Of Confidence

Las Vegas wasn’t as beautiful as the movies made it seem. If you put a penny in a slot machine your chances of actually winning the one million dollar prize on the top was one in ten thousand. You couldn’t actually go on top of Caesar’s Palace without being caught by security. If you were under eighteen you couldn’t be on the strip without an adult past nine and fake ID’s were checked way more strictly than perceived. There was really hardly anything to do if you weren’t over twenty-one years of age.

“I’m sorry this was such a bust, Melanie. I didn’t know that Sin City was only Sin City…if you’re over eighteen. I didn’t realize Vegas had a fine print,” Pat said holding her hand softly.

Melanie laughed, “No worries Pat. I didn’t really want to make my birthday a big deal anyways.”

She knew it was a lie, but she wanted to make the frail boy in front of her feel better. They sat in the lounge of the backstage section at the House of Blues. It was only about two in the afternoon and the boys were trying to get a reservation at a club at the Palms called Ghost, but to be in a club in Vegas you had to be over 21, something they weren’t aware of at the time.

Garrett approached her, a serious look on his lips. He grabbed her hands, “Melanie, I’ll make it up to you okay love? Meet me in my room at two A.M, and we’ll celebrate you being legal.”

Melanie laughed as Garrett’s sister Chelsea grimaced at her brother, “You’re a pig.”

Garrett pretended to look offended and let go of Melanie and crossed his arms, “Jared, I take it back. You can’t date my sister anymore; she’s a heartless bit-

Jared cleared his throat, “You two stop it. Chelsea, let’s go somewhere,” he chuckled.

Chelsea giggled, attaching her hand to the red head’s and following him out of the room a scowl on Garrett’s lips. He looked at Melanie, a faux look of anger on his face. “That’s my sister, why I ought a’!”

Melanie giggled as she turned her attention to John who was sitting next to her on the couch as the boys slowly filtered out of the room. “You okay? You’re really quiet today.”

John shook his head softly, dismissing her question. He took a sip of his Starbuck’s coffee that was in his hands avoiding eye contact.

Melanie adjusted closer to him on the couch and placed her hand on his knee. “John, I know something is wrong. You only drink coffee when you’re stressed or angry.”

She watched as he softly smiled, with a small chuckle on his lips. “You would know that.”

Melanie returned an embarrassed grin, “Of course I do…we’re best friends.”

She watched as the corners of John’s lips pulled up, “Yes, we are. Just like I know that you drink a Yahoo whenever you’re upset,” he chuckled.

She giggled, “I know I know, you think it tastes just like watery chocolate. I don’t care, I like it!”

John chuckled, and she could tell that he wasn’t letting himself enjoy anything at the moment; he was sulking over something. Melanie bent forward maneuvering around him to where he had to look into her blue eyes. He smiled in defeat and she sighed. “All right, what’s wrong John?”

“I just feel bad that your birthday didn’t go as well as planned. I wanted it to be perfect,” he said sadly. “I feel bad about bringing you out here for nothing. It’s not fair.”

Melanie sat back against the seat of the couch, “Why doesn’t anyone believe I’m having a good time? I’m in Vegas John! I’m on vacation with my best friends! I am having a great birthday,” she said sincerely.

John smiled a little of relief, “Are you sure?”

She grinned and nodded her head confidently, “I pinky promise you,” she said, sticking out her smallest finger.

John moved his hand and grasped his pinky with hers. They both leaned in slowly to kiss the back of their fists sealing the promise. Melanie couldn’t help but to notice John’s slow tempo as he kissed his hand and the small distance that their locked hands created between their lips. Even as they released John kept their pinkies locked and his eyes on her.

“The glass is half full?” He asked.

“John, nothing could ruin this day for me,” Melanie said innocently.

He bit his bottom lip as his mouth turned up into a sideways grin. The two were far too entranced in the view of the other’s eyes to notice the security guard in black that had entered the room. “John O’Callaghan?” He asked, his voice deep.

John turned his attention to the older gentlemen releasing Melanie’s hand in the process. “Yes?”

“Someone is here to see you,” the security guard replied.

Melanie turned her eyes to the entrance of the door where a girl was standing. Her long brown hair was in curls and she was wearing a soft brown sundress that accented her tanned skin, “Uh, hey Melanie…John.”

Melanie looked away from Taylor and back to the boy next to her, “Maybe I spoke too soon.”

______

“So I don’t like to judge people, but we don’t like Taylor do we?” Charlotte asked Melanie, laughing as she played with her messy fiery red hair.

