Melanie was starting to get anxious. She had been in the library and had to keep relatively quiet for all of about ten minutes. Maybe I shouldn't have let her eat all those Reese's Pieces.
"What time is it?" she asked. The clock was right there, so I just looked up and answered. She just started rocking back and forth. "I'm hungry."
"No you're not, we just ate before we left," I said.
"Yes I am," she said. "How do you know if I'm hungry or not?"
I just sat there, looking at her. "Well, your appetite is bigger than you are."
"It is not," she said. "You can't measure appetite anyways."
Kelly just watched all this, absorbing it. I was already more than a little suspicious of her silence when I spoke to Melanie.
"I'm thirsty," Melanie complained again.
"Well..." now I knew I had to do something. I looked around, realizing my only option was to go outside and get her a drink. I didn't feel like leaving Kelly with my backpack, though. I figured she'd probably take off and just leave it there.
"She just never stops, does she?" asked Kelly.
"Oh no, not her!" I laughed. "She's just a little ball of energy!"
At this Melanie started stamping her feet.
"I'm Thumper the Rabbit!" she said.
I put my hand on her head. She just ignored me. I felt so sad, all of a sudden. Like there were decades of horror, all wrapped up in her future. I just ran my fingers through her hair. I forget, then, everything about Kelly. I was practically choked with emotion. I don't think, right then, I've ever loved anybody more.
"I got to go get her something to drink," I told Kelly. "Do you mind?"
"I don't mind," lied Kelly.
I brought her outside, to the corner store. She bought something to drink and something to eat. She wanted a candy bar but I took the time to select something with a lot less sugar than what she wanted. She always went right towards the sweetest foods. I hurried back to Kelly. We found her turning the pages. It seemed to require some effort on Kelly's part for her to turn the pages without bursting out in anger.
"We're back," I said.
"Yes," said Kelly. Melanie started slurping on her drink.
"Must you do that?" asked Kelly.
Melanie was shocked, not knowing what she did wrong.
"Aw, leave the girl alone, Kell," I said.
"I leave her alone when she stops slurping!" Kelly scowled.
"Come on, it's not even annoying," I said. "She's just..."
"I've had it!" Kelly hissed. "There wasn't any point to you bringing her along. She's only a distraction. We haven't gotten any work done since she's been here!"
"We'd get some work done if you tried a little harder to get things going," I complained.
"This has nothing to do with me," Kelly persisted. "How dare you blame me for her disturbing us!"
"Because you can get things going if you want to!" I pointed out. "You just sit there, pretending you're patient, waiting for something to happen. Even if she wasn't here, you can't possibly expect me to get things going!"
"Honestly," she said, calming down but still glowering. "I don't see why you don't try working on this essay a little harder."
"Well, what do you want me to do. Just hand you over my notes? That's kind of hard."
Kelly just went back to writing, pretending not to hear. I shook my head in disbelief.
"Are you mad at me?" asked Melanie to Kelly.
"I'm not mad at you," Kelly said, underscoring the last word.
"You look mad," said Melanie.
"I'm not mad at you," Kelly insisted.
Melanie sat in silence for a moment, then she asked me: "Is Kelly mad at me?"
"How many times do you I have to say it?" hissed Kelly at the girl.
Melanie glowered at Kelly. "See, I knew you were mad at me."
"I wouldn't be mad at you if you just behaved!" snapped Kelly.
"I am behaving," Melanie looked really upset now. Her arms were crossed, her brow was knotted. If she were any bigger I'm sure she would have punched Kelly right in the face!
"Kelly, listen," I said. "I mean it, you've wasted enough of our time. Stop blaming me for it. You're the smart one, and you don't got a little kid to look after."
"I'm not little!" said Melanie.
"But you're still a kid," I said to Melanie, and then I turned my attention to Kelly. "Kelly, listen, I'm doing my best here. Everyone else is in bigger groups. Jason was supposed to help me out with everything, but he just dissappeared. And I don't know what happened to Jessica..."
"Just read out your notes for me," she said, so I sighed, and just read them out plainly for her. All the while, Melanie was listening to me, but she kept her eyes on Kelly. I had seen the way Kelly got mad, but Melanie, no, she was something else. Melanie ate and drank more than any other kid I've ever known, but it seemed like she had some other, powerful third appetite. It wasn't desire for power, adoration, or knowledge she was seeing. It was something sinister, something darker. At her age I still had no idea what kind of flower that seed would yield, but if there was any life in death, she would be the one to nurture it. All I had to do was let it be.
