MELANIE

Melanie is a bit foul-mouthed and has a heavy NYC accent, and despite having a good heart, she picked up many bad habits from bad parenting. With an alcoholic single mother and a fifteen-year-old sister who didn't supervise at all when she was supposed to, Melanie ended up very independent. It's through her that Ivy began to both communicate more and take the upper hand in caring for herself when there was no adult around.

Melanie met Ivy at that age where her beliefs about reality hadn't exactly settled in yet, so once Ivy's abilities became known to her she didn't have much of an issue in adjusting. She considered Ivy a magical creature, and she was a little jealous of Ivy's powers but mostly just took the weirdness in stride. She often brought stolen treats for Ivy and often talked over the toddler's head while trying to teach her toilet training and rudimentary academics. Sometimes she accepts advice and help from Theresa (whom she calls "The Resa" as a joke that never went away). She brought her friend Tonya into the mix later on, who offers some companionship and some relief sometimes in taking care of the baby, and the two of them sometimes unofficially call the baby "Trixie" (as a nickname for "Trixie the Pixie").

Melanie's own home issues come into the story eventually, interfering with her ability to continue to take care of Ivy, but her own life and Ivy's life were enhanced by each other . . . even if Ivy was too young during their friendship to take the memories into her adult life.

Melanie is slim and a bit tall for her age. She has medium-brown hair with bangs, and she takes care of her own hair since her mother doesn't do it. Usually she'll opt for a simple ponytail. She has brown eyes and light tan skin, and loves to wear plastic beaded jewelry. She can be aggressive and is very good at standing up for herself, but has a definite soft side. She is sometimes temporarily overwhelmed by responsibility and panics, but usually her resourcefulness comes through and she is able to solve problems. She likes to cut school, commit petty theft, play on the playground equipment, eat junky treats, and hatch large-scale plans that actually sometimes work. She is smart but not well educated. She lives with her mother and sister in New York, but after spending some time in foster care, she gets placed with her father in New Jersey.