Part Five / Rain
"Damn how did I let this happen." Andrea grumbled as she made her way out of their apartment with the few things that Isaac hadn't bought for her. "Oh nuts." Andrea sighed staring at the Durango Isaac had bought her, adding, "Now what? Well there is a bus stop on the corner." With that she made her way to the corner and checked the schedule. "Things are looking better, only ten minutes to wait." Andrea said to herself taking a seat and waiting for the bus to arrive. The bus delivered her downtown Tulsa where she transferred and headed to her old neighborhood. "How will I tell Momma. She'll be so disappointed. I think she loves Isaac as much as she does me at times." Andrea thought as tears filled her eyes. The bus stopped about four blocks from her mother's so Andrea headed home on foot. "Wow an hour and a half bus ride for a fifteen minute drive. I have got to get wheels." Andrea mumbled cutting through the alleys and approaching her mother's house from the back. She stopped at the garage and put her suitcases off to the side. "Maybe I can ease my way into telling her I've left... God I've left him. He'll be so hurt when he gets home. God what am I doing?" Andrea muttered as she began to cry all over again. "She has to be here. Where else would she go?" Isaac screamed. "I don't know man but I'm telling you Andy ain't here." Brad screamed back, then added in a softer voice, "Calm down man. She can't be far. She loves you man she'd never leave you." "Then why are the suitcases gone?" Isaac asked. "I don't know. Maybe she loaned them to someone. You said her clothes are still there and her car. Maybe she's visiting a neighbor or something." Brad answered as Andrea snuck closer to the house so she could here. "She told me she wouldn't be there if I left though. She's never said that before. Brad she.." Isaac started to share but stop remembering her screaming as he shut the door. "She what man?" Brad asked worried by the look on his face. "She said damn you... Andy doesn't swear Brad and she said it loud and clear. Then I heard her crying and I took the chicken way out. I left man and I should have gone back and talked to her. I didn't get a mile away when I realized I had to talk to her or things would get bad." Isaac replied, then gasped, adding, "I guess things were bad already." "Don't man. She didn't leave. I know she didn't leave you." Brad said as Andrea heard a car approaching and rushed to the buses to hide. "Momma." Andrea gasped watching her mother's van pull into the garage. "Oh no my suitcases." Andrea thought as her mother didn't head to the house right away. "Kids. Never put anything away. Leave suitcases out in the open for anyone to steal. Well I'll not be buying any replacements. They can get a job." her mother grumbled on her way to the house. As soon as she entered the house, Andrea sprinted to the garage. "Where'd she put them." Andrea squealed not seeing them. "There." she sighed grabbing the two suitcases and heading down the alley again wondering where she'd go. At the bus stop Andrea found a bus heading out to the University. "Wonder if she still lives there." Andrea wondered making her way towards the apartment of someone she'd gone to high school with. Jessy was younger but the two hit it off the minute they realized they both had only brothers. Jessy had four to Andrea's three. Throughout High School the two were friends. "You will definitely tell me you told me so. You told me to wait before moving in with him. Actually you told me to marry him before moving in with him." Andrea chuckled remembering Jessy's words, adding, "Wish I'd listened to you." Andrea finally made it to Jessy's door or what she hoped was still Jessy's door. "She's not home. Hey it's you. Man haven't seen you in a long time." a neighbor said opening her door. "Hey Beth you still live here. So where is Jessy?" Andrea asked. "I think she's at the farm for the weekend. Come on in and I'll find out for you." Beth replied motioning her in. "So how have you been? Still working on Campus?" Andrea asked. "Yep. How about you? Suitcases, red eyes and what definitely appears to be a broken heart. Can't be good." Beth said putting the tea kettle on. "You always were direct. Uhh yeah it can't be good." Andrea replied with a sigh. Over tea the two chatted or you could say Andrea shared and cried as Beth listened and handed her tissues. "So if he wants to talk now, what are you doing here?"Beth asked after Andrea explained what had been going on. "Huh?" Andrea replied. "You said he doesn't listen to you. He doesn't ask your opinion you said. Well how can he if you're here and he's not?" Beth asked. "He... but I....he can't. Yeah now he wants to talk. I mean... you don't know how it feels to have his brother call you to tell you his other brother is coming to pick me up and I'm suppose to wear a certain dress. I mean he treats me like a child, telling me what to do and when to do it." Andrea argued. "If you act like one you'll be treated like one." Beth accused. "I what? I am not being childish. I had to do something to get his attention didn't I?" Andrea insisted. "Sure you did." Beth replied without much feeling. "I did. Honest Beth he just ignored me everytime