Life's Little Storms

Meeting

Life's Little Storms Chapter Two:

~Melody~

I dropped my bag in the door of the house, giving the suitcases in the foyer a curious glance. I walked past them and into the kitchen where my father was rapidly typing on his computer. I pulled a fruit juice from the fridge before plopping on the chair in front of him. The bottle felt cool beneath my fingers.

"Are you going somewhere, daddy?" I asked quietly.

He peered at me from over his computer. "No."

"No?" I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to continue.

"I'm not." He muttered slightly. "You are."

My heart stuttered as I harshly swallowed the juice. "Excuse me?"

My father sighed, and he closed his computer. "It's been two months since the accident, but you haven't done anything except sit on the beach or lock yourself in your room."

He took my hand into his. "I know you haven't been going to your therapy sessions, Melody."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't need it."

"You do, but I'm not going to force you to go."

"You're not?"

"That's what the suitcases are for." Dad ran a hand over his head. "I contacted your mom's brother yesterday. He agreed to let you stay with him for the summer and for the next school year."

My fingers clamped around the bottle. "In Washington?"

"Yes."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not going."

"Tough luck." He closed the lap top and sped walked out of the kitchen to his room. I pressed my lips into a line. Once my father turned into a dramatic mess, there was no talking him down from it. I sighed before getting off the stool to shove the juice back into the fridge. This can't be happening.

,

*.

I walked out of the plane with my duffel bag bumping against my hip. It was nearly seven in the morning, but the airport was already filled to the brim with people. I squeezed past them in attempt to reach where my bags were supposed to be waiting for me along with my uncle.

Dread crushed my chest as I continued to get closer to the luggage pick up. My bags were placed at the foot of a man I had never seen before. He stared at me as I approached him.

"Max?"

He blinked at me. "Yeah."

Without another word, he spun on his heel then marched with my bags towards the exit. I scrambled to keep up with him. Outside there was an old truck parked. He tossed the bags into the bed and climbed into the truck. I hauled myself into the passenger seat just before he began the truck. My seatbelt snapped into place as he sped off.

"My agreement with your father was that you could stay with me as long as you worked and didn't bother me. You'll work " He placed a toothpick between his teeth and bit into it. "My best waitress Rita just quit so I need a placement."

My head bobbled as though my neck were loose. Getting a job without having to go through an interview? I surely wasn't going to complain.

"You'll be waitressing Monday through Saturday, only because we are closed during Sundays. You go in at seven o'clock then work until four. Your lunch break is from twelve thirty to one. Simple enough?"