Emerald Bay
Late Night

Emerald Bay hasn't changed much. Would of expected at least a new fast food joint after five years.. Or at least one of those big chain supermarkets.

It was night when she arrived. Maybe once the sun rose she could really see what kind of place Emerald Bay has become since her departure those few years ago. Then again, it was a constant reminder to why she was here. Why she even returned to this small port town.

Right.. Dad's dead.

Six and a half hours by bus. Another forty by taxi. But in the end, there she was. In front of the house she spent the first sixteen years of her life. If it wasn't for the silence breaking cough, Andrea might of forgotten the taxi driver was even there. "Sorry.. How much?" It didn't matter how much. She was just going through the motions. Card handed to the driver so he could go along with his business. The guy was nice enough, he tried making small talk at first - but in the end the ride turned into a rather quiet one.

`Have a nice night.` He said after pulling her two bags of luggage out from the trunk. A laugh caught in Andreas throat when she reflected on those words. Yeah.. a nice night.

Alone then. Looking to that single light that lit a still dark porch, and the door that should've felt inviting.. but instead, caused her stomach to turn in fear.

One step. Two steps. Three steps. Andrea was on the porch by then. The old wood creaking ever so lightly while she stepped across it. She could hear noise from the other side of the door.

The television. Someone was still awake.

She hadn't announced her intent on visiting. It was a spur of the moment idea that came to her the second she got the news. They would expect her to come, wouldn't they? Her father was dead - after all. It was a time for the family to come together and mourn.

Bottom lip was taken between rows of teeth and gently bitten upon. Andrea waited. There was no movement to knock at that door, nor ring the bell. Seconds turned to minutes till she finally found the courage to bring up a closed fist to knock knuckles to the hardwood door.

Knock, knock, knock. Every knock made her feel worse and worse.

Please be Mom.. please, be Mom.. It was all she could think right now. She didn't know what her brother was doing with his life, but she knew he was still living with their parents. Though it had been a year since her Grandmother had told her this. He could have moved out, but the fear was still there.

A fear that left her, as did a sigh of an exhaled breath, when the door opened to reveal the person she wanted. Her Mother.

"Can I help you..?" The woman spoke in an unsure voice.

".. Hey, Mom.." She started. For a second, the woman looked perplexed by her choice of words. ".. It's me." Andrea could see it then. That split second of realization.

"Andrew?"

Don't call me that.. I've told you..

".. yeah." She answered weakly. Trying her hardest to fight back the urge to correct her. Now wasn't the time. Just - not now. ".. It's me.."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

It came up as the two of them sat at the table. Andrea was just about to take a bite of chicken when the question was asked. Her mouth kept open, her eyes looking directly at the woman who sat across from her. Andrea was in a mixed state right now. Call it shocked and confused. She never expected a question like this to be asked.

No, not after the first time. She could still remember that black eye she had gotten when that conversation happened. It was also the last night she lived under this roof.

".. I have a girlfriend.. Her name's Rayvinn.." she said after a long pause. The word girlfriend must have done something for her mother. The look on her face. She looked.. Happy. At least until her next question was asked.

"Is she a.. real woman? Or.." Andrea knew where she was going with this. She swallowed back roughly while setting fork down against plate. Anger started to brew. She's confused.. It's okay, she's just confused.. she doesn't understand. She tried to tell herself. ".. She's a woman.. can have babies and everything."

There must of been a hint of anger in her tone, as her mother was quick to respond with, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm.. not upset." Andrea said with a tired expression.

It just wouldn?t come to her. Sleep. The smallest sort of sounds coming from the direction of that bathroom caused her to go on alert. Why?d I even stay here.. - it brought up that question. Being too fearful to even sleep; she was only hurting herself in the end.

Cell phone clutched within tightly curled fingers. The thought of calling Rayvinn came to mind. Her voice could bring some feeling of ease to this situation gone horribly wrong; but that would require talking. Talking wasn?t something she couldn?t do right now. Even after five years, she was afraid to make even the smallest of peeps to upset her elder brother.

Not even here for one night and she was already settling back into old habits.. that?s what made this even more scary.

Another sound. Andrea shifted on the bed. Turning to face the direction of the bathroom door. Light illuminating out from under it. He was in there. Her breath caught, not wanting to make even the smallest sound to draw his attention.

Twenty one years old and she?s still doing this. She grit her teeth upon realization. That bottled up anger surfacing once more. But she did nothing with it. Her face instead found pillow, and her eyes tightly squeezed closed.

Why am I even here..?!

Her father died four months ago. Four. If she only knew that.. she might not have even come. No. That was a lie. Even if she knew, she still would have been laying on top of this bed.