Of Confidence

Melanie jumped as the boiling water sprayed up at her as she poured the frozen cheese ravioli into the pot. Her parents weren’t home that nigh which left her in charge of dinner for her and Haley.

"So, are you and John dating?" Haley asked, taking a seat on the tiled counter.

Melanie laughed, "No! Why would you even think that?"

"I saw him walk into your bathroom today while you were showering...and I figured you wouldn't be sleeping with him if you weren't dating." She said.

"Whoa kid! Hold up. John and I are not sleeping together."

"Then why did he walk in on you today?"

"He was writing a note on my mirror, that's it. Nothing more," Melanie replied, realizing now what it must have looked like. Inside she secretly smiled, knowing that she wasn’t the only one who felt it was a little past the lines of friendship.

"Oh, well, I just figured," Haley mumbled while playing with her long honey brown curl. "Well, have you guys ever made out?"

Melanie chuckled, “No, we haven’t.”

"You haven't? There are girls younger than you that have made out with him, Melanie!"

"Ew, and no I haven't. So will you please just mind your own business?”

Melanie wanted to tell her sister how she felt about John. She wanted to tell her about the permanent blush he gave her, or how a simple touch made her skin burn, but she couldn’t. She refused to tell anyone, besides Kennedy who already knew, just in case she told him that she loved him and he turned her down.

"Fine, I have to go get ready anyways," she replied standing up.

Melanie looked at the timer on the noodles indicating ten more minutes. “Dinner’s not even done yet.”

"I have a date."

"With Justin?" she questioned, uneasily.

"Yes, why?" Haley asked.

"Nothing, just be careful, Hales. He's a lot older than you." Justin Meyers was in Melanie’s grade, and everyone knew he was a player.

"Only two years," she replied.

Melanie shook her head. “Just remember Haley, you’re only a sophomore. He’s a senior who has quite a lot more of uh, life experience, you could say. Two years is a significant difference for a teenage boy and a teenage girl."”

Melanie knew that Haley knew what she was talking about. Justin was a senior, and he definitely wasn’t a virgin. He was infamous for going after younger girls and stealing their purity.

"Mom already gave me the sex talk, Melanie. So will you just mind your own business?" Haley said in a mocking tone.

"Fine," she said begrudgingly. Sometimes Melanie really worried about her sister.

She watched as Haley rolled her eyes and walked over to the mirror on the wall of the kitchen. She watched as her fifteen year old sister bent over and pushed her breasts up in her bra. She watched as she tasseled her hair, giving it a ‘frisky’ look, as the magazines would say. She watched as she applied two more coats of lip gloss and a significant amount of perfume to her neck and in her hair.

Melanie heard a honk outside, and Haley squealed, "Bye sis!"

She took a deep breath in before giving her sister a huge hug. “Please be careful, Haley.”

"I will, mom!" she laughed, as she released Melanie and walked out the door.

The timer started going off on the oven and Melanie took away Haley’s place setting which left the table set for one.

_______________________________________________________________________

Melanie impatiently tapped her pencil against her desk as she sat and though about how Friday was obviously the worst day of the week. Sure, it was the best for being the last day but it went by in such a terribly long drag. Melanie finished the Calculus quiz that sat on her desk and walked and handed it to Mrs. Karol. Most of the kids in the room were already done, but math wasn’t exactly her best subject.

She walked back to her desk and she could hear the two girls behind her talking about the boy’s show tonight with Forever the Sickest Kids, Hit the Lights, and Mercy Mercedes. It was a huge show for them and she knew without a doubt that they were terrified.

When the bell finally rang Melanie gathered her books and put them in her bag, leisurely walking to her locker. She could hear John’s smooth voice chatting up a giggling girl right by her locker.

"All right, so I'll see you tonight then?" John asked. Melanie watched as the girl nodded her head and batted her eyelashes at him. John watched her walk away, waved at a few staring girls, high-fived a few guys, then he looked at Melanie. "Hello, love," he said as she finished organizing her books for next week and shut her locker.

"Hey buddy. You ready for the show tonight?" she smiled.

"Heck yes! And I just got another fan," he laughed.

"A fan of John? Or a fan of the band?"

"Both," he smirked as he grabbed her backpack from her and swung it over his shoulder. They walked to the parking lot where the van was waiting for them and Kennedy opened the door from the inside, meeting Melanie.

"Hello, Melanie," he said as she got into the vehicle.

“Hi, Kennedy,” she replied, sitting down and fastening her seat belt. John was driving and she knew it would most likely be a bumpy ride.

"Hey Mel!" Pat yelled from the passenger seat.

"Hello Patty cakes! G-man, J-dog," she chuckled nodding at Garrett and Jared who waved, but were too into their video game to care at the moment.

When they got to the venue Melanie wasn’t surprised to the long line of girls that stood outside the building. She grabbed boxes of t shirts and began to load them inside and set up the merch table and racks. The boys were still fairly new on the music scene, only having an EP out, but they still had a pretty good fan base, mostly of girls that went to school with Melanie.

Melanie watched as fans began crowding around the small stage in the front of the joint, a sea of skinny jeans and band t-shirts. They all had bangs swooping to the left and right and bracelets going all the way up to their elbows. Melanie laughed as she remembered the stack of clothes that she had given to Haley not too long ago, consisting of band t-shirts and skinny jeans she had outgrown. She was a fan girl herself two years ago.

