Michael and Mel

Chapter One: Mel

The strangest thing happened today. My older brother's best friend spoke to me. His best friend of the past two years, who I haven't even met before today but heard a lot about from my brother, actually spoke to me. And If you can't already tell, it's kind of freaking me out. But not only did he speak to me, he has also discovered my secret hideaway. The place I go to when I need some peace and quiet and relaxing time away from everything. Not even my own family knows where I go. Yet somehow, my obnoxious brother's friend managed to stumble upon it and my secret hideout is no longer a secret. Let me walk you through it. Nadine's Perfect Pottery. Built in 1942 and owned by the same family for all this time, artists and pottery lovers alike have been coming here to get their hands dirty and create something wonderful. And when I was fifteen, this place became my sanctuary.

I've been coming here twice a week for the past three years. Brandy, the shop's current owner, and I have become incredibly close over the years. She took pity on me when she saw how awful I was at making pottery the first time I came in here, and she sat beside me and helped me practice my skills and help me improve. Granted, I haven't improved very much. Even with all her help. Everything I make comes out looking like something you'd find in a preschool classroom. But pottery making...I don't know. Something about it relaxes me, inspires me, and pushes me to continue loving creating the most terrible pieces of art. I could stay in this place for hours, and I usually do. So, imagine my surprise when today, my brother's best friend came waltzing through the shop's doors. Of course, I didn't know he was who he was at first, but I soon found out.

Brandy had just gotten me set up with an apron and big lump of clay when the little bell above the shop's door rang, signaling that someone had just come in. Being the awkward, stupid little introvert I am, I kept my head down and continued to work on yet another one of my terrible looking cups. I heard Brandy introduce herself and the newcomer do the same. "Welcome in! My name is Brandy Charles, I'm the owner here." "Hey," the other person said. "Michael Kassidy." And that was when my heart stopped. So did my hands. The lump of clay on top of the potter's wheel before me spun out of control and sent my clay flying across the room and straight onto the silver bell at the front desk. The whole thing would have been funny if it wasn't so embarrassing. Brandy jumped in surprise and turned her startled eyes on me. And so did he. I mouthed a silent apology to Brandy and went to go retrieve my clay.

But I couldn't stop thinking about him. I didn't know the face, but I knew the name. Kind of. Over the past two years, I've heard my brother talk about his friend Michael Kassidy. The two of them go to UCLA together and I guess that's where they met. My brother Aiden doesn't talk about him all the time, but he's talked about him enough for the rest of our family to know what such great friends they are. Since Aiden and I aren't super close, it's no surprise that I haven't met any of his college friends before.

Not only that, but after what happened the last time I tried to introduce myself to one of his friends a few years ago, steering clear of the kinds of people my brother chooses to hang out with has always seemed like a good idea. Seeing the person I've heard about for the past two years right before my eyes startled me, that's all. I only wish I wasn't startled enough to embarrass myself the way I just did. After retrieving my clay, I hurried back to my chair but I continued to listen in on their conversation. "So, what brings you here today?" Brandy asked. My brother's friend shrugged. "My cousin goes on and on about this place all the time, and I have to complete a project for school. So, thought I'd give it a try." Brandy clapped her hands. "Perfect! Well, follow me and we'll get you everything you need." My brother's friend nodded and followed Brandy over to where the aprons and clay are kept. I went back to focusing on my project.

Seeing someone my brother knew here, was definitely surprising. But I wasn't going to let that distract me from finishing my cup. But apparently the universe was trying to keep me from adding yet another disastrous piece of pottery to my collection because a few moments later, my brother's friend sat down at the worktable right beside me and began the process of molding and shaping his clay, and I could not focus after that. Mainly because my brain kept spinning round and round with all kinds of thoughts and questions. Should I ignore my brother's friend? Should I say hello? Should I hurry away and finish my cup another time? What do I do if he talks to me? As I said before, me and my brother's friends have had a rocky track record, which was why I am currently freaking out and overthinking everything. That, and freaking out and overthinking everything is what I do best. After about five minutes, I decided to chill the heck out and stay put. This guy sitting beside me didn't know who I was.