Girl I Know

Blade…

I opened my eyes after hearing something that sounded like the door closing. When I lifted my head, I didn’t see anyone though. Could have been my imagination, but the one thing I was for sure not imagining was the fact that there was a sleeping beauty lying in my arms. My Melody.

She slept in the same position that she had fallen asleep in last night and she was the first girl I can honestly say that I didn’t want to kick out of bed in the morning. I hated to do it, but had to wake her up.

“Melody” I whispered against her ear and watched a smile form on her lips. “You have to wake up” when I kissed her shoulder she turned around to face me and laid her hand down on my neck.

“Are you hungry?” I was starving, but that was nothing new. She didn’t answer me she just nodded her head and smiled.

“How about you go take a shower and when you come out we’ll go get some breakfast?”

“Ok” She leaned forward and kissed me and then got up off the bed with a sheet wrapped around her. I watched her walk into the bathroom and got up off the bed myself to find my clothes. I pulled on my jeans and as soon as I got them up over my hips I could feel the vibration in my pocket. I pulled out my cell phone and there was a text from my father.

“Meet me in the lounge at 1pm for lunch and this is not a request.”

I rolled my eyes and put my cell phone back in my pocket and reached for my shirt. I knew my father meant business and I was probably in for one of his lectures. Usually, though I saw them coming and knew what I was about to be yelled at for, but this time I had no clue.

I sat down on the bed and put my shoes on when I heard the water in the shower shut off. Melody came out 10 minutes later. Her hair was still damp and she never looked better, but then again, I’m biased. I watched her pull a needle out from her carry on bag and a small clear bottle from the mini fridge. I had never seen her give herself an injection before and it seemed like it was nothing to her when she lifted up her shirt and stuck the needle into her stomach.

“Doesn’t that hurt?”

“No” she shook her head when she looked at me. “I’ve been doing this since I was little, I don’t even feel it anymore”

I nodded and watched her as she put the bottle back and threw away the needle. I got up off the bed and walked across the room to where she was standing. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah” she nodded and put her shoes on.

We walked out of the door to her room and luckily there was no one in the hallway. I really wasn’t in the mood to explain why I was coming out of Melody’s room.

We went down to the restaurant and sat at a table by ourselves even though Lyric and Dante were sitting at a table having breakfast as well. I wanted my Melody all to myself today. Don’t think I didn’t pick up on the attraction between her and Dante.

The whole time we ate my thoughts kept going back to the text message my father sent me. I tried over and over to think of something that I could have done wrong now. I haven’t been arrested recently so it can’t be that.

“Why don’t you just go talk to him now?”

“Because I want to spend my morning with you” It was true, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her. Of course that wasn’t going to happen because no sooner did I say the words, Matt walked through the door and headed right for our table.

He didn’t even ask if he could join us he just sat down next to me and started eating my toast. “So, what are you two up to this fine morning?”

“Just having breakfast” I answered for both of us and looked at Melody who was picking at her cantaloupe with a spoon.

“So, Melody I’m actually here to see you”

Se looked up from her breakfast at her Uncle and waited to see what he had to say.

“Why?”

“Relax, you aren’t in trouble again” he smiled. “Seven is going to be here this afternoon and we are working on new shirt designs for the Skeleton Keys brand. So, I thought it would be fun for you to give your input and maybe show her some of your sketches”

“Really?”

“Yep he nodded. “She will be on our bus about 1pm. Should I tell her you’ll see her there?”

“Ok, yes!” she was so excited it was adorable.

“Ok then, I’ll let you two finish your breakfast” He got up and left, but something about that seemed a little too easy.

--

1pm…

I went to meet my father in the lounge for lunch and he was already there sitting at table looking at the menu. I walked over cautiously trying to think of excuses for whatever it is that I did this time that I didn’t know I did.

He looked up at me when he saw me coming and waited for me to sit down. Im not one to be easily intimidated, but this was the one person who scared the living shit out of me.
I sat down and immediately a waitress came over and took our drink order. When she walked away he looked right at me.

“So, what did you do last night?” he asked and I thought to myself Melody. I did Melody last night, but I probably would have got a fork in my eye if I said that out loud.

“Nothing special, just watched some television and went to bed” Please believe me I silently begged.

He put his head down and looked over the menu again. I don’t think he’s buying it. Nope, not for a second.

“Watch anything interesting?”

“Uh just the game” I said.

“Really who was playing?”

“You know, The Raiders and The Yankees” I don’t really watch sports I picked the two most popular teams I could think of.

