Chapter five: Goodbyes
By: Lolo Winner
Disclaimer: I just checked over all of the stuff I owned and do you know what? Heero, Relena, Duo and Hilde aren't there. Too my delight though I did find Mel-Anna, Clint and Sky.
I know it took me a while to get this one up. Sorry, it sort of sucks- it's an in between stage, plus I tried to cram a lot of information into it. I promise you that the next chapter will be better, I'll post that soon.
That conversation took place on Saturday. On Sunday, Heero still refused to say anything further on the subject. Mel felt like she knew her father better, however, and didn't push it. She knew that he would tell her when he did, and that she couldn't force the painful words from his lips. Monday, at school, she was still preoccupied with her thoughts though.
/So that is how father knows Mr. Maxwell then! Yes! That had to be him in that one picture. So that means, that he too is one of those pilots. So then Clint…/
She slammed her locker closed and jumped. She tried to catch her breath as she looked down at the person who was concealed by her open locker. "Oh, Sky!" She exclaimed, laughing at herself for being frightened.
"Hey there Mel. I uh… look, there is something I think you should know." Mel nodded, prompting her to continue. Sky took a quick look around; to make sure no one saw her speaking with her. "You know Veronica Paliano right?" Mel nodded. "Well, she tried to bribe me to spill on the truth about… well, you know."
Mel shook her head, her eyes filling up with tears, "She didn't."
"Hell she did! She got all the way up to 2,000 before I convinced her other wise."
"So you didn't tell her?"
"I wouldn't do that to you Mel. I wouldn't sell you out to a bitch like her. She would have to get up to 3,000 before I did that." She winked so that Mel would catch that it was a joke. Mel didn't seem amused by it though, "Mel, I know this is going to be brutal, but I think that she's trying to kick you out."
"I know." Mel muttered.
"Hey, if anything happens, you've always got me okay?"
Mel nodded, "Thanks Sky, that means a lot to me."
"Don't mention it. You covered for me when I got caught stealing from that store. I still haven't repaid you for that." She looked at her watch, "Shit I'm late for bio, I better be off."
Mel nodded, "I should be on my way too."
"Bye Mel!" Sky started off. She glanced back to see that Mel's shield of strength was breaking. She turned back, "Mel, if you ever need anything, I mean /anything/ I'm there for you."
"Thanks again Sky."
She decided it was time to move on from the friends she had had since childhood, the friends who had betrayed her. She did so quietly, slipping away at lunch, not calling after school. Soon she had settled into a new group. It wasn't surprising that Sky Maxwell was a member of that group.
Mel had nowhere else to go. With her reputation shot, she was the main subject of gossip, and people didn't want to socialize with her. She felt uncomfortable sitting with Clint and the group of senior guys he hung with. They were uncomfortable with her there as well. So she decided to take Sky up on her offer, and became a regular fixture in the drama group.
"Hey Mel! Wait up!"
Mel turned to see Sky running up to her, "Hi there." She had been hanging out with Clint's little sister and her friends for a few weeks now.
Sky caught up, she walked next to Mel on the way to the math wing. "My bro's being kinda weird right now."
"I noticed."
"I don't know what's up with him. He won't tell me a damn thing, maybe you could squeeze it out."
"You seem rather interested in his well being."
"It's driving me crazy! I'm gunna kill something if I don't find out what's up."
Mel hated the word kill ever since she discovered that it was her father's specialty. She didn't show her resentment for the word to Sky, however, and continued with the conversation, "We're going to dinner tomorrow night, I'll bring it up then alright?"
"You better, other wise I might have to beat it out of him." She pounded her fist into her palm.
Mel laughed, again, trying not to show her revulsion with the violence she suggested. "Okay, okay, I'll ask."
"Cool, see ya at lunch?"
"You bet."
"Alright I gotta jet, I'm suppose to be all the way across campus in two minutes."
"Good luck!"
"Don't worry about me, I'll be there in one!" Sky called as she ran though the crowd of students.
"Bye Sky!" She smiled at the sight of the girl dodge the crowd expertly as her long brown hair slapped against her back.
/Did her father look like that when he was fighting? As he was infiltrating bases, or running from enemy fire, or what not?/ She had been asking a lot of questions like that lately.
Clint stared at his plate, playing with the tomato in his salad. "Babe, what's eating you?" Mel asked.
He looked up from his entree, "Huh?"
"You've been so passive lately, what are you thinking about?"
