Porcelain Rose

this is the first short story that i've written, i wrote it my senior year in high school, basically i needed something to do to fill up pages in private writing for Aldy's class and Aldy was desperate for writing for Minds, usually when i get started on a story i'm obsessive until i finish, so it usually doesn't take me that long to finish, but currrently i have two stories in the making, one that i need to catch up on since i haven't worked on it in almost 4 months, and one that i started this summer and just kinda dropped after a while, i started working on that one last week, but lately i've been too busy to spend my time on obsessive creative writing projects. so here is Porcelain Rose, and i'll post Magically Fatal and Miss-judged Miss-take soon, probably today

Melody was sitting with her friends at lunch. It was just a normal day at school. She was spacing out as normal, and her friends were chatting animatedly around her. Her boyfriend was trying to engage her in the group's conversation, her best friend since first grade, Kristin, was looking at her with a worried look on her face.
"Melody, what's wrong?" Kristin asked. "I know that you usually space out at lunch, but you look like someone has died."
"What? Oh, sorry Kris, I was just thinking about my dream last night, it was really strange," Melody responded.
"Really, what was it about?" asked Kris with enthusiasm.
By this point Jack, her boyfriend, had given up trying to get her to socialize. "Well, I don't really feel like I can talk about it here, I don't want anyone else to know."
"Okay, no prob. I'll call you later tonight and you can tell me everything."
Melody agreed and Kristin went back to chatting with their other friends. The rest of the day passed in a kind of haze for Melody. She got back to her beat up little car that seemed like it was going to crumble into dust at any moment. She went home and immediately started her homework before her mother got home. Melody's mother worked in the local library and her father worked in City Hall. Even though her parents were divorced, sometimes they seemed like they were still married. Melody sighed with relief when she finished her history homework. She got up and stretched then headed toward the kitchen to start dinner, she decided to make a chicken pasta since her dad was coming over and he loved chicken. Right after she put it in the oven the phone rang and she had to run into the living room to get it. It was Kristin, "oh hey Kris," Melody greeted her.
"Hey Mel! So spill. What was your mysterious dream about?" Kris enthused.
"Well there was a guy–"
"Oh my goodness, your kidding!"
"Kris! Please let me finish."
"Oh, sorry Mel, I'll be good."
"Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, this boy had hair the color of toffee and eyes to match. His skit was like porcelain, and it looked like, well it's really hard to describe, but it looked really cold and smooth, almost like stone. Anyway, he walked, well more like glided, into the cafeteria and–"
"Wait, our caf? But he doesn't sound like anyone we know and in a town this small we know everybody!"
"Kris! I know, but ya gotta let me finish!"
"Oh, right sorry." She said in a small voice.
"Geez Kris, what on earth am I gonna do with you? Anyway," she sighed, "oh wait! I think my mom and dad are home and I have to finish fixing dinner, sorry hon. Uh, I'll e-mail you later okay?"
"Fine, but you are KILLING me with the suspense!"
"I know and I'm sorry, but I really do need to go."
"Okay, talk to you later tonight."
"Bye," she said as she hung up. "Hey momma, hi daddy."
"Hi honey." Her parents said in unison. Melody rolled her eyes.
"How was work?" She asked, addressing both of them.
"Fine, helping people find books we don't have because our town is so small," replied her mom.
"It was all right," said her dad, "we had council meetings all day."
"Oh, sounds fun." Melody quickly lied.
"You are such a bad liar," her mom laughed. "So how was your day?"
"It was all right, Jack was wonderful, as usual and Kris was hilarious," Mel reported.
"Oh, really," said her father.
"And you say I'm unconvincing?"
Her mom laughed, "Well you come by it honestly." Melody shrugged as she pulled the pasta from the oven and traded it with garlic bread. "Dinner smells great honey."
"Thanks mom, it's almost ready just ten or fifteen minutes for the bread."
