Of Confidence

“University of Washington won’t stop sending me letters.”

Dr. Harrison smiled, “I don’t understand why you sound upset about that. It’s one of the best schools in the country you know?”

“I know, but I also got into ASU…and that way I could be closer to John again. I would really hate to finally work things out and then move over one thousand miles away from him. I don’t know which one is more worth it though,” Melanie said truthfully.

‘U-Dub’ had been her dream since she was twelve years old, only now did she seek a degree in clinical psychology in which she could help women who had been through her situation. But John, he had been her dream her entire life. She knew it was illogical to base your future off of a temporary thing, but she loved him, and she was ninety percent sure that he loved her too. And if their love really was what it had seemed to be then it would outlast her four years at U-Dub.

“Has John vocally told you that he loved you?” Dr. Harrison asked.

“Not full out said the words, but he has kind of eluded to it,” she replied, remembering that night in the opera house.

“He obviously wants you to go to ASU though, correct?”

Melanie nodded her head, “He wants me as close as possible. I would tell him to come with me, but his life is here. His band is here, there’s nothing besides me there for him.”

Dr. Harrison nodded her head in understanding, but kept her lips in a tight line.

“What?” Melanie asked, cocking her head the side.

“Melanie, this is your last therapy session, and I think that we’ve made huge amounts of progress together, but I don’t want you to forget that you learned to be in control of your life again. You learned to control your emotions and love for you. I just don’t want you to make a decision that you’ll regret five months down the road.”

“Do you think I should go?” She asked honestly.

“I just think you need to decide where you’ll be happiest, and if that’s with John then stay,” Dr. Harrison said at last, an accepting smile on her lips.

Melanie grinned confidently thinking of the past week she had spent with John. He had been there for her this whole summer also, proving to her once again why she loved him. She completely had forgiven for what had happened earlier that year and she felt complete. She hoped that she was making the right decision as she let her heart choose over her head, “I want him.”

_____

Melanie rinsed the strawberry scented conditioner out of her blonde hair and quickly turned the hot water off. She wrapped a towel around her body and observed herself in the mirror as she dried her skin off.

Her summer tan was beginning to fade as fall was coming Arizona’s way, but her skin still seemed to glow and she chalked it up to the fact that she was finally happy, and that must have had something to do with the radiant shimmer. The bruises on her skin had finally disappeared and she stopped envisioning them a few months after therapy had begun. She was finally back to herself; she felt the old Melanie Hendricks she had always been.

Melanie slipped some short blue jeans over her waist. She grabbed a lacey pink bra from her drawer and put it around her bust, for the first time in a while feeling sexy again. She pulled and oversized light sweater over her shoulders and walked back into the bathroom to blow dry her hair into its normal blonde waves.

She walked down the stairs to where her family was sitting around the table playing a game of cards. Mr. Hendricks smiled at her. “You look very pretty, Melanie. Will we be seeing John soon?”

She giggled as she heard quiet teasing moans from Haley and her mother scolding the girl for her inappropriateness. “No, no. He’s having a boy’s night tonight, so I’m going to go over later after they’re all gone.”

Mrs. Hendricks looked at her watch. “It’s already ten thirty dear; shouldn’t you be going to bed?”

Her father laughed, “Elaine! She’s over eighteen now! She’s not a child babe.”

Melanie watched as her mother begrudgingly wiped a falling tear from her eye, “You’re right…my baby is all grown up.”

She went and wrapped her arms around the aging woman, “Don’t cry Mama, I’ll still be here for school and all.”

“I know, but you’ll be getting married soon, and having children and-

“Elaine, I have just accepted the fact that our daughter is dating boys, don’t talk about marriage!” Her father laughed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” her mom laughed. “Oh, Melanie, someone dropped off something for you!”

She watched as her mother walked over and picked a letter off of the kitchen counter, placing it in her hands. “Do you know who it’s from?” Melanie asked.

“No, no, but he seemed like a perfectly fine gentlemen. He was cute, but I mean you’ve got John, so that doesn’t matter,” her mom said.

Melanie smiled to herself, “How did you all find out about me and John? I didn’t tell you anything.”

Her dad came and put an arm around her shoulders, “You didn’t have to say anything Melanie. We could see it on your face.”

She could feel herself blushing as her dad pulled her into a hug, “I’m going to bed, have a good night and be safe.”

Melanie said good night to her family as she headed back up to her room. Boxes were everywhere, packed up for the move into her dorm in a few short weeks. Her room looked nearly empty and it made her involuntarily shutter as she realized her mother was right; she was growing up and soon she would be getting married.

She dwindled the letter that was in her hands from the mysterious guest as she tore it open. She let her fingers run over the paper lightly as she unfolded it and read the scraggly writing:

Happy birthday, Melanie. I have your bracelet. Meet me at 1034 White Wind Lane at eleven o’clock. See you then, Jeremy

_____

Melanie counted each footstep she had taken to get over to the white house that scarily was only three blocks away from hers. It was raining, but she had chosen to walk anyways hoping that the serenity would help to convince her that she would be okay.

As she spotted the house she watched as a white car sped away from the building in record time, sending an eerie feeling through her bones. She felt chills up her spine as she approached the steps to his home, telling her that she shouldn’t be here; but she ignored the sensation.

The stairs creaked loudly as she stepped onto the dark porch. She approached the door quietly, trying to soften her footsteps so the wood would stop its screaming from below her Converse sneakers.

She raised her hand to knock on the door, gripping the pepper spray that was in her pocket tightly with the other hand. Just as her knuckles were about to contact the white wood she stopped, looking at the door that was sitting ajar.

Melanie felt another wave of warning run through her body but ignored the omen as she walked into the house cautiously. The lights were all off, the only light and sound coming from the TV that was in the room she had just previously entered. She stalked down the hall and through the kitchen slowly, waiting for Jeremy to step out from the shadows, his hot breath breathing down her neck.

She involuntarily shuddered at the thought. She turned each corner slowly, observing every table or every counter she saw for the bracelet she was seeking.

Melanie got goose bumps as she saw a stair case and rubbed her arms, forcing them away. She walked down the thin hallway at a slow pace, surveying all the pictures that were on the hallway’s wall.

Jeremy was in them all, she could tell by his eyes. They were with people she assumed to be his family by the way they all had the same smile and she couldn’t help but to wonder if they all knew the monster he really was.

Melanie stepped into a foyer, all the doors closed except for one at the end of the hall. There was a light on and the room was cracked open slightly, but even through the hole she couldn’t see the boy who had beckoned her to the dwelling.

“Jeremy,” she called out confidently. “Give me my bracelet you bastard.”

She was proud of her poise, showing him that she wasn’t the same fragile girl he had made her at one point. There was no reply from the room so she walked closer.

Melanie made it to the door, looking behind her once and grabbing the pepper spray in her pocket tightly. She pushed open the door, letting a scream escape her lips as she saw the red on the floor. There in the middle of the room lay Jeremy’s body covered in blood.