Melanie felt worse than she did before. She was being constantly watched by either Klara, Ana or Tomas. She felt suffocated. the urge for her little hobby was getting worse. she would wait for Ana to go to sleep so she can do it at night. but it wasnt enough. When they started making Melanie go to therapy things got worse. Melanie refused to talk to the therapist and when they were home she refused to talk to Ana or Tomas. Klara was better than the others because she couldnt careless. Well she wouldnt let Melanie leave a room without her but she wasnt constantly trying to talk to her or to make her talk. Melanie understood that they cared about her and didnt want her to cut anymore but they couldnt see the damage that they were doing.... and it was getting worse.

The day started out like it had been lately. She woke up to Tomas bring her breakfast and watching some morning news or cartoons. He always flipped through the channels telling her to tell him to stop when they came to something she wanted to watch. She never stopped him and she didnt really eat. she ate enough to keep her stomach from growling but never finished everything on her plate. she just pushed the food around until Tomas gave up and took it away from her. She decided after they found out that if they were going to think of her as a mental patient, treat her like she's mentally unstable than that's exactly how she's going to act.

Therapy was getting harder and harder to sit through. The heat from the summer weather wasnt helping. She felt sweaty and boiling hot and she was hardly wearing clothes. a basic tank and shorts. Now that everyone knew about her cuts she didnt bother hiding them.... at least not around the weekend house. She caught Tomas looking at them like it was some gross skin disease that was possibly contagious. She hated that look. that look was the sole reason she never wanted anyone to know.

The therapist was asking Melanie questions that Ana answered not even giving Melanie a chance. Melanie normally didnt care because she knew... they knew that she wasnt going to respond or answer them herself. but this particular day she was more irritated than usual. Maybe it was the heat or maybe she just hit her breaking point. she was tired of being the sick child that everyone thought of her as. She didnt know what the therapist and and Ana were talking about but she turned to Ana and stood up. "Do you ever freaking shut up?!" she was surprised by how loud her voice was. she thought after not talking for so long her voice would be gone but it came out louder than she intended. it was so loud that she was sure people outside must have heard..


OCC: It took forever but I did it!!! (outfit)

Chris had decided to go help out his father today since his secretary had called in sick. He particularly mind, it wasn't as if he really had anywhere better to be, or anything else to do. Plus, Chris was a fast organizer, he got the work done in half the time it would've taken his father's secretary. Lately, his father's most recent patients had been these two Polish princesses, twins. Both were very pretty -- they were identical, of course -- but one seemed to be far more out going than the other. Anastazja and Melanie is what he was told their names were. Anastazja was the outgoing one who spent most of her time out with her friends and her boyfriend. Melanie was the more reserved one who was practically the polar opposite in personality. Apparently, they were having some family issues. Something about Melanie being forgotten about a lot, like a wall flower, and picking up a really bad habit. Chris wasn't entirely sure. His father had only briefly mentioned it once, and he had too much respect for the privacy of others to go digging through their file. Though, he did know that there were two other older siblings, one that was constantly absent and the other, the only boy and oldest, who was going to be king of Poland one day. Why they weren't there, he didn't know. But Chris did know that when identical twins were having problems, things usually did not turn out well, or at least not after a long time.

He was playing on his DS when he heard a shout come from the room, making him jump. Out of the room stormed one of the girls, Anastazja he believed. "You know what?!" she shouted, "Maybe if you tried to make friends instead of just riding on my coat tails, then you might actually have one! Same with a boyfriend! Speaking of, I'm going to call mine and spend the rest of my day with him since you are being insufferable!" Chris watched as Anastazja pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number, leaving the building and walking down the street. Ouch. That was harsh. He was sure she didn't mean it. Based on what his father told him about their therapy sessions, things had been rather tense between them. One of them was bound to snap one of these days. He just didn't expect both of them to snap in the same day. Chris often wondered why people went to therapy, it seemed to bring out more of the worst in people than it did the best. Not that he would ever tell his father that. He was proud of his father and the people he helped, but therapy seemed to make things far worse before even a tiny bit better. "Don't worry about your sister," he heard his father say. "She just needs some time to cool down." His father walked out of the room, signalling for Chris to go inside. Chris had always been the person in the family who was the best at that.

