Lost In Purple
Chapter 29: Afterfrost
Johnny's POV
I wake up to see Melanie sleeping soundly next to me and listen to the tranquil chirps of the neighborhood birds outside. It's nice to see her sleeping comfortably after the past couple days of constant shivering and cuddling for warmth. While it was nice to me, Melanie probably got really tired of depending on me considering she's the kind of person who doesn't want to burden others. The blizzard lasted for about 2 days, and it's taken another 2 days for all the snow to melt in order for everyone in the Cormeadow area to leave their houses. Ronan was also able to found out that the entirety of the neighborhood was basically on lockdown these past few days, that the neighborhood was inevitably blocked off from the public while everywhere else in the city only had about 2 inches of snow, and no help was sent to anyone in the Cormeadow. The entire situation reeks of corruption and politics or what not, so I can't do much about it for now.
I find my phone and take a look at the time to see that it's eight-thirty in the morning. I really hate how I've become so comfortable with Melanie when sleeping, and end up sleeping in so late. I truly despise how such a puny freshman has completely changed how I live and think. I'll admit that I'm usually a jerk to everyone I talk to, but now I have to dial it back for her sake. I feel her shift under the blankets and cuddle up to my back. She lifts her head and places it on top of my neck which is unexplainably comfortable, and I feel my eyelids become heavy again. However, I fight against it by staring at my phone and flying through social media which wakes me up enough all because of the emitted blue light. Melanie even seems to wake up with a yawn even though her drowsiness is still holding her back.
"Doing alright princess?" I ask quietly.
She grunts in a way that sounds like she's saying 'yes' and pushes her head into my neck a little bit more.
"You know, it's nice to have a beautiful woman like you in bed with me, but I can't breathe when you do that," I announce.
Melanie instantly opens her eyes, gasps, and pushes herself off of me. "I-I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She questions as I roll over onto my back and watch her put her hand under my jaw.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I got to spend another night with my favorite freshman in the whole world," I wink.
Melanie flops down while putting her arms around my head and hugging me. I hug her back as I place her on top of me, bringing me a feeling of absolute elation. "Did you sleep alright?" I ask.
"Yeah. I wasn't freezing for the first time, so I'm making progress," Melanie replies with a chuckle.
I start lightly scratching her back which causes her to relax even more than she already was. "That's good. Now I don't have to worry about you developing insomnia or something."
"Wh- there's no way I looked that tired," Melanie exclaims.
She pushes herself up in order to look down into my eyes. Her beautiful irises pierce into my soul like rays of sunlight in the darkness. "You do know that you were abnormally quiet these past few days. You also were daydreaming an exponential amount, walking slowly, and slouching with droopy eyelids. I'd say I had more than enough reason to worry about you…You're mother felt the same," I explain.
Melanie groans and says, "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize Mel, you can have some bad days," I reply.
Melanie plants her lips onto mine, eliciting a impulse of euphoria throughout my entire nervous system. Even though it only lasts for a couple seconds, I know I'll treasure that one for as long as I live. I think about spitting out some sort of quip, but I don't want to ruin the moment so I keep my mouth shut and just smile. Melanie puts her forehead and the top of her muzzle along the side of my head as she shifts closer to me, so I pull the blankets over her, making sure she's as comfortable as possible. "What do you want for breakfast princess?" I ask while returning my visual attention back to my phone.
Melanie places her hand on top of my chest and starts pushing her fingers in my fluffy fur. "…Um…Well…I would like to have French Toast, but I don't know if my parents want something by else or if we have all the ingredients for it," She answers.
"Would it be bad if they want something else?" I ask.
"No…I just don't want toast. That's usually all we can afford after buying something like pancakes anyways," Melanie responds with lowered ears.
It's obvious that she's developed some sort of hankering for French Toast, and an appreciation for rich folk life, but can't enact upon it because of financial issues. "How much do your parents make a year?" I inquire.
Melanie's gears start turning, letting her answer relatively quick. "My mom normally makes around $5,000 a year as a waitress, and my Dad only makes like $22,000 a year."
$22,000?! Are Door Mechanics/Technicians paid that little? There's no way that that's the best Ronan can do in the Scaring field. If it is then he's getting swindled by the stereotypical thinking of the Scaring Company CEOs. "Is there really no other jobs your parents can get? That's almost…criminal," I state.
"No. My Dad is never given the chance to actually try-out as a Scarer and he's been rejected from many jobs at other Scaring companies. He also refuses to do anything outside of Scaring because he believes he's not qualified for anything else," Melanie explains.
