Clash Of The Rockbands
A Therapeutic Tale
Melrose’s POV
“JOHNNY!”
“KIM!”
I let a small smirk slide onto my lips as Kim shed off her luggage and sprinted halfway across the terminal. She leaped into Johnny’s arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Zacky, Syn, and Matt watched the two of them twirl around excitedly, still holding onto each other, with amused looks on their faces.
“They didn’t miss each other at all.” Rayne observed sarcastically as I picked up Kim’s discarded suitcase. We followed Kim towards Zacky, Syn, and Matt. Johnny and she now stood lip-locked, swaying side to side a bit and earning them a few strange looks.
“We don’t know them.” Syn said to a pair of strangers walking past who were shooting Kim and Johnny strange looks. He pointed at Kim and Johnny.
“The darlingness that is Zacky!” AM exclaimed as she and Zacky embraced each other.
“The loveliness that is Ann!” Zacky’s muffled voice replied. He had his face buried in AM’s neck. Zacky was the only one allowed to call AM Ann. If anyone else but Zacky did, then prepare to be bitch-slapped.
Meanwhile, Rayne and Syn stood with their arms slung around each other, not saying a word. They were apparently just enjoying each other. I looked over my shoulder to see Daphne standing a little bit behind James and I, staring fixedly away from all the happily reunited couples. Her eyes bore the red marks of an overabundance of crying sessions.
“Alright, alright, as much fun as all this kissing and hugging seems to be, I have someone for you guys to meet!” I said loud enough to break up the kissing/hugging couples. They all pulled away from each other and looked over at me. I turned around and seized Daphne’s wrist, dragging her closer so that they could see her. “This is Daphne, my little sister. She’ll be staying with me until July, when she turns eighteen and no longer needs a guardian who is of age. Daphne, that’s Brian, but everyone calls him Syn, Matt, Zacky, and Johnny.” I pointed at each guy.
“Hi,” she mumbled. They all greeted her back.
Syn and Rayne led the way towards the double glass doors that led out of the airport terminal. The rest of us followed, but I lagged behind to talk to Daphne.
“So, how’s California so far?” I asked. Daphne just shrugged one shoulder. “Well, what do you think of Syn and Matt and them?”
“Just as creepy as your boyfriend,” Daphne answered bluntly. “The crowd you keep company with.” She shook her head.
“They are all quite nice.” I retorted as we stepped out into the warm California sunshine.
“Whatever.” We walked up to the white Escalade and the black SUV sitting next to it.
“We brought your Escalade along.” Matt explained unnecessarily. He handed Jen the key as we all piled our luggage into the trunk. James loaded his luggage into the back of the guys’ SUV. “So, are we meeting back at your house tonight, or...?”
“We’ll call you.” Jen answered as I slammed the trunk of the Escalade shut. “First we need to get Daphne settled in, and we need to unpack and unwind and just get used to home again. But we’ll call you.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan,” Matt replied. He climbed into the driver’s seat of the black SUV as Jen climbed into the driver’s seat of the Escalade.
**********
“So, where’s Mini-Melrose?” Matt asked as the ten of us settled down in the living room that evening. I glanced up at the ceiling before answering.
“She’s upstairs in her new room, getting acquainted with it and finishing up unpacking and all that stuff.” I answered. “And does she really look that much like me?”
“Yeah,” they all answered instantly.
“So, I suppose you’re all wondering what exactly went on in Indiana.” I began, changing the subject.
“It’s awfully soon, don’t you think?” Matt answered slowly.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Talking about losing loved ones is therapeutic to a person’s grief. I think it’s best if you talk about it instead of keeping it to yourself, otherwise you’ll just explode with sadness.”
“We’ll listen if you’ll talk.” Zacky spoke up.
“Alright,” I said. “Patricia and Earl Carlyle were driving home around eleven o’clock on January 16 from Game Night held at one of their friend’s house. The roads just happened to be icy and slick. I don’t know the exact details, but from what I could tell, Dad lost control of the car and careened off the road. They rolled down a small hill, stopped only when their car slammed into a tree. It ended up on its side, with the top of the car facing the tree and the bottom facing the hill they had just rolled down. The car wrapped around the tree, causing the car to be in a U-shape instead of the usual I-shape.
“The accident left both of them in comas, with swelling of the brain and internal bleeding. The doctor didn’t guarantee survival, given their age and the extent of their injuries.” Tears began to poke and prod teasingly at the back of my eyes, threatening to reveal themselves. I blinked them back, forcing my voice to stay steady despite its sudden craving to crack and split like earth does in a drought. “At 1:05 PM on January 17, Mom’s heart stopped beating. The doctors tried as hard as they could to restart it, but nothing helped. And, as though from some divine, celestial force, Dad’s heart stopped as well. The doctors were frantically trying to revive both of them, but it wasn’t any use.” The tears began to shove at my eyes, shrieking to drip out. I attempted to blink them back, but they were winning the battle.
