Road Trip

Chapter 7- The Photo

I hear Cameron on the phone, he talks really loud, even in his own house. Well, his parent's house, but according to him, his parent's are never home. Mother is divorced and the dad is just like mine. To caught up in fame and fortune to worry about his only son.

I get up from the guest room bed and check myself in the mirror, " Wow Mel, you look horrible" I sigh, wanting to call Nikki, but remembering that I need a new phone. I now have a goal!

*( Self to note: Get New Phone)

I walk out and stub my toe on the white wooden door, " Mother F$@*&K!" I yell, hopping on one foot. " Mel you okay?" Cameron yells running up to check on my. " Yep!" I lie. He walks away and I curse myself.

Eventually I head downstairs to find Cameron cooking pancakes. Great. Burnt pancakes I think to myself. But to my surprise they weren't burnt. They were golden around the edges and soft in the middle. Just the way I like them. " So you learned how to cook?" I ask, pouring syrup on top of the UN-perfect circle. " Yes, and no." Cameron chuckles as he joins me at the island.

" Yes,I'm pretty good at finding frozen pancakes and heating them up. No, because I still burn them." I watch Cameron as he cuts his deck of 3 pancakes and smothers them in syrup. Cameron has a big appetite when it comes to breakfast. He stuffs his face in the morning, and then doesn't eat anything else until late at night.

" Hey, do you have a big box?" I ask putting my fork in the dishwasher, along with my plate." Um, I don't know, go look if you wanna." Cameron reply's, pointing towards the hall that leads to the attic. " OK, Thanks." I say and walk out. Walking down the hall is like walking down memory lane. Numerous picture frames are hung on the pale blue wall. Pictures of family, and friends. But none of me. Because I'm in his bedroom. Hung on his wall, right above his head board.

Walking past the second flight of stairs I finally reach my destination. The attic. I open the old wooden door and enter. There's a slight breeze but nothing more. Looking around, I find a lot of what I would call, antiques. Vases and old picture frames, boxes of useless junk. Cameron's old baseball bat and hat, he was never big into baseball. After what seems of days of searching. I finally find it. I grab the box that was in the only dark corner of the basement and start to head downstairs. When something catches my eye.

A full box of photo albums. A thrill of excitement lights up through out my body. I sit the box down and walk towards the full box of memories. Sitting crisscross applesauce, I go through the albums, one by one. Slowly at a time. Letting everything sink in. I find the pic of Cameron and I dressed in our Halloween costumes. I was about 5 or 6 when this happened. Me and my Dorthy dress, and the red sparkling shoes. I always thought those were real. That if you really tapped your shoes together 3 times and said repeatedly, " There's no place like Home." It'd actually take you home.

I was totally wrong.

I was down to the 3 last photo albums, the biggest one on the bottom. I decide to grab it and flip though it really quickly. And then I slow down. You know in old picture albums, there's a caption of who is in the pic or what happened that day. Well my name was in most of this book. Under every single photo. And a stranger beside me. Beside me in every single one. It's not my mom. I know that. My mom doesn't have wavy hair. " Mel? You alright up there?" I hear Cameron yell. I don't respond.

" Who is she?" I keep asking myself. "Mel?" Cameron yells. His voice breaks me out and I head down stairs, putting the photo album in the box I needed. I throw the box down on the couch and snatch up the photo album. " Who's this?" I ask Cameron, my face set expressionless.

I watch Cameron's face as he studies the lady. " Um. I don't. I um. She is someone your parent's know. I don't uh, I don't know her." Cameron reply's real fast. Too fast.

" Your lying to me." I bark at him. Cameron throws his hands up giving up. " I told you I don't know. Now go get dressed. We should do something today." Cameron demands.

I walk out and head back to the room that I slept in. I walk past Cameron and towards the door. " What's wrong?" Cameron yells. I turn around, the door open, me, ready to exit.

" What's wrong? The fact that your such a shitty liar Cameron! That I trusted you! And your lying to my face right now. You do know who she is. And you won't tell me. I have to go now!" I yell back, and slam the door.

" Why is the lady so important?" Cameron yells back loud enough, so I heard him.

I can't go back. I have to find the answers. To find out what's going on. Cause right now. I feel like my whole life is a lie. And there's no one to help me.