Chapter Three
Melissa, Jessica and Emmett walked to
school after breakfast without saying much. She was still mad about the
conversation as if Jessica was implying that she is a judgemental bitch when it
comes to celebrities; One Direction to be exact. But she isn’t. She just
doesn’t get the idea of girls obsessing over 5 normal-looking guys. She walked
ahead in front of her two friends while listening to Florence + the Machine’s
‘Shake It Out’ from her iPod but kept the volume low just in case.
“I think you took the level of fan-girling
too far this time,” Melissa could hear Emmett saying to Jessica who gave a loud
sigh. “I know that, Captain Obvious! But she of all people should know that her
best friend can’t help it. Heck, even she was an obsessed fan-girl!”
Melissa rolled her eyes but reconsidered
Jessica’s words. In a way she was right. Back when they were in the 6th
grade, Melissa was practically obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio ever since she
discovered the modern version of Romeo & Juliet. Her obsession towards him
grew stronger when she found Titanic on DVD during her and Jessica’s
movie-hunting. Melissa’s day wouldn’t be complete without gushing about how
cute his smile was or how unfair it was that she was 20 years younger than him.
It drove Jessica mad! But alas, the obsession soon faded into a memory and
Melissa’s life was about open-mic nights, fund-raisers, music and photography.
Thinking about that triggered memory made her feel guilty for giving
Jessica the cold shoulder. But she wasn’t guilty about the fact that girls
throw themselves at the boys, behaving like total sluts high on sugar. Her
thoughts were interrupted when someone pulled the earphones out from her ears.
“HEY!” She abruptly stopped walking and whirled around to catch the culprit,
Jess. Rolling her eyes, she continued walking towards the already nearby
school. “Look, I’m sorry for being a total bitch about you being a bitch about
them.” Jessica called out from behind. “But you know how it is when you’re a
fan-girl. You just get.....” Jessica couldn’t believe the next word she was
about to say. “Crazy.”
Melissa gradually turned around, faking a
surprised shock look. “Do my ears deceive me? Did the one and only Jessica Hathaway-”
“Yeah, yeah.
So being a fan makes you crazy! Are you done making fun and forgive me?”
Melissa gave
a smug smile and walked backwards. “Maybe. Maybe not. You’re just gonna have to
admit what you said to me to get back on my good graces.” With that, she turns
back to the front and walks over the steps of West Bridge High. She was just
teasing Jessica, of course. But the girl was always full of surprises.
The school was already flooded with
students. Some chilling near the fountain, others running up to the school to
get homework done in the last minute. Melissa found just the guy she wanted to
see by just recognizing the broad shoulders and dishwater blond hair who was
talking to a few of his friend. Austin Mitchel, her long-time boyfriend.
Long-time seemed a bit of an exaggeration, they were together for 2 years and 3
months but they’ve been good friends long before that.
She came up from behind and gave him one
of her surprise morning hugs. His friends muttered goodbyes, leaving the
lovebirds alone. Melissa waved at them in appreciation. “You’re pretty chirpy
this morning,” Austin mused, leaning down to give her a peck on the lips. “I’m
just glad to see you again. It’s been a while you know.” She pointed out
matter-of-factly as she looped her arm around his while walking up the stairs
of the school. Austin looked down and laughed guiltily. “I know, I should’ve
pay more attention to our relationship than-”
“Hey, don’t
say that. She needs you more than I do,” Melissa scolded lightly. She didn’t
want him to feel that way. “So... How is she doing?”
Austin
exhaled loudly, “Getting weaker, but she’s convinced that she’s feeling much
better.”
Melissa just
nodded and didn’t ask anymore. She couldn’t go through what he is going
through. No one could stand by that hospital bed with your loved one having
breast cancer. Especially when that person on that bed was your mother.
Austin’s
mother had breast cancer.
It
was late spring last year; Melissa and Austin were walking back to her house
after hanging out at their secret hideout. It wasn’t even a special hideout;
just the rooftop of an old unused apartment building but you could see
everything from up there. “Come on, mom made your favourite chicken pot pie.”
She pleaded. Austin occasionally ate at the Andersons but he got a text from
his dad to come home for a family meeting. “You know I want to but my dad
sounded pretty serious in his text.”
Melissa faked a pout but accepted his
reason anyway. She wasn’t the type to be selfish and whiny about it. “Call me
tonight, then?”
“You know, I will,” Austin chuckled,
and then gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek. She watched him walk down the
street then went into the house.
It wasn’t even an hour later; there
was loud pound on the door that could be heard from Melissa’s room. She
answered the door only to find devastated-looking Austin, knapsack in hand.
After calling her parents to let
Austin stay over in the guest room and four cups of cocoa later, Melissa
demanded for the truth.
