by Hick » Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:42 am
Melanie
~
Melanie loosened her shoulders, letting her back and spine relax as the old man watched her pop open the door...it's rusted, coal hinges creaking and its tinted windows seeming to reflect a sharp, white gleam of sunlight...flecks of mud still crusted about its crimson handle. The back seat to the truck was quite large, the plush, soft cushions having tiny little rips and tears from use, strands of silver dog hairs and pocket lint sticking to its surface. There was this heavy, oily smell to go along with it…
~Wet dog?
~Cat pee?
...She could feel her freckled, sunburnt nose scrunch up and wrinkle in disgust, her mouth falling into a sort of scowl… Slipping her backpack from her shoulders, she slung her stuff onto the floorboard- the ugly green bag slumping down to the place her feet would soon go with a hard, hollow ‘thump’. Reaching up and gripping the door handle for balance, she heaved herself up the step, plopping her rump down onto the messy seats without further thought. Leaning back and now peering down at her uncle with more of an aerial view...she pursed her lip.
-The truck sat oddly high above the ground...her stark, vivid blue eyes assessing her new angle...the horizon now tilted slightly upwards and the top of John’s rumpled hat now slightly blocking out his facial features.
...Made him seem about a hundred times older…
“...You’re not gonna sit up front?” He blinked after a moment.
“-You’re driving, right?”
“-Yeah-”
“-Then no.”
Melanie dragged her gaze away just in time to watch her uncle slam the door shut...a cool draft of air kicking up and kissing her cheeks before settling back down again. It was hot and humid, that icky stench she’d noted earlier now clouding about her nostrils.
There was the sound of a door opening again, and soon John heaved himself up into the driver’s seat, the telltale noises of a seatbelt and a clanking pair of keys quickly following. The engine bubbled slightly beneath her as it started...its rumbling, pulsing roar radiating about the insides of the vehicle as it boomed to life...sputtering and gagging… -An out of range radio station was gurgling within the speakers, some staticky song struggling to come out, the pitch and tune that of a squealy guitar string...the sound of a bass trying to bleed through...
“-It’s out in the country- Trust me, you’ll like it,”
John was suggesting with a lopsided grin- the square of his wide, dimpled mouth reflecting onto the mirror with crystal clarity. Melanie sat directly behind him, his chair and tall, bulky shoulders sitting in the way of her vision and blocking most of her view. Steering her eyes back towards her own window, she leaned against the base of the door...a tired, exasperated breath whistling past her lips.
“...I hope.”
“-I got plenty of dogs, too- and chickens. I just a bought a new hen house- so all those foxes can stay out. ‘Pretty cheap, too.”
“...Yeah?”
“-Mm hm. New set of barbed wire to fence around it and all new walls. ‘Lay about three eggs every morning.”
“...That’s not a lot.”
...The dialogue fell quiet once again, leaving merely a broken radio station in the background.
_______________
“-Just put these here boxes out front, Mel,” John called from downstairs, his voice seeping through the walls and past her earphones- a muffled voice that didn’t belong in the middle of her song, and certainly didn’t fit into the chorus. Sighing, Melanie gingerly tore her headphones out of her ears, settling them onto the carpet floor beside her (where she most likely wouldn’t find them again) and standing up.
“-What?”
“-These boxes. Put them outside,” He repeated, his voice becoming gruff and strained as he lifted up something heavy- the telltale sound of a table grinding against the kitchen floor following directly after. She walked over to the start of the staircase, balancing a hand onto the beginning of the rails and peering down at the man. From this angle; he was only a shiny, glossy and bald forehead with plaid shoulders- his attire the epitome of country. Narrowing her eyes, Melanie watched him.
“...Why? What for?”
She asked, the inquiry making his head turn, first to the end of the staircase, and then upwards; where his searching eyes finally flickered up to meet her blue ones. He had released the table from his gruff hands, it now sitting crookedly in the center of the living room...probably on its long trek to the dining room...
“You need to put up all your stuff; which includes these dolls,” he gestured over to the two duct taped boxes by the door- their cardboard sides falling apart from age and precipitation. “You said you didn’t want them, so take em out for the trash pick up,” he reckoned, shaking his head before starting to move the table again...it's pegs screeching across the tile. She could just barely hear him mutter, “This house doesn’t need any more clutter,” haughtily beneath his breath- and then he and his table were slowly disappearing below the staircase, out of her peripheral.