The Maine was the first band to go on and she could see the boys backstage freaking out. Melanie looked and searched, but John was no where to be found. She craned my neck and turned her head, but he was no where. Melanie then noticed the group of girls in the back of the crowd staring in her direction, glaring at her, and then one of them squealed. She nervously messed with the hem of her grey blazer that overlaid a black and white striped t-shirt she had tucked into her cuffed jeans. She turned around with her head down and ran into a tall body. The body in turn wrapped his arms around her body, engulfing her in a hug, with his lips bending down to her ear.

"I'm nervous," John whispered.

"You'll do great I know it," she replied looking up at him. "But, if you don't hurry, you're going to be late."

"I just needed a hug from my best friend first." He smiled before letting her go.

"Kick booty!" Melanie ordered. He laughed at her, and she knew it was because of her replaced with ‘booty’ for a derogatory word he would’ve used in it’s place.

"I'll try!" he shouted as he walked away and backstage.

When the boys walked on to the stage they looked frightened, but they looked as if they belonged. They all had a grateful grin on their lips, and their eyes reflected the visions of the dancing crowd. John’s voice echoed through the airwaves and into Melanie’s ear drums and she found herself dancing behind the merch table as she sang out loud to the songs she knew by heart.

John thanked everyone for the opportunity to be here and told the girls to go visit Melanie at the merch table and buy some clothes. Melanie watched as they ran off the stage and how girls from the crowd ran over to them, begging for pictures and autographs that would go on their MySpaces and their bedroom walls.

Melanie smiled as she watched John with the fans. He was so happy. She watched as he talked and teased the girls who had to be no older than Haley, and she watched as he took at least thirty pictures, in each one looking as happy as the last. He was a sight to see.

"That your boyfriend?" She heard a voice from behind her ask.

“John?” Melanie laughed, and the boy nodded his head. He was really skinny and really tall. He had ridiculously blond hair and bright blue eyes. No doubt the boy was extremely attractive. “No, he’s my best friend.”

"So no boyfriend then?" he asked, a small grin on his lips.

Melanie shook her head no, and the boy stuck his hand out to her. "Well, I'm Kyle Burns. I'm Forever the Sickest Kids’ drummer, and I too am single."

She shook his hand, chuckling, "I'm Melanie."

"That's a pretty name. So, Melanie, what are you doing tonight after the show?"

Kennedy walked up just then and grabbed a sharpie from behind the table. "Don't even think about it Kyle. She's all John's, and he would kill you."

"You're all his?" Kyle asked her as Kennedy walked away.

"He's really protective I guess, but I've never seen him in action. I bet it's true that he would kill you though," Melanie replied shrugging.

"Want to find out?" Kyle asked lifting his eyebrows.

“What do you have in mind?” Melanie laughed, looking up at Kyle. He was soon in her face, his arms around her waist, and his lips inching towards hers slowly. She bit her lower lip and she watched as Kyle smiled a little. Just when their lips were about to touch Melanie heard someone clear their throat. She looked over to see his blue-green eyes staring at her with so many emotions, but one remaining prevalent: anger.

"Wow, he does have you on a tight leash," Kyle said letting go of her.

"I just watch out for her best interests," John replied. "She's like my little sister, Kyle."

Melanie felt her heart drop as she repeated his words in her head. She’s like my little sister. Guys didn’t date their sisters. Was she stupid for thinking he could ever want something more from her? Yes, and she knew she was stupid for waiting around for him to realize that he loved her.

"Well, then Melanie, call me when your 'brother' isn't around," Kyle said to her, grinning. "We could start where we left off."

"I wouldn't wait up for that, Kyle," John said.

Melanie felt angry as John replied to Kyle. He wouldn’t love her but she couldn’t love anyone else?

"I will," Melanie smiled back at Kyle who handed her a piece of paper with numbers scratched on to it. John’s mouth fell open, but he quickly closed it.

Melanie watched Kyle walk over to one of his band mates and high five him. She turned to face John, who's face was blank, free of any emotion what so ever. He was mumbling something under his breath as he walked away.

"What's wrong with John?" Jared asked as he walked up to the merch table. Melanie shrugged her shoulders and watched John as he walked over to Jonathon the sickest kid.

Her thoughts were occupied with the fact that John had just admitted how he felt about her; she was a sister. Family. And, she was pretty sure that John wasn’t down for incest. Melanie was so caught up in the aching of her heart she didn’t notice the brunette standing at the merch table.

“Hello?” The girl said, her voice escalating.

Melanie tore her eyes away from John and to the girl that stood in front of her. She was tall, tan, and pretty enough to be a model. Her long brown hair hung perfectly straight, past her bust, and her teeth glowed white. She was the kind of girl that John would be in to.

"Uh, sorry," Melanie said. "What would you like?"

"The 'Super Maine That Ohhh' tee shirt in an extra small, please," she replied.

Melanie grabbed the shirt from the box to her left, and handed the girl the last extra small in the box. The girl rudely slammed her twenty dollar bill onto the counter before her heels clicked away.

She’s a lady, and ladies shouldn’t be messed with. Melanie sang along to the music flowing from the speakers as she began packing up the merch, so that when the sickest kids were done, the boys could take her home.

When they walked off the stage dismissing the crowd, Melanie looked all over the room for the boys, but her eyes stopped as she felt a string pull on her heart.

She tried to remove her stare from him but she couldn’t look away. It felt like a fright train was running her over.

His hands...his lips...on her, and the only thought that could make it's way into Melanie’s mind was the fact that she’d never be good enough for John O'Callaghan.