Reunited: Day Twenty-Seven
As the week went on, Melanie seemed to become slightly more at ease around the crew, reporters, and cameras that constantly surrounded the two bands. She'd watched her friends participate in multiple photoshoots and interviews and, with Joan's permission, Simon booked Melanie to join the girls for a photoshoot for Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Emma and Victoria had gotten Melanie to watch as they had their hair and makeup done so that she could see what Karin, their makeup lady, and Jenny, their hairstylist would be doing with her.
Melanie was sitting in front of Karin, tense and gripping Emma's hand, as Karin gently applied her eyeliner. Emma tried to convince Melanie to relax, but it was the first time Melanie had allowed anyone apart from the other girls, the Backstreet Boys, or the hospital staff, to touch her. She didn't dare move for fear of being reprimanded.
"There you are, darling," said Karin as she capped the mascara wand she'd used to define Melanie's eyelashes. "You're done."
Melanie relaxed slightly and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could see Emma and Karin smiling back at her, but she didn't return the gesture. She looked away and waited to be told she could get up. Emma sighed sadly and gently ran her fingers through Melanie's hair, which Jenny had straightened and added blue extensions to.
"Kenny's picked out a few outfits for you," Emma explained, taking Melanie by the hand and leading her to the dressing room they were sharing with Mel. "You go ahead and pick the one you want and meet me back here once you're changed, all right?"
Melanie surveyed the room to make sure no one else was there before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Emma rested back against the wall in the corridor while she waited for Melanie to return. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes. They'd had Melanie back for over two weeks and she'd hoped Melanie would have eventually returned to her normal self. However, Melanie still hadn't spoken more than a few words and still wasn't completely comfortable around any of her friends.
"Em, you all right?" Victoria asked, interrupting Emma's thoughts. She was peeking out of one of the other dressing rooms with her robe on, a glass of wine in hand, and her hair in curlers.
"Fine," Emma replied softly. "I'm just not sure how well this is going to work. She's not going to smile for any of the photos."
"Well, neither do I," Victoria laughed, taking Emma by the hand. "It's just hard for her to smile when she's terrified all the time. I'm sure she'll do fine." Emma nodded and squeezed Victoria's hand. "Come here a minute," Victoria instructed. "I need your help deciding what to wear."
"Where did you get that?" Emma asked, pointing to Victoria's glass of wine as the two of them stepped into Victoria and Geri's dressing room. "I want one."
"They're serving them in the other room," Victoria replied. "I think they're trying to loosen us up a bit before our interview. They're hoping we'll tell all our dirty, little secrets." She smiled cheekily and took a sip of her drink, setting it on the vanity before walking over to her wardrobe to get Emma's opinion on what she should wear. They both jumped as Geri burst into the room in her dressing gown, looking for her boots.
"I'll bet you anything Melanie B has them," Geri growled. "I told her I wanted to wear them today!" She stormed out of the room to finish her tirade, leaving Emma and Victoria in a fit of giggles.
Geri threw open the door to the other dressing room and began digging through Mel's wardrobe in search of her boots. She leaned forward, causing the hood of her dressing gown to fall over her head. "Dammit, Melanie!" she spat, tossing Mel's boots into a pile behind her. "Shit!"
"What the hell did I do?" Mel asked defensively as she walked into the room with a glass of Cabernet.
"You took my fucking boots!" Geri snapped.
She turned around to look in the washroom for her boots and found herself looking at Melanie. Melanie's eyes were wide with terror as she looked from Geri to Mel. She looked at the robe Geri was wearing and the glass in Mel's hand. Melanie whimpered and took a step back, eying the open door for an escape.
"Melanie, it's ok," Geri assured her, the tone in her voice changing quickly from anger to sympathy. She pulled her hood back and held her hands up to show Melanie there was nothing to worry about. Mel set her wine glass on the vanity and watched as Melanie cowered away from the two of them.
