Andrew Joseph Minyard is a sophomore Criminal Justice major at Palmetto State University, and a goalie for the PSU Foxes Exy team. He is known for his ferocity both on and off the court - a trait attributed to him by his unstable upbringing in the foster care system, stint in a juvenile detention center, and mania induced by his court-issued anti-depressants.
He is dedicated to upholding a strict set of personal values and is wholly protective of the the people he cares for — his twin Aaron, his cousin Nicky, and a few others that he deems worthwhile. Despite these sentiments, he outwardly appears to have little to no regard for his own life. All for the Game follows the journey of his drastic growth and development alongside that of Neil's.
Appearance[]
Andrew has blonde hair, pale skin and hazel eyes. He always wears black wristbands that reach from his wrists to his elbows. They are rumored to be a sarcastic attempt to differentiate him from his twin, Aaron, for other people's sake. In reality, he is hiding the scars on his wrists from years of self-harm, and a convenient sheath for knives. At 5' flat, he is very short - his Exy racquet is taller than he is - and "doesn't look like much" in person, however, he is also considered a person to be afraid of by the majority of The Foxes.
Before the Foxes[]
Andrew and Aaron's mother, Tilda Minyard, became pregnant with the twins after what Nicky theorized to be a one night stand. She gave birth to them and had them put into the foster care system. A week later she began to feel guilty about her decision and decided to take one child back; she ended up picking Aaron, leaving Andrew alone in the foster system. Nicky stated that the decision was random
In The Foster System[]
Under the foster system he was registered as "Andrew Doe" as Tilda did not register him with a last name. He grew up with twelve different foster families until he was thirteen. He would later say that he didn't remember any of them being good. He was sexually abused by at least four members of various foster homes, the first instance being at the age of seven. The most notable perpetrator being Drake Spear from his final foster home.
With His Biological Mother[]
When he was thirteen, he found out about his twin brother, Aaron, for the first time due to Tilda running into an officer from the Oakland PD who was already familiar with Andrew through the foster system, "Pig Higgins." His foster mother at the time, Cass Spear, had called Tilda in order to set up a meet and greet with the two but Tilda vehemently declined. Initially, Andrew was interested in meeting Aaron but Drake began to taunt Andrew about what he would do with the two once he got them together. Later, Andrew received a letter from Aaron asking if the two could meet, in order to protect Aaron from Drake he wrote back essentially saying "Fuck you. Go away," (quote from Nicky). Andrew gets himself into a juvenile detention center in order to get away from Drake, it was there where he decided to pick up Exy as a means of passing the time. During this time, his biological uncle, Luther Hemmick, flew to California in order to talk to Andrew's foster family and meet Andrew while he was in juvie. A month later Luther set up a 30 minute supervised session between the twins and a year later when Andrew received early parole Luther convinced Tilda to take him in. Andrew would later discover that Tilda was abusive to Aaron, leading to him making a promise with Aaron to protect him, which leads to him killing Tilda in a staged car crash which ends up souring the relationship between the twins ever since.
Joining the Foxes[]
Attack and Medication[]
The twin's cousin, Nicky Hemmick, after hearing of the death of his aunt, returned to the states from his study abroad program in Germany in order to take custody of Andrew and Aaron. They got a house in Columbia, and Nicky got a job in a restaurant called Sweeties where he introduced the twins to a non-addictive drug referred to as "cracker dust," in the trilogy, as a way to help Aaron cope with his drug addictions. Later Nicky and the twins get jobs at a night club called Eden's Twilight. Two years prior to the beginning of the first novel, Nicky was almost attacked by four men outside of Eden's because of his sexuality. Andrew stepped in before Nicky could get seriously injured and almost killed the four attackers. Andrew was put on trial and it was decided that his reaction, while in defense of Nicky, was disturbingly violent. His lawyer insisted that instead of being imprisoned again, he should comply to intensive therapy, weekly counseling, and daily medication for three years. If he was ever suspected to be off his medication, then he would be required to perform a drug test and if the results came back negative then he would be jailed.
