"Melenie, I just can't believe it. Why on earth... What made you do that?!? I could have expected this from anyone but you. You're so quiet and mature and then you go and punch a girl?!?"
Melenie was sitting on her bed in the late afternoon watching her mother pace the floor in disbelief, anger, and shock.
"But I told you, she said-"
"I know what she said but that's no reason to lose it like that! For goodness sakes, you're fifteen. You've said that yourself. You should know better than that." Bethany sighed heavily.
"She had it coming, Mom. I was only giving her a taste of her own medicine." What more can I say? You would've done the same thing, she thought.
"That's no excuse." Bethany sat down next to Mel and rested her head in her hands. "It's my fault." She said it so softly, Mel almost didn't catch it.
Me was about to argue that pointed when Beth looked up at her. "I'm sorry, honey. It's not your fault. I know it's tough on you."
"No, I-"
"If I'm honest, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. You've done well to last this long."
"Mom, don't-"
Bethany rested a hand on Melenie's crossed leg. "Look, don't worry about it. I'm thankful you didn't knock her teeth out." Mel smirked at the thought. Again, Beth sighed and stared straight ahead. "Sorry kiddo. You did what you thought you should. Just don't let it happen again. No matter what they say. You promise?"
"Yes Mom." Mel looked to the floor.
"Dinner will be in an hour. Get some homework done."
"But I don't have school tomorrow." It was true, Mel had been suspended for two days.
"Right." Bethany sounded so defeated, it hurt Mel to the very marrow of her bones. "Well, whatever." She stood up and walked slowly to the door. Pausing in the door frame she looked back. "Melenie, I'm really, truly sorry."
"For what?" Should I be the one apologizing?
"Just everything." She began closing the door behind her. "I love you."
Again she found herself missing a father figure. If she had one, he would have yelled at her most definitely and the natural balance of the world would be maintained. Mel never used to give her mother so much grief. She was a perfectly normal child who loved to keep to herself and do whatever it was that made her happy. Perhaps the fault with her was just that. Now that she was older, Mel would do whatever needed to be done to obtain that goal or happiness. Maybe that included 'knocking' down those who were in her way. Literally and figuratively. Mel groaned in annoyance. She used to know who she was and what she wanted. Now she didn't know anything. She was lost and had no way to regain her familiarity. Frequently her brain would spin trying to find answers to her life. She hated being so unsure of everything. Somehow 42 didn't seem to be working for her. A friend had lent her a book entitled 'The hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' but it's answers to Life, the Universe, and Everything did not in the slightest bit make her complications any clearer.
Again groaning, Mel slipped further under her covers and clung tighter to the bed sheets.
She completely understood that she wasn't the only person in the world who didn't have a father but the thing that made it all much worse (in her opinion) was that she didn't know what had happened. She knew it would take a miracle for a guy to just drop out of the sky and become her dad. All she wanted to know was what had happened. At least that way she'd have a sense of self. A voice in the back of her head said "there is an explanation. You just have to accept it."
Melenie told the little voice to shut up. If her father was an angel, why didn't he care enough to pay her any attention? Why did her mother try to shield her from him all these years? It wasn't fair, but since when was life fair? Answer: never.
It was safe to say that she hated everything about her life. She had no real friends as her school was full of those self same airheads who only cared about clothes and makeup. Her mother had officially depressed her while at the same time angered her. And, lucky for whoever he was, Mel had no male influence to physically blame. Her grades suffered, her personality and emotions suffered, and her head suffered from severe constant headaches. Anymore of this torture and she would most likely explode.
If fact, it was at that moment that she did explode. It hadn't been long since all this new information had come about but her life always seemed to be too fast at times when she needed a slow pace to get her head 'round things and, of course, too slow when she wanted things to be over. But again, that's life, right?
So in the darkness of her bedroom Melenie broke down crying, her hot flushed face rivaling the lava lamp. She hated the world, her parents, her school mates, herself. Never before had she felt this mad, this humiliated, this confused. She knew that she wanted something but what she didn't know. She would have cried for her father like so many previous times but now she didn't even want him. If he didn't care for her, why should she for him? She could manage just fine without him.
I think...I know that I can...can't. Who am I kidding? My life is going down the toilet and there's no one to fish me out.
No one hears my cries...And it was true. Bethany was herself upset in her room again praying. She hated what Mel was going through and she wished that she could feel her pain for her. But she couldn't which made her feel worse about all this.
Melenie stuffed a pillow over her face and screamed. Screamed and screamed until she was gasping for breath. Maybe it would be so nice to just drift off into an oxygen-free sleep and never wake up. It would mean no more school, no more troubles, no nothing. Just peace.
Maybe, just maybe...Long chap this time! Now I'm off for ten days, sorry guys! I'll be sure to update when I return. So...what do you think will happen? He he...cliff hangers, you love 'em, yet you hate them...
