Baby Clifford

Walking

Melody couldn't sleep after prom. She was too happy, in fact she didn't remember the last time she was that happy. She changed into a black long sleeve shirt, which someone or another gave to her, that had Clifford '22 on the back like the white little sweatshirt she had when she was small. She got into denim shorts and put on black vans.

Melody rode her bike to the beach that wasn't very far away. She gently laid her bike on the fence. There wasn't a soul in sight, the waves were gentle and slow. Just the way Melody liked it. She hadn't done this since her freshman year of high school, when Mr. Jacobs made his appearance and he practically became her second dad. He seemed to understand the frustration of not having parents around. His parents were always away on business. She came to the beach when everything seemed to go right.

Melody made it about a fourth to half way down and sat on the sand. Just sat and watched the waves. That's all. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, smiling at events of the night. She smiled at memory of Danny's hands holding her waist and placing delicate kisses in her face like her was the weight of a feather and blow away from him if she was kissed to hard.

Melody slipped her shoes off, not having any socks on, and sat on the edge of the shoreline and let the tide graze her feet. Melody felt, almost little again, where everything was magical and nothing bad was going to happen. She smiled and hummed to Airplanes and giggled half way through the first chorus of the song. Melody grabbed her shoes and sang the song while walking on the shoreline.

Then there a snap with a large light. A flash from a camera. Stupid mother fucker paparazzi Melody thought. She turned the other way and covered her face. Course the one time I wear a Clifford shirt. She growled at herself in her head. I knew it was too good to be true. She walked quicker as she heard more of them come by her, swarming around her in a circle. "Melody!" She heard many people yell and ask her multiple questions. She pulled on her hair slightly. "Melody, what would your daddy think about this?" The one in front of her asked, a giant smirk on his face. "Get the fuck away from me." She snapped. "I don't think Michael would appreciate you swearing at us." The same one stated. "Well he isn't here, is he you stupid fucking ass?" Melody spat back. The grin grew on his face. He was going to do anything to get this on the cover on the magazine he works for. "Melody how do you feel about the part two of a documentary of 5SOS and their kids?" Another one asked. "I'm not doing it." She stated. "I truly think differently." The guy in front of her spoke. "Then you can go fuck yourself." She flipped him off, oh how the cameras flashes went off then.

Yeah, she was going to hear about this soon. Then it hit her how her family was going to hate her and the insults and bullying was going to happen more and how she should've shut her stupid mouth.

Melody somehow managed to push herself through the crowd and texted Ryan, the only one of her friends that would still be awake, who could bring her home. He said he was heading that way from Elizabeth's house. "Hop in, " he smiled as he got there in five minutes. Melody felt sweaty and shaking at the same time. She could barely get a steady breathing pattern. "Ry-Ryan, I-I'm get-getting dizzy." Melody stuttered and shook more. Ryan pulled over into an abandoned grocery store parking lot and parked.

He unbuckled his seat belt. "Melody, look at me." She obeyed. "Copy my breathing." He took a deep breath in and out. It was three breathes later when Ryan noticed Melody wasn't changing any breathing patterns. "Melody, you can do this. Let's count, okay?" Ryan said in a calming voice and Melody nodded. "1," she took a shaky breath, "2," another harsh breath. "Melody, look at me, see big breath and then 3. Okay?" Melody quickly nodded and struggled with a big breath, "3," she whispered. "That's it Melody. Let's do it again." He guided her again. She started to shake harder and sweat formed on her forehead. "Melody raise her your arms." He gently said and slowly rosed her arms above her head. "Okay, we're at four." He said and breathed with her. "You're doing great, Melody. Let's go five," she took the big breath and exhaled on five. At eight, Melody was breathing normally and Ryan let her put her arms down.

"You're okay now, right?" Ryan asked. Melody nodded, "Take me home." Melody answered.

