Your a girl!
Melina felt angry and upset that Paula pretty must ousted her as a member of the female gender . Melina liked playing basketball ball with the boys and she liked being picked for their team in kickball . She like being a tomboy now all they saw was she had boobs as she was rudely announced by her sister Paula and her friend .
Melina felt comfort in being able to blend into new environments and not be noticed. She felt comfortable being invisible because after all that was the role she play to her family her entire life. She knew her place and her sister distinguishing her and making her noticeable it made her anxious. She was already stressed enough watching her back from the hunters in her trail and also watching Scarlett as Paula and her were always together when they had every opportunity to do so.
Melina swore Paula took interest in Scarlett for the simple fact it made her uncomfortable to be around this other girl. Most sisters would want to protect their own and make it them against the world,but Paula she wanted to harm her sister who was only eighteen months younger than her . She wanted toake Melina suffer and push her to be scared all the time. In Paula's sadistic mind it was amusing to her. When Melina would go to the dentist knowing she was scared of doctors with big needles since she had seven cavities filled from all the neglect her mother made with feeding them candy and the little bit of expires snack cakes from the bread store next to her home in Woodlawn . Paula would tell Melina horrible stories about how much it was going to hurt and what tools they would use and the size of the needles she saw on a tray as she would scare Melina so much that she would cry at the sight of the dentist and try to run and put up a fight as they Sudafed her as she could hear Paula laughing in the background from her distress she caused . These were the things Paula took little pleasures in to mentally harm her because she knew she could get into melina's head knowing she was too weak to do anything to her if she knew what was best for her knowing if she did try to fight Paula she would be beaten unconscious or until Paula felt better about it.
Paula was a lot like her mother and she would provoke people to react then justify it with a beating as it was her baiting them to give her what she wanted. A good fight. When Paula and Melina got older Melina would often refer her methods to be mother like and Paula would be triggered and go into a rage as Paula hated to be compared to her mother at all even though the two were so similar it was scary to see.
Paula always thought her duty as an older sister was to tramatize and teach her younger sister to be tough and her beating her up and scaring her was like her version of being a dedicated sister. Melina's like became difficult. All her guy friends at school either treated her like they didn't know her or treated her like a piece of meat make inappropriate comments about her body that was shaping up from all thin legs and bones to hips,boobs , full lips, and a now noticeable very pretty face. Melina was only eleven and she had a figure and now she was out as a girl she got snears from the girls in her class the ones who hadn't developed and attention from the boys who didn't want to be messing with shapeless girls. Even the guys in highschool began to notice Melina as their cousins and younger brothers spoke about her and what happened. Melina just wanted to be invisible again but now she was supposed to act like a girl and be pretty. She had no idea how to do that. It wasn't like she had the best role models to teach her how to be a girl. Melina was never taught about her cycle little less hair how to do hair or makeup. You would think living in a home full of girls certain things would be taught but it was not. Melina was pressured to become more girly and she joined the little league cheerleading when there was a choice to play basketball or cheer and Melina loved basketball but she was made to do cheerleading as the dramatic competition between a bunch of fifth grade girls could be vicious.
Melina was also introduced to pagents as she was signed up for the Valentine's day pageant which in this time they had a natural clause as a parent requirement. Which meant no makeup and natural beauty . Melina wasn't very competitive and really didn't want to be in pageants or a cheerleader but she was thrust into this petty competition. Melina never knew how mean girls could be until she met two girls named Melissa and Christina . Melissa had blonde hair and blue eyes and she had been competing in this small town pageants since first grade and won many pagents and Christina it was her first pagent . Christina was a brunette girl who was really quiet as a mouse because she was as fony as a pleather leather jacket. She would smile and pretend to be so innocent and sweet as Melissa was loud and obvious and had no filter. All the girls would be dressed and hair done in a room by the auditorium as Melina had competed in only one pageant prior and her sister Paula competed in the older version of pageants . Melina watch her sister Paula apply powder to Christina's nose as she wondered why her sister was so supportive of everyone except her. When they girls lined up to go back stage Paula went to help Christina with her last minute hair details as she didn't even bother to fix Melina's hair as she was left to do her own hair.
Paula saw Melina as she didn't even offer to help her with anything as Melissa and Christina always was together and Melissa would make rude comments about all the ugly dress choices other contests wore and laughed about their hair choices. But when it came to Christina she praised her best friend. Melina did well as she smiled and walked and twirled like a good involuntary participant she was. When the pagent was over Melissa smiled and beamed thinking she had won since she had won every year since first grade and when she was runner up and her best friend Christina won instead of her she saw first hand the competition between girls that was a fine line of a friend that was now an enemy over one pageant results. Melina watched Paula cheer for Christina as Melina won third place and she didn't see the same enthusiasm when she placed. She wondered why her sister hated her so much that she wouldn't even support her in this either. Melina nodded and took that experience with her as she marched up to Paula to see what her problem was with her as she wanted her sister to be her sister and not Scarlett's sister or Christina's sister but her actual sister. " Paulai see your pick won. I bet your proud of her." Said Melina as she was testing a theory and confirming a thought at the same time.