He got up from his seat, walking into the therapy room to see Melanie slumped over in one of the chairs. She was very pretty with her bright red hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. How a girl like this couldn't be confident and have a boyfriend? He sat in the chair across from her, watching her to see what she would do. He was glad that she didn't freak out on him and tell him to leave. He closed his DS, sticking it in his pocket. He was right in the middle of a Pokemon battle, but pretty girls came before Pokemon. Well sometimes, when he thought that they were ridiculously good looking like he thought she was. "Hi," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake in greeting. "I'm Chris. Don't worry, I'm not a therapist. That's my father's job. I'm just here to help out for today. You're Melanie, right?"

OOC: Chris's Outfit
Ana's Outfit

Melanie sat back down when Ana left. Melanie wanted to be the one to leave but once again Ana beat her to it. Ana was just so frustrating. she was used to doing things for Mel and knowing what Melanie wanted and stuff but Melanie could take care of herself. something in her just snapped. she didnt actually hate Ana. she could never hate her. but sometimes Ana was just so controling and stuff. it made Melanie mad. Melanie wanted to be the focus of her family's attention but now she felt suffocated. she wanted to be left alone. she was comfortable with how she lived her life before they found out.

Melanie didnt respond to the therapist as he spoke and walked out. There was nothing to say. she wasnt worried about Ana. she couldnt care less with how mad Ana was at the moment. who cares. Melanie wanted her to be mad that way maybe she'd leave her alone. Of course not talking was counterproductive. Melanie was so use to not talking that when Chris came in Melanie didnt do more than just glance in his direction. She didnt know this guy. if he wasnt a therapist then why was he talking to her. she leaned in her chair and pulled her knees up so she was hugging them. she didnt want to talk to anyone. she just wanted to go home. and the bad part about Ana leaving was that now Melanie had to call Tomas to come get her. she didnt want that eaither.

Melanie looked up at Chris with a blank expression. why would he talk to her? she was crazy. and the way other people acted around her, crazy was contagious. Melanie just looked at Chris hoping that he'd get the hint that she wasnt going to talk. after a moment of silence she sighed. what was the point? he's a stranger. talking to him for a few minutes wouldnt make a difference. "Yeah. I'm Melanie. the crazy twin." she said raising one eyebrow and looked away from him. She couldnt help but notice his face. his brown eyes reminded her of a puppy and his smile was almost.... it made her want to smile but she forced herself not to.

Chris put his hand down slowly. Okay, no real greetings then. He was desperately trying to understand the situation between Melanie and her sister. How was it that they could look exactly the same, yet one twin blended into the background, no one noticing her until something went bad, while the other twin was the center of attention. He knew it could be like that when it came to siblings who were born in different years, most of the attention was on his two younger sisters when they were born, but he didn't see how attention could be divided so unevenly between twins. It didn't make logical sense in his mind. He could only imagine how it felt, having one sibling who was going to be a king, one who never really cared, and one who just stood in the spot light. It made him feel sorry for her. Such a pretty girl shouldn't have such a hard time with life. That wasn't fair. And he didn't think she was crazy. Well, at least not like how she meant it. He figured that everyone was a little off kilter in their own ways.

A brilliant idea popped into his brain. Something that would hopefully make her feel better. "You wanna go get some coffee with me?" he asked her, standing up from his seat. He didn't wait for her response before pulling her out of her seat by her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Her hands were considerable smaller than his, and soft compared to his rough callous. He could feel her reluctance as they exited the therapy room. "C'mon, it'll be fun." He smiled at her, pulling him through the foyer of the building towards the exit. Chris saw his father in the break room, having coffee with some of the other doctors and therapists operating in the building. "Dad, I'm going out for some coffee!" he called to his father, pausing only a moment for his response. "Have fun," his father called back. "Be home in time for dinner, or your mother will have your head on a silver platter." Chris laughed at that. His mother was a kind woman. but strict about the whole family being home on time for dinner. "Sure thing, Pop!"

