The Swap

If Murder Wasn't Illegal

I looked at the table next to us and smirked when I saw what was on it. I picked up the object and threw it at him. It knocked him in the shoulder before clattering to the floor.

"Ow- Melanie what the fuck?" He exclaimed.

I started laughing uncontrollably. I clenched my stomach when my sides started to hurt from laughing so hard.

"Oh my god, your face." I gasped out and tried to control my laughter.

"Did you just throw a stapler at me?" He asked in disbelief.

"Of course not! That's a hole puncher." I corrected him.

He hung up his phone without another word and I almost felt bad for the girl on the other line. Almost.

"You're completely ridiculous." He grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Project time." I grinned.

~ ~ ~

I slammed my car door shut and took a deep breath. Jaxon had driven me absolutely crazy. We couldn't agree on anything and eventually I gave up and called it a day.

I practically dragged my backpack behind me as I walked into Melanie's house.

I felt so emotionally exhausted from putting up with Jaxon. I also felt proud, though, for showing enough restraint not to pick up my chair and beat him with it.

I could hear several voices in the living room and the stress instantly started to leave me. I followed the sound of my friends' voices and threw myself down onto the couch where they were seated.

I buried my face in a pillow and groaned.

"Well, hello to you too sunshine." I heard Maeve say.

I mumbled back a response but it was covered by the pillow. I felt someone poke my side.

"Bad day?" Melanie asked.

I picked my head up and nodded pathetically.

"Mel, I don't know how you do it." I let out a sigh.

"What do you mean?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know how you got this far without throwing Jaxon off of a cliff." I sat up and placed the pillow in my lap. I played with the loose threads on it.

"It's probably because throwing people off of cliffs is illegal." She shrugged and I cracked a grin.

I glanced around at the rest of the group.

"How are confidence lessons going?" I asked.

"Amazing, minus the fact that Mellie can't flirt to save her life." Marina answered.

"She doesn't have a lot of attitude either." Maeve added, her short red hair was messy but she made it work.

Melanie had shown a lot of progress in her confidence. She could definitely put up a fight as far as my friends went. We were still working on the whole talking to strangers thing.

"We should go out tonight." I said suddenly.

"Out where?" Clara asked.