Chapter Text
Andi had been both excited and terrified for this day to come. Summer was over and this would be the end of the Good Hair Crew as we know it. Sure, they may be able to see each other on weekends and during breaks but this would be the first time since second grade that Andi, Buffy, and Cyrus wouldn't take on the new year together. Her new school, the Shadyside Academy of Visual Arts or SAVA, seemed to tower over her. It was like a friendly monster, one that would care for Andi and nurture her talents, all while removing her from the people she loved most. And of course it had to be during freshman year, Andi thought to herself. The year were everything changes, where we enter the final stages of sweet, carefree childhood.
"Hey, you'll be okay. Remember why you came here," Bex piped in sensing Andi's distress through the blank look in her brown eyes as she spiraled in her thoughts.
"Yeah, thanks." Andi gave her mom a tight squeeze and started to walk off into what would be her new world for the next 10 months.
"I love you," Bex said quietly as Andi pulled out of the hug. Andi gave a small, warm smile then walked into the office.
"This is the yellow hall and number 022 will be your room to share with your roommate," the friendly student guide said, "I hope you feel welcome at SAVA and if you have any questions, you know who to ask!"
Andi half-smiled, "Thanks," she sighed. Andi gently set her bags down on the bed to the left and examined the room around her. The yellow walls and silver accents were a pretty combination to look at. The bed on either side of the room was small and had a white, shiny frame. There was dried paint on the desks and floor. Inside the closet, there were small sculptures and paintings made by previous students as gifts to incoming students. Cute, Andi thought picking up a pink, interpretive statue of an elephant. Andi could feel SAVA's magic around her in this room that had clearly been loved. She could remember why she applied in the first place. Art was what she loved to do and now she was finally surrounded by people with the same passion as her. But still, she felt oddly out of place without Cyrus, Buffy, or Jonah to be with her.
A boring hour had passed and Andi was starting to wonder if her roommate would ever show up. She hoped that she would come soon as Andi was starting to feel lonely. Desperate to escape her lonesomeness, Andi leaped off her bed and passed by the closet she had organized and re-organized three times to get to the hallway. If Andi's roommate wouldn't come to her, then Andi would have to go and look for friends herself, Andi decided. She determined that the best place to go would be the yellow hall common room. Andi found the room quickly and instantly melted into it's social atmosphere.
Andi walked around and through the crowds of wide eyed, scared looking freshman and confident (and kind of arrogant) looking teens alike. Looking for friendly, bright artists such as herself, she created small talk with people who seemed to be there alone playing table tennis or a video game. She became acquainted with most of them. She was glad she would at least have familiar faces to wave to or to chat with in the halls or in classes. Feeling satisfied with her time in the common room, Andi left to go back to her room to see if her roommate had arrived. As she walked out, a pretty girl with loosely curled, short blonde hair caught her eye.
Andi pivoted on her heels and practically sprinted towards the girl, no doubt in her mind that it was who she hoped it was.
"Is that...?"
"Libby." The blonde girl signed introducing herself to a new classmate in a corner to the right of Andi. She gasped aloud. It had been months since Andi had seen Libby and for the first time, Andi realized that Libby was really pretty. Andi's face went pink and she walked away, waiting for her to be done talking. Soon after, she waved to Libby to get her attention. Libby smiled brightly and quickly approached Andi.
"It's been way too long since I've seen you," Andi signed
Libby chuckled, "You too. I didn't know you went to SAVA"
"It's kind of new. What's happened with you since the last time I've seen you?" Andi inquired genuinely curious. Andi was very relieved that someone she knew went to SAVA.
Libby and Andi took turns describing all the major events that had happened in their lives in the short five months since April. Andi would smile at how Libby's face would light up when she described everything from how she got a new cat to all the new art pieces she made over time.
"I'm sad we lost touch. You're so fun to talk to Andi. We should go to Andi Shack some time, like we did the first time we hung out." Libby suggested eagerly.
Andi giggled remembering when she took down Andi Shack. She had yet to redo it into something else. "About that..."
Andi hung around the common room for a bit before getting bored and heading back to her room. The other bed was made and the other half of the closet was full. She probably arrived while I was gone, Andi concluded.
"BOO!"
"Ack!" Andi shouted. She swiveled around so fast, she could've been a tornado.
"Hello, I'm Natasha," Andi apparent roommate laughed from behind the door.
"You scared me, way to make a first impression."
"Okay, but it was kinda funny, though." Natasha responded, to which Andi nodded. "So, what's your name?"
"I'm Andi, and the only things I fear are heights and Natashas," Andi paused, "Kidding, obviously. About Natashas, not heights." Natasha chuckled and plopped down on her bed. Andi shuffled over and sat next to her.