As a Fox[]
Andrew was initially scouted by Kevin and Riko to become a goal keeper for the Edgar Allan Ravens, but he rejected them partially because of his lack of interest in Exy and because he wasn't interested in playing second fiddle to Riko like Kevin. He was later scouted by Wymack for the Palmetto State Foxes, he joined on the condition that Wymack would also have to recruit his family members, Nicky and Aaron, and also because Wymack agreed to let Andrew come off his medication during games. When he arrives at Palmetto State, Andrew works his way through the few Foxes he's unsure of or sees as a threat, by taking them to Eden's with him, Aaron, and Nicky. He takes Matt, who was at the time struggling with his recovery from his drug addiction, and gives him a speed-ball, with permission from Matt's mother, to get him clean once and for all. Though Matt holds no resentment over Andrew's unconventional methods, some of the other foxes were and still are unhappy with what Andrew's lot did to Matt in Columbia, and use it as another example of the danger Andrew's actions tend to cause to those around him. It also mentioned he takes Dan and Renee to Columbia to assess their threat level. Fortunately this sparks friendship with Renee and the two spar together regularly. Abby and Wymack make it clear that they didn't approve of Andrew's behavior, and when Neil arrives, try to ensure there won't be a similar incident. (there is).
In the Series[]
The Foxhole Court[]
Andrew is first introduced in Millport where he accompanied Kevin and Wymack to recruit Neil to the Foxes. When Neil tries to run, he stops him by hitting him in the stomach with a racquet. He brings Neil to Columbia and drugs him to see if he will be a threat to Kevin. Neil pays a bouncer 100 dollars to knock himself out so he won't reveal his past. He is introduced as violent and manic, showing no remorse for Neil's pain. By the end of the book, Andrew has offered Neil his protection.
The Raven King[]
When Nicky, Aaron, Kevin, Andrew and Neil go to Nicky’s parent‘s house, Drake rapes Andrew. This results in Aaron killing Drake. Andrew ends up going to rehab at Easthaven after the attack where Riko orders crooked therapists to continue to abuse Andrew.
The King's Men[]
Andrew is released from rehab and is dealing with the aftermath, including Neil having spent the holidays with the Ravens. Not long after, he nonchalantly reveals his sexual attraction to Neil at Eden's Twilight after Neil asks him why Roland thought Andrew was putting handcuffs on Neil. They eventually kiss and learn and grow as a pair throughout the book. Andrew also gets a Maserati at some point that Neil paid for him in cash.( Matt was ecstatic when he saw the car and it's one of the few non-hostile interactions between the upperclassmen and Andrew.)
Relationships[]
Neil Josten[]
Andrew picks up Neil from the airport sober and pretending to be Aaron, probably to evaluate him without the influence of the drugs. When Neil notices that Andrew isn't drugged, Andrew starts to take an interest in him. This trip is where Andrew first thinks that Neil might be a problem, but he dismisses it because he doesn't take it seriously.
Because Abby threatened to revoke their stadium rights, Andrew only takes Neil to Columbia in June.
When Andrew notices how hard Nicky is hitting on Neil, he threatens him at knife-point to make him stop. Neil intervenes. Andrew's interest in Neil is big enough that he says he'll solve Neil because his "loose ends aren't adding up". He declares Neil his new toy to play with.
When Neil accuses him of going through his folder, he says that no one can put a leash on him and threatens to break Neil. Neil says that he can't achieve that. They make a deal that if Neil comes to Columbia with them, Andrew would leave his possessions alone. Andrew wants to make sure Neil looks acceptable when they're at the club, so he tells Nicky Neil's size and has him buy party clothes for Neil. Andrew also has Neil take out his contact lenses for the trip because he apparently doesn't like brown eyes. He takes him to Eden's Twilight where he drugs him and tries to find out whether Neil is a threat to Kevin. Neil foils this plan by paying a bouncer to knock him out.
