Arcane Guardian ↣ Avenged Sevenfold

21 ☼ southern constellations

February 2008 

"That's so weird. This is Noelle's hometown." Brian said, as they passed the familiar streets. Even the coffeeshop her mother had slapped her in stood out. Andrea tight knuckled the steering wheel, tense. "Spent a lot of time here." 

"Fun coincidence." Andrea said half heartedly as they turned to the dirt road leading to the county prison. Was Brian elated to be meeting his girlfriends law offending father for the first time? Not really. In fact, if he hadn't promised her he would go with her he would be brainstorming ways to end things or at least move her back into her own place. But he keeps his word and Andrea seems nerved up and he didn't have the heart to cancel. "What high school did she go to?" 

"Northeast." 

This seemed to take her mind off of things. "Northeast? No way! I went to that school. Wonder how I didn't recognize her?" 

"Oh, she had long blonde hair back then. Like, to her butt. She was also smaller and shyer. Different person." He shook his head. "This guy Travis, he made her life hell." 

"Travis? Wait. Tall, looks like a surfer on meth? Dude, I dated him senior year." She laughed out. "Small towns in the midwest, you know?"

He nodded tight mouthed. 

"You would think she would be sleeping around, getting all those connections in the industry that fast." Andrea drank from her water bottle, not shutting the fuck up. "God, what's that look on your face for? It was a joke. She doesn't seem like that type of girl." 

"You don't seem like the type of girl to crush another girls insides in a corset either, but the more you know I guess." He shrugged backhandedly. 

She put the car in park and glared over at him. "Oh my god, we're back on this again?" 

They got out of the car and silently walked into the visiting center. Andrea gave the worker all her information and they were plopped thusly into the waiting room.

"So, your dad?" He tried making conversation. He wondered how obvious it was to anyone else in the room that they were disenchanted with each other. 

"Falsely accused of some fucked up shit." She nodded. "I wasn't allowed to attend his trial. Mom wouldn't let me. You know, false accusers should really go to jail too." 

Yeah but so should rapists, so we should work on that first he mentally grumbled. He had a feeling he would find a way to argue anything that came out of her mouth, so he kept the thought to himself. "You see him often?" 

"Once a year. Mom left him. But I believe him." She nods. "The system failed him big time. My dad is the best person I know. It just... I don't visit often because it hurts to see him." 

He reached out and took her hand, because it felt like the right thing to do in the moment. 

He felt nothing when he looked at her and he truly hated himself for dating her and moving her in and using her the way he had been. Maybe she's only been shitty because he's given her reason to be. 

"Andrea Dylan?" A cop called out. Brian and Andrea stood up as they were lead into a room full of glass dividers. Brian was somewhat surprised it looked as much like a prison movie as it did. 

"Daddy," Andrea ran up to the phone, pressing it up to her ear and putting her hand to the glass. 

Brian felt his blood go cold as he saw gray hair, a chunky figure, and a missing eye. The same gray hair he had tried to grab, but his hands had phased right through as he tried pulling him off of his best friend.