Disclaimer: Okay first of all I would love to apologize for not updating in a really long time. Things have just been extremely crazy and I had writer's block for a long time, and I just never got around to doing it. And then they changed how you upload chapters so I didn't know how to do it and I finally figured it out so this chapter is up!!!
Thank you so much to the people who have kept up and have reviewed asking me for the next chapter.
Oh and this is set in season 1 still, so anything that we have found out about Melinda's father doesn't apply to this story.
Melinda stood nervously at the front door of her mothers house, waiting for it to open. She heard footsteps on the other side ad her mind started going through ways she could leave.
I could make a run for it and pretend that I'm playing ding-dong-ditch or something……… No that won't work, she'll see my car.
Before she could figure out what to do it was too late. Melinda saw the knob turning and the door flew open instantly, her stomach jumping to her throat, blocking any air from leaving. Mrs. Gordon stood there staring at her daughter looking just as shocked for seeing Melinda, as Melinda was to be there.
Finally, after it felt like the awkward silence could smother both of them, Mrs. Gordon said rather nervously, "Won't you come in?"
Melinda slowly walked into the living room, and turned to face her mom who was taking her time shutting the door.
"I- I guess Jim told you he talked to me"
"Yes, he did."
"So I suppose you came out here to yell at me then, right?"
Melinda didn't particularly care for the tone of voice her mom was using, but she remembered her promise to herself right before she began to speak, "No Mom, I'm not going to yell at you. I promised myself I wouldn't."
"Then what is it that you want?"
"To talk to you about Jamie"
"Don't you dare say her name! You lost that privaledge the night she died." The hate in Mrs. Gordon's voice was like a venom that could kill you instantly.
"You're not the only one hurting mom! You're not the only one who lost somebody! Okay?! She was my best friend! The only one I could talk to because YOU ever wanted to hear anything I had to say! So don't talk to me like you're the only one who is hurting right now!" Melinda completely forgot about the promise to herself and was screaming at her mother.
"When you loose your own child, let me know how different that feels compared to loosing a sibiling."
"Oh do not do this again!"
"Do what?"
"Tell me to only come to you or say something when a certain thing happens. Just like when Jamie died. You said you would only tell me why you did what you did the day I see Jamie's spirit. So start talking."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember the night Jamie died, and I asked you why you couldn't tell me everything was okay? You told me you were only going to tell me the day I see Jamie's spirit. Well guess what mom, I saw her, four times. So why couldn't you?"
"Do you honestly expect me to believe you when you say when that you saw her spirit? You said so yourself, Jamie has no reason to stay here"
"Obviously I was wrong"
"You're lying! Just because you want to know something you're bringing your sister into this! Jamie has no unfinished business Melinda! I can't believe you would really stoop that low."
"Mom, she does! She told me herself that she has unfinished business okay?"
"Well what is it then?"
"I don't exactly know for sure-"
Mrs. Gordon flew her hands up in exaggeration, "Oh that's just great!"
"Will you let me finish?! Jamie said to tell 'her' the truth and then left. That's it. That's all I know"
"Okay, so you expect me to believe you when-"
"STOP FIGHTING!"
The two girls stopped short and looked shocked, even though Melinda was trying really hard not to smile. The look on her mothers face was priceless. Melinda was used to sudden screams or appearances, her mother wasn't.
Oh I really wish I had a camera
Mrs. Gordon's expression went from shocked to mad, angry, sad, happy and confused all at the same time. She realized right away who the voice had come from, "Jamie? Is that you?" Her eyes began to swell with tears.
"Yes mom it is. It's Jamie" Melinda answered for her.
"Melinda, shut up let your sister answer"
"She all ready did. Twice. I thought you could hear ghosts"
The two started yelling at each other again, completely forgetting that Jamie was standing only two feet away from them.
"Guys! Seriously! I didn't come here to hear you yell and scream at each other!" Jamie was starting to get mad herself.
Melinda looked at the floor ashamed of herself, "I'm sorry Jamie"
Jamie smiled at her sister, then turned her attention to her mom, "Mom?"
"Mom, Jamie is asking you to promise you won't yell at me anymore," Melinda paused listening then smiled, "At least for right now"
Mrs. Gordon couldn't help but laughing, "Yes Jami, I promise"
Melinda sighed then walked over to the couch and sat down. Her eyes followed Jamie as she too went to go sit down next to her sister.
"Mom, have a seat" Melinda offered.
"I prefer to stand"
Melinda looked over at Jamie who began to cry, "Jamie what's wrong sweetie?"
"I'm so sorry I got you into so much trouble"
"Honey didn't you hear me last night? It wasn't you who got me in trouble okay? I didn't even get in trouble"
"Yes you did. I saw you and mom yelling at each other that night. You got sent to your room, and mom hated you"
"You were there?"
