After Mel told the group she had seen Ghost Riders, the girl had barely gotten any privacy; one of them always watching her to make sure she didn't get taken.
But after she got the chance to sneak away while Hayden and Belle were watching her, Melanie snuck to the locker rooms to change in peace before practice.
As she threw on her jersey, she heard a locker a few sets down from her slam as a voice groaned. "Where is it? Who took all of her stuff?"
Melanie's brows furrowed, looking down the aisle, her eyes falling on one of the girls on the lacrosse team with her, Gwen. "What's wrong, Gwen?" Melanie asked softly, closing her locker door and walking towards the girl.
"Someone stole all of her stuff." Gwen yelled and Melanie rose her hands in front of the girl to try and calm her down, her brows furrowing. "Whose stuff?"
Gwen looked at Melanie with wide, almost annoyed eyes. "Phoebe. My sister. She's been on the soccer for two years. And she sits in front of you in history." Melanies brows furrowed, trying to remember the girl being described to her but she just couldn't. She slowly looked up at Gwen with sad eyes, shaking her head in defeat. "I don't remember her."
Gwen scoffed, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "You don't remember her? The school doesn't remember her. No one remembers her." Gwen grumbled, walking out of the room.
Melanie watched Gwen go with furrowed brows before her eyes started to widen, reprocessing Gwen's words. No one remembers her.
Melanie slowly followed Green down the hall, watching her go into the library. Melanie waited a couple of minutes before going in after her. She walked though the room, trying to look for the girl before she found her at one of the last aisles on the bottom floor.
She slowly walked towards her, Gwen not even looking up at her but Mel kept walking until she was right in front of her. "What are you lookin' for?" Melanie asked, looking around the aisle Gwen was in. Melanie knew Gwen was looking for something of Phoebe considering she had three yearbooks stacked in her hands, one of them open as she frantically flipped through the pages.
"Anything to prove that Phoebe's real." Gwen said, not taking her eyes off the yearbook. After reaching the end of the book, she groaned, putting it back on the shelf, opening the next one on the stack.
"Gwen." Melanie said but the girl ignored her, flipping through the pages. Melanie sighed, her shoulder slumping. "Gwen." Melanie said again but Gwen continued to ignore her.
"Gwen!" Melanie said, putting her hand on the girls shoulder. Gwen jumped slightly, looking at Melanie with wide eyes.
"I believe you." Melanie said softly. Gwen looked at Melanie for a few seconds before shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "No, you don't." Melanie's face fell, a sad smile growing on her face as she shook her head. "Gwen, you have no idea how much I believe you. Trust me."
Gwen, noticing Melanie's seriousness, nodded, giving her a grateful smile. Melanie smiled at Gwen's before her eyes trailed down the girls hands to a small bracelet. "That was hers, wasn't it?"
Gwen looked down at the bracelet, smiling and nodding. Melanie looked at Gwen sadly, tilting her head. "What happened?"
Gwen twiddled with the bracelet, sighing. "We just went to bed like any other normal night. I got up to get some water, and I thought I saw this man standing in our front yard. When I looked again, there was no one there. But this morning, my sister was gone. And her room, it was completely empty." She said, looking up from the bracelet to Melanie whose face had softened. Phoebe was taken by the Ghost Riders.
"I can't reach my mom. And I tried to call Phoebe's phone but the line's been disconnected. And no one believes that she exists. The cops, the school, they're all saying that there's no record of her. And everyone's looking at me like I'm crazy." Gwen said, shaking her head and looking just passed Melanie.
Melanie watched as Gwen looked back down at the bracelet, smiling. "I made this for Phoebe for her birthday. Mom forgot to buy her anything, She travels so much. This is the only thing I have left."
Melanie gave the girl a small smile before her eyes squinted. "The man in your yard. What did he look like?" Gwen looked at Melanie weirdly at the odd question, her nose scrunching. "He had a black hat, a long coat... Uh, couldn't see his face."
Melanie's heart dropped at her words. A part of her was telling her to tell Gwen about the Ghost Riders while another part was telling her to shut her mouth but wanting to keep Gwen safe, Melanie spoke up.