Letting out an annoyed scoff, Melanie finally hopped down a step, making her way down the staircase and plopping herself down onto the first floor. Gathering up one of the boxes, she shifted the thing onto the grip of her arms, holding it against her chest and then stacking the smaller one on top. Neither of them were really heavy- infact, they were rather easy to lift- ….the only issue being the fact that they were tall, stocky, and hardly balanced well. The top box was successfully blocking the right side of her vision, and as she straightened and stood up- it slid, creeping over to her left and daring to tip over the edge. Frowning, Melanie adjusted the boxes once again before stretching out a hand to open up the front door...straining...leaning this way and that...and then-
The rusted handle turned, the door finally budging and swinging wide open, brilliant, beautiful white light flooding in and revealing the outside world.
...John’s version of a front yard was a long, open field with scattered oaks, the grass and flourishing weeds heavily overgrown and tiny roots trespassing onto the gravel sidewalk. His driveway wove in and out of low, swaying branches and scattered piles of brush...tangled ivy crawling up the steps of his porch. The sun was already quite high in the horizon, brightening up the neon sky and sending shards of yellow onto the trunks of towering pines and splashing rays across the plush canopy...dappling the earthy ground with plenty of shadows…
Sighing, she stepped out into the light, letting the summer air sweep over her as she steadily made her way over to the driveway. She had to step gingerly over the sleeves of grass, their prickly edges wrapping themselves around her blue jeans and hooking themselves onto the straps of her sandals...before she flattened them, of course...creating a trail of frustrated footprints.
-There was a rustling noise behind her, the sound of paws bounding across the field followed by an excited yip at her feet now coming to her attention. Straining her neck and glancing over the cardboard boxes, Melanie could just barely make out the hyper face of Astrid...lolling tongue and everything…
“...What?” She grumbled, her voice smothered by the cardboard. Her exasperation was followed by a lovely, “Woof!”, the noise of a truck moseying up the road in the background.
When it only got louder, Melanie peered at the incoming vehicle through the corner of her peripheral...watching the glint of metal move through the wall of trees. Stepping up to the broken mailbox and tin garbage cans, she dumped the boxes down...the girly dolls that were in them making a ‘clinking’ noise as they clattered against each other. Once again peering up the road, Melanie eyed what now appeared to be a large, white van...a black grill nailed to its front. As it rolled down the hill and continued to get closer, she could begin to make out several other telltale details, including dark spots of mud splattered onto its wheels and a smeared business logo on its passenger side door. The windows were eerily tinted, opaque and___ almost impossible to see whoever was the driver.
As it drew to a slow halt in front of John’s driveway, Melanie took a hesitant step back...looking over the trashy vehicle with little more than a scowl. The window was scrolling down, the sound of an engine popping into park following directly after.
Peering at the gap that was slowly becoming wider with each second, she curiousy watched what now looked like the start of murky brown, almost black hair...then boyish, unruly bangs that slashed to the other side of the forehead...chased by smirking, dark eyes...and...a-and... Just like that- her curiosity died.
“Huh, and I thought you’d be sleeping in til ten,” he grinned, the guy leaning over the van’s window with one arm lazily hanging out.
“Go back to the hospital, Daniel,” she muttered coldly, simply turning back around and heading to the house, not even bothering to linger.
“-Hey, hey, wait a moment-”
Then there was the sound of a car door being swung open, followed up by the landing of a guy who’d just hurriedly hopped out of a jacked up vehicle. “-I just drove all the way over here, surely-”
“-You only live two houses away-”
“...Did you remember that?”
“-No, John told me.”
“-Oh...huh… -Y’know what, nevermind. I thought I’d stop by and,” he continued, hurriedly catching up to her. As he rounded the corner of her peripheral, Melanie reverted her gaze, stubbornly staring up ahead at the bobbing horizon...the rustic front door of the house being her main focus. “-See how you were faring. Aren’t you starting up school next week?”
“-What, are you in my school life too, now?” She shook her head roughly, her expression tight as they got close to the front porch.
“-That’s not what I meant-”
“-Of course not,” she huffed, stepping up those two lone, stone steps.
“-I’m just trying to be nice-”
“-Stop trying,” Melanie snapped, abruptly cutting him off without even considering whatever he was attempting to say...his input meaningless. As he started to make a small “W” sound, she once again interrupted him...sending his voice straight back up his throat. “If you really wanted to help me, you’d stop popping up everywhere and forcing me to ‘remember’ you,” she had spun around- meeting his eyes for the first time and mocking the word with air quotation marks. The guy was frowning, his narrowed gaze switching over to her childish hands before returning to her face, as if to say: “You’ve got to be joking.”