"Ok…," I sigh, "Then I guess you and I will be going grocery shopping then."
"But we can't afford much John," Melanie adds.
"What makes you think that you'll be paying for it? You know I brought my credit card with me, the thing that bought you your ten-thousand dollar dress for the Fall Formal, right?" I ask friskily.
Melanie gives me a surprised yet nervous look. She and her family deserves it. I would understand if they feel like they'd have to pay a debt to me, but I won't accept that. Them being a better family than my own is good enough. "John please, you don't have to spend anymore money on me," She begs.
I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and plant them firmly onto the somewhat soft carpet. I push myself off the bed, stretching out my back in several different ways until I feel loose and limber. Hopefully I gave Melanie a good show as well. "I'd rather spend my money on food so that you three won't go hungry rather than me making the unnecessary purchases I make every single day," I retort, "Come on, might as well go before your parents wake up."
I rushed Melanie out of the house after I put on my ROR sweater. She tried her best to comb her hair and make herself look 'presentable,' but she doesn't know that she's a literal goddess amongst plebeians. Even if she got into a car crash (which I hope she doesn't), and simply moved on with her day, cuts and bruises and all, she would still look infinitely better than everyone else. I told her that and she vehemently disagreed, so I stubbornly disagreed with her disagreement. I must admit that I really enjoy arguing with her over insignificant topics.
Once I finally got her into the Roar Rover, that I rapidly heat up and dig out of the snow, we cautiously drive to the grocery store that Melanie says they frequent. Unfortunately for us, everyone else in the neighborhood had the same idea and woke up early to stock up on their groceries. At a glance it seems like every parking spot is taken, but Melanie points out that nobody likes parking at the back of the parking lot because its 'too far of a walk.' I take the opportunity to snag a spot and think about how it's pretty much the same over near MU and where my parents live as well. How in the hell do people hate walking a hundred feet? You're going to be walking in the store anyways, you most likely have to move at work anyways, and if you're in school you're going to be walking a mile anyways. The only exception would be if you're handicapped or old.
"Hey, I'm going to apologize in advance. When you grow up in a place like this you tend to know the whole town as if they're family, so I might end up being forced to talk to many people inside," Melanie warns while snapping me out of my mental rant.
I look over with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "What? I thought you were antisocial, how do you know the entire town?"
"It's not that I wanted to know everyone, I was forced to socialize as a kid because it unrealistic to be a hermit. I'm not really the same person anymore anyways because of you," Melanie remarks.
I chuckle. "I can't tell if you're implying that it's a good thing or bad thing that I've brought out a more fun side of you."
"Don't worry, it was a good thing. I'm just saying that everybody's probably going to want to know every detail of my time at MU," Melanie replies.
"Well…I don't mind. However, I don't want to spend three hours shopping when we could only spend 45 minutes. I still have nightmares about the days I was forced to go with either my parents or guardians as a kid," I explain while putting my fingers in between my eyes.
Melanie shifts in her seat and leans over to kiss me on my right cheek. "I promise that if it happens it'll be quick."
She then opens the passenger side door and hops out with some pep in her step. I follow her lead, feeling the sharp sting of the coldness hit my fur as the light breeze whips through town. The somewhat dark clouds cover the sky and everything is drenched in a light cover of white. I lock the car and take my position next to Melanie as the inch of snow crunches beneath our feet, making a satisfying noise that blesses our eardrums with every step. Melanie and I also watch as many families rush in and out of the store as if it were the end of the world. There's a couple of people who walk to their cars, all looking a little worse for wear as they shake subtlety when they use their muscles. Yeah this is definitely a poorer part of Monstropolis, because I can't say I've ever seen people desperately shop due to starvation. Ronan and Evelyn were smart to sacrifice some of their basic needs in order to prepare for a situation like this. Aside from those who are depressingly emaciated, there are people who look cheerful enough to finally be outside their houses. Along with the two of us, they all go about their days as if nothing happened these past few days. Melanie and I enter the store, and I watch her pick up of those small little baskets that you carry around the store.
"Whatcha got there Mel?" I ask while leaning against the large shopping carts.
"A basket. Why are you asking?" She answers with another question.
"Because we won't be able to fit everything we need in that tiny little thing," I answer with a smirk.
She looks down at the basket and seems to remember that she's not here with her parents, nor is she paying for anything. "Oh…yeah. Sorry, I forgot," She says in embarrassment.
