Adams light tap on the door made the wood vibrate gently against her head.
“Morgan?”
She didn’t answer; he waited a few seconds and tried again.
“Morgan?”
Why couldn’t he see what was right in front of him? Her body felt heavy. Images flew around her head of how Melody and Adam had gone to his room once she had fallen asleep. She didn’t want to take her thoughts there; she didn’t want to imagine all the details. It hurt too much. “What!”
“We’re going now, I’ll see you later. Ok?”
Again she didn’t answer.
“Ok?”
“Yeah whatever” she replied as she turned the shower on full blast so the sound of the water drowned out his voice.”
Melody smiled. She had won the first battle, though it was a long way from winning the war, but she never lost. Never. Morgan was only his sister wasn’t she? How possessive could she get?
Adam shrugged as he heard the water running. He picked up his bag and opened the door for Melody.
He hadn’t seen Morgan like this before. He knew she didn’t like strangers, but she knew Melody and Julie. He couldn’t work out why she was acting like she was. He went over what had happened in the last 24 hours in his head. He just couldn’t see what he had done that would cause Morgan to be like she was.
Adam suggested walking to work, he didn’t want to admit to Melody that he couldn’t afford the bus fair for them both, but Melody scoffed. She didn’t walk anywhere. She pulled out her mobile and called for a cab.
Adam arrived at work ten minutes late. He had never been late and he didn’t like it.
“Sorry I’m late.” He said to Julie.
Julie noticed her daughter walking in behind him and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. My daughter has never been the punctual type.”
“The boss comes in when she likes.” Said Melody.
“Yeah well you’re not the boss, and you’ll never be the boss of anything if you don’t keep up with those studies. Isn’t that right Adam?”
Adam held his hands up in surrender. “Don’t bring me into this.” He laughed.
Melody walked over to Adam while he was starting the coffee machine up. She ran her manicured nails playfully down the bare skin of his arm.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight?”
She looked at him waiting for him to remember that they had a date. He smiled sheepishly “Oh year, sorry.”
The café was quiet most of the day, until school kicking out time. The place went from dead to over run in less than ten minutes. Adam rushed around trying to keep on top of everything so that he wouldn’t have to stay late.
Melody came in just before closing. “This is for you.” She said handing him a bag.
“What is it?”
“A present. Open it.”
Adam put his cloth down and wiped his wet hands on his jeans. He opened the bag and pulled out a pair of black trousers and a blue shirt. He looked at the intricate design that ran down the left side of it. “I can’t accept this, it’s too expensive.”
“Oh Adam, it’s a present. If you don’t I’ll be upset.”
Adam forced a smile. He didn’t like taking charity he knew that’s what it was. It wasn’t a present; she just wanted to make sure that he looked good while they were out later. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take her out. She was out of his league.
“I’ll see you at 7?”
“Yeah.” Adam looked at the clock. It was after five already. He wouldn’t have time to go home, shower and change, but he couldn’t go straight out he stank of food.
“You can shower here if you like” said Julie noticing his panicked face.
“Thanks.”
He finished off what he was doing and took a shower. He felt strange showing in Julies home. She had taken him in and given him a job, but it felt like he was stepping over some invisible mark. He washed as quickly as he could. Not wanting to use up all the hot water.
Melody was walking across the hall as he emerged from the steamy bathroom.
“Shall we go out now as your ready?” she asked.
He nodded relieved to be leaving Julie’s house. He felt like he was imposing.
His stomach growled as Melody led him through the kitchen to the private door leading out. He thought of Morgan at home.
“Can we nip to my flat on the way? I normally take bring home food for Morgan.” He asked her hoping that she wouldn’t mind.
“Is there food in the cupboards?” asked Melody.
“Yeah a bit.”
“Then I am sure she will be fine, really Adam you shouldn’t worry about her so much, and she is an adult. She can take care of her self.”
“But I…” He tried to say as Melody put her finger over his lips.
“She’ll be fine. Come on. I’m starving.”
Grabbing his hand Melody dragged him out of the house before he had time to out his foot down. She wanted him all to her self.
She took him to a little pizzeria down the road from her mothers own café. They were seated in a corner booth as she requested. Adam wasn’t sure what to order. She was paying; he didn’t want to spend too much. He looked at the menu. His stomach was arguing with his head. Finally he settled on a nine inch margarita, it was the cheapest he could see.
The waiter came over and took their order. Melody ignored Adams protest as she ordered a large pizza with everything on it.
“It’s my treat” she said to him.
Adam fidgeted as they waited for their food to arrive. He had never been on a date before and had no idea what to say or do.
“Your sisters a bit strange isn’t she?”
“Huh?” Sister? He didn’t have a sister.
“Your sister, Morgan.”
“Oh.” He laughed at her mistake. “She isn’t my sister.”
“Well if she isn’t your sister who is she? Should I be jealous?"
“Nah, we grew up together sort of. She’s ok.”
“Really? She seems weird to me.”
“Nah leave her alone. She’s had a bad time that’s all.”
Melody sat and wondered about his answer. She wasn’t his sister, then why did he have her around, from what Melody could see she just looked like she was sponging off Adam.
They passed idle chit chat back and forth while they ate. Melody digging and Adam trying his best to be evasive. His head was a little dizzy from the drinks Melody had bought for him. He stood up to use the bathroom, and his head spun when he moved.