"So, there's five days until the first day and my roommates not a serial killer, so I guess that eases some of nerves."
"I think your cool, too, Andi."
Andi's phone buzzed. A notification alerted that it was now five and students could get dinner from now to any time until 8 pm.
"You wanna go eat now?" Andi asked.
Natasha nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
The dining hall seemed huge to Andi. At a quick glance, it may seem like any cafeteria, but Andi couldn't help but notice things that were different, such as the way the walls were stuffed to the max with paintings and the way the tables were white and modern as opposed to other cafeterias with cold hard seats. This might be my favorite room, Andi thought to herself and giggled. Natasha went over to sit with friends from her old school who also went to SAVA. Andi didn't want to intrude so she got her food and looked for Libby. She walked around the dining hall a solid three times before giving up. She quickly glanced around and found a table with Ellis, a boy she met in the common room. They chatted for a bit but it was awkward and shallow so they stopped talking pretty quick.
"Andiiii!" A voice called from behind her. Startled, she jumped and turned. The voice came from no other than, Walker Brodsky, her ex-something who had caused weeks of unnecessary tension between her and Buffy. Andi knew he had meant no harm but still she sighed.
"Walkerrr," She responded unenthusiastically, "We've talked about you coming up to me unexpectedly. Many times."
Walker felt he understood Andi's tone, "I get it, I guess. I'll go."
"Wait, no! I'm sorry," Andi cried, "I overreacted. Come, sit. We can talk."
Walker hesitated, "So you wanna talk about the whole me, you, Buffy thing or..."
Andi thought for a moment, "Not really, let's act as if it never happened. I'm over it," Andi explained, "I was just...uh, upset in the moment."
"I'm down with that. I may have gotten into SAVA for my talents in visual arts, but that doesn't mean I can't excel in other arts, like the performing arts." Andi chortled at Walker's mildly funny joke.
Andi told Walker every detail of her journey to SAVA, from the e-mail from Bex, to announcing it at her party, to mentally preparing herself over the summer. Walker seemed overly interested in what Buffy's done since the last time they met, so Andi made note to ask Buffy if she had broken up with him with words or not like Cyrus told her to.
Walker told Andi about the time he did caricatures for a birthday party, similar to the time he did them for Cyrus' Bash-Mitzvah. One of the parents there had a kid who went to SAVA and suggested that he go there, too.
"Cool story," Andi was glad her and Walker made up, "I'm glad you're here."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's nice to have a familiar face around since my best friends aren't here.
Walker smiled wide at the remark and then went back to eating his salad. No one talked any more and the awkward silence lasted for a few minutes until Andi finished eating and decided to leave. They both said adieu before Andi went back to her dorm.
When Andi got back to her room, she checked her phone and saw she had 62 new messages. All of them were from Buffy, Cyrus and Jonah in the GHC+Jonah group chat. Eager to talk to her best friends, Andi opened the chat but the corners of her mouth fell after scrolling through and seeing that all of them were talking about their first day at Grant High. A place where she wasn't. Andi suddenly felt so far from them even though they were in the same town. So different from them even though they'd been a unit for years. So distant from them even though they were in the same group chat. That same group chat was currently (playfully) yelling at her. Andi felt so distressed and the first day of school for her hadn't even came. She let out a long, sorrowful sigh and reopened the chat.
Cy: ANDI HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY???
Buff: WE KNOW YOUR SEEING THESE
Jojo: *you're
Buff: ok,,
Andi stifled a laugh and started to type. She didn't know what to say. Today was good and bad. Hopeful and saddening. SAVA was everything she expected and more, so far. She expected new friends, art everywhere, and new opportunities. On the other hand, she also expected missing her friends, missing her family, and changes. Andi didn't want to get into it over text so she typed something short.
Andi: good, ig. but i miss you guys sm :(
Cy: Yay! ily
Buff: aww we miss you too </3
Andi: Also you do know school hasn't started yet?
Andi: Today was just arrival day lmao
Andi turned her phone off before changing into her pajamas. She dramatically flopped down on her bed and deeply exhaled. Today was exhausting to Andi, but she promised herself she'd be able to make it through the year. Andi knew she was good enough for this place. But still, her irrational fears of not reaching the mark lurked in her mind. Andi's eyes shot open and she knew she'd never sleep if she thought like this.
Instead, Andi thought about the joy and warmth she felt with Libby. She thought about how her best friends would be right there waiting for her in the end. She thought about all the creativity that surrounded her constantly. Feeling content, she started to doze off and was soon fast asleep.
"Goodnight, Andi." Natasha whispered before turning off the lamp and falling asleep herself.
In just a few short days, the real work would start but for now it was easy to enjoy life at SAVA without the stress of school.