Reaching behind her and finding the rusted handle, she yanked the screen door open. “See- Amnesia. Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to go live my life,” she disappeared inside, slamming the thing bitterly after her. Despite a whole wall now separating them, she could still, somehow, someway, hear his muffled reply. There was even an earnest, last resort knock on the door to follow it up.
“...Can I come in?”
She couldn’t help but stomp her foot- trying to do just about anything that would exhibit her frustration. Can you believe this?? Exasperatingly, Melanie finally just crumbled her hands into fists..tightening her knuckles and crushing her nails into her palms...channeling her anger into a helpless “Ugh!”-“No!!”
“...Who’s outside, Mel?”
John was asking quietly in the background, which seemed to only make the situation worse. Ignoring everyone at the moment, Melanie loudly stormed back up the stairs- her feet heavy on each step as she climbed up to her bedroom. The sound was actually quite efficient in silencing the guys downstairs; and after she’d slammed her bedroom door closed after her- ...the household was quiet. Fairly, oddly quiet.
~Why won’t he just leave you alone??
~I mean, bringing this whole mess to your very house??
~Or, John’s, really… This isn’t ‘your’ house…
She huffed, her face a scowl as she turned, flopping down onto her bed and letting herself fall onto the mound of blankets...the air beneath the quilts kicking up and forming a small, chaotic mushroom cloud...before it dissipated, of course, settling back on top of her makeshift pyramid. The mattress was kinda a conjunction of fish pillows and old stuffed animals...her head buried into the crook of some elephant’s arm and the button eye of a dog staring at her from under a smushed tiger. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable position, but with her current anger, she honestly hadn’t noticed.
~Jerk…
“...Did you remember that?”
“Is this-” “T-This right here, true?”
“Yes.”
~Imbecile.
“...Exactly how much, do you remember?”
“-If only you could see yourself right now, through my eyes-”
She smashed her head farther into the pillows, enough to where there was the taste of fur in her mouth. Sputtering some toy’s tail out of her teeth, she raised her head, simultaneously sucking in a ragged breath. The way she was going through all of this alone- the way no one came up to knock at her door and see what was going on-
“I want her to b-be Melanie again…my Melanie…”
~How dare you~
-The way her bedside lamp just sat there, when it deserved to be smashed on some wall-
“Stop making yourself cry, Ms. Whals.”
~You’re crying??
~Who do you think you even are??
-The way it deserved to be shattered in pieces on the floor, so that she could cut herself open and bleed-
“-What do you want from me?”
...The way that lamp’s light bulb seemed to have a fading glow about its glass, as if it had just recently been turned on… The thing’s reflection almost clouding its golden, burning filament…
“I’m only trying-”
“-No!!”
~Stop it! Stop it now!! Stop all of this!!
...
“-I’m only-”
~SHUT UP!!
-Her eyes instantly snapped open as those two words were thrown out into the center of the room- her mental voice now replaced with a voice that was very, very, real. There was an inkling of embarrassment itching up her neck- suddenly worried that she may have just screamed something aloud...her vision doing its best to see past the blur of surfacing tears. The sound of her voice was now just an echo...fading into a cackling buzz that seemed to suffocate the air around her, filling the space in her ears and giving spurts of strange noises… Sniffling and quickly reaching up to wipe the back of her hand across her wet, warm face, Melanie blinked at her room. The sound didn’t seem like it was coming from her anymore, actually...instead, it was radiating from somewhere to her right...from somewhere...somewhere…
Sliding those watery eyes over to her bedside lamp, she froze...her trembling lips finding a way to fall into a dumbfounded, dumbstruck frown, her brows twitching in bewilderment. For that quiet, thoughtless moment- she just layed there, staring. The lamp’s light bulb had flashed on- now a brilliant, blinding florescent yellow… Which was completely ordinary, of course...except for the fact that:
It wasn’t even plugged in.
The cord was limp on her carpet floor, both outlets left open for her to either charge her phone or her computer...the lamp having no connection or battery.
The thing was randomly flickering on and off.
It came to life with a gruntled buzz, and then it spittled a dying hiss as it flicked off. That half of the room would be illuminated by a warm light- and then that half of the room would be dark again, the shadows returning to their original spots. It did this randomly for quite a while; flashing on, off, on, off.
~...And then on again, and back to off…
As she stared at the scene, her thoughts seem to label just what state the lightbulb was in- whether it was a glowing halo, or a see-through piece of glass.
~On, off, on, off, on, off...on...on...off, on…
~On…
Her thoughts repeated, hurrying themselves to catch up with the fast pace of the light...though this time, it seemed to feel almost...simultaneous. That hum was still there, thickening like a bomb… Frowning, she did her best to breath- as if there was this constricting rope around her chest and tying her to the lamp...drawing her in closer… Melanie blinked, her gaze falling to her shirt just to make sure there wasn’t an ‘actual’ rope bound to her; before she finally dared to move...leaning forward ever so slightly.
