Status: FIN.

The Roots That Tied to My Feet

never say goodbye

Melanie raised her hand to knock on the door in front of her with nerves running through her every vein. She paused just before her hand hit the familiar paint. “Ben,” she began as she looked at the boy behind her.

“Yeah, Mel?” He asked, ruffling his brown hair instinctively.

“You need to know something,” she said sheepishly. She tucked a lock of her brown hair behind her ear and looked into his blue eyes.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Ben asked worriedly.

“You know how I moved to Seattle three years ago for college?”

“Of course,” he chuckled.

“Well, I didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms,” Melanie said nervously, biting her lip. “I didn’t exactly say goodbye to everyone.”

Ben looked at her and grabbed her hand, “So not everyone is going to be very happy to see you?”

She shook her head, “Some of them might be pretty bitter.”

He looked at her with a sympathetic smile on his lips, “I’ve got your back, Melanie.”

She smiled before grabbing his hand firmly and knocking on the white door. They waited patiently for someone to open the door and she placed a nervous grin on her lips as Kennedy did. “Melanie,” he smiled, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She could smell the familiarity of his cologne and couldn’t help but to feel at ease as he squeezed her hips gently. “Hey Kennedy, you remember Ben?”

Kennedy smiled at the boy who was next to her and firmly shook his hand, “What’s up man? It’s been a while.”

“Oh you know, it’s been going well. Just trying to keep up with this one,” he laughed, using his head to gesture to Melanie, causing to roll her eyes.

The first year Melanie moved to Seattle the boys went on their second US tour, stopping in her city. She was happily surprised when Kennedy showed up on her doorstep and she took the opportunity to introduce him to the boy she been living with; Ben Reed.

Kennedy and Ben got along well, but Melanie knew there was tension because he still wanted her with John, and didn’t want to accept the fact that she truly had given up on him.

Ben had never known about John though; no, she’d never tell him about that part of her life because it didn’t matter. She knew it was wrong to leave out everything that had happened to her senior year of high school but she didn’t care; it wasn’t as if she was lying. She was just leaving out some information that seemed obsolete to her anyways.

There was no sense talking about something that she didn’t want to remember.

“Is everyone here?” Melanie asked as she took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack on top of Ben’s.

“Yeah they’re all around here somewhere,” Kennedy chuckled. “But I know someone who really wants to see you.”

As if on cue a red head walked into the room with a loud squeal, “Melanie Louise Hendricks!”

“Charlie!” Melanie yelled, excitedly. “Oh my gosh I missed you!”

The two girls held onto each other tightly while the boys quietly laughed at their exchange.

“Your sister is dating Garrett,” Charlotte said seriously, holding onto her shoulders.

Melanie laughed, “I know, she told me yesterday.”

“Okay good so you won’t get freaked out when they walk down the stairs with their hair messed up?”

She felt her bones goes rigid in protection, “They’re doing what?”

Charlotte laughed, “Oh girl I’m just joking! They’re in the living room with the rest of the guys, come on!”

“Wait! Charlie, this is my boyfriend Ben,” Melanie smiled reattaching her hand in his.

Charlotte looked at him curiously, “Nice to meet you, Ben. Has everyone met you yet?”

Melanie looked at Charlie, cutting Ben off, “No, just you and Kenny.”

Charlotte made an ‘o’ with her mouth before turning her back mumbling, “This should be interesting.”

They couple followed her into the living room where old friends of Melanie’s sat around the couch and around the area with smiles on their lips as they conversed with one another.

“Melanie!”

She turned at the sound of her name being yelled and was tackled by a boy with dark brown hair and glasses. “Garrett Nickelsen, you have some explaining to do,” she smiled.

“Weird, I was going to say the same exact thing to you,” he said sharply.

Melanie raised her eyebrows at the boy surprised by how quickly he came back with that comment, “I’m sorry.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder leading her and Ben to the couch, “You’re forgiven.”

“Jared,” Melanie smiled as she sat down next to her sister and the light red head.

“Hey there, Melanie, it’s been a while,” he smiled, giving her a side hug. She followed his eyes to where a blonde girl was approaching them silently with a huge grin on her lips.

“Chelsea Nickelsen,” she smiled, standing and giving the girl a cheerful hug.

“Melanie Hendricks, where have you been girl?”

Melanie talked for a while about college after introducing Ben to the group, and she was very pleased to see that they all seemed to like him immediately. He told them jokes and charmed them so well that it was impossible for them to find one reason that Melanie wouldn’t love the boy; she was never able to find any reason either.

Melanie looked at the boy who sat in the corner of the couch his mouth shut tightly, not speaking a word, “Pat, are you mad at me?”

He looked at her with sadness in his brown eyes, “What did I do to you, Melanie?”

“What do you mean, Pat?” She asked, unsure.

He got up off the couch and crossed his arms. She quietly excused herself as she followed the small boy into the kitchen where booze laid out on the counter.

“Why did you leave? Why didn’t you say goodbye? Did I do something?” Pat asked sadly.

Melanie felt her face turn into a sympathetic pout, “Oh Pat, no. I didn’t leave because of you.”

He looked at her from beneath his dark brown hair before his face broke out into a smile, “I know, I was just kidding with you. But seriously, Mel. Why did you leave? What were you trying to prove?”

Melanie looked away from him and out of the window in Kennedy’s kitchen. “I wasn’t trying to prove anything, I did it for me.”

Melanie heard a scoff from behind her and got chills up her spine, “How long you going to keep telling everyone that crap?” He said into her ear.

She watched as John walked over to the fridge and began shuffling through its contents with his back towards her. She looked at Pat as he rolled his eyes at John and exited the kitchen.

“What the hell does that mean, John?” Melanie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He looked at her over his shoulder before turning back to the fridge shaking his head incredulously. His crystal eyes were burning with anger. “I don’t know, Melanie.”

Melanie listened as footsteps entered the kitchen and she felt a hand lightly graze her lower back.

“You want something to drink, Melanie?” Ben asked, walking over to the fridge where John was still at.

As she was about to answer she watched as John pulled a Mike’s Hard Lemonade from the cooler and pushed it against Ben’s chest. “Here,” he said.

Ben looked at the boy curiously before looking at Melanie and handing to her her favorite beverage. “You must be John,” Ben said, unknowing of the anger that John would have towards him.

“Yes, I am. You must be, Ben,” John said boldly, sticking his hand out. They shook forcefully with no words being spoken.

John began backing out of the room looking at Melanie with a cruel smirk on his lips, “You proved it loud and clear.”

Melanie rolled her eyes, “Nice to see you again too, John.”

“Oh, did you want me to say goodbye as I walked out of the room?” He began curtly, with a vicious smirk on his lips, “Because as I recall, saying goodbye just isn’t your style.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Melanie;
Wow, extreme filler much? I think so. But hey, first time John and Ben meet.
Anywayyyyys, in the next few chapters the plot will take flight; stick with me <3

PS. This was for keriberry234 and disappearing act <3