Chapter 2
Immediately, she adopted this pitiful, aggrieved expression and hid behind Raphael.
But he tugged her back out.
"Stand tall—you're every bit as good as anyone."
Only then did Elise lift her gaze to meet mine, her voice soft and wispy.
"Melba, mind if I call you that?"
Before I could respond, she checked her watch and added, with an innocent tone laced with reproach, "We've been waiting nearly an hour—we were starting to think you bailed. Girls always have a ton to pack for trips, right? Not me; one little suitcase does the trick."
I forced a tight smile.
"Yeah, unlike certain people who get roped in last-second and don't have much to prepare anyway."
Elise's face drained of color, her eyes turning red-rimmed.
Raphael scowled.
"Melba, do you have to be so cutting? What has Elise done to deserve this?"
My face hardened. "Right, everyone's wrong except her. I just want to know—what's she doing here?"
"I..." Raphael faltered, then plunged ahead, pulling a ticket from his pocket.
"Why shouldn't she be? I spent my entire allowance—paid ten times the going rate to buy this off someone! Satisfied now?"
He barreled on.
"But it's an aisle seat. Melba, if you hadn't insisted on today... never mind, skip the apology. Just trade spots with Elise. She's never flown and wants a window view."
I was so angry I nearly laughed.
"Darnell has a window seat too—why not ask him?"
Darnell nodded vigorously.
But Elise plucked at Raphael's sleeve, her eyes full of needy reliance.
"It's okay, Raphael—any seat's fine... It's my first flight, though, and I'm kinda scared. If possible, I'd feel safer next to you."
Raphael softened instantly.
"Melba, aren't you being a little over-the-top?
"Let it go—just this once. Next time and every time after, I'll be glued to your side, okay?"
That snapped my last thread of patience.
I fished my ticket from my bag and flung it at his chest.
"Then you two enjoy sitting together!
"I'm done!"
I whirled around and marched off, tears pricking at my eyes, but I forced them back.
From behind came Raphael's stunned, enraged yells, mingled with Elise's weepy attempts to soothe him.
Curtis and Darnell hurried after me.
"Melba, don't go!" Darnell panted, sweating profusely in his urgency.
"Raphael's an idiot, but we're not like that."
Curtis added, "If you don't feel like going to Esavale, screw it. Name the place, and we'll come with you."
In the end, we went nowhere.
Raphael, meanwhile, boarded the plane with Elise.
Soon after, he updated his social media with a photo from the flight.
Elise by the window, staring tearfully at the layered waves of clouds.
Caption: [The strongest, most sensible girl, taking to the skies for the first time. Some beauties are worth sharing.]
Calls from Curtis and Darnell lit up my phone simultaneously.
"That idiot! I'm gonna beat his ass!"
"Melba, steer clear of social media—it'll just piss you off!"
I hung up, staring downward; the blue sky and white clouds outside felt glaringly harsh.
That summer, I didn't see Raphael at all.
Curtis, Darnell, and I breezed through our driving tests.
The university wasn't too far from home, so we'd planned to drive there together for move-in day.
But when I came downstairs, there was Elise.
Raphael and Curtis were standing on either side of her, while Darnell was pulling a pink suitcase.
The second our eyes locked, he dropped it like a hot potato.
I spun around and stormed off.
Darnell chased after me.
"Melba, what's the matter?"
He jumped in front of me, his face full of panic.
"Melba, listen—"
"When we got here, Raphael had already shown up with Elise. Classes kick off tomorrow; it's way too late to rearrange anything now.
"Being late for orientation isn't ideal... Just act like they're invisible during the drive, yeah?
"Come on, for me? Don't stay pissed."
He fluttered his eyelashes and tugged at my arm.
Eventually, I headed back.
My eyes fell on Raphael's familiar SUV.
Through the open window, I could tell the passenger seat had gotten a complete makeover.
The "Melba's Seat" sticker he'd slapped on was history, swapped for a cartoon of some pretty anime girl.