Life Of Melanie (Completed)

Thanks so much for the reviews. This chapter is a little longer, I hope you guys like it. A special thanks to Tirch for the extra pointers.


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The time has finally come, its is the last day of school and I'm elated. That's a very rare thing for me. Clarissa and I are in our last period class, health. Mrs. Pennington is babbling about drinking and driving, and safe sex, and all I can do is watch the clock. Five minutes left. I look to the back of the class, and try to get Clarissa's attention, but it doesn't work. I want to ask her to stay over tonight, because she leaves in three days for Delaware. Just as I am about to call her name, there is a knock at the door. Mrs. Pennington stops he lecture to answer the knock.
"Come in," she says.

I didn't bother to see who it was. I was still trying to get Clarissa's attention, when she finally looked at me and pointed to the front of the room. I looked in the direction of her finger, and immediately my heart skipped a beat. It was Lucas Hope, he was walking towards Mrs. Pennington, holding a stack of what looked to be flyers.

"I hate to interrupt, but I wanted to know if you would mind handing these out to your class," he asked with a slightly nervous smile.

Mrs. Pennington took the papers from him, and looked them over. "Sure, I'll make sure everyone gets one before they leave," she said with a nod.

"Thanks a lot.......you should come too," he said with a mischievous grin.

Mrs. Pennington laughed a ‘I couldn't, but your sweet' kind-of laugh as Lucas headed out the way he came. Without mentioning another word about the flyers, the teacher picked right up where she left off. "Now class, condoms do not protect you from viruses such as herpes, so the safest sex is no sex." That statement go boos from every direction, except mine of course. All I could think about was what the flyers said. I kept thinking to myself ‘why doesn't the old bag hand out the damn flyers already'. The bell finally rang interrupting my thoughts. Mrs. Pennington had this rule about leaving before she says. ‘The bell doesn't dismiss you, I do' was the very first rule ever set in this class. I hated it especially since this was my last class of the day. Today I waited until she finally grabbed the flyers and headed to the front door.

"Okay class, I must say all of you have been a joy, and I hope every one has a great summer.......class dismissed,."she finally said.

As the students filed out of class one by one, I headed over to Clarissa. "I wonder what's going on with the flyers," I said to Clarissa as she gathered her things.
"They are probably having one of their mini-concerts," Clarissa said with a smirk. She didn't really like punk rock, but she usually grits her teeth and bares it for me.
"Probably, so whatcha doing tonight?"I asked as I followed the other students to the front of the room.
"Well I'm pretty much through packing, so I thought we could hang out one last night and watch movies or something," she answered not taking her eyes off her shoes.
"I was thinking the same thing. It's Friday, so my parents will be at the Harless' until at least midnight. Let's do it at my place," I half asked, half told. I don't like hanging out at Clarissa's house, I feel like I always have to watch what I say or do.

Before Clarissa could answer, I had grabbed a flyer from Mrs. Pennington, and headed out the door. Noticing that I had stopped in the middle of the hall to read the flyer Clarissa asked, "well.....what is it?" After reading the paper I turned to her with the best puppy dog face I could muster, "They are playing tonight at the.......Pool Hall," I said.

Clarissa immediately started shaking her head no vigorously "No Mel, I'm not going. We are going to rent movies remember. The last time I went, you kept me up all night talking about ‘you know who'." Putting her hand to her head as if she was going to faint, she added, " I can't go through that again."

"Oh, Rissa, can't we just stop by for a minute, pleeeease! It's on the way to the video store." I practically got down on my knees. "I just want to see him on stage, just for one minute......I promise," I begged her with no shame.

For a moment she just looked at me on my knees in the middle of the hallway. Then she rolled her eyes, " It wouldn't be so bad if you would just talk to him, at least say hi or something."
"You know I can't do that," I said standing up and brushing myself off. "Maybe if he was ever alone, but he's always surrounded by people. Especially girls........bitch ass girls."
That last remark brought a smile to Clarissa's face. "I'll go, but if your not ready to leave when I am, I'm going without you. And we can't tell my parents we are going to ‘The Pool Hall', they would kill me," she admitted.
Excitedly I hugged my friend, " Thank you, thank you, thank you. What would I ever do without you?" I asked.
"Probably waste away in your bedroom," she said carelessly. "So I'll be at your house around seven, see ya later."
"Okay, see ya later."





Once I was home I ran straight to my room without saying a word to anyone. I was getting really excited about seeing Lucas on stage. I don't know what it is about seeing him preform, I mean I am secreting bodily fluid at the thought. As I was going through my closet trying to find something to wear, I heard a rap at my door. Thinking it was Clarissa I hollered, "Its open."

"Hey sweetie, can we talk a minute," my mother asked.
I turned to her with a smirk and said, " I'm kind-of busy, later okay." Here lately, I find it hard looking at my mother without wanting to stab her repeatedly with a fork.

"Well it will only take a minute, and its pretty important.........why don't you sit for a minute." she said sternly with a smile.

Not knowing what she could possibly want to talk about, I obliged and took a seat at my desk. For a moment she looked uneasy, and then she looked at me and flashed me her famous fake smile.
"Well, I've got some news," she began. I hadn't noticed before, but she was holding an envelope in her hands. She looked down at it, and then back at me. As she walked over to hand me the envelope she said, "Daddy and I have talked about this, and we think that this could be really good for you."
It was obvious she was a little nervous as I took the papers from her hands. I opened the envelope, and removed the document. "Now before you say anything I want you to know your father and I love you very much. We want what is best for you." my mother said a little too carefully.

My eyes left my mothers and scanned over what I was holding in my hand. It looked like some sort of brochure. There were kids of all ages smiling, swimming, and playing sports. Unfortunately there was one thing all of the kids had in common, they were fat. Realizing what was happening, I got totally irate. I looked at my mother with white hot hatred in my eyes. "Fat Camp.......your sending me to fat camp?" I said so calmly I scared myself.

"Honey, don't look so angry, and its not a fat camp. It is a place for kids to go to learn to be healthy." she tried to explain.
"It's a place they send kids to get skinny," I screamed at her. Seeing the hurt in her eyes just added fuel to my fire. "What's wrong mother.....I'm not pretty enough for you. You feel like you have to make me better," I said in a strained voice as tears ran down my cheeks. "More like.....you!" Of course it was easy for her, she has always been beautiful. She never had a weight problem, she was popular, had millions of boyfriends, and was prom queen two years in a row. I've always known deep down she was ashamed of me, and this just proves the point.

"Sweetie, I just want you to be happy, and have more self esteem. I really think that this could help you over come this depressed stat you've been in lately." she replied.

"Depressed state......... depressed state..........Its called life mother. I can't believe your making me do this." Maybe I was depressed, but I'd rather be depressed that go to fucking fat camp. When I finally looked at my mother her eyes had turned from understanding to hard and cold.
"The arrangements have already been made. You leave in three days. The camp is six weeks long. I want no other discussion about this," she said sternly. Then she put on her famous smile again, " Just think, when you get home, we can go shop for you a whole new wardrobe. Wouldn't that be fun?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeah, about as fun as getting hit by a train," was my reply.

"Well, when you start school next year, and you see the reaction you get, you'll be thanking me," she said as she stepped out of the door.

Under my breath I mumbled, "Not likely."




After our conversation all I wanted to do was go to bed and sleep all summer long. I laid down on my bed and buried my head in my pillow. Just when I was about to doze off I heard a knock at my door. I just lifted my head and shouted, "Go away." To my surprise the door opened any way and Clarissa came through.

"I'm not leaving, you invited me remember? I've been beating on your front door forever," she said as she strolled into my room at took a seat on the edge of my bed. Seeing the disgruntled look on mt face she asked, "Geeze whats wrong with you."

"My mother's a fucking bitch, what is wrong with me," I snapped at her as I sat back up in my bed.
" Maybe I will leave," Clarissa began to get up. It was obvious she did want to be around me when I was like this.

No, no. I'm sorry," I replied not wanting her to leave. "It's just, well here," I said handing her the pamplet with a pure look of disdain across my face.

Clarissa slowly read the front of the brochure, and had to caver her mouth with her hand to stifle the laugh that was a bout to erupt. "Camp Body Rock," she read aloud, and then she exploded into laughter.

I had to smile at her amusement, but quickly regained control of my emotions. "Its not funny," I told her. "I have to go there in like three days. So much for sleeping until noon. God, this fucking sucks.

After scanning over the brochure for a moment, she looked at me and shrugged. "Well look at the bright side, you'll probably be the thinnest person there."

"Very funny," I grumbled as I threw myself back onto the bed. "But seriously, six whole weeks? I should just slit my wrists now."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. See look," she said holding up the pamphlet like a model from the Price Is Right. "You can go swimming, and hiking, and do all sorts of other fun exercise for thirty hours a day."

"Yeah, and eat celery breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Gee, I can't wait." I said as I covered my face with my hands.

"Well at lest it will get you out of this God forsaken room."

"I hate you," I said with a smile as I sat back up.

"I know, but you couldn't live without me," she answered. " So are we going to that concert, or what?"

After everything, I had forgotten all about the concert, "Um, I don't think I want to go. Let's just get some movies and eat everything in the house instead."

"Sounds good to me, I'm starved."