Introducing Andy

I remember Andy setting a lot of fires backstage.

Let's see, I must have met Andy during our high school theater production of "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4".  It was my first play, there were a lot of small parts (Andy's and mine included), so there was time for plenty of hijinks backstage.  Andy was more into the backstage crew experience, anyway.  I recall some experiments with hairspray and a lighter.  By the time we were seniors, Andy had actually burned his eyebrows off doing some crazy pyrotechnics stunt.  He also dated this gal who sang in choir with me, so we always ran in the same circles.  He was always funny.  Always nice. 

During a summer break from college, I stayed with my mom and worked at her juice shop.  This was 6 or 7 years after high school, and I really wanted to keep a low profile.  I felt like a loser for not having graduated yet, and I was siphoning off of my mom because I couldn't get a real job.  The location of the juice shop worked for me, because it was light years away from my old stomping ground.  Very slim chance of running into old faces. 

Well, during my last couple of weeks, In walks a familiar person.  It was Andy.  He was different.  Darker, tougher.  We talked a little, and he invited me to see the brewery he worked at down the road.  *Deep breath*.  I prayed he would not ask too many questions about my life.  I had no good news to tell, and I just wanted to get it over with.  I told him I would come by later that day.  Time to assess my situation.  I liked what I was wearing.  I liked my hair at the time.  Hopefully no one else would be at the brewery.  And then during the course of the day, I sliced some chicken and got all kinds of yucky juice de pollo all down the front of my blouse.  *Deep breath*.  I didn't have enough time to go home and change.  I would have to go as is.  I walked into that brewery and Andy welcomed me.  He told me all about the machinery, and where he was at in life.  It wasn't like he was made of money, but he looked happy and successful.  He didn't even seem to notice the disgusting shirt I was wearing.  He was just his old nice self.  And he didn't ask me a lot of questions.  *Exhale*.