A few more weeks passed, and things had worked their way into a groove. Melanie and Alfred told Melanie’s dad about the change In their relationship, and Jacob welcomed it with open arms. Now every day seems similar to the last, But Alfred loved it.

Weekdays consisted of the usual going to school, helping out at the convenience store, Alfred and Melanie added a long walk in the park together on their way home from work, eating dinner, sitting around the campfire or in the living room, then heading to bed.

On Wednesday evening, on their normal walk through Central Park, Alfred and Melanie had just exited the park and were about to head home when a voice Alfred recognized and dreaded called his name.

“Alfred! Hey, look at that, I found you during your vanishing act routine. Guess your perfect streak is all kinds of fucked up now, huh?” Alfred’s brother, Harold, called from the street. He walked over to them, grinning his usual cold and judgmental smile.

“Al, do you know him?” Melanie asked. Alfred wasn’t used to it, but Melanie had started calling him “Al” about a week ago, and it felt odd, but he didn’t mind.

“Yes. Melanie, this is Harold, my brother. No, correction, my overly aggressive and annoying brother.” Alfred said, shooting Harold a stare that burned in anger.

“Brother? But I thought you said… you know, that your family was dead.” Melanie said, very confused about everything happening.

“I said they were dead to me. Not physically dead, but in my eyes, I have no blood family.” Alfred said, still glaring at Harold.

“Alfred doesn’t like the rest of the family. Says we all only care about material things, and that makes him sick, or something. I mean, he’s not wrong in the sense that we care about being at the top of the social system. Speaking of that, Melanie, who’s your parents?” Harold said, raising an eyebrow.

“Harold, that’s enough, get out of here.” Alfred said, cutting him off. His anger was starting to rise and he didn’t want to do something stupid right in front of Melanie.

Melanie put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed him.” It’s alright,” she said. “My dad is Jacob Powell, and my mother was Leslie Powell, but she died four years ago.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Harold squinted at her. “Don’t know those names.” He turned to Alfred. “Alfred, don’t tell me you’re messing around with people lower than you.” He looked at Melanie’s hand on Alfred’s shoulder and his eyes narrowed further.

“Alfred,” he said slowly, “Are you and her… together? You and this middle class girl?”

Melanie nodded. “So what? What does class have to do with anything?” She asked as Alfred started to shake slightly.

Harold’s tone became cold and vicious. “Because people like Alfred and I, of the pristine high class society, don’t belong anywhere near people like you… poor, middle class trash.”

Alfred felt a rush of adrenaline and blood roared in his ears as he lunged at Harold, taking him to the ground as Alfred threw punch after punch, then stood up and kicked Harold repeatedly in the ribcage.

“Shut your goddamn mouth, you fucking bastard!” He yelled as he continued to beat down on Harold. “You don’t understand anything!”

Melanie rushed forward and pulled Alfred back, pulling him close and hugging him. “Al, no! Calm down, it’s ok. Shh, he can say what he wants, I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me, it’s ok.” She said as she caressed his head and held him close.

Her touch was slowly calming Alfred down, but he was still shaking as she held him. Harold stood up, spat out some blood, then turned to leave.

“Mother and father will hear of this. Better yet, I’ll tell the whole family at the reunion next week.” He said as he started to walk away, limping slightly on his left leg.

Alfred pulled away from Melanie’s hold for a split second to yell at Harold, “Burn in fucking hell you son of a bitch!” Then she pulled him in again and tried to calm him down.

“Hey, hey, hey, shhh. It’s ok. No one got hurt, well, aside from your brother. By the way, was that really necessary?” She whispered in his ear as she rubbed his head. The feeling of her holding him close, keeping him close, felt soothing to Alfred.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “It was not only necessary, but deserved and long overdue.” He slowly leaned into Melanie’s body as she pulled him closer to her.

“Tell you what, how about we just head home, and you can explain everything there, hmm?” Melanie said as she slowly started to walk and pulled Alfred gently as she went.

They slowly made their way to the house, and after they arrived, Melanie took Alfred to their room and had the both of them sit on the bed. “Now,” she said quietly as she pulled him close again. “Tell me all about your family.”

Alfred sighed and leaned on Melanie’s shoulder and began to talk. “My… blood relatives… own both Smith Accounting and Harberage/Smith Law Firm. I come from a rich, high class background. Everyone in my family, my… parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings, they all have the way of living life that I hate.

“They live by money, status, and class. Like almost everyone else in the high class, they judge people by how much money they have, their social status, and their wealth class. If you’re anything lower than high class, you’re seen as trash.

“I hate that life. I hate it so much. So sometimes I just leave. Take money and some clothing and go live on the streets or in that falling apart apartment, and take care of myself. I hate my family, the life and bloodline I was born into, and everything about the people I share similar DNA with.”

Alfred had started to cry as he said the last sentence, and Melanie hugged him close, then shifted her position and let his head slowly fall down and rest in her lap. As he laid in her lap, arms wrapped around him and caressing his head, Alfred cried and screamed in his mind a thousand curses and words of pure hatred towards his family.

“It’s ok,” Melanie said, leaning down to whisper in his ear. “You’re with us now. And you can stay here forever if you want. You don’t have to go back to them. We’ll take care of you. Just stay here with us. Stay and feel my love.”