As I poured myself a second glass of whiskey, I watched the usual customers pile into the bar. They usually consisted of old men who were trying to get into some poor girl's pants, underage teens with fake id's (like myself), college kids, shady gangster dudes, and married people trying to get away from their boring old lives for a few hours.
I spotted an old, most liked married man, trying to flirt with one of the underage girls. It was sickening in a way, watching all of this unroll right in front of my eyes. Teenage girls, selling themselves for some cash or a drink...old men preying on them, knowing what they want and what they'll do to get it. But I like my job. The actual bartender and waitress part, not the weird customer part. This job keeps me sane. If I didn't have this job, my next stop after a day of school would be getting beaten by my mother's boyfriend. So if you think hard enough, this ain't that bad considering the circumstances.
I sipped on the cold whiskey and couldn't help but sigh. Don't take this the wrong way, I usually don't drink while I'm working. But today was one hell of a shitty day.
Yes, I'm 18. Yes, I'm not legal to be drinking or even to work here. But for Meg, the law doesn't exist. Her father Louis, opened this bar back when neither Meg or I were even born. He was later sent to jail for drugs, along with my father who sold the drugs for him. Before my father was killed in jail, he told Louis to find me when he got out. He knew he had a lot of enemies in jail, but he wanted to make sure someone knew about my existence. He wanted Louis to take me away from my psycho mother. However, after he was killed...everything went downhill. Louis got revenge on the murderers because that's the way he was. He always stuck up for his men and made sure that everyone paid for the thing that they've done. As a result, he extended his sentence. So he then waited for Meg to be old enough to tell her to find me. He told her to take care of me in any way that she could. He was afraid he wouldn't make it out of jail alive, just like my father. And he was right. Last year, he died in his jail cell from a heart attack. Meg told me he had an envelope under his pillow, in which he explained everything that has happened. From start to finish, not missing a single detail.
He put his entire life in a letter. But he also wrote a letter to me, explaining my father's path in life also. He knew no one else could tell me anything about him. So he explained the drug dealing business, my mother's behavior, and why my father never really got to see me when he wasn't in jail yet. That's how I grew to hate my mother even more than I already did. Louis told me everything he knew about her, which was a lot considering he knew her from high school. And that is why Meg is like family to me. She's the only one close enough to the title.
"Okay that's enough, Mel" Meg came up from behind me and took away my glass of whiskey. I huffed, letting her take it from me. Not gonna deny it, I feel a little tipsy already.
"What's going on? Spill it" She asked, now facing me. I looked away, letting my gaze land on an awkward-looking couple. Who comes to a shady, underground bar for a date? I sighed, turning to look at Meg again. I knew she wouldn't leave me alone until I told her what was wrong.
Ever since the support group came to an end, that jerk's words kept ringing in my head. Do I really come off as a stuck up rich girl who never felt an inch of pain or suffering in her life? It just got to me."You don't know what they feel". I fucking do, Ethan Summers. I know exactly how it feels.
"Earth to Melanie Deen" Meg interrupted my thoughts. My eyes met hers and I shook her question off immediately.
"Support group shit" I quickly replied. She smiled sadly and handed me the whiskey glass.
"Keep it reasonable, though" She pointed to the bottle on the shelf, giving me a look. I watched her walk away as I sipped the drink.
"Whiskey on the rocks" A familiar voice made me jump. My eyes darted to him, the realization hitting me. That asshole. What is he doing here?
YOU ARE READING
Saving Melanie Deen
Teen Fiction"That's the funny thing, though. Loving me is a death sentence, isn't it?" *** Melanie Deen's world consisted of abuse, alcohol, and loneliness. From her mother's abusive boyfriends to working at an underground bar, to being a well-known drug dealer...
