Let Me Be Your Hero

Chapter Twenty-Two: Super Siblings

It was in the few hours that I got to myself that I was able to reflect on everything that had occurred up until this point. I have torn my family apart by my actions. My very existence is a plague on this earth. I don't want to be the one ruining anyone's day anymore. I want to crawl under a hole and die. I wish I had died back there beneath that cliff, but the stupid fighting spirit in me was still alive and burning strong from my love for Jonathan.

I wallowed in bed for days just thinking about this over and over again until my siblings came in one day to save me from myself.

"Melanie, get up. We're going out." Melina demanded one day, taking my covers away from me. It was early in the morning, but I had been awake for hours, unable to conceive sleep.

"What do you want?" I grumbled, fighting for my covers back.

"Melanie, you can't stay in bed like this all day anymore! It's not healthy. You need sun, human interaction, and...a bath." She scrunched her nose up at the last word. I threw one of my pillows at her as a response.

"Go away!"

She sighed heavily and put a perfectly manicured hand on her hip, staring down at me with frustration. "Seriously, I know our relationship still isn't that great, but I care about your well-being and some time out of this house will do you some good."

"Yeah, that's great and all, but I'm better off here where I don't bother anyone." I curled myself up in a ball, feeling the tears coming back on.

"UGH! Again with the self-pity?! This is getting really old, Melanie!" She grabbed me by the legs and pulled with strength I didn't know she had.

I scratched at my sheets, but she was too fast and I was on the floor quicker than I would have expected. "What the heck was that for?!"

"I told you I would make everything up to you. Trust me, you will thank me for this later." She made an action to clean her hands on her skirt.

"I'm not getting out of this room and you can't make me." I crossed my arms with a huff. I'm safe in this room. No one can hurt me here.

"And when exactly do you plan on leaving this room? You can't live in here forever and be a bum off Mom and Dad for life, you know." She raised her hands up, her frustration rising.

"Who says I can't?" The smartass in me replied. I got up to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You're insufferable, honestly. I'm going to pick something for you to wear. Go take a shower and make yourself look at least halfway decent will you?" She ordered, going over to my closet to scrutinize my clothes.

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to argue and stay in the room, but she was right. I couldn't be a bum in my room for the rest of my life. I had to face reality and the facts that came with it. I could play along and maybe then my parents will stop bugging me too.

"Fine." I got up from bed to go to the bathroom.

I showered as instructed, but the whole time all I could think of was Jonathan and I started crying again. I fell to the floor, the water hitting my body like small bullets from above. I hit my arms against the bathroom walls to hold in a scream. They bruised and hurt from the impacts, but I didn't care. The pain in my heart was worse.

"Melanie, I told you to bathe, not hurt yourself! Jeez, what am I going to do with you?" Melina came rushing in. She shut the shower off and tried to help me up.

I let her raise me up from the floor and get me in to a towel. She got a brush that was in the vanity cabinet and got behind me to brush my tangles away. For the first time in weeks I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

Staring back at me was a sad woman I had never seen before. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and dark beneath from the clear lack of sleep. She was thin and looked frail, like the wind could take her away. She was the embodiment of depression and I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand to see the person that used to be so full of life and love as a hollow shell of utter sadness.

"I know what you see isn't what you would hope." She spoke knowingly. "But, that's why I'm here."

She finished and led me to my room. I got dressed in a bright orange shirt and dark blue jeans with flats. She did my make-up, spritzed on perfume, and gave me some simple accessories to wear. I did not want to see myself in the mirror again for fear I'd lose my nerve and stay in, so I followed her out the door.

She led me outside to where Ashton was leaning against his car, seemingly waiting for us. "About time you two showed up. I bet I could have gotten a private hearing with the pope faster." He rolled his eyes.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we all got in the car.

"You'll see." They responded simultaneously.

The drive out wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Ashton actually talked to me about how school was going and his thoughts about some new band. Melina added in some comments as well about her own plans for school and her thoughts on the same band. They asked me for my opinions to this or that, which I just gave curt replies to. However, despite my lack of participation it was nice being in that car with them and hearing them talk about trivial stuff. For a split second my mind was away from him.

"We're here." Ashton parked and motioned us out of the car.

I opened my door and got out to be greeted by the wonderful smell of popcorn and cotton candy. "No..." I gasped in astonishment. It's been ages since I had been to the carnival theme park! Last time I was here I still called Ashton by 'Ashy' and Melina hated my guts.

"Really?" I asked no one in particular. The sights and sounds of the big metal machinery really takes me back.

"I never really understood why you liked this place so much, but I figured it'd be worth a shot." Ashton pulled out three purple wristbands that double as admittance tickets to the rides.

"Why would you do something so nice all of a sudden, Ashton?" I asked. I know you don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all, but it's been bothering me how Ashton's demeanor towards me is so different.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "You can't just take the ticket and go, can you?"

I shook my head no. I need to know.

"Melanie, you're my sister. As much as I try to push you away I can't forget the fact that you and I are blood. Besides, I can't keep going to the hospital all the damn time just because of you and your shenanigans. Someone needs to watch over you." He grabbed Melina's hands and mine and pulled us in for a hug spontaneously.

I accepted this warmth so greedily and let the smallest of smiles grace my lips. The first smile in so long. It didn't last long, but the quality of the hug was such that I knew deep down he cared for me just as much as I did for him.

"Now, enough of the cheesy crap. Put these on already, I don't have all day." Ashton distanced himself from us to do something on his phone.

"Yes you do, dummy." Melina stuck her tongue out at Ashton who ignored her. Regardless, we all put on our wristbands and set out for the theme park's entrance.

"Wait." I said to stop them in their tracks just as we were about to go in.

"What's up?" Melina looked at me with concern.

"Thank you...Thank you both for this." I spoke out softly, my voice cracking a bit. They have genuine concern for me and are putting everything aside to make sure I am alright. They're giving me day just like the one's I had as a child. They reminded me I was someone before him. I did not know I needed saving until my Super Siblings came in to save the day.

"That's what family's for." Melanie grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. Perhaps my family isn't as messed up as I thought.