Just moving the subtlest of bits closer seemed to increase the tension; her eyes yanking themselves back up to that simmering light...
~Off.
-And that light died. That tension died. She paused, waiting to see if anything else would happen...if it would change, if it would burst back to life again or just continue to buzz in her ears like a pest… Swallowing that lump in the back of her throat, she slid her eyes across the room. Nothing was different- downstairs just as eerily silent as it was before. Slowly focusing back onto the lamp, she steadied herself.
~...On?
-And it was like a command. Like a code being typed into a computer. -Automatically that side of the room was illuminated by its pale yellow light, her eyes reverting themselves slightly to avoid being blinded by the sudden flash.
~...Okaaay...
~You saw that, didn’t you?
~What? The eerie lamp? ...What about it?
~What about it??!
…
~Alright, so it’s kinda weird...that’s nothing to-
~You’re controlling a lamp, I’d think that’s more than ‘kinda’ weird, don’t you?
…
She bit the insides of her cheek, not exactly sure as she returned her eyes to the burning light.
~I’m sure it’s just a coincidenc--
~Really? Off.
...And, despite what she wanted to believe, despite all sense of reality and all sense of fiction...despite her inner conscience...Melanie was blinking down at a regular, glass lightbulb...a lightbulb whose searing filament had flickered off the moment that word entered her mind. The buzzing in her ears was growing louder, crackling and spitting...like the wail of a steaming coffee pot…
~Welp…
~On.
On.
~Off.
Off.
“-Please stop talking to yourself,”
She muttered after a moment, shaking her head and finally just getting off the bed. She didn’t care if she just severed whatever sort of connection she’d found...and as she turned her head away and rose from the mattress, she could feel the tension release its grip on her. For a long while, Melanie paused...hesitating by the door and now simply standing in the middle of the bedroom.
~...Are you sure?
~Sure about what? Leaving?
…
~Or…
She cautiously rotated her head, inhaling sharply as she peered back over her shoulder...that lamp still idly sitting there...
~On?
For a moment, there was nothing...that old lightbulb taking its time before finally flickering on...casting yellow shadows across her tennis shoes. The tension and pull that had come with being close was now gone...but she could still hear that chaotic buzzing in her ears...that tinnitus ring….
Biting her lip, she took yet another step back.
~Off?
...And it worked. -Another step back-
~On?
Still works. -Another-
~Off? On? Off, on, off, on, off...on…
She found herself steadily moving backwards, her eyes pinned on the small lamp...the light simmering beneath it’s red and yellow plaid cover. She’d left the door open...taking careful steps out into the hall and finding her back pressed against the staircase rail- where she stayed, staring in bewilderment at the magic. -At the impossible.
~I bet you five bucks out of your allowance that you’re dreaming~
…
~...Dreaming, huh?
____________
...She gasped, sucking in a giant gulp of air and clawing at her chest- her eyes flying open. Heaving herself up and propping herself on her elbows, she desperately tried to breath...her mouth gaping open and her lungs seeming to painfully collapse against her ribs… A droplet of sweat hung over one of her blonde eyelashes...her hair plastered against the side of her cheek and sticking to her neck in rotten tangles…
~Yep~
~Dreaming…
She had woken up face down on her bed, her hands wrapped around a plush, stuffed animal and the blankets half pulled over her feet, half kicked off the mattress and piled up in a heap on the floor. Forcing her body to stop shaking, she slowly sat up...wiping her arm across her mouth and blinking drearily across the room. It was dark, the murky shadows stretching across the carpet and playing on the window sill...the sky dim and grey.
~A weird one, at that~
Doing her best to get rid of the icky taste of sleep at the back of her throat, she finally got up. Making her way down stairs, she listened for any sounds from John...a footstep, an open fridge, anything… Finally deciding that he must be in another room, Melanie nodded, carefully tip toeing into the kitchen and peering over at the counter. It was cluttered with a behemoth amount of filthy dishes...cups with stale milk still left in it, plates smeared with spaghetti sauce, silverware with crumbs of some strange white stuff… Finding a small smile of amusement on her lips, she shook her head, moving back towards the living room and-
“Well, it’s nice to see that you’re okay.... -That poor boy ran off right after you disappeared,” a casual, older voice came from behind, startling her and causing her to yank her gaze away from the kitchen- now looking at the center of the dining room and the man lounging back in one of its antique chairs. Her uncle was stirring something boredly- and as she slid her gaze down, she reckoned it was some sort of batter for biscuits. Despite the fact that she’d lost all sense in time, by piecing together the warm, heavenly smell in the air and the beeping microwave- she could easily assume it was around seven-ish. Raising a brow, she peered over at the man as he stood up...haughtily adjusting his belt and then moseying past her.
