Helios Beginnings (The Helios Chronicles #0.5) (13 page)

Now it was Aaron’s turn to furrow his brows. “Don’t talk like that, Andrew. You are very smart. You just weren’t given the same opportunities as others have. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Besides, I can help you if you need it.”

Andrew smiled slightly. Aaron was a teacher at the local high school and firmly believed that everyone could be more than what they were. Andrew admired that quality even if he didn’t believe it was true for himself.

“I saw an ad in the newspaper this morning,” Aaron continued. “It was about classes being offered at the tech school in town that would allow you to get a degree as a mechanic. What do you think? Is that something you’d like to do?”

Andrew had never considered going to college of any sort. He knew that he needed to get a job; that was certain; unfortunately no one seemed to be hiring. Of course, the minute he put down that he had been in prison, help miraculously was no longer needed any way. It had been a long time since he was in a school setting. He had gone for only a few years after he was placed in the system, but took off before completing. He wasn’t sure that he could actually do school or not.

“Ummm, I don’t know,” he finally said.

“Why don’t we swing by the school after we’re done? You can check it out and see if it’s something you would like.”

“Even if it is, I can’t afford to go to school. I assume it cost money to go to college and if you haven’t noticed, no one will hire me.”

“Andrew, the right job will come around. Besides, getting your certificate could help with that and don’t worry about the money. That isn’t a problem. Olivia and I have already discussed this and we want to take care of it for you.”

“I think you guys are already doing enough for me. You’re providing a roof over my head and food every day. Not to mention things like this,” he motioned to the tattoo parlor that they had just stopped in front of. “I can’t keep taking your handouts.”

Aaron put the car in park and touched his shoulder. “It’s not a handout. We’re family and we love you.”

Andrew cringed and his forehead creased with worry. They didn’t know him so they couldn’t possibly love him. Just the thought of someone caring for him in that way made him want to run for the hills, but if he did that, he would end up in prison again. That was something he never wanted to experience again.

“Andrew, we want to help. We have money put aside for a rainy day and frankly, we have no qualms about spending that on you.”

Andrew inhaled sharply at the realization that they were spending what he presumed was their savings on him. He’d never be able to repay them and it bothered him greatly that they were investing so much time and money into him.

“Andrew,” Aaron said in a softer voice causing Andrew to look at him. “Olivia and I have always wanted children but were never blessed with them. But if we did have them, we would want at the very least to take care of their education. Please, let us do this for you. It would mean the world to both of us if we could help you in this way.”

Andrew stared at him for a long time. He could tell by the expression on his face that he was being sincere. “All right; I’ll consider it.”

Aaron smiled brightly. “Wonderful.”

Andrew smiled and shook his head, glancing down at the picture he had drawn of the Phoenix. Maybe he
was
going to rise again. Things definitely felt different this time around. He took a deep breath, not wanting to get his hopes up to high. For now, he would enjoy the life that Aaron and Olivia were giving him for however long it lasted.

~*~

Andrew was surprised at how rapidly he picked up on all the nuances of working with motorcycles. He was a quick study, not wanting to waste Aaron and Olivia’s money on him. In just ten short months he had been certified as a general motorcycle mechanic and had just finished his specialty certificate to be able to work on Harley Davidsons, which was his motorcycle of choice. In that time period he had also taken the coursework to get a certificate in general automotive repair as well. That was Aaron’s suggestion and he was happy he had done it. He felt accomplished, something that he never thought he would.

Andrew was sitting on the curb, his final class completed. He stared down at his certificate and grinned. He still couldn’t believe he had done it. He had gone to school and gotten a trade. He glanced up, looking around. He was waiting on his aunt and uncle to arrive. They pulled up and parked a little ways away from him. Andrew quickly walked over to where they were and slid into the backseat.

“Do you have a preference for dinner, Andrew?” Olivia asked.

He shook his head. She was always asking him what he liked or didn’t like. She never seemed to grasp the concept that he didn’t care. Whatever they wanted to do was fine with him. Of course, he wasn’t exactly sure why getting a certificate was cause for eating out but he wasn’t going to question it. Aaron and Olivia were quirky that way.

“How about ribs?” Aaron suggested.

“Sure, that sounds good,” Andrew replied.

The three of them made their way to the local restaurant that boasted the best ribs in town. Andrew ordered a full rack along with mashed potatoes and corn, the same as Aaron. When the food arrived at their table the two men raced to see who could finish first. Andrew won. He always did. By the time they headed home, everyone was laughing and joking around. He did notice however that Aaron and Olivia kept looking at each other in the front seat, giving each other knowing smiles. As they pulled up to the house Andrew sat up straight.

“Who’s here?” Andrew asked, noticing that there was a motorcycle parked in the driveway.

“No one,” Aaron said causally.

“Did you buy a Harley?” Andrew asked, flabbergasted that he would do such a thing.

Aaron and Olivia both turned in their seats to look at him. “You bought one.” Andrew opened his mouth to say something but Aaron quickly began talking. “A friend of mine was selling his Harley. I bought it, but I know you don’t want us doing that kind of thing so I’m selling it to you, it’s a loan. Once you start working, then you can start making monthly payments on it. It’s in great shape and…”

“And…” Olivia interjected. “We both know that you need a way to get around. You can’t stay cooped up in your room all the time, Andrew. You need to get out, so we,” she glanced at Aaron who continued.

“We thought if you had your own transportation, then you could not only look for work on your own, but you could also take some drives around, get some fresh air, and see what’s around. Pacific Coast Highway is absolutely breathtaking.”