When dinner was ready, they all sat down and talked about their days in greater detail. When they were done with dinner her mom did the dishes as usual and her dad went into the living room to watch t.v. Melody ran upstairs to "finish her homework." As soon as she got upstairs and her computer booted up she wrote the rest of her dream in an e-mail to Kristin. She told Kris that when he did walk into the cafeteria the sun was shining just right through the windows that it made him look even more like an angel, since he looked like one anyway. As soon as she finished relaying the story and Kris had time to read it and respond, she got and e-mail from Kris that said "that sounds great Mel, but things like that just don't happen." Melody scowled, leave it to Kris to ask for all the corny details and then be the voice of reason. Okay, I'll admit it is true, but a girl can still hope, can't she? Melody wondered
The night passed quickly and dreamlessly. The next day at lunch Melody seemed to be a little more interested in the conversation, she had obviously recovered from her strange dream. Suddenly Kris gasped and pointed behind Melody to the doors. Melody spun around and her breath caught in her troat.
It was the boy from her dream.
She just couldn't look away. She couldn't believe it! Kristin had looked away quickly, not as star struck as Melody. Melody felt like her heart was going to explode because she was so happy, yet she also felt kinda sick to her stomach and she was really nervous. He looked at her and it felt to Melody that his eyes could see down to her soul, then he smiled at her and her stomach was so full of butterflies that she thought she was going to choke. She was surprised to find how self-conscious he made her feel and she quickly looked away from him. She tried really hard to concentrate on what Kris and Jack we discussing but she could feel the new boy's eyes on her for the rest of the period.
When she got to band and she got her clarinet together and was moistening her reed, the new boy came in and looked in her direction on his way to speak to the teacher. Melody turned quickly to her friend, Claire, and asked, "I wonder what instrument he plays?"
"I don't know, but it looks like he's going to either the trumpet or percussion section." Claire stated.
"Oh goody, another drummer." Said Melody, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Actually, I think he is going to the trumpet section, I wonder if he is any good." Claire mused.
"Oh, never mind, we are short on trumpets this year."
It took all that Melody had to concentrate on her music and to what the teacher was saying. When the day was over, Melody all but ran to her car. She way him standing against as shiny blue mustang with a smirk on his face that almost made her stop cold and hyperventilate. When he noticed this, he snickered, which made her turn and even deeper shade of red. When she got home she immediately went upstairs to her room in order to try to get a hold of Kris somehow. Luckily Kris was already home and online.
"Melody," she typed, "did you see how he looked at you?"
"I don't know what or whom you are talking about."
"Don't play innocent with me. I know you better than that."
Damn. Melody thought. "You're right I know what you're talking about, but I'll have to talk to you about it tomorrow I have a mountain of homework to do tonight, sorry Kris." and she quickly signed off. That was a close one, she is such a gossip I have no idea what I would have told her.
That night her dreams were filled with visions of his face.
When Melody got to school the next morning she found a single black rose on her desk. She immediately thought it was from Jack, but when he saw it he got angry and offended that someone else was giving his girlfriend roses. Mel felt really bad that the flower had offended Jack but it was so beautiful and unique that she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. At lunch she felt compelled to join this strange new boy but she felt so shy at the thought of it that she couldn't bring her self to do it. During band she could feel his eyes on her for the entire class, but she fought the urge to look back at him, knowing that it would make it even harder to concentrate. After class she caught up with him and decided to ask him his name.
"My name is Alex," he said before she could even ask.
"How did you know I was going to ask that?" she demanded
"Lucky guess, I'm the new kid in town so I've been getting that question a lot."
"But I haven't seen anyone else around you."
"Yes, but Melody, you aren't in any of my other classes."
"True, I guess, but all the other trumpet players seem almost afraid of you."
"I don't know I guess they are nervous around me."
"Yeah I guess so," said Melody, resigned. "Hey, Alex, how did you—" she started but he was gone. What the . . . oh well.
As soon as she got home, she could hear the phone ring. It was Kristin. She wanted to know what she had found out about the strange boy.
"Well, the first thing is that he has a name, and it is Alex. And when I was near him, his skin didn't seem to give off any heat. I also noticed, in band, that he is the best trumpet player that I have ever heard, and that includes the professionals."
"Really? He sounds really weird, but I think he likes you!"
Melody was suddenly glad she was on the phone with Kris so she couldn't see her blush. "How can you tell?" She challenged.
"How can you not!? It is totally obvious!"
