Darkness Will Come to Light [1]

VI. I Miss You

Mel stayed late after classes to finish her research paper on the Greek religion of Hellenistic Polytheism in the library. While she was sitting in the crowded library, a girl with pink hair walked by and inspiration struck Melaina. She decided then and there that she was going to dye her hair. Jeremy could try to control her mind and spirit, but Mel's body was her own.

The smell of fresh fruit and flowers tickled her nose when she walked into Forks Thriftway after she left school. She instantly caught sight of a familiar cashier by the front. Mel tried to make a wide turn to avoid her, but Savannah caught sight of Mel and walked over. "Hey, Lai," Sav said softly. "I've missed you."

Melaina missed Savannah too. "Hi."

They made small talk about school for a moment before Mel indicated that she needed to get going. "I'm just buying some hair dye. I have to be home soon."

Melaina glanced down at her phone to check the time.

"Did you drop it?" Mel looked up at Savannah with a face of confusion. "Your phone," she clarified, indicating the shattered screen with a brightly painted nail.

Melaina paused with a grimace at the memory.

"You're a nuisance!" Jeremy ripped Mel's phone out of her grip mid-text. "Chores first, then you can socialize. I'm not running a charity here." Melaina's hand reached out as if to stop the device from making contact with the wall. Her phone created a dent in the kitchen wall, then dropped like a rock onto the tiled floor. When Mel knelt to pick up her beaten phone, she cried internally at the spidering lines down the little screen. "Get moving! I want to see these floors shine when I return." Her stepdad went into the fridge to grab another beer and stalked out the backdoor of the house. At least he didn't break her iPod again...

"Yeah something like that," Mel mumbled with a shrug. She shoved her phone back in her hoodie pocket.

"Oh okay." Sav bit her lip. "So, um, what color are you looking for?" Savannah tried to get Mel to talk to her again; she really did. Mel appreciated it, but she needed to protect her.

"Blue, I think. I'm not sure what shade."

Savannah was an artist, and she jumped at the chance to spend a few more moments with her best friend.

"How much are you doing? All over? Tips?"

"Probably just the tips, yeah. My dad would kill me if I did all over." Well, he still might at the sight of her bright new hair.

"I think with your light skin tone and dark hair, a medium shade would be best, if you're bleaching your hair first."

Melaina nodded in confirmation and Sav continued. "Okay, so I think Lagoon Blue is what you're looking for." She led Melaina to the aisle of hair products and dyes.

Making a humming noise, the blonde browsed through the colors. "Here it is." She reached for a box of La Riche hair dye. "What do you think of this color?"

"Wow actually, it's perfect. I like it." Melaina took the box from Savannah. "Thank you."

"Of course. That's what best friends are for." She shrugged and looked away sadly. Mel hated to make her feel that way. "I don't know why you don't want to talk to me anymore, but I still love you."

Melaina froze as she was turning away. "I need some time, Sav. I'm going through some stuff."

"That's what I'm here for, Mel. You don't have to do this alone."

"I have to go. Thank you for the dye."

"Talk to me," Savannah begged. "Please."

Mel took out her phone to check the time again. She had to be home to make food for her stepdad before he threw a fit. "Not today. I have to get home."

Savannah rang her out at the register while Mel avoided her blue eyes so full of questions.

"I'll tell you everything. We can catch up, I promise. I don't know when though, okay? I need some time," the green-grey eyed girl said again. "Please. Just some more time."

~*~

Melaina dyed the ends of her hair blue and then snuck past her snoring stepdad to go visit her mother. She had no way of knowing that a certain Cullen was watching at a distance.

"I wish you were here. I don't know what I'm doing. I need my mom." Mel let the tears flow freely now that she was alone. "I miss you, and I miss talking to Sav. I can't hurt her too."

Melaina tugged at her hair in frustration as she admitted things to her mother for the first time in months: "I almost lost it in school, and I know that I shouldn't let him get to me, but he does! He always has. It doesn't have to be what he says, but how he says it. So obnoxious and flippant like he doesn't care that it rattles my world. Why did you leave me alone with him, mom?"

Clenching her fists in her lap, she shrieked, "Why did you leave me?" She cried and cried until a storm blended her tears with raindrops.