"He's called a ghost rider. They take people and you don't even know it because they've erased your memories. If you see them, according to mythology... you're next." Melanie let out, her words jumbled together. Gwen stepped away from Melanie an almost any look on her face.
"Gwen?" Melanie asked, reaching out to put a hand in her shoulder but Gwen whacked it away. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Gwen snapped and Melanie's jaw dropped slightly, taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Gwen, I'm trying to help you. I- I saw them too-" Melanie tried to defend herself but Gwen scoffed, glaring at the Yukimura girl.
"Is this just all a big joke to you?" Gwen asked, looking at Melanie in disgust. Melanie shook her head, going to open her mouth but Gwen was already starting to speak again. "I don't believe in ghosts, and I don't like being made fun of." Gwen whisper yelled. Melanie looked at Gwen with wide eyes, shaking her head.
"I'm not making fun of you!" Melanie yelled. The librarian shushed her, making both girl turn to the librarians desk, the woman glaring at both of them before turning back to her desk. Melanie rolled her eyes, sighing and turning back to Gwen who was putting back all the yearbooks in her hands.
"Just leave me alone." Gwen mumbled, walking away from Mel, leaving her alone in the library.
...
"Stilinski said no, didn't he?" Melanie asked as she and Liam stood at Malia's locker with Scott, recalling the plan Scott had gone over with her the night prior about wanting to visit the Sheriff's dad after learning about a "Stiles".
Malia sighed at the question, closing her locker and walking down the hall, Melanie, Liam and Scott following after. "Yeah." She grumbled and Melanie smirked slightly, raising her brows. "But you're going anyway?" Malia looked back at Melanie at the question, nodding. "Yep."
"Or you could stay here and help me convince Gwen she's in danger." Melanie said in a fake sad tone, hoping to guilt-trip the two into staying but Scott turned to her, shaking his head. "It's not your job to convince her. It's your job to keep her safe." Malia nodded in agreement, turning around to walk down the hall backwards so she could look at Mel and Liam.
"Just kidnap her." Malia said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. Scott sighed, rolling his eyes slightly as he turned to the two younger teens, shaking his head. "Do not kidnap her." Scott clarified, pointing at Melanie, making her nodded as Scott continued. "We'll be back tonight after we talk to Stilinski's dad."
"Okay. What if the ghost riders show up? What if... What if something happens?" Melanie asked, twiddling her thumbs slightly as she looked at Liam for a split second before turning back to Scott; she still hadn't told the McCall boy she saw the Ghost Riders. Scott sent her a reassuring smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Then you'll handle it, Mel. And look, you two are not alone. You guys have Belle and Mason and Corey and Hayden. Okay? Just find a safe place for Gwen and keep her there."
"Any suggestions?" Liam asked with a laugh, hoping to calm Melanie down. Scott gave the boy a smile, shrugging. "It doesn't matter as long as she's safe." He said, sending the two teens each one more smile before walking out of the hall. Malia looked towards the exit, hoping Scott was far enough away before turning to the two. "Kidnap her." Malia whispered, the three hearing a faint, "Do not kidnap her." From Scott outside.
Malia sighed at Scott's words, turning back to the pair and shrugging before following after him.
...
"Until we find a safe place for Gwen, we need to know her location at all times." Liam said, he, Melanie, Hayden, Belle and Mason sitting around a table in the library.
"Okay, that's great while we're at school, but what happens after that? She could go anywhere." Belle asked, leaning forward against the table slightly. Melanie frowned slightly at Belle's words, slumping in her seat. "I think she's freaked out by me. You or Hayden could ask her." She said, looking between Belle and Hayden across the table from her.
Belle nodded as Hayden smiled, digging into her backpack. "We don't have to. I know where she'll be tonight." She said before placing a bright orange paper on the table, turning it around so Liam, Melanie and Mason could read it. Melanie smiled at the idea, looking up at Hayden gratefully. "Nathan's party. I mean, she's been asking everybody in school about Phoebe. I'm sure she'll do the same tonight."