I suggested something wasn't perfect. We're suppose to be the perfect couple you know. It's in all the magazines, 'Eldest member of Hanson, Isaac, and girlfriend Andrea, one of Hollywood's Hottest Couples.' Andrea argued. "Does he know you feel this way?" Beth asked. "Isaac?" Andrea asked. "Who else?" Beth squealed with a giggle, then quickly added in a serious tone, "You don't have something to tell me do you? I mean you haven't? You didn't? Nah you couldn't have. I would have heard about it." "What on earth are you talking about, I haven't what? I didn't.... oh... You think I. I never. I couldn't." Andrea gasped, then added, "I didn't leave because of love. I still love him. I'll always love him." "Yeah I know. Dumb question. Sorry Andy I know better. I gave you such a hard time when you started going with him, I should have known better." Beth replied with a chuckle, then added, "I was so ready to kill you until we realized he loved you too." "Oh I remember those days. I love him Beth but just can't stand the way things are right now." Andrea mumbled. "You don't look so good." Beth remarked. "I left him." Andrea barely whispered with a gasp as her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh no." Andrea squealed putting a hand to her mouth before rushing down the hallway to the bathroom. "You to bed." Beth insisted ushering her further down the hall to a bedroom. "But..." Andrea protested. "No buts. You look bad girl." Beth insisted, then added, "You know the fans wkll skin me alive if I let anything happen to Isaac's girlfriend. I'm just too young to die." Beth had her hands full with Andrea. When she wasn't crying, she was either sleeping or throwing up. "Andy you have got to eat something and keep it down." Beth argued as she made her way to the living room. "I just can't. I'm sorry to be so much trouble." Andrea replied curling up on the couch, then adding, "Man I've lost track of what day it is. Thursday?" "You've been here almost two days. It's Friday." Beth answered. "Friday. Friday huh. There's something.." Andrea said trailing off in thought. "Something what?" Beth asked. "I'm not sure but there is something important about today." Andrea replied. "Like what? An appointment, a meeting, an anniversary, a birthday?" Beth asked. "Oh no. Gramma Bea. Today is her birthday." Andrea squealed. "So call her an tell her happy birthday." Beth suggested handing her the phone. "It's not that easy. Today is her birthday and the entire family is meeting for lunch at the Tea Room. It's a big thing. Oh no, poor Isaac. He can't go alone. Gramma would never understand my not being there." Andrea explained then gasped, "I don't even know if he's told his family. I'm sure Tay and Zac know but...." "Chill Andy. You're going to stroke out at this rate." Beth said patting the back of her hand. "I can't make him face this alone." Andrea fretted. "Isaac is a big boy, he can handle Gramma alone." Beth replied still patting her hand. "Oh no he can't. You don't know Gramma Bea." Andrea squealed, adding in a convincing tone, "Gramma will chew him up and spit him out, then start all over again." "So Gramma will not understand. What are we going to do? I can take you home and you can go with him." Beth suggested. "Yeah. No. I guess. Wait if I see Isaac right now we'll never make it to lunch. There is so much to talk about. We'd...." Andrea shared trailing off in thought. "Oh yeah and that too." Beth squealed. "You." Andrea squealed then giggled adding, "Yeah that too." "So what we going to do?" Beth asked again. "Well I can't go in jeans and a tee." Andrea pondered. "Nope and that's all you brought." Uh huh. I got it." Andrea squealed dialing the phone. "Clothes Closet." someone answered. "Hello is Sue working." Andrea asked. "Hello this is Sue." Sue then answered. "Hey Sue, it's Andy and I need a big favor. You see, today is Gramma's birthday and I'm running late, really late. I'm on the opposite side of town from home and we're lunching at the Tea Room. The whole family is lunching at the Tea Room and I'm here in jeans and a tee shirt. If I'm late, Gramma just won't understand." Andrea explained. "Well you won't get in wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Nope. Nope. Nope." Sue replied with a giggle. "So you think it's funny huh?" Andrea asked. "No. Well actually yes. I'm so glad it's you not me." Sue answered. "Well I'm glad I can entertain you." Andrea teased. "Oh you do it so well." Sue chucked. "Well can you help me?" Andrea asked. "Sure. You know I just got a shipment in and there's this dress that would be perfect. Even in you are late, Gramma won't be able to resist you." Sue replied. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you." Andrea squealed. "Save that for lover boy, he gets the bill." Sue teased. "Oh he thanks you, thanks you, thanks you." Andrea squealed. "Okay enough already. I'll go pull out the dress. Let's see jeans and a tee huh, probably wearing sneakers too right?" Beth asked. "How'd you know I didn't wear my heels?" Andrea teased. "Smartie. I'll go get the works. Give me at least fifteen minutes." Sue shared. "Thanks again Sue. You're just the greatest." Andrea squealed then added, "I'll see you in a little bit."