"What? What's going on? What's she saying?" Mrs. Gordon hated being left out in the cold.
Melinda turned to her mom and said slowly, still trying to believe it, "She said she saw us fighting, and that she's sorry she got me in trouble, and that you shouldn't hate me anymore"
"That's bull Melinda! Jamie knows that I don't hate you!"
"Yes you do! And you still do! Melinda never did anything wrong! So stop lying!" Jamie was on the verge of tears, and she looked straight at Melinda with pleading eyes, "Please tell her to stop blaming you. Please," the last word was barely a whisper.
Melinda turned her attention back to her mom, wiping the slowly building tears from her eyes.
"Mom, she's begging you to stop. She won't cross over until you do."
Mrs. Gordon looked down at her shoes, avoiding Melinda, "Oh Jamie sweetie, it's going to take me some time before I forgive your sister"
"Why?" Melinda and Jamie asked at the same time
"Oh honey, I've resented your sister since she found out about her gift. It's not something you just get over"
"Why would you hate Melinda?! How could you hate her?!"
Melinda stared at a spot on the ground a few feet in front of her, wishing she could just get up and leave. But she knew she couldn't, for Jamie's sake. Melinda swallowed the building tears and chocked out, "She wants to know why you hated me, and how"
"I've blamed Melinda ever since she got her gift. I blamed her for her father leaving, thinking that if she was normal he would have stayed. I blamed her for when your grandmother and I fought all the time. If Melinda was normal then maybe we wouldn't have fought all the time like we did. I just wanted her to be a normal child!"
"Oh! So you were just looking out for her then! You wanted her to live a more normal life, and not have to hear all those fights and have a father figure. You were just looking out for her!" Jamie was putting on a hopeful smile.
"Uh, I don't think mom wanted me to have a normal life to make me happier. I think she wanted me to be normal to make her happier and lead a normal life."
Jamie gave a puzzling look at her mom, "Is this true?"
"She wants to know if this is true" Melinda said still avoiding her moms eyes.
Mrs. Gordon took in a big breath and slowly breathed out a, "Yes"
Jamie started at her mom with a horror stricken face, "I- I don't get it. Why would you-?"
As if she knew that Jamie was talking, Mrs. Gordon continued, "I am so sorry Jamie. But your sister's right. Everything I ever did to her or for her was only for my benefit. Not once did I stop to think that what I was doing could be hurting her. I was just being extremely selfish."
"I still don't understand" Jamie was desperately attempting to wrap her mind around the entire situation, but her hands just wouldn't reach the other side. "All this time I thought you loved her and did everything to make both of our lives better. Now- now you're telling me that everything that you ever did was only for you?"
Melinda opened her mouth to explain what her mother meant, but the words could not get passed the ever growing lump in her throat.
"Um, Jamie, mom thought that her marriage with dad ended because of me and my gift…"
Mrs. Gordon sensed that Melinda was struggling to just be in the same room as her, let alone being forced to explain to her sister why her own mother hated her. "Jamie, I was too selfish to even take into consideration that maybe it was my fault your father left and not your sister's. When your father told me he was leaving, I was heartbroken. I couldn't believe he would walk out on me like that. I couldn't make the pain go away.
Soon, I began making excuses. Anything to convince myself it wasn't my fault. So I set the blame on the easiest target: Melinda. I told myself Melinda was the reason he left. I made up this argument in my head saying he left because all he wanted was a normal child who didn't see ghosts. After a while, you start believing what you imagine," realizing what she was saying, Mrs. Gordon's voice quickly switched to panic mode, "I'm so sorry I was selfish. I wasn't thinking! I-"
As if they could read each other's mind that two sisters looked up at their mother with hate filled eyes. "Don't" they said through clenched teeth.
"Just… don't." Melinda couldn't take any more of this. She needed to get out of there!
When she looked down at the couch, Mrs. Gordon saw, for the first time in her life, a little girl who was hurt beyond belief sitting in front of her. She couldn't believe she had let things get this crazy.
"Melinda, please. I'm so sorry" Mrs. Gordon stepped forward in attempts to embrace her daughter. But Melinda was not in the hugging mood.
"Don't you dare touch me! I'm sorry Jamie, but I can't be here any longer. I have to go" With that Melinda grabbed her coat and all but ran out the front door. She wanted to get to her car before her mother could do anymore damage. But Jamie had beaten her to it.
"Wait! Mel you promised!"
"I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore"
"Melinda you have to tell her the truth! You promised me you would!"
"And who needs to hear the truth? Huh Jamie?"
Jamie didn't answer, but instead looked up passed her sister. Melinda followed her gaze, and when she saw what Jamie was looking at, her shoulders collapsed in desperation.
"You have got to be kidding me…"