Lingering Melody

My parents weren’t mature enough to have responsibility for a child- me. So they pushed me over to their parents. Nana and Pop had an amazing small amusement park nearby and we went all the time when I was little. Time and again, I went on the carousel first and last, constantly. I never rode the same animal, though. I was forever choosing a new one. There seemed so many.


“Dat one!” I cried once, when I was four. “Da piggy!” I clapped my hands in excitement. Nana complied and carried me to the pig. It was skinny, strangely enough, but wore the same faded jewel-studded saddle as the rest. She strapped me on and went off, because she and Pop said it hurt their bones to be on one.

It ended but I didn’t see Nana or Pop coming for me- but I could hear their voices, and another. “No!” Came Nana’s sharp voice. She never used that with me but on the phone now and then. “You can’t see her! You swore you’d stay away, Kristine!”

“She’s my child!” Came a pathetic voice. “I have the right, mother!”

“No,” Pop objected severely. “You lost that right when you left her with us, and you know that. You’re not allowed to see her and we will get a restriction if we must. Leave now!”

“No! I just want to see her, okay? I haven’t seen her at all! I want to know what she looks like! How she acts, everything!”

It was quiet for a moment. “She has her father’s chin, your eyes but otherwise she has red hair and is extremely shy- meaning she wouldn’t even know you and probably won’t take to you, either. Leave, now.”

Silence again. “Fine,” Kristine spat and stomped away.

Nana came marching up, frowning. “All right, Sky, it’s time to go now. Let’s be moving.” She wasn’t in the mood to talk about anything, I was smart enough then. I let her carry me home and be sent to bed an hour early.

My dream turns to darkness and into a dreamless sleep, like it usually is. I finally jolt awake to a knocking at the door. My head jerks up and I squint in the light. What… bloody Mary, it’s morning! The knocking continues and I brush away the papers and run to the door, trying to calm my hair but glad it’s still a little straight.

Webster. “Duckies!” I burst, opening the door.

“Sorry, only sausage,” he held the package. I roll my eyes. He’s continually mocking my lack of ‘real cursing.’ I groan, already wide-awake. I love sausage, but it’s like taking advantage over me- plus I do have school and I need a shower! “Good thing I came half an hour earlier, then?” He gave me a grin.

“Thank you!” I hug in tightly then leave him there, knowing he’ll come in and help himself to probably the rest of my milk and the last of my fruit. I run to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I strip and climb in. “C-c-c-cold!” I exclaim to myself uselessly and shiver. The hot water’s already been used by the other families on this floor. I groan and hurry as quickly as possible. I finish in fifteen minutes and climb out. I go and open my closet, trying to decide what to wear.

I jump up and down, trying to stay warm in the bright orange towel. Finally, I don’t care. I put on ripped jeans and two tanks- a black one and another with little pirates all over it. I towel-dry my hair a little and grab a sweatshirt, glancing out the window. Not raining just yet. Without using a mirror, I apply my mascara- that could be considered an amazing skill, I think. I dab some blush and shove on some flip-flops, clearly not thinking at the moment.

“Twenty-six minutes,” Webster comments when I come out. “Not bad.” I give him the critical eye as I begin to shove my things in my bag. I’m still amazed he sticks around with me, especially right now, offering to accompany while I practice my driving. I already had my own car, of course. A sweet little blue mini-cooper. Left over from my grandparents small fortune left to my sister and me.

“Let’s go!” I tell him and he complies. I need all the time I can to practice driving and he’s really the only one who can help me out here. It’s a good thing he gets paid being around so often. I’ve offered him a raise but noooo, he’s too proud. Duh. Big ol’ guy is scared of widdle little girl dwiving? …Okay, so maybe he has reason to, after those four red lights…I swear, they popped up out of nowhere! Really!

I get him out the door and thank goodness he’s already eaten all that sausage. It smelled too good. I scavenge out my keys firstly finding my Eeyore on them. Isn’t he the cutest? Almost as cute as Dopey! I get into the driver’s seat as I wait for Webster to get in his. He takes his time, going to the side and pushing the seat as far back as possible for legroom. I’m not even laughing, because honestly, I’m sort of nervous yet excited and am anxiously tapping my fingers. “Okay!” I say, a little louder than necessary. “Ready?”

“Never,” he responds. That’s what he always says and I give a sheepish smile. I turn in the key and back out of my spot.

We go around for a while and believe it or not, it goes okay. But an hour later when I arrive at my school, I know he was letting out a breath of relief. I take out my keys and give him the one to my car. Then I climbed out as he moved to the driver’s seat. “Do you need a ride later?” He asks.

I shake my head with a short wave and hurry along, pulling up my hood to hide myself. My long rebellious hair is peaking out and gets curlier in the wetness as it begins to pour again. “It’s not even April,” I hiss at the rain. Usually, I love it, but not at the moment, because that’s when I just recalled I hadn’t finished my homework!

I scramble a little early into homeroom and sit down. No one else is here yet. I look around, still unable to believe how I live my life. It’s odd, really, how no one sees that Sky Hampton is really the singer/pianist Shy. So I put in contacts and straighten my hair to make it look longer as Shy, but it can’t be that hard… can it?