DISCLAIMER: I do not own the character of Mel and am not afilated with the people of Paramount or Grub Street. I do however own the Characters of Gregory, Mable, parents ect. and am not looking to profit from this story
How delicate is the young heart?
“GGGGGGGGGG”
The age dulled swing made a strange gurgling sound as she swayed softly up and down. It was 1971, and Melinda Karnovsky was 16. “Smelly Melly” as they had called her in grade school, but she was far from that now. Melly was beautiful. Her eyes were large and dark, bottomless orbs that more then one man had fallen into. Her hair was a deep shade of chestnut, which fell below her knees in a cavalcade of waves. But she underdeveloped, with the body of a child. She was short and extremely thin, her legs not shapely but the knobby knees of a twelve-year-old. For this she was always a failure in her fathers eyes. Melly came from a family of Blond haired blue eyed tan skinned perfection, and her dark hair and fair skin had condemned her to be the black sheep of the family.
Yet Melly was not unhappy. She was quick and bright, with intelligence far beyond her years. She was sweet and even-tempered; who never saw the bad in people. To Melly evil did not exist. Melly smiled into the twilight from her position on the swing and smoothed back a stray hair that was flapping in the breeze. Besides, she thought I have on thing that makes me special” Mel blushed prettily and grinned. She was indeed special; she had the love of Gregory.
John Gregory Stevens Jr., who went by his middle name, was the most popular student at John Adams senior high. He came from the most provincial family in town, and was the smartest person in school. Gregory was handsome. He was tall, with hair as dark as a midnight sky and skin as pale and smooth as buttermilk. His eyes were wide and green, and they twinkled when he was happy. His voice was soft and understanding he was the most wonderful boy ever created. And He loved Melly. They had been childhood friends that had grown up together. Though nearly three years her senior, Gregory never made fun of her short stature or spindly legs as the other boys did. He never called her “Smelly Melly” like everyone else when she came to school one day after bathing herself in her mothers toilet water. He never joined in on the rounds of “Prissy Miss Melly why won’t you play” that the other boys and girls used to chant wile circling the frightened Melly on the playground. He was the only friend she’d had.
When she was twelve and he almost 15 they’d become more. Melly smiled at the memory. It had been a hot summer day as they raced through the apple orchard behind her parents summer cottage. Gregory was quick, but Melly was like a streak of lightning between the trees. She’d hid in the shed and tried not to make a sound, but her giggles gave her away. Laughing himself, Gregory had pulled her to the floor to tickle her. When the tickle fest had finished they had both been to exsausted to move, and had lay there in each other arms, and Gregory had stolen a kiss. They’d been inseparable ever since.
Melly sat on her swing, humming to herself. Her father would be so proud when he learned of their engagement. She smoothed her pale green dress down and patted her hair once more as she waited. Last night they had told his family. The Stevens had been surprised but not against it. After all, both were products of good breeding, and it wasn’t uncommon for people in their family to marry young. Mrs. Stevens herself had wed at 14. Melly sighed and looked at her watch. Gregory wasn’t late yet, but she was anxious. She wanted more then anything for her father’s pride… he always said she would never amount to much.
“Never amount to much? I’m going to become a plastic surgeon, and I’ve managed to capture the heart of the most dashing boy at school!!!” she thought wryly to herself.
Melly was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice Gregory coming up the road. She didn’t hear her fathers boisterous
“Hallu Stevens!!!!!!”, nor her mothers cry of
“Melinda dear, Gregory is here!”
Gregory crept stealthily up behind her.
“Good-evening woman-child of mine” He said softly in her ear. Melly jumped but smiled. “Woman-child…” That was Gregory’s pet name for her. Melly turned her dark eyes up to him and he grinned down at her. She looked so beautiful is the soft twilight. Her pale skin made her glow incandescently, and her dark hair blended in with the sky around her. He dutifully kissed her on the cheek, and she didn’t protest when her put her on his lap on the swing and kissed her passionately.
“Hm…” she mumbled her lips against his.
“ I love you, you know.” He said softly, his green eyes twinkling at her. She didn’t have to tell him that she loved him, he already knew, so she answered by wrapping her arms around him and pushing him off the swing onto the ground.
“Melly… hadn’t we go in?” Gregory asked. Melly grinned down at him from her perch upon his chest.
“They can wait a bit….”
Father had approved! Melly smiled inspite of herself, even after the weeks that had passed between their early spring announcement and today, not a day went go by when Melly wasn’t awed by the fact that she had her fathers pride.
