Where I Found You

Chapter 16 - Jack now.

"I thought we could go to the cinema. And eat somewhere," she tells me with strange, un-Melanian enthusiasm. She leans up to kiss me deeply, which I also wasn't expecting, before wrapping her arms around my neck and whispering, "Jack. I really like you. More than I've ever liked any other guy ... I want to do normal things with you instead of just messing around."

Forget Alyssa - she's unreachable. Melanie is the girl for me - for now, at least. And besides ... I should be grateful for what I do have.

I grin and pull her close to me, before kissing her lips gently. "I really like you too, Mel. I'm glad you said all that. C'mon, let's go."

We end up going to see Titanic in 3D - her choice of course. It lasts for fucking ages, and in my opinion the guy, Jack (unfortunate naming), in the film looks about fifteen and Rose looks about ten years older than him. But it doesn't matter because the film isn't that bad, and Kate Winslet is hot.

We go to eat at a small tapas bar and restaurant afterwards with the name 'La Tasca'. It's lit by massive low-hung chandeliers and candles dripping tons of wax on each table, with Spanish music rolling through the whole place. I've never been in here before but Melanie has because she knows exactly what to order for both of us. The food is good, but quite salty. And my mood is good - so great that while Melanie's in the bathroom I tell the waiter to bring her a surprise - a massive ice cream sundae with a big sparkler burning on top.

I think I see her blush when he appears with it a few minutes later, and as she begins to eat it and all the other customers stare, I think about how unexpected it was that a girl like her made me this happy.

"Hey, look!" Melanie nudges me with a laugh in the middle of our conversation. "That guy looks like he ordered his her one."

Turning around, I see a guy of around thirty sat with a woman who has the exact same thing I ordered for Melanie in front of her. When he sees us both looking, he nods and grins.

Turning back to Melanie I realise I haven't asked her about school yet. She's in her last year at Sixth Form, doing drama and English Lit, so she should be going to university next year. And hopefully, so should I. What I like about Melanie and I is that we're almost on the same level.

"How're you doing at Sixth Form then?" I ask her with a smile as I grab my spoon and slowly take some vanilla ice cream from her glass.

She smiles. "I'm loving it. I'm preparing for a group piece right now we have to do - it's quite fun. Because we're all pregnant women."

I laugh out loud and sit back in my seat, as she licks her lips.

"Oh well you're gonna have to let me watch this sometime."

"Ahuh, I'll get a video," she jokes. Then she shakes her head with a secretive smile. "No, unless you're a drama examiner, you're not gonna be seeing this one, I'm afraid."

I grin and shake my head, before leaning toward to take her hand. Absent mindedly I begin to trace patterns all over the back, and we both go silent.

"You can perform it for me sometime, how 'bout that?" I chuckle before looking up to meet her intense gaze. "Hey - are you okay?"

Melanie sighs out, before leaning over to press her lips against mine. "I'm fine," she mumbles, before leaning back slightly. "I was just wondering where we stand."

"Me too." I look down before squeezing her gentle fingers. "I just wish Ash wasn't gonna kill me if he found out."

"Maybe we should tell him. You never know ... What he'd say. Maybe he'd surprise us," she whispers softly.