"We can't keep her safe at Nathan's. We need a place where supernaturals can't get in." Belle said and Melanie slowly started to smirk, an idea coming to her head as she turned to the group. "I know a place. The safest place."
...
Melanie regretted her plan.
Her plan was to change the location of Nathan's party to her house and it was total chaos. She looked around the party in her home with wide eyes. Seeing some of her teammates placing their solo cups on the tv as a coaster, her eyes went wide, running towards them.
"Hey! Not there." She yelled, taking the two solo cups and pushing it back into their chests.
The front door swung open, Nathan and a few of his friends walking in. When he slammed the door, the picture frame just beside it started to shake before falling. "No!" Melanie yelped, running towards the door.
She caught the frame just before it hit the ground and scrambled to put it back up, trying to make sure it was straight. "You stole my party." Nathan yelled over the music, walking towards Melanie intimidatingly. Melanie turned to him, looking at him with wide eyes before she started to back up away from him until she was pinned between him and the wall.
"What, are you gonna steal lacrosse captain, too?" Nathan yelled and Melanie looked at him angrily. Take a step towards him, catching the boy off guard. "Back off. It's a party. Didn't think you'd be mad." Melanie asked and Nathan scoffed, glaring at her. "How'd you think I'd take it?"
"How about in hundreds?" Belle asked from behind the boy, her voice low in anger for pinning Melanie. Nathan looked at Belle then the wad of cash in her hand then back to Belle before taking the money, walking away.
Belle and Melanie glared at the boy that was walking towards the center of the party as if nothing had just happened. Belle shook her head, turning to Melanie with a small smile. "You okay?"
Melanie huffed, wiping the dust off her shoulders before turning to Belle. "Yeah." She grumbled as Liam walked over, missing the incident that had just happened.
"I'm starting to think this wasn't a good idea." Liam said. Melanie sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Scott told us to do whatever it takes to keep Gwen safe." She said and Liams face scrunched in worry, walking towards her. "What if Melissa shows up? She already doesn't like me after... you know." Melanie rolled her eyes, smiling slightly before hitting his shoulder playfully. "She's got the night shift. She won't be home until 4:00 am."
Liam looked at her unsurely, making her laugh, taking a step towards him, putting her hands around his neck. "We'll have this place cleaned up way before then. Scott told us to protect Gwen. And putting her in a house lined with mountain ash, is a good plan. Believe in the plan. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting a drink." Melanie said, lifting her chin higher before walking towards the kitchen.
She grabbed a red solo cup from the table, filling it was the tainted punch as Liam walked over. "Uh... You know alcohol doesn't work on us, right?" Liam said, a small smile on his face as he watched Melanie look down at the cup, twirling it in her hand, making a small whirlpool. Melanie pursed her lips, her nose scrunching, only making Liam's smile bigger as she spoke. "Yeah but... I'm so stressed I'm gonna pretend it does."
Liam laughed at her words, taking a step towards her so he was chest to chest with her. He put his hands on either sides of
the counter, pinning her in his grip before placing a small kiss on her lips.
Melanie smiled into the kiss and when Liam pulled away, her lips slowly followed his before she could reach. Liam chuckled at her, making her open her eyes to look at him.
"Have you seen Gwen?" Liam asked and Melanie sighed, looking around the house before her eyes fell on Gwen just at the foot of the stairs and as soon as they made eye contact, Gwen turned away. Melanie sighed, nodding her head in Gwen's direction. "Over there. Talking to everyone but me. I think I creeped her out." Melanie said, a faint frown on her face.
Liam laughed at her words, shaking his head to deny her statement. Suddenly, a smirk grew on his face as his arms snaked around her waist. "Hey, you know what? If the ghost riders don't come tonight, this will be our first okay date."
"Heyy..." Melanie childishly whined, wrapping her arms around Liam's neck. "Every date's perfect if it's with you."
Liam smiled at Melanie, a small smirk growing on his face, leaning down and pulling her into another kiss.
