes.
“What?”
“You saw us when we stole the jewelry – you were at the park when we tried to exchange them with that guy for money. You TOLD the cops about us! We’re not just going to juvee, Milos. We’re going to JAIL, Milos. We’re eighteen!” Garrett kicked Milos in the ribs again, and again, until it took all of Milos’ strength just to stand up again. Milos rubbed the blood that was leaking from his lower lip, which was now continuing to swell.
“I didn’t do ANYTHING, Garrett,” said Milos loudly, his expression a full warning. Garrett gave a smirk before punching Milos hard in the face. Out of the pain, Milos gave a full-hearted laugh.
“But look at you Garrett. You totally deserve it. You’re nothing.”
Milos filled his nostrils with the mixture of the metallic smell of blood and the sweet smell of night before Garrett gave him a full blow to the gut, again. This time he couldn’t get up. He looked at Garrett’s hostile face, still sure he was able to mutter a word or two.
“Coward,”