“You’ve finally done me proud girly-girl”
He’d whispered in her ear after shaking Gregory’s hand at the news. Melly beamed like a starlet. She noticed again how her diamond and safire engagement ring burst into a rainbow of colors in the light. She absently waved her hand back and forth her eyes taking in the beauty of Gregory’s declaration of love.
“Melly… will you snap out of it?”
Mable westling, the most popular girl at John Adams, and Melly’s self-proclaimed archenemy growled. Melly snapped back to attention and handed Mable a role of streamer paper.
“We are never going to get this gym done in time for tonight’s graduation ceremony if you don’t get your head out of the clouds Miss Melly.
She said haughtily. Melly only smiled sweetly at her. She knew that inside Mable was seething at the fact that Gregory had chosen a 16-year-old misfit over her.. But Melly wasn’t about to show it.
“We are almost done.. Why don’t you go home and get ready for the ceremony?”
She asked tentatively. Lord how she loathed Mable. The blond girl shook her pretty light head until her curls bobbed.
“No indeed! I am not going to leave you hear in charge! Who knows what dreadful things you might let happen!”
She snapped. Melly shrugged.
“Suit yourself” She said kindly. She was convinced that Mable wasn’t really a bad person, she just sometimes did bad things. Melly giggled with the other girls and ignored Mable while decorating the gym. The afternoon was nearly gone when they had finished. Mable lit out quickly with a sniff, and the others smilingly followed. Melly stayed behind and surveyed the gym. It looked so festive and cheerful; Melly could practically hear pomp and circumstance playing, yet she got no joy from it.
Melly was so proud of Gregory. Not only was he senior class president, he would be graduating as valedictorian. Gregory had been offered a scholarship to Oxford University. OXFORD! Melly swelled with pride just thinking about it. He would become a great lawyer, she a plastic surgeon… life would be wonderful. Yet right now, all she felt was a dull ache just thinking about it. After much deliberation they had decided to wait until she had graduated to marry, and Melly was heartbroken at the prospect of spending two long years away from him, and Gregory wasn’t taking it much better. Lately they spent every available moment together, clinging to the time as if it were their last. They knew they had the summer but then… Melly closed her eyes and tried not to think about it. She took a deep breath and tried to make herself feel cheery, for Gregory’s sake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The summer passed far more quickly then Melly and Gregory intended. They spent all their time together; walking in the park, taking long drives through the warm summer twilight…. Sometimes they would lie together, limbs entangled on the beach, their feet in the surf, and say nothing at all. Melly loved being with Gregory. Her young mind didn’t think of physical pleasures, like sex, she only knew she was with her soulmate, and it filled her with happiness.
As the days grew longer, so did Gregory’s melancholy. He knew in his heart that he didn’t want to be a lawyer. He was a poet, a free spirit, and he wanted to write. He longed for Ode’s and sonnets, and from his pen flowed so many wonderful works, Mostly about Melly. She was his muse. An electifing piece of modern beauty, his enchanting woman-child. He often told her that she must be some kind of fairy, and that he must have done some great deed in a former life, since he was so blessed as to be loved by her in this one. Melly would giggle and wriggle into his arms, turning up her face for a kiss, and Gregory would swallow the words that he knew would crush her dreams, of a secure life, him a lawyer, her a surgeon.. And that comfortable civil life. She would never know how he yearned to travel to Paris, Rome…
And then there was that last day. Gregory and Melly both were moody, but tried to hide it from each other. Melly was unusually pale and drawn but the silence that stretched between them was not uncomfortable. They both knew that a good-bye was near, but both dreaded to say it. The day was spent pleasantly enough, they picnicked in his fathers vineyard, went shell hunting in the low tides, walked hand and hand throughout the apple orchards…. Gregory Nibbled on Melly’s ear as he led her to his father’s open-air summerhouse. For the first time that day he wore a genuine smile. He took her hand and they watched the sunset over the ocean. Melly sighed and leaned her head against Gregory’s broad chest. Life was so perfect. They watched the sky as it turned it’s pink and greens, they stood together, like a statue until a hushed twilight fell over the sky. Melly finally moved.
“I guess…..I guess….It’s time to go.” She said, her voice choked with tears. Gregory shook his head.
“Not yet” He said softly, voice full of emotion. We’ve got tonight yet.”
“Oh…!” Melly giggled in delight.
The entire summerhouse was one big candle! She was wowed. The entire house was illuminated by the soft and intimate glow of dozens of candles everywhere.
“It’s beautiful!” She breathed in awe.
“Well I wanted our last night together to be special” Gregory said softly, leading her to the Den. Spread out upon the pool table was a lavish feast. Chocolate dipped strawberries.. Oranges, and puddings, two bottles of champagne chilled in the corner, and there were flowers everywhere.
“You’ve really outdone yourself” Melly sighed.
