One way or another I'm gonna find ya
I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha
One way or another I'm gonna win ya
I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha
Chrissy's POV:
After the whole bath falling through the roof and landing on Mel's amazing new couch Mel decided to renovate and get her dream home. So let me fill you in; we are living in the renovations, dad and Ryder are rooming together and me with Lennox and Mel because apparently dad didn't want to hear 'I love you babe' 'oh I love you too baby', kissing non-stop and yeah but anyway the kitchen is in the living room at the moment so Ryder and I doing homework, well Ryder is I am going through the other musical acts for the Create Festival yeah it's still going ahead just because we're renovating doesn't mean I have to put it on hold but yeah I am watching more musical act audition tapes and asking Ryder for his opinion.
"Where are my shoes?" Mel asked
"Box in the corner called 'Mel's Crap I Keep Tripping Over'" Dad said making eggs
"Hey baby what do you think of them?" I asked my boyfriend
"They're not as good as Brad's band" Ryder said
"Babe you've been saying that for last 4" I said
"Sorry it's just The Vamps were awesome they really set the tone for the festival, but show me those 4 again and I'll give me the best opinion no 'they're not The Vamps' ok?" Ryder said and I nodded as I turned my computer to face him and handed him my earphones.
"It's alright you can take it out on me I can handle it, I got thick skin. It's currently covered in 3 months of dry wall dust" Dad said placing eggs and bacon on a plate to Ryder and I.
Yeah we have be renovating for 3 months and it's getting more and more of a pain in the ass. Miss Lunt gave me until whenever so I was planning to have it next month but it's taking a little longer than that.
"Alright I like 1 and 4" Ryder said handing me my laptop and earphones back
"Ok" I said writing down their names.
"I thought you were supposed to have this done? Isn't this supposed to be next month?" Ryder asked
"Yeah but when I told Miss Lunt that the musical acts were taking a while because not many people we're signing up, the art teachers weren't telling the students to work faster or they were giving them different topics instead of 'art for the create festival'" I said
"It's alright babe" Ryder said kissing my cheek before rising out of his chair and walking towards the toilet, which I'm surprised is still operational
"Hey Ryder you hold" Mel said stopping him and he took her phone
"I have to go to the bathroom" Ryder said
"Multitask" Mel said
"Your option babe, pee while holding the phone or hold your pee and the phone" I joked
"Fine I can hold both" he said sitting down
"Aww can you really hold it?" I joked
"Your full of jokes this morning aren't you?" he asked me
"Nah really?" I asked jokingly
"Not so minor to the guy who has to unplug the coffee maker to hook up the microwave, not so minor to the guy who has to breathe in paint fumes all day long not to mention whatever is coming outta that porta-potty in the backyard but what do you care, I mean you spend all day in a nice air conditioned office, giving out keys to the city, banging on you uh gavel" Dad said
"You have no idea what I do, do you?" Mel asked
"No not a clue" Dad said handing Mel her coffee.
"Joe you're forgetting what's most important about all this, I'm finally getting my dream house except you're in it. besides we're over the hump" Mel said
"No, no I think we're all still getting humped" Dad said
"I wish" Ryder said now hat made Mel, Dad and I look at him
"That there was more cereal" Ryder changed
"Sure that's what you mean" I said
"I wish it was you" he mumbled
"Oh but come on Aunt Mel I mean it would be nice if one day our kitchen was actually in the kitchen and I wasn't sharing a room with Joe but with my girlfriend" Ryder said putting the phone to his ear
"You think I like sharing a room with Lennox and Chrissy" Mel said and I looked her with raised eyebrows and Lennox just walked downstairs.
"Well I do and there's one of the pretty girls now" Mel said
"You stepped on my head on the way to the bathroom again, see toe prints" Lennox said pointing to my forehead
"I thought it was you who stepped on my arm" I said looking at Mel holding the arm she stepped on
"You get to go to the bathroom? Wow what's that like?" Ryder joked.
"Come on everybody let's roll with this, Joe look I know you have issues Leo but as contractors go-" Mel said
"He goes slowly" dad said
"I'll be back" I said getting up to go pee. When I came back I heard
"Mummified human remains, it happens" from Leo the turtle slow contractor
"The point it the home owner has to say go left or go right" Leo said which made Mel close the door
"Can't we just reschedule?" Mel asked clearly frustrated
"Ok but this guy isn't available another 3-12 weeks" Leo said
"3-12? What kinda window is that?" Mel asked shocked and Ryder got up
"Aunt Mel, she said the reporters are leaving" Ryder said handing Mel her phone and went to pee
"No, no, no ok sacrifice the Corollas, alright don't do anything yet, damn my two worlds are colliding" Mel said
"Right now you're going to have to pick one" Dad said.
"It's like Sophie's Choice if Sophie were renovating her kitchen" Mel said
"So what you doing?" Lennox asked
"Trying to find more musical acts to play for the create festival so far I have Becky, Brad and his band, Jesse and the Heartbreakers and our old friend Jane" I said
"Wow did any others sign up?" she asked
"No not a lot. And to make it worse all the subjects either aren't telling the students to work faster or keep changing the topic so they haven't submitted anything yet" I said pouting while watching another musical act
"Hey maybe I could put something in the Grant Rant about it for you see if that does anything" Lennox said
"That'd be great thanks" I said.
