• Melody •

I just finished up my studio session with another new song.

Energy.

This song had so much emotion behind it after my last encounter with Shang.

Him out of all people was the one that I would have never thought would do this to me.

Betrayed me?, why?

I would have given him the last dollar to my name if I had it, the shirt off my back if he could fit it but what he do in return....

Cheats on me.

I had no regrets for any damages that Ive might had done last night, not even kicking him in the balls.

As I sat curled up on the sofa in my brothers basement I pressed ignore for the hundredth time whenever I saw his name pop across my screen.

" knock, knock"

Looking up and towards the door it was autumn and she came with food.

" I come in peace" she whisper with a sad puppy dog look.

Pulling the blankets up over me a little more, I peak over just to see what kind of food she had.

" If your wondering what's inside the box I got us both some maple bacon donuts."

I frown my face as I wasn't up for anything sweet.

My body was already in pain as it is, so adding more unnecessary sugar to it was not a great idea.

" autumn i don't think donuts is what I need right now. I'm just so angry as to why he would do this to me"

Hitting my bruised hand on the arm of the sofa I lifted back up with a hiss exiting from my lips.

" easy there mel you was just in a pretty big fight last night" autumn reminded me

Rolling my eyes as the thoughts replayed in my mind I reach over to grab one of those donuts after all.

" so have he tried apologizing to you yet?"

" yes, but im not even interested in anything that he has to tell me, in fact I should just delete his number all together and just be done with it" i contemplated.

Autumn was about to tell me something before my phone started to go off again.

" not even picking it up or paying it any mind I just let the call go straight to voicemail.

Not even five seconds later the phone started to go off again, this time autumn took a look at it.

" uh... Mel I think you should pick this call up"

" for what" I said as I grab the phone.

Noticing that it was cooper I was kinda taken by surprise since he was at work.

" why is cooper calling me like this?" I asked

Autumn shrugged her shoulders " I don't know but answer it"

Doing just that I place the phone up to my ears.

" hello?"

"Hey mel, where you at?"

I furrow my brows in worry as my brother don't normally ask me where I was located.

" um where I've been for the past night in the studio pouring my broken heart out why?, what's going on? I thought you was at the gym"'

" yeah I was until I received a call from the hospital"'

" come on cooper what's wrong? are you okay?"

He paused again as a loud exhale swept through the phone.

" im fine, but it's mama"

" let me guess she had too much to drink again and pass out in the street somewhere?"

" no"

" then what cooper" i said now irritated as I slap my thighs with my hands.

" she's dead melody. Mama passed away this morning"

I knew that I heard him correctly, but it didn't hit me until I heard the soft cries that pierced through the phone as it remain to my ear.

Cooper was the only sibling who forgiven our mother for what she have done during our childhood days.

On the other hand with me, I couldn't do it.

It was just to much to bare or try to just push to the back of my mind, and make amends as if everything would have been okay and deep down i knew it wouldn't have been.

"Where do they have her now?" I said with a more softer tone.

" she's being held at the hospital you use to work at, I'm already here to just do a proper identification but if you like to meet me here then..."

" uh yeah sure, just let me get my jacket"

" alright I'll seen you soon"

" okay bye"

- called ended -

Placing the phone back on the sofa, autumn looked over at me with the concern look

" what's the matter?"

Still emotionless I glance to face her.

" it's my mother. She passed away this morning" I utter

Autumn face went from concern to distraught really fast as she drop the boxes of donuts on the table.

" coop wants to meet at the hospital to Discuss further preparation for her."

" then why are we still sitting on our ass let's go melody"

Not even wanting to get up I felt myself getting pulled from off the couch and towards the steps, and up to the home.

Seeing the one person that let me down for my whole life now no longer here with us was going to be a hard pill to swallow.

Maybe I would've have forgiven her

one day.

• Maxine Tatum funeral •

I pounce my leg up and down in the church as my nerves was shot through the roof.

My fingers was sweaty, from the amount of lotion that I constantly kept pumping into my hands.

