Saving Melanie Deen

Chapter 23

Immediately, we were welcomed by the overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol. The smell brought me back to my childhood. Back when my mom was unemployed, sleeping with random men every night, and high or drunk for a week straight. She never noticed me. It was like I was a ghost of her terrible past, who still haunted her to this day. And I felt like I was.

I still feel like I am.

She'd invite her friends and their friends...basically anyone up for some free drugs and drinks. I would walk into the living room, teddy bear in one hand and rubbing my sleepy eyes with the other hand. It wasn't uncommon. The 'me going down to see what's all the commotion' thing. And she would just glance at me, with the scariest look on her face. It was like she was alive, but her soul was dead. I remember getting chills, every time she looked at me like that. As Meg's father described her in his letter, "it's like the light is on...but there's nobody home". And I couldn't agree more.

"Mel"

I snapped my head in Quinn's direction.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts...this looks like a serious event" She gave me a worried look. I took a long around, for the first time since we walked in. She wasn't wrong. There were weird men all around the place. The same type as the ones at the warehouse. Cheap women, dressed in expensive clothing were strolling around with champagne glasses in their hands. The atmosphere was nothing like a high school house party. It really did seem like a serious event.

When Quinn said 'rich people party', I figured it would just be a fancy party with all the privileged kids from school. But this...this was something else.

I noticed waiters and waitresses serving drinks, a bar with actual staff, a pianist...what the actual hell is this? "Are you sure we got the right address?" Quinn managed to choke out, standing closer and closer to me with every second. I felt the fear radiating off of her.

"Yes! I lived here" I chuckled, trying to calm my own panic. This wasn't what we expected. At all.

"Then what...the hell...is that?" She whisper-shouted, panting. I follow her terrified stare to one of the shady looking men. He was standing by the bar and his black turtleneck had risen slightly at the waist, displaying something I never thought I'd have to face in my life. A gun.

My eyes widened, taking a step back."What the...?" I whispered.

"Yeah, now we're on the same page" She cried out, trying to keep a straight face. I glanced at her, my mind racing.

"We need to act natural. We're starting to look a little...suspicious" I muttered, forcing myself to smile at passers-by.

She let out a quiet, agonizing groan."I want the ground to swallow me" She muttered through her teeth.

"Plenty of time for that..." I muttered back, pulling her along with me until we got to the bar."Two cosmos" I ordered, keeping a straight face. Which was rather difficult. Cosmos. Dear God, who am I?

"Cosmos?" Quinn made a face.

I stomped on her foot, smiling at the bartender."Yes, cosmos. Don't want you getting too rowdy, darling" I smiled, gritting my teeth. She made an 'oh' face and took the drink, flashing the bartender a flirty smile. I masked my look of disgust by taking a sip of the disgustingly, girly drink. Never had I ever imagined myself drinking one of these. I mean, yes, I've made them for clients...but I've never had one myself. I'm a whiskey kind of gal. Okay, maybe sometimes a vodka gal too. But not a cosmo gal.

"So our disguise is drinking girly drinks and flirting with the bartender?" Quinn whispered into my ear. I rolled my eyes. "I'm working on it" I hissed back.