He returned to taunting the cherry tomato, watching it escape the prongs of his fork, "I got a letter."
"Where from?"
"Stanford." He looked up, "They excepted me."
"Oh Clint that's great! Why on earth are you so upset? Stanford is your first choice."
"Because I'm going to Weston."
"That townie trap? Why would you want to go to that hell hole?"
"'Cuz I don't want to go Earth-side for school."
She looked away solemnly, "Because of me you mean."
"Well yeah. I don't want to be a million miles away when the baby's born."
"At the risk of your future?"
"I can learn to be a journalist anywhere, and Weston's only one town over."
"No, I won't let you do this."
"This is what I want."
Their eyes met, "Then why are you so sad?" Clint was silent. "I know that going to Stanford is your dream, and I'm not going to be the one to destroy that."
"But-"
"No buts. I'll be all right. I have my mom. Besides, you still have a few months."
"Mel." He said, defeated.
"Stop with that depressing tone. Come on, let's celebrate your acceptance hum?"
The months pasted quickly. Soon it was August, and time for Clint to get on his way. It was more emotional that Mel had expected, as they said their final goodbyes at the spaceport. The usual roles were switched, as Mel offered the support.
"I can wait one more week, I don't have to go right away."
Mel shook her head, "You've put off leaving long enough. It's okay, you'll be home at Thanksgiving, and that's when the baby's due. If we're lucky, you won't miss it."
"Yeah, well what if I'm not?"
"If not, then I've got my parents, I won't be alone."
"I hate to leave you like this." He put his hand on her swollen belly.
She put her hand over his, "I hate it too, but it's for the best."
"Last boarding call for Earth Lines flight 507 to San Francisco California."
Mel looked up at the speaker, "That's you."
"Yeah… I'll call you every day."
"I'll wait for your call every day, now get going, your dad will flip if you miss this one."
He took his hand, which was over hers, and entwined their fingers. He brought up their hands and kissed hers. He leaned over and kissed her abdomen and straightened. Brushing the stray strand of hair from in front of her face he leaned in one more time for one last kiss. He pulled back slowly, not wanting the moment to end.
"Go." She whispered.
He nodded. Picked up his bags he ran towards his gate. "I'll see you tonight." He said after he handed the ticket to the attendant.
TBC
By: Lolo Winner
Disclaimer: I just checked over all of the stuff I owned and do you know what? Heero, Relena, Duo and Hilde aren't there. Too my delight though I did find Mel-Anna, Clint and Sky.
I know it took me a while to get this one up. Sorry, it sort of sucks- it's an in between stage, plus I tried to cram a lot of information into it. I promise you that the next chapter will be better, I'll post that soon.
That conversation took place on Saturday. On Sunday, Heero still refused to say anything further on the subject. Mel felt like she knew her father better, however, and didn't push it. She knew that he would tell her when he did, and that she couldn't force the painful words from his lips. Monday, at school, she was still preoccupied with her thoughts though.
/So that is how father knows Mr. Maxwell then! Yes! That had to be him in that one picture. So that means, that he too is one of those pilots. So then Clint…/
She slammed her locker closed and jumped. She tried to catch her breath as she looked down at the person who was concealed by her open locker. "Oh, Sky!" She exclaimed, laughing at herself for being frightened.
"Hey there Mel. I uh… look, there is something I think you should know." Mel nodded, prompting her to continue. Sky took a quick look around; to make sure no one saw her speaking with her. "You know Veronica Paliano right?" Mel nodded. "Well, she tried to bribe me to spill on the truth about… well, you know."
Mel shook her head, her eyes filling up with tears, "She didn't."
"Hell she did! She got all the way up to 2,000 before I convinced her other wise."
"So you didn't tell her?"
"I wouldn't do that to you Mel. I wouldn't sell you out to a bitch like her. She would have to get up to 3,000 before I did that." She winked so that Mel would catch that it was a joke. Mel didn't seem amused by it though, "Mel, I know this is going to be brutal, but I think that she's trying to kick you out."
"I know." Mel muttered.
"Hey, if anything happens, you've always got me okay?"
Mel nodded, "Thanks Sky, that means a lot to me."
"Don't mention it. You covered for me when I got caught stealing from that store. I still haven't repaid you for that." She looked at her watch, "Shit I'm late for bio, I better be off."
Mel nodded, "I should be on my way too."
"Bye Mel!" Sky started off. She glanced back to see that Mel's shield of strength was breaking. She turned back, "Mel, if you ever need anything, I mean /anything/ I'm there for you."