He pulled Melanie down the street with him, making small talk along the way. He asked her about her family, her friends, hobbies, and other things about herself. He didn't get much of a response back, but he figured she wasn't exactly the sociable type. He held the door open for her as they entered the cafe, letting her order whatever she wanted while he paid. He ordered a simple ice coffee, to help cool down from the hot weather, while still being able to be caffeinated. He led her over to his favorite spot in the cafe, a secluded little corner table that people rarely went to. He sat across from her, running his thumb over the knuckles of her hand that he still held. It was a habit of his, and he often did it without realizing it. "So what's it like being a princess?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee with his free hand. He often wondered if the life of royals his age was much different than his. "Is it really all glitz and glam, or are you guys just regular teenagers like the rest of us?"

Melanie felt herself being pulled out of her seat. If he didn't catch her she would have fallen flat on her face. Not only was it embarrassing that he knew she was crazy, she didn't need to add a bruised forehead to the mix. She tried to pull away from him as he got closer and closer to the exit. Where was he going?! Why was he takin her? He must be crazy because normal people would runaway from as many problems as Mel. He must be crazier than she was. Perfect. They could be that crazy couple. Like people would say they were lucky to have each other because no one else would put up with their crazy dysfunctional ways. Melanie sighed as he said goodbye to Her therapist.... His dad. Melanie made a mental pro and con list. So far, all cons. 

She sighed and fell in step with him once they were outside. Melanie thought he talked a lot. He was like a five year old little kid, constantly asking questions. Melanie answered a little bit but stayed vague. If this guy was crazy she didn't want him knowing everything about her. Sadly she felt herself wanting to smile again. Even just hearing him talk, he sounded cheerful and genuinely interested in her. That's why he's crazy. Because he wanted her around. Maybe he knew Ana and was hoping that Mel would be like her.

Melanie ordered a raspberry lemonade. It was too hot for any coffee and she didn't particularly like the iced coffee. She like the raspberry lemonade because it was red. It matched her bright red hair and she liked that. She tried to pay but Chris insisted so she let him. He didn't have to. After all she is a princess, she had plenty of money. With him paying she felt like she was on a date or something. She blushed at the thought of her and Chris dating. How ridiculous the thought itself seemed... 

Melanie actually forgot that they were holding hands until they sat down. She watched their hands like it wasn't hers. His hand looked like it was swallowing her hand whole. She hated her tiny, always cold hands. She wondered if Ana ever thought about their hands being freakishly small. She liked Chris's hands though. They were warm and big but yet fit hers perfectly. she faintly saw the scars on her wrist. they were fairly noticable. She knew that Chris must have seen them by now. how could he not? they might as well be a sign with flashing lights.

When he asked her another question she looked up at him. She didn't know why the thought of him not being a royal ever occurred to her. She sometimes forgot that she was actually the polish princess, destined to thrown into some loveless marriage. She sighed. "its not as great as it sounds. I mean like yes it's all fabulous clothes, parties, maids, servants, huge houses and stuff but it's boring." her expression faded. It was true. It was nice being waited on and basically having a free pass for everything. But Melanie wished that she could have just been a commoner. 

It had been such a long time since Chris held the hand of a girl that he had almost forgotten how it felt to. He forgot that the hands of most girls were so much smaller than his that his hand would actually engulf it. He also forgot that most girls went through the trouble of keeping their hands soft and moisturized, which he got too lazy to do, leaving his hands rough and calloused. He liked how Melanie's hand fit right into his, soft and warm. He felt her fingers fluttering inside her hand every few minutes. He had to admit, he missed the sensations. It was what he didn't like about being single. Chris was an affectionate person. He liked feeling close to someone, being in love. Or what was conceivable as being love for people his age. Sure, he had girl friends around the city, but not a girlfriend. He kind of wished he did. Despite the drama and problems that couples had, being in them were fun. He desperately missed having someone to hug and kiss.

Chris genuinely liked meeting and getting to know new people, something he learned was odd to people of this area soon after he moved here. People liked to keep to themselves. That wasn't to say that he thought that people weren't friendly. No, the people were plenty friendly, they just kept to himself. It was odd for him because back where he came from in Los Angeles, everyone was always up in the business of everyone else. He didn't stop being a bit of a blabber mouth, though. Whenever he met anyone new, especially the royals and nobles from out of the country, he would ask them a variety of questions that they would struggle to keep up with. Some found this trait of his endearing, others found it annoying. It was why some people considered him a puppy. He apparently had a cute and fun personality that got annoying sometimes, but no one could make him get rid of it.

