USWNT - High School

Chapter 42

Hope's POV

I knew telling Carli was a must. She wouldn't have let me get away with it, and in some way that was good to know. She cares, more so than anyone else in my life it seems.

The time passed both slowly and fast the same time, and I'm still unsure to how that's possible. Melody had some things she needed to get done, but by 4pm she was back home.

**

"She could be here any minute now." I spoke up, as we both sat nervously on the kitchen table. I had barley eaten all day, but I wasn't anywhere near hungry at this point. Just thinking about food in general made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Melody looked at me, intensely analyzing my expression. I sighed, only shrugging my shoulders in response. I didn't know how to feel about any of this, but there's no going back.

"No." I mumbled out honest, and Melody let out a short laugh-like sound at my response.
"Me neither." She spoke up, shaking her head as she dragged her fingers through her hair. This whole situation was just too bizarre and horrible for any of us to deal with.

"Did you tell anyone?" Melody continued, checking the time again on her phone like she's been doing every other minute for the past hour or so.

"Carli." I kept my answers short, knowing I wasn't capable of full sentences in this state. Melody nodded in response, but then seemed to want to ask me a follow up question. When she seemed to be hesitating, I got too curious to not dig further.

"What?" I asked, reading her pretty easily. It looked as if she was unsure to how I would react to her question, but eventually decide it was okay.

"Not Kelley?" She asked, and I tried my best to not look as devastated as I felt when I heard her name. I looked away, slowly shaking my head in response. Melody had probably picked up on the troubled period we've had over the past week since I got better, even though she's still not fully updated on that whole situation. She knows I'm head over heals for that girl though, everyone does.

"Not Kelley." I whispered the words, more as a confirmation to myself than anything else. I hadn't told her about the most severe situation I've been in, probably ever. I kept her out of the loop for what could possibly be a disasters outcome. I don't know how to feel about that.

Before another words could be said, a car engine could be heard outside. The sound came close, very close, before it stopped. The sound was followed by a car door opening, and shutting, before several more steps were now approaching our front door. I looked up to see Melody's terrified expression, like she just saw a ghost. That's kinda what it feels like anyways, that we're about to see a ghost.

Then the knocking on the door came, and we had to do something about it. I watched Melody being frozen in her seat, and I knew she had been trying her best to keep it together for me earlier, but now she couldn't stay strong any longer. She had more memories with our mother than what I did, she was older when everything went down. This must be even harder for her.

I realized it was up to me. Practically in slow motion, I got up from my chair and started walking towards the front door. I didn't know what to expect on the other side, but I knew whatever it was I would remember this moment for a very long time.

I put my hand on the doorknob, and had to concentrate on getting it open. Everything in me wanted to lock that door and never open up, but I knew I couldn't do that.