Chapter Fifteen

Little Harmony was growing quickly. In almost no time at all she was a rambunctious toddler who bore a startling resemblance to her father. She had his shiny black hair, his chipmunk cheeks, and his pouty lips. No question about her, she was definitely a Tinker baby.
Now that Harmony was in fact a toddler, the Tinkers' thoughts turned to the ever-ubiquitous tasks of potty training and teaching her to walk and talk. Of course, with a toddler such as Harmony, whose favorite "toy" appeared to be the family toilet adjacent to the living room, doing these things was akin to doing a root canal.
As for Melody, her sullen, withdrawn behavior had continued throughout that summer. The only time the Tinkers saw her was when she was coming in and out from her job and when she occasionally came downstairs to eat. The rest of the time she spent holed up in her room with her myriad pursuits. It had gotten to the point where they couldn't wait for September to roll around again so she could return to the Academy.
Wanda confronted Melody one evening in her room. Stepping over a hunk of metal, the mother sighed in disbelief. "Sweetheart, this is no kind of life for a teenage girl on summer vacation."
"Yes, it is." Melody was defiant. "It's my life, and I like it. If you haven't noticed, I like being alone. Always have, and probably always will."
"Yes, dear, I know this. It's not something I like, but it's something I know, so I try to give you your space." Wanda took another deep breath, trying to hold back tears. "Melody, I've accepted the fact that you're never going to like toys, that you're never going to make toys or work in the toy shop. I can handle that. I don't like it but I can handle it. I'm even trying to wrap my finger around your strange hobbies and interests. But what I want you to help me understand is this business about this girl --"
"Mom, I knew this would come up sooner or later." Melody turned to face her mother. Looking into her eyes, she told her, "Face it, I'm never going to be your perfect little daughter, and you're just going to have to accept it."
"I can accept a lot of things, Melody. But you being a lesbian is not one of them."
"When did I ever say I was a lesbian? I told you I kissed a girl. That does not mean I'm a lesbian."
"Actually, Melody, that's exactly what it means. I've never kissed another female. I've never even had the desire to kiss another female."
"You think I did?" Melody was adamant. "It just -- happened. If I could take it back I would."
"Frankly, Melody, I'm not sure what your desires are. I'm not you." Wanda started to walk away, but then turned around. "Tell me the truth, Melody. Are you attracted to girls?"
Before Melody could answer the question, Wanda heard Harmony crying across the hall. "Got to go see about the baby. We'll continue this conversation later."
Wanda's question was certainly salient, and it was one Melody didn't really have an answer to. She never really thought about what happened the night she and Sarah first kissed. Maybe it had happened because she wasn't thinking.

Melody took her telescope outside that starry summer evening. She'd read in the newspaper that there was going to be a full moon too, increasing the chances that she'd come into contact with a wolf. However, she was interested in a specific type of wolf, a lycus dominus, "master wolf" or "leader of the pack." She had read that the lycus domini had the power to turn sims into werewolves and could give a sim the ability to communicate with them. She could recognize one of the domini by their piercing, glowing golden eyes. But she didn't want to become a werewolf -- yet -- she just wanted to lay eyes on the elusive creature, whose habitat was noted to be wooded areas.
Until the wolves came out, she aimed her telescope at a specific spot in the night sky. "Wow, Orion is especially vivid tonight!" she exclaimed, focusing her lens to get a closer look.
"Melody?" her mother called, looking in her bedroom for her. "Melody? Where are you, dear?"
"She's probably out stargazing, Wanda," Stephen said. "You know this is her time of night to do that. You know she likes to go out when it's really dark to see the stars. When was the last time we did that?"
Stephen's comment forced a girlish giggle out of Wanda. "Oooh, Steve, you naughty boy!" Stephen tickled her, and the two of them ran upstairs to their bedroom, where they disappeared underneath the sheets.

When the girls did return to Hanover Academy that September, it was as if they were complete strangers. Sarah had become quite popular and always had a table full at lunchtime. Melody herself, who had soaked in a summer of art lessons (and lessons in other things as well), was back to eating her meals alone, and strangely, she liked it that way.
These days, though, she had only one thing on her mind -- college. Specifically, Academie Le Tour. Ever since her conversation with Darren, she'd decided that her number-one goal was to gain admission into the most prestigious university in Simland, so nearly everything she did from that point on was geared toward getting into that school. She threw herself into her studies so completely that she guaranteed she'd keep herself busy. "Your single-mindedness is admirable, Melody," Miss Hanover warned, "but you have to have some fun too."
Melody wandered into the common room of the dormitory and sat at the piano. She played occasionally back when she was at home, and wasn't entirely sure why she got the urge to play now. Pressing her fingers on the ivory keys, she began to play a slow, mournful tune. Closing her eyes, she allowed the cadence of the music to take her.
"Wow, a pianist too?" a girl's snotty voice rang out loud and clear from across the room.
Suddenly the music stopped. Melody abruptly turned around to see Sarah standing there. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to hear you play Beethoven without sheet music."
Melody was speechless. "I -- I don't know where that came from."
Sarah shook her head. "You amaze me sometimes, Mel. My god, is there anything creative you don't do?"
The iciness between these once very close friends had become plainly evident. "Sarah, how come I didn't see you once the entire summer?" Melody asked. "You know where I live. You could have caught a cab and come to see me."
In frustration Sarah replied, "Mel, I told you this already. I've been busy. I got a job and that took up most of my time. How was your summer with Darren Dreamer?"
Melody finally managed a smile. "Great!" she exclaimed. "I learned so much from him."
After a few tense moments the girls stared at each other. "I see the longing in your eyes, Melody Tinker. You have feelings for me."
"I have feelings about you, Sarah, not for you, there's a very big difference."
"No, Mel, you're ashamed of them. You're ashamed of the feelings you have for me. You realize what a big mistake it's been for you to deny them. You want to be with me but you can't because you're afraid of what your parents are going to think. If that's the problem well you need to just stop. The truth is right in front of your face."
Once again Melody couldn't refute anything Sarah said. "I miss you, Sarah," Melody began, trying in vain to contain the tears that welled behind her eyelids. "I miss having you around to make me laugh and make me smile. I miss having you make me forget myself."
Stunned by this admission, Sarah turned around, realizing that for Melody to make it was peeling off one of the layers of her soul. She gave her a gentle, swift peck on the cheek and walked away. "I still love you, Mel. And I know you realize now that you love me. I just wish it was possible for us to be together."
Melody sat again at the piano, continuing where she left off, almost as if the conversation never took place.