"Well, when you put it that way, it makes being a regular civilian sound like the best thing on the planet." he commented on her answer. He supposed that growing up with things like that would become boring eventually. Non-royal activities easily bored him because he was used to them. If he had grown up in some palace with maids willing to do whatever you wanted and grand parties being held every week, he would've soon grown bored of it also. Chris liked watching the little things Melanie would do, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear, sipping her ice tea. While he was usually fascinated by people, he had a strange particular interest in her. He couldn't place what it was. "I don't know about you, but I'm having fun," he told her with a toothy smile, his fingers playing with hers. "This may seem weird and crazy, but do you want to do this again with me some time? Only in like a restaurant and maybe a movie afterwards?" As odd as it was, he was desperately hoping she would say yes.

Melanie wasn't sure about Chris. Sure he was easy to talk to and had a pretty face but Melanie couldn't figure out why he wanted to be around her. She wasn't like Ana, fun to be around, always smiling, always having something to say. No, Melanie was the exact opposite. She was sure no one really liked to willingly hang out with her. She had a hard time doing things one on one with people because she never knows how to keep a conversation going. She tried her best to smile as often as possible but lately it was getting harder and harder to smile without a reason. So thinking that Chris didn't have a reason to be around her... That he just wanted to was weird to her. Part of her didn't mind all that much because it's been a long time since she's hung out with someone without Ana around.

Melanie absentmindedly sipped her drink. She watched Chris talk about whatever. He seemed so happy and in love with life. She couldnt remember a time when she was truly happy. She had moments when she'd forget about everything and feel slightly good but that was rare. Melanie wished she could smile like that again. She thought maybe hanging out with someone as happy as Chris would help her get better. She felt like she was just at another version of therapy. Maybe Chris was just hired by Tomas or Ana to watch Melanie. 

She shook her head. "yeah, this has been fun.. Even though I was kidnapped." she said jokingly with the best smile she could give. When he asked if she wanted to do it again and maybe a movie she blushed a little bit. Was he asking her out?! That was a clear sign that this guy was crazy. It must be some kind of joke or something. " a movie sounds good.. It's a date." she smiled again deciding not to care about why Chris was being so nice and just go with him.

Chris smiled happily, glad that she accepted. He was sure that he was going to get rejected. It wasn't unheard of that royals date commoners, but it wasn't exactly a common practice. Plus, with the Committee in town, everyone seemed to be just a little more on edge lately. He didn't know much about the Committee, but he did know that they were in charge of royals pretty much, and their word was law. That, and they weren't exactly fond of Commoner-Royal relationships since the husband of one of the royals who used to be a commoner was found to be abusive, beating the oldest son. Or it was something like that. Chris wasn't exactly sure, he didn't read newspapers, online articles, or watched the news, so everything he knew was more or less from being passed on by word of mouth. It was a reliable way to get around information from his hometown of Los Angeles, since only about a hundred people knew the news right as it happened and passed it along to everyone else. In Glassview where gossip was big, but people were so secretive, it was hard to get reliable information.

He was currently planning out the date in his head. He would need to borrow his father's car. That may be a problem, his father got late night calls sometimes and needed to head out right away, but Chris was sure he could persuade him. Diner? No, too casual. That really nice Italian restaurant? He couldn't afford that, he wasn't even working. The small Japanese place would be nice though. And he hadn't been there in a while. It was the perfect mix of intimacy without being too intimate. Now the only problem was the movie. Chick flicks bored him to death, but he wasn't sure if she would like action movies. It seemed to be that the new horror flick was going to be the way to go. Though, he had never too fond of horror movies.

"Great then! It's a date." His smile was wide and toothy, like a little kid stuck in Disneyland. Something that almost happened to him once until security found him and brought him to his parents. A sad day for the five year old Christopher. Not that he would've been able to operate the rides anyways. The cloning technology was still limited to human ears on rat backs. "What time should I pick you up? Is tomorrow, eight at night okay? Should I be worried about meeting any big scary dudes at your house? Oh and dress semi-formal. And bring a jacket since it gets cold at night."