" She did do great. She is such a pretty little girl isn't she. She deserved to win it." Said Paula as she praised the girl who she helped apply makeup to a girl who was in a natural pageant.
" Considering you helped her cheat to win that's all that matters." Snipped Melina seeing the injustice in her sister dislike of anything she did.
" How did I help her cheat?" " She said mad now as she tried to lower her voice as a crowd was coming out now.
" You put makeup on her when rules are we aren't supposed to be able to wear make up. So yeah you help her cheat but I'm so glad she did great!" Said Melina in a sarcastic way .
" Your jealous of that little girl because she is prettier than you and won a pageant ." Accused Paula as she didn't like being accused of cheating.
" No. I'm not. You are my sister not hers. Your supposed to be on my side not hers. But if you think I'm jealous maybe I am but not of her but of my sister showing everyone support except her own sister. " Said Melina as she pushed pass Paula as she knew arguing with her was pointless. Paula was like her mother . She didn't see the error in her actions . She truly was unreliable as a sister.To Melina Paula's betrayal was the last straw of her being a sister to strangers. The pageant was on a Saturday so come Monday morning when Melissa came back to school her and Christina was no longer speaking to each other. Melina thought it was silly how they stopped being friends over one pagent . Christina looked pitiful as Melissa made fun of how she looked and why she won as she spread a rumor her cousin was one of the judges .
Melina went to cheerleading practice as she once again watched Paula teaching Christina how to cheer as there was tryouts for Captain and co -captain as a thought crossed Melina's mind. She went and put her name on the list to try out as Paula showed her how to also win this position. Melina rolled her eyes as Melina was a brilliant storyteller by now as she had won a poetry contest at her last school and won first prize in the Halloween story project she did as an assignment.
Melina watched Christina as Paula hugged her like a sister and did her hair as all Melina could do was wear her hair in a low ponytail since that's all how she knew how to do. When Melina had a sister to teach her how to do things she really didn't have a sister unless it suited her. Melissa came to stand by Melina as she made a remark about her old friend.
" You know she isn't really nice at all. She is just better at hiding that she is mean. I've known her since kindergarten and she knows Paula is your sister and she doesn't like you at all. " Admitted Melissa as I knew she wasn't lying and she was very blunt how she said things. Melina realized the Paula thing was Christina fighting her and she had no clue what she did to Christina to make her not like her so much . She had never really spoken to her or did anything to her at all.
" Why doesn't she like me. I haven't done anything to her?" The question came out before Melina could register she said it. " Your pretty. Before you all the boys payed attention to her. After you they all pay attention to you. " Explained Melissa and Melina began to see the bigger picture now. " I see. Thanks for letting me know." Melina replied as she realized Christina was purposely trying to hurt her which would start a competition between them that wouldn't end well.
Melina pulled the coach to the side as she was good at being persuasive and with her new abilities she knew just how to do it. The coach looked at Melina as she simply told her " my house parents won't let me cheer unless I make captain and I really want to cheer . But if I make any less then captain then I can't cheer." I simply said as I touched her arm so she would believe me . The coach nodded and I saw the glassy eyes look at me as she nodded and she made an announcement to the squad.
" Hey everyone I have decided that Melina will be the new cheer captain for this season . Everyone show her some support and congratulations to her position." Said the coach as everyone cheered except Christina as she scoffed and walked off in anger as she complained to Paula how unfair it was . Paula looked at Melina and Melina looked at her as she rose her eyebrows at her as to signal to Christina too shay . Your move Christina thought Melina as Christina pitched a fit in the corner with Paula. Paula marched over looking upset." What was that. You knew she really wanted that!" Yelled Paula as Melina just smiled at her and waved at Christina as she cried in the corner now .
" And I wanted my sister to support me too. But I see even this I can't do without your interference. I did what I had to do. She can't win them all. Besides some competition is good for her." Said Melina without any remorse as she knew Christina made this personal and now Melina made it personal for her.
Paula looked at Melina as went back to Christina as she took her out of the room to sooth her as the rest of the squad congratulated melina in her position. Melina knew at that point Paula was no longer her sister and the harder she tried to be her sister the more disappointed she was in Paula . Paula was a terrible sister and Melina was tired of playing nice with others.