She walked up the steps to her house and slammed the screen door behind
her. Walking into her room, she put a duffel bag on her bed and stuffed
clothes and important things she wanted to take with her into it.
There was a knock at her door. "Mel?" asked the voice. It was her mom. "Yes Momma?" she asked. Her mom opened the door slightly and poked her head in. "Jake's here, he wants to see you," said Pearl. Melanie nodded. "Tell him to wait on the porch, I'll be right there," she said. Pearl shut the door, leaving Melanie alone again. Melanie walked out the front door and onto the porch to where Jake was waiting.
He didn't notice that she was standing in the doorway looking at him. She stood in the way of the screen door, just watching Jake for a minute. The door squeaked. He turned towards the door and realized that she was there. She opened the screen door and came out onto the porch. She slowly made her way over to the porch swing and sat down beside Jake.
They were both quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say about the situation. "When are you leaving?" asked Jake, breaking the harrowing silence. "Tomorrow," said Melanie. "Do they know?" asked Jake, referring to Wade, Bobby Ray, and Eldon. Melanie shook her head. "They don't know the real reason, they just know I'm leaving," she said. "I won't say anything," said Jake. Melanie smiled a little. "Can I call you in New York?" he asked. Melanie nodded. "I'll call you when I get there," she said. "I better go," said Jake, starting to get up. Before he got up and left, he gave Melanie a kiss on the cheek. He looked at her for a minute after the kiss, and then turned to leave. He walked slowly to his truck, as if he was going to turn back.
Melanie sat on the porch swing and watched Jake leave. Even after he was gone, she sat there and daydreamed for a while. After a while, she couldn't remember why she was sitting there anymore, and got up to go back into the house. She sat in her room, looking at her room and the things around her. She spent most of the night up, packing and putting things away.
The next morning, she got up and ate breakfast, then made sure that she had all of her things together. She put the rest of her bags in the trunk of her car and closed it. Her parents were waiting by the car to say goodbye. Over her mother's shoulders, she saw Bobby Ray's truck pull up in the dust. Bobby Ray, Wade, Eldon, and Jake got out of the car and came up to her. She let go of her mother as the boys came up to her. "Come have a milkshake with us," said Bobby Ray. Melanie shook her head. "I can't, I have to go," she said. "Please Mel," coaxed Jake. Pearl looked at her and nodded. Melanie sighed and smiled a little. "Just one," said Wade. "Alright," said Melanie, giving in. They piled into Bobby Ray's truck and headed down to the diner.
They sat down at a booth and waited for their milkshakes. While they sat and waited, the boys were silent though they thought they would have something to say to Melanie. But there were no words for them to say. Melanie turned her head. She saw some of the girls from school sitting near them were whispering and pointing at her. Their milkshakes came, and as Melanie sipped hers she watched the girls as they pointed at her. Melanie sipped her milkshake quickly, then got up to leave. But before she could get up, Bobby Ray heard what the girls were saying about her.
He was very upset and saw Melanie was about to cry but trying hard not to. She got up and walked out, waiting outside of the restaurant and cried. Bobby Ray got up after her and stood beside her. "Please don't cry Mel, they're jerks," he said. She hid her face in her hands; she didn't want him to see her crying. Jake, Wade, and Eldon came out of the restaurant just as the girls came out. As they began to talk again, Jake and Eldon stood up to them. Wade stood there, pretending to be involved though he wasn't really sure what to say for fear of making the situation worse.
Melanie smiled at Jake. They got into Bobby Ray's truck and drove back to her house. Melanie hugged everyone goodbye one last time before she got in the car, driving away without looking back. She felt that if she looked back she would want to go back so bad that she wouldn't be able to keep going.
Hours passed, and the road just seemed to get longer and longer. The yellow lines seemed to never end. Melanie kept the radio on to keep her mind off of Jake and Bobby Ray and memories of home, but it wasn't working very well.
It had gotten dark by the time she reached New York, making it a little harder to get around since she had never been there. Since she had no place to live, she decided it best to stay in a hotel while she looked for somewhere decent. Since it was already late in the evening, she pulled into a nearby hotel and got a room. It was a small hotel, but nice. The woman at the reception desk was friendly to her. She handed Melanie her room key- card and she took her bags in the elevator with her.
She fumbled around for the light in the dark room, then shut the door behind her. The room was nice, and she set her bags on the bed. As she put her clothes in the armoire, she heard her cell phone ringing from inside of her purse. She walked back over to the bed and dug the phone out from the bottom of her purse. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey Mel," said the voice. It was Bobby Ray.
