Daddy Dearest

Chapter Forty-Four

Charlie

I was dancing with Aubrey Rose when I noticed that Melody was dancing with my dad. She looks incredible tonight. Melody is always beautiful, but now there's a special... I don't know, womanly glow to her.

I'd always equated her with girl. Woman is something else entirely. I never thought of having sex with her until recently, for example. All of a sudden, it was all I could think about. How did I never notice her curves or her faint floral smell or the sexy way that she laughed? Mel just has this hot innocent look that invites a man to corrupt her. I've seen even Father Sidney look at her that way. I wonder if he admits it to Father Hal during confession.

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I have lust in my heart and a boner in my pants for one Melody Plum."

Ugh, I should have asked her to dance. Now she's dancing with my dad and looking at him with a goofy look on her face. I know what she feels for him is a school girl's crush, so it doesn't bother me. It used to, but not anymore.

Mel and I grew up together and she was practically raised by my parents since her dad died almost six years ago. She idolized Harry, who is very similar to my dad. They even kind of look alike. It's not too weird that she transferred her hero-worship to him. But she'll get over it.

I didn't believe I had to worry about Chambers. He's a fuckboy. I was sure he'd hit it and quit it just like he'd done to all the other girls he'd dated. I underestimated him. Of course, he did beat the shit out of that Armenian kid just for talking shit about Melody two years ago. I saw the look in his eyes when he pulled me off Mel. That dude was ready to kill me.

I just didn't expect Mel to love him back as much as she does. And now she's going to go to college in England just so she can be with him? That's so fucked up! We had plans together, she and I. Maybe I can still change her mind during our long weekend together at the horror convention next month.

But Dad is also going to be there. And he's another cause for concern. I don't know if he's going through some kind of midlife crisis or something, but for some reason, he's been looking at Melody in a new light and I don't like it. He tries to be slick about it, but I catch him doing it all the time. It's one thing if he were a dirty old perv who checked out all the young girls at school, but it's only Melody he looked at that way even though there are a dozen female students who flirt shamelessly with him daily. Not to mention the teachers. It's pretty gross, actually. I don't know how Mum can stand it. I'm glad he's got another job lined up and he'll be gone soon.

I was watching the two of them laugh together while they danced when one of the lighting fixtures came loose from the catwalk and came barreling down toward Melody's head.

"Watch out," I yelled.

My father pulled her out of the way in time, but a part of the fixture still hit her shoulder and scratched her arm before smashing to the ground. Kids started screaming and panicking, so Mrs. Huerta turned on all the lights in the gym and announced that the dance was over. She looked pretty pissed, too.

I had never been so scared in my life. Someone is really fucking determined to kill Melody. I heard Teddy Rogers say he saw some dude in a black hoodie messing around up in the catwalk then clamber down the ladder before rushing out the back door, so during the commotion, I slipped out and followed the trail of this would-be murderer.

I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. I was kind of hoping he'd dropped a clue in his haste to get away or I'd catch him trying to hop the fence to escape, but there was no one in the back lot except a couple of security guards.

Wait, they would have seen something.

I returned under the awning that shielded the back entrance and saw a CCTV camera mounted in one corner, pointing at the double doors.