“-He’s no ‘poor boy’, John. I’d say he afforded that van of his without trouble,” she muttered coldly.
“...You know what I meant. Come on, help me with dinner.”
Inhaling sharply and shaking her head with exasperation, she doggedly followed him back into the kitchen. As she passed by the overhanging light...she couldn’t help but pause...lingering there and slowly tilting her head up to look at it… To look at it’s blinding, white center and its fiery filament...like a pale, yellow flame…
~It’s just a light on the ceiling, you see about a hundred of them everyday~
…
~...Do you think-
~Is it possible?
“-Here, start with the dishes, I need them cleaned,” John called over to her, pulling her away from her thoughts before she could do anything else. Narrowing her eyes with a tinge of annoyance, Melanie sighed...moving in beside him and fishing her hand inside the sink- her fingers finding a gross plate beneath all the warm, bubbly water. Fumbling with a messy sponge, she held her breath.
“-Whatever you say-” she muttered, seeming to instinctively lean away from the sink and its foul contaminants, making sure that her curtain of blonde hair wouldn’t come anywhere near the mess.
~It was just a dream, kiddo~
~A silly dream about wacko super powers~
~You can’t deny that’s a side effect of some sort~
~Now forget about it and focus on the task at hand~
…
~...But it felt so real…
~What if…
~If…
-As she scrubbed relentlessly at the plate...she couldn’t help but sneak a quick glance over her shoulder; her blue eyes sliding up to find the kitchen light. It appeared completely normal...though some part of her was suspicious. Dubious.
~If I were to just-
-She dipped the plate back into the water, rinsing it off distractedly-
~If I were to just think o-
-She set it down carefully on the drying rack-
~Think off~
…
Her eyes blinked, the reflection of the light flickering off in her gaze as she padded her hands down on a towel...the air practically leaving her chest at the revelation. It’s light had literally died...everything normal now falling apart once again. Almost choking on her own saliva, she hurriedly racked through her thoughts-
~On, please~
-being her automatic safety. Without even a hesitation the bulb flashed back to its original state, its iron filament buzzing with a lively annoyance...as if it was trying to personify itself by grumbling a ‘make up your mind’ and ‘seriously, stop messing with me’... The light had flickered off and on so fast that John must’ve mistaken it for just a mere issue of battery...the guy continuing to obliviously bustle about the kitchen… Not grasping the fact that that light was obeying her every command… Not understanding that this wasn’t real, that this wasn’t right…
Oblivious to her bewildered, horrified expression… Oblivious to the fact that she was going crazy…
~This is no dream, Melanie~
___________________
-She made her way down the hallway...her eyes skimming curiously over the area of rusty red lockers and classroom doors… The sound of obnoxious kids radiating through the walls in bursts of excitement, teachers madly raising their voices and reprimanding what troublemakers they could…
“-Hey, you there, sit down!”
“-Why are you holding a conversation during my lesson?!”
“-Why are you holding a lesson during my conversation, teach?”
“-You’re gonna need a bathroom pass for that, son-”
“-Now who know’s the answer to- Ronald, no, that’s not even close-”
“-Fine, let’s see how you are when you talk to the principal-”
She bit her lip, ducking her head uneasily as they passed by all the ruckus...finally coming to the end of the hall. She could feel the florescent lights above her buzzing with greeting...their yellow, husky glow illuminating the school.
~Please don’t do anything stupid, Mel~
Ignoring that nervous tug, she tuned out all of her thoughts...now just sliding her eyes expectantly back at the counselor and his clanking ring of keys. The man was giving her a reassuring look...his gaze lingering over her as they hesitated by the door.
“...Are you sure about this?” He inquired after a moment, using that nonchalant, neutral voice of his…apathetic as usual. Turning her face towards the window that looked inside of the classroom, she bit her lip. Their reflection was just a glimmer across the translucent surface...the silhouette of a broad man and a younger, slim female with a messy mop of hair...only a shadow… -Bright white light pooled in through the glass, revealing the numerous heads of other teens and other snorting, giggling faces…
Easing the tension off her chest, she let a wistful breath flutter past her lips.
