Clash Of The Rockbands
Chilly Meditation
Melrose’s POV
If I had been miserable then, it didn’t even compare to how miserable I was now. Everything after those two interminable beeps blurred together into one mass of confusion and grief. I vaguely remembered squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my face into James’s chest, hearing Dr. Parsons utter those four horrible words, and then bursting into sobs. Shortly after, I recalled James helping my trembling, terrified, sobbing body out of the hospital. The ride back to my parents’ place seemed to take no time at all, and pretty soon Rayne had pulled into that familiar white gravel driveway.
Coming back to my senses, I shoved the SUV door open and scrambled out. The rocks shifted beneath my feet, and I had to seize the door to keep from falling down. I hadn’t remembered the rocks ever being so treacherous. James climbed out behind me, looking seriously concerned.
“I think you need some rest.” he told me, wrapping an arm around me to help me into the house.
“No, no I don’t,” I replied, shaking my head frantically. “I don’t need rest. Not in that house, not in there, definitely not in there. It’ll smell like my mom’s perfume, and there’ll be pictures everywhere with them in frames. No, no, no, that place isn’t good for me!” Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I was aware of how insane I sounded. I was rambling, and I was aware of my rambling. But I didn’t care.
I raised a trembling hand to point at the house.
“I need alone time.” I announced, attempting to slip out of James’s arms. “Alone time, yes, I need that very much.” I slid my arm around to point towards the woods flanking the house on its left side. “In there. I need alone time in there. Away. Away from there.” I pointed back at the house. “I’ll behave, I promise.”
“Nope,” James answered, starting to lead me gently towards the house. “You need sleep. You haven’t slept in quite a while.”
“I don’t want to sleep.” I remarked, shaking my head again. I continued to attempt to pull out of James’s arms. For the first time, they felt restricting and cold, not at all comforting in any way. “I’ll behave, I promise I will. I won’t try anything stupid. I just want to be alone.” James sighed before slowly releasing me. I staggered away from him as though he’d been choking me.
“Mel, come back before it gets too cold, alright?” Rayne said to me. I nodded, backing away towards the bare trees making up the woods. Then, without another word, I spun around and walked briskly towards the trees, not once looking back.
After about five minutes of weaving between the trees, I sunk down at the base of a promising-looking tree with a wide trunk. I’m no expert on trees, so I had no clue what type it was, but it would do. I pressed my back against the trunk and felt the rough bark digging through my thick jacket into my skin. I ignored it and closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the trunk as well. Slowly, with loud crunching noises as my legs scraped across the crisp leaves left over from fall, I crossed my legs Indian-style and placed my hands on my thighs, palms down.
Time for meditation.
**********
James’s POV
“I am officially worried about her.” I announced a few hours after Melrose had left. Late afternoon began to settle upon the house, and the sky had already begun to darken a bit. I pushed myself off of the couch and headed over to the front door. I pulled my jacket off of the prong of the coat tree thingamabob and dragged it on over my sweatshirt.
“Good luck,” Rayne said. “Who knows how deep Mel went into those woods.”
“I’ll find her.” I assured them. I pulled open the front door, and cold air came whooshing in. “See you in a bit.” I stepped out into the cold mid-January air and closed the door behind me.
I headed towards the woods, burying my hands in my pockets. It was fucking cold outside. I was used to Huntington Beach winters. This much chilliness felt just ridiculous. A slight, cruel breeze nipped at the exposed skin on my face. I personally couldn’t wait to get back to sunny, warm, comfortable Huntington Beach.
After about seven minutes of weaving around the thick trees, I saw a sliver of chestnut hair whip out from behind a wide trunk out of the corner of my eye as a harsh wind sliced through the trees. I turned and headed towards the tree, really just wanting to get back inside where it was warm. And to think that Melrose had sat out here for hours. I would be seriously surprised if she didn’t have either a horrible cold or even hypothermia or something like that.
I stepped around the trunk of the tree to see Melrose sitting at the base of it with her legs crossed. She was clearly meditating. She looked so peaceful, more peaceful than I’d seen her the whole time we’d left Huntington Beach on that plane. I didn’t want to disturb her peacefulness, but I knew I would have to eventually.
