Chapter 4- David who?
That night all I could think about was the date. It wasn't my ideal dream date, but it was pretty cool to finally have a chance to relax, well, I relaxed when Cindy wasn't staring me down. I was stretched out on my bed, staring at my faded dark white ceiling, which was covered in pictures just like my walls, desktop and floor. I heard a knock on my door.
Mom: Melinda? Can I come in?
Me: Yeah.
Mom: [gazing at all the drawings] I see you've hung up more pictures.
Me: [nodding] Yeah.
Mom: [sits on bed] Look, sweetie, I know you're dealing with this situation well and I know it's been a year, but you know that if you need to talk you just have to tell me or your father, right?
Me: Yeah, I know.
Mom: I was thinking, your father was too, and we think it would be a nice idea for me to take you shopping tomorrow. It'll be like a shopping spree.
Me: Um, okay.
Mom: I know I haven't really been there for you in the past, but I intend to change that.
Me: [I tried to fake a smile] No, mom, it'll be great. I'm just wondering if we have enough money.
Mom: Don't you worry about things like that! We'll make it through this, besides I've been saving up for things like this.
Me: Okay, so, I guess tomorrow, after work?
Mom: Yes. Well, it's late I should let you sleep.
As the door closed I couldn't help but fear tomorrow, I hated shopping of all kinds. I wasn't picky at all, but just the thought of going through piles and piles of machine made cloth makes me doze off. I suppose I need some new clothes anyway, I think I still wear some shirts from the sixth grade. I should get my mind off this, maybe I should read. Where did I put the books from the library? I searched under my bed and on my desk, couldn't find it. Searched the closet…for whatever reason it might be there. Nope. I crept downstairs, it wasn't there. Great, I left them at his house. At least I remembered my clothes. Those were up in my room. I'd have to get the books the next time I went to David's house. I'd need all the sleep I could get if I was going to go shopping tomorrow. It's a fact that I fell asleep right in the middle of the underwear aisle when I went shopping with mom when I was younger.
I didn't draw that night, firstly, because I wanted my next drawing to be from David's yard, secondly, my mind kept straying to other things, I soon fell asleep.
Mom: Hurry up, we're going to be late!
Me: I'm pretty sure that the clothes places will still be open in ten minutes.
Mom: Ugh!
I took my time getting dressed and walking downstairs. I think I wanted to go to work instead today. Mom pulled me to the car and I barely had enough time to ask her where we were going.
Mom: I was thinking that we could start at one end of the mall and go from there.
Me: Exactly where is the 'one end' that we're starting at?
Mom: Pearson's Optical.
Me: Mom I don't need new glasses.
Mom: We'll just look.
When we got to the store I lagged behind and tried to be like an average teenager. Mom barely seemed phased. In the end she got a new pair of glasses and I got another glasses cleaning kit, I barely even wore glasses, I only needed them to read. We passed the Pizza place and mom took me into another building. I didn't have time to read the sign. We went up the stairs and stopped at the top floor.
Me: Where are we going?
Mom: You'll see.
We went to the last door on the right and I still didn't have time to read what it said. I sat in a chair, this place was set up like a hospital, there was a desk on the north side and chairs set up in rows. Mom spoke softly so I couldn't hear. I looked at the walls, there were pictures of flowers, they weren't that good either, some of them didn't even look like flowers. Why try to make a miserable place any better? It will still be miserable.
Then, a man in some form of a suit came out of a door and called my name. I looked at him in disbelief. He called me once again, this time Mom signaled for me to go with him as she talked to the person behind the desk. I was lead into the furthest door. I read the names on the other door first, Dianne Button-Physiologist, then I read the door that I was about to go in. Andrew Kaman-Psychologist. I was seeing a shrink!
Andrew Kaman: Melinda?
Me:
Andrew Kaman: Melinda!
Me: [turns head slowly] What?
Andrew Kaman: I don't want you to think of me like a shrink, I'm just a normal person and this is supposed to help you.
Yeah right, he's a shrink that gets paid millions of dollars a year for listening to helpless victims drone on and on about their idiotic problems and they only have to 'hmmm' and 'very good' every once in a while. But the worst part was, his name was Andrew.
Andrew Kaman: Melinda, this isn't a punishment. I have plenty of fun things around here.
