The Witness: The Lost Scenes (1)
This was originally slotted to occur before the bar scene on Andy's (Abby's) birthday - again, if this scene did actually appear in the final draft, I apologize....I looked and couldn't find it.
Rebecca stuck the key in the ignition and clicked her belt into place and then, as she shifted into reverse, her eyes bounced over once. “So, how’s that boyfriend of yours? When do I get to meet him?”
Andy shrugged and turned toward the window. “We’re just trying to get our schedules in sync,” she lied. “Maybe next month.”
“That’s what you said last month,” Rebecca commented quietly as she put the car into gear and cranked the wheel. Andy felt a tiny pinprick of annoyance. Not so much at Rebecca’s bluntness; that barely even registered anymore. It was more that she was tired of having to come up with valid and relatable explanations for why he wasn’t there, why he couldn’t just hop on a plane and come out for a visit. Also, more and more, she was tired of making those excuses to herself. She had an incredibly clear notion of why; it had been pounded into her time and again not only by Stone but also by her dad. But at times, like the night before when she’d lain awake in bed, stretching her hand out over the cool sheet next to her, it was hard to come up with a good reason.
“Maybe you should surprise him,” Rebecca suggested as she slowed the van and pulled it up to the curb in front of Riley’s house. “You know, take some vacation, get a plane ticket and just show up at his door.”
“That’s not really an option right now,” Andy said, voice tight as she thought of how badly she wanted to do just that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and she looked over, catching sight of Riley as he stepped out his door and jogged over through the rain.
He wrenched open the side door, got in and hit the button to close it. Rebecca had the van in gear and moving away from the boulevard before it clicked shut.
“Geez, Bec. Something on your mind?” Riley asked, his tone blatantly sarcastic as he flapped rain off the collar of his jacket.
Rebecca ignored him. “I was just telling Abby she should take a trip and see Sam. What do you think?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Riley said. Andy glanced back and saw him holding out his phone, rubbing the face against his pant leg to soak up the rain drops.
“Or maybe he should come here,” Rebecca said.
“Yeah, whatever works, I guess.” Riley shoved his phone into his pocket.
“You don’t have an opinion?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at him in the rearview.
“Why would I? She’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.” His tone brooked no arguments, in fact, he sounded a little put out at the sudden inquisition, but Rebecca paid no attention to that. She opened her mouth to reply and Andy swung an arm out at her.
“It doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t have enough put away to take a trip,” she fibbed. “And he’s busy anyway. He can’t visit right now. And it sucks, so just drop it,” Andy finished, a headache nibbling around behind her eyes.
Rebecca stuck the key in the ignition and clicked her belt into place and then, as she shifted into reverse, her eyes bounced over once. “So, how’s that boyfriend of yours? When do I get to meet him?”
Andy shrugged and turned toward the window. “We’re just trying to get our schedules in sync,” she lied. “Maybe next month.”
“That’s what you said last month,” Rebecca commented quietly as she put the car into gear and cranked the wheel. Andy felt a tiny pinprick of annoyance. Not so much at Rebecca’s bluntness; that barely even registered anymore. It was more that she was tired of having to come up with valid and relatable explanations for why he wasn’t there, why he couldn’t just hop on a plane and come out for a visit. Also, more and more, she was tired of making those excuses to herself. She had an incredibly clear notion of why; it had been pounded into her time and again not only by Stone but also by her dad. But at times, like the night before when she’d lain awake in bed, stretching her hand out over the cool sheet next to her, it was hard to come up with a good reason.
“Maybe you should surprise him,” Rebecca suggested as she slowed the van and pulled it up to the curb in front of Riley’s house. “You know, take some vacation, get a plane ticket and just show up at his door.”
“That’s not really an option right now,” Andy said, voice tight as she thought of how badly she wanted to do just that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and she looked over, catching sight of Riley as he stepped out his door and jogged over through the rain.
He wrenched open the side door, got in and hit the button to close it. Rebecca had the van in gear and moving away from the boulevard before it clicked shut.
“Geez, Bec. Something on your mind?” Riley asked, his tone blatantly sarcastic as he flapped rain off the collar of his jacket.
Rebecca ignored him. “I was just telling Abby she should take a trip and see Sam. What do you think?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Riley said. Andy glanced back and saw him holding out his phone, rubbing the face against his pant leg to soak up the rain drops.
“Or maybe he should come here,” Rebecca said.
“Yeah, whatever works, I guess.” Riley shoved his phone into his pocket.
“You don’t have an opinion?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at him in the rearview.
“Why would I? She’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.” His tone brooked no arguments, in fact, he sounded a little put out at the sudden inquisition, but Rebecca paid no attention to that. She opened her mouth to reply and Andy swung an arm out at her.
“It doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t have enough put away to take a trip,” she fibbed. “And he’s busy anyway. He can’t visit right now. And it sucks, so just drop it,” Andy finished, a headache nibbling around behind her eyes.