Status: FINISHED.

Of Confidence

Quatorze

Melanie sat on the makeshift stage that was set up on her high school’s football field next to the 240 other faces that would be leaving Del Sol High School. Seniors sat in their chairs wiping tears from their eyes, waiting for Principal Ashworth to call their names for their final waltz across the arena.

“Kayla Gets,” Principle Ashworth announced into the microphone. “Joseph Greg.”

Melanie watched as her fellow classmates received their diplomas. She couldn’t believe this was it; the home that had been hers for the past four years was no longer there. They were no longer asking her to come back day after day because they didn’t care what she did anymore. They weren’t going to help her with her problems; it was all up to her now.

“Richard Hansen.”

Melanie let her first tear fall as she accepted high school was over and life was just beginning in a matter of moments.

She looked out into the crowd and found her mother’s soft green eyes smiling back at her. She was the woman that raised her to be the way she was. Melanie couldn’t remember a day that her mother was never caring. She was there every day she was sick, when she broke her arm, when she got her period. She taught Melanie to be a strong woman.

Melanie looked left to her dad; the man who taught her how to throw a football in a perfect spiral. He was there for every one of her dance recitals when she was younger with roses and a proud smile. As a doctor he missed a lot of her high school achievements, like when she was inducted to the National Honor’s society, or when their volleyball team won state, but he always made it up to her. For every event that he missed they would have a day to themselves where they’d go get ice cream and then walk to the park to play catch, as they always did when she was a child. He taught her what the meaning of family meant.

Melanie looked at Haley next; her baby sister. She drove her insane because she was always there. But, the truth of the matter was that next year at University of Washington, Melanie would miss her teasing. She would miss having someone to look after, and someone to look after her. She would miss seeing her feeling love for the first time. She wouldn’t be there to talk crap about the next guy who breaks her heart. She wouldn’t be there to teach her that what they think doesn’t matter, like she had taught Melanie so many years before.

“Why do you want to be like them?” She asked Melanie, as a young girl.

She looked at the perfect group of girls walking by her. “Because people like them.”

Haley looked at her and laughed. “People used to want to be like Hitler too, look how that worked out.”


“Charlotte Hedley.”

Finally, Melanie looked into the eyes of the family that had been her second home; Shannon O’Callaghan, her second mom, John O’Callaghan the fourth, and lastly, John O’Callaghan the fifth.

John O’Callaghan had taught Melanie more than anyone in her life. He taught her how to skateboard. He taught her how to play the guitar. He taught her how to play Halo. He taught her to be a bargain shopper. He taught her how to talk your way out of detention. He taught her how to drive.

He taught Melanie that imperfections made you beautiful. He taught her that life was meant to be lived. He taught her how to take risks and how to give everything you have. He taught her to forgive. But most importantly, he taught her how to love.

Melanie took in his appearance; blue jeans and a black and white plaid t-shirt. His hair was a sloppy mess as it always was and his eyes burned deep into Melanie’s; and in them was an apology.

Melanie watched as John looked away from her, turning his face to his left. A girl with a flower in her honey brown hair sat next to him. Her 5’7 frame was clad in a pink sundress, an orange cropped cardigan over the top. She watched as the familiar girl whispered in John’s ear as Melanie remembered what John had said to her the night before:

She watched as his face slowly drained of color. "Mel, don't speak so soon..."

She felt worry capture her stomach as he pulled his body away from hers. “What are you talking about?”

"Just get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day," he said.


Melanie let a tear fall from her eye, not because she was graduating but because John O’Callaghan had betrayed her once again. She watched as he kissed Taylor Reese softly, and she could barely hear Principal Ashworth over the sound of the angry beating of her heart.

“Melanie Hendricks.”

______________________________________

Mrs. Hendricks ran over to her daughter tightly engulfing her in a hug. “I’m so proud of you honey.”

Melanie laughed as her mother kissed her cheek, before pulling away. “Thanks mommy.”

