ED: I know that I've been seriously neglecting this story and I beg your pardon and understanding. Some personal problems have got in the way of this fiction. A case of real life affecting the story especially since it's the part of real life that this story is based upon. I will, however, definitely finish up this story and I thank you all once again for the support you've shown me and this story.

In Love: Andie and Liz – Chapter 15 –

As Andie mulled over her thoughts on the bus ride home, a beeping sound alerted her to a new message.

Andieee tmr. Go out shopping with me? Pretty please? -Liz

Obviously Liz was in a much better mood if she was up to “coercing” Andie to go out shopping with her. Andie couldn’t stop a smile from creeping onto her face even as she sighed and typed out a reply to Liz – fixing a place and time to meet tomorrow.

Yay! You rock. Catch you tmr 3 -Liz

Liz hummed along quietly to the song playing in her MP3 as she headed towards their meeting point, phone in hand – about to type a message to let Andie know she’d arrived. A sudden figure appearing in front of her caused her to stop suddenly, almost dropping her hand phone in fright.

“You’re late!”

Liz’s eyes widened in surprise. It was Andie, who was … early?! Liz checked her watch again just to be sure. Their agreed meeting time was 12pm but it was only 11.50am. Andie was never late for appointments, but she was very rarely earlier than Liz – especially if it was an appointment to go shopping.

“What?!”

Andie’s tone became slightly defensive at Liz’s curious peer. Andie felt her face start to heat up as she turned away and pretended to walk away. She’d always prided herself on her cool and calm – but recently, hanging around Liz had gotten her flustered and bothered way too often. In fact, the reason she was already at the train station so early was because she’d misread the time and gotten out of the house an hour earlier than necessary.

“Aw don’t be angry with me!”

Liz hastened her steps to catch up with Andie, slipping her arm casually into Andie’s. A shot of heat immediately ran up Andie’s arm and she almost stopped short, finding it hard to concentrate on anything else other than the fact that Liz had her arm around hers. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling at all, thought Andie, surprising herself even with her interior monologue. She realized that if she was being honest, really she liked the way Liz was holding onto her. She felt protective … she felt relied on … she felt …

“You’re the bestest friend a girl could ever hope for!” Liz teased Andie, lightly squeezing her arm.

like a beast. The smile that was slowly forming on Andie’s face turned into a hard frown. Liz treated her as a good friend and here she was practically taking advantage of the girl. She was a horrible person. How could she even think of Liz that way when all Liz thought of her was that she was a good friend? Hating herself for what she was thinking, Andie pulled her arm roughly out of Liz’s loose grasp.

“Don’t!”

She practically snarled at Liz, hating herself even more for the shock and hurt that was all too clearly seen in Liz’s eyes. Why couldn’t she ever do anything right?

Liz watched Andie stalk quickly away through tear-blurred vision. It was all her fault. Why did she have to go and hold her arm like that. Andie usually hated people touching her – she was too impatient and thought only of herself. How selfish could she get! Sniffing back tears that were forming all too quickly at the corners of her eyes, Liz sped up and caught up to Andie once again, this time keeping a safe distance between her and Andie. They were better this way.

Andie looked at Liz, walking so far away you could fit a person in between them. They were better this way.