Melody's Voice

The pale beauty of the moon spilled across the kitchen floor, casting long shadowy fingers over Melody's face. She sat, unmoving in a cushioned chair, her leg pulled against her chest, her pale arms crossed atop her knee. She hid her face in the crease of her elbow, the trail of silvery tears ending just above her perfect lips. Blinking her thick, black lashes against the accumulating tears, she stifled a tiny groan. Her leg extended towards the floor, each tiny, pink toe pointed into a ballerina's arch. Her blue-black wavy hair fell around her shoulders and along her spine.

A cat's meow interrupted her thoughts. She sat up straighter, her fingers brushing the tears out her deep violet eyes. Wiping the evidence that she'd been crying from her cheeks, she looked to the doorway, expectantly. The cat leapt onto the table in a blur of gray. She stroked the cat's silky fur, eliciting a purr of pleasure.

Raine stumbled into the room, rubbing her sleepy eyes, a yawn escaping her lips. She stopped just short of the table where Melody sat. The faint light illuminated her olive skin, playing hide and seek in expanse of curves. She wore an old tank top, clinging loosely against her chest; enough to reveal the plunge of her cleavage.

Her usually warm jade green eyes quickly assessed Melody's sparkling violets.

She's been crying again,

Raine thought.

Picking up a chair, she moved around the table to place it next to Melody. Raine reached out and gently placed the cat on the ground. It circled the legs of Melody's chair, meowing up at her with hungry eyes.

Melody stood, the tattered old t-shirt hanging loosely over her frame. Her apple bottom peeked out from beneath the hem of the shirt, revealing the top of her short legs. Kneeling down, she picked up the empty cat dish, dumped in enough food to satisfy the feline and placed the dish on the floor with a soft

clunk

. She turned and leaned against the counter, determined to make her expression fierce and her voice strong.

"I-..." her raspy voice betrayed her. She tried once more, clearing her throat. "I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Mel'. I heard your screams. I can still hear them when you spoke just now. You look terrible." Although her voice quieted on the last part, it wasn't completely false. She did look terrible... For Melody, anyway. She'd been so haunted lately. Even when smiled, she looked unhappy.

"Rai', I'm fine, okay? And I don't wanna talk about this tonight." She rubbed her eyes, sleepily, trying to convey a message and pushed herself towards the door.

"I'm just worried." Raine's words rushed out in a harsh breath as she stared after her.

"I don't need you to worry about me, I'm fine Raine." Melody turned her heels quickly, a small smile gracing her lips.

Raine got to her feet, her plaid pajama pants hugging her waist and flaring down to her hips. "Then you won't mind that I called Bryan." For a moment, the uncertainty pulled her lips down, but she masked it before Mel' could see it.

"You know I'm not talking to him. Why would you call him?" Melody's usually peaceful eyes turned a violent violet. Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised the heel of her foot to her other ankle. Her usual angry pose.

A tiny smile touched Raine's lips.

This is the first time in a while I've actually seen some real emotion on her face. No wonder it'd be because of Bryan.

"He's worried too, Mel'."

"Yeah, I know." A brief look of pain quickly crossed Melody's face, before she hid it.

"Where are you going?" Rai's voice lifted a few octaves to cross the space Melody was putting between them.

"Back to bed, I can't stay up all night like some people." Another brief flash of emotion; a smile, crossed her lips.

"He's coming over Melody, that's rude." Raine's face puckered up in outrage, looking every bit like she'd sucked a lemon.

"You called him..." something about "he's your guest", and her bedroom door slammed shut behind her.

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Melody sat down on the edge of the bed, the soles of her feet planted firmly on the ground. In the darkness, her face displayed several different emotions, all warring across her beautiful face. Anger won out amongst them, to crease her brow.

"Stupid Bryan." She hissed under her breath. She couldn't stay up all night. The time spent crying in the kitchen could have been better spent, sleeping. She sighed and lay back against the cool sheets, ever mindful of the bruises on her back. She rolled onto her side, relaxing individual parts of her body, starting with her feet. She fell asleep before she even reached her hands.