The hours pass with exquisite slowness, as if the night was frozen in time. Gregory hand fed her until they could eat no more. Melly had never been fed before, and it was quiet the intoxicating experience. Gregory then swept her up in his arms, and they danced and danced until Melly was weak with not only exhaustion, but a strange excitement. Something was happening. She didn’t know what, but her body was reacting to Gregory in a way that it had never done before.
They sat together on the sofa and Gregory slid his arms around her as they kissed. It was a kiss like no other. Long a passionately deep. It was searching, and like a prelude to something…. Melly gasp as Gregory’s lips left hers and began traveling down her slender neck and his fingers began undoing the clasp at the back of her dress.
“Gregory…”
she began, but Gregory stopped her by putting his finer to her lips.
“Two years Melly… can you live without me for two years without me? I know I can’t survive that long without you.”
“But..”
Melly’s mind was reeling, Sex…
“Don’t think” Gregory whispered softly. “Just feel. How does this feel?”
Melly searched Gregory green eyes darkened with passion and shining with a deep, pure love and she knew what to do.
“It feels…right.”
She whispered to him. Gregory beamed at her and gently pushed her down onto the bearskin rug before the roaring fire. Melly closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensation………………
It was dark when she woke, all the candles had been snuffed out, and the only light came from the fire, and it flickered over the room. She was alone. Melly pulled the blanket up over her bear shoulder in a moment of panic.
“Gregory?….”
“Morning Love”
His voice came from the corner of the couch. He was sitting there watching. Melly reached her arms out to him and he sat himself beside her.
“How do you feel?” He asked softly. She smiled drowsily at him and was about to tell him she was fine, but winced.
“I feel.. Sore.” She said. Gregory smiled.
“You usually do the first time… here I know just how to fix that, be back in a few. Gregory sauntered over to the bathroom and Melly could hear him running water. In a few moments he was back and he gathered her in his arms. Melly was amused by the fact that she should feel scandalized him seeing her naked, but she didn’t. Gregory had drawn her the bath.
Melly sighed as she slid into the warm water.
“Ah…”
and Gregory smiled.
“Does that fell better?”
“Oh YES….”
Melly said, marveling at how the tension ran from her body. She closed her eyes as Gregory began gently scrubbing her back, while nibbling on her neck. There was sadness in his silence, and she wondered about it.
Gregory?”
“Hm?”
Melly slid a slick hand across his cheek.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh…..You know… leaving.. I…”
Melly was jolted into realization. He was LEAVING today. For two long years….
“Two years isn’t so bad Gregory, we can see each other on vacations, talk on the phone.. Write romantic letters…”
“It will be hell.”
“Yes… but we can do it.” Melly said firmly. Gregory looked into her eyes with such sadness that it broke her heart.
“Oh Gregory…”
In an instant Gregory had stripped and climbed into the tub beneath her.
“Sh…. Everything’s going to be ok.”
He whispered as she laid her head on his bare chest.
“It’s going to be all right….”
They stealthy crept up the wall to her bedroom, trying hard not to giggle.
“Dad is going to kill me when he finds out!” Melly whispered and Gregory chuckled. He carried her to her bed and then tossed her a nightgown. Melly didn’t hesitate to undress, again not afraid to be naked with him. Gregory sat on the edge of her bed and tucked her in. He was very pale in the moonlight.
“I love you my woman-child,” He said again.
“I love you to my Gregory.” He started.
“You know I don’t think you’ve ever told me that.”
“Didn’t you know that I did?” Melly bit down on her lip.
“Of course I did” He said smoothing back her hair.
“But it’s nice to hear you say it.” Melly sat up and wrapped her arms around him.
“I love you I love you I love you!”
Gregory lay down with her, his head resting on her bosom. They didn’t say anything and they didn’t have to. They were just so happy to be together. There was something ominous and dark hanging in the air, but they tried to pretend everything was fine.
After what seemed like forever Gregory sat up. The room was beginning to lighten, faint wisps of the pink sunrise visible. Gregory sat up and realized Melly was asleep.
“I love you” He whispered kissing her softly on the lips.
He knew this wasn’t the goodbye, she’d be there at the airport when he left. Two years… suddenly it didn’t seem so bad, as long as they were together. Gregory heard noises downstairs and jumped up. The last thing he needed was to be caught in her room….. He slipped out the window and began climbing down the wall. It was slick from the morning dew, so he went slowly……………
Melly was awakened but a loud THUD.
“What the…..”
“OH MY GOD!” She heard her mother’s voice scream. Melly jumped from her bed and ran to the window.. What was going on…
“GREGORY!!!!!!!” ……..
END OF PART ONE
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