Melinie opened her heavy home door to an overjoyed Chase. "Melinie," He shouted, jumping to hug her. "You're home!" Melinie picked up her 8-year-old brother, who was small for his age due to his disease. "I am," Melinie smiled and put her duffle next to the shoe rack in the entry way. "You're a lot more energetic than you were this morning, Chase." Melinie put him down and studied a fresh bruise on his forehead. "Yeah, mom got me some jawbreakers. I had four." Chase spent the last four years in and out of hospitals. He hadn't had much contact with people outside of his family, and the St. Francis nursing staff. He had met very few of Melinie's boyfriends, she knew some of them would take pity on her and her family. She hated that, as did Chase. He's a regular kid; he doesn't like to be treated differently.
"I bet you were a handful for mom then," Melinie and Chase walked into the kitchen, their regular routine. "Do you want lemonade, water, or milk today, bud?" Melinie asked as she opened the cupboard to retrieve two glasses. "Lemonade, please," Melinie nodded, and looked to her only sibling, and smiled. She poured him some lemonade, and herself some iced tea. While in the fridge she grabbed Chase string cheese. "Is Dad coming home tomorrow to take you to St. Francis? Because I know Mom has a meeting at the office." Chase and Melinie's parents both worked quite a bit. Their father worked twelve hour days, at an airline. Their mother worked whenever needed at the office, which was rare, she spent most days with Chase. Sometimes she'd go into the city before Melinie came home to look over things.
Chase sipped his lemonade and sat up straight, "Yeah, he has tomorrow off, remember?" he said staring back down into his lemonade, prodding the ice cubes with his fingers. "I wanted you
to take me though." Melinie pulled his hand out of his drink and opened his string cheese. "You always do," Melinie set her glass down on the marble counter. "But I have 5 sessions on Wednesdays. You know I can only bail if Mom or Dad can't take you." Chase sighed and took another sip. Melinie gulped down her iced tea, "But," Chase said after a few moments, "I wanted," Melinie's phone cut him off. "Hold on one second," Melinie pulled her phone out of her jeans and checked the caller ID. "It's Albert." Chase grinned widely.
"Hey what's up?" Melinie said. "Nothing actually, just at the radio station," Albert's voice was scratchy as it has always been. "How was work today? Anymore old ladies yelling at you for hitting them while in water aerobics?" "Ha, no," Melinie looked to Chase, who finished the cheese, "Bud, you can go down to the basement and play video games, and I promise I won't tell Dad," He nodded, and jumped off his seat at the island. "Be careful!"
"Was that Chase?" Albert asked. "Yep, I almost lost a kid today," Melinie drank the last bit of her iced tea then put her glass in the dishwasher. "Oh, really, which one was it this time?" Albert was probably editing a playlist, or burning a CD from the music at the indie station he worked at. "The teeny bopper," Melinie leaned against the sink, staring out the window. "Ooh, that would have been awesome." Melinie heard a bunch of clicking on the other line; he must have done something wrong while he was distracted. "Yeah, but you know me, screw modesty, I just have to brag about how awesome I am." Melinie heard a laugh. "Yeah, you really are the best." Albert said sarcastically. Melinie heard a crash. "Dude, I have to go. Text me." Melinie heard Albert say "Ok, I understand," As she shut her phone.
Melinie raced down the hallway, and half way down the basement stairs. "Chase, what happened?" Her voice was panicked and shaky, even though this has happened many times
before. "I dropped something." Chase called, his voice was strong, and Melinie knew nothing was wrong. "I'm alright; you can go back upstairs now." Melinie stood in her place a few moments longer until she heard the familiar theme music to his game. She went upstairs to her room, staring at its messiness. Her phone buzzed, she spent an hour texting Albert.
Albert moved to Greenlake a year after Chase was diagnosed. He and Melinie met in science class, where Albert was trying to heat a piece of rubber in a test tube when Melinie cut his power, saving the class a nasty smell, and him a detention. They started talking, and became friends quickly. He was accepted into her family, but many assumed Melinie and Albert were dating. They were like siblings; no way would they go out.
Albert was considered a jerk at school; he wasn't nice to many people other than Melinie. He constantly was in trouble for graffiti, being disrespectful, and things in that manner. Melinie and her family weren't put off by it, it was the way he was. Melinie told Albert about Chase gradually. Albert didn't treat her and her family any differently than before. He still thought they were normal, but still was sensitive. He spent a lot of time over at their house, he even started calling Melinie's parent's Mom and Dad, and Melinie did the same for his parents. The two families got along very well.
Albert started to change around sophomore year. His detention count widdled down to nothing, his grades improved with the help of Melinie as a tutor. Though, the teachers and students still didn't trust him completely, but Albert understood why.
Melinie changed her clothes, and got into bed. She heard a tap at the window. It was 11:30; she wondered who it was, and how they got to the second floor. She pulled her window open,
and Albert tumbled inside. "What are you doing here?" Melinie asked in a hoarse whisper, as he pushed himself up from her window seat. Melinie noticed that he had a backpack with him. "Um, I have something to tell you." Albert looked distraught; his voice was louder than hers. Melinie put her finger to her lips. "You know how my dad and I don't always see eye to eye?" Melinie nodded. "Well, I told him I want to go to the Air Force Academy, and I got in, accepted early. He said he wanted me to go to the University of California, and I told him no. So we got into a heated argument about how if I went into the service I would be killed, and such. It's like, no I won't be, I wouldn't be shipped off to war. They don't do that to college students." He started to ramble. "And then he was talking about tuition and everything. God, I already have a whole bunch of scholarships. Anyway," He looked Melinie in the eyes, his showing he was hurt, and angry. "Melinie, my dad has done this to me for years. Over the tiniest things, even this tiny thing. Being accepted into the AFA is an honor. He…he…" Melinie searched his eyes for what he was thinking. Albert pulled up his sweater, exposing his abdomen, which had a very large bruise on its side. He pulled down his collar, showing another bruise, the size of a fist. Melinie gasped, brushing the bruises with her fingertips.
"Albert, I didn't know," She pulled him close to her, and gave him a bear hug. He hugged back, he showed poise. "I know Mel. No one did, just mom. She didn't care." Melinie was still holding on to Albert, thinking back to memories of his mother and father, they acted like they did care. "I came here, because I knew you could help me. You and your parents could help me." Melinie pulled away from Albert. "Stay with us. Do you want me to wake up my parents?" Albert shook his head. "No, I just want to get some sleep. Is it alright if I go down to the guest bedroom?" Melinie nodded. "It's all yours. There's an icy-hot pack in the bathroom. Feel free to
use it." He hugged her one last time. "Thanks Mel. This really means a lot to me." Melinie hugged him tighter. "You're my best friend. It's not a problem."