PAST IS IN THE PAST

Her eyes drifted to the post plastered on her door. Her key was jungling from her hand and her gaze was sad. She tears the notice from the door and crumples the paper throwing it on the floor. The anger in her later turns to depression. She could decide to pack her things and leave yet there was no place to go. 

She unlocks her door and storms in and shuts it abruptly not wanting any nosy neighbors starting a conversation with her. She throws her jacket on her sofa walking straight to the kitchen. She opens the fridge and sees some leftover Chinese food from a few days ago. She brings it out and gives it a shallow sniff.

"Not bad" She murmurs to herself. The middle soup was heated in a microwave for no more than two minutes. Once it beeped, the pack was rushed out of the microwave. "Ditch the chopsticks," She thought. 

The hungry 24-year-old Melaine was gulping down the noodle soup like nothing before.

"Slow down bae,you might choke." Her attention is faced towards the lovely girl in a t-shirt and green hair.

"I didn't see you there." Melaine mentioned, the imagery of Gerald as a ghost made her smirk in disbelief.

"You don't expect me to understand your laugh." She said drifting her attention from her phone to Melaine. Melaine looked straight in the eye. Her lovely olive eyes and pointed nose were the only things that always mesmerized Melaine whenever she looked at her girlfriend. Her dark aesthetic never matched her eyes. That's what always caught Melaine's attention whenever they stole glances from each other. 

"You seemed overdressed for sleeping." Melaine said throwing the suddenly empty pack of Chinese soup noodles into the trash. She pointed out the fact that Gerald was wearing an oversized top and had a reasonable amount of makeup on.

"Oh, sorry. My friends and I are going to a club tonight. You should probably come. It would be fun. To release the stress you've endured this whole weak." Gerald got up, showing her very short jeans shorts. She walks over to the businesswoman in a whole business suit. The difference was lovely.

She holds hands with Melaine kissing her on the cheek. "Are you sure, I need rest" Melaine tries to ease away from the incredibly brilliant idea. Of course, she would love to hang out in a club.

"First you need to ease of." Gerald says kissing her cheek once more. Melaine finally saw the huge difference between her and her lover. Gerald was wild, very outspoken, and dark while Melaine was the whole pumpkin and spices girl. Although it was very obvious, Melaine always thought there might be a little similarity between the two of them.

Before Melaine could think, she saw herself sitting in front of Geralds makeup window and Gerald sitting on the table applying a huge line of eyeliner around her eye. 

Gerald ends up picking a dress for Melaine which was surprisingly Mealiane's type. Melaine always thought Gerald would never see her style, apparently, she was wrong.

Gerald brought out a lovely peach short dress with polka dots all around it.

"I saw it and thought you might like it." Gerald smiled. Melaine was surprised.

"Bought or shoplifted it." Melaine asked looking right into the eyes of her lover.

"It doesn't matter" Gerald utters, throwing the dress on her girlfriend. "This is really you."

Gerald gives Melaine space as she changes into the lovely dress given to her. Melaine got ready faster than usual. She looked splendid as ever in low platform heels, a nice perfume on and her lovely black let loose. This wasn't her usual self.

In a few minute's time, they had walked into the club using the back door, hiding from any stupid bouncers. Melaine finally saw Geralds friends. All were covered in tattoos, piercings, and different hair colors. 

Gerald introduced the Blue hair girl as Brit. Melaine saw her as a witty, dark controversial place. Yet her mind wasn't on anything Gerald said or did with her friends. She sat at the bar drinking tequila. After five more drinks, Melaine was officially drunk. Her favorite song came on. She yelled in joy and got off her stool. She grabbed Gerald's hand and hit the dance floor. Swaying her hips to the rhythm of the beats of Machine Gun Kelly. She twerked, rolled, and did any dance her body led her to. She wanted to bring out the party side of her. The most lovable person that no one can resist. The one who cares about nothing but dancing and drinking and even Gerald was astonished by Melaine's sudden personality. She knew it would be a moment that would never be replayed again and made up the best of it. Dancing alongside her, shouting as drunk as they are. This was Melaine. The party, fun, wild Melaine.

A few weeks later, Gerlad and Melaine found another place to stay. It was a motel a few kilometers from their old apartment. It felt stuffy and restricting. Melaine caught a glimpse of people having times in other rooms and some being beaten or smoking. This was the best place Gerald could get she thought. They were kicked out of their apartment a few weeks earlier because of lack of payment and lived in different places each day til Gerald had this crazy idea. According to Gerald, it was owned by an old man who owed Gerad a lot of money.

They were able to set into the room. Melanie could make anything work and even this apartment would work. She thought.

In a few months, the place is re-furnished and looked lovely and the way they both liked it.

One night, Melaine gets an unexpected call whiles watching a movie. Gerald and she were snuggling on a sofa opposite the TV watching the latest episode of Riverdale. 