"Okay if what you say is true, about him liking me, then what on earth am I gonna do about Jack. I don't want to hurt him, but Alex is all I can think about!"
"I don't know Mel, but I'm quite sure he'll be able to bounce back."
"Okay, if you're sure," she sighed.
At school the next day Melody decided to have a real conversation with Alex. She didn't want to hurt Jack, but she needed to talk to him.
At lunch on her way to sit with Alex she shot an apologetic glance toward Kris and Jack. "May I sit with you Alex?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course you may Melody. What made you think you couldn't?"
"Oh nothing. I never got to ask you before, but how did you find out my name?"
"Is it really a wonder in a town this small? But if you must know I actually listened to the roll being called in band."
"Oh, duh! Wow I feel really dumb right now. Okay, no I have to ask you something else, was it you that left the rose on my desk in biology?"
"Yes, why? Didn't you like it?"
"No, no I loved it. Roses are my favorite flowers. It's just that I think it made my boyfriend kinda jealous."
"Oh, I see, but sorry that it made you uncomfortable that your boyfriend was jealous, but I don't honestly care what this boy, that I've never even met by the way, thinks of me. Especially since I think that you are the most beautiful girl I've eve seen." He looked over her shoulder and snickered.
"What, what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing, your boyfriend is just sitting over there shooting daggers at me."
She groaned. "I am so gonna kick is ass later. He can be so rude!"
"No need, I don't want you to get into a fight with your boyfriend because of me."
"Fine if you say so, but I'm still gonna talk to him later about it. Wait I thought you said that you don't care what he thinks?"
"I don't, why did you think I said that there is no need for you to kick his ass."
"Oh, well that makes sense."
"Besides, I think his reaction is hilarious."
"Yeah it kinda is, since he is usually so sure of himself. Ya know being a football star can kinda inflate an ego." Melody sighed.
"Your boyfriend is a football player?" Alex asked incredulously.
"Yes, why does it matter to you whom I decide to date?" She snapped.
"Well, you don't really seem like the type who would date a jock. And I care because from my experience jocks are notorious for not caring about their girlfriends feelings and only wanting them for arm candy," he snapped back.
Thank you for caring, but jocks also don't seem to fall for band geeks so I'm really sure he isn't like a stereotypical jock!" She replied acidly.
"Okay, fine, no need to bite my freaking head off!"
"Sorry," Melody mumbled. "So how long have you played trumpet since you are better than most professionals I've heard," Mel asked after an awkward pause.
"Well, a lot, let's just leave it at that," he replied without meeting her gaze.
Why won't he tell me? She wondered. "Why is your skin so pale and why is it always so cold?"
"I'll tell you later when we are alone," he replied as he looked around.
"When will that be?" Mel asked eagerly.
"Uh, how about at your house later tonight?"
"Well, I'm really sure my mom would appreciate some warning before I brought some boy over that she doesn't even know."
"Oh yeah of course, no problem," he paused. "I would like to see you again . . . tonight if possible."
Melody thought for a minute. "Wait, there is a gorgeous meadow in the woods behind my house. Can you meet me there after dinner?"
"Sounds perfect," said Alex smiling, yet his smile was more like a smirk. Melody was embarrassed and looked down so that he wouldn't see her blush.
The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. When she got home, she was still in a daze. "Darling, what is wrong with you? You seem terribly distracted," her mother worried.
"Oh, sorry mom, but I'm just worried. I think Jack is mad at me," responded Melody.
"I'm really sorry Mel." She comforted Melody. "I always thought he was awfully egotistical," she murmured.
"Yeah," she sighed, "hey mom, is it okay if I go on a walk for a bit?"
"Of course, but don't be too long, okay?"
"Yeah of course."
When she got to the meadow, she immediately noticed that Alex was there. All of her previous worries just melted away. She almost threw her self on him in relief and happiness, but she caught herself just in time. Instead she looked down at her shoes as a blush crept into her cheeks. Alex snickered. "You came," Melody whispered.
"Of course I did, I was the one who proposed this little reunion wasn't I? Melody, you didn't honestly believe I would bail on you did you?"
