The Roots That Tied to My Feet

Melanie tip toed into the kitchen and let her bare toes smack against the cool tile silently. She peeked around corners making sure no one was present before flicking on the lights and lighting the dark room. She looked in all the cabinets before she finally found a glass in the large room. She poured herself some water before taking a seat at the small island.

The kitchen was beautiful. It had all stainless steel appliances and was perfectly clean considering the maids were the only one who ever entered it besides the families chef. Ben’s life was so different than Melanie’s, she couldn’t even believe it. Sure, back home she had had a housekeeper, but not maids who called to your every whim. She almost felt sympathetic for them.

“What are you doing?”

Melanie jumped from the voice behind her before turning, and sighing when she realized who it was, “You scared me.”

William Reed laughed heartily before entering the room, “You leave tomorrow morning yeah?”

She nodded her head and took a sip of her tap water. She watched as he reached into the cabinet next to the fridge and poured himself a bowl of fruity pebbles. “Late night?” Melanie chucked looking to see that it was nearly four in the morning.

The boy raised his eyebrows and laughed, a small smirk on his lips, “You could say that. I was at a friend’s birthday party. There were a lot of American girls there,” William ran his hand through his hair and chuckled, “You girls are crazy, if you know what I’m saying.”

Melanie felt herself blushing. It was unusual for a boy she barely knew to be talking about such things with her. He shared the same accent as his brother but Melanie couldn’t even picture such words coming from Ben’s lips. “So I’ve heard.”

“Do you guys study Kama Sutra or something?” He laughed.

She felt her cheeks blushing at the words that came through his lips, “No, we just worship people like Holly Madison.”

“God, I want to move to America.”

Melanie chuckled as she took a sip of her drink and sat on her stool. She rested the glass on the counter and popped back a Tylenol trying to rid herself of her migraine.

“So, you met Emily?” William asked, a smirk on his lips.

She looked at the boy intrigued, “Yes, I did. I don’t think she likes me though.”

He laughed, “She likes Ben too much to like you.”

“That’s what I figured,” Melanie responded honestly. “I mean, I guess I don’t blame her, Ben is a great guy.”

William rolled his eyes, “I am so sick of that sentence, you know that?”

She bit her lip, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you. I just—he is.”

“I’m a great guy too,” he mumbled and Melanie was unsure if she even heard the boy at first, but when she saw his eyes sadly tracing shapes on the countertops.

“What do you do, William?” Melanie asked.

He seemed surprised that she was interested in him in the least. “I—uh, I’m a musician. Or well, I want to be. My band isn’t very big yet but we’re trying.”

Of course he was a musician, she laughed to herself. “My best friend is in a band actually,” she smiled. “What do you play?”

William grinned at the mention of John and his posture straightened as he seemed more interested in the conversation. “I play the piano.”

Melanie grinned, “So do I.”

“Why are you with my brother?” William asked laughing. “You’re too good for him.”

She shook her head, “No I’m not.”

“Hmm, and here I was thinking that I was the only one who didn’t feel good enough to be in a family with him,” William replied, sarcastically.

Melanie looked at the boy confusedly, “What do you mean?”

He scratched the back of his neck unsure, “I’m the black sheep of this family if you couldn’t tell.”

“Because you’re a musician?”

The boy nodded his head, “Yeah, and other reasons.”

“My best friend is a musician, I think it’s cool,” Melanie smiled, trying to give the boy confidence.

“Your best friend is a guy?” William asked with an ironic smile on his lips.

“Yeah, he is. We’ve been best friends since birth.”

“And Ben isn’t jealous?” He asked seriously.

“Why would he be?”

William ran a hand through his hair that was a mess on the top of his head. You could tell by the style that he had been having sex, if not that you could tell by his shirt that was messily buttoned and the hickeys on his neck. “Do you know why Emily and Ben broke up?”

“Because Ben moved to Seattle?” Melanie said aloud, in a question.

William chuckled, “You’d think. No—uh, originally Emily planned to move with him to America.”

“She did?” She asked nervously, intrigued at the details Ben hadn’t told her.

“You know that they dated for three years right?” He asked and Melanie nodded her head. He continued, “Well those years were great for them. They were young and in love and everything was great. But, my parents decided to get a divorce and well, Ben was given a choice on whether he wanted to stay with our mother or go to America with our father and follow in his medical footsteps. Ben chose to go, and Emily was really angry. I mean really upset. She thought that he wanted to leave her by those words and so she made a mistake.

