�Melanie?� squeaked the brown-haired girl, dropping into a chair in the center of the Bay Ridge newsies� kitchen. Its legs clacked tiredly against the linoleum flooring, the glue of its fastenings creaking in exhaustion. �Melanie?�

Promise Kept dangled one wrist over the wooden slat back of the chair in front of her, a thin silver-colored bracelet tapping lightly against the worn wood. �Yep. Melanie. Melanie Ayanna Smyth. Smyth�s for me, a� course.� Her light green eyes were sparkling amusedly from underneath her pale brown bangs.

�And Ayanna�s for�for�� Melanie motioned vaguely with her dark-haired head. �Charity?�

�Who else?� Promise Kept smirked lightly. �An���

�And�� Melanie trailed off, her cheeks pinking lightly under her luminous blue eyes.

�An���

�And Melanie�s for�for�me?�

�Named �er aftah the two goils who�ve made me realize what life�s really about,� explained the sixteen-year-old, tossing her head carefully to get her sandy hair out of her face. She scanned Melanie�s expression and found it almost unreadable. �I�� She bit her lower lip lightly. �I can change it, if y� want��

Melanie shook her head, dark curls tumbling in front of her shoulders. �No, no� No, definitely not at all�� She laughed, a distracted, pale laugh. �No, I love it.� She looked at her hands. �I�I�m flattered, really. I�m sure I�don�t deserve such a thing. At all��

�Mel,� sighed Promise Kept, sliding to a seat on the chair she had been standing behind only seconds prior. She rested her elbows on the tabletop and her chin on her folded hands, eyeing the eighteen-year-old skeptically. �Don�t even pretend like you believe �dat.�

A thin smile settled onto Melanie�s face. �I�m not perfect.�

�Well, sure you ain�t. Nobody is. Nobody�s sayin� you are. I didn�t say I named �er aftah �da poifectest person I knew� I�m sayin� I named �er aftah a goil who made me realize what life�s all about. Friendship. Loyalty. Love�for yerself as much as for others.�

�Promise��

�Mel��

�Better watch out with that one, or you�ll have me and your poor daughter confused out of our minds.� Melanie smiled a little. �Maybe I�d better give up on my nicknames�or she�d better.�

�Or maybe we�ll just figure �dat out when people start gettin� confused,� interrupted Promise Kept, putting a hand on the table between them. �Don�t �chu worry, Mellie, it�s all gonna be great.�

�I�m glad you�re well.�

�As�m I!�

�So, tell me everything I need to know.�

�Well, y�need t�know everythin�. Been too long wit�out sharin� all my chitter-chatter.�

�Well, if we�re going to be here all night, I�ll make coffee and cookies.�

�In that event, I�ll go put on an evenin� dress,� smirked Promise Kept, leaning back on her chair.

�You always looked nice in silk,� Melanie responded with a laugh as she filled the coffeepot with water.

�Yeah, I know. Was t�inkin� I�d put on �da apricot one wit� all �da underskirts.�

�Those are going out of fashion. They�re moving toward the lace-fronted look, now.� Melanie grabbed down the coffee grounds out of the tall cabinetry. �Besides, you�ll blend in too much with the table. I was thinking more the navy merino.�

�Nah.� Promise Kept chuckled into her hand to hide her amusement and then put on her serious face again. �Merino�s too heavy. I was thinking something lighter.�

�It�s the middle of winter!�

�It�s March!�

�Well, there�s still snow��

�Anyway, you need help so I can stop sittin� here like a lump?�

�I thought you were nice decoration.�

�Mel��

�Yes, mom?�

�Aw, be quiet.�

�Better start getting used to it now, dearie� You�ve got a long eighty years to go.�

Promise Kept snorted. �Eighty years��

�Ninety, then.�

�Gimme �da God-damned coffee and start makin� cookies.�

�Fine, fine�yes ma�am.� Melanie smirked at the younger girl, fetching her flour and sugar.

more to come...