“She’s not bad, I guess, but-

“We hate her,” Kennedy finished, laughing. “You don’t have to be delicate Melanie. No one likes her.”

“Why though?” Charlotte asked as they stood on an escalator in The Mandalay Bay Casino and Hotel. They had walked only a few steps out of the venue and the girls had found a Starbucks and an Urban Outfitters.

“She was a douche bag to me in high school,” Melanie said stepped off of the escalator and walking into the store. “She used to hate that me and John were best friends because she wanted John’s balls.”

Kennedy chuckled, “Some people don’t handle it as well as others.”

Melanie knew that only she would understand that and so she wasn’t surprised when Charlotte had no reaction to his subtle comment.

“Oh, I love this shirt!” Charlotte exclaimed, holding it up to her thin body and giving Melanie a pouty model face. “How do I look?”

Melanie laughed, “Oh gorgeous, baby!”

Charlotte laughed as she walked away with Kennedy, leaving Melanie to shop around the store herself. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t jealous of the couple she was with, but for a nice change it wasn’t because Charlotte had Kennedy. Melanie surprisingly was able to get over him through his new girlfriend’s charm. She could never hate Charlotte, in fact in the past two weeks she had grown to love the girl.

No, she was jealous because of the fact that they were so adorable she wanted to throw up. She was jealous because they were so happy with one another’s company. She was jealous that their relationship was black and white: they were together, end of story.

Melanie looked away from the skinny jeans she was dwindling with and to Charlotte who was staring at her with a coy smile on her lips. She used her pointer finger to gesture for Melanie to come where she was.

Melanie walked over to Charlotte and Kennedy and laughed as they held a deep blue dress out in front of her. “Go try this on, right now,” she ordered.

Melanie looked at Kennedy who was laughing. “You guys I can’t afford it, there’s no point!”

Charlotte shook her head forcefully, “Good thing it’s your birthday then, huh! Happy Birthday Melanie, now go.”

“I really don’t need another dress, I have plenty at home!” Melanie protested.

Charlotte laughed viciously, “Oh this is for tonight. Kenny just told me some of the things that Taylor did to you in high school and I want her to know something,” she began. She leaned in closer to Melanie, a devious grin on her lips. “We don’t fight fair.”

___

“If I could gather up the nerve I’d put my feelings into words. And if I weren’t so young, or stupid, or restless, I might be able to just soon forget this. Just forget this. If I only had the heart, the nerve, the words, you’d think by now I would have learned.”

Melanie listened to the roar of the crowd as she stood on the side of the stage signing to all the songs she now knew by heart. She would never get tired of watching her best friends doing the thing they loved most. Just the look of pure ecstasy on their faces gave her a joyous feeling.

“They’re really good aren’t they?” Taylor said, smiling at Melanie.

She nodded her head politely, “They always have been.”

Taylor adjusted the bottom of her dress, pulling it much higher than it was previously. She changed out of her classy sundress and into a ridiculously tight black one. Melanie wanted to say that she looked ugly and fat but it was a lie. Taylor had no flaws on her body and she was sure that was one of the reasons John had chosen to be with her.

“Slut,” Charlotte said into Melanie’s ear, looking at Taylor.

Melanie laughed, “I’m so glad Kenny found you, Charlie.”

She watched as Charlotte looked at the boy in front of them and his boyish grin. His messy hair was sweaty and scattered and he had the cutest smile on his lips. Kennedy had always been a good looking man. “Me too,” Charlotte responded happily.

“Thank you guys! We are The Maine!” John yelled into the microphone as the crowd screamed, upset about the bands’ exit.

John walked off the stage, an elated grin on his lips. Melanie gave him a small grin and rubbed her arms awkwardly, waiting for him to engulf the girl next to her in his arms with a kiss. She looked away and to the crowd that was disappearing through the closing curtain.

She heard a scoff next to her and completely confused as to why until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her small frame, lifting her off the floor. She hugged the figure back happily as Taylor strutted away from next to her.

John set her down softly and backed her further back stage and into the dark. He smiled and grabbed her shoulders. “Melanie, this could seal our record deal that we’ve been discussing with Fearless! There were reps here!”

Melanie smiled wide and jumped into John’s arms. “I’m so proud of you, John!”

He held her tightly against his lanky frame before setting her down again. “Okay, so meet me at eleven backstage, okay?”

She looked at him confusedly, “Why?”

John smiled confidently before he began walking away from her, “Just trust me!” He yelled.

And so she did.