“She has cancer, Mel,” Austin
whispered so softly, Melissa couldn’t hear. “I can’t hear you, Austin. Who has
cancer?”
“MY MOM, LISSA! MY MOM
HAS BREAST CANCER!” He shouted, standing up with his
hands in the air, tears streaming on his cheeks. “My mom, who taught me how to
ride a bike, who taught me what’s right and wrong. My mom who should be sitting
at the auditorium, crying because her baby is graduating high school and moving
to college. My mom who should be spoiling her grandkids when I have a family
but she can’t do that all because of A
FUCKING CANCER!”
He sunk down to the sofa and burst
into more tears, leaning his head on Melissa’s shoulder. She was too shocked to
speak. She never heard him speak to her like that, nor did she ever saw him cry
this bad. All she did was hugged him and whispered soothing words but never
about ‘things will be okay’ because it never will be.
Austin calmed down in awhile but Melissa
knew that he wasn’t completely okay. He managed to explain more; his father
lost his job at the vet, struggling to make ends meet and his mother’s
countless visits to the hospital for chemotherapy weren’t working. It all made
matters worse.
He
stayed with the Andersons for almost three weeks but Melissa’s parents did not
complain one bit. He was like family after all. And they understood what Austin
was going through but never mention in to him and he never bothered to mention
anything about his mother.
But Melissa couldn’t handle it
anymore.
Ever since that night, he seemed to
have an attitude problem. They fought over the littlest of things and he would
get angry for no rhyme of reason. There wasn’t even a spark or passion in his
kisses, it seemed like she was kissing a robot. She finally spoke up to him one
Saturday night in her room.
“You have to go back to your parents.
To your mom.” Melissa said with
pleading eyes.
Austin shook his head rapidly whilst
pacing around the room, “No, I don’t want to go back there and face the fact
the she’s going to die.”
“Well, you have to face the fact or
she’s going to die in a blink of an eye!”
“DON’T SAY THAT!” He shouted, eyes
flaring full of anger.
“But I am right!” Melissa shouted
back. “She sitting at home, spending her few last months without her son when she needed him the most!”
It felt like someone just threw a
bucket of water at Austin’s face when Melissa lashed him like that. The world
suddenly made sense now. “You’re right,” he spoke softly. “I should go home
now.” He was about to leave the room until he turned around and kissed her,
with passion this time. “Thank you,” Was all he whispered, his forehead leaned
against hers. Melissa didn’t need any more explanation. She was just glad her
boyfriend was back to his senses.
He left Melissa in her room to pack
his stuff. Once he was done, he thanked her parents and promised to call
Melissa if he needed her. “Take it easy on her, okay?” She told him by the
front door. Austin nodded and kissed her on the cheek, the feeling of hope over
empowering him.
“Mel? Mel,”
Austin waved a hand at her girlfriend’s face.
Melissa
snapped out of her step back into time and gave a lazy grin. “Sorry, must’ve
been out of it.”
“Yeah, no
shit,” he laughed. “You’ve been practising for the fundraiser for almost a
month and you spend most of your time hanging out with Jess and Emmett.”
“Don’t
forget Jess’ obsessed rampage over One Direction,” she groaned and went on with
what happened this morning.
Just as
Melissa was finished with her story, they were already at her locker. “I didn’t
know she was that obsessed with
them. As far as I’m concern, the guys from the football team are way
better-looking.” Austin said coolly.
Melissa
rolled her eyes as she turned her locker combination and took out her History
textbook and a decorated notebook. “Like a certain quarterback named Austin
Mitchel?” she teased. “And it’s not obsessed, it’s dedicated.”
Austin
laughed at Melissa’s sarcastic remark on being a dedicated fan. “You sure know
how make me crack up in the morning,”
“Of course,
it’s one of the things you love about me.”
Austin took
Melissa’s hand and made her turn to face him. “It’s not just that,” he
whispered. “Ever since that night, you never fail to make the pain and sorrow
disappear. It’s like it never existed whenever I’m with you.”
“Well,
that’s what girlfriends do,” she whispered back. “They make sure that the one
they love is happy, even when there’s pain or sorrow.”
“Not all
girlfriends. Most of them just want the attention they never get.”
Melissa
lightly punched Austin’s shoulder before settling down for a kiss. The mood was
spoiled eventually when the school bell rang, signalling the start of classes.
“I gotta get going,” Austin said, adjusting his bag over his left shoulder. “Don’t
want to be late again for Mrs. Clark’s ‘exciting’ calculus class.” Melissa
stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around him and gave him a peck on the
lips. “See you at lunch.”
Austin
kissed back and reluctantly set her back on her feet and walked down the
hallway and turned to the right where his classroom was.
She was glad
that his romantic ways are back. Her Austin
is back.
