Fragile Little Pieces

    As she sat there, concentrating, she dug the needle just a tad bit deeper than was necessary. Every time she picked  the needle up, the whole world went away. She loved the rush it gave her, she loved the power. She was in control.  She had lost count on how many times she picked the needle up.. When you held it in your hands  the needle was not just a needle it was a way of escape. She loved the-  "OOOOOOOOOWWWWWW DAMMIT Mel, Stop digging in my skin so hard. I want to be tattooed not tortured."  Mel had to admit she had went a little deep, not on purpose, she was just lost in thought.                             Melainya had been walking for what felt like hours. Her small hello kitty shoes caked with dirt, holes  showing her mix matched socks, and the soles of her shoes worn so that every time she took a step they flip flopped in delayed unison. She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing all she knew was, that she was starving. Her  stomach was pleading to have something, anything at this point. Her nanna had some change lying on the kitchen  table, Melainya knew that there was five dimes two nickels a quarter and seven pennies, but she couldn't add very  well. She had just turned six and figured you didn't know these things until you were a little older. Thinking of her  nanna she wondered when she would wake up she had been sleeping for so long now. Hunger reverted her thoughts to  moment at hand, food.  She saw a convenience mart and decided to walk in, she must have enough for something.  As she walked in she saw there we a few people scattered here and there and that they were staring at her. She didn't  understand nor did she care because in that moment she only saw one thing: Food. Melainya darted straight for the  isle that had chips. She wasted no time in finding the cheese curls. She picked them up and held them to her chest  like it was a treasure, well it was.  She walked to the counter, set the chips down, and propped herself on her tippy  toes. The man at the register rang them up.  "That'll be sixty seven cents", he said to her gruffly.  She pulled out her money dropping two pennies as she laid the change on the counter. She picked the pennies up, "Is  these enough?", she asked. She prayed it was. Her stomach did too.  The man nodded his head. "Want your change?", he asked in a clipped tone.  She thought for a second and then asked, " Can I buy something else with it?"  He shook his head no, so she mimicked him. To the task at hand, she thought, time for food. There had been  someone standing behind her, a man who looked like he was young.  He had patiently waited for her finish and then asked, "You gonna get thirsty from the dried chips?"     "I don't know, I am just so hungry, I  don't care." She replied.  "You ain't ate today?", he asked.  "If I did I wouldn't be hungry", she answered.    To himself he replied, "Desteptule." In Romanian it meant smart ass. The words he heard next shocked the s**t out of  him.  The little girl replied, "Thats a bad word."  Giving an expression of amazement he asked," You know what that means?"  "Yes", she replied.     The man seemed floored. Eventually with the help of another bag of chips, a candy bar, and a soda the man now  knew her parents were gone, Melainya stayed with her nanna and that her mom and nanna were both Romanian.  She in turn found out the mans name was Serghei. He asked her why she was alone and she told him her nanna must  be tired because she had been sleeping for two days.                Mel's mind snapped back into present day, when she heard her cell phone go off. The caller ID read SAM. She  answered. "I'm on the way finishing up with a client." "Mel we are starving, poor Charlie is pouring sugar on the lemon wedges and downing them." Sam said. Mel mocked him silently by opening and closing her hand as though it was talking. "I'm on the way just-" Sam interrupted her, "Before you say Just order without me you already know-" It was Mel's turn to interrupt, "I know I know not one without the other.  I'm walking out now could you please give  me two minutes?" She heard him snicker through the phone, "Anything for you, baby duck."     Mel hung up the phone. After seeing her client out she told one of the employees  she was  heading to lunch. Mel put on her oversized sweatshirt and headed out. It was a short walk to Sam's restaurant  about a block and a half from the shop. The day was cool and crisp so the shirt would suffice. Mel Normally dressed  modestly, most of the time. She was self conscious about her figure. She was short with a plump build. She hated it. She always had trouble with her weight. She was a size 8 now but a year ago she was a size 16. She had lost sixty eight pounds. She was working on herself. At 23 years old she was so sick of being her weight and decided it  was time to change. Now, at 24, she liked her progress but still dressed as she always had. Sam hated it. He told her  she was beautiful and was unhappy that she felt insecure about her weight and her looks. He told her she was perfect  the way she was. He was a pretty good big brother. Too good sometimes, she felt bad lying to him about how she was  losing so much weight.    "Mel," he would say, "you sure you are okay? You are losing so much weight so fast. I want to make sure you are healthy." She would fake a smile and say, "Of course Sam, that's just how this diet works." He would raise an eyebrow and look at her pointedly, "Melainya, baby duck, are you sure." She would copy his mannerism and reply, "Serghei, brother, why wouldn't I be?"                       Mel finally reached Sam's restaurant. Despite the place being a cover for her brothers organization it had  pretty decent food, not that she ever let herself eat much anymore. As she walked in she saw an unfamiliar face. Sam   hired a new waitress. She was beautiful. She had a small frame and long blonde hair. Her makeup was  impeccable and her shirt was so low her chest was practically spilling over. Ah, she thought, this is a new conquest  for either my brother or Charlie. She mentally shook her head. Mel began walking past the worker to where her  brother and Charlie were sitting. The waitress who had been chatting with the hostess stopped her.      "Excuse me," she said to Mel, "Honey you have to wait to be seated." She then pursed her lips and crossed her arms.     The hostess started to speak, presumably telling her just who Mel was but Mel silently shook her head and gave  her a small smile. "Ah, yes of course I'm so sorry I am meeting my brother here. He should already be seated."     The waitress sighed, "Lily if she is going to a table that's already sat I'll just take her and go ahead and get her  drink order."      Lily nodded stifling a grin, "Oh yes, of course. Please do." She could not wait to see the look on blondie's face.     Blondie faced Mel directly, "This restaurant is a bit pricey but I am sure we have some lunch specials you may  find affordable." Behind blondie Mel could see Lily about to howl with laughter. Mel shook her head quickly and Lily maintained composure. Blondie turned to Lily who waved her hand as if to say please continue.     Mel cleared her throat, "Aah, okay yes, thank you.." Mel turned and let the waitress lead the way.  Once they reached the middle of the restaurant the waitress stopped and asked, "So where is your brother?"          As if on cue Sam looked up from his round booth threw his hand up. Mel was about to walk over when Blondie shot her a glance and said, "Hang on that's the owner you can go find your brother, I think he wants me over there." The waitress began to walk toward Sam as Mel just stood there trying not to laugh out loud. She watch the waitress   walk over to her brothers table with an extra swing in her hips. The closer she walked toward Sam the more his face began to twist as though he was confused on why the right girl was staying and the wrong girl was going. Mel shook her head and followed behind the waitress with an extra switch in her hips as well. Sam started to smile.     "Did you wanna see me sir?" Blondie asked Sam. Mel walked from behind her and slid in the booth. Sam ignored her question for a moment as he greeted his sister.      "Baby duck, we are starving it took you long enough." The realization on the waitress' face when Mel slid in the booth was priceless.     Mel chuckled and poked out her lip in mock sadness. "Well let's eat then, Charlie how was your lemon slices?"             Charlie who had been sitting by her brother talking quietly as she arrived looked at her and slowly began to  smile. Mel practically melted internally. He was handsome in the same way a wild animal was. They look beautiful  but dangerous. She looked into his eyes for just a moment and almost got lost in the storm of grey staring back at her. She quickly looked away.           "I think we both know Sam exaggerated a little," Charlie said simply as his smile slowly dissipated. With the  smile gone he looked like the warrior she knew he could be. Charlie rubbed his hand through his thick beard quickly  and sat up straight.          Sam nudged him with his elbow and cracked a smile. "Alright, let's order."  Sam turned his attention to the  waitress. "Hey Amber, this is my baby sister Mel and we are FINALLY ready to order."         Sam and Charlie both ordered a steak and sides. When it was Mel's turn to ordered she was tempted to ask the  waitress the specials of the day but just decided on a simple Caesar salad.                 The food came and Sam and Charlie finished their meals while Mel just tossed around the lettuce on her plate. Sam looked down at her plate, "Melainya, you have hardly touched your salad." Sam only called her by her full name when he was using his big-brother protector bit.      "Serghei," she quipped back, "I am a big girl, I know how much I have eaten." "Baby duck I know you are dieting but please try and finish this meal with me," Sam pleaded.     It wasn't that the salad was not delicious, quite the opposite she wanted to eat every bite. Hell, she really wanted some steak if she were being honest but she couldn't bring herself to eat in fear of becoming what she  once was. She never wanted to be that big again. Her whole life revolved around calorie intake and making sure the scale never went up. She had resorted to eating as little as possible and if for some reason she felt she  had overdone it she would just purge herself as quickly as she could. Deep down she new this disorder was getting out of hand but she kept telling herself once she reached her goal weight she would stop. She hoped she wasn't  starting to lie to herself.      