Sometimes people HUGELY over-estimate how long Andrew & Kevin have known each for by the beginning of TFC. I have seen people believe that Kevin & Andrew were friends for over a year to years before Neil arrived in TFC. When in reality, Kevin arrived in Palmetto in December & recovered at Abby’s. Andrew & Nicky & Aaron & Erik spent Christmas/NY in Columbia. Andrew returned Jan & THAT is when he makes a deal with Kevin.

They sign Neil in April & Neil arrives in Palmetto in May. Andrew & Kevin have known each other approximately four months. Prior to this they met ONCE when Kevin & Riko tried to recruit Andrew to the Ravens. Moreover, Kevin trying to recruit Andrew to the Ravens failed. And while this could be b/c of Andrew’s refusal to leave Aaron & Nicky - Andrew also didn’t know that Wymack would sign all three of them at that point. As far as Andrew was aware, Nicky would be returning to Germany & his + Aaron’s deal would be over by the end of High School.

I partially believe that Kevin’s promise of getting Andrew off his court-mandated drugs and suggesting that he & Riko “always get what they want,” raised some major red flags for Andrew. Andrew is clever enough to realize that by letting Kevin & Riko be responsible for getting him off his meds, he owes them. Moreover, that show of power - that Riko’s connections can sway even courts & law-enforcement - probably freaked Andrew the fuck out. The last thing Andrew would want is to be indebted to people with that much power (I think Kevin was trying to use this show of power as a lure - it probably has worked on many Ravens. Andrew, however, views people with more power than himself as a threat).

I also think this moment is FASCINATING for Kevin’s character and might be a hint of what we will see in TPC. There is often a focus on how Kevin rejected whatever kidnapping scheme Riko proposed to “give” Andrew to him (good on you, Kevin). However, Kevin still tried to recruit Exy players he thought were talented - like Andrew - to the Ravens! A highly abusive cult! This is such brilliant character insight. [I think this also ties into when Nora answered that if Andrew HAD joined the Ravens he would have hated Riko & Kevin equally].

I also want to briefly touch on Kevin’s line of “you’re worth it” and “being the first person to tell Andrew he was worth something.” First, when Kevin says “you’re worth it” he is referring to Andrew’s Exy skills. He doesn’t really know Andrew AT ALL as a person. He’s referring to the fact that Andrew is a fantastic goalie who is worth investing in as a Raven. Second, characters often say things that aren’t actually true based on their own bias/perceptions/knowledge (this is good writing). I often see Kevin saying that he was the “first” person to tell Andrew he was worth something taken as fact. Perhaps, Kevin means he was the first person to tell Andrew he was worth something in Exy. However, Kevin WAS NOT the first person to tell Andrew he was worth something period. Andrew tells us himself that Cass wanted to adopt him & pay for him to attend college. Nicky tells us he did not return to Germany to help Andrew & Aaron repair their relationship. People before Kevin thought Andrew was worth something. *Another mention of characters who say things based on their own bias: Nicky when he calls Andrew “scary territorial” over Kevin. This is often taken out of context. This is not a romantic line. Nicky says this in reference to the fact that Andrew punched him for saying he wanted to get Kevin too wasted to be straight. I think most readers recognize that when Andrew threatens Nicky about Neil in TFC, it wasn’t b/c Andrew was already in love with Neil. Andrew is not lashing out at Nicky b/c he thinks Nicky is making moves on the men Andrew wants. Andrew is lashing out at Nicky b/c Nicky is joking about sexual assault.

Anyway, Andrew was actually friends with Renee before he met Kevin. Aaron & Nicky were the ONLY two characters who knew Andrew prior to Andrew being on his court-mandated medication. Kevin’s longest friendships are Riko, Jean, and Thea.

Neil’s initial perception of “The Monsters” as One United Group in TFC is wrong. None of “the Monsters” are initially close in TFC. And Neil later realizes this! Andrew & Aaron do not speak to one another & refuse to sit beside each other. They’re in a cold war. Andrew refuses to recognize Nicky as his family & Nicky is desperately trying to get Aaron & Andrew to reconcile while also facing homophobia from Aaron & apathy + anger from Andrew.

Andrew & Kevin made their deal despite barely knowing one another, which leads to conflict! (Which makes sense b/c conflict is essential to story-telling). Andrew on multiple occasions accuses Kevin of lies & betrayal & not trusting Andrew’s promise (leftover trauma from Aaron I’m guessing + Kevin actually hiding shit from Andrew but also Kevin often does this at another person’s request - Wymack, Neil, etc., yet it obviously still bothers Andrew). While Andrew HOPES that Kevin will fulfill his end of the deal (giving Andrew something to build a life around when he comes off his court-mandated medication) he himself doesn’t believe Kevin will fulfill his part of their deal either. There is actually a lot of distrust between them, which I think makes sense when considering how little they have ACTUALLY known each other for.

