"The play was a success?"

Melanie nodded. "Yeah, yeah it was. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my whole life. Replacing Amanda was an emergency situation, but Rachel…she swung that like pro. She did so well Mrs. McHenry convinced her to major in theater."

"I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it."

"I was really sad when it was over. Closing night cast party was strange. I kept trying to give Edith a moment alone with David. He was so nice, and so was she and I was sure they’d end up together, but nothing happened. Which led me to believe he was gay."

"A little assumptive, don’t you think?"

"Edith looks like Audrey Hepburn. She’s tall and thin and graceful and gorgeous. I don’t believe anyone wouldn’t be interested in her. Unless he just didn’t like girls."

"Or perhaps he liked someone else?" suggested Rosenbaum.

Melanie laughed. "Like me? No. David…he’s just really nice. He did kiss me once, though," she confessed, blushing to the roots of her blonde hair and settling down in the chair. "At the party. We were dancing and all of a sudden he just stopped and kissed me."

"What did you do?"

She shrugged, blushing a little deeper. "It made me feel weird. I hadn’t kissed anyone since Brian. So I stopped it. After a while I felt so weird I left."

"Maybe you should have given him a chance to explain."

"I was afraid. He would have just said something about how sorry he was and he’d never let it happen again and blah blah blah…guy stuff which means, I didn’t mean to kiss you, the moment just got to me and I wanted to try my hand at being romantic. It wasn’t you, it was me."

"Have you talked to him since?"

She shook her head. "He’s an art major, we don’t have any classes together. Edith said he’s been looking for me."

"Well, do you want to talk to him?"

"Only if I was sure he’s not going to say anything about it. And I’m not sure."

Rosenbaum nodded. "I understand. It seems you were doing very well. What landed you here, exactly?"

"Didn’t mom tell you?"

"Some of it. I want to hear your side."

Melanie spoke her next words very quietly. "The divorce went through that summer, you know…and mom, well, she met someone at the play. Relative of one of the cast, I think. Anyway…his name was Bill. Bill, can you imagine? What a yuck name, even."

Rosenbaum looked at her.

"Okay, okay, so it’s just a name, but he was still horrible."

"Let’s hear this part, Melanie."

"There’s…not much to this…"

*****

"Why not!?!" I shrieked at Jareth, throwing my red sweater at him. We were standing in my bedroom, arguing while my mom was out with Bill.

He caught it, his eyes narrowing. "Melanie. Stop it."

"Answer me!"

"It’s wrong, Melanie."

"Oh, but it was perfectly okay to drug Amanda Sommers!"

One of his arched eyebrows shot up. "Amanda is the antichrist. Bill is just a pleasant fellow who finds your mother attractive."

"I don’t want him to find my mother attractive! She shouldn’t be dating yet!"

Jareth glared. "You aren’t the one to decide that. How would you feel if you were her?"

"If I was her I wouldn’t have made Dad leave in the first place!" I raved. "You said you were here to help me! So help me!"

"No."

"I HATE YOU!"

"Keep your voice down."

I began to string together words I don’t think Jareth had realized I even knew. The swearing got vicious after a while. And finally, he gave in.

"Alright…alright! You want them stopped so badly, I’ll stop them. But I swear to you, Melanie, you’re going to regret it."

"You just put an end to that date. I’ll worry about the rest later."

Jareth disappeared.

Mom came home about an hour later. In a cab. She’d been crying. Her mascara had run a little bit under her eyes. She just went straight to her room and shut the door behind her. I have never felt so awful in my whole entire life as I did then. I found out later…she and Bill had been having a really nice time…until their waiter (a blonde guy, I heard), got into an argument with Bill. It had come to blows, and Mom had just left him in the restaurant. She was completely humiliated. Jareth didn’t show back up that night. I waited, but…well, I guess he was just going to let me take my medicine. I felt so bad. So completely horrible. And I decided it was time to tell her the truth.

I knocked on her door little while later. "Mom?"

"What is it?"

"Can I come in?"

"Can’t it wait?"

"No…it’s really important."

She unlocked her door and let me into her room. I sat down on her bed, my hands in my lap. And I told her everything I just told you.

And that was when she told me we were going to go to the doctor. I didn’t argue.

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