“Awe! Mommy!” her mom exclaimed before she broke down into tears.

She chuckled as Mr. O’Callaghan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Good job, sweetie. We’re all very proud of you.”

“Thank you for coming, it really means a lot to me.”

“Of course darling, we wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” his wife replied pulling Melanie into a hug.

Melanie walked around the group giving her hugs and thank you’s as her father snapped at least four dozen photos. She smiled as she released her cousin Casey, and then she saw him.

He looked amazing, his hair hung the perfect amount in front of his eyes; his smile was perfectly crooked. The only thing wrong was his hand in hers.

John and Taylor approached Melanie, and she could feel the tension a mile away.

“Hey, Melanie,” he said cautiously.

Melanie looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “John.”

They stood awkwardly staring at each other in silence, not having to speak to know what the other was feeling.

“Congratulations on the high honors and stuff, better than any of us ever got,” he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Mission accomplished,” Melanie laughed, moving her gaze from the green grass to his eyes.

Melanie looked at the hand his was connected to as she looked into Taylor Reese’s hazel eyes. She smiled confidently, shaking her hand. “I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Melanie.”

Taylor smiled, flawlessly to Melanie’s despair and disconnected her and John’s fingers to shake her hand. “Of course I remember you…I was such a jerk to you though, I’m sorry!” She laughed.

Melanie laughed, “Mooning a bunch of people in the hallway, I’ve been through worse,” she lied.

Taylor smiled, “Well, I’m still sorry.”

Melanie chuckled and looked at John who looked just as miserably awkward as she felt. “It’s really okay…”

Taylor smiled once again and gestured to Melanie’s short floral dress. “You’re dress is absolutely gorgeous! It must’ve cost quite a bundle.”

Melanie chuckled, “My mom’s motto always was go big or go home.”

“Picture time!” Mrs. Hendricks yelled interrupting, pulling out the digital camera. She grabbed Melanie’s shoulder and pulled her over with a few relatives and took some shots of them. “John O’Callaghan, get over here!”

Melanie inwardly grunted; she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. John walked up to her, hostility was radiating off of her body and she was sure he could feel it. He stared her for a second, more apologies in his eyes.

“Smile! Come on you two! You look as if you’ve just met!” Her father laughed.

Melanie looked up at John once more, knowing he could see the pain she was feeling through her eyes even if no one else could. He awkwardly put his arm around her waist as they both faked their smiles, and as soon as the flash was done John was already five feet away from her. It was like she was the virus he was afraid to catch.

Melanie watched as Taylor took her place back at John’s side, and how easily it was for his parents to love her. It hurt her.

“Hey, Melanie!”

Melanie turned at the sound of her name, smiling when she saw Bryan Cook jogging over to her. “Hey Bryan, what’s up?”

He flashed her a cute smile before pulling her into a hug. “I’m having this party tonight, my folks are out of town…and I was thinking that maybe you’d want to come with me?”

“Like, as a date?” Melanie questioned.

She watched his tanned cheeks blush. “That’s what I was thinking.”

She couldn’t help but to smile at him. She knew that their date wouldn't lead to a relationship, but why not have some fun for one last time, “Yeah, that’d be fun.”

Bryan ran his hair through his curly blond hair. “Awesome…”

“I’ll meet you there at ten?” she smiled.

He nodded his head and gave her an accomplished grin, “Yeah, sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

“See ya,” Melanie said turning back to her group.

Melanie could feel his eyes on her cutting her strong exterior like a blade. She could feel it without even looking at him. She was breaking him as bad as he was breaking her, and it almost made her feel good.
♠ ♠ ♠
Melanie's outfit.
So, this was slightly a filler, but necessary. But, I'm pretty excited because my next two chapters are probably by far my favorites. And, I just had maybe one of the worst days of my life, so you should comment and cheer me up.
How are you feeling about John Oh's giiirlfriend Taylor? (: