It was a little exciting to be running out of school with a guy I had only known for a week. It was not so exciting when he tapped on the headmaster’s door and told me to run faster on our way out.
Asshole.
“I’m not getting on your bike Seth.” I said for the tenth time as he dragged me to said vehicle.
He groaned, muttering under his breath and jammed his hand into his pocket pulling out his keys.
“Fine!” He snapped and shoved the keys into his helmet that was in the seat compartment of this bike.
I grinned, and headed back to my car, unlocking it when we were near enough.
“Where to?” I asked starting up the car.
Seth was busy texting, probably Chris or Jeremy about his motorbike, but his eyes flickered up to meet mine before looking back down at the screen of the phone.
“I don’t know.”
I glared at the side of his head in annoyance.
“You suggested we skipped.”
He stopped texting and look at me properly this time.
“Well you look like shit and I wasn’t too sure if I was going to punch Sophie in the boob, this looked like the best option.”
I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, gritting my teeth slightly.
“Ugh,” I groaned.
He just had to bring it up.
“Let’s not talk about Sophie.” I said shaking my head.
“Agreed.” He murmured putting his phone back into this pocket.
We sat in my car for another minute until my stomach rumbled.
And when I say it rumbled I mean it ‘screamed out to the world that it was dying’ rumbled.
Seth glanced down at me, a smirk glittering his lips.
“Hungry?”
I didn’t bother to answer him and just started the car.
He chuckled and shook his head.
“Go to the diner.”
I didn’t bother to reply, knowing if I did I would lose control of the stupid blush threatening to ruin my cheeks.
It takes about twenty minutes to get to the diner from school and the first ten minutes consisted of the most awkward of silences.
Every now and then I would catch Seth looking at me from the corners of my eyes. I didn’t know what he was thinking.
He knew that my sisters were… Dead. He just didn’t know how.
I knew his parents were…. Dead. I just didn’t know how.
It was all just a bit messed up.
The unanswered questions seemed to be stuck in the silence between the two of us. It was suffocating. I didn’t know how to feel around him anymore, sure, there was a little relief that some of the weight was gone from my shoulders, but the worst part of the story hasn’t been told yet.
I heard him sigh deeply and I glanced over at him. He was looking out his window, a faraway look on his face.
I scrambled to think of some kind of conversation starter.
I thought of his stupid questions…
“Do you like milk?” I blurted out, keeping my eyes on the road.
He laughed so hard he hit his head on the window.
“Where did that come from?” He breathed shaking his head at me.
“I don’t know? Where do you pull all of your random questions from?” I asked a little pissed.
I thought it was a good one.
“Hey! Are… Are you dissing the questions?” He asked dramatically.
“Yes! Yes I am!” I said back, nodding.
“Those questions are strategic to the art of making friends.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes at him.
“How’s that going for you?”
He smirked at raised his hands and shook them in a ‘so so’ manner.
“Okay so far.” He replied slyly.
I snorted but didn’t reply, after all he was right. His stupid questions had slowly wormed their way into my life and his stupid presence came along with them.
Once the car was parked and locked Seth and I made our way into the diner, only speaking when he rammed the door into my face by ‘accident.’
Again, asshole.
“Seth? Melody…? What’s going on?” Hank, Jeremy’s Dad, asked as we entered the diner.
Shit!
I hadn’t thought of this!
“We’re skipping.”
With wide eyes I stared at Seth like he was the biggest fucktard in the world. Does he not realise this man could return us to school and report us?
“Oh? Why?” Hank asked crossing his arms over his chest.
I watched as Seth shrugged and placed a big warm hand onto my head, messing my hair as he done so.
“We needed to.” He simply answered smiling slightly at me when he caught my surprised look.
Hank looked between us, taking in Seth carefully before he sighed heavily in resignation.
“Fine! But don’t make this a habit… Oh? And Melody? There’s a bathroom over there if you want to… Clean up?” Hank said carefully, his eyes looking over my face and I realised I must look a wreck.
“Yeah, you look like shit. It’s just over there-Ow!” Seth began pointing in the same direction Hank had but stopped short when Hank smacked the back of his head, scowling at him.
