Where Angels Go to Die (Book One of The Silver Society) OLD EDITION!

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Melissa had arrived home later than expected that afternoon. "Where were you?" Mary Anne Morgan, her aunt, demanded.

     "School," Melissa said. It was partially true. Melissa had stayed late to audition for a role in the school play. That had only kept her for an extra hour and a half, however. After that, she had met up with Arnie and driven to Alex's house to do a bit of basic training in Psychic 101, so to speak.

     "For this long? Do you take me for a complete idiot?"

     Melissa struggled not to respond to that with a sarcastic comment and simply replied, "No... They were holding auditions for the school play, Aunt Mary Anne."

     "Oh really? One more thing for you to focus on other than classes, right? Melissa, why can't you be a responsible girl? You're not as bright as some of the other girls in that school. You need to put class time first."

     "Just because I get an occasional B, that doesn't make me stupid," Melissa argued. "In fact, most of my teachers say I'm gifted."

     "Gifted at being the class clown, perhaps, but little more. Were you with a boy or something? I was young once, not so long ago. I know how things are."

     Here we go again, Melissa thought. Any opportunity to remind me that she and my uncle took me in when she was barely eighteen and ruined any chance she ever had of having a normal life. She rolled her eyes.

     "Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady!" Mary Anne shouted.

     "I'm sorry..." Melissa said.

     "Do not make me tell your uncle about this!"

     "No, please... I'm sorry, Aunt Mary Anne. I didn't mean to be disrespectful." Melissa struggled to keep herself calm. She didn't need this. Not tonight, when things had finally started going well in her life. She had friends, and they understood her abilities even better than she did. She was finally beginning to feel like she belonged somewhere. Her mood had greatly improved, but her uncle's rage could shatter it in seconds.

     "You're always disrespectful, you ungrateful brat! I took you in when I was still a child! I didn't have to do that, you know, but it was the Christian thing to do. I gave up everything for you. I'm lucky that I found a man who was willing to marry me when I had to care for a young child."

     "He's my uncle. I'm related to him, too," Melissa said. Her mother's younger sister had married her father's younger brother. It was almost creepy to Melissa.

     "Yes, but that doesn't mean he had to take you in, either. We did it out of the goodness of our hearts!"

     "I know, Aunt Mary Anne..."

     "Is there a problem?" Joseph Morgan asked, entering the house.

     "No!" Melissa said quickly.

     "She's being a little brat again..." Mary Anne said.

     "I'll take care of this, Mary Anne. You've done all that you can." Joseph took Melissa's arm. "Come on," he said.

     "No!" Melissa shouted. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

     "She lied about where she was this afternoon," Mary Anne said, as she walked away.

     Joseph dragged Melissa into her bedroom. "Is that true?" He asked her.

     "I was at school, auditioning for the school play," Melissa said.