Layout

The house is a two story suburban home in a residential neighborhood. There are at least three bedrooms in the house, with one of them going into disuse after Gemma left Lakewood.

The front patio is an elevated porch, ringed by a railing, painted white. This paint job is scorched when Gemma rubs out a cigarette on it, the night of her return. A bug zapper hangs from the awning.¹

The entryway includes a staircase, carpeted in maroon.

Tyler’s bedroom is the closest door to the top of the stairs. The room contains Tyler’s gaming rig, including his PlayStation 4. There is also a dresser and nightstand. The nightstand has a false bottom in the drawer, inside which Tyler concealed various shameful articles such as jewelry, cologne, and sex toys.

Gemma’s bedroom was, if Gemma’s offended exclamations are anything to go by, converted into a home gym by her parents after she left town. There is apparently an exercise bike there.²

History

Family Reunion

Gemma returned to Lakewood on the evening of October 18th, 2015. Tyler found her loitering on the porch when he returned from Brooke’s Big Beautiful Bash. Gemma got under his skin, needling him about his girlfriend, Nina Patterson, and professing to know their parents wouldn’t be back from Singapore anytime soon.

Tyler, caught, let Gemma into the house, where she promptly made herself at home, noting with some outrage that her room had been converted into a home gym during her decade-long absence.³

Trivia

The O’Neils were neighbors to the Duvals. Tyler lived a few blocks down from Emma.

1. The Story so Far, Vol. I: Chapter 1, Scene 9 ↩︎
2. The Story so Far, Vol. I: Chapter 1, Scene 9 ↩︎
3. The Story so Far, Vol. I: Chapter 1, Scene 9 ↩︎