I pull out one of the shopping carts and move it in front of us. Melanie grabs my arm when we move into the store and lowers her ears once the busy hum of monster voices resonates off the walls and into our ears.
"It's alright Mel, just let me treat you guys for once," I comfort her.
She smiles slightly, making me feel a little better that's she's more comfortable with me around. It's a little jarring for me as well since I seem to be the biggest and tallest monster in the store, and everyone looks over at me like I shouldn't be here. I mean, I know I shouldn't but I have to do this for Melanie's sake. I also remember that I'm wearing my ROR sweater, so people are probably noticing that the moment they turn their heads. Things seem to calm down after a few minutes of browsing the many things the store is stocked up with. I grab various assortments of fruits, since I know Melanie is obsessed with them, along with a couple of bread loaves and vegetables. We eventually grab other things like cereals, milk, meats, spices, snacks, and all sorts of foods that Melanie says they rarely get. I also end up convincing Melanie that they should have a few more packs of purified water ready to go in case another blizzard rolls in.
Before we pay for all we've tossed in the cart, Melanie's prediction comes to fruition when a bunch of her parent's friends come to talk to her. They all ask her about how her Scaring is going and then draws their attention towards me. I, of course, introduce myself with my usual amazing charm and they all look at me like I'm a god, which is nothing new to me so I happily oblige them. Melanie and I awkwardly talk to them for probably around 20 minutes before they leave, and then even more monsters she knows show up to ask all the same things. We eventually find our way to the register and learn that he have to pay around $200 for everything.
"I'm sorry you had to stand there doing nothing for an hour," Melanie whimpers.
"Meh, you warned me it would happen so I can't be too miffed," I reply with a shrug, "But yeah, that got a little bit unbearable near the end of that second conversation."
"Ugh, I know… It just doesn't feel right to cut people off and leave them hanging," Melanie groans.
I chuckle and start scratching her ear as the groceries are bagged and thrown into our cart. "I wouldn't want to tarnish your approachable reputation anyways. I need to keep it pristine since you'll be a ROR next month."
Melanie hugs me tightly as I take my credit card and push it into the card reader. Once the transaction is complete, I bid the cashier a good day and effortlessly push the cart out the store and into the snow. We're lucky that all the snow on the pavement has been smashed down enough for the cart to efficiently roll on it, because I would have otherwise had to make several trips across the parking lot in order to transfer the groceries. We load up the car and hop back in it for a short drive back to the house, but Melanie starts asking about the process of becoming a ROR. She asks about which room will be hers, if there's any initiation ritual, and whether or not she'll need to pay to be a member. I tell her that's she simply joining without any initiation, without the need to pay because I'll be paying the bills anyways, and that she'll take the empty room in between Javier & I.
Her worries continue all the way back to the house and until we open the door to see her parents worried faces. "There you are!" Evelyn expresses.
"Hi…" Melanie quivers.
I'm guessing she thinks that she's going to be in trouble or something. Before anyone can say anything, I place a few bags on the countertops which brings a look of curiousness to Ronan. "What's all this?" He asks.
Melanie's POV
Dad starts trying to negotiate with Johnny about paying him back, but Johnny refuses with every offer that's thrown at him. He asks me to go get the rest so that none of it is stolen or goes bad, and my Mom joins me. She throws on one of her adorable black jackets that definitely won't help keep her warm, but looks stylish enough to look like an effective jacket. "Mel, why did Mr. Worthington go grocery shopping for us?" Mom asks.
"I felt like having French Toast this morning but I knew we didn't have enough ingredients for it, so he… took me to go get everything," I respond.
We walk up to the back of the car and open the back door to reveal the mountain of paper bags that are all filled to the brim. Mom reaches in and takes one bag that's full of soups and canned vegetables. No wonder all of this was so expensive. "You need soup to make French Toast?" Mom questions while raising an eyebrow.
I groan and put my right hand onto my forehead. "I don't know, I thought we were just going to get like two or three things as well, but he ended up buying out the whole store for us."
Mom looks over all the bags and mumbles, "Such a nice boy. He didn't put too big of a dent in his bank account did he?"
"Mom... he's uber rich. Like more rich than professional athletes and musicians, I'm sure he'll be fine," I remark.
"Oooooooh, you got a rich one. Well as long as we're not causing him a headache," Mom winks.
I grab a hold of several bags and hug them as tight as I can so that I don't drop them, while also not squishing them. "I just hope we can use it all before it expires," I add.
We march back into the house and see Johnny and Dad still negotiating. "Seriously Mr. Everett, I insist," Johnny smiles.