Me: [scoff]
Andrew Kaman: I have games, if you're interested, Monopoly, trouble, trivia.
Me: [lower lip firms]
Andrew Kaman: Melinda, it's a shame how much money you're wasting.
Me: [looks up]
Andrew Kaman: How much do you think therapy costs? We have two hours.
Me: I don't need therapy! Mom just feels guilty that she had no idea what was happening! Now she's on this 'being a good mother' phase!
Andrew Kaman: [takes my hand] Melinda, I am so sorry.
Me: [takes hand away] I don't need your fake sympathy.
Andrew Kaman: Fine [face expression changes to serious] you're smart for a child, but one of these days you're going to have to tell someone.
Me: I already did tell someone! If you haven't noticed the whole town knows now!
Andrew Kaman: The whole town knows what?
Me: As if you didn't know.
A silence filled the room. Not just a silence, it was one of the worst silences ever. I was staring out the window at the back of a billboard and Andrew was staring right at me. I didn't know how much time had passed and the only clock in the room was right above Andrew's head. I crossed my arms across my chest.
He shoved a piece of paper at me. I glared at him.
Andrew Kaman: Draw.
Me:
Andrew Kaman: Draw, or else I'll tell that pretty little assistant you saw in the main room that you need medical help.
He was bluffing, I could tell.
He stood up and started to walk towards the door. Ever step he took I concocted ideas of what they might do to me at a hospital, a hospital meant for nutcases. I grabbed the paper and I tried to sound as sinister as possible.
Me: Can I have a pen?
I drew something simple. Just a bouquet of flowers. I tried to make it bad, I didn't fade the vase and the flowers were mostly scribbled. I gave him the picture and looked back out the window.
Andrew Kaman: This is good. I think our two hours are up.
He lied to me, I wasn't supposed to be there for two hours. We'd only been here for a little over one hour, I'm sure. I could tell this wasn't going to be fun. He let me out the door and I ignored him when he was waving goodbye.
Next stop-clothing businesses. My mother had basically put a ton of clothes in a cart and rushed trough the cash register. She knew how to deal with me. The day encroached on me. It was slowly getting darker and the family vehicle was getting more flooded by the minute. By the time we got home I was so tired I could've collapsed right on the couch and been out for days.
Dad: Melinda?
Me: Ugh.
Dad: You have a visitor.
Me: [snaps head up] Who?
Dad: A boy. He said you worked together. I told him to go up to your room.
Cole? Was it Cole? Could it be Cole? I ran up to my room. My feet stopped at the door. What do I do now? Should I knock? Maybe I should just go in. Why should I have to knock? You only knock when someone's doing something private and what would he be doing privately in my room? Never mind. Do I say something? How long had he been here? Then, suddenly, the door flew open.
Cole: Melinda!
I was whisked into my room. Cole looked afraid. His eyes tried to focus, but he was trying to look at one thing, to calm him. I put my hands on his shoulders and tried to shake him into reality.
Me: Cole! Cole, are you okay?
His eye twitched, but he stopped shaking. He put his hands on my waist. I was stunned, what was he doing, but if someone were to take a picture of this instinct moment it would look somewhat like a normal couple. My hands were on his shoulders and the way we were positioned made me accusingly.
Cole: Melinda. I need you. He was there. Waiting for me. I couldn't get away. He had a rifle.
I couldn't say anything. What happened when Cole had gone home today?
Cole: Shay visited him today, she tried to save me. I was almost free. Then, he forbid her ever to see me. I'm stuck here forever!
He pulled me into a hug. This was not a side of him I was used to. His head rested on my shoulder and I could feel his tears move from his fragile eyes to my shirt. I forced him to look at me.
Me: You're going to be okay. You're going to live. We're going to settle this.
I didn't know when he and I had become a 'we' but I wasn't going to let him be alone. He needed me. For once, someone needed Melinda Sordino. There was no doubt left, through both our traumatizing experiences Cole Adams and Melinda Sordino were bonded into each others lives forever.
(Okay, in this chapter a lot of things happened, Andrew Kaman (Kaman being a college that had been on a commercial when I was writing this) and you get to know a little more about Cole. I love this chapter! Well, the second half…peace\/love/\see ya