Chapter Fifteen- 'When The World Is Against You,
I Will Protect You Darling We'll Be An Army Of Two'
"Real food!" Was the first thing said as Zac came home. In fact he said it as they were walking him up the driveway and he smelt dinner. Melissa was invited, usually every day, after her story all about college-budjet meals. As Ike recalled it was Taylor who dared to ask what they were.
"Only two things. One is called 'cheese thing' in which you melt cheese onto anything available and the first one to guess what it is doesn't have to wash up." She had said. "And secondly is 'cheese fantasy', in which we've ran out of cheese." Of course this was only, unfortunately, what Angie ate and not Melissa due to her 'diet'. Melissa just took part in the guessing.
And so they'd taken pity on her- well, Mrs Hanson practically swept her into her arms at the thought of her horrific tale like Melissa was a war victim- and Ike, once again, thanked towards the sky he studied at home.
Now a Hanson meal is not a straightforward steak, peas and gravy with a home-made apple pie. Far from it, seeing as their Christmas dinner is usually pizza, Chinese, KFC or whatever takeaway is mad enough to be open on December 25th. It's not that their mother is a bad cook, it was just everybody had different favourites and cooking for nine (ten for this meal) was not Diana's idea of heaven.
"You wanna find something to microwave or split a pizza?" Taylor asked Melissa.
"I don't mind. I'm a veggie so probably a pizza."
"Really? So's Ike." Taylor said. "He got all political last year, I think."
Zac overheard the conversation and finally realised why. Dead blood.
"Guys, you'd better pick soon, there's a cue for the oven and don't even try getting anything in the microwave." Their dad called.
"I'm next!" Jessica yelled, holding a box of microwavable chips.
"You wish!" Taylor yelled back and soon there was a battle raging.
"Is your family always this mad?" Melissa asked Isaac.
"Hey, this is what we're like with a guest. At least Zac actually got dressed for dinner."
"I heard that!" Zac yelled back.
Amazingly it only took the space of an hour (a new record) to get organised and sit at the table with every available chair possible. Every time they did sit at the table was another reminder that they really needed to buy a bigger one and a few more chairs to go with it.
"But this is the first piece of furniture we bought after we got married, we can't get rid of it!" Mrs Hanson said.
All of them played air violin to a sappy tune, pretending to cry.
"Mom, it's a table. It wont miss us." Zac reassured her, still giggling.
"And I actually want to read 'Lord Of The Flies' again soon." Taylor said, pointing at what propped up one leg of the table.
"How about we give it to you two when you get your own place?" Mrs Hanson smiled at Isaac and Melissa.
Both swallowed quickly, looked at eachother wide-eyed, then smiled.
"Funny you should mention that mom..." Isaac started.
"Yeah, see, we've been talking this over a lot and..." Melissa tried to explain as well.
"You're moving out?" Jessica asked loudly.
If that didn't stop all the other conversations around the table, what would?
"What, when?" Avery asked.
"You never said anything to us before..." Tay started.
"Hang on, I'm sure they..." Mr Hanson started.
"Can I have your skates?" Jessica asked fondly.
"What about practise?" Zac asked.
"I don't want you to move..." Mackie pouted.
"I'm so happy for you two..." Mrs Hanson smiled.
"Are you moving today?"
"You could have at least told us when..."
"We wouldn't mind just as long as..."
"I'll take care of them, I swear..."
"D'you realise how hard it'll be to write..."
"We'll really miss you..."
"You two are so..."
Melissa realised just what a mistake that had been.
"How do you stop them?" Melissa asked quietly.
Isaac whistled as loud as he could. Amazingly, the movies had not lied. It actually worked.
"Woah woah! Hang on a sec!" Isaac yelled. "We are thinking about moving in together sometime but not yet!"
"I can hardly afford the place I already have..." Melissa started.
"Oh don't worry about that." Mrs Hanson said.
"And I refuse to let you guys pay it all." She finished. "I'm looking for a bigger job that'll help but at the moment my waitress and gig money is only scraping past the rent."
"So yes, someday, but not yet." Ike said.
