Saving Melanie

Chapter 1

Melanie Vaughn, my twin sister, was someone I watched my entire life. Not looked up to, but watched. I watched her walk and talk before I could, eat baby food without making a mess before I could, and grow up before I was ready. I watched her make mistakes, like thinking jumping off a table was a good idea, and learning it wasn't by landing flat on her ass, and crying out in pain to our mom and dad. I watched her write on the walls and get disciplined by having all of her markers and crayons taken away for a day. She was frantic. I was always quiet. I always watched with curiosity of what Melanie did, and I never stopped her. I was also a baby, therefore I could only see her learn. But Melanie would learn sooner or later. I watched her grow up and become a party animal, and at 14 years old , I learned that she had intercourse in the last hallway of the school building. When we all found out, and Melanie was suspended for 10 days, Mom and dad were wondering how Melanie could be this irresponsible. I let them deal with her, and watched as she got yelled at. I wasn't surprised. Because Melanie Vaughn was what I would call a Grade- A mistake maker. She always drinked, smoked, and snuck out when Mom and dad were gone or asleep. When they were away, and we were responsible for the house, she would throw the wildest parties, and I would have invited a few friends over to stay in my room and talk about how much trouble Melanie would be in. I saw her buy the most innapropriate clothes when we would the mall, and hide them under jackets so mom and dad wouldn't see them. Then, she would manage to wear them all day around school and not get in trouble. I never stopped Melanie from anything she did. But now, I would have to. To save Melanie. My sister.

"RAYE, COME SEE THIS"
Melanie yelled, summoning for me to come into her room. I put down my laptop I had been using to complete my homework with, and unknowing what Melanie would want me to see, I walked into her room. She was examining herself in the mirror, wearing nothing but a sports bra and shorts, and I didn't see what she wanted me to look at. "What?" I asked . "Come closer, stupid" She said. Now, I was far from stupid, but I would let her say it this time. I stepped closer to Melanie, my arms crossed, and looked down to where her hands were. There was a huge lump on Melanie's stomach, close to her belly button, and it looked tense. "What the hell? Are you pregnant?" I asked. "What? No. I think it's from the fall I had last night" She told me. "Mel, that lump is huge. Put some ice on it or something, or ask mom" I told her. "Raye, I'm not a baby. I can take care of it myself. Besides, she would just overreact and take me to the hospital" Melanie told me, looking deeply into my eyes with her bright blue ones. Her hand continued to form circles around the disfigured lump, and I looked at her oddly. "Does it hurt?" I asked. "No. It just feels tense, like a bruise would. I'm sure it'll go down. The fall wasn't that bad" She told me. "Must have been a bad enough fall to put that monster on your stomach" I said, pointing at it. "Whatever. I'm not worried, and neither should you be" Melanie said casually, and slipped on a black v-neck tee with a small decorative pocket on the front. "Are you sure you shouldn't talk to mom and dad? They would be worried" I asked her, fiddling with one of my Dutch braids. "No. Gosh, you take things to seriously. You can go now" She said, and sat on her bed. I stared at my twin sister for a minute, wondering how we got to be so different. After I left, that was the end of the discussion for the rest of the day