Melanie choked back a sob and took another step back, glancing helplessly at the door that was just out of reach. She would have to get past Geri and Mel to get through the door, leaving her with no way of escaping.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry," Geri gasped, slowly approaching Melanie. "I wasn't yelling at you. I was angry with Mel. I know I sounded cross, but you're not in any trouble."
With no other way out, Melanie made a vain attempt to escape through the door, but stopped as Emma, Victoria, and Brian appeared in the doorway and blocked her exit. She stopped quickly before any of them could touch her and she quickly turned to the vanity. She panicked and grabbed Mel's wine glass, throwing it on the floor and causing it to shatter on the tile floor in a mess of liquid and broken glass. She attempted to run between Victoria and Brian, but Brian quickly grabbed her to keep her from escaping.
Melanie screamed, sounding panicked and terrified. She clutched her stomach and desperately tried to pull away from Brian. He let her go, but stood in front of the door to keep her from leaving. She ran away from the group and backed herself into the corner furthest from them, having no other option of escaping. She dropped to the floor and covered her head with her arms to keep anyone from hitting her.
"Melanie, honey. Calm down," said Geri, sympathetically. "We're not going to do anything to you."
"What's going on?" Brian asked.
"I was yelling at Mel and didn't realize Melanie was in here," Geri replied shakily. "I've scared her."
"What do we do?" Emma asked panicking. "Do we leave her alone or do we try to calm her down?"
"Would it help if I left?" Geri asked, loud enough for Melanie to hear. "I'm the one that's frightened her."
"No," said Mel. "She needs to see that we're not like those twats that took her."
Two of the girls' bodyguards rushed into the room and surveyed the scene. They looked at the girls and Brian questioningly then looked at the mess on the floor.
"Everything all right in here?" Vern asked. "What's going on?"
"Apparently, someone doesn't approve of drinking in the afternoon," Victoria humoured sarcastically.
"Do you need help?" JP asked.
"Just with the mess," Brian replied softly. "I think we've got everything under control."
"Obviously," Vern stated with a sarcastic smirk. The two men stepped out of the room to get someone to clean up the mess, leaving the group to tend to Melanie.
"Melanie, I'm coming to sit with you, honey," Emma explained softly as she approached Melanie apprehensively. "I'm not going to touch you. I'm just coming to talk." The rest of the group followed Emma's lead and sat on the floor in front of Melanie, leaving her a few feet of space.
Melanie began panting quickly and she curled herself further into the corner. "No!" she whimpered.
"Everything is ok," said Emma as she sat on the floor with her back against the wall just a few feet away from Melanie. "Nobody's cross with you. We're not going to do any of the things Otis did to you."
"Did they make you drink something, Melanie?" Victoria asked, trying to figure out what had brought on Melanie's episode. Melanie clutched her stomach protectively with one arm and covered her face with the other.
"That was Mel's wine," said Emma. "She wasn't going to make you drink it."
Melanie glanced up at the group, who were all sitting or kneeling on the floor around her. They'd left her enough space to make her feel comfortable, but it was also just enough space that she could escape. Catching them all off guard, She quickly got to her feet and ran between Emma and the rest of the group, making her way to the door.
"Melanie! Wait!" Emma begged desperately, clambering to her feet and running after Melanie who had disappeared into the hallway.
Melanie's heart was pounding as she ran as fast as she could manage through the hallway, dodging around people and trying to find a safe place to hide or an escape from the building. She could hear her friends calling to her, but she didn't dare stop.
"What if she goes outside?" Emma sobbed breathlessly as she, Geri, Mel, Victoria, and Brian continued running down the hall. "What if she runs into the street and gets hurt?" Deciding there was no longer a threat of running away, the girls had decided to remove the tracking bracelet from Melanie's wrist a few days prior. If she were to leave the building, they would no longer have any way of knowing where she was.
"This is bonkers," Victoria gasped. She stopped running and rested with her back against the wall as she pulled her phone from her pocket to call JP to let him know what was going on.