"And thank God." Zac finished. He grinned at Melissa. "No offence."
"None taken." She smiled.
"Who's washing up then?" Diana asked suddenly.
All faces dropped. A thousand knives and forks clattered to the plates, table or even floor and soon they all had something amazingly urgent to do. They were ranging from finally fixing that shelf to helping hungry kids.
"Helping hungry children?" Diana asked Taylor.
He shrugged sheepishly. "Those TV appeals get to me mom."
"Worst excuse to date. Get in the kitchen." She pointed.
Taylor slowly dragged his feet like it were a death-march and put on his saddest face as he passed his mother.
Avery laughed. She couldn't help it, she knew it wouldn't work.
"You're drying up." Mrs Hanson said plainly.
"But mom, I..." No use. It never worked. She slumped and followed Taylor. "Oh man."
And thus the conversations began again. Which gave Melissa the perfect chance to talk to Ike.
"Ike, are you staying round mine tonight?" She asked as quietly as possible.
"I can't, we're leaving for Europe tomorrow." He hissed back.
"Tomorrow? You said it would be in a few weeks." Melissa asked louder.
"I said that a few weeks ago." He replied.
"Wanna come with?" Zac asked loudly, basically as an excuse to stop a discussion he wasn't going to win with his dad.
"Actually, yes, I do. If that's Okay."
"Sure, we don't mind a groupie." Mr Hanson smiled.
"Great." Ike kissed her like he would his mom, just to avoid any embarrassment. "You'd better get packing."
"Oh I'm a minimalist when packing. Just a pair of warm socks and my guitar is enough. I don't like making a fuss when it comes to that kinda stuff."
Mrs Hanson looked almost dumbstruck. You could literally see the tears in her eyes. "My new daughter has arrived."
"And the point of this trip is to what exactly?" Angie asked, eating what looked like yoghurt but tasted like mayonnaise.
"To get to know his family more and to go to a hotel that's motto isn't 'if the rooms are a rocking', don't come a knocking.'" Melissa replied, choosing a 'hey, I'd be a great wife/daughter/sister in law' outfit.
"And when will you come back?" Angie asked.
Melissa shrugged. "A few weeks, maybe less? All I know is that I'm going and this dress is disgusting." She threw it in the 'reject' pile.
"Hey, that's my dress." Angie said sadly, picking it up.
"It's from the eighties." Melissa pointed out.
"I liked that decade actually. Anyway, going on a little vacation with a mortal family to get some honey from your pop star boyfriend, with vampire hunters after you who are organised mostly in European countries," she took a breath, "is not exactly a good thing to do."
"One, they're a nice family. Two, he's not a pop star." She saw Angie's look. "Okay, he is, but they know the Woodstock '69 set off the back of their hands. And three, they still think I'm in New York." She picked up a top and put it on.
"Okay, one, does it matter? They're mortals and you get hungry quickly. Two, no matter how much music knowledge they have I will not forgive them for Mmmbop and neither should you. And three, every religious cult world-wide has your picture in their psycho-church or whatever."
Melissa didn't answer for a second. "I shouldn't have ever bought this top."
"Melissa, don't change the subject! You are not a human! You haven't been one for four hundred years so why are you trying to be one now? God, you've even been going out for meals. You know you don't need them. You are a wanted criminal and they wont rest until you're dead. Soon they'll hunt you down and not only will you have to change your name, run away and never see anybody you know yet again, Ike might get hurt as well."
Melissa pretended none of that was said. "Maybe I should buy a whole new outfit..."
"Melissa!" Angie yelled, grabbing her arm. "I can't protect you! I can only get Storm to change your identity yet again! Isaac will get killed and you know it. He's already tried to kill himself once before and that is the hardest thing possible for you guys. A few words and he'll let them kill him."
Melissa tried to stop it working into her, but it was so true.
"Please, if you love him and if you must go, don't go anywhere near a church, please. Be careful, for your and Ike's sake."
Melissa smiled a little. She loved her roommate so much for caring. Even if it may be because she had a crush on Isaac.
"No, I actually care about you two. You two make way too much noise for me to think I'll ever have a chance."
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