"Is that really you, Ellie? After all this time?" Andy was filled with conflicting emotions: excitement, residual resentment from when she left suddenly, shock at her... different appearance, and joy to see an old friend.
"Yes, it's really me," Ellie laughed, getting out of the car.
"Well, it's been so long, with no word... I thought you just went away, never to return," Andy said with a smile, "Yet here you are! Elinor Walker, back from the land of no return! Come on inside!"
"Thanks, Andy." The two walked up to the porch where Andy held open the door for Ellie.
"I can get it quite alright by myself," Ellie said, indicating the door. Andy stood for a second a little confused, then motioned for him to go in front of her.
"Oh... okay," said Andy, a little weirded-out, but he went in anyway, Ellie holding the door for herself as she went through.
"Boy... literally nothing has changed around here," said Ellie, looking down at her little cup of tea which Andy just made for them. She had long, straight hair with blue jean cutoff shorts, round glasses and a not-very-form-fitting white halter tank-top. Her very slight Southern accent had wilted into a Northern one.
"...Well, Aunt Bee has done her best to keep the furniture up-to-date."
"No, that's not what I meant," chuckled Ellie, "I meant, in-town. The people. Just the same, old-fashioned, Southern dynamics. I should have known it."
"Well-"
"I mean, the rest of the country- the world- has gone through a rollercoaster of change and innovation... but, boy, you wouldn't know anything about it if you lived here." Andy cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off yet again. "The men: greased-back hair," as Ellie said this, Andy looked up at his own hairdo, which was greased and combed-back. "The women: still forced to wear skirts. Everyone has their place. Well, let me tell you it doesn't work at all like that in just about 90% of the rest of the world."
"Ellie, where were you plannin' on stayin' tonight?" Andy finally got in.
"Oh, here, of course. Unless... unless that would be sinful?" Ellie said with a sly grin on her face, waiting to entrap Andy to demonstrate another one of her many points.
"Well, it wouldn't exactly look too good to the neighbors if a single man like m'self fell asleep alone in the same house with a strange, single woman."
"You mean... we're alone?"
"...Yes," Andy said cautiously.
"You live by yourself now?"
"No, but Aunt Bee and Opie went up to Aunt Nora's for the weekend."
"I could have guessed nothing would have changed..."
"W-well I s'spect a lot of folks 'round here just like steadiness and habit, 'ts all."
"No, people around here just don't like the discomfort of change. You see-"
"Ellie, I would love to hear more about this, but I am just plain tuckered out and have had a long day, not to mention I have church in the mornin', so if you don't mind..." Andy got up to the door and opened it, "Please leave." Ellie stood up rather annoyed, and marched to the door. "There's the hotel on Main Street-"
"I know very well where the hotels are in this town, Andy. I did live here for 22 years, y'know."
"Well that's just fine." Andy held open the door again, and Ellie began to protest. "I know you can get the door, but I insist," said Andy with somewhat of a snarky smile.
"Well you'd better desist!" smarted Ellie, who snatched Andy's hand off of the door and swung it back open for herself, marching back down to her car. Andy watched her drive away, and came away from the door with a big sigh.