Melanie darted past AJ, who attempted to grab for her as she race by him, and she nearly collided with one of the cameraman's assistants as she rounded the corner.
"Don't run," AJ called to the group as they passed him. "You're going to freak her out more."
"We don't want to lose her," Brian gasped, stopping to catch his breath. "What do we do if she gets out?"
"I've got security guarding all the doors," Victoria panted, walking toward Brian and AJ. "She can't get out."
"No!" Emma cried sadly as she, Mel, and Geri ran to the end of the hall where Melanie had disappeared around the corner. Melanie was nowhere in sight and there was no one in the hallway that would have seen where she'd gone. The three girls stood, exhausted and hopeless, staring at the empty hallway.
"Em, it's all right," Victoria assured her, making her way down the hallway toward the three girls. "She can't get far. She'll be ok."
Melanie stood with her back to the wall in a dark office. She struggled to listen for the group between the pounding of her heartbeat and her own heavy breathing. She sunk to the floor and cried, once again feeling hopeless and afraid. She knew she wouldn't be able to get out of the building without getting caught, and even if she could escape, she had no idea where she would go. There was nowhere she could go that would feel safe.
As she sat in silence, she was soon able to calm herself down. She stood up and carefully pulled back the blinds covering the window to the hallway. She'd spent weeks with her friends and they hadn't once tried to do any of the things the men in the basement had forced her to do. She was beginning to think she'd panicked over nothing.
Gathering her courage, she quietly opened the office door and stepped back into the hallway before making her way back toward the dressing room. She peeked around the corner and looked at the busy hallway full of photographers and other people that worked in the building. Keeping her head down, Melanie made her way through the hall, tensing as people turned to look at her. No one spoke to her and no one tried to grab her, having all been told to leave her alone as long as she didn't try to leave the building.
Melanie bit her thumbnail nervously as she looked into her dressing room where the girls were quietly getting themselves ready for their photoshoot. Emma was standing at the mirror, trying to fix her makeup, Mel was looking through a magazine with Victoria, and Geri was helping two of the janitors pick up the glass that was scattered on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Melanie stepped into the room and pressed her back against the wall next to the door.
"You came back!" Emma exclaimed excitedly, having seen Melanie in the reflection in the mirror.
All of the girls turned to look at Melanie and smiled. Melanie nodded and looked at the mess on the floor. She slowly approached the two janitors and picked up a few pieces of glass, flinching when Geri put her hand on her forearm. She dropped the pieces of glass and looked at Geri before tensing and cringing away.
"Please, don't be scared. Everything's all right," said Geri, gently pulling Melanie to her feet and wrapping her arms around her. "Don't worry about the mess."
Melanie sobbed and held Geri tightly, desperately needing to feel safe. Geri stood with her, softly running her fingers through Melanie's hair until Melanie stopped crying and pulled away to wipe her face with the back of her hand.
"Are you all right?" Emma asked, approaching the two girls and gently taking Melanie's hand. Melanie nodded and looked around at the occupants of the room. "This looks nice," Emma commented, looking at the outfit Melanie had chosen. She was wearing light blue trousers and a black tank top with buckled, leather straps. Emma smiled sadly and gently brushed the tears from Melanie's cheeks. "We'll have to get Karin to fix your makeup a bit," she explained.
"What's this? You girls think you're a bunch of rockstars now, trashing the dressing rooms?" Simon asked as he walked into the room and looked at the mess.
"It was just a bit of a misunderstanding," Mel explained as Melanie stiffened and kept her gaze locked on Simon.
"Just relax," said Emma calmly as she rubbed Melanie's arm. "Simon's not like those men either. He's not cross."
"No harm done. I've seen worse," Simon announced, smiling at Emma and Melanie. "We need you girls in the studio in five. The photographers are nearly ready for you."
"Ok," said Geri. "We'll be right there."
"Let's get you touched up. Are you still ok to do the photoshoot," Emma asked, pulling Melanie back toward the room where Karin had her makeup set up. Melanie nodded and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.