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A light rap on the front door woke Raine from her shallow sleep. She trudged over to answer it. Peeking through the peephole, Bryan stood there, looking every bit as tired as she felt. She undid the chain and twisted the deadbolt. Opening the door a fraction of an inch, she went back to the couch.

Bryan's honey brown hand gently pushed the door open, enough to allow his body to fit through. He slid the chain back into place and twisted the deadbolt closed. Bronze, floppy hair settled over his eyes in a sleepy jumble, as he turned to face the living room. It wasn't hard to imagine how his hair got like that. He'd probably been running his fingers through it, holding it out his eyes the entire ride there. Even now, he eased his fingers through the silkiness of his hair, his palm resting against his forehead as his fingers disappearing into it. His eyes scanned the room and, turning back to Raine, asked the question he didn't need to voice.

"She went back to bed." said Raine, her side curved into the back of the sofa as her head gently dipped into the headrest. Her eyes remained closed, knowing the look that would cross his face.

"Raine..." he sat down where her long legs stretched out on the couch, his burning amber eyes seemed hopeless in their depth as he scrutinized her face for something...anything.

She opened her eyes, the sleepiness eliminating them into a brilliant mossy green. "She misses you Bryan. I know she does, even if she won't admit to it." Crossing her arms over her chest, she closed her eyes again and wedged herself deeper into the sofa, shifting her weight around until she was comfortable.

"How..." he stuttered for a moment, releasing the breath from his lungs.

"She calls your name in her sleep," she muttered softly "She hopes I don't know. Mel' misses you; I see it every morning on her face when she wakes up."

The couch had sucked him into it. Reaching out for support he pulled himself out. He stood in the quietness of the room, the small table side lamp lighting his face.

It never failed. Just being in their apartment made Bryan feel like a giant. Without stretching up on his toes, he could easily touch the ceiling. He was slender, yet filled the clothes he wore wonderfully. He was lean without being skinny and muscled in all the right places.

Raine lay lodged in the couch cushions, her expression peaceful as she slept.

"Raine, do you wanna go to bed?" He nudged her gently and she shifted to stretch out on the now vacated space. She mumbled something incoherent and rolled onto her belly.

He was already reaching for the old afghan that always hung over the back of the sofa. Unfolding it, he laid it over her shoulders, tugging it down so it covered her toes.

He'd come over as fast as his sleeping body and traffic would allow. In his rush, he'd pulled on a hoodie, and a pair of old work boots, his pajama bottoms bunched up at the top of his unlaced boots. He stepped out of the boots and made his way down the short hallway.

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Melody lay sprawled on the bed, twisted up in the sheets, which wove around her legs, her upper thighs left bare by the cloth. Her long, dark curls striking against the pale blue sheets. She faced the wall, her sleep-tousled hair hiding her face as he slipped into the room.

Across from her bed was a lounge chair, piled high with an assortment of clothes. He reached to turn the knob on the lamp next to the bed, and angled the light so it wouldn't shine on Melody's face.

With his eyes adjusting to the light, Bryan looked around her room. The walls were a light yellow, pale sunshine yellow she'd told him once. An attempt to enhance the room with false brilliance she couldn't get into the room. The rest of her room was painted in pastel colors, light blues, pinks, and greens. He shifted his eyes towards her desk which included a rolling office chair. Bryan slid his hands under the clothes on the lounge chair, dropped them in her office chair and pushed it under the desk.

He fell back into the lounge chair, finding it much more comfortable than the sofa Raine loved so much. Pulling a small blanket off the back of the chair, he flipped it out over his legs. Lolling his head against the back of the chair, he drifted off to sleep in Melody's room.

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Melody awoke with a start, the terror of her dreams leaving her gasping for air. She looked around the faint darkness of her room, to assure herself that she was fine.

It was only a dream Mel', get a hold of yourself.

She furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Is that snoring I hear?

She glanced around her room for the source.

In the rising light of dawn, she took in Bryan's sleeping form, his face relaxed with sleep; his mouth opened slightly sounding a light snore in the silence of the room. Across the room she saw the red numbers of the alarm clock which reported it to be a little after six in the morning.