After school we went 'home' to see Mel and dad in the living room/kitchen
"I am awesome by human understanding" Lennox announced as Ryder and I went to the kitchen
"I knew you 2 were sharing a room I didn't think you 2 were sharing an ego" Dad said
"You know that play I wrote well the drama club is going to produce it" Lennox said
"And we're going to play it on a screen at the create festival" I said as I made us both a sandwich
"Oh that's great which play?" Mel asked
"The one act play I got you guys to read a week ago, yeah what did you think of it?" Lennox asked Mel and Ryder and I smirked at each other knowing they didn't actually read it
"Oh that one" Mel said
"It's so good, it was so amazing how you got all that play into one little act right Joe?" Mel said when dad didn't say anything now directing the question to him
"Oh yeah, let me tell you Lennox you- you really wrote that thing" Dad said.
"Thank you, we're casting it tomorrow so I got a lot of work to do" Lennox said before going upstairs how is Nex believing this?
"Did you read your sisters and best friends play?" Mel asked Ryder
"Of course we did" I said
"We're a good people" Ryder said as we went to sit down
"Don't judge me, some people work" Mel said
"I work, this sandwich didn't make itself" Ryder said
"Your right sweetie I made it" I said
"Tell you what how about Chrissy and I write you a summary so you can fake it through you next conversation better" Ryder said
"You really think I have sunk that low? Cause I have thank you so much" Mel said hugging Ryder who looked as though he didn't want to be hugged by his aunt in front of his girlfriend
"Come on babe" Ryder said and we went upstairs.
A couple of days later things were already slow but it's even slower now that Leo and his guys quit yesterday so dad was doing this whole thing by himself, Lennox was on the stairs waiting for Mel to get home to vent, she has already vented to Ryder and I
"Hey guys Aunty's home" Mel said walking in the house
"Where have you been? I need to vent" Lennox said
"You know Chrissy and I have enjoyed today's vent so we're going to head upstairs and make out" Ryder said taking my hand, intertwining our fingers and about to walk upstairs when Lennox stopped us
"Uh no you 2 are my witness you have to validate how poorly I've been treated" Lennox said
"OK hit me with your drama stick" Mel said.
"I… she just… argh" Lennox said
"Ok if I speak the language of Lennox she means her play can't be performed" I said
"Her play got censored by the principal" Ryder translated.
"Oh so she cut a few things?" Mel asked walking over to Lennox
"She cut the entire play" Lennox said
"Huh? That's a big cut" Mel said
"Yeah and now we can't perform it for total arbitrary reasons" Lennox said sitting down on the chair at the 'table'
"Aww but your play's so sweet especially the part where- where" Mel said looking at Ryder and I who walked to the table
"The power mad principal gets torn apart by wolves" Ryder said
"Yes, what?! You wrote that?" Mel asked
"Damn straight. Thanks for reading it" Lennox said
"Ok tell me what else is in there, give me the bullet points" Mel said sitting next to Lennox
"So an evil high school principal imprisons her students and cuts out their tongues" Ryder said.
"And then one day she suddenly realises her entire career has been spent silencing the voices of the innocent" I added
"And revulsion of what she's done she wonders off to the woods and…" Lennox said.
"And the wolves rip her limb from limb and she bleeds like a fire hydrant that's our favourite part" Ryder said as I sat down and read all my emails from the teachers about new information on Compass and some were of the artwork for the festival even if it was from the one art teacher Mr Andrews.
"Hey why don't you perform it in the park and record it so we can still show it at the festival" I suggested
"OK sure" Lennox said and then there was the sound of a saw
"Whoa Joe's really cracking the whip, those guys are here late" Mel said getting up and stood in front of a sandwich making Ryder
"Oh there's no guys it's just Joe" Ryder said and I closed my laptop
"Just Joe?" Mel asked
"Don't worry Aunt Mel, Joe said it was all good. Nothing to worry about…" Ryder said eating the sandwich.
When Mel left the living room I went over to Ryder
"Hey wanna go up to your room?" I asked
"What would we do? We've got no TV" Ryder asked and I grabbed his hand
"We're going to make out" I said and he nodded his head vigorously so I took his hand and we were walking upstairs we realised it was sticky so we went to the kitchen to tell dad.
"Don't anyone go upstairs there's like this glue all over the floor" Ryder said
"What? That's not supposed to happen it's wood stain dude it dries in just uh… 72 hours" Dad said looking at the bucket
"What? So we can't go upstairs the rest of the week? That's great Joe because I can wear this skirt for 3 days it's designed to go to work to sleep to work to sleep to work to sleep to work" Mel said and then Lennox came in the kitchen
"Um the floors upstairs are all sticky" Lennox said
"Yeah isn't it amazing what Joe's been able to accomplish in just one day" Mel said sarcastically.
