Familiar Strangers

Three days ago...

Melissa, high heels clacking on the pavement, walked down the road she knew so well but hadn't seen since last summer. As soon as school was over the Browns would take their children back to their small, humble hometown. The place where they had met and fallen in love and lived before all the fame, the success and the money had entered their lives.

A deep sigh escaped her lips and she allowed her shoulders to relax, running her fingers through her soft hair. She breathed in the fresh air and slowed her pace a little lowering her guard for the first time in two days. The town had that effect on her every single time. She felt at home here. Far away from the press, the expectations and the gossip. Of course her life was much more than that. Still the absence of those things was more than welcome.

It was supposed to be a summer like any other. She would let herself plunge into art and let it do its magic. Even now she tried to maintain the original plan, just ending a visit to her favourite gallery having spent more than two hours inside. She was returning home after a pleasant evening, body and soul surrendered to her one true passion.

For a moment everything fell back to place. The world was as close to perfection as it ever was.

Then she saw the gates of the park. She felt dizzy again. Her pace grew quick once more. If it was any other summer she would have taken the shortest road. The one that passed through the park but she knew better than that now.

Blurred images and muffled sounds threatened to consume her. She couldn't even consider what had happened last time. Fortunately things ended well...At least for her...

Don't think about it! she scolded herself in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves. The nightmares were enough she didn't need to spend any more time for these...Nonsense! Maybe it was just a dream anyway., she thought furiously though she knew very well that it wasn't. She unconsciously brushed her fingertips over the bruises around her wrists, souvenirs from the fight she gave...

Wanting to escape her own mind she kept on walking, reaching a neighbourhood she had never bothered to go to before. She then entered the first shop in sight and began searching for something to buy. After all shopping therapy might help...doesn't hurt to try either way... She finally found something she liked so she took it and made her way to the fitting rooms.

A boy probably her age was waiting outside leaning against the wall. She studied him briefly as she walked towards him. He sure wasn't very pleased to be there... His light brown hair was quite messy, she noticed, but in a good way. Hearing her approaching he raised his head, his chocolate eyes shooting up from the phone he had been looking at with boredom and meeting hers.

"Jasmine we have to go! It's almost seven already. Your mother it's going to kill me if you're not back in time for that family dinner you... ", then he stopped. "Heeeeey?! Where did you find all these make-up? I promised to bring you here, but that doesn't mean you have to dress up like that." His handsome face morphed into a disappointed frown.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Melissa asked waving her finger in front of him shocked and pissed at the same time. A stranger talking to her as if he had a clue about her, what the hell?

"Adrian, nice to meet you!", he said sarcastically. "What's wrong with you Jass?", the boy sounded annoyed and that made Melissa even more furious. "Can you please change so we can go?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you! How dare you speak to me like this!", she exclaimed using her get-lost-now tone of voice.

"Okay, okay easy princess", he said more calmly now. "Sorry Jasmine, you know I love you but when you act like this..." he looked at her in dismay. "Those people you admire so much. They're just pretenders and the sooner you realise it the better..." She look at him in awe for a moment unable to react.