Melissa – Part II
Freefall
White Rose (photo credit: Panpote)
“Pick up the phone. This is Cyndi…”
“…we’re meeting at Club Rae tonight…”
“Girls night at your fave restaurant…”
Melissa stopped answering the phone. Her friends meant well, but she did not want to be cheered up. She needed some time to sulk; time to heal in peace and quiet. After several weeks the calls slowed down and then stopped altogether.
She didn’t notice it happening. It happened gradually, but soon she had what she wanted; time alone. Melissa was a late bloomer, compared to her friends. The effect on her was that she was teased about her looks. Even after she caught up, even surpassing those girls that teased her before, she never felt beautiful.
Her self-esteem remained low, despite her beauty. She never believed it when all the boys told her how pretty she was. She only thought they were trying to get into her pants. Which of course was true, but they did tell her the truth. She was a popular object for attention, not that she sought it. The few boyfriends she did have tended to be modest, and in disbelief of their good fortune.
Now nearing 30, she remained the same; just as humble, just as oblivious to how men saw her. Even though she appear confident in her own skin, she was horribly self-conscious, and all the men that adored her were kept at arm’s length.
Which is why she found herself, this Friday night, at home, playing games online. She traded in her skirt for a pair of sweats, her heels for bare feet, and her blouse for an old college t-shirt, complete with holes and mustard stains.
She managed to still fit into her clothes, but it became noticeable that they fit a bit too snug. A couple more pounds and she would need a new wardrobe. She kept her hair in a ponytail now, and that was a change. Before, she kept her hair styled.
Her natural beauty still shone through, but it faded due to neglect and a disregard to her own well-being. She began playing a MMORPG, and she spent hours trying to level up. She began shortly after her break up with Geoff, but after a couple of weeks she began to shed the “noob” label and joined a guild.
Melissa spent all of her free time gaming. She invested in a top of the line gaming computer, spending thousands of dollars she really did not have to spend. Hour by hour, day by day, she leveled her character. Even as she withdrew from the world, her online persona flourished.
“Loliqa, you up for a dungeon tonight?” Guild master Melktor asked via guild chat.
“Sure,” Melissa replied. “Let me go and sell off some crap. Hearthing now.”
“Good. Loliqa, I have to say your DPS is improving. I think if we can get you up to level 80, you can join us on our raids.”
“That’s what I’m shooting for.”
She stayed up until 4 in the morning running one dungeon after another. Only when she could not keep her eyes open any longer did she decide to call it a night. Luckily, she had Saturday off; her first weekend off in months.
Melissa did not bother getting undressed, as she usually did for bed. She plopped down on top of her comforter and fell fast asleep.
She was awakened hours later by someone knocking on the door. She moaned as she slowly got out of bed, wiping the drool off her face. Her hair was a mess, but she didn’t bother trying to brush it out. Melissa planned on getting rid of her unwanted visitor.
Looking out of the peephole, it did not surprise her to see Cyndi. She opened the door and looked at her for a second before rubbing her eyes, yawning, and giving her a sleepy, “hey.”
“Hey to you, too” Cyndi walked in uninvited. She turned to Melissa and took in the wreck in front of her. She had seen Melissa in the morning before, but her friend took unkempt to a whole new level. Her usually sleek hair looked tangled and matted, and it appeared as though she had a cheeto stuck in her hair. Her eyes were puffy and lifeless, her face appeared gaunt, even though she clearly had put on some weight.
Enough was enough.
“Get dressed. We’re going out for brunch.”
“I’m not really hungry,” Melissa protested.
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Get dressed and let’s go.” Melissa remained rooted by the door, her arms folded, indifferent to her friend. “Look, I’ll pick you up and throw you in the shower if I have to.”
Melissa hissed at her friend, but couldn’t ignore the threat. When Cyndi said she would do something, she would follow through. She did not issue empty threats. At nearly six-foot tall, she was physically capable to do almost anything. Couple that with the fact that she spent her time at the gym lifting weights, and a few nights studying Krav Maga, she would be a formidable opponent.
Twenty minutes later, wearing nothing but a towel, Melissa came into her bedroom. Cyndi sat patiently on Melissa’s bed waiting for her to get out of the bathroom.
“You look better, beautiful.”
Melissa didn’t know what to say, so she just shrugged her shoulders. She could not tell if Cyndi was being playful or if she being intentionally flirtatious. She had known for some time that Cyndi frequently took men and women to bed with her.
Instead of focusing in on Cyndi’s intentions, she concentrated on getting dressed. Every time she pulled out a pair of panties, Cyndi said no. Melissa wanted comfort, but Cyndi had other plans in mind. Finally Cyndi got up, walked over and pulled something a bit too sexy to wear for brunch with a friend. Melissa rolled her eyes but put them on while her friend began to raid her closet. Apparently Melissa was not to be trusted.
Luckily Cyndi did allow her to wear a pair of jeans, artfully torn, and a tight-fitting t-shirt that showed off her breasts. Satisfied, Cyndi let Melissa apply a bit of makeup, and the grabbed her hand and marched her to the car.
The time for moping had come to an end.
Part I http://storyblaze.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/saving-melissa-ruination/
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