Lost In Purple
Chapter 19: The Fall Formal Epilogue - Devotion
Melanie's POV
"Melody that was so beautiful!" Carrie squeals. Britney joins in with her and jumps up and down in her seat.
"Yeah, that was the first time that we've ever felt something other than bleakness when watching that," Rhonda adds.
I laugh nervously. "I wasn't expecting to do that tonight, so I actually surprised myself more than anything."
"You know, you never mentioned that you can dance," Carrie says with curiosity.
"I, uh, I learned from my dad," I respond.
"Your dad must be, like, so awesome. Our dads just sat around watching football all day like the elitists they are," Nadya growls.
"Um, well my dad did everything he could to help my mom and I live the best lives we could, so I do love him very much," I smile trying not to make them all jealous and angry.
For a little while we talk about the dance and how I learned to dance in general. It's funny because the DJ starts playing many different genres of Electronic Dance so everyone runs onto the dance floor and parties like there's no tomorrow… for the 1000th time most likely. The PNK and HSS girls go on and off the dance floor, and have small conversations about how their dates have no rhythm or sense of self awareness on the dance floor. These discussions don't really interest me, but the parts about how to dance do interest me. With every sentence I speak about it, I think about Johnny's commitment and devotion to our dance. I knew Johnny was a rich boy, but I didn't think he was a literal prince who grew up in a palace led by multi-billionaires (I assume). He seemed like the kind of guy to rebel against that sort of lifestyle since he grew up rarely seeing his parents and enjoys the more ambitious/adventurous lifestyle.
I make sure to look around and find Johnny to see if he's doing ok. I try my best to be discreet about it because I know Nadya or Carrie will get on my case about it, and it seems to be working. However, they could just be ignoring that and letting me worry about him. I eventually find myself looking for him once more and I don't see him anywhere around the banquet hall. I know I shouldn't necessarily worry since he is the scariest and strongest guy on campus, but he said he would see me again after a break. My clinginess gets the better of me and I stand up from my chair.
"Excuse me, I need to take a breather," I lie.
"You feeling ok Melody?" Carrie asks while touching my arm.
"Yeah, I'm just not used to going to these kinds of parties so I'm a little overwhelmed and need a break," I explain while using my incredible acting abilities.
"Ok. We'll be here if you need us," Carrie responds with a smile and turning her attention back over to her sorority sisters.
I slowly push my way through the crowd and try my best to look over everyone's head to find those two beautifully polished horns. You'd think they would be easy to find, but it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack at night with no light, it's not going to happen.
I eventually make it outside to see the campus pretty much empty. Everyone must be inside having fun, but I seriously begin to wonder if either Johnny or I are truly having fun.
"We all hated that you know."
I turn around back towards the banquet hall and see Faust leaning against the wall next to the open double doors.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" I ask feeling a wave of panic overtake me.
"Your embarrassing display on the dance floor earlier, we all hated it," Faust says taking a drink from a brown glass bottle. I'm guessing it's alcohol.
"Really? It looked like everyone enjoyed it. They all clapped and ev-"
"We all faked it. Everyone just acted like they enjoyed it to not seem rude in front of the chaperones and security," Faust interrupts.
"I don't…think that's true," I reply taking a step back.
"Shut up Melody! This just proves that you've become vain and ego-centric like the rest of them! You think everyone loves you now and that you're invincible because you're making goo goo eyes at Worthington and he's responding!" Faust screams.
"No I'm not!" I yell back trying to keep my emotions in check.
"Yes you are Melody! Only someone who has had their minds tainted by the RORs would pull a stunt like that! You're the lowest of the low, and the scummiest of all the scum!" Faust counters.
"Don't say that! You know better than anyone that I've been trying to get my fami-"
"Oh don't even try to make me pity you! We both know you're not going to make it as a scarer, you're a cowardly and foolish suburban diva who has no right being on a scare floor!" Faust roars.
I can't hold back anymore and I feel tears fall out of my eyes. I feel my legs start quivering and my thought processes freeze up.
Faust doesn't stop there though. "Also, if you so desperately want to be with that purple demon, I'd suggest going to a gym and losing a couple of pounds puppy! While you're at it, why don't you toss that embarrassment of a dress in the trash and actually wear something that will make him want to po-"
His comments are cut off when a large purple hand connects with his face and leaves a trail of blood hovering in the air until his head slams to the ground. It's obvious it was a punch that left him unconscious.
Johnny's POV
I stand there and see Melanie's tears plunge to the earth below once again. I can see her blue glow starting to form and I'm afraid her ghostly voice will produce cries I wished to never hear again.
"Melanie…" I manage to say through my teeth enraged.
She looks up at me shaking, trying her best to not breakdown as badly as she did the last time. I lunge over to her and gently grab her hands.
"Everything that comes out of his mouth, is NOT true," I snarl.
She starts to quietly sob in a shaky manner and I can feel the quaking of her entire body just through her hands. They're beginning to feel cold which doesn't seem normal. I know we can't stay here and wait for someone to put two and two together, so I swing her around to my back as I bend down to the ground and take off running on all fours. I try to keep myself as steady as possible so that she doesn't fall off and try to stay in the shadows so nobody sees her at her worst; It's obvious that her dress is making it difficult to hold on and that she doesn't have enough strength to hang on for very long.
I take a scenic route back to the ROR house since I feel like that's the only place she could feel safe right now. The whole way back I can hear her sniffling while resting her head on the back of my neck. To my surprise, her grip never loosens even when I unintentionally lunge too far and create an uncomfortably jarring movement. After a 4 minute journey back to the ROR house, I open the front door and considerately let her down from my back. I take her hand and guide her up the left side stairs and down the left hallway to the end of it. I open the door to show her my room and set her on my bed.
"Mel, what do you need me to do to fix this?" I ask.
She sniffles once again and uses her palm to wipe her eyes.
"You don't need to do anything Johnny. It's a part of life, I'll be fine," Melanie whimpers.
I stand up and growl. "Melanie, I don't know who forced you to believe that this is a 'part of life,' but I'll tell you right now that you don't deserve to be treated or talked to like this."
"Johnny please, I don't want you to have to worry about my petty drama on top of everything else you already deal with," Melanie begs.
My rage gets the better of me and regrettably becomes directed at Melanie. "Well it's becoming my problem Mel!" I snarl.
She closes her eyes and digs her claws into my bed. Knowing that I went too far, I take her hand and kneel down in front of her.
"I love you. So. Much, Melanie," I choke.
She loosens her grip on my bed and gradually looks up to me in surprise, which reveals some more tears almost ready to fall out of her gorgeous purple eyes. The moonlight pierces through my windows and causes them to beautifully shine into my soul.
"Melanie, you are the greatest woman I've ever met in my life. You're compassionate, honest, brave… I-I can't believe someone like Faust considers you a friend and refuses to treasure you for the rest of his life," I praise.
I see a tear fall down her cheek as she stares into my eyes.
"I'll admit that I originally was trying to have a quick fling with you, but the day we sat along the riverside I knew you were temperamentally sensitive, I knew I had to be careful when being around you. I knew you were struggling to live the life you were predestined to live along with people who were always out to get you. I took you out to lunch later that week to see if I could somehow get you to become interested in me, but with every advance I tried to make you somehow found a way to ignore them or play along with them. It drove me insane because you're the first woman to see me more as a friend than a rival or creep or... something other than a normal person. And soon after that, you showed me that I didn't have to be the person that others expect me to be, you let me be a normal college student the day we threw that party two months ago," I explain.
A small smile appears on Melanie's face which brings me a little bit of relief.
"Then that day when we talked about our passions for scaring... I...I knew I fell in love with you. You made me feel like the most important monster in the world, and gave me a reason to… to try and be a monster others can look up to, that you can look up to," I disclose.
Melanie reaches her arms around my head and hugs me. I hug her back as I take a seat next to her on my bed and continuing speaking. "I haven't been able to sleep for weeks because I couldn't get you out of my head. That day I took my midterm, when I said that I was studying with Javier, I was actually awake the night prior pacing back and forth trying to figure out a way to tell you all this. I couldn't think clearly and I couldn't stand keeping myself away from you. Then the next day when I walked the campus with you, you told me about all the pain you and your family have had to endure, and now all I want to do is be there for you when you feel like everything's collapsing again."
I let go of Melanie and she lets go of me. I take my right hand and put it under her chin. I lift her head upwards so that I can look at her magenta eyes.
"Melanie…I know you think that you're flawed, that you're not good enough, that things won't ever get better because you're not strong enough. I myself understand how that feels. But I want you to know that whatever happens, I'll be there experiencing the same thing with you... because I never want you to feel alone again."
Melanie's POV
I feel an immense amount of euphoria rushes over me. For the first time in my life I feel like everything will be alright. There's finally someone that loves me for who I am and not trying to change me. It's not a fake understanding like Faust, but a mutual understanding that harmonizes with how I feel on an everyday basis doing everyday things. I feel overwhelmingly happy when I think about how someone like Johnny feels the way he does about me, because I just assumed I was an insignificant person within society that was soon to be shunned like my dad.
"You're... not just saying that?" I ask wiping away some more tears from my eyes.
"No. I can't see myself ever letting you go while being misunderstood...just like me," Johnny discloses.
He closes his eyes and puts his head against mine. He starts purring deeply when I press my head against his and reach around his head to rub my claws against the bases of his horns. He grabs below my thighs and pulls me up onto his lap where he then presses his lips against mine. I place my hand against his chest to feel his heart beating rapidly as his breathing quickens, and notice a slight hint of alcohol on his breath. However, it doesn't bother me and I proceed to melt into him. He steadily takes off his tuxedo jacket and begins unbuttoning his purple waistcoat to reveal his incredibly muscular chest. I put my hand on his extraordinarily soft fur and grope his well rounded pectoral muscles.
He purrs a bit more intensely and pushes me back onto his bed. I move my hands down lower to feel his eminently well defined abs that are buried beneath his fur which causes him to push his body against me a little harder than before. He moves both of his hands up to mine and we interlock our fingers as He pins them down and squeezes them passionately.
Johnny stops kissing me and looks me in the eyes with his mouth open slightly. "I'd love it if you'd spend the night with me."