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CHAPTER FIVE
Asher
Melody, as usual, took off for the bathroom after drinking one beer. She never could drink much of the stuff before having to relieve herself. I probably should have ordered her wine, but this reunion just shoutedbeerto me.
Seeing Ted always gave me a sense of belonging. We were family, and having just spread my mom’s ashes out over the bay, I needed to feel like I still belonged somewhere, with someone. My mom had been all I had except for these two. Mel and Ted’s parents were good people, but they’d divorced years ago when we were kids. I never really got to know their dad well, since he’d moved to San Diego shortly after the split. But at least he hadn’t completely deserted them like mine had me. Mel and Ted would always take off for a month in the summer to spend time with him, leaving me alone. I always dreaded the month of July. Every summer, that month became the loneliest time of my life and made me feel even more like the forgotten sibling I was. Last year when Mel left for the entire summer and Ted had just started his internship with the firm, I’d thought I’d go apeshit from the loneliness.
While Mel was gone to the bathroom, I figured what better time to try and get Ted’s help with the Alex problem.
“Listen, Ted. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“My sister?”
“Yeah.” I gave him a puzzled tilt of my head. “How’d you know that?”
“Asher, I’ve known you practically my entire life. Do you think I can’t see what’s going on with the two of you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You and Melody. The feelings you both have for each other. It’s written all over your faces. I’m glad you two are finally seeing the light and each other.” He chuckled and sipped at this beer.
His statement took me completely by surprise. What look was he talking about? Maybe he’d mistaken my angst at Melody’s sudden urge to want to loose her virginity to some loser and her excitement at the prospect of said urge as something else. Whatever he saw, I didn’t want him to think that Mel and I had anything other than what we had. Pure friendship. Twisted, but pure. Twisted in that she told me things that girls don’t usually confide in a guy. Like wanting to lose her virginity.
“We don’t…have…feelings…like that,” I said, very slowly, not sure why he’d even assume that Mel and I were in that kind of relationship. “We aren’t seeing each other. Not that way.”
“Oh? Sure could have fooled me. My bad, then.”
“Why would you say that, Ted?” Had I given any indication that I wanted to be with Mel romantically? Was I sending off some sort of beacon that lit up, shouting, “she’s mine!” just because I didn’t think she should lose her virginity to a creep like Clayton?
“Look, Ash, you and Mel…you belong together. Everyone else sees it, why don’t the two of you?”
I shook my head. “Mel and I are and always have been just friends. You know that. Besides, Mel’s not my type.”
“Not your type. Okay. If you say so.” He smirked. “So, then, what about my sister?”
Listening to Ted reveal something as awkward as his opinion about me and his sister had me strangling on my own words. Suddenly, I didn’t want to tell him about that asswipe Alex and Melody’s plans to have him be her first lay. After what he’d just said, he’d probably just think I was jealous. Besides, now that I thought about it, telling Ted about Mel’s virginity and her plans with Alex was probably something she’d never forgive me for. Ted was, after all, her big brother. And if I knew Ted and the way he always protected his sister, telling him she wanted to fuck some man whore like Alex Clayton wasn’t going to go over well. So I decided to take a sharp right turn, so to speak.
“I’m going to let her start playing alongside me, I think,” I said quickly after a brief thought. It was something I’d thought of earlier when we were playing in the street. “In the club. She’s become quite good, and her voice is like silk.” All of that was the truth; it just wasn’t something I needed to clear with Ted. But it was something to talk about other than Alex fucking Clayton, which I now knew I couldn’t bring up. “I haven’t told her yet. I was going to tell her tomorrow. Just thought I’d mention it to you tonight since you’re here.”
“That’s great. I’ve always thought she should be singing with you. I’m glad you’ve decided to let her. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
Ted knew me too well. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her singing with me before. Well, let’s be honest here, Ididn’twant her singing with me because I didn’t want us labeled as a “couple.” Not in the sense of a relationship type of couple, but a performing duet. And not for my benefit. For hers. She was good, and with the right connections, she could be well on her way to a great career and a recording contract.
“Well, I think she needs a chance to be seen, even if it is in that small club,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure that club was right for her. I wasn’t convinced she’d get the exposure she needed. “She needs a break. A break out, I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“She’s good, Ted. I meanreallygood. As in, ‘top of the charts’ good. She needs someone bigger than me, but she’s gotta start somewhere.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Ash. With or without Mel beside you, you shine. And who knows, maybe you need each other more than you realize, and you know I’m not just talking about music.”
“Not that again.”
“My sister needs you, Ash. I can’t be here to protect her anymore.”
My eyes shot to his. He was back on this again? “You know I’ll always look out for her. But why are you pressing this? I told you, Melody and I could never have that kind of relationship. We get along great, always have, but there’s never been any intimacy between us. Sure, we kissed back in sixth grade, but after that, we knew it would never work. We both felt it and have always stayed clear of that path.”
“I just want to make sure my two best friends are happy and safe. I’m in Phoenix now. I can’t be here to look after her. Our dad is back east and probably could care less, and mom is, well, in a world of her own these days.”