Melanie went on her tippy toes to get closer to the boys height before a loud burst of thunder made the couple jump apart, their arms still around each other. Melanie gulped slightly, looking up at Liam with a worried look.
"Sounded like it was right above us." Melanie mumbled, slowly looking up, Liam doing the same. Their eyes went wide at a burn mark covering the ceiling. Melanie slowly pulled away from Liam, looking at the ceiling with furrowed brows. "What is that?"
"I have no clue." Liam mumbled when a scream echoed from upstairs. Melanie's eyes went wide, recognizing Gwens voice and running towards the stairs.
"Oh, my God!" Gwen screamed as she ran down the stairs. When she saw Melanie just at the bottom, she ran towards her, wrapping her arms around her in fear. "Mel! Mel!" The girl screeched, hiding her face in Melanie's neck, catching the kitsune by surprise.
Melanie slowly pulled away from Gwen, watching her carefully. "What's wrong?" Melanie asked, putting her hands on Gwen's arms to calm her down. Gwen looked around the party, absolutely terrified before turning back to Melanie, tears of fright in her eyes.
"I saw him." Gwen whispered before turning around so her and Mel were facing the stairs. Melanie's eyes widened at the Ghost Rider slowly walking down the stairs, looking at Gwen and her. "Oh my God." Melanie whispered, barely audible as Gwen squeezed her hand, both of them backing up.
"Mel?" Belle asked but the girl stood frozen in fear, staring at the Ghost Rider getting closer and closer to her. "Melanie!?" Liam yelled but Gwen let out a small shriek, dashing down the hall, dragging Melanie with her.
"Liam, it's a ghost rider." Melanie heard Corey yell, making her skid to a stop, Gwen stopped with her, looking at her with wide eyes.
"Where?" Liam yelled, looking around the living room before looking at Melanie and Gwen. Both girls pointed to the Ghost Rider heading towards them as Corey screamed. "Headed for the kitchen."
"Right there!" Melanie could hear Corey yell before Corey became visible. The Ghost Rider slowly turned to Corey, tilting his head before grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him into the wall. Everyone gasped as Melanie went to run towards him. "Corey!"
"Mel! No!" Belle screamed, grabbing Melanies arm and keeping her beside her and Hayden as the Romero girl did the same to Gwen. "Everybody out. Now!" Belle screamed, her voice vibrating and shaking the whole house from using her wolf voice. The kids all looked at Belle with wide eyes before running out of the house.
Mason ran towards Melanie, Belle, Hayden and Gwen, pushing them all back towards the entryway of the house. Melanie looked up, watching as the Ghost Rider walked towards them. "Mason, hurry!" Melanie screamed and Mason turned to her, nodding. He grabbed a small bag of mountain ash from his pocket and threw it across the walkway.
The Ghost Rider stood right in front of the barrier and Melanie turned to Gwen with a stern look. "Stay behind me." She mumbled, pushing Gwen back slightly. Belle scoffed, walking in front of Mel, turning her head back to look at her. "Same goes for you." She said before turning to Corey and Liam who were locked on the same side as the Ghost Rider. "We can't let him get through."
Liam nodded, he turned to Melanie, sending her a small smile before letting his claws show and his eyes glow. He roared at the Ghost Rider, running towards him and jumping on his back.
The Ghost Rider wasn't even phased by the boy. Easily grabbing his shoulder and throwing him over him onto the ground. "Liam!" Melanie yelled.
The Ghost Rider turned back to Melanie and Gwen, walking towards them. Once he was in front of the barrier, he looked down at the mountain ash before looking back up at the girls. He grabbed his lasso and took a few steps back, hitting the barrier, making a green slice glow as if it were breaking.
"Guys, he's breaking through." Hayden yelled, catching Liam and Coreys attention. The two boys stood up, running towards the Ghost Rider but the Ghost Rider was ready, catching every punch or slash the boys sent his way before throwing them both into the wall again.
The Ghost Rider turned to the five surrounded by mountain ash and Mason sighed, nodding. "Okay. We're leaving right now." Mason said, grabbing Melanie and Gwen's hands before running out the front door, breaking the barrier. The two girls followed after him, both of them looking back in the house but when Melanie looked ahead of her, she froze.