“...Mm hm,” she murmured, not trusting herself to say anything else; even if a mere ‘mm-hm’ sounded pretty unintelligent. Straightening up and rolling back her shoulders, she watched as Mr. Ferrow turned that flimsy metal handle...allowing that heavy door to finally be pushed open. Almost immediately the roaring laughter shushed into discrete whispers...and then just pure silence. Pure, awkward silence…
~Welp…
Feeling her chest constrict against the pressure of her thundering heart- she cautiously took a step into the classroom, folding her hands together with unease. Soon there was the click of the door shutting behind her...Mr. Ferrow abandoning the confrontation and disappearing down the hall. Watching him go through that little glass window...she slowly turned back to the array of desks and staring students…gaping mouths and twiddling pencils... The gazes seemed to bore into her, like a gun aimed at the center of her forehead...the loaded bullets a mixture of curiosity, silent questions, buff annoyance, and little to no care… The scene was uncomfortable...the air around them seeming to still...as if the rotation of the earth had paused just for the mere satisfaction of her embarrassment.
Swallowing that lump in the back of her throat, she began to say som--
“-Ms. Whals, it’s nice of you to join us.”
-And she bluntly shut her mouth again. Peering over at the front desk, she blinked curiously at two very large tennis shoes, the older man propping his feet up as he lounged back into his cushioned rolly chair. Flecks of unshaved hair spiked his double chin, a dusty chalkboard scribbled with historical dates behind him and a propped up name tag in front...spelling out ‘M.R. B.U.R.N.S’. Sliding her eyes back down to the discombobulated and miscellaneous mess of poorly stacked papers...she nodded.
~Yep, this is definitely a school~
~Welcome to the jail-like life of every unhappy kid in the nation~
“-Melanie! Sit over here-”
-Pulling herself away from her thoughts as a peppy, girlish voice from the back of the classroom excitedly called out her name, she glanced up.
~...Or...maybe not~
________________
“-Really? That sounds awesome- Ha, I wish I could’ve played-”
“-Are you kidding? You’re totally built for it. -And something tells me that if I took you out to play volleyball just for one afternoon, you’d be a pro,” Quinn giggled as she handled her tray with one hand, the other tucking a long, thick strand of ebony hair behind her ear...revealing the rosy cheek it had been concealing. Gripping her own lunch tray, Melanie doggedly followed after her...the two weaving in and out of all the noisy tables and finding an empty one at the far back of the cafeteria. The room was giant...its walls built from white stained cinderblocks and enormous, blue swinging doors… Smirking lightly beneath her breath, she gingerly set down her tray; plopping herself down onto the seat and fumbling with the plastic silverware. Quinn had situated herself in front of her, already digging into the mushy food and playing with the lasagna...poking at the square of bread with the tip of her fork.
“-I don’t know, isn’t it basketball season already?”
“...Actually, its track- but hey, you’ll be good at that too. I like to stick to the hurdles- but you seem like more of a flat runner to me.”
~I ‘seem’ like- or I ‘am’?
-She thought distractedly, some half of her automatically making the connection between these puzzle pieces and hints and clues… After all, Quinn already knew all of this.
“-Yeah, you’ll be fantastic at those 100 and 200 meter sprints-”
-She was rambling on...though the peppy words merely fell on deaf ears. Reverting her attention to two boys who had walked up to the table, she narrowed her eyes...her mouth falling into dubious nonchalance as they settled their trays down beside Quinn’s… Furrowing her brows as her friend turned to them in excitement, she slowly forced herself to nod.
“-Oooh! Melanie, this is Alex- and this is Rodney,” she was gesturing to the taller, broader one with sunburned freckles and mangly red hair as she said ‘Alex’- Rodney being the shorter, scrawnier one left over. The two offered her goofy, good-hearted smiles...the warm nature causing her to lift up a hand in a small ‘hello’. Swiveling her eyes back up to the shadows behind them, she tilted her head. Another girl was situating her tray down beside Alex, her hair a spongy curl of dyed, neon green...gothic like tattoos swirling about her left arm...her visibly bruised knuckles taped up... Blinking, she cautiously glanced back at Quinn. “-Yep, and this is our moss-headed friend, Jenna- oh, and you can’t forget Amber and Sid-”
~Too late~
~Problematic amnesia, anyone?
“-There’s Nikki, and-”
“-Hi!”
“-That’s Payton; you’re going to want to go to him for homework, trust me, he’s a life savor-”
“-Did that girl just call me moss-headed?”
~Let’s see, braces, tattoos, red-heads, possible football jocks, most likely cheerleaders, casuals…
~What cliche is this, exactly?