"Well, I didn't really know. I just met you and I'm really not that interesting and you seem so much more interesting than I am," she sighed, "I don't know, well I don't really seem like I'm worth your time."
"Oh, hardly, you are so much more interesting than you give yourself credit for," He laughed, "like when you blush, the girls I'm around don't seem embarrassed by anything," he quickly brushed his hand against her cheek.
"So," Melody said, quickly recovering, "you promised to tell me why you always seem so cold and why your skin is so pale."
"Very well, I had been hoping to prolong this. I enjoy your company so much and I don't want to scare you."
"Are you serious?" She looked at him like he was crazy. "Trust me. It is hard to scare me."
"Okay, okay! Fine, have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Will you just spit it out?" She was practically exploding with curiosity.
"Fine! I'm a . . ." He sighed.
"You're a what?"
"I'm a . . . .Vampire. There I said it, are you happy now?"
"Yes, and I'm not scared. I told you." She replied. Even though I probably should be scared, she thought.
"Really?" He inched closer.
"Yes really. I enjoy your company too much to be frightened," she informed him.
"Well that's good, but what are we going to do about your boyfriend's jealousy problem?"
Melody scowled, "I'm starting to think that you were right, about him not being right for me," she sighed again and shook her head. "But honestly I don't know what I'm gonna do about him."
"If you like I could talk to him for you," he offered with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I don't think that will help much, but thanks and I'll be sure to keep the offer in mind." And she couldn't help to laugh along with him.
Suddenly Alex leaned over and kissed her. Melody was surprised to find that she really liked it. Yet just as suddenly as it started, it ended. It was awkward for a few moments. Then Mel stood up and told Alex that she had to go because she had promised her mom she would be home soon.
"Okay," Alex said. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Thanks for the offer, but I'd better now, my mom can get quite paranoid and my dad is there too."
"Oh, okay," Alex looked disappointed.
This time it was Melody's turn to surprise him with a kiss after it was over Melody walked home with a huge grin on her face.
"Did you have good walk?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah, but I'm really tired so im gonna go to bed now."
"Okay honey, good night."
"Night momma, night daddy," she said as she kissed each of them on the cheek and feigned a yawn on her way upstairs.
"Good night honey," her dad called after her.
As soon as she got to her room she e-mailed Kris to tell her about the nights events, but not before making her promise that she wouldn't tell Jack. That night her dreams were filled with images of Alex. The next morning she found another black rose on her desk in biology. She carefully set it aside with a smile.
"Who's that from?" Asked her lab partner, Petunia.
"Oh someone," replied Melody
"It isn't from Jack?" Asked Petunia in amazement.
"No." Melody scoffed. "Do you honestly believe that Jack would get up early enough to put a rose on my desk when he was a home period? And do you think that if he ever did do that he would choose a black rose?"
"No, I guess not." Said Petunia embarrassed. "Still, he's gonna be very mad when he finds out that you're getting roses from someone else."
"Yeah well, he'd been less and less concerned with me lately so I don't really care what he thinks."
"Oh, I'm really sorry Mel!"
Melody sighed, "it's okay, and I'm really sorry for snapping at you."
"It's fine Melody."
The rest of the class passed in silence. Melody was dreading seeing Jack because she knew what she had to do. She had been planning what she would say to him all morning so when she saw him she said, "Jack, we need to talk."
"Okay, what is it honey?"
"You know I love you, but lately I've been thinking that the love I have for you has changed from being your girlfriend to being more like your sister."
"Oh, well, is that it?"
"Yes, I'm really sorry Jack," she looked really miserable.
"Ya know what? It's fine. I've been starting to think the same thing."
They quickly embraced and then went to their separate classes. At lunch Melody only glanced at her old table, only long enough to see that Jack had already moved on. To Kris, her best friend. Even thought she had broken up with him, it still hurt to see with Kris, especially so soon after she and Jack had broken up. Oh well, she thought, I guess I deserve it.
What's wrong Melody?" Asked Alex with a concerned look on his face.
"Nothing," she replied as everything that really was wrong just seemed to roll off of her.
"I don't believe you."
"Oh, fine." She replied and she told him everything, she couldn't keep a secret from Alex no matter how hard she tried.