"Ok I'll just have to accept it since you're not budging," Dad sighs.
Johnny laughs and then comes over to help me take everything out and place them where they all need to go. My parents are surprised to see the kitchen be so well stocked since they haven't seen something like that in years. Johnny keeps out all the stuff for French Toast which reminds me that I'm hungry. My stomach starts trying to devour itself when he begins helping me create a large batch of sweet and savory breads that will cause our taste buds to dance. Johnny then takes out a couple of the fruits we just bought and tops them all off, each with different fruits. We all begin inhaling them as if it was our last meal we would ever eat while sitting happily at the dining room table.
"Hey you two," Dad says interrupting our eating, "Did you have plans for the day?"
Johnny and I both shake our heads as we chew through our French Toast..
"Ok, then I'm taking you somewhere after we're done," he continues.
I swallow and start pondering as to what my Dad has in store. I can remember as a kid that he would always surprise me, and I never once guessed what it was correctly. He would always take me to restaurants, toy stores, musicals, and even symphonies. "Somewhere?" I say out of suspicion.
"Yep, somewhere. I'll give you a hint Mel, it's somewhere outside the house," Dad teases.
My Mom starts smacking my dad on the head while hysterically saying, "Don't be mean to your daughter, you know she has a hard time socializing, She doesn't feel comfortable being around people, why are you being like this when Mr. Worthington is at the table with us, how would you feel if one of us made fun of you for something you have no control over, It only takes me a minute to throw all your things all on the couch so you can sleep there for the night!" Her protectiveness and insults continue along with her onslaught of slaps, but my Dad sits there unfazed. Her slaps do almost nothing as he doesn't even flinch, and he seems like he's trying his absolute best to ignore her.
"You know I'm joking right Mel," Dad asks monotonously and with a bored look on his face.
Johnny and I laugh as my mother keeps annoying my Dad. I nod and see my Dad give Mom a loving smile even though she isn't happy with him right now. When I look at Johnny, I see his eyes are glued onto my Mom, enthralled by her constant cleverness and weak violence. "When do you think she'll calm down? I kind of want to see where your father will take us," Johnny questions after leaning over to me with a smile.
"It could go on for a while… maybe I should take her upstairs for a minute," I mumble back while standing up.
Mom turns towards me, pushes herself into the air, and puts her hands over my ears to then shove my head into her chest. "Don't listen to this very bad man Melanie! You can feel scared about leaving the house it's okay!" She cries.
"Moooom! Ow! He- don't say Dad is a bad person, he was joking!" I say trying to squirm my way out of her grip but to no avail.
"He shouldn't talk to you like you're a puppy anymore!" She whines.
I finally get her to let go and I start pushing her into my Dads lap. Her arms flail in the air, trying to keep herself from touching this 'bad man' in front of her, but I won't let her get away from a rather adorable apology that will come her way. I finally cause her to fall into his lap, letting Dad catch her as if she was some sort of damsel in distress who was saved by some sort of knight in shining armor. "He was joking Mom, you know he loves me. Now apologize to him!" I howl playfully while putting my hands on my hips.
Dad leans down and wraps his arms around her, nearly suffocating her. I can tell it's nothing to worry about though because she starts laughing hysterically. I see Johnny in the kitchen now, washing our plates with gentle strokes and shoving them into the back of the dishwasher. I perambulate over to him, hugging him as he turns around to look down at me. "I love your parents so much," he says hugging me back.
"Oh, I would've thought you found them weird," I reply.
"What?! I would never," He gasps.
"Well you looked like you had no idea what was going on because of your goody two-shoe nature. To me it seemed like you thought that that wasn't how parents are supposed to act," I explain.
"Am I really that out of touch?" Johnny asks quietly.
I shake my head, implying that I was joking as Johnny lifts me up and embraces me like a child with their stuffed animal. He presses his head against mine and starts purring with his eyes closed, making me feel an addicting amount of serotonin. With the rush of happiness flowing through my veins, I look over to see my parents doing the exact same thing before Johnny lets me go.
"Mr. Everett, I'm very curious as to where you're taking us. Shall we go now, or would you rather wait?" Johnny asks.
Dad's ears skyrocket and he rushes to his feet. Mom was lucky that he didn't suddenly forget she was sitting on him because she totally would've face-planted. "Oh! Yes yes yes! We should go before it gets too busy!" He howls.
"B-busy?" Mom asks curiously.
Dad rapidly throws on his jacket and a cute little beanie that wraps around his horns and ears. "Like I said, it's somewhere outside the house!"