FicWad

Andy had a rough day. The entire morning he'd been filling out forms for a man who'd had another heart attack while doing physical therapy with Andy for a prosthetic leg. That afternoon, all his patients were giving him a brutal time. Even a normal day wasn't this bad. At three, he didn't have any more appointments, so he started for home. Back in his casual suit, he couldn't help but stare at the ground as he walked, almost as if her were ashamed of his miserable Friday. Vanessa would be out late tonight, so he didn't see a need to hurry home. Instead, he found himself wandering around for a while. Every so often, he'd look up, and the setting would change a bit. There'd be a man passing by who'd nod at him subtly, or a woman who'd check him out, then generally dismiss him (it didn't offend him at all why should it?). But Andy was worn out to the extreme. It'd take a miracle for him to get rid of his developing headache.

Andy soon found himself in an unfamiliar part of the city. He lived in the well-to-do section of town, with the finely-built stone houses and gorgeous public buildings. In his section of the City, every store was richly advertised and smelled wonderful, be it a food store or clothing store. This new area, however, was nearly the polar opposite. Graffiti lined the rotting walls of every building. It wasn't brightly lit at all, but rather the flashing neon lights beckoning passers by to their corner grocery were the only light available (luckily for Andy, it was still an hour before twilight, so lights weren't needed). The streets were littered with...well...litter. Andy had a feeling he was either in Brooklyn or SoHo. Either way, he'd wandered too far lout of the way. But he ended up just walking deeper into SoHo.

Andy had been in the City for a long time, but he'd really never seen this part of town. Bums were pissing on stoops, young teens were playing music on the street for dollar bills, and people were sitting on park benches just, sketching. This was certainly an artistic, rebellious part of town. Andy chuckled to himself as he thought of the girl from the picture he kept locked in his desk. This would have been the place she'd find happiness in. She didn't fit in when in Shermer. This was the Anti-Shermer.

Andy finally looked up and wondered how he came in, and how he could get home. He was pretty tired. He was so tired, in fact, that if he couldn't find his way home, he'd willingly sleep on a stoop. He wandered a little further. A young man about five years his junior was playing a makeshift drum set. Two or three bystanders (and a sketch artist) stood around him, tossing coins in every now and then. Andy watched for a minute. He was actually pretty good. It was a pity that he had nowhere decent to play.

After a minute or so, Andy quickly whipped his head around and turned a nearby corner, so quickly and sharply he smacked right into someone carrying three or four small paper bags. Both were sent sprawling to the floor, and the bags went scattering across the sidewalk. Andy fell face up, but his victim fell face down. Apparently female, her hair was dark and fell over her face.

"Oh goddamnit!" the female victim yelled. Andy immediately sprung to his feet. The girl, looking about his age physically, moaned for a moment. Andy immediately guessed she was a local bohemian, from her odd dress and hairstyle. The voice triggered an unidentifiable memory in him that boggled him for a second. But, coming to his senses and acting like a gentleman, he offered his hand to the girl, her face still hidden. Instead, she popped up and began growling, scrambling to salvage her groceries.

"Of all the rotten luck! I spent fifty goddamn dollars on this shit because I felt like celebrating, and typical my one night of feasting and some asshole comes along and-"

"-excuse me?" asked Andy, offended. Who exactly WAS this bitch?

"Typical! Absolutely typical!"

"Wait a minute, woman!" said Andy, getting aggravated. "Who do you come off to speak to me this way? God, it was and accident!"

The young woman stopped in her tracks. She faced away from him, clutching a few items. "Eat shit. Everything's fine, leave me alone!" Then she turned to face him.

No way. Andy didn't believe it. He'd know those black-shit-covered eyes anywhere. Meanwhile, she seemed to recognize him as well. She probably made the connection first, because her next words were in awe.

"I'll be god-damned!" she muttered. Andy stared in return. It was.

"Allison? It's me, Andy," he introduced himself. Allison blinked.

"Oh. God. I am SO sorry! I am such a bitch! Andy! Oh man, forgive me!" Allison felt like shit. She couldn't believe who the Fates had put in front of her!

"Here, let me help you!" said Andy, picking up the rest of her groceries.

"The bags are ripped," she said. Andy nodded awkwardly.

"I'll walk back to your place with you if you need help. How far is it?" asked Andy, offering his help.

"Only a few blocks, not far. Thanks, I'd like that." They began walking.

They spoke in unison, "So how've you been?" They laughed at their similar choice of words. Andy smiled. "You first!" he said.

"I'm getting by. You?"

"Doing pretty well for myself!" She's not wearing a ring, Andy felt himself thinking.

"Oh, good. Good," said Allison, her eyes scanning his fingers for signs of a ring. None in sight. "I'm living with a few people I met when I came out here," she said.

"When did you come out here?" asked Andy.

"A year after-" Allison paused and lowered her voice. "-after you left."

Andy cringed. "Oh? Well, good for you. Striking out on your own, you know."

"Yeah, I guess I was just tired of waiting for my future to get it's head out of it's ass and give me a fucking call..." Allison's voice began to rise, but she managed to restrain herself.

"Ouch," remarked Andy. "Listen, Allison, about that-"

"STOP!" shouted Allison. Andy jumped back, he'd wandered out into the middle of the street. He nodded in gratitude to Allison. He got a good look at her for the first time in a decade. Her face was heart-shaped, and she looked starved to death! But her eyes were still absolutely gorgeous. Maybe better than Vanessa's in a haunting way.

"So...." Andy said, trying to turn to a happier topic. "What happened to everyone else after I left?"

Allison thought a moment. So long ago! "Brian left a little while after you for medical school. Last I heard of him he was chasing after a degree in radioactive medicine."

"I figured it'd be something big," nodded Andy. "Bender? Claire?"

"They didn't last very long. That Christmas Bender moved out to California on his own without even telling Claire. She was royally pissed. So, until I left, it was just us girls."

Andy nodded again. "You have a job?" he asked trying to keep the small-talk pattern for revealing how awkward her felt, especially after that close confrontation there.

"I teach art once a week in the Bronx. It sucks in pay, but there's no where else to go, really. And you?"

"I'm over in Manhattan, I have my own physical therapy business."

Allison had to blurt out the one question burning her mind. "Seeing anyone?"

"I see you..." Andy had to slap his forehead. That's NOT what she meant! He felt like a teenager again. "No, I mean, yes, I'm...I'm engaged."

Allison's heart sank about a foot into her chest. "Oh." She said, trying desperately to sound indifferent.

Andy blinked quickly. Why did she sound so indifferent? "You?"

"Single and loving it," was Allison's reply. "Oh look, we're here!" Allison and Andy looked up at a huge broken down building.

"THAT is your place?"

"No all of it! Only the loft! Coming up?" asked Allison. Andy nodded and they went inside.