Back Into Your Arms
Chapter 59
I dropped off the kids at school via a taxi, I dropped off Sarah first and then Aaron.
“Don’t forget to pick up Sarah at 1:30 okay?” Aaron let me know concerned. I smiled.
“I won’t, have fun in school”
He nodded and made his way inside. I walked back to the taxi and asked the driver to take me to the airport. He seemed concerned himself.
“Why are you going to the airport?” the taxi driver asked me.
“To pick up my boyfriend”
He sighed in relief.
“Ah, okay good” he said as he put one hand to his chest and inhaled slowly.
“Why?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I thought you were maybe leaving the kids or some twisted thing like that”
“Oh no, never, they’re my best friend’s kids, my best friend and her husband are in the hospital injured, I’m taking care of them”
“That’s tragic”
“It is” I nodded.
I paid him and got off the taxi.
“Hope everything works out miss”
I smiled and thanked him as I watched him drive away.
I walked slowly to the waiting area, thousands of people walking past me, I felt like I was suffocating, so I took every step carefully.
I was a little early, so I decided to just sit there and people watch.
I watched as an old lady was helped by her equally old husband to push her luggage.
I watched as two kids looked at a Chinese couple arguing, probably wondering why they couldn’t understand any of it.
I watched as a young couple held hands, walking through the airport.
For a moment, I saw myself there.
Two young girls arriving at the airport with no one to receive them, completely on their own.
***
It was nearing the winter of 2007.
It was a Tuesday, Tuesday November 20th to be exact.
When we left Phoenix, it had been 70 degrees but when we arrived in New York City we were greeted by 40 degree weather.
“I can already feel we are going to hate this place” Julie said as she angrily pulled at her heavy luggage and a suitcase that belonged to me. I was unable to push my own because my broken arm hadn’t healed yet. Instead, I carried the carry-ons.
I rolled my eyes and said nothing to her in return. It was then that she stopped walking and turned around to look at me.
“You know, I’m really getting pissed off at how quiet you are around me, I get it, you have no clue who I am, heck, I’m practically a stranger but you do understand that we are going to be living together from now on right? So, you either start talking to me, or we are going to start this new chapter of ours on the wrong foot”
I remember I felt so taken aback by the way she spoke to me.
“I apologize-”
“NO, NO, this is where you scream at me back Melody, God you’re so different, I feel so freaking frustrated!” she rambled on as she started walking away. I didn’t understand what she meant completely, but I decided to fulfil her wish.
“You know what Julie? You’re mean, you’re manipulative, you’re disrespectful, you’re full of it. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe if you spoke to me in a nicer way and tried to understand me, maybe then I would be more open around you? I lost my memory, I lost 4 years’ worth of my memory and you want me to be okay? We are in New York for goodness sake, you think this is a change for you? Imagine for me? We already started this on the wrong foot, I really don’t understand why we were even friends to begin with”
She just stood there, silent, as if she had become a mute girl. She didn’t fight back but instead she nodded and continued walking.
We were both so young then, so inexperienced, so confused.
It had been a week since we had arrived in New York when Julie told me she was going out to a club.
“No”
“You’re not my mother, nor the boss of me Melody”
“Julie, you’re being ridiculous”
“The old you would have gone with me”
“I’m not the old me”
“Exactly, I’m leaving”
Julie walked out the door, I was left alone at our big apartment.
I began to feel worried for her, sick to the stomach about what could happen to her. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked terrible. My hair was barely growing back since it had been shaved during surgery.
I was forced to wear a ridiculous wig that itched and smelled of plastic, I hated it, but because of Julie I put my wig on and a coat and went after her.
The club wasn’t too far away so I hailed a taxi and told him where to go. I stood outside looking at the filthy place. Girls arriving in their mini dresses and high heels.
I made my way to the line and was about to take out my I.D when the guy just let me in. I was shocked, but I guess in comparison to the rest of the girls, I didn’t look like a minor. I made my way over, trying to find her in such a big place. It was then that I was approached by a guy.
“Hey”
“Hi”
“You look lost”
“I’m looking for a friend of mine”
“That makes sense”
“Yeah”
“Girls don’t usually go clubbing with a broken arm, I mean unless their hardcore”
“Yeah, broken arms and dancing don’t go well” I laughed nervously.
I kept on scanning the room for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“What’s your name?"
“Huh?”
“Your name?”
“Melody”
“I’m Matt, c’mon I’ll help you find your friend”
“It’s ok-” before I could finish talking he already had one arm around my waist and was pulling me towards another room in the club. I didn’t like his arm around me, I felt sick.
“Please let go of my waist” I urged him. He turned to look at me, he looked insulted.
“Melody, the way you’re talking to me is really hurting my feelings”
“I don’t like people touching me”
“Then why did you come to a club?” he asked me as he put both hands on my waist and pulled me towards him. I felt like I was going to throw up, my heart was racing, my mind was too. I was going to have a panic attack. The loudness of the music and the strobe lights weren’t making me feel any better.
