Open mind for a different View

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Mel found it rather odd when her sister knocked on her bedroom door before entering and when she did enter she was very timid. Those weren’t words to normally describe Lena. “What’s going on?” Mel asked when her sister continued to stand there shyly.

“Don’t get mad.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

“Nothing yet. I want to talk to you about Eric.”

“No thank you.” she turned her attention back to the computer screen and her paused game.

“I know about the kiss.” Lena blurted.

Mel’s hands tightened into fists on her keyboard. “And?” she didn’t let it show but she was surprised Eric told her. He must be pretty damn clueless to Lena’s crush on him to talk to her about other girls even if it was her own sister.

Lena shut the bedroom door and took a seat on the bed. “Do you know why he kissed you? He likes you.”

“Yeah right.” She unpaused her game and went back to slaying dragons. “Are you so bored that now you’re helping Eric make me feel like crap?” her blood boiled hooter and hotter with the more they talked about this. She wanted to forget all about Eric Marcetti.

“No! Ugh I can’t believe you would say that.”

“Yeah, like I don’t have reasons too.”

“That’s not the case, he didn’t mean it and he’s really sorry. Just talk to him. He kissed you and you turned him down flat for his brother. He reacted badly, wouldn’t you?”

Amelia paused the game again and finally looked at her twin. “No because I didn’t deserve that. Let’s say for a second you’re right and he does like me, I never lead him on or anything else for him to react like that when I didn’t return the kiss. I like Eric as a friend, that’s it and he knew it. So no I’m not getting over it to be made the fool again.”

“You’re being so hardheaded.” Lena got off the bed and stormed out of the room while huffing under her breath.

Mel sat there knowing deep down Eric wasn’t a bad guy but she also knew she couldn’t roll over and forgive him. What she said to Lena had been right, she didn’t deserve his harsh words.

The morning turned into early afternoon, Mel shut down her computer and went downstairs to join her mother for lunch. She was in for surprise when she found her mother and Theresa laughing in the kitchen.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Mel asked curiously as she looked around to see some pizza boxes and wine bottles on the table.

Her mom answered. “Theresa came by to invite us to Tony’s fight, did you know he’s a professional fighter?”

“Yeah.” Mel answered; relieved to see her mom was staying true to her word about not having a problem with her friendship with Anthony. “I didn’t know you go.” She said to Mrs. Marcetti.

“Oh I hate it, who wants to see their son bruised and bloody but he says the support helps him so I drag my ass over there.” She shrugged and finished off her glass of wine. “Eric will be there too.” She added with a small smile.

Mel felt her heart stop, was Mrs. Marcetti really trying to set her up with her younger son? Was Mel that stupid that she couldn’t see the problem with her and Anthony being together? Not only was her mother against the idea of them as a couple but now so was his mother. “Um, ok.” She really didn’t know what to say.

“Are you hungry? There’s plenty of pizza.” Her mother offered.

Mel preoccupied herself by eating for the rest of the lunch visit. She mindlessly listened as her mom and Mrs. Marcetti gossiped and made plans to go shopping tomorrow.

Lena came in around the end of the visit. “Oh hey Mrs. M, what are you doing here?”

“I know you and Tony don’t get along too well but I’m inviting you all on his behalf to his fight tonight at the Morrison Arena. He needs all the support he can get. The boy he’s fighting is an undefeated machine.” There was no mistaking it, she was scared for her son.

This made Mel nervous, she didn’t want Anthony hurt. She couldn’t lose him so soon after finding him. She hoped life couldn’t be that cruel, she already lost Xander, wasn’t that enough sorrow for one person?

She wasn’t sure what her sister and mother would be doing but she knew she’d there to support Anthony. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.

Mrs. Marcetti said her goodbyes to the girls before their mom went to walk her out.

“You’re definitely going to go, right?” Lena asked, her arms crossed as she eyed Mel sitting at the table.

“Yup.”

“I guess I’ll go too, it beats sitting around here tonight.” Lena shrugged and left the kitchen.

Mel knew better than to think her sister was softening up toward Anthony, the only reason she was going tonight was because Eric would be there. Plain and simple.

“Hey, you’re still here.” Her mother said with a smile as she came back into the kitchen. “Where’s Lena?”

“Upstairs. Is there something you want to talk about?” she knew that look across her mother’s face well. it was a look that had her filling with dread, whatever the topic of conversation would be couldn’t end well.

Now that they were alone there was no better time to sit and chat. “I just wanted to check in with you and see how things are going, how’s school and everything else?”

Mel smiled, she loved when her mother tried to be coy and hide her true meaning with other subjects. “School is good as always. Lena’s friends aren’t picking on me as much.” She figured that had something to do with Eric and his gratitude for her tutoring him.

“And everything else?” she nervously pulled at a napkin.

“Do you mean Anthony? I thought you were ok with us being friends?”

“I am, friends are good sweetie.”

“But?”

“But getting mixed up with a boy like that---”

“Like what? Caring, artistic, funny?” she hated the hurtful emotions burning at her eyes, she wanted just for once to have her mother’s support or at least the knowledge that Mel could take care of herself.

“He’s older, he lives alone, and he’s gotten into a lot of trouble in the past.”

“Yeah, the past. He’s focusing on school and trying to support himself on his own. That’s honorable.” Mel sighed and tried to find a better way to deal with this and not lash out with the anger bubbling inside her chest. She wanted to run back to her room and lock herself inside until she felt safe enough to face these hurtful allegations. “I wish everyone would see him like I do.” She whispered as the truth slipped past her lips instead of those perfect words her mother wanted to fear.

“You’re my daughter and I’m scared for you. Getting involved with someone older and more experienced can lead to a lot of heartbreak.”

“And you’re scared I wouldn’t be able to handle it and might do something stupid.” Mel was bitter as she again had to face her mother’s lack of faith for her.

“I know you say you and Tony are only friends and I am ok with that but if it becomes more yes I’m scared for you and I wouldn’t be able to support it. I’d be scared for any of my girls entering something too mature.”

Mel hated that she had to lie to her mother. “We’re only friends.” She promised when that was far from the truth. She couldn't risk telling the truth and losing him to her mother’s disappointment. “I’m going to take a walk and get out a little. It beats being in my room.” Again she said what she knew her mother wanted to hear.  

With the faintest of smiles she got up from the table and headed out the front door. She needed to get out of that house before she lost her mind from all the dislike pouring from her mother and sister. She wondered how they’d feel if she butted into their lives that much.

She was halfway down the porch when she spotted Eric coming up the pathway.