Chris was still pretty much a stranger to Melanie. He was nice enough to consider him at least a friend. Melanie didn't really hang out with people very often so she wasn't sure when it was okay to declare a friendship. The hour or so they've spent together seemed like such a huge improvement to her social life. She felt no pressure to keep the conversation going. She didn't really worry about saying the wrong thing or not having to say anything at all. Most importantly she wasn't under the watchful eyes of her family. If Ana knew that Melanie had a date she'd probably jolt back to her normal self and ask all about Chris and what he was like, an exact play by play of the whole time she was with him. And Tomas? Well surely he'll think that the therapy was working and most likely leave her alone a little more. Melanie decided that she should hang out with Chris and other people as much as she could to get her siblings to drop the therapy.

Melanie couldn't help but smile when Chris did. He was so child-like and she thought it was adorable. Just saying yes to the date seemed like he was just told he could have dessert before dinner. She sucked the last few sips of her drink and sat the empty cup down. She wiggled her fingers a little bit in his hand. They were still holding hands? Melanie kept forgetting. It felt to natural that it just slipped her mind. 

Sitting in the cafe with Chris and others buzzing about and the smell of coffee in the air, melanie felt a little relaxed. She mentally cleared her mind focusing on just being a normal girl and to just worry about whether or not the guy she liked liked her back. She worried about what she would wear on the date. She had a million outfits in her mind. She would have to have Ana help her pick the perfect one. Melanie was happy to be away from Ana. As bad as it sounded, she was finally not in Ana's little shadow. 

"No scary guys at my house. But my brother might be a little cautious because...." she trailed off not really wanting to go into detail about it. The whole situation with her siblings was still fresh in her mind. Just thinking about it got her all worked up, angry and sad and irritated all at once that she deemed the details unnecessary to tell. "Well my brother is just protective since I don't go out much without Ana." she felt odd saying Ana's name like her, Chris and Ana have been friends for a long time. She just sort of automatically assumes everyone knows Ana. "Tomorrow at eight sounds great." she squeezed his hand a little before finally letting go. Reluctantly of course, but she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at it. oh god.... she thought as she saw it was Tomas, as if he knew she was talking about him. She shook her head and shoved it in her pocket. He must have just heard about what happened in the most recent therapy session. Ignoring him was the best way to go.

It was good for him to hear that there weren't any big, burly security guards at her house. Chris didn't exactly scare easily, but that was because he was relatively tall and muscled compared to a lot of guys, but anyone bigger than him was able to strike fear into him. he did understand the situation with Melanie's big brother, though. He got like that when it came to his younger sisters. He got worried about them if he didn't know exactly where they were and who they were with in case he needed to swoop in and save them. He tended to get over protected, but he was just so used to protecting them. He missed the days when they would come crying to them to make everything better. Well, his younger sister, Stephanie, still did, but Felicity was an independent young teenager now. She acted like she didn't need him now that she was a teenager and entering the Academy. He knew how some of the Academy students were and it made him worried.

He hummed happily to himself as she checked her phone. His eyebrows knitted together as she put it away. Did she not want to talk to whoever it was? What if it was her family? Or if it was important? Then again, what had happened earlier in the day at therapy was something she was probably trying to avoid talking about it. He couldn't blame her. Therapy was not something that people liked talking about, especially when something went bad. It tended to make for awkward conversation when he had friends who were clients of his father. He would ask them how it went, since their therapist was his father, and they would awkwardly tell them it was fine or they would go on about how terrible it was.

Chris checked his watch, worried that he would have to go home soon. He was glad to see that he had plenty of time before he had to walk home for dinner. He didn't want to go home just yet, he liked spending time with Melanie. He liked spending time out of the house with a girl he thinks may like him. He had gone on the occasional date since his family moved to Glassview, but he hadn't had a steady girlfriend. He was sure that all the royal and noble girls in the city were out of his league, and all the girls of his class were busy sighing over the princes and lords. He watched her with a smile on his face. "So what else would you like to do today before I have to get you home so I can get home." There were all sorts of things to do in Glassview, or he just saw it that way because he was still considered new there. "We can go see a movie, grab something to eat, or just walk around and talk."