I've only been asleep a couple hours. He must have come since then.

Throwing the covers back, Melody swung her feet over the edge of the bed, leaning over to turn the light off. Stealthily, she stepped into the lighted hallway.

Peeking out into the living room, she spotted Raine snoozing on the couch as she was wont to do. Tip- toeing to the bathroom, Melody pushed the door open and turned on the light. A protesting meow sounded from the sink and she looked disapprovingly towards the gray fluff ball.

"You know you aren't supposed to sleep in the bathroom sink, Lucifer." she scolded lightly. Her fingers reached for the faucet. Getting the point, Lucifer stepped out the sink, content to sit on the long bathroom counter and lick his paws.

She picked up the cat and set him on the floor, nudging him gently with her foot. Closing the door behind him, Melody stripped off her nightclothes. Her hand darted behind the shower curtains, grasping blindly for the shower handle. She adjusted it to her liking and turned back to the mirror over the countertop.

Eyeing the bruises marring her chest, she reached for her brush. She combed her blue-black mane straight for a short while, before it bunched up in waves again. Her hair reached mid-back length. Usually, she'd never let it get this long, but she was used to it by now. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, staring at her reflection in the mirror, the long column of her back blemished by a few bruises. With a sigh, she pulled her hair into a tight bun so it wouldn't get wet and stepped into the shower.

The pulse of warm water relaxed her tense muscles. She stood under the spray for a while, basking in the warmth running over her ivory skin. With a sigh she reached out for her loofa and gently rubbed it over her arms, legs and belly. She wrung out the excess water and squeezed an ample amount of lavender vanilla wash on to it. Scrubbing the sponge over her dampened skin, heavenly smelling bubbles arose and filled the air with their aroma. She set the loofa down, hands running over her silky skin to rinse away the soap. Turning the water off, she tugged back the shower curtain and stepped out of the tub. Grabbing a fluffy towel, she patted herself dry before wrapping it around herself.

She flicked the light switch off, and slipped out of the bathroom and peeked into the living room. The couch empty.

Rai' must have gone back to bed,

she mused to herself.

She moved back to her room. Switching on the light, she gathered light pink undergarments from her dresser drawer and chose a short sleeved white blouse, with a softly plunging neckline, and a faded pair of comfy hip hugging jeans. She turned her attention back to the sleeping Bryan, scooped the clothes up in her arms and stalked down the hall to the spare bedroom.

There were five doors off the hallway; her room, Raine's room, a hall closet, a spare room which doubled as a storage and computer room, and an extra bedroom. Melody headed into the spare bedroom.

Patting the remaining moisture off her limbs and torso, she set about dressing herself for the day. She stepped into her undies, fastening the hooks of the bra behind her back, throwing her shirt on, and zipping her jeans up. The towel hung over her arm as she left the spare room and turned into the bathroom. Spritzing her wrists and neck with a warm vanilla spray, she draped the used towel over the side of the hamper.

She stood in front of the mirror again and examined the paleness of her arms, neck and the tops of her breasts which were visible.

But not the bruises,

she thought to herself.

Tugging her hair free, she vigorously brushed through it. She decided to pin half her hair up in a clip today. Combing her fringe out and sweeping it to the side of her face, she parted her tresses and pinned the top half in a sliver clip. She twisted the remaining locks of her hair and pushed them over her shoulder.

Her eyebrows creased together in the mirror. Gripping the edge of the counter, she leaned into the mirror. Staring into her own eyes, she noticed they seemed to be a lighter shade today, lavender perhaps.

With high cheekbones, full pouty lips, a dainty little nose, unusual purple eyes, and thick full lashes, her face was remarkably beautiful. Her face was untouched by make-up and still gorgeous. 'Down to earth beauty', her mother called it.

Raine never shut her door all the way, an ever present slit between the door and the frame. Mel' knocked lightly.

"Raine it's time to get up!"

Rai' mumbled something unintelligible and rolled away from the sound of Melody's voice.