She shrugged, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin up in her hands...her stark blue gaze skimming across the once empty table…it’s vacant space now invaded by chattering, obnoxious teens...the personalities having an interesting clash together. The cafeteria was beginning to drown Quinn out, giddy conversations starting up and loud voices climbing on over top each other. Craning her head over her shoulder...she skeptically scanned the rest of the high schoolers...noting the fact that despite her table being the smallest two moments ago...compared to the others and their tiny group of threes and fours; her’s was now the most crowded. Her expression morphing into that of bewilderment, Melanie leaned forward, cupping her hand over her mouth and whispering a discrete-
“-How popular are you, Quinn?” -her friend lending her a vixen-like smile before she dipped her head...pulling away all that black hair.
“-I think you should be asking yourself: how popular are you?”
~Okaaay…
…
~Welp, when Mr. Ferrow said that everyone would know you- he wasn’t kidding~
Leaning back into her seat...she let her gaze fall back down to her tray- staring at the makeshift of pig slop and cheese-slimed broccoli… Another plate clinked itself down beside her- this one taking the empty seat to her left- though, Quinn didn’t exactly do the honors of introducing him. Pulling her eyes away from the seemingly poisonous food- she glanced over at those rather muscular shoulders and the sleeve of a boy band t-shirt…
~No need to say this guy’s name~
~Umf, great...just great~
Sighing with exasperation, she shoved her face into her hands...fumbling with that plastic spoon uselessly.
“-And that’s Daniel-”
-Someone piped up anyway, despite the threatening cloud that seemed to cast itself over them and the change of air. Peeking out from between her fingers, she sent a rough glare at ‘Nikki’; the one with her backpack still slung plainly over her shoulders. The girl looked like she was the more clueless of the group- her eyelashes thick with mascara and her lips a glossy red as the formed the words, “What? Did I say something wrong?”
Huffing, Melanie abruptly got up, shaking her head and picking up her tray.
“-I’m out of here,” she said tersely...and then she left. Gone.
_____________
Melanie was sitting on the edge of her seat, crossing her legs in a sense of fashion and leaning against the metal rail of the desk. The classroom was overall quiet: the substitute a young brunette woman with nerd-ish glasses...her hair pulled tautly back into a spongy ponytail. Head buried into a paperback book; she wasn’t exactly the most skilled in paying attention...the students boredly lounging around and holding silent conversations with each other.
~Eighth period~
~...Just five more minutes before school is let out…
...
~Ya know, you haven’t had a power issu--
~Stop. No. Don’t even think about it~
Quickly shutting down her conscience, she sucked in a sharp breath. Her clammy hands were wrapped around a poorly sharpened pencil...her thumb poised as she guided the led in soft, delicate strokes across a spare piece of notebook paper. The greys and dark silvers etched finely against the blank spaces...shading in this strange, bold combination of lines and scribbles...using that eraser to chop at the highlights and create different, 3-D dimensions… Pursing her lip, Melanie quickly brushed away the heap of hair that had fallen on top of her drawing. She was just about ready to stuff it back into her backpack and--
“...Whatcha drawing?”
...Slowly, cautiously, she dragged her eyes away from her paper...sliding them up to the face of some guy leaning over her shoulder. The first thing that caught her attention would be his gruff, jock-like hands...those callused fingers with a grip designed just for catching hurled footballs… One arm was resting on the back of her chair- his crisp, perfectly blue eyes drawn to the center of her ‘art’ and his chiseled, stubbled jaw set into a goofy, boyish grin… With the florescent lights glowing above them; his frayed, curly blonde hair was like a golden halo..heavenly rays splitting past his chopped bangs and a blue shadow cast across his features… High, arched cheekbones and a dimpled smile… A finely shaved chin and thoughtful, nearly white eyebrows… He was wearing a chalky blue button-up, his shirt loosened just enough for her to make out the base of his tanned collar bones... Finally forcing herself to blink, Melanie awkwardly cleared her throat.
…
~Okaaaaay…
…
~Blonde, tall, and hella cute~
~Got it~
...This has to be the guy Quinn’s been crushing on…
…
~You mean the head quarterback?
~Liam?
...She couldn’t stop her gaze from drawing down him; staring at those broad shoulders and narrow hips… He looked like he was built like an ox; the power and height enough to stun just about any damsel… Her stare was like a droplet of water dripping down a fogged glass. After a moment of watching his eyes blink with entertained amusement- Melanie managed to at least stop her prying.