He placed his hand on the back of his chair to steady him self.
“I didn’t think I had drunk that much.” He laughed.
Melody smiled up at him. “I think we should skip the movie and head back to yours. What do you say?”
“Sure, I’ll be back in a sec though.”
Melody had already settled the bill and was waiting when he came out of the men’s room. She held her hand out for him to grab. His grip was tight on hers, and warm. She led him by the arm to the taxi rank outside and got him in first.
Morgan sat at the table waiting for Adam to arrive. He was almost three hours late from work. She twirled her hair in her fingers nervously as she watched the door and listened for any sound that could be his foot steps coming up the stairs.
The door burst open as Adam fell into the flat laughing. Morgan sighed with relief until she saw Melody close behind him. Anger flared instantly.
“You ok Morgan?” he slurred.
Morgan glared at him.
Melody saw the look on Morgan’s face and smiled. Spinning Adam round she brought his face to hers and kissed him.
Morgan jumped up off her chair and barged past them. She stormed off angrily. She wouldn’t let the tears fall.
Standing outside in the cold she plunged her hands deep in her pockets and pulled out what little change she had. She counted it quickly. Just over ten pounds, which was enough.
Shoving it back into her jeans she ran over to the bus that had just pulled up and threw some change into the driver’s tray to pay for a ticket to town, to the cinema.
She didn’t care what she saw as long as it stopped her going home for a couple of hours. The last thing she wanted to do was to watch Adam with Melody.
The cashier gave her a strange look as she requested a ticket to anything that was about to start.
She found her self a seat at the back and closed her eyes as the trailers ran. She lent her head back and breathed in deeply trying to calm herself. She was so angry with Adam; she didn’t want to think what he was doing now. It would hurt too much.
A familiar spicy scent wafted over her and filled her nostrils. She opened her eyes and jerked her head up in alarm. She knew that scent. She hadn’t smelt it for over six years, but it still brought the same feelings with it that it did back them.
She looked around her trying to locate the source. Slightly to the left a row down sat two men with two young boys.
The film started, but she wasn’t interested. She wanted these people to turn around so she could get a proper look. It couldn’t be him. He was dead.
Mixed emotions ran through her. What if it was him? What if the impossible had happened? What if her father wasn’t dead? She hadn’t read any papers after that day on the bus. She didn’t want to read what they wrote about him, she knew it was all lies.
She stared at the back of their heads while the film played out around them. They were oblivious to her. Her heart was beating fast and she was shaking. She reached her arm out tempted to touch the soft brown hair that she was sure was her fathers.
Closing her eyes she cursed her self. It couldn’t be him. He had got the death penalty, hadn’t he? All because of her. God how she wished she could turn back time and get her father back.
One of the boys requested more popcorn. She watched as the man lent down to the boy. She saw the glint of the familiar looking earring in his ear. She put her hand over her mouth to stop her self from speaking.
Grabbing her stuff she quickly got up from her seat and ran out. She lent against the wall in the lobby trying to get her breathing under control. The door swung open next to her and made her jump.
The man from the seats walked out. She watched him eagerly as he went towards the refreshments. She couldn’t move she was glued to the wall. She just stared. She put her head down as she saw him returning. Watching him through her fringe her bottom lip trembled with wanting. He looked at her as he approached and smiled. Before her head could think she smiled back, a smile that mirrored his own. Lost in his own world he didn’t notice. He walked past her and back into the film.
She waited outside in the main entrance hoping for her father to come out. People passed her quickly glancing in her direction then going back about what ever business they had.
After an hour and a half her father and her uncle emerged from the theatre with the two young boys. She stared at them opened mouthed. One of them had to be Ethan, but she didn’t know which one. They walked passed her happily chatting about the movie they had just seen. Morgan followed them out un-noticed. She stood in the shadows watching as they got into a taxi.
“45 Simshire Road please.” She heard her father say to the driver as he closed the taxi door.
She left the cinema quickly. Not bothering with the bus she ran all the way home. She burst through the door. Melody stood in the lounge and stared at her, her hand on her chest from the shock of the door banging open.
“Where’s Adam?” panted Morgan.
“He’s in bed.”
Morgan strode over towards Adams room, but Melody stood in front of her. “He’s asleep, you can’t go in.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“I said he’s asleep.” Snapped Melody
“Yeah, well I’ll wake him.”
“No, leave him.” She said as she stood in Morgan’s way.
“Look I just saw my father; I need to talk to Adam.”
“You mean your dead father, the murderer. Yeah I know all about you, how you dragged poor Adam out to live on the streets because you couldn’t stand being in care after your father had killed a bunch of people.”
Morgan stood there and looked at her. Tears welling in her eyes as Melody continued.
“Oh you’re quite shocked he told me. Well he’s sick of you hanging around him. I mean look at you.” She spat. “Pathetic.”
Morgan punched Melody right in the face catching her in the nose. Melody reeled back, putting her hands up to her face as blood flowed out between her fingers. She stared straight at Morgan. “You’re crazy, just like your old man. Just you wait till I tell Adam what you did.”
Morgan stood in front of her fuming. So what if she told Adam, she deserved it. Morgan cast a vicious look at Melody and stormed into her bedroom.