She plunged the fork into the green leaves stabbing a big mound and  promptly shoved them in her mouth. She looked at Sam and smiled with a leafy grin. "Vă mulțumesc," he thanked her. As she finally finished her meal  Charlie, Sam, and Mel chatted about nothing in particular. This was their twice a week routine and Mel loved it.  Once Mel finished the last bite of her food she excused herself to use the restroom. She grabbed her purse and walked  from the table. "Charlie, does Mel look okay to you?" Sam asked with a look of genuine concern in his eyes.     "Looks fine to me," Charlie answered. Sam continues, "She looks tired Charlie. I am worried about her."  "It's probably just the late nights at the studio Sam, Mel practically lives there." Sam thinks for a moment, "I don't know Charlie, maybe but can you help me keep an eye on her?"     "Absolutely Sam," Charlie said. At that moment Mel's phone rang from the seat of booth. Sam picked it up. The caller ID read Ragan and Sam let out a loud snort, "This jerkoff," he quipped and hit the silence button on the side of Mel's phone. "I don't particularly care for the guy. He is very demanding, I know he is, I see it in his face. I mean he has never been an asshole directly but I notice he likes trying to control Mel." Sam ran his hand above his slicked back light brown hair and frowned. "Something don't sit right. Mel says he has PTSD from war. He's odd. He calls a couple times whenever we are together and makes excuses about needing to see her. She told me she is thi- nking of breaking it off with him. She said it a couple times but hasn't done it,  says she is waiting for the right time but I'm not so sure she isn't afraid of him. You know Mel doesn't like being told what to do she never has. I don't see this lasting much longer. This guy though, Ragan, he seems like a closet nut job. I am worried Charlie."     Charlie seemed to clench his jaw and relax it very quickly and sniff. Mel was right, he was beautiful but dangerous. As he quickly ran his hand through his beard again, his biceps strained the hem of his short sleeve white shirt. His  arms were massive and covered in ink from his wrists to his shoulders. He flared his nostrils and then said,  "I  promise you that if he ever touches Mel I'll rip his throat out where he stands." Charlie then patted Sam as he slid  from the booth to use the bathroom.                                                                         Charlie's POV:       Sam is yakking my ear off about business. The usual like who is behind on loan payments, what the club needs  for this upcoming weekend, organizing drops, and so on. In walks Mel through the restaurant doors and suddenly I ain't listening to Sam no more. I love Sam he's like my brother. I would do anything for the guy. He helped  me when I wasn't in a good place in my teenage years and I owe him for saving my ass. I would never want to betray Sam which is why I ain't ever let him know that for the past six years I have been in love with Mel. I wish I could tell her how I feel but I can't. I can't do that to Sam and I can't ever do that to Mel. She is pure and kind and beautiful and I am not worthy of her love, if she could even love a monster like me. If she has ever looked at me in the same way I look at her she has never shown it. I thought it was a crush but it's so much more. I love her. I have  had plenty of women but as soon as they start getting serious I usually just ghost them. I have an ache in my heart  for this girl and she is practically like my little sister. I can't shake it and damn if I ain't tried.      I watch Mel as she talks to the waitress at the door. Her long brown hair flows down the sides of her shoulders. She  is gorgeous. She has beautiful supple lips and snow white skin. She is small in stature. She is voluptuous with wide  hips and thick thighs. She hides it, though. The thought of her being insecure of herself makes me miserable. I wish  I could hold her and tell her how beautiful she is. I want to show her how beautiful she is. Hell, even before the  weight loss I thought she was the most beautiful girl I ever laid my eyes on. As she follows the generic blonde  mantrap of a waitress she begins to copy her as the waitress sashays over to the table unannounced. I watch Mel as she  parades behind the waitress with a mock of playful arrogance and I am enthralled with her.  I watch her  as she picks at her salad and I know she is practically starving herself. I want to reach over while her hand is on her temple, lift her chin, and tell her that she is the most beautiful woman I have laid my eyes on. After lunch is  done and she excuses herself Sam starts talking about her weight and the asshole Ragan. I down play the weight loss but deep down inside I am terrified that she is going to really hurt herself. As far as Ragan goes I have been itching to beat the brakes of that cocksure bastard and I'm just about to go for a scratch. The thought of him putting his hands on Mel sends me into a quiet rage but I push it down quickly. I fake a piss to go cool off.  As I walk to the men's room  I hear a strange noise and then a thud coming from the women's room.  Oh s**t Mel! I bust into the women's room and begin to yell for Sam.