Melody

"Do you have four of spades?" I asked her while clutching my three cards desperately in my hands.

She didn't respond.

I let out an annoyed sigh, "Anna, you have to say 'Go fish' or put it down."

It seems like I've explained the rules to her over a hundred times and she still refuses to play. I'm starting to wonder if I bashed her head in a little too hard and flattened her brain.

"Please," I begged her, "Just either play along or say you don't want to. You need to learn to communicate."

She flicked her 7 cards at me, brought her trembling hands down to the big wheels, rolled herself away from the table and headed over to the moving picture box. I looked up at the ceiling, feeling exasperated by her unnecessary defiance.

I set my cards down on the deck and did the same with hers before putting them neatly in the box. I don't know why, but I've always been a neat freak. Being the little "weird girl" with all of her things in order alphabetically and color coordinated made me a target.

*Two years ago*

I was sitting in the grass during recess, organizing my pencils and drawings, when out of nowhere someone yelled out.

"Melody!"

I looked up and locked eyes with the female leader of a small posse of kids. Her dirty blonde hair was in two pigtails and her emerald green eyes peered into my soul. They stood there holding dodge balls and staring at me deviously. I looked around the play yard and frowned when I noticed that no one else was around to help me.

I already knew exactly what they were going to do before they even did it, so it didn't come as a surprise to me when they launched the balls at me with full force and speed, knocking off my big, black glasses.

As I lie there on my left side with my right hand over my closed up left eye and my left arm being squished by my frail body, she ran over and kicked my stuff.

Before they walked off, she squatted down to meet my eyes, "Go get your stuff, freak."

*Present day*

And if you think that it ended when I left the 7th grade, then you're wrong. In fact, I think the reason why my parents dumped me here was because I defended myself against some ruthless, disgusting excuses for humans. After I sought revenge, I vowed to never speak of it again.

I made my way over to her after putting the cards back on the shelf near the window. She sat there with a blank expression either watching "Toby the pup" or letting it watch her.

"Anna?" I spoke in a soft voice, making her look up at me. I could see the hurt in her eyes and I felt it transferring to me.

Seeing her fading away that night made me angry--sad. I've always listened to Betty and all it's ever gotten me was in deep shit.

"I'm sorry," I sincerely apologized, "For everything. I know what I did was wrong and I'm finally accepting the fact that it was my doing and not Betty's. Sure, she tempted me, but I let her. I hurt you and I have to figure out a way to make it right instead of trying to distract you from your pain and anger."

She stared at me in a way that made me think that she was trying to read me, to see if my apology was from the heart, which it was.

"I love you," I spoke with tears burning my eyes, "I knew when we first met that I would. You're the little sister that I've always wanted."

She slowly looked away and stared at the moving picture box. I glanced at it and sighed. I could never understand the hype surrounding that particular cartoon. The week before I was brought here, my brothers would watch "Flip the frog." Another cartoon that I didn't get.

*March 27, 1930*

Me, my parents and my brothers, Frederick, John and George all lived in a two bedroom, one bathroom house. Having to sleep in the same room as boys wasn't easy, especially when my menstruation began.

My brothers had their own single beds, same as me, except they had one half of the room and I owned the other. The MPB was on their side, which caused many issues, because one: It was supposed to be on the line separating our sides, and two: They'd never let me cross the line.

I slept in the fetal position facing them and was awoken by sound effects filling the enclosed room. I opened my eyes and stared confusedly at the three, blurry objects sitting in front of the moving picture box.

Laughter erupted, followed by incoherent talking. I sat up on my right forearm and watched them. The only illumination keeping the dim room from being pitch black, was that which came from the window above George's bed and what streamed from the MPB.

"Damn," I recognized Frederick's gruff voice mutter, "Better than Maggy, she is."

George and John agreed with him. I rubbed my eyes after they were able to decipher what was around the room.

"Fred?" I spoke in a small, groggy voice.

They quickly turned the dial until the volume was completely down and shot me equally nervous looks. Looks that they'd give me when they begged me not to tell mommy or daddy that they were out late at night.

"How long were you up?" George asked me.

"I woke up just now, because the moving picture box was up too high."

Frederick sighed, "Alright, well go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy. I wanna watch too."

"Damn it, Melody, go back to sleep!" John hollered, making my frail body tremble.

"What's all that noise?" my daddy called out.

Silence fell over our room and he asked again.

"Nothing, dad." Frederick said in response, "John was just having a nightmare."

"Well cut it out and go to sleep!"

"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.

Frederick stood up and walked in my direction. He spoke in a soft, whispered tone, "Go back to sleep, Mel."

He laid me down gently and pulled the thin blanket over me, covering my torso all the way down to my toes. He smiled at me, then pecked my forehead and as I shut my eyes, I could hear him walking away.

*Present day*

"Anna, we need to stick together if we're gonna leave."

I could see her honey eyes welling up with tears and them falling soon after.

"Wash time!" one of the female orderlies suddenly announced.

"About time." I mumbled.

I pushed her in her chair to the chubby lady who stood in front of the double doors.