She laid in bed falling asleep, now glad her dad put locks on the window. "Let's all quiet down, I don't think my daughter would like all this noise." Michael said into the microphone as he was on stage. And there was little Melody on the side stage, afraid to out with her daddy and uncles. The fans quieted and made excited talking about the only Baby Clifford, some of them glad to know that Michael was a single dad and others saddened by it. "Come on Melody," Michael encouraged as he got to the side. Melody whimpered and shook her head. "Melody," Michael had more of a warning tone now. Melody grabbed her Spider-man before running out to him, not wanting to get in trouble. Michael picked her up and went back to his spot on stage. Then the fans started to scream again and scared the poor girl to tears. Michael admittedly regretted it and rubbed her back and shushed her. Calum took notice of her behavior and started doing silly dance moves. "Melody look at Uncle Cal." Michael remarked to her. Because of Calum's funny behavior, it got the fans rallied up again. "Baby girl, I'm going to put you down and you're going to stay right by me. I'll tell them to be quiet." Michael told her and Melody gripped onto his leg. Michael made a motion with his hands going down to stop the screams to have them listen. "Guys, can please be quiet. Melody isn't a fan of the screams, okay." He spoke into the microphone. The people in the crowd obeyed and Michael picked her up again. "Don't wike." She mumbled to him after he undid his earplugs. "Hey look at Uncle Cal being silly." Michael pointed and Melody peeked out from the hiding spot of Michael's neck to see Calum dancing terribly. Melody lightly giggled.

That wasn't even thr worst part.

Aftee long amount of time 5SOS had traveled to their tour bus, Melody almost asleep on Michael's shoulder. Then the flashes and then the screams and demands, for the second time the night she cried because of the fear. "Daddy!" Melody cried into him. "I'm here baby girl, don't worry." He tried to sooth her. She could hear all of the girl's screams coming as the flashes continued with the yelling from them. "Spider-man, help." She mumbled into Mikey's shirt. The help didn't come, only the quick breaths and dizziness. She barely could tell where her extremely tall and easy to spot out Uncle Luke was. Melody doesn't remember what happened next. It's all black after that.

She was at the zoo, watching the lions yell at each other, being as it was feeding time. Melody watched in the most fascination that a ten year old could have. Melody videotaping was interrupted on her daddy's phone with a phone call from John. She started to understand that meant either tour or more sessions at the studio. Melody flipped to the front of the notebook she had and wrote down, Zoo Day Pt. 2: Call from John at lion house. Reason why: she listened to her father talking about lyrics and rhythm, writing session. ×# That was face Melody drew when it made her upset or angry. It was part of her small time of being in the counselor's room for whatever reasons that she forgot.

Melody was in charge of writing down what made her happy, sad, or angry in the journal. When Michael stood and left the girl, pacing up and down on the path, Melody could hear the terrible clicks of an expensive camera that only the certain people she hated. Melody tied the pencil to the string in her journal before going to her father at a fast speed. "Dad!" She exclaimed in a whisper as she tugged on his shirt. "Melody not know baby girl." Michael spoke to her before going back on the phone. "Dad! The bad people," she added to him. "Hey John, I'm going to call you back when I get home." Michael said and hung up. "Take my hand Melody, we're going to walk really fast." He said and took her hand and walked fast to the car, paparazzi on their tail at times and yelling questions and flashing lights. In the car, Melody shook and had a bit of pain in her chest with a hard time breathing. Michael noticed as he was going to turn the car on, but stopped. He went to the back seat with her. "Melody, look at me," she shook her head and cried into her hands. "Awe baby girl, it's okay, the bad people are gone now." Michael soothed and brought her into his arms. Melody took about five minutes to calm down.

Then the beach paparazzi came back and no one came for her as she shook enough to fall- Melody woke and threw up in the toilet. "They won," she whispered and brushed her teeth and went back to bed, holding onto Cuddles, not wanting to fall asleep, but slowly did.

*P.S. DO YOU GUYS WANT A SNEEK PEEK OF LONDON COFFEE (the prequel to Baby Clifford?*