I could see eight of my best friends staring at me solemnly, all of them looking concerned—Rayne had tears in her eyes as well—but in the back of my mind, I also saw the doctors and nurses grouped around my parents’ beds, trying in vain to revive them. I felt James squeeze my hand reassuringly. But I couldn’t stop before the story was finished.
“At 1:07 PM, both of my parents were...” My voice seemed to freeze in my throat. I couldn’t choke out that one four-letter word. All the concentration poured into trying to keep my tears at bay wilted away, and I felt a warm, salty tear dribble down my cheek. Its companions soon followed, until both of my cheeks became stained with the dull streaks of tears. “They were...” I tried again, but my voice froze again. “God damn, why is this so hard to say?” I was getting seriously pissed off at my voice for freezing up like an ice cube. I needed to finish my tale, and my stupid voice wouldn’t let me! Just one more word, and my voice wouldn’t work! I ran a hand through my hair, ignoring the tears on my cheeks. “They were dead!” I choked out finally. “They were dead, and gone, and never coming back!” Okay, Melrose, now you’re just setting yourself up to sob.
I let my head drop into my hands. I could feel the tears pouring out of my eyes to dampen my fingers and face. I felt someone sit down beside me on my right side and begin to rub my back. I instantly knew it was Rayne because she sniffled quietly. Someone else pulled me into a quick hug, and then another person pulled me into a hug as well, and hands patted my back consolingly.
“They’re in a better place now, Mel.” I heard Zacky say soothingly. I raised my head to see all of them grouped around me, either rubbing my back or patting my knee or dragging me into quick brotherly or sisterly hugs.
All their comforting and consolation made me want to weep even more. But I didn’t weep more. I had to be strong. My parents were indeed in a better place, and I would indeed grieve over their deaths, but I didn’t need to prolong that grieving more than it needed to be.
I wiped away my tears with the palm of my hands. I looked at the nine of them—Rayne, Jen, Kim, AM, Syn, Matt, Zacky, Johnny, and James—and weakly smiled.
“I love you guys.” I said.
“Group hug!” Kim exclaimed. She threw her arms tightly around my neck, her cheek pressed against mine. With a laugh, everyone threw their arms around me as well, burying me in friendship and love.
“JOHNNY!”
“KIM!”
I let a small smirk slide onto my lips as Kim shed off her luggage and sprinted halfway across the terminal. She leaped into Johnny’s arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Zacky, Syn, and Matt watched the two of them twirl around excitedly, still holding onto each other, with amused looks on their faces.
“They didn’t miss each other at all.” Rayne observed sarcastically as I picked up Kim’s discarded suitcase. We followed Kim towards Zacky, Syn, and Matt. Johnny and she now stood lip-locked, swaying side to side a bit and earning them a few strange looks.
“We don’t know them.” Syn said to a pair of strangers walking past who were shooting Kim and Johnny strange looks. He pointed at Kim and Johnny.
“The darlingness that is Zacky!” AM exclaimed as she and Zacky embraced each other.
“The loveliness that is Ann!” Zacky’s muffled voice replied. He had his face buried in AM’s neck. Zacky was the only one allowed to call AM Ann. If anyone else but Zacky did, then prepare to be bitch-slapped.
Meanwhile, Rayne and Syn stood with their arms slung around each other, not saying a word. They were apparently just enjoying each other. I looked over my shoulder to see Daphne standing a little bit behind James and I, staring fixedly away from all the happily reunited couples. Her eyes bore the red marks of an overabundance of crying sessions.
“Alright, alright, as much fun as all this kissing and hugging seems to be, I have someone for you guys to meet!” I said loud enough to break up the kissing/hugging couples. They all pulled away from each other and looked over at me. I turned around and seized Daphne’s wrist, dragging her closer so that they could see her. “This is Daphne, my little sister. She’ll be staying with me until July, when she turns eighteen and no longer needs a guardian who is of age. Daphne, that’s Brian, but everyone calls him Syn, Matt, Zacky, and Johnny.” I pointed at each guy.
“Hi,” she mumbled. They all greeted her back.
Syn and Rayne led the way towards the double glass doors that led out of the airport terminal. The rest of us followed, but I lagged behind to talk to Daphne.
“So, how’s California so far?” I asked. Daphne just shrugged one shoulder. “Well, what do you think of Syn and Matt and them?”
“Just as creepy as your boyfriend,” Daphne answered bluntly. “The crowd you keep company with.” She shook her head.
“They are all quite nice.” I retorted as we stepped out into the warm California sunshine.
“Whatever.” We walked up to the white Escalade and the black SUV sitting next to it.
