Open mind for a different View

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Amelia didn’t know what to say to ease her mother’s worries or deflect the seriousness of the situation because the fact of the matter was Mel knew she should’ve called like mother asked her to do days ago the last time she stayed out all night.

With no clear option Mel decided to go with the truth. She took a deep breath and forced herself to go forward into the house where her mother was waiting.

“Where’ve you been?” Dana Lowell demanded as she jumped from her seat in the kitchen. “You never came home last night and you skipped school.” her words were rushed with worry and a big dose of anger.

“I know.”

“Where you with Anthony? I knew that boy was going to get you into trouble.”

“Mom, no don’t blame him for my mistakes. This has nothing to do with Anthony.” She sank down into one of the empty chairs. “Zander is alive.” Those three words played in a confusing painful loop through her head.

“What?” Dana’s face went white with shock, she too sat back down. “How?”

“There was a fire but he and his family survived. In exchange for some valuable information the government faked their deaths and gave them new identities.”

“Witness protection?” Having watched a lot of TV and read many crime thrillers she knew something about it. “It’s too dangerous for him to come back, isn’t it?”

“Seems so but now that he’s eighteen he had the choice to leave and he did. He showed up when I was waiting for Eric last night and I freaked.” Mel couldn’t hide her emotions anymore, there thinking about everything he had told her and how beautiful he looked last night she began to cry.

“Where’ve you been? You know how worried I get.” The edge in her voice eased as she began to understand Amelia’s reaction and what sent her down that path.

“I know and I am really sorry about that but I couldn’t come home and face reality and I thought he might show back up too. I couldn’t handle it.” Mel didn’t like to admit weakness but right now it was all she had, all she felt.

“I know what happened must’ve been a big shock but it doesn’t excuse running away like you did. You were with Anthony, weren’t you?” her voice let Mel know this was the last time her mother was going to ask before the small lid on her temper flew.

“Yes.”

Dana let out a long sigh. “I told you I would be supportive as long as you two only remained friends. I’m not comfortable with you being involved with someone that much older than you.”

“It’s more than that. You already said you don’t want me to fall apart if something was to go wrong with me and Anthony. I don’t blame you for thinking I’m not strong enough but right now he makes me happy.” Mel could breathe a little easier when she thought about Anthony and all the time they had spent together, it hadn’t been long since they met but it was enough.

Dana shook her head, a sad expression across her face now as all her fight faded. “If Lena wanted to date a boy four years older than her I’d be just as upset. I don’t want you to be taken advantage of. He’s older and experienced and that could lead to trouble.”

“He’s not forcing me into anything, I swear it mom. He listens and he’s caring, he’s perfect and if you got the chance to know him better you could see that.”

“He means that much to you?”

“Yes.” Mel wished she could think of better and bigger words to explain it better, he meant that and so much more.

“Fine if it means that much to you let’s invite him over for dinner tonight and see what happens.” Dana had always been a good mother, sometimes too good, she couldn’t deny her child happiness without at least trying to see all sides of the argument first.

“You’ll love him but try not to love him too much because he’s taken.”

That broke the intensity in the room as both mother and daughter laughed.

Mel spoke with her mother for a few more minutes, mostly about school. Lena would be bringing her homework and she’d be back at school tomorrow. She excused herself and went to go take a shower, the haste one at Anthony’s hadn’t done a good enough job getting the salt water free from her skin.

Back in her bedroom she couldn’t stop herself from sitting on the floor and pulling out the box of Zander’s things from under her bed. She couldn’t deny it anymore but it was still pretty surreal to have him back amongst the living.

In those three years since his death she couldn’t go too long without thinking of him, without having him in her soul during every second of her life until recently. The moment she started to let him go bam here he was back in the flesh. She didn’t know what to do with that.

He had been her best friend and first love. It wasn’t something that could ever be forgotten. But there was Anthony now, her first real adult relationship. Could it be possible to have her best friend and the man she was coming to love?

She looked down at the drawings Zander had left her and knew she couldn’t push him away again. She had been wrong to do so last night. He never would’ve done that to her and because of that she had to try and make it right.

She quickly put everything away and left her bedroom.

“Are you ok?” her mother asked as they bumped into each other in the living room.

Mel shook her head. “I messed up. I pushed Zander away and told him I didn’t believe he was really back. I have to find him and fix this.”

“Sweetie I don’t know---.”

“Mom I have to do this. I swear I’ll be back soon, just give me an hour to try and find him?” Mel laid it all on the line and begged her mother for just this one chance she didn’t deserve but needed.

“Ok, one hour and if you’re not here you’re grounded until you’re twenty.”

“Thank you.” Mel threw her arms around her mother for a quick hug before running out of the house; there was no time to waste.

She didn’t know if Zander was going back to school but it didn’t matter because classes were over for the day. After making up her mind to find him she was bursting with all the words she needed to tell him. She was restless as she drove to the spot she hoped he’d be waiting.

As kids they used to spend all their time in this small closed down area of the park and pretend it was their own alien world away from all pesky humans. Most of their friendship had been built in that secluded piece of land, they had spent more time there than at school or home. If there was anywhere he’d go it’d be there.

She grew scared that maybe he decided to go back home to his family and chalk this visit up to a failure but deep down she knew Zander wouldn’t do that. He didn’t give up without a fight. He wouldn’t leave town without them seeing each other again.

The seconds ticked on like long nerve clenching minutes.

She parked the car in the first available spot she saw and ran out into the park. There were parents with their children, kids hanging out before going home from school, and older people seated on the benches watching random ducks and squirrels.  

Mel ran past all of them into the trees and down the dirt pathway created from all the times they walked it. Her side ached and lunges burned by the time she skidded to a stop. She hastily looked around but that out of breath she couldn’t see straight. She bent to catch her breath.

She heard the crunching sound of leaves and rock before she saw him.

“It took you long enough.”

Mel stood upright and could only stare at him. There in the sunlight she really saw him, his now towering height, bluish green eyes, short cut brown hair, and that grin only he could wear. She smiled weakly.  “What can I say? I’m slow.”