Life Of Melanie (Completed)

I awoke to the sound of my telephone ringing. Feeling a little dazed, and still half asleep I fumbled around my desk for the receiver.
“Hello,” I answered groggily.
“Melanie, I didn’t wake you did I?” Lucas asked.
Smiling to myself I answered, “You did, but its okay.”
“I’m sorry…… I will let you get back to sleep, I just wanted to know if you still wanted to go out tonight,” he asked in a small hopeful voice.
Giggling a little I replied, “For sure, movies right.”
“Yea, how bout I pick you up around seven,” he asked sounding a little excited.
“Sounds great, see you then,” I said feeling my cheeks turning red.
“Cool, go back to sleep, see you soon……later.”
“Later.”


Laying back on my bed I stretched and yawned. I looked over at the clock on my night stand that read, 8:16 am. Laughing out loud, I rolled out of bed and slowly looked around my room. ‘He called me at eight o’clock in the morning,’ I said to myself. ‘He thinks about me first thing in the morning.’ Unable to control my emotions, I hopped up on my bed and started jumping for joy. It all seemed surreal. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean, I hadn’t planned any of this, yet this is just how it would happen if I had. It was perfect, therefore something had to be wrong……right? I really didn’t want an answer to that question, I just wanted to go with the flow. So far, so good. I wasn’t going to do anything to screw this up. This is what I have wanted since forever, and now it was all happening. I couldn’t get over how happy I was, I just hoped it would last.

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The day seemed to stretch out forever. The seconds like minutes and the minutes like hours. I had gone through every article of clothing I owned, trying to decide what to wear. My room looked like my closet had vomited. Clothes, shoes, belts anything you could think of was scattered about the floor. With my music blaring and me modeling the latest outfit, I didn’t hear when Clarissa entered my room. When she tapped on my shoulder, I nearly shit a brick.
“Holy crap, Clarissa you scared the shit out of me,” I said when I turned around and saw the amused look on her face. “Whats so funny?”
“You do realize that the back of that skirt you are wearing is tucked inside your panties, don’t you?” She asked as seriously as she could.
Glancing back at my behind, I let out a chuckle and replied, “Yea, it’s the new style, what do you think?”
“I think it may be a little drafty, wouldn’t wanna catch a cold would you?” She joked.
“Good point,” I said as I fixed the skirt. I turned to face her in the outfit I was currently wearing and asked, “So, what do you think?”
“Depends, where are you going, or should I ask with whom you are going?”
“I have a date,” I said turning back to the mirror and giving my self another look.
“With Lucas, I presume,” she stated.
“Yea, we are going to the movies, does this seem a little much,” I asked pointing to the blue jean mini skirt, and the green knit top I was wearing, “I should go with jeans huh.”
“Well,” Clarissa thought for a second, “I would go with jeans, but the shirt is really cute.”
“Thanks,” I said taking it off and putting it on a hanger. “So what are you up too, I tried to call earlier, but didn’t get an answer?”
“We have been shopping for school clothes……twas agony.” Clarissa said with a sigh. “I mean, you can only have so many long skirts…” With that we both laughed. Taking off the mini skirt I was wearing, and throwing it at her, I said “Here, try this.”
Holding up the skirt, between her thumb and forefinger, like it was an alien life form she said, “Um…. I don’t think so…..I’d feel stupid.”
“Come on,” I urged, “no one is here to see you, just try it on, it won’t hurt you, I swear. Oh, and here,” I added handed her a shirt off the floor, “this too.”
Contemplating it for a minute she said, “Okay, but only for a minute…..I don’t want to look like and idiot for too long.”

While she was in the bathroom changing I tried to straighten up my pig sty. Basically I just threw stuff in different spots, making bigger piles. I never said I wasn’t a slob. When I heard the knob turn on my bathroom door, I turned to look at Clarissa. She was hiding herself behind the door, only her head was visible. “I feel naked,” she said honestly
“Get your butt out here, so I can see how cute you look,” I beckoned her.
Slowly the door screeched open and Clarissa emerged, at the sight of her my mouth fell open, “WOW….Clarissa… you look…..um…..hot.”
“Stop it,” she said feeling uncomfortable in her own skin.
“Seriously, come here,” I said grabbing her hand and practically dragging her to the full length mirror near my closet. “Look at yourself.”

She was hot. I never knew she had a body like that hiding under all that fabric. Her olive skin looked great in the bright pink top she was wearing. The mini skirt showed off her long golden legs. She was a natural beauty….. I could tell she was blushing, the pink tinge in her cheeks almost matched the shirt she was wearing.
“One more thing,” I added as I stepped up behind her and removed the bobby pin that was holding her usual bun in place. Her long black curls fell around her shoulders and down her back. The person standing in front of me did not look like my best friend. She looked like a stranger. A very uncomfortable stranger.
“Hey loosen up, you look great, and its just for fun, no one can see you but me.” I tried to calm her nerves.
“No, I like it, I really do, I feel strange, but excited, you know.” She asked shyly.
“I tell you one thing, if you started school dressed like that, people would think you’re a new student.”
“You think?” she asked a little hopefully. “No, no I couldn’t….I mean, well…. you know what I mean…. Its just not…..me.”
“Clarissa,” I said turning her to face me, “ how do you know, maybe it is you, you have never really tried to figure out the things that you like.” I continued not wanting to hold anything back from her. “You know, people make there own decisions, all of the time….. like what they choose to believe. I myself don’t believe you will be punished by God for liking the way you look in an outfit, or even wearing it for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to diss your faith, but I think God has more important things to worry about, don’t you?”

