Melody

8

Melody worked to find a routine that kept her out of sight of her family as much as possible over the next few days. It was mostly successful, especially since she was able to happily stay in her room away from everyone. She had grown to love her room, high up and separated from everyone else. Her private sanctuary was her perfect refuge. The only thing that wasn't perfect was there was a strange annoying buzzing high frequency sound sometimes. She didn't like how it sounded in her ears. But if she turned on her music it was easily ignored, especially while she was working on her halloween costume. She was trying to make herself a corset waist cincher for the first time. Her little familiar sewing machine fit perfectly on the desk that had been here when she moved in, and was the ideal set up for sewing.

Alexander had helped her avoid her family the day after he had run away from her at lunch by offering to drive her to pick out a costume from a store for the upcoming halloween dance and parties. Which were apparently a really big deal at this school, and there was a party the night of halloween at his uncle's place that he was even more excited about. She just wanted a chance to work on a sewing project and try some harder costume techniques. She asked if he could drive her to a fabric store instead of the pop up costume shop in the mall.

She smiled when she thought of how his eyebrows had shot up so fast they almost hit his hairline. "You can sew? Like clothes?" as though he couldn't even imagine someone making clothes for themself. It was cute watching his face as she explained her love of costumes and perfecting a character's outfit. About how if she lived somewhere that actually had conventions she would love to cosplay as someone wonderful and go be around other costume lovers, supporting each other's art and appreciating the work that goes into a perfect costume.

He in turn was mesmerized watching her finally light up, talking quickly, her whole face animated as she talked about costumes she had made, and how much she loved working to bring a character to life. She had only been half alive the entire time he had known her, now he was seeing the real her. Full of passion, and joy, she thought so deeply about things. And she was so kind, she only said supportive and appreciative comments on other's work, who she envied for their talent in an aspirational way, no envy that twisted dark, no disrespect to other costumers. Just kindness all the way through her heart.

Alexander had been captivated by her, but it wasn't until he stumbled into getting her to talk about costumes that he realized why she was the perfect one for him. Her strength to deal with her problems at home, school had already made him desperate to be her friend and help her. Knowing her better, seeing her fully alive like this, this was the moment he fell completely in love with her.

They made a plan to head to the next town over, it was bigger and had a dedicated fabric store right after school. She sent a message to her mother that she had plans and wouldn't be home until after dinner and turned her phone off until after they had finished dinner at a delightful greasy spoon dinner on the way home. Errands complete.

Alexander flinched when he saw her phone light up with no fewer than 23 missed calls and even more text messages. Melody sighed deeply, and deleted all the messages and voicemails without even listening to them. She looked up at him, she smelled and looked scared. "Could you maybe stop up the road from my house, and just umm... wait until I text you that I'm ok?"

Alexander felt hurt, deep hurt in his heart. He hated that she had to ask him, and he hated that there was nothing he could do about it right now. She still was just 17. Until she was 18 she was a minor and her mother had final say for everything she did. Thankfully her birthday was only a couple months away. Then he would tell her everything and offer to move them both home. To his real home. But could she really wait that long?

He stopped the car several houses away from hers, as requested. "You don't have to go home Melody. If you aren't safe.... My uncle would protect you, there's extra rooms." They really could help her, his uncle was powerful in this area but he couldn't tell her why, or why she could trust him to never do anything to harm her.

She brushed him off, not understanding the value of his offer,"It'll be ok, I'll just go straight to my room." She didn't lie, she went back to her room by scaling the drainpipe to the overhang, and climbing the trellis up to her room. The cord was still drawn up, the lock in place and no one seemed to have noticed her. She sent a message to Alexander letting him know she was home safe in her room. Then another to Beverly "Home. In my room."

She heard the ding Beverly's phone made for every single notification and almost the same moment loud stomping footsteps as her mother walked from what must have been the living room, then the stairs, down the hall annnnnnd,"Melody fucking Grace We need to talk." There it was, the shrill half yell half scream. Melody was ready for it.

Frank, did you hear this? This is what you've hitched yourself to now. Melody thought bitterly to herself before replying. "So talk. I'm not coming down and I can hear you just fine."

Melody could hear her mother sputter as the enraged women tried to think of what to say next. "You can't just run off and hide away in your room and avoid this family. You have responsibilities!" Beverly yelled at the locked trapdoor in the ceiling.

"I told you I was going shopping with a friend, and we would be back late. My phone didn't have power, and I didn't have a chance to charge it until we were back in their car" Not a word a lie, but carefully constructed to be accurate. Beverly didn't need to know that her phone didn't have power because she had turned it off.

"I was working late, you were supposed to make dinner tonight." Beverly was screaming up through the door.

Melody shrugged. "No one told me."

"It's expected Melody, Frank said he told you he expected that to be your chore." Shrill and bitter, Melody hoped Frank was hearing every word.

"And what are the expected chores for Robert, Randy and Royal? Because I haven't seen any evidence they have assigned chores here." Melody was bitter, and feeling dark. She didn't like being home anymore, she didn't feel like herself here. Not when she had to be around her family.

"Never you mind what the boys do. We are talking about you." Melody rolled her eyes. She was not here for this bull shit expected gender role nonsense.

"If they don't work. I don't work." Feminism. Equal rights for all.

"Melody get down from that room so we can talk. Face to face." Beverly's tone had turned sickly sweet again, trying to lure Melody down from her sanctuary.

"Nope. I'm good thanks." Melody was smiling in her room, this was going well so far. "Next time there is something I'm supposed to do, let me know ahead of time and we can discuss. Like adults." The smile on her face echoed in her voice.

"Melody. Uggh just go fuck yourself. If I tell you, you gotta do something, you better fucking do it next time. Frank was pissed. Don't fuck this up for me Melody." Beverly was whisper yelling that last bit. Probably hoping her new husband didn't hear how unhinged she truly was.

Melody didn't bother to reply, she had already moved away from the trap door and was setting up her sewing machine that she had inherited from her grandmother a few years ago. Then she was off to the storage bin in her closet full of her pattern making supplies and sewing tool kit.

She smiled to herself, ignoring her mother easily with her headphones on, music playing, as she arranged her pattern paper out, getting ready to try and make a corset for the first time.