Chapter 32

On this fateful day, Melissa had to share the same table with Williams. All through the teaching, she kept on looking at his face, thinking about bad things she could have done if they were not occupied.

    Funny enough, the enemy didn't look at her for a moment, he just had his face glued to his book or listening to the course. He would look sad at some point, then lonely then angry at some point too.

    His looks meant nothing to Melissa when she was also having a different feeling on daily basis. It felt like magic but she seems to be falling in love with Williams day by day. And as she seems to be falling in love, her hatred for him increase, not after what she had heard him say to his brother.

   About Michael, he seems to be awkward, she should have felt that the same day he saved her for the first time. He just seems to despise his half-brother and at the same time act as he loves him.

   Their household should be as complicated as her own for them to be able to say so many hurtful things to each other and want to tear each other apart.

    "Melissa" the professor called her "You seemed distracted".

   "I am fine sir" she awkwardly ran her tiny fingers into her hair and sat up "Please go on sir".

   The professor smiled before he twist his attention to the board. He seem like a peaceful man, and that was what Melissa love so much about him. But if he marks your face about being a 'problem child' as he would say, you will never pass his subject.

   For the first time, Williams turned to her. His face looked like he retain himself from sleeping the previous night. He stared deeply into her eyes. It was obvious a person would think many things were playing hide and seek in his head but he seems to be a strong young man, strong enough to hide some out from his expression.

    Melissa bit her lower lips and hold her breath, if it was possible, the whole class could hear her heart, pounding loudly in her chest, threatening to escape. Her big brown eyes moved to her left thigh where Williams placed his right hand on top of hers. He squeezed her hand gently, giving her an assuring nod before she was been called back to reality.

   "That's all for now" the professor announced as the bell rang and the students began to pack their things "Till we meet again".

   Williams's touch seems to send the wrong trigger to the wrong hormone. Even as she walked out of the school she wished she told him to wait for her in the janitor closet and they would do unspeakable things to themselves.

   "Ewww! I'm not Ryan" she reminded herself.

    She kind of stop when she saw Sam's car, she knew they were around and she could just say hi or simply ignore them. She decided to go the other way, ignore them.

   They might be with Molly and who knows what would happen next, not again. She would never cry again not for anyone at all, she would be the strongest woman she had always been.

    "Nice to see you too," Sam said from behind, she noticed Melissa starring at the car for long "Care if we give you a ride?".

   Melissa felt dumb, she just opened her mouth as she start babbling, saying things she knew no one would understand.

   "That's a NO!" Leah clapped from behind, she walked to the other side of the car and took her seat, beside the driver's seat.

   "Nice to see you regardless" Leah lift her index and middle finger, placed it On her forehead then at Melissa "We see you have new friends now, but that's doesn't stop me from commenting".

   Melissa felt a little guilty, she looked away. Leah had been liking and commenting on her post until she blocked her last night. She couldn't stand the feeling of being wrong and guilty of a crime she felt awkward about.

   Ever since she broke up with Molly and left their friend zone, she had been doing things she knew were bad. She made the wrong decision and couldn't stand the fate of being guilty that was why she block all of them.

   " She blocked us all" Leah said through clenched teeth "I assume she blocked us all because she unfollowed us before blocking me, so what's up that she can't block the rest".

   Melissa swallowed " I-it should be network" she stammered looking away, just looking anywhere.

    "Yeah! I thought as much" Sam said angrily as she walked past her to the car "I hope you would be able to resolve your network issue soon".

   Melissa stood as she watch the car drove off, she wanted to let out her frustration. Adulthood happens not to be for her and each day, she just wishes to sleep and never grow up.

   If not for her father that began to call recently, which was just precisely since two days ago, she would have planned on giving up. Even when everything about her father seems strange, like his voice, the strange number, and the strange way he seems to act as he cares.

   She even told him about starting her new job but she never told him she now dance at a club. Even when he promised he would be sending her some money, told her not to work, said he is proud of her to be an independent woman and that he loves her.

    'I love you, Melissa' Was always his last statement.

   That last word had kept Melissa puzzled, her father hardly talks to her, much more telling her he loves her and would always be. She couldn't ask about his former number, instead, she saved it as 'Dad 2'.

    "Melissa, you are late," Richard said as she rushed in.

   Melissa apologize, she pull off her jacket, exposing her leggings and crop top, she climbed on top of a table and began the dance.

   "Cut that, Melissa" Nina, a lady working there said, she climbed the table, hold the pole, and began to dance "You have to look like you are in the middle of something".

   Melissa smile, she knew she could do it, all she needed was just a little bit of motivation. She look dead in Richard's eyes and walked to the rod, using her ballet skills, she raised her left leg, high above her head, the left one was straight. She lifted herself and applied all her weight on the rod, spinning herself with it.

   She grinds against the pole, pretending to be grinding against one person, Williams Hughes.

   She stopped to see Nina and Richard looking at her like she was not real.

  "What?" She pushed her hair out of her face.

    Richard couldn't get his mind off Melissa, although she had stopped dancing he could still see her grinding.

   "Where have you been?" He asked.

   "At school, home, and with my ex" she jumped down the table, grabbed her jacket and phone.

   She looked at Nina the her boss in surprise, they kept smiling.

   "What if we make your job a contract?" Richard asked "like for longer and kind of permanent, Your stipend would increase too" he wiggled his eyebrows.

  Melissa smiled, this was like a prayer answered, all her hopes on waiting for her father went to self-confidence. At least now with her pay, she would be able to pay for her rent on time, go to the grocery store, get her sanitary, go outing to the fancy restaurants she had been dreaming of, order unlimited pizzas, and save.

    "Oh!" That was all she could say at the moment.

  Maybe she was just exaggerating, how much would the stipend be. She swallowed like she was not excited, maybe asking him to increase it well enough would be better.

   "How much?" She asked.

   Richard pretend to think, he looked at Nina who had a smirk on her colored face.
Her eyelids had two different colors, one blue the other pink, that would have been a huge problem if they weren't matching with her skimpy gown she wore, the back was open, showing that she might not be wearing a bra and might also be wearing a pink pant.

   "What do you think, Nina".

  "I think you follow your mind" Nina smiled "for I will say, she is really good".

   Melissa smiled, she fold her arms and she stare at her boss, with a funny smirk on her face. She look so beautiful and breathes taking that she felt so big of herself.

      "$3000".

      "$5000". Melissa smiled.

    "weekly?" Richard grinned "Is that not much?".
    
      " I can bring more customers" Melissa seemed certain "Is that not what you want?".

    Richard smiled, he looked at Nina who had a smile too on her face, gently he stood up. He nodded at Melissa and she nod too, hopefully, he would expect more from her.

    As Melissa got ready for her dance that night, she felt shaky for a while. Everything felt strange, the blonde wig, the make-up, the seductive costume, and a kitty mask.

   She had asked for the mask when she felt someone might know her and tell her father or just hold it against her.

   "You can do this, Melissa,"  she told herself.

   She flinched when she heard her phone ringtone, and almost gave up to ghost when she saw the caller.
  
      'Dad 2'.