There was a knock at her door. "Mel?" asked the voice. It was her mom. "Yes Momma?" she asked. Her mom opened the door slightly and poked her head in. "Jake's here, he wants to see you," said Pearl. Melanie nodded. "Tell him to wait on the porch, I'll be right there," she said. Pearl shut the door, leaving Melanie alone again. Melanie walked out the front door and onto the porch to where Jake was waiting.
He didn't notice that she was standing in the doorway looking at him. She stood in the way of the screen door, just watching Jake for a minute. The door squeaked. He turned towards the door and realized that she was there. She opened the screen door and came out onto the porch. She slowly made her way over to the porch swing and sat down beside Jake.
They were both quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say about the situation. "When are you leaving?" asked Jake, breaking the harrowing silence. "Tomorrow," said Melanie. "Do they know?" asked Jake, referring to Wade, Bobby Ray, and Eldon. Melanie shook her head. "They don't know the real reason, they just know I'm leaving," she said. "I won't say anything," said Jake. Melanie smiled a little. "Can I call you in New York?" he asked. Melanie nodded. "I'll call you when I get there," she said. "I better go," said Jake, starting to get up. Before he got up and left, he gave Melanie a kiss on the cheek. He looked at her for a minute after the kiss, and then turned to leave. He walked slowly to his truck, as if he was going to turn back.
Melanie sat on the porch swing and watched Jake leave. Even after he was gone, she sat there and daydreamed for a while. After a while, she couldn't remember why she was sitting there anymore, and got up to go back into the house. She sat in her room, looking at her room and the things around her. She spent most of the night up, packing and putting things away.
The next morning, she got up and ate breakfast, then made sure that she had all of her things together. She put the rest of her bags in the trunk of her car and closed it. Her parents were waiting by the car to say goodbye. Over her mother's shoulders, she saw Bobby Ray's truck pull up in the dust. Bobby Ray, Wade, Eldon, and Jake got out of the car and came up to her. She let go of her mother as the boys came up to her. "Come have a milkshake with us," said Bobby Ray. Melanie shook her head. "I can't, I have to go," she said. "Please Mel," coaxed Jake. Pearl looked at her and nodded. Melanie sighed and smiled a little. "Just one," said Wade. "Alright," said Melanie, giving in. They piled into Bobby Ray's truck and headed down to the diner.
They sat down at a booth and waited for their milkshakes. While they sat and waited, the boys were silent though they thought they would have something to say to Melanie. But there were no words for them to say. Melanie turned her head. She saw some of the girls from school sitting near them were whispering and pointing at her. Their milkshakes came, and as Melanie sipped hers she watched the girls as they pointed at her. Melanie sipped her milkshake quickly, then got up to leave. But before she could get up, Bobby Ray heard what the girls were saying about her.
He was very upset and saw Melanie was about to cry but trying hard not to. She got up and walked out, waiting outside of the restaurant and cried. Bobby Ray got up after her and stood beside her. "Please don't cry Mel, they're jerks," he said. She hid her face in her hands; she didn't want him to see her crying. Jake, Wade, and Eldon came out of the restaurant just as the girls came out. As they began to talk again, Jake and Eldon stood up to them. Wade stood there, pretending to be involved though he wasn't really sure what to say for fear of making the situation worse.
Melanie smiled at Jake. They got into Bobby Ray's truck and drove back to her house. Melanie hugged everyone goodbye one last time before she got in the car, driving away without looking back. She felt that if she looked back she would want to go back so bad that she wouldn't be able to keep going.
Hours passed, and the road just seemed to get longer and longer. The yellow lines seemed to never end. Melanie kept the radio on to keep her mind off of Jake and Bobby Ray and memories of home, but it wasn't working very well.
It had gotten dark by the time she reached New York, making it a little harder to get around since she had never been there. Since she had no place to live, she decided it best to stay in a hotel while she looked for somewhere decent. Since it was already late in the evening, she pulled into a nearby hotel and got a room. It was a small hotel, but nice. The woman at the reception desk was friendly to her. She handed Melanie her room key- card and she took her bags in the elevator with her.
She fumbled around for the light in the dark room, then shut the door behind her. The room was nice, and she set her bags on the bed. As she put her clothes in the armoire, she heard her cell phone ringing from inside of her purse. She walked back over to the bed and dug the phone out from the bottom of her purse. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey Mel," said the voice. It was Bobby Ray.