“I TOLD you, I came to look for my STUPID FRIEND, NOW LET ME GO” I screamed, as I tried to pull away.
“Your friend is probably here having a good time, why can’t you?”
“I have a boyfriend” the words slipped out of my mouth.
“You do?”
My mind was racing, my head was hurting. I didn't know why, but it didn't feel like I was lying.
“I don’t know”
“You don’t know”
“I don’t know why I said that, you’re freaking me out, let me go” I begged, I was beginning to feel light headed.
“How the hell do you not know if you have a boyfriend or not?” he laughed.
“I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW OKAY! I FREAKING LOST MY MEMORY, I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING, I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW!” I panicked. I took my wig off revealing my bald head, he instantly let me go.
“CALM DOWN”
“I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW!” I yelled. I couldn’t control myself. It was then that Julie came out, she yelled at the guy, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of there into the restrooms.
I fell to the floor as I rocked back and forth, continuing to insist that “I didn’t know”. She sat there with me apologizing, hugging me, begging me to calm down. I just cried and cried and cried, she kept on telling me to breath with her, she did this until I finally listened and started to breath, and began to regain control of myself.
We left the place quickly, when we were back home we had a serious conversation. She asked me why I had gone, I explained to her that I was worried something would happen to her.
“I won’t ever go to a club again”
“Please don’t”
“But what happened with the guy anyways?”
“He tried to hit on me”
“That’s it?”
“He was grabbing at my waist, I felt sick, I didn’t like it”
“So, you told him no?”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t let go and then I told him I had a boyfriend”
“Then what happened?”
“He asked me if I really did, and I didn’t know what to tell him”
“Why didn’t you just lie to him?”
“Because, when I told him I had a boyfriend, I genuinely for a second believed my own lie, but when he asked me if I did or not, my mind didn’t know whether it was true or not, I started to feel even more sick”
I remember that when I told her these things she looked like she wanted to puke.
“Look Mel, let’s just go to sleep, okay? I think we are both just tired”
“Yeah, maybe”
“And again, I’m so, so, sorry” she whispered and with that she hurried out of the living room to her room.
After that day, we started being more friendly again. We started to get along. We would rent movies and watch them together, she taught me how to do my makeup and she bought me my first cook book, before we knew it we were best friends again. Two 18-year-old girls, living in their big apartment in NYC.
“Don’t forget to pick up Sarah at 1:30 okay?” Aaron let me know concerned. I smiled.
“I won’t, have fun in school”
He nodded and made his way inside. I walked back to the taxi and asked the driver to take me to the airport. He seemed concerned himself.
“Why are you going to the airport?” the taxi driver asked me.
“To pick up my boyfriend”
He sighed in relief.
“Ah, okay good” he said as he put one hand to his chest and inhaled slowly.
“Why?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I thought you were maybe leaving the kids or some twisted thing like that”
“Oh no, never, they’re my best friend’s kids, my best friend and her husband are in the hospital injured, I’m taking care of them”
“That’s tragic”
“It is” I nodded.
I paid him and got off the taxi.
“Hope everything works out miss”
I smiled and thanked him as I watched him drive away.
I walked slowly to the waiting area, thousands of people walking past me, I felt like I was suffocating, so I took every step carefully.
I was a little early, so I decided to just sit there and people watch.
I watched as an old lady was helped by her equally old husband to push her luggage.
I watched as two kids looked at a Chinese couple arguing, probably wondering why they couldn’t understand any of it.
I watched as a young couple held hands, walking through the airport.
For a moment, I saw myself there.
Two young girls arriving at the airport with no one to receive them, completely on their own.
***
It was nearing the winter of 2007.
It was a Tuesday, Tuesday November 20th to be exact.
When we left Phoenix, it had been 70 degrees but when we arrived in New York City we were greeted by 40 degree weather.
“I can already feel we are going to hate this place” Julie said as she angrily pulled at her heavy luggage and a suitcase that belonged to me. I was unable to push my own because my broken arm hadn’t healed yet. Instead, I carried the carry-ons.
I rolled my eyes and said nothing to her in return. It was then that she stopped walking and turned around to look at me.
“You know, I’m really getting pissed off at how quiet you are around me, I get it, you have no clue who I am, heck, I’m practically a stranger but you do understand that we are going to be living together from now on right? So, you either start talking to me, or we are going to start this new chapter of ours on the wrong foot”
I remember I felt so taken aback by the way she spoke to me.
“I apologize-”
“NO, NO, this is where you scream at me back Melody, God you’re so different, I feel so freaking frustrated!” she rambled on as she started walking away. I didn’t understand what she meant completely, but I decided to fulfil her wish.