Andrew stared at them. He had no words and he was sure his face displayed the shock he was experiencing. He must have misheard them. This couldn’t be his. Who does things like this for other people? He looked between his aunt and uncle and realized with certainty that he was in the company of the most caring people around.

“Andrew,” Olivia asked, stealing a quick glance at her husband who simply shrugged his shoulders.

“So this bike is mine?” Andrew questioned.

“Yes, it is.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. This is…” he closed his eyes for a moment hoping the right words would come to him.

“Say you’ll be careful on it,” Olivia said with a smile.

Andrew grinned and lowered his head. This was insane to him. He almost expected someone to pop up and tell him it was just a joke. In truth, he had been expecting Aaron and Olivia to show their true colors for the past eleven months, but that had never happened. They were still as kind to him as they were the day he arrived. Maybe that was their true colors. He finally nodded and then smiled widely as Aaron dropped the keys in his hand.

“Thank you both for this.”

Olivia touched his shoulder and smiled happily. “You’re welcome.”

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” he said exiting the vehicle.

Andrew walked over to the motorcycle, which was a 2005 Harley 883XL. He grinned as he kneeled down to inspect it. It was a sweet bike that was well maintained. He saw that it had an Evolution engine and nodded as he thought about the amount of horsepower it had. It wasn’t as powerful as some of the bigger Harleys, but it was a great starter bike and one that he would be able to pay for. He would definitely pay them back for it.

“You gonna take it out?” Aaron asked coming up to him.

“Yeah,” he said shaking his head. “I still can’t believe you did this.”

Aaron chuckled as he tapped his shoulder. “Enjoy, Andrew.”

Andrew stood up and straddled the bike, laughing as he started it, feeling the rumble beneath him. He carefully backed out of the driveway and gunned it down the quiet street. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go but he desperately needed to drive it. He headed towards the small highway that led out of town and followed the road up towards Kern River Canyon. His heart beat wildly as the wind blew his hair back. Halfway up, he felt a sense of déjà vu, so he pulled over and parked in a small section off the main road.

“Holy shit!”

He stepped off his bike and turned his whole body around. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This looked like the place he had drawn while in prison. Some of the details weren’t exactly the same, but it was close enough to make him feel as if he had been there before. He turned the bike off and shoved the keys in his pocket as he walked to the edge of the canyon area. He took a deep breath as he observed the beautiful scene before him. The colors were magnificent. He would need to come back with his sketchbook because there was no way he would remember it all. When the sun finally started to set, he took that as his sign that he needed to leave, knowing that he would be coming back to this spot many times.

~*~

“Andrew, that’s good work,” Matt said, kneeling down beside him.

“Thanks.”

Andrew wheeled himself out from under the vehicle he was fixing and wiped his dirty hands on his coveralls. He had been working for Matt for almost a month and he loved it. He liked the idea of making his own money. His first check he got he simply handed over to Aaron and Olivia, but they refused to take it all, insisting that he needed to have his own money. They had settled on them taking fifty percent of whatever he earned.

“Go ahead and take your break.”

Andrew nodded and swiped his hands along his coveralls again, wiping the grease and grime on the material. He didn’t really need a break, but Matt said he was required to give him one. Andrew stepped out of the shop and pulled out his pack of cigarettes as he threw his leg over his bike. He wasn’t going anywhere, but he sure did enjoy being on his bike. He exhaled a cloud of smoke and let the cigarette dangle in his mouth while he lowered his coveralls, letting the summer heat beat down on him.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, geez, calm down.”

Andrew glanced to the side to see a couple exit a convertible BMW. It was a nice car but the man driving it didn’t look nice. He looked like most guys, Andrew thought. Nothing out of the ordinary, except of course the scowl on his face. The man glared at him as Andrew took another drag of his cigarette.

“What are you looking at, asshole?”

Andrew couldn’t help but grin. He wanted desperately to say something to the man, but he didn’t know him at all and in truth, why should he bother. Obviously the man had a chip on his shoulder. Andrew didn’t need any trouble with people. He had done a good job so far staying under the radar, no need to change that now.

“What’s so funny?”

Andrew shook his head. “Nothing man.”

Andrew dropped the remainder of the cigarette on the ground. He didn’t want a problem with this man and decided that the best tactic at this point was to go back inside. He pulled up his coveralls and buttoned it quickly, wanting to get away from this angry person. Unfortunately, as he stepped off his bike he found that the man was now standing directly in front of him with a venomous expression on his face.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Andrew said staring at him.

“Jimmy, come on, baby. Let’s go.”

The man named Jimmy grinned, flicking Andrew’s name patch on his coverall’s. He then turned; wrapping his arm around the girl he was with and strolled away like nothing had happened. Andrew shook his head and went back inside, happy that he had avoided an unnecessary conflict. After work, as he always did, he took a drive up towards Kern County Canyon. He stayed there until the sun set and then made his way home.

“How was your day, Andrew?’ Olivia asked while setting the table.

He gave her a small nod. “It was good.”

He decided that he didn’t want to tell her about the non-incident with the man named Jimmy. Nothing had really happened anyway so why worry her unnecessarily. He sat with Aaron and Olivia and made small talk throughout dinner. He knew that was something that his aunt liked and after all she and her husband had done for him, it was least he could do.

The following day proved to be anything but typical for Andrew. As he pulled up to the shop, he noticed that the convertible he had seen the day before was parked in front. He thought that odd since Matt generally didn’t work on cars like that, but he turned off his motorcycle and strode inside, figuring it was none of his business. He immediately went to his locker to grab his coveralls.