“We brought your Escalade along.” Matt explained unnecessarily. He handed Jen the key as we all piled our luggage into the trunk. James loaded his luggage into the back of the guys’ SUV. “So, are we meeting back at your house tonight, or...?”
“We’ll call you.” Jen answered as I slammed the trunk of the Escalade shut. “First we need to get Daphne settled in, and we need to unpack and unwind and just get used to home again. But we’ll call you.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan,” Matt replied. He climbed into the driver’s seat of the black SUV as Jen climbed into the driver’s seat of the Escalade.
**********
“So, where’s Mini-Melrose?” Matt asked as the ten of us settled down in the living room that evening. I glanced up at the ceiling before answering.
“She’s upstairs in her new room, getting acquainted with it and finishing up unpacking and all that stuff.” I answered. “And does she really look that much like me?”
“Yeah,” they all answered instantly.
“So, I suppose you’re all wondering what exactly went on in Indiana.” I began, changing the subject.
“It’s awfully soon, don’t you think?” Matt answered slowly.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Talking about losing loved ones is therapeutic to a person’s grief. I think it’s best if you talk about it instead of keeping it to yourself, otherwise you’ll just explode with sadness.”
“We’ll listen if you’ll talk.” Zacky spoke up.
“Alright,” I said. “Patricia and Earl Carlyle were driving home around eleven o’clock on January 16 from Game Night held at one of their friend’s house. The roads just happened to be icy and slick. I don’t know the exact details, but from what I could tell, Dad lost control of the car and careened off the road. They rolled down a small hill, stopped only when their car slammed into a tree. It ended up on its side, with the top of the car facing the tree and the bottom facing the hill they had just rolled down. The car wrapped around the tree, causing the car to be in a U-shape instead of the usual I-shape.
“The accident left both of them in comas, with swelling of the brain and internal bleeding. The doctor didn’t guarantee survival, given their age and the extent of their injuries.” Tears began to poke and prod teasingly at the back of my eyes, threatening to reveal themselves. I blinked them back, forcing my voice to stay steady despite its sudden craving to crack and split like earth does in a drought. “At 1:05 PM on January 17, Mom’s heart stopped beating. The doctors tried as hard as they could to restart it, but nothing helped. And, as though from some divine, celestial force, Dad’s heart stopped as well. The doctors were frantically trying to revive both of them, but it wasn’t any use.” The tears began to shove at my eyes, shrieking to drip out. I attempted to blink them back, but they were winning the battle.
I could see eight of my best friends staring at me solemnly, all of them looking concerned—Rayne had tears in her eyes as well—but in the back of my mind, I also saw the doctors and nurses grouped around my parents’ beds, trying in vain to revive them. I felt James squeeze my hand reassuringly. But I couldn’t stop before the story was finished.
“At 1:07 PM, both of my parents were...” My voice seemed to freeze in my throat. I couldn’t choke out that one four-letter word. All the concentration poured into trying to keep my tears at bay wilted away, and I felt a warm, salty tear dribble down my cheek. Its companions soon followed, until both of my cheeks became stained with the dull streaks of tears. “They were...” I tried again, but my voice froze again. “God damn, why is this so hard to say?” I was getting seriously pissed off at my voice for freezing up like an ice cube. I needed to finish my tale, and my stupid voice wouldn’t let me! Just one more word, and my voice wouldn’t work! I ran a hand through my hair, ignoring the tears on my cheeks. “They were dead!” I choked out finally. “They were dead, and gone, and never coming back!” Okay, Melrose, now you’re just setting yourself up to sob.
I let my head drop into my hands. I could feel the tears pouring out of my eyes to dampen my fingers and face. I felt someone sit down beside me on my right side and begin to rub my back. I instantly knew it was Rayne because she sniffled quietly. Someone else pulled me into a quick hug, and then another person pulled me into a hug as well, and hands patted my back consolingly.
“They’re in a better place now, Mel.” I heard Zacky say soothingly. I raised my head to see all of them grouped around me, either rubbing my back or patting my knee or dragging me into quick brotherly or sisterly hugs.
All their comforting and consolation made me want to weep even more. But I didn’t weep more. I had to be strong. My parents were indeed in a better place, and I would indeed grieve over their deaths, but I didn’t need to prolong that grieving more than it needed to be.
I wiped away my tears with the palm of my hands. I looked at the nine of them—Rayne, Jen, Kim, AM, Syn, Matt, Zacky, Johnny, and James—and weakly smiled.
“I love you guys.” I said.
“Group hug!” Kim exclaimed. She threw her arms tightly around my neck, her cheek pressed against mine. With a laugh, everyone threw their arms around me as well, burying me in friendship and love.
♠ ♠ ♠
Heyloo.Sorta sad...
Comments?