"Mason! Stop!" Melanie screamed, her voice high from the fright emitting in her. Her and Gwen looked right ahead of Mason, a Ghost Rider not even a foot in front of him.
"Go back inside?" Mason asked, looking back at the two girls, both of them staring right passed him in fear, watching the Ghost Rider he couldn't see. Melanie nodded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Yes." She croaked out.
After Mason and Mel didn't move, Gwen finally looked away from the Ghost Rider, turning to the two of them with wide eyes. "Now!" She grabbed Mason and Melanie's hands, dragging them back into the house.
As soon as they got in, the Ghost Riders lasso caught Gwen's foot and she fell to the ground. "Gwen!" Melanie screamed, grabbing her arm just before she passed the mountain ash. "Mel!" Gwen yelled, holding onto Melanie's hand so tight, the Yukimura girl was wincing in pain.
"Freeze! Let her go!" A voice screamed and everyone beside Melanie, Gwen and the Ghost Rider looked up at Parrish, his gun drawn at the rider.
"Shoot him, Parrish." Melanie yelled, looking up at the man for a split second before looking back down at Gwen in hopes it would give her more motivation to grow strength and save her. Parrish looked at Melanie, watching as she tried to save Gwen, making him nod, turning to the other teens. "Everyone down, now."
Belle, Hayden, Liam, Mason and Corey all ducked as Parrish shot the Ghost Rider. The Ghost Rider let go of Gwen, letting Melanie pull her towards her, Gwen crawling into Melanie's side in fear. Melanie wrapped her arms around the girl, her and Gwen seated on the ground as they watched the Ghost Rider take slow steps towards an armed Parrish.
"On your knees." Parrish demanded to the Ghost Rider but they did not move. Priest raised his gun higher, having it point right at the Ghost Riders head. "On your knees!" Parrish yelled and the Ghost Rider tilted his head at Parrish's threat.
Wind whirled around the Ghost Rider and Parrish. Leaves flying up in the air, covering both of them until the Ghost Rider disappeared, leaving everyone terrified.
...
Melanie was cleaning up the living room after the party while Liam and Belle took care of the other rooms. When she heard the door open, she sighed, ready to be yelled at whether it was Scott or Melissa.
"What the hell happened here?!" Scott yelled and Melanie looked up at him, dropping the trash bag that was in her hands. "You said to find a safe place. So we brought the party here." Melanie defended and Scott look at Melanie disappointedly. "Who said to throw a party at all?" Melanie looked at Scott angrily, shaking her head. "Gwen wouldn't have showed up if we didn't! At least she didn't get taken. At least I didn't get taken." Melanie yelled and Scott's angry face fell, looking at her worriedly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Melanie sighed, putting her hands in her back pockets as she looked at the ground, not wanting to meet Scott's eyes. "I heard the Ghost Riders when we went to that abandoned house." Melanie said, her voice low almost as if she didn't want to admit it again. Scott's face fell, walking towards her as she continued. "And then I saw him when we got home after you took me practicing."
"Mel-" Scott started but the girl cut him off, looking up at him. "It's too late for me. They're gonna come back. For Gwen, for me. We can try to stop it but we both know we can't." Melanie said, finally looking up to meet Scott's eyes.
Scott sighed, deep down knowing she was right as he tried to change the subject. "Then how did you guys stop him tonight? If only you and Gwen could see him?"
Melanie shrugged, pursing her lips cluelessly. "Corey made him visible so we could fight him." A knowing look grew on Scott's face, tilting his head at the girl. "All right, but doesn't the book say that if you see the wild hunt you'll be taken too?" He asked and Melanie shut her eyes, cursing herself.
"Shit." Melanie mumbled, shaking her head before looking up at Scott. "Everyone at the party saw him." Melanie said with wide eyes, Scott sharing her expression as he stared at her. "They're all gonna be taken."
—gwen and mel are girlfriends. they told me themselves