chapter 1

Filed Under scribbles |

The smog was unmistakable. The heaviness of the air swirled in the small cabin of the rented U-haul. Melanie and her Dad pulled up in front of the apartment building, sweating from the heat and tired from the long drive South. They stepped out of the truck, Melanie anxious to start unpacking, her Dad anxious to stretch his legs. Just then her cell phone rang, the caller ID flashing “Max”.

Melanie had been introduced to Max by a friend upon her decision to move to Los Angeles. Being that she knew exactly 2 people in LA he became her insta-friend. He offered to come help them unload the truck and her Dad was thrilled by the idea of a strapping young lad helping them lug the matress up 6 flights of stairs.

Melanie and her Dad were just beginning the task of unloading her belongings onto the sidewalk when Max showed up.

And you could say that was the beginning.

Soon after she landed in Los Angeles, Max began inviting Melanie out quite often. They would get lunch and watch movies and chat about nothing. Almost every weekend there was the invitation to The Short Stop, a small wanna-be lounge in Silver Lake with an outside smoking area, where Max and his posse of boys would drink their Jack & Cokes and puff madly on their cigarettes. Often Melanie was the brunt of their attempts at wry humor, her clothing or personality often the topic of their cynical discussion. Without other people to spend any time with, she feigned to enjoy their company and continued to accept the invitation until she finally believed that she was having fun.

Before each evening out with the boys, Melanie would primp and preen over herself in her closet, carefully choosing outfits she guessed Max and the boys would approve of. She always guessed right. Max especially would compliment her hair or her lipstick or her shoes or her purple coat. She always accepted the compliment with a certain laissez faire, but secretly she adored the attention and each time would attempt to out dress the weekend before.

One night after tiring of The Short Stop they finally vetured a little further West to the more popular 4100 Club. After a couple of cosmopolitans Melanie sat at the bar, gazing around at the rowdier crowd, where the drinkers were drunker and the sexes more sexed. She looked over for Max beside her only to find his friend Andrew instead. He peered at her and asked a question that completely threw her off guard.

“So, what’s up with you and Max, Mel?”

Mel. She hated it when people who didn’t know her shortened her name to Mel. Only her oldest friend and her older brother called her Mel.

“Whaddaya mean?” she slurred slightly.

“Why not you and Max?” Andrew pushed.

“Because we’re just friends. I don’t think there’s anything between us at all, ” she stated, “I don’t think we have any intention of anything like that.” She giggled and looked away, bringing her hand to her forehead.

“Well, I don’t know, Mel. It seems like something else to me…” Andrew said. Just then Max reappeared, apparently from his trip to the bathroom. Melanie looked at Max, his already charming grin becoming suddenly more attractive. Andrew rose from the stool beside her, giving her one last “Why not?” look before disappearing back into the crowd behind them.

There was silence as Max looked at Melanie. She felt the loud music fade away slightly as he looked at her boyishly. He was cute. Hot even. He stared at her back, intently, grinning.

“What?” Melanie said.

“Nothing. What?” Max replied. Unrecognizable music swelled around them and the crowd almost disappeared into the walls.

“I don’t know. I just had an interesting conversation with your friend Andrew. Do you know anything about that?” she challenged.

“What do you mean?” he said.

She crossed her arms and laughed. The tension between them was palpable and hot. They sat there, staring at each other, both trying to stop from either laughing or grabbing each other madly.

“Last call!” the bartenders started yelling. Melanie broke the tension with a deep intake of breath. Max grabbed his wallet and slapped some cash down on the bar for his beer.

Max, Melanie and the boys made their way outside to the smoggy, fresh air.

“I’m so hungry…” said Max, looking at Melanie. “I could go for some Thai food right now for sure.”

“Mmm. Me too,” she said.

He looked around at his posse, but nobody bit. “Was is planned?” she thought later.

They all had other places to go, rest to get, work to do, and disappeared, leaving Max and Melanie alone. They made their way down Sunset Blvd., where they shared some late night Thai food before ending up, over the hill at his Valley apartment.

They sat on the couch, both sleepy with drink and full bellies. She sat a foot away from him delibrately, always playing with her coy naivite. She pretended to be interested in his coffee table book before he pulled her head down on his lap and started to stroke her hair. Finally took her hand gently and led her to his room. They both climbed into the bed and as soon as the light went out they kissed each other madly until both of them fell asleep in each others arms. It was tender and innocent.

In the morning, she awoke when she felt Max stir beside her. She slowly began to make her way to her shoes, having slept in her jeans and bra. As she slipped her shirt back over her head, Max’s strong arm wrapped around her waist.

“I gotta go home,” she whispered in his ear and kissed him softly on the mouth. He watched her rise, slip her shoes back on her feet and disappear out the door like a shadow.

Days went by before either of them called one another.

The next weekend was different. Instead of going to Silver Lake, one of the boys was throwing a St. Patrick’s Day party. Max invited Melanie to have dinner before the party, so she dolled up once again and made the drive to the Valley to meet him.

After sharing burritos they arrived at the party together. The rest of the evening Max rarely engaged Melanie in any conversations, often leaving soon after she approached. Melanie mingled and chatted with the other party guests, pet the dog and talked with the host about movies and music all night, feeling somewhat awkward and confused about Max’s behavior. Finally she decided to drive home and started to say her goodbyes.

As she neared the front door, Max followed her. She let him follow her to the car before she turned to him and said, “Thanks for inviting me.”

He grabbed her hand and smiled in the same flirty way he had just the weekend before. Being without her drunken, cosmopolitan glasses, she was not instantly charmed and pulled her hand away.

“What?” she insisted.

“What?” he answered.

She shook her head. “Please. Not this again…” She sighed, biting her lip.

“What?” he said again, grabbing her hand once more.

“You practically ignored me tonight.”

“I bought you a burrito.”

“Well, thanks,” she said, smiling and raising her eyebrows. She climbed into the car as he scrunched his nose and flashed his flirty grin at her again, squeezing her hand tighter.

“I’m sorry I didn’t spend more time with you, it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

There was a long pause before he looked at her in all seriousness. “I like you,” he said trying to pull her up to him from the seat of the car.

“Oh you do, huh?” she said while resisting his tug.

“Yeah, I do.” And he bent down and kissed her hard. She loved his mouth. His kiss was gentle and strong at the same time, which melted her easily. He let go of her hand and she rolled down the window as she closed the door.

“Bye, Max. See you soon,” she said.

“Thanks for coming all the way out here,” he said and smiled at her again before she drove away.

As she washed her face and got ready for bed she thought about the evening and wondered what it all meant, forever analyzing. She fell asleep happy, thinking of the way he had kissed her.

Four days later, Max called her and said, “I can’t kiss you anymore. That can’t happen anymore. Whenever I kiss a girl I get bored with her and you’re too cool to get bored with. So, that can’t happen anymore, ok?”

“Ok,” she replied, hiding her hurt feelings.

“You’re so cool, Mel.”

Mel. And that was the beginning of the end.


Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. sunshine on August 17, 2005 3:15 pm

    I love your writing…

    … keep it up!

  2. Dad on August 23, 2005 8:35 pm

    Bittersweet! Lovely writing Ali!

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind