Save The Smart Angel

5

( Melissa's POV)

I was rudely awakened a while later, by Shay who kicked my legs.

"Hey?"

"Hey, yourself where the hell did you go last night?"

"I told Jenny to tell you."

"She didn't tell me s**t, now spill!"

"I can't, Shay."

She looked worried, and sat down on the corner of the bed.

"Why did something bad happen?"

I chuckled with no humor, and went and sat next to her.

"I'm not sure."

"Okay, well, tell me, maybe I can clarify some of the puzzle pieces."

I looked at her I knew I could trust her, but I just didn't want to admit it out loud yet, it would make it too real. But Shay is my friend and she deserved to know, so taking a deep breath.

"I slept with Owen."

She went very still, then looked at me turning her whole body to face me.

"When you say slept like just sleeping or actually...?"

She made a body gesture, and I laughed. I was between two feelings I was over joyed he had been my first but an other part of me was dying of dread. Last night was going to be forever burned into my memory. I told her what had happened: how Jenny took me to the room, how we both Owen and I were out of our minds on something, and how we woke up this morning realizing we had really had s*x.

"So it was more like r**e?'

"No, because even then I let everything happen...and as much as I want to deny it, I wanted it to happen, but not like this."

"Where do you two go from here?"

I looked up at her, that was a very good question where did we go from here?

"I don't know."

Shay took a deep breath and pulled me by the hands to make me look at her.

"You need to talk to him, you have to let go of that fear and take the chance, you two love each other, give each other a chance."

I nodded and looked at my watch, it was now nine.

"I better get back, are you good to drive?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Shay dropped me off at the house ,I got in  and straight to the bathroom. I took a shower, still feeling sore from last night, I took off my clothes, and realizing I hadn't found my panties. I turned on the water and let it warm up, as I waited flashes of last night kept popping up. What was I really going to do, I think if it had been any other man, I would just say, I enjoyed myself and be done with him, but this was Owen, the man I feared to love, the one I had wanted for more then the one night, but it just couldn't happen between us.

I stepped into the shower and cleaned myself. Once I was done I went to my room and got dressed. Knowing what i had to do we did need to talk and see where all of this was headed.

I couldn't talk to Owen Saturday, he was with his father overlooking business,  he wasn't home Sunday, and by Monday. Everyone at school was pointing and laughing at me, when I looked on my locker, I realized why. There on my locker was a picture of me and Owen sleeping in each others arms, with the word across it, w***e.

"How do you like it, Melissa,  some of my best work if I'm honest."

I turned to face Roxanne, as she smugly looked at me. Looking back at the picture A cold dread slid down into my stomach, I didn't regret that night, but now Owen was going to be in a very ugly position with his father. I turned and grabbed my books out of my locker and headed to my first class where in was the same thing, I found Shay and she looked worried.Before I could even get up to her, the professor called to me from the door, the dean wanted to see me. I looked back at Shay but she was already running toward me. We both left the class and headed to the Dean's office, and to my surprise there was Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. Blackner, next to them Owen, Shay and I walked in. Looking at the Dean he had pictures on his desk, I lowered my face, not looking at the Rogers, they had helped me so much, and they had to be involved in this.

"Miss Rodriguez, would you like to explain the meaning of this?"

The Dean picking up a picture and showing everyone. Before I could answer though...

"Looks like a slut trying to get a head in life!"commented Mr. Blackner

"Coming from the man with a daughter that did the same thing to my son."

I looked at Mr. Rogers had that been the reason poor Milo had to go into the army, that was the youngest of their sons.

"Don't try to divert the conversation, we are here because this girl seduced my son in a lame attempt to tie him down!"

"Tie him down for what, he lives under your foot all the time, what could she possibly want a boy like that?!"

"For money, Like mother like daughter to be honest!"

"SHUT UP!" I found myself screaming and everyone looked at me.

"Melissa..." said Owen

"Shut up!" i said again, he hadn't defended me before he wasn't going to now, " I didn't seduce him, it happened of our own free will, second if I was pregnant I would never tell you ass holes at all, my child doesn't need your stupid name, or money, and third you have never given me the chance so don't you dare compare me to my mother, I'm not her!"

This time Owen looked at me.

"You can't be pregnant."

"Why not?"

"Because I used a condom, so if you are the baby wouldn't be mine."

"Owen, I was just..."

"See she's trying to pin a child on you son, and it's not even yours!"

"Dad, shut up!" he yelled at his father looking right at him to do so, then turned back to me, " for years you never gave me the chance, you always told me there was no chance for us, what changed that night, why now?"