“Mel...” I said, leaning down and shaking her shoulder gently. Her emerald eyes popped open and she craned her head back to look up at me. “C’mon, you’ve been out here for a long time.” She just nodded and raised a hand for me to help her up. I seized her hand. It felt ice-cold beneath my fingers. “Good lord, Mel! Your hands are like fucking ice!” Melrose just shrugged as I pulled her to her feet and seized her other hand, which was just as cold. “Haven’t you ever heard of frostbite?” She nodded, dragging her hands out of mine. She shoved them into her pockets before slipping beneath my arm and leaning against my side. I wrapped my arm tightly around her as we started walking back towards the house.
“Now back to hell,” she muttered quietly, burrowing her pale cheek against the cloth of my jacket. I rubbed my hand up and down her arm and stayed silent. I didn’t have a way to contradict her words. They were the whole truth, and nothing I could say would ever change them.
Out of nowhere, Melrose spun beneath my arm to face me. She coiled her fingers tightly around the lapels of my jacket and whirled me to face her as well. She pressed her icy lips against mine, surprising me so much that I staggered back. The heel of my shoe caught on a root protruding out of the ground, and I lost my balance. I landed heavily on my back on the cold, hard ground, with Melrose lying on top of me, still kissing me.
When that woman’s heart is full of grief, it fucks up her mind, and that in turn causes her to confuse me greatly. Just letting you know.
Melrose abruptly pulled away. When she found me lying on the ground, and her lying on top of me, her cheeks flamed suddenly bright red. She quickly rolled off of me, rising to her feet as I sat up.
“I’m sorry.” she said as I stood up as well. She fiddled nervously with the sleeve of her jacket, staring down at the ground.
“It’s fine.” I said instantly.
“I just wanted to forget about my situation a little longer, and kissing you would undoubtedly accomplish that for me, but then suddenly we’re...down there.” she explained quickly, waving a hand vaguely towards the ground. “And then I was embarrassed and now it’s even worse!”
“Ssshhhh,” I shushed her quietly, pulling her into a hug. She wound her arms around my ribs, burying her face into my jacket. “It’s okay. Calm down.”
“You’re warm.” Melrose commented after a few moments. She burrowed closer. I dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We better head back up to the house.” Melrose peeled herself away from me. She laced her fingers with mine again and led the way back towards the house.
If I had been miserable then, it didn’t even compare to how miserable I was now. Everything after those two interminable beeps blurred together into one mass of confusion and grief. I vaguely remembered squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my face into James’s chest, hearing Dr. Parsons utter those four horrible words, and then bursting into sobs. Shortly after, I recalled James helping my trembling, terrified, sobbing body out of the hospital. The ride back to my parents’ place seemed to take no time at all, and pretty soon Rayne had pulled into that familiar white gravel driveway.
Coming back to my senses, I shoved the SUV door open and scrambled out. The rocks shifted beneath my feet, and I had to seize the door to keep from falling down. I hadn’t remembered the rocks ever being so treacherous. James climbed out behind me, looking seriously concerned.
“I think you need some rest.” he told me, wrapping an arm around me to help me into the house.
“No, no I don’t,” I replied, shaking my head frantically. “I don’t need rest. Not in that house, not in there, definitely not in there. It’ll smell like my mom’s perfume, and there’ll be pictures everywhere with them in frames. No, no, no, that place isn’t good for me!” Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I was aware of how insane I sounded. I was rambling, and I was aware of my rambling. But I didn’t care.
I raised a trembling hand to point at the house.
“I need alone time.” I announced, attempting to slip out of James’s arms. “Alone time, yes, I need that very much.” I slid my arm around to point towards the woods flanking the house on its left side. “In there. I need alone time in there. Away. Away from there.” I pointed back at the house. “I’ll behave, I promise.”
“Nope,” James answered, starting to lead me gently towards the house. “You need sleep. You haven’t slept in quite a while.”
“I don’t want to sleep.” I remarked, shaking my head again. I continued to attempt to pull out of James’s arms. For the first time, they felt restricting and cold, not at all comforting in any way. “I’ll behave, I promise I will. I won’t try anything stupid. I just want to be alone.” James sighed before slowly releasing me. I staggered away from him as though he’d been choking me.
“Mel, come back before it gets too cold, alright?” Rayne said to me. I nodded, backing away towards the bare trees making up the woods. Then, without another word, I spun around and walked briskly towards the trees, not once looking back.