Back in Palmetto, Neil tells him that his parents are dead. According to this story, his father was a gopher for the Moriyamas and was killed for taking money from them. That is also why Neil knew Riko and Kevin as children. After his father's death, Neil supposedly took the money his father had stolen and ran. He tells Andrew that Kevin can't recognize him or the Moriyamas could be on him again. Andrew lets him stay with the Foxes, but Neil tells him he would be gone before their match against the Ravens anyway. After their conversation, Andrew decides that Neil is not dangerous to Kevin.
After that, the other Foxes notice that Neil is the only one who can "control" Andrew and get him to do things he otherwise doesn't want to do. Although several people hint at it, Neil doesn't realize Andrew is attracted to him until Andrew reveals it in Eden's Twilight. However, Andrew dismisses it and claims nothing would ever come off it and he tries to forget it.
When Neil has a panic attack, Andrew kisses him on the rooftop, but stops himself because he does not believe Neil is in the right headspace to give consent. Following that, they start regularly kissing and making out, although Andrew denies that their relationship has any emotional significance. Due to Andrew's past abuse, Neil is not allowed to touch Andrew anywhere without Andrew's explicit permission and accepts this without question.
Over the course of their relationship Andrew starts trusting Neil with his body more and more, something he hadn't allowed anyone else.
The only time Andrew has broken a promise was when he was trying to find Neil after he was kidnapped when he agreed to stop protecting Neil. After this, the relationship is outed to the rest of the Foxes as Andrew is desperate for Neil's return. Andrew outwardly showing his feelings for him and concern in front of the foxes at his return causes Allison to catch on, hence the other foxes
Neil moves into Andrew's room soon before the Foxes last match with the Edgar Allen Ravens. After the match it is noted that Andrew no longer denies that him and Neil are more than, 'nothing.' Both have emotional and physical feelings for the other and Nora says in the extra content that they never say 'I love you' but they both know it and they show their love through actions.
Kevin Day[]
When Andrew is sober, he gives his medicine to Kevin to hold on to. Otherwise, he'd be tempted to take them to ease his withdrawal symptoms. When Kevin started as assistant coach, he annoyed Andrew so much that Andrew refused to play with him for a month. He even threatened to break his own fingers if Wymack tried to force him. Andrew only started playing again when Kevin started playing with his right hand and they made a deal. Andrew promised Kevin he would protect him from Riko and the Ravens, and since this is the only reason Kevin can stay at Palmetto he tends to do whatever Andrew says.
Aaron Minyard[]
Andrew and Aaron have only known that the other existed since they were 13. After meeting at about the age of 15 and finally getting to meet unsupervised at the age of 17, Andrew figured out that Tilda, their biological mother, had been beating Aaron. He told her to stop hitting him, but she wouldn't so he staged a car crash, killing Tilda. Although Andrew had wanted to protect Aaron from his mother, Aaron won't forgive Andrew for killing his mother and their relationship is on very thin ice. In The Raven King, Aaron kills Drake to protect Andrew and Neil tells him that he should now understand why Andrew killed his mother. The twins still aren't on good terms, but as of The King's Men, Neil has convinced them to go to joint therapy sessions with Bee each week to try and repair what they can of their broken relationship.
Andrew strongly dislike's Aaron's girlfriend, Katelyn, because Aaron being in a relationship violates their promise to stick together until graduation. However, Aaron decides he wants to fight for his right to be with Katelyn, so he tells Andrew that he can either leave him and Katelyn alone or he can stop whatever it is with Neil to keep their promise. Andrew chooses Neil over Aaron, which Nicky says is "a little serious for a fling". Aaron then switches rooms with Neil because he doesn't want Katelyn in the same room as Andrew.
Betsy Dobson[]
Bee is his therapist/psychiatrist who he developed a close to relationship to, despite having a history of scaring away all of his past therapists. He feels comfortable in opening up to her and is one of the few people that in some ways he trusts. Usually in each one of their sessions they will share a cup of hot cocoa. She is a pivotal character to Andrew's development in general and with his brother, especially later on in the future. Andrew also buys her small figurines that she collects from airports when the foxes are going to an away game. She is the closest thing Andrew has to a mother.