“You know what Julie? You’re mean, you’re manipulative, you’re disrespectful, you’re full of it. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe if you spoke to me in a nicer way and tried to understand me, maybe then I would be more open around you? I lost my memory, I lost 4 years’ worth of my memory and you want me to be okay? We are in New York for goodness sake, you think this is a change for you? Imagine for me? We already started this on the wrong foot, I really don’t understand why we were even friends to begin with”
She just stood there, silent, as if she had become a mute girl. She didn’t fight back but instead she nodded and continued walking.
We were both so young then, so inexperienced, so confused.
It had been a week since we had arrived in New York when Julie told me she was going out to a club.
“No”
“You’re not my mother, nor the boss of me Melody”
“Julie, you’re being ridiculous”
“The old you would have gone with me”
“I’m not the old me”
“Exactly, I’m leaving”
Julie walked out the door, I was left alone at our big apartment.
I began to feel worried for her, sick to the stomach about what could happen to her. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked terrible. My hair was barely growing back since it had been shaved during surgery.
I was forced to wear a ridiculous wig that itched and smelled of plastic, I hated it, but because of Julie I put my wig on and a coat and went after her.
The club wasn’t too far away so I hailed a taxi and told him where to go. I stood outside looking at the filthy place. Girls arriving in their mini dresses and high heels.
I made my way to the line and was about to take out my I.D when the guy just let me in. I was shocked, but I guess in comparison to the rest of the girls, I didn’t look like a minor. I made my way over, trying to find her in such a big place. It was then that I was approached by a guy.
“Hey”
“Hi”
“You look lost”
“I’m looking for a friend of mine”
“That makes sense”
“Yeah”
“Girls don’t usually go clubbing with a broken arm, I mean unless their hardcore”
“Yeah, broken arms and dancing don’t go well” I laughed nervously.
I kept on scanning the room for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“What’s your name?"
“Huh?”
“Your name?”
“Melody”
“I’m Matt, c’mon I’ll help you find your friend”
“It’s ok-” before I could finish talking he already had one arm around my waist and was pulling me towards another room in the club. I didn’t like his arm around me, I felt sick.
“Please let go of my waist” I urged him. He turned to look at me, he looked insulted.
“Melody, the way you’re talking to me is really hurting my feelings”
“I don’t like people touching me”
“Then why did you come to a club?” he asked me as he put both hands on my waist and pulled me towards him. I felt like I was going to throw up, my heart was racing, my mind was too. I was going to have a panic attack. The loudness of the music and the strobe lights weren’t making me feel any better.
“I TOLD you, I came to look for my STUPID FRIEND, NOW LET ME GO” I screamed, as I tried to pull away.
“Your friend is probably here having a good time, why can’t you?”
“I have a boyfriend” the words slipped out of my mouth.
“You do?”
My mind was racing, my head was hurting. I didn't know why, but it didn't feel like I was lying.
“I don’t know”
“You don’t know”
“I don’t know why I said that, you’re freaking me out, let me go” I begged, I was beginning to feel light headed.
“How the hell do you not know if you have a boyfriend or not?” he laughed.
“I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW OKAY! I FREAKING LOST MY MEMORY, I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING, I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW!” I panicked. I took my wig off revealing my bald head, he instantly let me go.
“CALM DOWN”
“I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW!” I yelled. I couldn’t control myself. It was then that Julie came out, she yelled at the guy, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of there into the restrooms.
I fell to the floor as I rocked back and forth, continuing to insist that “I didn’t know”. She sat there with me apologizing, hugging me, begging me to calm down. I just cried and cried and cried, she kept on telling me to breath with her, she did this until I finally listened and started to breath, and began to regain control of myself.
We left the place quickly, when we were back home we had a serious conversation. She asked me why I had gone, I explained to her that I was worried something would happen to her.
“I won’t ever go to a club again”
“Please don’t”
“But what happened with the guy anyways?”
“He tried to hit on me”
“That’s it?”
“He was grabbing at my waist, I felt sick, I didn’t like it”
“So, you told him no?”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t let go and then I told him I had a boyfriend”
“Then what happened?”
“He asked me if I really did, and I didn’t know what to tell him”
“Why didn’t you just lie to him?”
“Because, when I told him I had a boyfriend, I genuinely for a second believed my own lie, but when he asked me if I did or not, my mind didn’t know whether it was true or not, I started to feel even more sick”
I remember that when I told her these things she looked like she wanted to puke.
“Look Mel, let’s just go to sleep, okay? I think we are both just tired”
“Yeah, maybe”
“And again, I’m so, so, sorry” she whispered and with that she hurried out of the living room to her room.
After that day, we started being more friendly again. We started to get along. We would rent movies and watch them together, she taught me how to do my makeup and she bought me my first cook book, before we knew it we were best friends again. Two 18-year-old girls, living in their big apartment in NYC.