"Thanks again Sky."
She decided it was time to move on from the friends she had had since childhood, the friends who had betrayed her. She did so quietly, slipping away at lunch, not calling after school. Soon she had settled into a new group. It wasn't surprising that Sky Maxwell was a member of that group.
Mel had nowhere else to go. With her reputation shot, she was the main subject of gossip, and people didn't want to socialize with her. She felt uncomfortable sitting with Clint and the group of senior guys he hung with. They were uncomfortable with her there as well. So she decided to take Sky up on her offer, and became a regular fixture in the drama group.
"Hey Mel! Wait up!"
Mel turned to see Sky running up to her, "Hi there." She had been hanging out with Clint's little sister and her friends for a few weeks now.
Sky caught up, she walked next to Mel on the way to the math wing. "My bro's being kinda weird right now."
"I noticed."
"I don't know what's up with him. He won't tell me a damn thing, maybe you could squeeze it out."
"You seem rather interested in his well being."
"It's driving me crazy! I'm gunna kill something if I don't find out what's up."
Mel hated the word kill ever since she discovered that it was her father's specialty. She didn't show her resentment for the word to Sky, however, and continued with the conversation, "We're going to dinner tomorrow night, I'll bring it up then alright?"
"You better, other wise I might have to beat it out of him." She pounded her fist into her palm.
Mel laughed, again, trying not to show her revulsion with the violence she suggested. "Okay, okay, I'll ask."
"Cool, see ya at lunch?"
"You bet."
"Alright I gotta jet, I'm suppose to be all the way across campus in two minutes."
"Good luck!"
"Don't worry about me, I'll be there in one!" Sky called as she ran though the crowd of students.
"Bye Sky!" She smiled at the sight of the girl dodge the crowd expertly as her long brown hair slapped against her back.
/Did her father look like that when he was fighting? As he was infiltrating bases, or running from enemy fire, or what not?/ She had been asking a lot of questions like that lately.
Clint stared at his plate, playing with the tomato in his salad. "Babe, what's eating you?" Mel asked.
He looked up from his entree, "Huh?"
"You've been so passive lately, what are you thinking about?"
He returned to taunting the cherry tomato, watching it escape the prongs of his fork, "I got a letter."
"Where from?"
"Stanford." He looked up, "They excepted me."
"Oh Clint that's great! Why on earth are you so upset? Stanford is your first choice."
"Because I'm going to Weston."
"That townie trap? Why would you want to go to that hell hole?"
"'Cuz I don't want to go Earth-side for school."
She looked away solemnly, "Because of me you mean."
"Well yeah. I don't want to be a million miles away when the baby's born."
"At the risk of your future?"
"I can learn to be a journalist anywhere, and Weston's only one town over."
"No, I won't let you do this."
"This is what I want."
Their eyes met, "Then why are you so sad?" Clint was silent. "I know that going to Stanford is your dream, and I'm not going to be the one to destroy that."
"But-"
"No buts. I'll be all right. I have my mom. Besides, you still have a few months."
"Mel." He said, defeated.
"Stop with that depressing tone. Come on, let's celebrate your acceptance hum?"
The months pasted quickly. Soon it was August, and time for Clint to get on his way. It was more emotional that Mel had expected, as they said their final goodbyes at the spaceport. The usual roles were switched, as Mel offered the support.
"I can wait one more week, I don't have to go right away."
Mel shook her head, "You've put off leaving long enough. It's okay, you'll be home at Thanksgiving, and that's when the baby's due. If we're lucky, you won't miss it."
"Yeah, well what if I'm not?"
"If not, then I've got my parents, I won't be alone."
"I hate to leave you like this." He put his hand on her swollen belly.
She put her hand over his, "I hate it too, but it's for the best."
"Last boarding call for Earth Lines flight 507 to San Francisco California."
Mel looked up at the speaker, "That's you."
"Yeah… I'll call you every day."
"I'll wait for your call every day, now get going, your dad will flip if you miss this one."
He took his hand, which was over hers, and entwined their fingers. He brought up their hands and kissed hers. He leaned over and kissed her abdomen and straightened. Brushing the stray strand of hair from in front of her face he leaned in one more time for one last kiss. He pulled back slowly, not wanting the moment to end.
"Go." She whispered.
He nodded. Picked up his bags he ran towards his gate. "I'll see you tonight." He said after he handed the ticket to the attendant.
TBC
