Impress Me Not: Neon Underground

Chapter 44

"My exact same shoes?" Mateo looked at him incredulously. He seemed pretty angry that day, even though he tried to hide it. Melvin could see that many thoughts had gone through that head. He was hoping to pull him out of it, maybe help him find solace. But he wasn't a professional. Just a man who had seen the dark side of the world too many times.

"Not identical," he answered, looking down at his food. He was surprised he could even get over there that fast. Normally it took a while, but traffic was calm and both the café and pizza joint were quick on their orders. It was a nice change, considering they took a while most of the time. "But I understand what you're going through."

"It doesn't even matter," Mateo shook his head. "I'm just whining anyway. There's nothing that a rich kid like me has to complain about with how I was raised."

"I was a rich kid too," Melvin told him. "And an only child at that." He looked over to see those vibrant green eyes looking so eagerly towards him. "There are plenty of things to complain about other than finances. There are plenty of things that parents can fuck you up on."

"Is that why you like doing what you do?" Mateo asked. His voice was calmer, mixing in with the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. It was probably one of the best experiences Melvin had on a beach.

"Yes," he answered. "But not for the reason you think."

"What's your reason then?"

"I like to show people that there is a place that will accept them," Melvin spoke quietly then, closing his eyes as the emotions enveloped him. "Even when the outside world won't."

That was the original reason why he wanted to start that club. Sure, they weren't family friendly, and he never portrayed it as such. There were so many things in his club that weren't so pretty. Everyone there had scars, whether physical or mental. Most of them had been rejected by everyone else, too much of a freak to be considered normal by any standards.

It took Melvin a long time to see beauty in his own scars. He hoped that he could help others do the same. Even if it was just for a night. At least then they could have one moment where they could laugh and enjoy themselves rather than be stuck in a corner, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with everyone. He wanted to make people feel seen and heard. There was still a long way to go for his night club, but he was hoping that his small impact on his community was enough. Even if it was just one person.

And, it seemed like Mateo was one of them, rather than the other way around. He should have known by the amount of times the man came back. Melvin just thought that he was going to stay in denial his whole life, forever angry about something that he might never admit. Melvin knew the feeling.

He knew that feeling all too well.

"My parents didn't hurt me," Mateo finally broke the silence. "I didn't get beat or smacked or anything...I just..."

"Did they spend time with you?" Melvin asked, pulling out a cigarette. The wind was blowing away from them, so he knew he wouldn't get it in the man's face.

"Not unless it was a party with other people," he answered. "Or we got a reward for something that they approved of."

"I'm not a professional," Melvin said. "But it sounds like emotional neglect to me. My parents did the same. They were too busy to ever have time for me."

It was strange trying to relate to a man that he hated so much before. It was almost alien. But he could tell that Mateo was hurting. And, as long as he wanted to talk about it, he would let him.

"How did you stop it?" Mateo asked. He was looking far into the distance. Those green eyes was always magnetized towards the waves of the ocean. "The feeling of not being worth anything?"