"Owen, why not now it's happened why can't we just accept it."

I really wish I had said something different, but the seed of doubt was planted, and there was no chance to make him see different.

"So you finally see the benefit of having a rich, boyfriend did you?!"

"Don't put words in my mouth..."

"Then why now, Mel?!"

Tears slid down my cheeks, he really thought I was trying to get his money. I nodded and sniffled a little, then looked at his parents then back at him.

"We've known each other for years, I would think you knew me better then that."

He looked angry that I wasn't more direct with my answer. I looked at the Dean and then to the Rogers, then turned and walked out of the office, I didn't break down until I was in Shay's car and headed back to the house. I screamed out of pure anger, this was the reason I never gave Owen a chance it all always came back to money, and everyone is trying to steal it from them.

Once at the house, Shay helped me inside my little house to find my grandmother packing her bag.

"They fired you ?'

"No, but after I saw the picture, I knew it was time."

Shay sat me down at the small table and I saw the same picture that was plastered every where else, and sobbed. Grandma came and sat next to me. I told her everything and how they had just pulled me in the Deans office, and tried to humiliate me further.

"All of this was staged." said Shay.

"It worked, it got her away from the boy."

I looked at my grandmother and nodded it had worked, Owen now saw me like everyone else, and I wasn't going to fight it, I didn't belong in that world and the more I tried to fit in the more it wants it out of the way. I looked at the bag.

"Where are we going?"

"New York country side."

Answered Mr. and Mrs. Rogers as they walked in.

"You're still willing to help us even after all this?"

"Of course dear, this isn't your fault, but you need to get away from all this, those people will not stop until you are destroyed."

"There's plenty of schools out there."

"And it's closer if I ever plan to visit."

I looked at Shay.

:"What don't look so surprised, I'm going to Europe after my year of college and this way is closer."

I hugged her and cried some more, but then I lead her to my room and took all my clothes and shoes, jewelry, and a few other things, we had everything packed and ready to go. As we got in the truck I looked back and said good bye to my home, and headed to a new beginning.

(Owen's POV)

She just couldn't say it, she couldn't admit to me, why we did end up sleeping together, she must've been hiding something. Then again she was in the spotlight if I had the chance to talk to her before maybe...maybe she would've been able to trick me further.. no, Melissa wasn't like that, but if she really didn't want anything to do with me why did she let us go all the way?

"Damn it!" I was frustrated and confused.

"Son?" I turned when I heard my mother, she had just returned from a tour, but it was only her that cared about our feelings, unlike Father. She always looked beautiful and glowing, but I could feel this time, something was really dulling her shine. She came and sat down at the couch, and patted the couch next to her, and I walked over.

"Why are you still up, you should be asleep?"

"I felt my son's distress, come sit and talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about, Mother I got played plain and simple."

She pursed her lips and looked around the house.

"Sixteen years."

"What?"

"You remember when you first meet, Melissa son?"

"Yes, her and her family had just moved here, she was two and I was six."

"Do you remember what caught your attention of her?"

"She was different, instead of flashing her new shoes or hair ribbons, or whatever she was playing in the dirt and with sticks and all what a normal kid did."

"Sixteen years, my son, and she never asked you for anything, and even when you offered it she never took it, every other woman has dragged you along like some show dog, but Melissa had always helped you keep your head grounded, so if for all those years she's never given you a chance, ask yourself why?"

"the people around me, Father."

"She knows, son, she knows she won't be accepted, but I thought you would've fought to give her a place along side you."

My stomach knotted, I was here judging her for not coming out with her feelings sooner, but I wasn't ready to give her her place either.

"I wasn't man enough to do so."

"You're young my son, still learning, so what are you going to do about it?"

"Go talk to her and let her explain, fight for our relationship."

Mother smiled at me and kissed my cheek, I grabbed my keys and headed to the Rogers' house, it was late but I didn't want to wait. When I got there the house looked lonely and abandoned, the curtains her shut and the lights were all turned off.

I pulled up and went to look at the cottage in the back, there too the lights were off but the door was unlocked, when I walked in there place was completely alone, I looked in the rooms beds empty and closets cleaned out, and on the night stand was a paper, carefully I picked it up and found it was a picture of me, her and Shay. Good bye was written on the bottom and the necklace I got her for her birthday slid out. I picked it up and held it in my hand, as my body burned with anger and sorrow. She was gone and I had lost my chance at making things right.