Melanie didnt want to think about going home. If she went home she'd just be lectured and watched over like she was some extreme science experiment. she loved her family but she really hated them at the moment. They should just leave her be. she was fine with the way things were. She hated that she couldnt be home without being watched like she was going to steal something. She hated that he family was talking to her like she was a little kid.... a mental patient. She wanted to get away from them. she wanted them all to just disappear. But on the upside, if they hadnt found out about Melanie's little hobby, she wouldnt have met Chris. that was the one thing she was grateful for. She felt so at ease with him. she felt so much more relaxed around her than she did around her own family. She liked that he didnt look at her like she was crazy, or that she was fragile and could break at any moment. She liked how his smile made her smile, even only a little.

She smiled at him, feeling more like herself. She felt like she was talking to a childhood friend. She didnt worry about what to say like she did with anyone from school. Why was she just now meeting him? She wished she knew him before. that way she could go and tell Ana all about him and have her be more flirty and fun. She felt like she was sort of boring him when he looked at his watch. her smile faded a little as she realized that she couldnt stay with him instead of going home. if he was actually a childhood friend, she could just spend the night at his house and never have to face her siblings ever again. she shook her head. "I dont want to go home." she mumbled as she looked down and started to play with her empty cup. she really didnt want to go home but she knew eventually she would have to.

He asked her if she wanted to go see a movie or something and she smiled again. if they saw a movie now would ruin their plans for the next day. she watched at he suggested things. she didnt really care what they did as long as she was with him and she wasnt home. She smiled and rested her head on his fist as if she was thinking hard about what they should do. She smiled, "How about we just go to the park." she said while standing up and holding her hand for him to hold again.

Christopher stood up with a smile, taking Melanie's hand in his. "The park sounds like a great idea!" he exclaimed, walking with her out the door. He supposed he was acting a bit childish, he had a habit of getting overly excited about even the simplest of things. A chance to go to the park, excited. To the movies, excited. The beach, excited. Just about everything and anything, he got excited over. He found pleasure in the simplest things in life. Not that he minded. He liked being able to enjoy the little things because sometimes it was the little things that mattered the most. He wondered if Melanie enjoyed the simpler things in like like he did. If she took pleasure in just being able to watch the sun rise or set. It was strange, he admitted. He grew up in LA, a huge city, and he was happy with the smaller things in life.

Of course, on the way to the park he chatted happily, talking about whatever happened to come up in conversation. She was a little more animated, which made him happy. She had a very soft, sweet voice, that was easy on the ears and pleasant to listen to. Like listening to a lullaby. He was still wondering how a girl like this could not be as popular or out going as her sister. Her hair looked like it would be soft and silky, her skin was pale and smooth like ivory, and her eyes were the warmest brown. How she could not be as confident as Ana was beyond him.

They arrived at the park, him immediately running with Melanie trailing behind him to the swings. He got on one and started pushing himself slowly. "The wings were always my favorite part of going to the park" he said as he swung back and forth. Because no matter how old or tall you get, you can always count on them for the most fun. Not like monkey bars where you get too tall and can't use them anymore, or slides which lose their fun with height also. Swings just make you feel like you're soaring through air."

Melanie held his hand as they walked. the longer she was with him the better she felt. He talked most of the time which she didnt exactly mind because she was bad at talking. She watched him talk excitedly about random things. she liked how happy he looked and she wished she could be that happy. she was starting to like like him and she felt so normal. She felt like a normal girl without the scars on her wrist. She liked that feeling. she didnt want to be known as that girl that cut. or the girl that was fragile. Chris helped her forget and she wanted to keep it that way.

Still holding Chris's hand she ran behind him up to the swings. He was right. the swings were pretty much the best part of any park. Melanie use to go to the park all the time. Thomas would take Ana and her to the park to just run around and have fun. Ana would make friends with the random kids that were also at the park. Melanie would just sit on the swings and enjoy watching them have fun. The swings were just perfect for her. She could just sit there and no one would bother her.