“-Um, I’m not sure…”
She breathed, her hoarse and feeble voice barely making it past her throat. Tearing her gaze sharply away from him... she skeptically analyzed her drawing… It wasn’t even a picture, really, the makeshift art just a mere blob of blacks and smudgy greys. There wasn’t a face or a square or a piece of pizza….just….nothing. After a solid moment she practically forgot Liam was behind her...her eyes narrowing as she tested out flipping it upside down...her thumb and index fingers spinning it until it snapped in place. Now that stark crevice and match of colors looked as though it may have an actual direction, spiraling to the left and then shooting to the bottom. It appeared to actually have meaning when it was like this- as if there was some form of design-
...It was a lightning bolt now.
Not a crevice or a line, but a lightning bolt.
“...I don’t know.”
-She repeated...blinking.
______________
She slammed her face against her hands...burying it into her palms helplessly...uselessly… The tension was all around her- the air crackling wildly and her hair standing up on its ends… It was as if the whole world was collapsing in on her- suffocating and crushing her like she was just a thin piece of crumpled foil… Her veins were on fire- her very mind frying as she dug her fingers into her skull… Screaming, she staggered to her knees- falling to the soil with a crash-
The earth was like a heavy conductor- the trees wailing on the top of their lungs and the wind crying in pain- The sun boiling her skin as everything pulled in on her-
“-Melanie- Stop- Just stop!!”
-His voice tried to cut through all the noise- her ears bleeding from the high pitch- the chaotic sirens-
“-Listen to me!!”
-She was crumpling beneath the very force...gravity punching itself down on her lungs as she grappled for an outlet...the energy firing itself to no avail...bouncing sharply back through her fingers and mercilessly eating her alive… She couldn’t breath- black dots blotting out her vision- convulsing- shuddering-
Clenching her jaw, she made out a warbly, “I can’t,” before gasping- sucking in giant gulps of air that only died in her chest- tears brimming at her panicked eyes- the world a corrupted, trembling blur- “I can’t-”
“-Melanie, snap out of it!!”
-Shocks sang through every nerve- wracking against her lungs and crushed rib cage- her heart in a havic-
~I can’t breath~
-Suddenly there were hands on her- yanking her up and forcing her head to stop falling like a rag-doll- a gruff thumb tilting up her tear-stained chin-
-And then-
-Then-
...
...Then all the pain faded away...that tension ebbing faintly in her chest before it succumbed into nothing... She could feel her body relax...her shaking hands falling slowly to her lap… Everything was numb; everything...except for her feverish lips. Those- those were wide awake.
~What?
She could feel Daniel’s mouth locked onto hers, all that pounding energy from earlier finally finding its outlet… Some part of her wanted to stiffen and pull away- but the exhaustion only made her melt against him...molding against the taste of searing hot familiarity and sweet, unexpected ecstasy…the raw taste of longing... It was so soft and harmless, yet still paralyzingly bitter...cruelly grabbing her attention and ripping it away from whatever thing she’d been yelling over… -As if he was greedily taking all her sense of reason, all of her anxiety… She couldn’t move- she wouldn’t dare move...wanting to give in to the touch of his callused fingers as he brushed a stray hair back…
Feeling his mouth drag over her bottom lip, she finally allowed her eyes to drearily blink open...watching him past the drugged veil of blonde eyelashes… He was carefully pulling away, the hand that had been cupping the side of her cheek now gone- Daniel silently, awkwardly, sitting back.
“Sorry...but you were having an anxiety attack,” he murmured, clearing his throat as he made the excuse...his voice tiny and weak. For a moment she didn’t move- her eyes just falling doggedly back to his lips...dumbstruck; dumbfounded...
…
~Did he just…
…
~Yeah, he really did~
~He really did kiss you~
…
~Wow.
Blinking, Melanie slid her wide eyes back up to meet his shying ones- her expression bewildered as she finally forced one of her hands to tentatively reach up...feeling her parted mouth just to make sure it was real… Her mind was still buzzing with astonishment, her head dizzily reeling…
“-How did you do that?” She whispered after a considerable amount of time; the two just sitting there uncomfortably, their hands limp in their laps. All the chaos from earlier had disappeared...revealing a valley scattered with young pine trees; the wind nonexistent and the dead leaves blanketing the floor beneath them...the sun bleeding through the golden canopy and dappling their hair. A squirrel was calmly scurrying about a few meters away, its bushy tail bobbing this way and that as it scratched at something on the ground. Birds sung from up above, chirping innocently and bellowing out calls to each other...ruffling up their feathers somewhere in the maze of tangled branches…
Daniel was watching her as he finally got up, dusting off his denim jeans and flicking off a yellowed leaf. Lending her a gentle smirk, he shrugged.
“...I waited.”
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