“She-uh, well, she got really drunk one night at one of my friend’s parties. And, well, I was there. And her and I sort of, well…I’m sure you can fill in the blanks. Anyways, after that night we didn’t talk about it again. We hardly spoke after that and Ben didn’t have a clue. Ben asked Emily if she wanted to go to the US with him and she happily agreed. The night before they left though—she couldn’t keep our secret anymore and she told him about what happened.

“And well, long story short. He broke up with her and didn’t talk to her for two years or so and let’s just say he pretty much hates my guts. He holds me responsible for what happened, and I guess I don’t really blame him.”

Melanie stared at the boy, amazed at the truth. Ben hadn’t told her any of that before. He had always told her that he liked John as well and that he seemed like a ‘cool guy’, but Melanie now understood why she always questioned his words. John reminded him of his brother and he was scared that history would repeat itself.
_____

Melanie stepped off the plane and was met with the business of the Phoenix airport. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes as she began following the signs to find her baggage claim area. She made her way through the busy crowd, mumbling quiet apologies whenever she bumped into somebody. As she rode down the escalator that lead to where her bag was awaiting she scanned the floor for John and when she saw him she couldn’t help but to smile.

He was wearing dark jeans with a button up plaid shirt. He had on a leather jacket with matching black boots. His hair was messier than normal showing that he had probably woken up only twenty minutes ago and made his way straight to the airport.

Melanie walked over to the boy and punched him in the arm to get his attention, “Hey loser.”

John turned his green eyes excitedly to the familiar voice, and wrapped his arms around her, “You’re home! Thank God, I’ve been so bored, Melanie.”

“What did you used to do before I came home a month ago?” She chuckled.

He grinned proudly, “Drink. A lot.”

She patted his shoulder, “Good to know that not much has changed.”

John laughed before following her over to the silver baggage carousel. They waited patiently for her luggage and when John found it he grabbed it quickly. She smiled as he took her bag for her, not letting her carry it out to his car.

“How was your Thanksgiving?” Melanie asked, her eyes adjusting to the bright sun by squinting.

John gestured to the glove box in front of her, “There are some extra shades in there. And, my Thanksgiving was great. My family went to your house as per usual and I, my family, and your family, including Garrett all had a huge dinner. How was meeting Ben’s family?”

“I only had a small dinner with them considering they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving,” she laughed. “And I was only there for three days but it was nice I suppose. His grandma didn’t like me I don’t think. She doesn’t approve of Americans. But, I really liked Ben’s brother. He’s really cool.”

“Oh yeah? That’s awesome. I didn’t know Ben even had a brother,” John replied, focusing his eyes on the road.

“Yeah, they’re not exactly as close as Haley and I, I suppose.”

“A lot of families aren’t thought,” John chuckled. “I’m not as close with my bros as you two girls are.”

Melanie smiled, “I love her. Did you keep an eye on her for me?”

He chuckled, “Yes I did. Her and Garrett have not been able to have any sex with this big cock block right here!” He yelled triumphantly pointing at himself.

She giggled, “Thank you very much. I don’t want any little Nickelsens for a while! One is enough.”

John smiled as he exited the freeway and drove down the road to Melanie’s parent’s house. No one’s cars were home except for the one she and Ben had driven down. “Where is everyone?”

John shrugged, “Looks like we have the house to ourselves.”

The two walked into the large home and listened to the silence as John lugged her bags upstairs into her roomy bedroom. He set them on her bed before gasping, “Why do you have so much crap in there for a three day trip?” He laughed.

Melanie chuckled, “His mom is involved in fashion and so I had to look good I suppose.” She threw her heels on the floor before lying on her bed next to John.

“Why is Ben staying there?”

“He never really gets to see his family so he figured while he has this time off of school and his internship that he’d stay home and visit with them. Plus, his best friend Emily is in town so he can see her too.”

“Female best friend?” John asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” Melanie said simply. “They’re like...how we were when we younger.”

“Are you jealous?”

She shrugged and bit her lip, “No, I just don’t know if there’s like lingering feelings you know.”

“Well, we’re best friends…”

Melanie smiled a bit, happy that he seemed to have truly forgiven her in the course of the past month and say those words again; they meant more to her as they came from his lips. “Yes, we are.”

“And there are no lingering feelings between us…?” John stated more as a question.

“Right,” she said simply.

“Then, I’m sure there are no lingering feelings between them either,” he whispered softly, grabbing her hand giving it a squeeze. He turned his green eyes to her and looked into her own confidently. She slipped her hand out of his own and she looked back at him. “He’d be an idiot to let you go, Mel. Don’t worry, I can guarantee that he won’t cheat on you.”

She stared at John as he read her mind and told her the words that she needed to hear. She groaned inwardly as one thought ran through her mind for the rest of the night: If Emily and Ben were anything like herself and John she was definitely worried.