“Well that must have been an interesting game” There was something about the way he said it that was making me nervous.

“Oh yeah! It was action packed!” I am such a bad liar.

“So where was third base on the 40 yard line?”

“What?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Considering The Raiders are a football team and The Yankees are a baseball team, I was just wondering where third base was. So, tell me, how far can Derek Jeter hit a football with his bat?”

“Uh…well I” what the fuck was I supposed to say. I was busted. I should have just said I was watching porn!

“What were you really doing last night?”

“Would you believe I hijacked a car and robbed a bank?”

“No”

“Yeah I didn’t think so”

“Blade”

Great here comes the I’m gonna call you by your name and scare the wholly fuck out of you tactic.

“Yes?”

“What were you doing last night?”

“I wasn’t doing anything, I had a few drinks and went to bed. I swear!” Please God make him believe me.

“With Melody?” Kill me now.

“Um I was actually…”

“Blade December Baker” and there it was, the full name which meant I was in deep shit. I wish my name was anything, but my own right now.

“Yes?” I tried to play it off, but he gave me a look that said he wasn’t fucking around. Nor was he in the mood for and of my jokes. So here goes nothing. “Ok fine, I was with Melody last night”

He nodded and thanked the waitress when she set our drinks down on the table.

“and what did you and Melody do last night?”

Is he kidding me right now? What was I supposed to say?

“We watched the game?”

He reached across the table and smacked the top of my head. I thought it was funny, I guess he didn’t see my point of view.

“Did you sleep with her?”

“Yes! We slept” I wasn’t lying!

“That is not what I meant” oooh he’s showing teeth now. Why couldn’t I be a girl so I could use tears as a weapon?

“What’s the big deal? So we had sex.”

He reached across the table and smacked me in the head again.

“I know you had sex and do you know how I know you had sex?”

“no”

“Because Brian saw you two this morning in her room in her bed with your clothes all over the floor.” I knew I heard the door close, it must have been him.

“Why does it have to be so dramatic?” seriously.

“WHY?” yeah raise your voice because I’m sitting right across from you and I can’t hear you. “BECAUSE HER FATHER IS A LUNATIC!” Tell me something I don’t know.

“Well that’s too bad because he can’t keep me away from her forever”

“Wanna bet?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“That means that you can’t and wont be with her anymore” I heard what he said, but I’d be damned if I was going to listen.

“I’m not going to stop seeing her”

“Then you’ll be going home tomorrow”

“WHAT?”

“If you continue to see Melody, then you’re off the tour and so is the rest of the band.” I couldn’t believe he was telling me this.

“So make up your mind, Blade because your decision is going to affect a whole lot of people”

I sat there feeling a mixture of stunned and pissed off. This couldn’t have been his doing. He’d never be this cruel to me especially after everything he put my family through.

I didn’t know what to say so I got up and walked out of the lounge and went back to my room.

--
1pm Melody

I walked onto the Avenged bus and my father was there with Matt, but I didn’t see Seven anywhere. I looked at Matt a little confused.

“Where is Seven?”

He didn’t look too happy. “Have a seat, Melody” I sat down in the chair opposite him and my father. “Seven isn’t here. I lied, I’m sorry, but I had to do it to get you on the bus”

“Get me on the bus?” just as I said it Johnny walked onto the bus with my bags and carried them to the back. “What’s going on?” My father sat there and didn’t say a single word.

“We just think it’s better if you stay on our bus”

“We? Or HE?” I asked pointing at my father.

“Melody, your only other option is to go home.”

“This is about Blade isn’t it?” it was when I said his name that my father finally looked at me. “It is, I knew it”

“Melody, this is about you” Matt said.

“No offense, but I don’t want to hear from you anymore. I want my father to tell me why he’s doing this to me!”

Matt looked at my father and we both waited for him to say something.

“Well?” I spat impatiently.

“I was in your room this morning Melody, I’m not going to have my daughter running around the tour like some kind of slut” Oh this just gets better and better.

“So it’s ok for you, but not for me?” I really shouldn’t have said that.

“What I do is my business, what you do is also my business and as long as you are on this tour, this bus is your home.”

“You’re an asshole!” I got up and walked to the back of the bus and found the bunk where Johnny put my bags. I climbed in and pulled out my cell phone to call Blade, but he didn’t answer. So I sent him a text.

“I’m being forced to stay on the Avenged bus” after I sent the text I waited.

And I waited….

And waited……

20 minutes later……no reply.