“My parents…..they would kill me, you know that. I mean really kill me.” Clarissa said looking at herself in the mirror again.
“Maybe they just need to realize, they need to give you what God gave them……. a choice. Just take the outfit home with you, if you decide to wear it, great, if not, that’s okay too.”
“You know what, I think I will.” She said.
“Good, now come one lets dig out my make up.” I told her jokingly.
“Hey now,” she said giving me a little smirk.


We spent the rest of the afternoon playing dress up like a couple of little girls in their mother’s closet. When she finally left, she took with her the outfit, and a few make up products. I had no idea if she would actually use them, but it was a big step, just taking the stuff with her. I was happy to see her coming out of her shell. It was nearly five o’clock, so I had two hours to get ready before Lucas was to pick me up. Good thing I already had my outfit picked out.


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“Hi,” I greeted Lucas at the door, wanting to avoid the whole ‘meet the parents’ scenario.
“Hey, you look…um…great.” He said with that shy sweet voice I have grown to love.
“Thanks,” I said as I hooked my arm around his. It was true, even I thought I looked good. It was weird, feeling this confident. I had worn my hair down, curling it a little at the ends. I used a little more make up than usual, not too much, just enough to bring out my eyes.

Once we got to his car he opened the passenger side door for me. I could tell he was going out of his way to make this date a real date. I was flattered. After all this was my very first date, I wanted it to be like a real date.
To my surprise, when he started the engine, my favorite song, the one I sang the last time I was in this car came blaring through the speakers. I looked over at him and gave him a huge smile.
“Hey, I thought it was catchy….. I just had to get the C.D.,” He said trying to sound casual.
“See, I knew you loved it,” I said scooting a little closer to him.
“Well, the truth is I got it cause I knew you loved it.”
Feeling like I was in heaven, I leaned across the arm rest and kissed him. I lightly laid my lips on his reveling in the moment. He ran his fingers through my hair and lightly stroked the skin on the back of my neck, causing me to get goose bumps. When the kiss ended and I sat back in my seat he said, “Wow, I think maybe we should go to ‘Sam Goody’ instead of the movies, I mean I’m sure there are other songs you like.”
Laughing at his joke I replied, “We’ll save that for another time.”


We decided on a scary movie. We both knew we made that choice so we could cuddle. Sitting in the dark theater with, with Lucas Hope’s arm around my shoulders, I felt as if I was living someone else’s life. I know I should be used to this new me, but it still amazed me how much I had changed. Better yet, how much the people around me had changed. My mother and I we getting along better than ever, Clarissa was finally trying to figure out who she was, and not who she was trained to be. Best of all I was sitting here on a date with Lucas Hope. It was truly unbelievable. Not paying attention to the movie my mind began to wonder. From a few rows ahead I heard a masculine chuckle. It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Racking my brain trying to remember why that laugh sounded so familiar, I had a vision of Brice. We were sitting on the grass watching campers get ready for the dance and talking amongst ourselves……then he laughed. It was the same laugh I had heard moments earlier just a few feet in front of me.

Closing my eyes I shook my head, literally trying to force the image from my mind. There was no way in hell Brice could be in this movie theater. It was impossible. ‘I can’t believe I am even thinking about him, while I am sitting here with Lucas.’ I said to myself. Seeing him and hearing him twice in two days, is starting to freak me out a little. I knew our brief encounter touched me, but geez, I must be losing my mind. I inched closer to Lucas, thinking that being close to him will somehow make me forget about Brice. I was wrong.

If fact all I did through our whole date was think about Brice. I felt confused, to put it simply. Tonight was supposed to be about me and Lucas, not Brice. I just wish there was a way I could turn off my brain. On the way back to my house I tried to act interested as Lucas went on and on about his band and his friends, and next years foot ball season. The truth was I couldn’t concentrate on anything that was coming out of his mouth. Every now and then I would say ‘yea’ or ‘really’, so when Lucas actually asked me a question, without realizing it I just said, “Yea.”
“Really, you do, who?” Lucas asked.
“Um….I’m…. sorry, what.”
“I asked if you knew anyone who could sing, and you said yea,” he repeated.
“Oh, yea, well my friend Clarissa has an amazing voice,” I offered without even thinking about it.
“Really, do you think she would be interested in joining my band,” he asked hopefully.
Laughing at the thought I said, “Um…. no…. she’s um….really shy.”
“Shy huh, well hell even I get nervous before going on stage, but once I’m up there its such a rush. Maybe you could ask her for me, or just bring her to our practice tomorrow,’” he said as he pulled into my drive way.
Giving him a thoughtful look, I said, “ I’ll see what I can do.”
Smiling at me widely he said, “That would be awesome.”
“I make no promises,” I assured.

He laughed as he leaned over and cupped my face in his hands, “You have to make me at least on promise.”
“Oh, yea whats that?” I asked coyly.
“You have to promise we can do this again.”
“You can bet on it,” was all I could get out before his lips came crashing down upon mine. The kiss was hungry, and needy. The sad thing was that the whole time, I was wishing it was someone else.




When we said our good byes I ran into my house and shut and locked the door behind me. It was dark and quiet telling me my parents were already in bed. I headed straight to my room and took a seat at my desk. I pulled out a sheet of lily bordered paper and began the letter I thought I would never write.