After about five minutes of weaving between the trees, I sunk down at the base of a promising-looking tree with a wide trunk. I’m no expert on trees, so I had no clue what type it was, but it would do. I pressed my back against the trunk and felt the rough bark digging through my thick jacket into my skin. I ignored it and closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the trunk as well. Slowly, with loud crunching noises as my legs scraped across the crisp leaves left over from fall, I crossed my legs Indian-style and placed my hands on my thighs, palms down.
Time for meditation.
**********
James’s POV
“I am officially worried about her.” I announced a few hours after Melrose had left. Late afternoon began to settle upon the house, and the sky had already begun to darken a bit. I pushed myself off of the couch and headed over to the front door. I pulled my jacket off of the prong of the coat tree thingamabob and dragged it on over my sweatshirt.
“Good luck,” Rayne said. “Who knows how deep Mel went into those woods.”
“I’ll find her.” I assured them. I pulled open the front door, and cold air came whooshing in. “See you in a bit.” I stepped out into the cold mid-January air and closed the door behind me.
I headed towards the woods, burying my hands in my pockets. It was fucking cold outside. I was used to Huntington Beach winters. This much chilliness felt just ridiculous. A slight, cruel breeze nipped at the exposed skin on my face. I personally couldn’t wait to get back to sunny, warm, comfortable Huntington Beach.
After about seven minutes of weaving around the thick trees, I saw a sliver of chestnut hair whip out from behind a wide trunk out of the corner of my eye as a harsh wind sliced through the trees. I turned and headed towards the tree, really just wanting to get back inside where it was warm. And to think that Melrose had sat out here for hours. I would be seriously surprised if she didn’t have either a horrible cold or even hypothermia or something like that.
I stepped around the trunk of the tree to see Melrose sitting at the base of it with her legs crossed. She was clearly meditating. She looked so peaceful, more peaceful than I’d seen her the whole time we’d left Huntington Beach on that plane. I didn’t want to disturb her peacefulness, but I knew I would have to eventually.
“Mel...” I said, leaning down and shaking her shoulder gently. Her emerald eyes popped open and she craned her head back to look up at me. “C’mon, you’ve been out here for a long time.” She just nodded and raised a hand for me to help her up. I seized her hand. It felt ice-cold beneath my fingers. “Good lord, Mel! Your hands are like fucking ice!” Melrose just shrugged as I pulled her to her feet and seized her other hand, which was just as cold. “Haven’t you ever heard of frostbite?” She nodded, dragging her hands out of mine. She shoved them into her pockets before slipping beneath my arm and leaning against my side. I wrapped my arm tightly around her as we started walking back towards the house.
“Now back to hell,” she muttered quietly, burrowing her pale cheek against the cloth of my jacket. I rubbed my hand up and down her arm and stayed silent. I didn’t have a way to contradict her words. They were the whole truth, and nothing I could say would ever change them.
Out of nowhere, Melrose spun beneath my arm to face me. She coiled her fingers tightly around the lapels of my jacket and whirled me to face her as well. She pressed her icy lips against mine, surprising me so much that I staggered back. The heel of my shoe caught on a root protruding out of the ground, and I lost my balance. I landed heavily on my back on the cold, hard ground, with Melrose lying on top of me, still kissing me.
When that woman’s heart is full of grief, it fucks up her mind, and that in turn causes her to confuse me greatly. Just letting you know.
Melrose abruptly pulled away. When she found me lying on the ground, and her lying on top of me, her cheeks flamed suddenly bright red. She quickly rolled off of me, rising to her feet as I sat up.
“I’m sorry.” she said as I stood up as well. She fiddled nervously with the sleeve of her jacket, staring down at the ground.
“It’s fine.” I said instantly.
“I just wanted to forget about my situation a little longer, and kissing you would undoubtedly accomplish that for me, but then suddenly we’re...down there.” she explained quickly, waving a hand vaguely towards the ground. “And then I was embarrassed and now it’s even worse!”
“Ssshhhh,” I shushed her quietly, pulling her into a hug. She wound her arms around my ribs, burying her face into my jacket. “It’s okay. Calm down.”
“You’re warm.” Melrose commented after a few moments. She burrowed closer. I dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We better head back up to the house.” Melrose peeled herself away from me. She laced her fingers with mine again and led the way back towards the house.
♠ ♠ ♠
Heyloo.={ Melrose is sad.
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