Melanie sat on the swing next to Chris. She swung herself slowly not wanting to fully swing. Even though she was feeling better, it only took a glimpse of her wrist to remind her of what awaited her at home. just the walk to the park she felt her phone vibrate a million times but never pulled it out and checked. She didnt want to talk to them. They would convince her to come home or tell them where she was. was it really so bad that she wasnt home? that for once she was out on her own without a specific reason, like school or something? She needed space away from her family and Chris was just that. Not to mention that he made her feel a lot better. Melanie spaced out as Chris went on about all the fun times he spent at the park. His voice was so soothing that she didnt want to interrupt him.

The rest of the night went pretty well. The more she Chris talked the more at ease Melanie was. she even found herself laughing with him, talking, responding like normal people. she talked without thinking, without worry. She was sad when the sun started to fade and he took her home. She wanted to stay with him instead of going home. but she couldnt. she knew that tomorrow they were going on an official date. She was actually pretty excited about it because she's never really been on a date. A few group dates with Ana, but never one on her own and with someone she actually can connect with. But once he left her at her house she was scared of what was inside. She checked her phone before going in. 13 missed calls from Thomas. to her, that seemed worse than a missed call from her mother.

Melanie went back to not talking. she had nothing to say to Tomas or Ana. The asked her where she was and why she didnt answer her phone. Tomas even asked to see her wrists to make sure there werent any new marks. She angrily, and without a word, locked herself in her room for the night. Even though there wasnt actually a lock on the door, Melanie stuffed a chair under the doorknob so the door wouldnt open. It kept them away for a while.



Melanie woke up for the first time in a while without one of her siblings standing over her. It felt like things were going back to normal. only she really wanted to tell Ana all about Chris but she just couldnt bring herself to do so. Instead she got herself ready without Ana's help. Melanie wished she could just ask her sister if she looked okay. When she was satisfied with the way she looked she quietly walked down the stairs and out the door. She didnt want to talk to her siblings and answer a million questions about where she was going, who she was with or when she'll get back. she just sat on the doorstep and waited for Chris to come save her.

OCC: The first date dress~

Chris was sad when he had to walk Melanie home so he could go home. The walk home was a bit long, but he didn't mind. He was happy to have just been able to spend time with her. His smile was wide and obvious as he entered the house, arriving just on time for dinner. His family ended up commenting that he was unusually happy, even for himself. He ended up explaining his day with Melanie and how they had a date the next day. Before he could even ask for them, his father handed him the keys to the spare car for his date, telling him to not get a scratch on it or he was grounded. He happily thanked his father. His mother was ecstatic and wondered when they would be meeting her, which made him blush and tell her that it was still too early for proper introductions, but he would get around to introducing them sooner or later. Probably later. He didn't want his mother to get her hopes up before he was a hundred percent sure of anything, though, he was hoping this would turn into something serious. He didn't want their time together to be nothing more than a cheap fling. That would be greatly disappointing.

He spent the next day getting the reservations and movie tickets, having his mother and sisters pick out his outfit for the night. Chris was nervous. It had been a while since he last went out on a date. After a nice long scrubbing in the shower, making sure his hair was nice and his outfit was perfect, he began to head out of the house. His father stopped him, handing him some extra cash and telling him to have a good time on his date. Chris smiled and thanked him, promising to give details later on. His mother tried giving him dating advice as he headed out the door and his sisters were telling him to not try to cop a feel. He rolled his eyes as he got into the car. Sometimes he wondered if his family was being serious or if they were just mocking. Somehow, he knew it was more of the latter than the fore. He loved them all dearly, but they could be just so ridiculous at times.

He arrived at Melanie's house -- more like mansion -- and was allowed access by the staffed who recognized him from the day before. He thanked them, pulling up to the front of the house and walking up the steps. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his palms lightly sweating, forcing him to wipe them on his pants. He knocked on the door, glad when it was Melanie and no one else who opened the door. A relieved breath left his mouth, he did not want to meet her older brother and have him go all big brother on him. She looked lovely, though. He had to snap himself out of his thoughts when he realized that he was just staring at her like a happy idiot. "You look amazing," he complimented her. He held out his arm for her to take, so they could go get dinner at the restaurant and then go see their movie. "Are you ready to go, m'lady?" he asked, half-jokingly because of the difference in their statuses in the social hierarchy. He was sure his smile widened as she took his arm and they walked to the car. "I hope you like Japanese food and scary movies."