"I just dont get the show," Melaine says. "How can teenage children all of a sudden be allowed to play detectives in murders and deal with these stuff. Their Mental health is at stake!!"

Gerald just laughed at the irony of Melaine's voice. The series went on till the doorbell rang. Melaine had ordered some food and hoped it was the delivery man, just to open the door for an unexpected visit.

There stood a man in a lovely black suit with a hat. His golden hair was showing under the hat and his bright skin was glowing in the dark.

"Hey, Mimi" He smiled, hoping for a hug or smile, all he got was a straight face. The disbelief in Melaine's eye was easily identified by her brother. She had never thought of seeing any of her relatives again after leaving them to their fates a long time ago.

"How did you find me?" Melaine was astonished because she was hidden in the shadows for a very long time. No one really knew her.

"Social media has really helped our world you know." He joked with his sarcasm. Melaine obviously knew he had someone track her up.

"George, what do you want." Melaine gasped at the sight. The totally unpleasant sight.

"Is that a way to welcome your brother?" George asked, making some weird faces to Melaine. He was still the witty, stupid funny idiot Melaine used to live with.

"Babe who's there." Gerald shouted, wondering why she was taking so long.

'I'm coming" Melaine shouted back seeing the disgust on her brother's face she turned her head.

"What is it/" HSe asked, annoyed by His behavior towards her relationship.

"Nona is dead, and we are hosting her funeral and we wish you would be tere to attend." George said plainly and briefly. The shocking news made Melaine feel sad. Her nona was a very important character in her growing up. She starts to sniff and later embraces her brother.

"Babe!" Gerald shouts walking towards the door. SHe spots George at first glance and gives him a stern look. Apparently, Gerald knew nothing about Melaine's backf=ground or anything.

Melaine lets go and looks at Gerald. "Bae who is this?" Gerald asks.

"Sorry" Melaine sniffs, Gerald this is Geroge my older brother and George this is Gerald. My..." There was a brief pause until Gerald decided to finish the introduction. "Girlfriend. Come in" Gerlad invites, extending her hand to her Lovers brother.

George looks around in utter disbelief. The room looks stuffy, old, and felt unsafe. He thought, How could Melaine live a life like this when a whole new world is out there waiting for her.

Gerald gets up to fetch water for Melaine.

'I can't go back with you." Melaine plainly said. Her eyes were still on the ground and her face suddenly pale. "I just can't" 

"Why?" George asks. The sympathy he had for Melaine was undeniable. This was the same reaction he had when he heard the news. Shocked, sad, and depressed by the passing of one woman. All this could be caused just by one tiny thing.

"Bae, whats the problem?" Over-caring Gerald asks holding a glass cup half full of water. She totally ignores the presence of George and squats near Melaine patting her back.

"Its just too hard,but im sorry. I cant." Melaine said bringing past memories of pain and heartache.

"This is your only..." 

"She said she can't!" Gerald fires back at George who was still trying to persuade the lovely girl to cry into her jacket.

"This is none of your business." George says back, calmly.

"Yes it is. You dont just walk into my apartment and say anything you want to say and i wouldn't have a say in it." Gerald shouts angrily.

'"Melaine, do it for nona." George persuaded.

"get out" Gerald shouts at George. "SHe doesn't need you right now."

"I do" Melaine finds her voice after 5 minutes of crying.

"Tell me everything." Gerald demands Melaine who decides to speak up.

She decides to narrate her childhood. Growing up in a toxic environment with her parents always fighting. She recalled when his father threw glass chards and one hit her hand. She was never happy in their house and the only joy she had was in her nona. Rose would sing lovely songs to Melaine during her parent's fights and tell her fairytales to put her in bed. Yet Melaine's parents couldn't have enough of her. Her mother kept on fat-shaming her and calling her names and so did her other brother Dick. This caused a lot of depression and anxiety in Melaine's life. 

She later emphasized the fact that her father was a priest and when she came out gay, the trauma she had to go through. She mentioned the times her father would force her to sleep with boys in order for her to get pregnant and marry the boy, hoping that her sodmic act will be demolished. Her mother kept on insisting for her to go on dates with guys and when she declined, the mother threw slaps and sticks anywhere onto Melaine's body until she had had enough and left the house.

Gerald's sudden anger towards the Suthers was now raged.

Melaine kept o saying the reason she wouldn't want to go back because the place brought her to those memories which can cause a lot of mental health problemsa= and trauma. She swore to never set foot in that house again and was keeping her word.

"They'll judge me" she wailed. "Mom never loved me and Dad will look at me like junk. Rubbish a useless pile of rubbish"

"You see," Gerald said, feeling sympathy for her lover. "You've brought the girl pain."

"I can't" Melaine wailed. 'I just can't go back there. I decided to go away from there. It is my past and I wouldn't like to visit that unpleasant chapter of my life again. I just cant."

The tears that rolled down Melaine's cheek touched Geralds heart forcing water droplets out of her eyes. She has never seen Melaine so depressed like this.