The opposite of Melody's room, Raines' was bright with sunlight and a variety of colors and, most importantly it was despicably clean. There was no clutter, everything neat and orderly. The room was a bright shade of pink, with neon colored flowers painted on the walls. Pictures of friends were framed and tacked to the wall. The only picture of a family member, her brother, sat on her bedside table. He was the striking image of Raine; strawberry blonde curls, bright olive skin and a platinum smile.

"I'm gonna make eggs and bacon...but hey, if you wanna sleep. That's less I have to make." She murmured against her friend's ear.

Raine jerked back the blankets, jumping out of bed just as Melody closed the door behind her. Wrenching the door open, Raine stood in the doorway rubbing at her now excited eyes.

"Breakfast?" she voice was eager but gruff from sleep.

Melody smiled, skipping to the kitchen in response.

Raine lagged behind, stumbling several times before she finally reached the kitchen. "Did Bryan stay?" she inquired quietly, opening the fridge, as she held two cartons in her hands, one OJ and the other milk.

Melody took down a range of pancake mixes, muffins, and bread. "Yeah he's in my room, asleep in the chair. Pancakes, Muffins, or French toast? And isn't there grape juice in there?" her voice stayed somber, almost disinterested when referring to the man in her room.

"French toast and eggs and bacon?" Rai's voice was a mumble as she turned to the fridge, pushing the OJ back into door. Setting the milk and grape juice on the table, she opened the cabinet and took out two glass cups, pouring milk into one and juice into the other. Placing both containers of liquid back into the fridge, she grabbed the eggs and butter and turned her attention back to Melody. "Do you want me to go wake him up?"

"Not yet. I need some time to think about what I'm gonna say to him." Mel' replied. She set about preparing everything, gathering all the cookware she'd need to make breakfast and taking the eggs from Raine to crack open.

"Yeah but if you wake him up now, you can think all you want, because he won't talk to you while you're busy cooking breakfast. When were you planning on talkin' to him...or were you just going to skip out?" Raine eyed her friend carefully. Setting the butter down on the counter, she spooned out some, and spread it around in the skillet, and then turned on the stove to allow the butter to melt.

"I suppose I could wake him up now, and he could help," Melody murmured, almost to herself. "But not if you try to push any heavy talk on him or me. Light, simple. 'Hey, how are you?' or 'What have you been up to?' ". Melody put aside the mixture of eggs and took a quick sip of her juice. "Will you start the French toast while I wake him up?"

Raine nodded and began to shake different spices into the mixture of eggs.

Melody sashayed down the hallway to her room. She knelt down in front of Bryan and her hand reached out to lightly trail across his cheek and down his neck. He twitched under her slight pressure, tilting his head the other direction to move from her hand. Melody loomed over Bryan, hands clutching the armrest as she bent over him. Her lips at his ear, she whispered his name several times. "Bryan. Bryan." He stirred slightly, as his arms snaked around her waist pulling her body into his lap.

She stiffened slightly, her eyes widening in shock. She stared down into his waking face; his chest growing broad as he eased his shoulders back, gently rolling them. She shifted her gaze to the wall, the terror plain in their violet depths. Blinking open his bright amber eyes, he saw her petrified expression and his brow creased with worry.

"Mel'?" his voice was husky with sleep.

"Mel'?" he tried again to break through to her, worry seeping into his tone. The fingers of his left hand curling protectively around her waist, raising his right hand up to her chin to direct her face to him.

Allowing his hand to turn her face, her eyes finally appraised him, the wild fear slowly dying away as she realized it was only Bryan clutching her tiny waist.

"I'm not gonna hurt you Mel'." Bryan let his hand fall from her face, the backs of his fingers gently caressing her cheek. His hands on either side of the armrest clear for her to see, he stared intently into her face.

The look on her face seeming to somber, she raised a hand curiously to cradle his rugged cheek feathered with whiskers.

Unexpectedly, he pressed his face into the softness of her palm, a light sigh escaping his lips as his eyes shuttered closed.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me Bry." She whispered. Her hand slipped from his face, and her warmth disappearing all together before his eyes finally opened.

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****I wanted to thank redwing2655, did a tremendous job editing.

And the other editors I had who stroke my ego. <3****