After what dad did today we had to sleep downstairs so now the living room is now a living room/kitchen/bedroom, but I was sleeping nice and peacefully until I heard screaming so I woke up and saw Mel and dad in same bed
"Oh but Ryder and I couldn't sleep together in the same bed" I said
"What the hell?" Dad asked
"I touched pec" Mel said
"What are you doing in my bed Burke besides feeling me up?" Dad asked
"Cringing, can someone turn on a light" Mel said and Lennox opened the fridge door which shone some light
"Burke how long have you been in this bed with me I need to know" Dad said
"Long enough to be traumatised, like 2 seconds" Mel said just as Ryder came back doing his pants up
"Hey everybody's awake" Ryder said.
"Babe why didn't you do your pants up when you were in there?" I asked
"I did. I just had to zip it back up again" Ryder said putting his arms around my waist and mine around his neck putting our foreheads together and we kinda swayed a little
"Yeah can anyone sleep?" Lennox asked
"I was sleeping just fine until the uh night groper came in here, I might actually need a support group now" Dad said
"It was an accident, oh you know what I'm going to sleep in a park where it's safer" Mel said walking to the door
"Calm down please" Dad said
"I am calm, I am very calm for someone who's beautiful home renovation was wrecked in one day by Joseph P Longo construction m- these things are all over the place" Mel said throwing dad's card on him.
"Can't we just get Leo back?" Ryder asked and I put my head on his chest feeling sleepy
"Yeah just apologise tell him we made a mistake" Lennox said clearly she's cranky cause of the lack of sleep we get
"I'm going to call him in the morning" Mel said
"No you can't do that we'll lose every advantage we have" Dad said.
"Dad what kind of freakin advantage do any of us have in this situation?!" I yelled and he looked at me
"Sorry I'm tired" I said
"Yeah we're sleeping on old mattresses from the garage that smell like skunk pee" Ryder said
"Oh that's what that is" Lennox freaked out standing up
"Oh you know everyone just relax ok, look we are at a very critical point in the negotiations we have to stay unified remember we all have a common enemy" Dad said and we looked at each other.
"Not me, Leo" Dad said and we all went back to sleep I didn't want to leave Ryder's arms so Mel slept next to Lennox and I slept with Ryder and dad, Ryder's arms wrapped tightly around me.
The next day while Mel and dad were moving the mattresses and putting the kitchen back in the living room Ryder and I stood at the door to wait for Leo. We were cuddling like last night, I was in his arms with my head resting on his chest and I could feel his chin resting on my head.
"Joe are you sure Leo's going to show up?" Ryder asked
"Yes just keep a look out alright, so stop looking at my daughter and focus" Dad said as we looked away from each other but still wrapped in each other's arms. Ryder and I stood there at the door kissing and saying 'I love you' and other sweet things to each other while also keeping an eye out for Leo
"Hey we think I see Leo's truck" Ryder said and Dad, Mel and Lennox walked over to the door but it wasn't it was some other guys truck.
"Don't worry I'm sure the next truck will also not be his" Mel said and Ryder closed the door still not letting go of me.
"There's plenty of chess moves left in this game ok? And you know what in the meantime I'm going to get some more work done and when Leo and his guys get back they'll have some work catch-up that's all" Dad said turning on the saw which turned the lights off and we groaned
"What I blew a fuse" Dad said
"Yeah me too a long time ago" Mel said drinking more coffee
"Be back on in 10 seconds" dad said putting the saw down and went outside
"You have got to fix this Mel" I said
"I can't spend another night in a room with that guy doesn't anyone else hear him talking in his sleep 'ladies, ladies please there's enough Joe to go around'" Ryder said copying dad's sleep talking while doing the look where he stares at you all sexily at me making me blush
"Yeah you have got to do something ok the fright look is ok for today but tomorrow I need to go back to natural effortless beauty and that takes product" Lennox said
"Guys I can get this back on track, I know who do deal with bull headed men, you just stand up to them, you look them right in the eyes and you say –" Mel said but I kinda tuned her out and went to get breakfast, cause I was freakin hungry
Well a lot happened in a couple of days and I'll tell you Miss Lunt got worried about what Lennox and some other students were doing in the park across the street so she watched the whole performance and told Lennox to enter in a competition, Leo came back to the job, Dad lets me and Ryder sleep in the same bed so now it goes dad, Ryder and I, Mel and Lennox oh and I got enough musical acts for the festival and 2 art classes have given their art so now I have to wait for the others and then we can decided where to put them.
And now to the present: Ryder, Lennox and I got home from school, Lennox walked over and laced her trophy on the table well it was more like slammed it in anger
"First place Ohio Regional Drama Competition Lennox Scanlon" Mel read off the trophy in a proud voice
"Yeah. The principal made an announcement in the assembly today" I said
"She called Lennox up and uh hugged her in front of everybody" Ryder said
"Poor girl all she wanted to do was torment her principal and create trouble" Mel said
"I love her for just trying" Dad said getting up.
i hope you enjoy the first chapter of Book 2 to my Melissa and Joey series.
'Destiny Leaves Its Mark' Arrow
-amber sixx