Chapter 58

At the back of the state, Melissa still couldn't take her mind of Michael as she sat with other dancers, waiting to be judged.
She ignored the strange stare from other dancers like she has a plague or virus.

   "What happened out there?" Jake asked worried as he offered her a chill bottle of water "You look like you were about to faint"

  Melissa swallowed hard, she looked at Jake in silence as the suspense grew. Her gaze locked him his and she maintain it, trying to think about something else to talk about.

   "Did you can Michael?" She asked before she could stop herself.

  Jake froze, he stared at her like she had lost it and he pitied her. He took the bottled water she was holding and keep it on the floor.

  "You see this bottle" he pointed at it "Can I ask if you know the name of the person that filled it?"

  Melissa's brow connect, she looked at the bottle then his face, and smile. Understanding what he is trying to illustrate without getting offended. She smiled then picked back the bottle and drank from it again.

   "You don't think I want to win and get the scholarship too?" He asked slightly angry "Do you think it's easy to get on stage unplanned to fail or meet someone you barely know?"

   He moved a chair closer and sat opposite her, his charming eyes gawking like an owl ready to pick a worm.

   "I see the way he looks at you all through the dance " His voice sound rusty "I also noticed how scared you were when you notice him close to you for while and disappeared"

   He went silent, his face not leaving its position as the eyes were still locked. He rested on the chair as her reaction changed, she became red and her eyes became stormy.

   "What have you done that will make, Michael look for you?" He finally asked.

  "I have no idea what you are talking about" Melissa answered immediately, she looked away, avoiding his intensive gaze "Believe me, I know nothing about it"

    Jake sigh, scoffed, slapped his laps, and shrugged "I saw all that happened and I don't care what you have with him" he whispered "Just make sure to count me out"

  Melissa sat stiff, she kept blinking to stop her tears from ruining her Mascara and washing thee away her heavy makeup, she wouldn't want everyone to see her black eyes.

   She gulps the remaining liquid from the bottle and sighs. Everything just felt hard, even her throat for she is finding it difficult to swallow her own saliva.

    "Oh, my god!" Leah rushed to hug Melissa from behind "I don't know what you must have been through"

   The hug felt better, it seems to be part of the medicine Melissa needs especially now she feels broken than ever. She turned and hugged Leah back then Sam. Williams had a cold expression on his face, which made her even scared to hug him.

   "You didn't follow the front door," Melissa said as she  noticed that she was facing the front door "What happened?"

   Leah and Sam's exchange looks, they stepped back and looked at Williams.

   "Don't give me that look" Williams said pissed "He is nowhere to be found"

   Fear engulf Melissa, she look Williams straight in his hazel-green eyes and began to sob. Not minding if the tears would ruin her makeup, she is just too overwhelmed to keep such amount of tears in her broken b
Heart.

    "I don't understand" she fell into Williams's arms "Why did he come back? Why did he want me to lose this dance?"

   Williams sincerely has no answers to the questions but he didn't want to give her hopes from fake answers. He caress her back and kissed her head.

    "Go hear the result babe" he suddenly said "It's time to hear the winner"

   Immediately they left each other, Melissa looks at the main entrance to see Jake at the door. Other dancers were walking with different emotions. Some scared, some happy, some just sad, while some look like they had no feelings.

     She stood up gingerly and rushed to accept Jake's outstretched arm. She looked at the young man's brown skin and sigh, hoping she won't get to make the man lose become she got into a clash with Michael.

   The cheering crowds wouldn't stop jumping and screaming as the contestants came out with their partners. They bowed slightly and stayed in line, waiting to be called from the last.

    "I am calling on the best five so if you don't hear yours, please try again....next year," The commentator said, he stressed the last works causing the people to wait in anticipation "Melissa Harts and Jake Jared, Allen Becky and Logan Street..."

   Listening to the name seems strange, at the beginning, Melissa and Jake were called together with Michael, but now they only heard their names. She looked up at Jake who had the same expression as he stared down at her.

    "You hear that too?" He whispered and she nodded.

  "....Parker and Monica Johnson. The rest of you please try again next year"

   Monica!

   Melissa gasps as she remembered Molly. She looked at the spot she saw her before, expecting to see the beautiful rare color of hair and charming eyes but to her surprise, it had been occupied by someone else. Tension raised through her body as she began to look round, ransacking everywhere with her eyes hoping she could maybe see her about to sneak off but nothing!

  Just like that, Molly and Micheal left, they left as they came In, not noticed. Gone as if it was a fantasy.

    If it was a fantasy, Melissa seems sure it is hers. She couldn't just think like people that are so significant in her life can just appear from noon.

   She could hear the crowds cheering and happy, she could also hear dancers make their speeches but she couldn't get what they were saying.

   Everything felt awkward as she could no longer concentrate on what she was supposed to do which was trying hard not to cry. She felt Jake Squeeze her Palms and she did the same.

   "And the second winner is......."

  What!! So fast!!?

Melissa looked at Jake who had an assuring smile and a calm face.

   How long has she been out that she didn't get the way the ceremony went or who the winners are?

  "The second runner is....." The commentator should again "MELISSA HARTS AND JAKE JARED"

   Melissa was far way too shock to collect the mic that Jake was left to do the talking. Like how on earth did they manage to get to the second runner-up with such horrible dance moves.

   Even when everyone was happy for her, Melissa saw nothing to be happy for, especially when she have no family to celebrate with as most people she saw.

   How bad had she acted and her father noticed that made him abandon her without looking back?

   She remains stiff as different people hug and congratulate her for being the second runner. People she knew and the ones she never knew. It felt more awkward as Williams had to ask some group of strange men in suits to stand with her and send away anyone that hugs her for too long.

   Feeling tired after yelling and dancing, Sam and Leah went home drunk, totally drunk that one of the men working with Williams had to take them home.

   "Where are we going?" Melissa asked surprised as Williams passed her turn, the smirk on his face made her more scared "Williams, I want to go home" she panicked.

   Williams smiled, she stopped the car at the next building and asked her to follow him. The building looks very gigantic, it seems to be the biggest in that street.

   "This is one of my five-star Hotels" Williams proudly announced as they walked in, he lead her to the elevator and pressed the up and down button together "Remember I told you that I have a surprise for you"

   The elevator door open to a quiet room, it look more like a hall and it was decorated. 'CONGRATULATIONS, MELISSA HARTS' was boldly written on the floor.

   "You know I didn't win," she said genuinely sad.

  Williams scoffed, he orders his men out and rushed to pour her wine. He offer her one and took the other cup, he clicked them together and sipped from his.

  "If Michael haven't shown up and disappeared like a fantasy, I bet you would be the first runner" he kissed her forehead.

  "But I still didn't get the full scholarship as hoped for" She sniffed.

   "When it involves me you don't need to worry" he dropped his almost full cup on a table and walked back to her.

   He sigh, cleaned his palms on his suit as he bent slowly, finally kneeling on one knee. He brought out a small box from his suit pocket.

    "Melissa Harts" he stared "Will you marry me?"

   Time paused, seems someone changed the script she was supposed to act her life with. She quickly moved back, hiding the tears in her eyes.

   Even if she wants to get married, at least not to someone from a very rough family, whose brother raped her and still wants her. Deep down she loves Williams so much but she also felt like she just likes him like a good guy.

   The fact that he helped her and sacrifice so many things for her wants her to say yes, but she has to make the right decision or she gets haunted for life.

   "Williams," she stated she finally turn to see Williams still on a knee "I CAN'T MARRY YOU" she blurted out and in the next few seconds she ran off, punching the elevator buttons as she cried her eyes out again.