Ocean Sails Yellow Part 2

Audrey walked in the front door of her house. Her clothes were still wet from her dip in the ocean. She made water tracks as she tiptoed past her mom in the other room. Her dad was on another business trip and her mom was on another man. Again. Audrey stripped off her clothes and dropped them in the washer. She stood under the running water of the shower and stared down at the tiles. She'd once counted how many there were, 147. She stepped out of the shower and perched on the edge of her counter, in front of the mirror. She stretched her arm out and dragged her finger across the cold surface. In the fog, she spelled out "Hello Stranger" and then wiped her hand across it to reveal her face. Her cheeks were a light pink color from the heat. Her skin looked alive, but her eyes looked dead. She stood silently with a dazed look on her face, until a voice snapped her out of it.

"Audrey! Get down here!" Her mother shouted from downstairs. Audrey dried off quickly and got dressed. She ran one finger down the railing as she descended down the stairs.

"You thought I wouldn't notice you getting home at 6:30 didn't you?" Her mom said calmly with an angry intensity behind it. After all, Audrey was hiding her mom's secret affairs, from Audrey's dad. Her mom wouldn't want to upset Audrey, in fear that she might tell him. "Where have you been?"

"I was at school" Audrey lowered her head again and thought of her teacher. She lifted her chin up at that point.

"I thought the school locked up at five." Her mom looked annoyed, her arms were crossed over her chest.

"I walked home." Audrey spoke in short, blunt sentences.

"It only takes twenty minutes to walk home, where were you for the other hour and ten minutes?" Audrey's mom was obsessed with knowing where her daughter was at all times. She was always paranoid that Audrey was visiting with her dad, spilling out all the truth. Audrey gazed at her mom; same brown hair, same brown eyes, same lips, same slender body, same beauty. Even at the age of forty her mom still looked young and pretty.

"I stopped for coffee"

"With who?"

"Nobody" Audrey mumbled as she spoke, she knew her mom didn't believe her but she couldn't let her secret place be discovered. Audrey's mom sighed and dropped her arms from their position,

"No later than 5:30 tomorrow you understand? That cat of yours is getting lonely all by himself up there, you being gone all the time." Audrey nodded, knowing the cat was only a sad excuse to get her home earlier , and stepped away. She climbed the stairs and opened the door to her room. The walls were a light, airy yellow color. Sheer curtains tossed themselves in the slight breeze blowing through the open window. Audrey collapsed onto her made bed and stared at the ceiling. A black and white cat jumped up on the bed next to Audrey.

"Hey Rick" Audrey turned on her side and started petting the cat. His back arched and he lay down, purring softly. "Why would she want me home earlier if she's going to be busy with all her guy friends?" Audrey spoke softly, stroking the cat's ears. "I just don't understand her." Audrey sighed, "I miss dad." She glanced up at the kitty calendar on her wall. April's cat was a little Siamese kitten sitting in some flowers. The 21st was circled with a green marker, inside the circle were the words "My B-day!!!". Underneath was "Dad comes home!" in blue marker. Today was the 16th. Audrey reached over and clicked on the radio. She sat up and pulled out the composition notebook from her shoulder bag. She spent about an hour working on homework and then gave out and fell asleep.