"Oh, I'm really sorry Melody." He reached over to push a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. Before he could pull his hand away, Melody had grabbed it and had put it against her cheek.
"It's fine Alex. I swear." Now that I have you, she thought. They talked for a long time before they realized that the cafeteria was almost empty.
In band she looked over at him and he gave her a small quick little smile. "So, what's up with you and the new guy?" Claire asked pulling Melody out of her own little world with how much enthusiasm Claire asked and Melody laughed.
"I don't really know yet."
"What is Jack gonna think? Tsk tsk tsk."
"Honestly, Claire, I don't care. I broke up him this morning."
"Really? Then he's free?"
Melody laughed again. "I don't really think so. I saw him all over Kris earlier at lunch."
"Oh," was all Claire could muster in response.
When Melody got home and she and her mom were eating dinner she announced that she was going to go for another walk after dinner. "Okay, that's fine honey. Is everything all right? You don't usually take walks so often."
"Yeah, I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
After dinner she donned her jacket and headed out. I'll admit, it's a long shot, I meant I didn't tell him to meet me there again tonight. But when she got there she saw him and she didn't hold back this time as she flew towards him and gave him a huge hug and a kiss. They stayed in that embrace for a long time and eventually they lay down and looked at the stars through the clouds. They seemed so happy, yet Alex was troubled.
The rest of the school year passed in very much the same way. Occasionally a black rose would find it's way onto her desk in one of her classes. Over time she became close with Kris again, after she had forgiven her for dating Jack so soon after Melody had broken up with him. They were closer than ever, she had even forgiven Jack for dating her best friend and they were friends again. There was always one thing that Melody could never share with Kris though, it was the one thing that was only between Melody and Alex. She would also visit Alex in the meadow once a week, just so her mother would never get suspicious.
At the end of the year, after graduation, Melody went to visit Alex in their meadow as they had agreed earlier that day. When she saw him she ran to him and hugged him, but he looked distracted. "What's wrong Alex?" Melody asked him, worried.
"The thing is Melody my family is moving, you see we can't stay in anyone place for very long."
"I can understand that, but you just moved here!"
"I know, but my dad thinks that some of the people in town are starting to get suspicious of us."
"Oh," she turned away, she wouldn't let him see her cry.
"Melody . . ." He started, but faltered.
"No, no it's fine, but there is just one thing I need to know."
"Anything," he promised.
"Will I see you again?" She turned back around to face him, no longer caring if he saw her cry.
"I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to that."
"Oh, I see."
"I'm really sorry Melody."
"It's fine," she replied trying really hard not to cry. She would save that for when she was alone in her room.
"Well I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah I guess so."
They kissed one last time and he was gone. Melody knew she should get home before it started to rain, but she was frozen place. If anyone had seen her in that moment, they might say she looked kind of shell shocked. Eventually she found her legs and started moving in the general direction of her home.
Years passed and she had graduated from College with her credentials. She was married and had two beautiful kids. She seemed happy, but she could never forget Alex. Then it was time for her twenty-year reunion. She didn't go to the ten-year reunion because it was too soon after high school, but she felt this overwhelming need to go to her reunion. She and her husband left the kids with Melody's mother for the weekend while they went to the reunion. When she got there, she saw Alex, holding a black rose waiting for her. She froze and her husband asked her what was wrong. "Nothing," she replied, "just someone I wasn't expecting to see. I'll be right back."
"Hello Melody, who was that you're with?"
"No need to be so icy Alex, that's my husband, I didn't think I was ever going to see you again, so I tried to move on."
"I see."
"I'm sorry Alex, but if I had known that you were coming back I would have waited, and I did wait, for a long time after college, but I couldn't wait any more Alex."
"I understand Melody, I didn't really know what to expect after me being gone for so long."
"I don't think you do understand Alex, but I don't care because I'm really happy, probably not as happy as I would have been with you, but still I'm happy."
"You're right Melody, I don't understand, but that's okay, because I love you and I want you to be happy, no matter what the expense."
"I love you too Alex, and I always will." Alex handed her the rose and she walked back to her husband and looked back at Alex, she knew that he had changed her life forever.