"Oh!" Geri exclaimed. "That's where I left my boots! I totally forgot!" She raced out of the room and followed after Melanie and Emma to the makeup room.
"Oh, sure!" Mel snorted. "Blame me for nothing. I could have been sipping wine out on the balcony for the last twenty minutes with that hot intern instead of doing your damage control." She rolled her eyes and made her way to the studio for their photoshoot.
-0-0-
"Look this way girls. Everyone smile," the cameraman instructed. He'd posed the girls in front of a white backdrop lit with a number of lights being directed by various members of his crew. A wind machine was set up to the side and gently tousled the girls' hair as they smiled up at the camera.
Simon was standing next to the monitor, watching the shots being taken and discussing different angles with the cameraman's assistant.
"Mel B, can I get you to tilt your head back just a bit. That's great!" the cameraman instructed. "Melanie C, can I get you to smile, darling?"
Melanie gripped Emma's hand tightly and looked at her desperately. Emma smiled and squeezed her hand back. "You're doing great, Melanie," she whispered. "Just try to do what he says. We'll be done soon."
"You're not going to get a smile out of her," Simon whispered. "Sorry."
"Not a problem," the cameraman replied. "Never mind, darling," he stated. "I'll get you to tilt your head back a bit then. Emma, can you step in a little closer to Melanie, please?" He snapped a few photos and looked over at Simon. "I'll try more of a sultry image for her then if that's all right?" Simon nodded. The cameraman directed the girls for a few more group shots before stepping away from his camera to look at the shots he'd taken on the monitor. Geri and Mel ran over to the monitor to look at the images as well and to give their input while Victoria fixed her hair in a nearby mirror and Emma wrapped her arms around Melanie's waist to help her feel safe.
"I was thinking of doing some individuals, but I'm assuming that's not going to fly?" the cameraman stated. "Could we manage some shots of two girls at a time, do you think? I'm thinking I can put Melanie and Victoria together. Victoria looks good with a bit of a pout, which will complement the puppy-dog eyes Melanie's got going on at the moment."
"Let's give it a go," said Mel. "Do Geri and Emma together, too then and I'll do one on my own. I don't want anyone stealing my limelight." She laughed and nudged Geri's arm.
"Can I get Melanie and Victoria on set, please?" the cameraman announced. Victoria walked back in front of the screen and took Melanie's hand so Emma could join Mel and Geri behind the camera. Melanie closed her eyes against the light and rubbed her temple with the heel of her hand as the painkiller Mel had given her earlier began to wear off. Her head was pounding and sparks of light flashed in the corners of her eyes every few minutes. She watched as the cameraman adjusted Victoria's hair and showed her where to stand before stepping over to Melanie.
"Are you ok with me fixing your hair a bit?" the cameraman asked, smiling slightly and waiting for her to give him permission. Melanie's eyes widened and she nodded slowly, standing rigid as the man pulled a few strands of hair to the side and adjusted her shoulders so she was angled toward Victoria. "Hands at your sides, love. Just relax your fingers and tilt your head just a bit. Perfect."
"Poor thing," Emma sighed. She was standing off to the side with Mel and Geri and the three of them were keeping an eye on Melanie to make sure she was all right. "She hates this."
"She's doing well, though," said Geri. "And I don't think she ever really liked doing photoshoots."
"All right, girls," the cameraman instructed, stepping behind his camera and smiling at Melanie and Victoria. "Look this way. Very sexy, Victoria. That's perfect! You're doing great, Melanie. Look right at the camera, darling." He took a few shots before dismissing the girls and calling Geri and Emma onto the set.
Victoria pulled Melanie over to the monitor and the two of them looked over the photos.
"Wow, those turned out great," Victoria exclaimed. "Well done, Melanie." Melanie scrutinized the photos and nodded her head in agreement. The girls watched as Geri and Emma had their photos taken, followed by Mel. Once they were through, they were taken back to their dressing rooms to change back into their own clothes and to have a bit to eat.