Renee Walker[]
Renee and Andrew have an understanding of each other and she is among the few people Andrew trusts. They had both endured similar horrific childhood experiences, yet Renee was adopted by a good woman, named Stephanie Walker, after she was caught by the police for drug abuse. Andrew was not so lucky. Renee and Andrew enjoy each other's company and often spar together. Renee is also one of the only people who knew Andrew was gay before his relationship with Neil.
Exy[]
Andrew claims that Exy is boring, but less boring than life. During games, he displays a bored attitude, e.g. by twirling his racquet. He does play, but not to his full potential.
However, it is later revealed that Andrew is perhaps not as apathetic about exy or his future as everyone else assumed, and the agreement he made with Kevin suggests that Andrew actually desperately wants to make something of his life and exy talent but is too afraid that it might never happen to commit, and so he fights Kevin every step of the way. Andrew plays in goal and subs for Renee in the second half of games. He is incredibly talented but Neil usually has to make a deal with him for him to play properly.
Character[]
Andrew keeps his promises, almost to a fault. He will go very far out of his way to protect what's his. His moods generally range from apathy to violence, exceptions that allow differences in his attitude include Renee, Aaron, Kevin, Nicky, and Neil. His cold and heartless exterior is to hide his trauma and insecurities (eg: when he restricts Neil from touching him without permission). But there are also some cracks in his façade and he also has weak spots (e.g: Neil).
Medicine[]
Andrew's medicine makes him manic.
When Andrew stops taking it, his withdrawal has three stages:
- Crashing
- Getting sick
- Desperately trying to take the drugs
After coming off of his drugs for too long Andrew can become more violent than usual.
When Andrew stops taking his drugs for games, he usually misses a dose half an hour before the serve and is in stage 1 for the first half of the game. He then takes his drugs again and stays on the bench for the second half.
Andrew hates the medically induced state of manic happiness caused by the pills.
When he was taken off his medicine his withdraw was treated at Easthaven Hospital.
Habits[]
The roof is a favorite hangout of Andrew's; he is afraid of heights (and of falling, as he says) and being on the roof makes him feel alive.
Andrew smokes, mostly out the window of his dorm room or on the roof.
He tends to take his medicine with alcohol from time to time.
Andrew always carries knives hidden under his wristbands. He got them from Renee and promised to keep them for her.
When Andrew wakes up through someone touching him, his first reflexive reaction is to punch them very hard. He doesn't seem to know this and is surprised when other people are hurt after they wake him.
Andrew is frequently seen doing duplicitous things to get alcohol. For example, when Neil arrives at Wymack's flat, Andrew steals a bottle of whiskey.
Trivia[]
- Andrew has an expensive black car, a Maserati, that Neil bought with the money his mother stole when they ran from his father. Only a small number of other people are allowed to drive his car, namely Nicky, Renee, and Neil. Andrew's style of driving can be described as reckless.
- Andrew dislikes visiting the library. According to Nicky, he claims to be allergic to books.
- At the beginning of the series, he thinks that the Foxes will never amount to anything.
- Andrew is known to be a really good goalkeeper, but mostly can't be bothered with making an effort to live up to his potential. To give him incentive to make an effort, Wymack bribes him, first with alcohol, later with sobriety during games. Later on, Neil is able to help convince him to try harder.
- Andrew punched Nicky once when Nicky said he'd like to make Kevin so drunk that he'd make out with him.
- He says he doesn't hate Exy because he doesn't care about it enough. He only puts up with it because it is less boring than "living". To him, Exy is pointless and could therefore never be fun.
- He, Aaron, and Nicky own a house in Columbia.
- Andrew hates the word "please" because one of his rapists made him say it when he was 7 years old. At that age, he still believed he would stop if he only asked nicely.
- He also hates the word “misunderstanding” after his uncle (Nicky's dad) used it as an excuse to dismiss Drake's abuse.
- He is really good at picking locks and breaks into Neil's room more than once.
- Andrew doesn't like surprises.
- He has an eidetic memory.
- Andrew majored in Criminal Justice (as Nora says, because he’s a troll).
- According to Nora in a Tumblr post, Andrew would be a Slytherin.