Summer, July 2012
It was a sunny morning during the month of July school was out and everyone was either travelling or staying at home. Melissa went out to the backyard and sat on the swing made by her father. She loved swinging back and forth while listening to the birds chirping. Her long brown hair swung with her, her smile was so beautiful like the sun's ray.
Melissa smiled throughout the day, there wasn't any days where she didn't smile. Her natural personality was very bright and lively. Everyone who was close to her can say her smile can brighten up someone's day in a flash. This was why Cameron fell in love with her. Melissa and Cameron grew up together although their family background was different. Cameron's father was a businessman and he was a close friend of Melissa's father.
Cameron waited for Melissa by the riverbank, the place they usually hangout. Melissa didn't know too much about Cameron's family. But every time when she saw him, his face was always downcast. She saw unusual bruises on his arms and his face. Melissa's heart broke when she saw him, she knew what to do.
"Cameron!" Melissa went over to him and gave him a warm hug. She comforted him without saying anything. Cameron didn't say anything, his face said it all. He tightly hugged Melissa and he didn't let go of her for a long time.
"It's okay, I'm here. It's okay to cry." Melissa rubbed Cameron's back until he trembled. His lips quivered and tears were streaking down his bruised face. Melissa gently caressed the back of his head and held on to him. She didn't force him to say anything, whenever he's ready, she will be there to listen to him.
"Melissa..." His voice trembled and words cannot come out of his mouth. Melissa replied quietly, "What is it?" Cameron calmed down and told her the truth, "My father passed away, my mother blamed me for his death. She broke down and hit me, I couldn't do or say anything...I can only come here." Melissa was in shock, Cameron's father was a nice man, she couldn't believe he passed away this quickly. She held on to Cameron and comforted him, "When is his funeral? I'll come with you. I'll always be with you, Cameron. No matter where you go, I'll always find you. I love you, Cameron."
After two days, Cameron's father's funeral was held in the evening. Not many people came to the funeral except for his father's relatives. Melissa waited for Cameron to show up so they can pay their respect to his father. It was getting late already so she waited beside the riverbank but Cameron never showed up. She was about to drop by Cameron's house when she suddenly received a horrific news, her father committed suicide when he received the news of his best friend's death. Melissa father couldn't handle the grief, now Melissa is all alone. Her mother passed away when she was young and her father raised her up. Her high school senior, Lan Tian, was the one who called Melissa.
"Melissa, I'm so sorry. I was one step late, if I ran faster... Uncle wouldn't have committed suicide. I'm so sorry." Lan Tian couldn't control his tears. Lan Tian dropped by her house after receiving Cameron father's death news. But, it was all too late.
Melissa shook her head, "It's not your fault. My father was a great friend to Cameron's father, he was the best father I had." Melissa wiped away her tears and knelt down beside her father's cold body, "Father, you've done well. Rest in peace." Few minutes later, police arrived at the scene and covered her father's dead body. After few days, they had a simple funeral. Lan Tian and Melissa dressed in black and paid their respect to her father. Melissa was going to call Cameron and letting him know she was okay but she decided not to. She didn't want to burden him. Cameron's mother came to her that day asking her to stay away from Cameron.
"Melissa, I didn't want to say this but even though you are our family friend, I cannot let you get close to my son. As a mother, I won't allow you. You ruined my son and my husband! Do you want to ruin me too?! Get out of my sight, right now!" Irene was Cameron's mother's name, she was a beautiful lady with a nasty temper. Melissa looked down and didn't say anything, she didn't want to trouble any of them. She took the burden on her shoulder.
Lan Tian looked at Melissa and asked, "Melissa, what plans do you have next?" Melissa shook her head. Lan Tian thought of an idea, "How about this? I remembered that you always wanted to travel and swim in the ocean, right?" Melissa was shocked that he remembered her dreams, "How did you know that? That was my dream. I always wanted to swim in the ocean and see fishes under the corals." Lan Tian was a little hyped and asked Melissa whether she wanted to study as a marine biologist because he is also studying to be a marine biologist. Melissa liked the idea, "I'll think about it." She smiled on the outside but she was in pain, she wanted to know if Cameron is doing alright... is he sleeping well? Is he eating well?
That night (on the day of Cameron's father's funeral), the rain came down like cats and dogs, Cameron was locked inside of his room. He wanted to get out and see Melissa since he promised her that they will pay respect to his father. It was too late, his mother and step-father ordered him to stay inside. Cameron didn't want to obey the order so he opened up his window and jumped out.
After falling on the grass, he broke two ribs and suffered a concussion. Cameron tried his best to get up but he was in pain. He didn't care one bit. He walked slowly and went out of the house. The rain was getting heavier by the minute, his head and chest were hurting too much but he thought of Melissa waiting for him. By the time he arrived at the riverbank, there were police officers and canine unit. There was a dead body by the riverside. One of Cameron's closest friend, Ling Hao, was also there. Ling Hao saw Cameron barely standing, he was leaning against a tree. Ling Hao ran over to him and explained the whole situation.
"Cameron, where were you? Did you know Melissa was waiting for you since the evening? Never mind, it's too late. The police told me the body belongs to a female around age of sixteen. I knew it was Melissa because she wore the black dress you bought for her. Her face was disfigured and her body showed sign of struggle." Ling Hao sighed and shook his head, "Cameron, wake up. She's gone. She will never come back." Cameron ignored him and ran to the scene. He couldn't believe it, any of it. He wished everything was a lie.
As he got a closer look at the corpse, the female corpse was about the same height as Melissa, she was wearing the exact same black dress and even got the same birth mark. Cameron refused to believe, it isn't Melissa. Melissa isn't dead, she is just missing. But the image of the corpse played back in his mind like a video tape. Everything had to be a lie. Cameron believed Melissa is just missing, he swore to himself that one day, they will be together again. From this day forward, Cameron promised himself to only love one girl, Melissa.
"Melissa, wait for me."