More Than Anything Read Online Free PDF

then he moves for me. He’s surprisingly fast for his size. I step back just as he’s winding up to slap me, and then Melody’s voice from behind him stops him right as he begins to swing.
    “Hit her and it’s not just your word against hers. I’m a witness,” Melody says, her tone flat.
    Ralph spins, furious. “Get out of here, bitch.”
    “Sure thing, tough guy. With my friend. You going to step aside, or should I yell for help?”
    I can see Ralph calculating: what are the odds he can shut Melody up and get away with hitting me? It’s not a good bet, though, and I know the moment’s passed when his shoulders relax. He steps back, and I rush past him, trying to avoid any contact. At the last second, he lashes out and grabs my arm, squeezing so hard I almost faint.
    “I catch you alone, we’ll finish this, you little bitch. Take that to the bank,” he snarls in my ear and then releases me. I don’t give him the pleasure of seeing the pain in my eyes.
    “Maybe I’ll tell my dad what you did, so you and he can discuss it. He’s downstairs. Want to guess how many pieces he breaks you into before they can pull him off?”
    I don’t wait for his response, and I feel like an asshole for resorting to the ‘My dad will kick your ass’ defense. I’m twelve years old again and scared of the man only a few feet away from me, who doesn’t care about anything but imposing his will on me and punishing me for being alive.
    I swore when I ran away I’d never let myself feel that way ever again. Two days in Clear Lake, and it’s like nothing’s changed.
    A tear streaks down my cheek as Melody and I walk to the elevators, but I don’t sob. I won’t allow myself that. Melody seems to sense the internal struggle going on, and for once she doesn’t say anything. We wait in silence for the elevator. When the steel slabs slide open with a hiss, we step in at the same time, and she punches the lobby button.
    “If I ever see that guy again, I’m going to kick his tiny balls around his neck,” she says conversationally. “What a total douche.”
    “He is, isn’t he?” I agree. “But don’t say anything in front of my dad. I don’t want him to get into any trouble. Even though it would be worth it to watch him snap Ralph into matchsticks.”
    “I won’t. Promise. But he’s lucky I didn’t have a lead pipe in my hand, because this chica would have gone ape on him.”
    “He’s not worth it. Just another lowlife in a town full of them.”
    “I don’t know. It doesn’t look so bad to me.”
    “Your impression’s probably been colored by your two boys in uniform.”
    “That and the breakfast place. As far as I can see, if a car mowed Ralph down, this would be a nice place to live.”
    “Maybe so. But it’s too hard for me to get past the Ralph part. I can’t see anything past that now.”
    “I can understand why.” She pauses. “Did he hurt you? Just now?”
    I shrug. “How can you tell?”
    “All the color drained out of your face. Either Derek’s ghost appeared to you in a vision, or he was doing his best to hurt you.”
    “My leather jacket stopped the worst of it.”
    The door opens, and we move through the lobby, every male eye on Melody as we approach the entrance. My dad’s in the Festiva, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the paper. He looks up as we near and smiles.
    “Did you get a chance to say your goodbyes?”
    “Sort of. She doesn’t seem to care what I say or what happens to me.”
    “It’s the alcohol, Sage. She wasn’t always like that.”
    “I know, Dad. But it’s hard to see her like this.”
    He nods. “She’s still got a chance to turn it around.”
    I look at him hard. I can tell he’s being positive for my sake, and for some reason, it makes me angry. “Do you think she will? Really?”
    He turns away, unable to meet my eyes. “I don’t know the future. Nobody does. I just try to do the best I can, and let everyone else work their own plot.”
    We climb into