It gave me something to do that would have kept my mind off the reality that was about to sink in.

The more the clock tic, the more I felt as if I would have passed out.

Good thing my best friend was here with me during this difficult time.

" hey, you seen cooper?" I whisper as I could hear the doors getting locked as the service was about to begin.

She glance around but then shook her head.

" no not yet, wait yes i do but..."

" but what?" I shot back with my eyes now in her view.

" I'm not sure who he is walking with" she pointed

Frowning my face as I was now confuse as to what she was babbling about, i turn my neck to look for myself.

My mouth open and a gasp soon followed when my eyes focused in on who he was walking beside.

They both was now making their way to the front where I and autumn was already seated at.

" do you know who that women is?" Autumn questions

" yeah, thats our older sister Ashanti"

" what? Wait I didn't know you both had a older sister. cooper never mention a sister to me before" she was perplexed.

" that's because she left us alone to fight with our own problems why she left and never thought twice about it

They both was now seated, and after a few minutes of settling in Ashanti turn her neck in my direction.

"'It's nice to finally see you again sister" she spoke.

" sister? Aha please you don't belong here"'I snap

" I have just as much rights to be here just as you do, she was my mother too"

" could have fooled me"

"Excuse me?" She said with a hint of attitude that I detected.

I didn't even speak again. instead I just looked away as the preacher was now beginning the service.

2 hours later......

Everyone was now at the gravesite where our mother was going to be put to rest.

I was trying so hard to be the bravest one, but when I saw how hurt cooper was a tear and I mean a small tear trickled down my cheek.

Then it went away.

The feeling of being sadden by my mother departure didn't move me.

Do that make me a bad person?

As the Singing from the choir began I silently slip my phone from out of my pocket when I took notice of a message from Shang.

Well since I wasn't about to answer his calls I guess I'll just see what the text could be about.

Asshole🤬: hey I hope your morning isn't going to rough, autumn informed me that your mother passed away yesterday. I'm sorry to hear that.

I just want you to know that I understand what it feels like to lose your mom.

Anyway I wont hold you long, but melody I really am truly sorry, and I'm missing you like crazy, so please forgive me, and come back home

Now furious at the fact that autumn went behind my back and told Shang about my mother had me boiling.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I storm over her way before pushing her with my hands in her back.

She tumble forward before looking back in confusion.

" wha... Melody what the hell?" She said lifting her hands

" why did you tell Shang about my mothers death?"

She was now choked up before pulling me away from everyone.

" listen I wasn't trying to upset you I... I just felt like maybe he should have known considering that he's been through this type of situation"

" they wasn't your call to make autumn. It wasn't Shang business of what happen in my personal life we are no longer together"

Not even being able to finish grilling autumn for her actions, a light tap on my shoulder broke the conversation.

Turning around, it's was Ashanti just a couple inches away from me.

" what do you want?" I snapped.

" to talk, and to catch up on the life that I miss out on with my baby sister is that to much to ask?"

I started laughing as i was now catching the attention from other family members.

Not even thinking twice about my reaction I continued to laugh in her face.

" your another person that I wish never came here. You want to now play the victim like mama did when she wanted to finally apologize for her stupid mistakes. No I won't let you back into my life"

" melody I didn't know what to do back then. Daddy would have did things to me and much worse then what he did to you"

" SO ASHANTI!!, so you thought just leaving me to deal with his drunk nights was okay? No you thought oh melody is to young to know what would be going on if daddy did what he done to me. Huh? Is that what it was?"

" Mel..."

" your just like them, both of our parents. You don't give a damn about nobody but yourself"

I knew everyone was now watching the both of us go back and forth and it felt good to finally get that little bit from off of my chest.

My body continued to ache in pain, but I tried to push through it as I stormed off leaving everything and anyone behind in the distance.

I no longer wanted to be apart of this service anymore so I decided to voluntarily leave.

I could hear cooper calling out my name, but I continue to walk and stomp my heels through the grass.

Just when I thought that my life couldn't have gotten any worst.

It did.

• Pic of Ashanti •