The Roots That Tied to My Feet

“Yeah, I’ll be home later. I just want to make sure he’s okay,” Melanie said softly, trying not to wake the boy who was sleeping in the other room.

“Okay, sure thing, Hun. I’ll see you when you get home then. Love you,” Ben said understandingly.

She smiled, “Love you too.”

Melanie placed her phone on the counter top that was in front of her. There was a mess of bills, letters and other sorts of magazines on it and she wrinkled her nose disapproving of John’s mess.

She looked at the time on the clock that read eight thirty. John wouldn’t be up for at least three more hours. Melanie sauntered into his bathroom quietly and started the water in his shower. She made sure the bathroom steamed up completely before putting her hair into a high bun and shedding the clothes she had borrowed from John the night before.

Melanie let the hot water run over her skin as she scrubbed it lightly using a body wash that was in John’s shower. She couldn’t help smelling the familiar scent before rubbing the wash over her body. It smelled so familiar.

Suddenly, Melanie felt hands on her hips, causing a scared scream from her lips. She turned around quickly looking at the boy whose face was just surprised as she was.

“Oh my God!” John screamed, jumping out of the shower and picking his boxers and placing them over his thin waist.

Melanie quickly grabbed a towel and jumped out of the bathtub, “What the hell do you think you’re doing John!?” She screamed, her skin completely flushed.

“Geez, Melanie, I didn’t know you were-what the fu-I am so sorry,” John mumbled all at once putting his face into his hands.

“Why would you even jump in the shower with a random person?” Melanie yelled.

“It’s my house!” John exclaimed. “I figured that I took you home last night! Oh God, did we-

“No,” She answered curtly, clutching the cream towel closer to her body. “I cannot believe you. You are such a pig, John.”

“How am I a pig?” He asked, looking offended.

“You automatically assumed I was a girl you brought home! You didn’t even know who I was!” Melanie replied.

“Oh yeah, Mel, because you haven’t had sex with Ben,” John said, rolling his eyes.

Melanie stared silently at the floor avoiding John’s question. He was right, she hadn’t had sex with Ben. She had told him that she wanted to be pure. She felt her heart drop to the floor as John realized her secret.

“Oh my God,” John said suddenly with a chuckled in his lips. “You haven’t had sex with the guy? He must really love you.”

Melanie adverted her eyes from his, “John I’m in a towel.”

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you in less,” he replied.

She simply looked at him, her face showing her shame from the secret she had been keeping from her fiancé. “Get out.”

She watched as John sauntered out of the bathroom with a look of disbelief on his face. Melanie locked the door behind him and let her towel fall to the floor, replacing it with the jeans and tank top she had been wearing the night before. She pulled her hair out of her holder and let it land in soft natural curls.

Melanie sat down on the closed toilet seat thinking of the lie she had told Ben years ago; she remembered it like it was yesterday.

Melanie grinned at the boy who was in front of her as he tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “You’re kind of cute,” she said softly, making Ben grin.

“Kind of? Kind of!?” He exclaimed playfully, tickling her sides and sending her into a fit of laughter and to the comforter of his bed.

Ben landed on top of her thin frame his hands never seizing their fight. “Ben stop!” She laughed, trying to contain herself.

He laughed, “Not until you say I’m extremely cute!”

“You’re—extremely cute!” Melanie said throughout her giggles.

Ben smiled, placed one of his hands on her cheek and rolled onto his side. He smiled as he kissed his girlfriend softly on her lips, “Happy five month anniversary, Melanie.”

She kissed him back just as gently, “Happy five month anniversary, Ben.”

He looked into her eyes lovingly, and Melanie studied the brown irises. His hand slipped down to her waist and he pulled her against him. He pressed his lips to hers again, the softness of his kiss becoming more passionate.

Melanie felt herself succumbing to his sweet touch as she kissed him back whole heartedly. In only a matter of moments her hands were tangled in his hair and they were both gasping for breath. She let his hand slip up her shirt slowly as a soft moan came from her lips.

Ben smiled comfortingly, moving his lips to her neck where he softly nibbled her sensitive skin. The heat of his skin made Melanie unintentionally think of the last time she had been this close with a boy; it was with John.

She felt as if someone was pulling at her heart strings just trying to rip them out as painfully as possible. She tried to erase the thought of his blue-green eyes from her mind but she couldn’t; just like she couldn’t deny that she still loved him.

Melanie came back to the moment as she felt Ben’s hand slipping to her butt, making its way to the top of her jeans. She wasn’t ready for this—not with him.

“Ben,” she gasped suddenly, grabbing his wrist.

He looked at her questioningly and she realized that the sex topic had yet to come up with them. “You okay, babe?”

She shook her head, trying to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. “I don’t want to do this. I-I don’t want to have sex before I’m married,” she spat out suddenly, not understanding at all where the lie had come from.

“You...you don’t?” Ben asked, disappointment apparent in his voice.

“I-uh, no,” Melanie responded softly.

Ben ran his hand through his hair and crawled off of her thin frame. He was silent for a moment making Melanie feel extremely uncomfortable for the first time she was with him. After a few moments she felt his strong hands wrap around her waist and he buried his face in her neck, “That’s okay. I’ll wait.”

Melanie stepped out of the bathroom and folded the pajama pants and t-shirt she had borrowed from John the night before. Her brown locks bounced softly on her neck.

“I like your hair better blonde,” John said simply.

Melanie turned to find him leaning against the doorway of his bedroom with a pair of green basketball shorts on his narrow hips, “I like it brown.”

“Do you like it brown or does Ben like it brown?” he questioned.

Melanie dropped his clothes on his bed and grabbed her purse off of his floor. “I like it brown.”

He rolled his eyes as she walked past him in the doorway and entering the small living room of his apartment. John followed her.

“So, you really haven’t had sex with him?”

She turned to him and crossed her arms, “No, John. I really haven’t.”

He smirked and leaned against his front door where Melanie was heading. “Does he know about us?”

“John, let me get out, please,” Melanie groaned.

“Does he know about us?” He repeated, staring into her eyes intently.

She sighed in defeat, “No, he doesn’t, and I don’t want him too.”

John shook his head knowingly, “He doesn’t know you were raped does he?”

Melanie bit her lip softly before turning her blue orbs to him, “No.”

“Your secret is safe with me…and Kenny, and whoever else knows. We wouldn’t tell a soul, you know that, but Mel, you’re going to have to tell him eventually.”

“Thanks, John…and I know,” she replied softly. They stood silent for a moment, but for the first time in weeks they had come to an understanding.

“So, uh, why are you here? Why did you come over last night?” He questioned.

“Pat told me about your…drinking, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

John rolled his eyes, “It’s not a big deal, Melanie.”

“When you can’t even remember when you’ve brought a girl home—or who it was—that’s an issue, John,” she replied.

“I drink because-

“You’re sad and lonely,” Melanie finished.

She watched as John studied her quizzically and as he finally realized that they must have had an important conversation the night before. “Who told you that?” He asked.

“You did, last night,” she said. “John, I don’t know if you remember what happened last night, at the moment I’m highly suspecting you don’t. I want to be friends. I-I miss my friend,” Melanie said softly, surprised at her confidence.

He stared at her for a moment, studying her honest face, before replying at last, “I missed you too, Melanie. I want to be your friend as well.”

Melanie grinned softly and stuck her hand out. “Well, good-bye friend,” she said formally.

John shook her hand sadly, and she knew that he was disappointed that this was what they had come to. “See you later, Melanie.”