Moreover, part of Andrew’s lack of belief in Kevin following through on his end of the deal is b/c Kevin is very stubborn about insisting that Exy will give Andrew a desire to live/something to build his life around… and I think Andrew knows himself well enough to know that was never going work (in fact Nora has confirmed countless of times that it wasn’t going to work. Without Neil, Kevin would have failed). Kevin’s insistence on Exy being enough for Andrew however makes sense for Kevin.

Andrew & Kevin actually have several violent fights throughout AFTG. There is the fight that takes place pre-TFC where Kevin throws Andrew’s racquet down the court & Andrew threatens to break his own fingers. There is the fight after Andrew gets the call from Higgins & wants to leave and Kevin tells him to ‘knock it off you can’t leave’ and Andrew punches a wall. There is the fight after Andrew agrees to shut down the goal for Wymack & Kevin shoves him and Andrew slices him with his knife. There are many other smaller, less violent fights. However, as Andrew tells Neil/us he likes to tell Kevin no and part of that stems from Kevin’s behaviour. (This is also why Andrew/Neil’s “yes or no” doesn’t really transfer as well to Kevin/Andrew… sometimes I see it used for them but it doesn’t mesh with their canonical characters dynamics).

When Neil gives Kevin his game in TFC and Kevin says, “he understands,” with a pointed look at Andrew. In the context of their deal this is absolutely FASCINATING. Kevin is, tbh, not putting actual work into fulfilling his deal with Andrew. The ONLY reason Kevin succeeds is by accident. I think it’s very much written on purpose that Andrew agrees to Kevin helping him find something to build his life around & does not agree for that something to be Exy & Kevin DOES NOT try to find something else. Kevin is so stubborn about Exy being correct & that he is correct (which makes sense for his characterization) that he views Andrew’s refusal to relent as ANDREW’S problem to fix instead of an indication that KEVIN needs to change direction.

This is a really good contrast to when Andrew makes his deal with Neil and he asks Neil SEVERAL TIMES a variation of: what do YOU need ME to do. Andrew offers an option: 1-year protection from whoever is after Neil. However, he is very much willing to consider what Neil wants/needs from him. The difference in thinking boils down to, “this is what I think you need of me but if I am wrong tell me and I will adapt to being what you need” (Andrew) vs “this is what I think you need and I refuse to consider any other option and eventually you will realize I know best” (Kevin).

*Also, as we know Neil is kind of the Fixer in AFTG. He fixes Andrew’s relationships: with the Upperclassmen to unite the Foxes, Andrew & Aaron, Andrew & Nicky, and also Andrew & Kevin [this is also why I don’t believe the rhetoric that ‘Kevin could have had Andrew if he asked’ Andrew would have told him no so fast. Moreover, I think it’s also telling that Nora even said in the Kevin/Andrew/Neil draft that Andrew REJECTED Kevin initially & Kevin needed Neil to smooth things over with Andrew. Nora also said they were very toxic in the draft & that’s why she ultimately removed Kevin from the romance].

Andrew plays favourites. Now, Neil was set-up as the favourite in TRK (I think the fact that despite Kevin being the one to initially make the promise of getting Andrew off his meds, the one who wanted Andrew off his meds most, he & Neil then had a FIGHT about Kevin not wanting Andrew taken off his meds during Andrew's last scene in TRK). But I think TKM is obviously when “Neil as the favourite” really shines.

Now, there are the little “cute” ways Andrew plays favourites (letting Neil sit in the front of the car even though Kevin hates sitting in the back). And then there are absolutely brutal ways Andrew plays favourites. Letting Neil slam Kevin against a door (neatly stepping out of the way even though he attacked Matt for hitting Kevin), letting Neil hit Kevin in the back of the head (and then saying “you’ll what?” when Kevin tries to threaten Neil about hitting him again), strangling Kevin when Neil goes missing, threatening Kevin with a knife when he complains about Neil’s vacation. Basically, Andrew is... not treating them equally.

That is why I was really surprised when some readers were really disgruntled with Nora’s answers about Kevin going on to live his own life in the future (not living with Andrew/Neil, occasionally visiting them, sometimes calling Andrew or texting Neil) b/c ppl thought Kevin was going to be… in their back-pockets forever. And the thing is, I think Kevin going off and being able to live independently is good character growth for Kevin considering his current dependence on needing someone else around is… from being raised in a cult. And moreover, Kevin playing second-fiddle to Neil just to be around Andrew seems terrible?? I mean, I understand, it’s Andrew Minyard, but Free Kevin.

I am running out of word space so I wasn’t really able to touch upon Andrew & deals as much as I would have liked - mainly the fact that I think the deals are meant to be narratively bad for Andrew & there is a reason Aaron & Neil both want to break their deals with Andrew - partially for Andrew’s benefit. As we can see with Aaron & Andrew being able to actually build a proper brotherly relationship AFTER their deal is over, I would also say Kevin & Andrew can only build a proper friendship AFTER their deal is also finished and that is good. This allows their friendship breathing room & to for them NOT be indebted towards one another (as my argument isn't trying to say Kevin & Andrew aren't friends but that I think their friendship definitely has a lot more conflict than fluff & their closeness can at times be exaggerated).