Trust Issues h.s.

Chapter 15

Melanie Reed:

This week has been a drag. I’ve been extremely annoyed with the amount of work that has been given to me. I mean, I love art, I do; but I have so many projects for school and work right now that I don’t even know what I am going to do.

I’ve never been this stressed because of art in my entire life. This may even be the very first time. I don’t like that I have to do so much, but have absolutely no room to work. I don’t have room to lay out all of my assignments. I don’t like being so cramped up in this small dorm room.

I think starting next week, I’m going to have to go home to work peacefully in my art studio. Although, I really don’t want to do that. Honestly, I don’t want to go home. I’d like to avoid that place as much as possible, but the thing is that I can’t stay away from my art studio. It’s not possible.

One thing I know for certain is that I don’t want to see my mother, and going home means I’d be seeing her a lot. She would notice if I snuck in. She always does. Then she would feel the need to criticize me and make me feel terrible for spending all of my time in the back house than actually going in to my home to speak and socialize with my family. She makes it seem like she cares, but the second I walk into the house, she starts bitching about one thing or another.

I don’t even think I’m going to tell them about my art show at the gallery. I mean, I’m sure Jacob hasn’t told them anything, but I just don’t think it’s a good idea to tell them. It’s not like they would actually show up. They never have, and I’m almost certain they never will. Whenever I had anything like this at school, they wouldn’t show up. A student art show, the science fair, a poetry reading, award shows, anything; they just wouldn’t show up. I mean, they would pull the ‘I’m sorry; I got held up at work’ card, and act like they really wanted to make it, but I know they didn’t. They would really only go to the mandatory things such as ‘open house.’ They would look at my work for the shortest amount of time and we would leave. On the way home, they would say that I could’ve done better and that they expected more the next time. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to please them. Really, it seems impossible.

Harry has been a bit absent this past week. It’s kind of strange that I’ve only seen him in class. I haven’t had lunch with him in the entire week. He hasn’t shown up unannounced at my door. He’s just been gone. It had been kind of weird. My week has felt incomplete without him here.

He said he was going to go to my art show on Saturday, but now I’m not so sure. He might not even show up. He might forget all about it, just like I’m sure he’s forgotten all about me.

I was positive that the date went great. But I guess he didn’t think so. I mean, he did say he didn’t date, and now he’s probably remembered his reasons for that.

“Hey, Melanie, hello. I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes.” Lily said pulling me out of my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what?” I said. I wondered how long she had been standing in the room.

“Hey, so I was saying, I think we need to go out. I know that frat parties aren’t your thing, but you have to go with me. Hunter doesn’t want me going alone and those girls next door were parting a bit too hard. You have to go with me. And before you say no, you should consider it because you need to cool off. You’ve been stressing all week. We can have a drink or two, stay for a while then leave.” she said.

“Fine.”

The entire way there I was trying to process why I had said yes in the first place. I know this school is known as one of the top party schools in America so I might be getting more than I can handle.

As I was walking into the house, someone abruptly ran into me.

“What the fuck!”

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” he said at the same exact time.

Wait a second; I know that voice, “Harry?”