“Off you go Melody.” Hank said smiling brightly at me.
I murmured a thanks and headed straight for the toilet.
God, Seth was right. I looked like shit.
Heck I looked like regurgitated shit.
I stared at my puffy eyes in the mirror with a frown, it was obvious I had been crying. Sighing I washed my face gently with some cold water and dried it off with the paper towels by the sinks. I looked back in the mirror and found no change other than the tear tracks being washed away from my cheeks.
I still looked like shit.
I stared back at my reflection for a while, trying to get my mind around everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. Seth’s parents were dead. He knew about my sisters. I cried in front of him. I hugged him like my life depended on it.
Scrunching my face up at the last realisation and laughing shortly at my reflection: I felt some of the worry leaving me.
Oh well, it was too late to turn back now. May as well just deal with it.
I made my way back to the diner, spotting Seth straight away, and walked over to the table he had picked out for us.
“I ordered you some Mac, and a coke. That cool?” Seth asked the second my ass hit the chair.
“Uhm, yeah. Thanks.” I said a little surprised that he knew my order, but then again Hank probably told him it’s my favourite.
Again, we lapsed into awkward silence as we wait for our food and again I find myself scrambling for some kind of conversation once again, but this time come up blank.
“So…Have you taken any more pictures for art?” Seth asks pulling me out of my internal social awkwardness.
“Nah, not yet. I haven’t really found anything I want to paint. The plant pot will take me a while though, so, for now, I’m good.” I managed to say without stumbling over any words.
Seth nodded, his eyebrows pinched together like he is thinking about something.
“What if you took pictures while sky diving?”
My eyes widen at his idea, the possibilities racing.
“That sounds pretty awesome, but I don’t want to destroy the schools camera.” I said with a laugh.
Seth shook his head and leaned slightly forward in his seat.
“No, we could strap it to your chest or something. We can ask the instructors on Saturday if it’s possible.” He said smiling now.
I nod slowly, letting the idea sink in. The pictures I could get from this would be amazing, painting them even more so.
“Yeah. Good idea.” I reply smiling back at him.
“What about you? Finished that song yet?”
Seth’s smile dropped and a frown replaces it once more, but before he can answer back our food arrives with Hank who smiles widely as he places it down in front of us.
“Here you go, enjoy.” He said brightly before whisking off after another customer.
I smiled after him.
Seth had ordered a burger for himself that was garnished with enough trimmings to make it tower high above his plate.
“What?” He demands when he catches me staring at the burger.
“Nothing,” I said with a shrug.
He narrowed his eye slightly at my vague idea.
“It looks good.” I admit rolling my eyes at him.
He grins in response and picks up the monster burger, biting into it hungrily. I dig into my own food and for a while all that is said between us is murmurs of how good the food is.
“Man, I love this diner.” Seth groaned wiping his greasy fingers in his napkin.
I nod wholeheartedly and sip from my coke.
“I know. The Mac is beyond the best I have ever eaten.” I said stretching slightly.
The sound of a motorcycle pulling up outside the diner has Seth grinning and out of his seat in seconds. School was over.
Jeremy and Chris and already on their way in however, both of them talking about something before they caught sight of Seth.
“Melody! We thought Seth had killed you.” Jeremy said smiling carefully at me.
I rolled my eyes and got out of my seat too, lazily making my way over to them.
“Nope, still alive.” I said once I was close enough. Chris looked me over carefully, his eyes lingering on my face before he turned to Seth again.
“I can’t believe you ditched without us.”
Seth smirked and scratched the top of his head messing up his hair even more than it already was.
“Well, a damsel was in distress. Sorry mate.”
I rolled my eyes at him and pulled out a five pound note from my pocket, handing it to Jeremy.
“Give that to your Dad, tell him thanks for me.” I said making my way past them, feeling like it was time for me to go.
“What? No. Come on Harper, girls don’t pay.” Seth said in an almost whiny tone.
I glanced back at him over my shoulder, arching an eyebrow at him.
“Well I do. It’s my share anyways, just do as you’re told.”
Jeremy snorted at the last part, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly at me.
I flipped him off and moved to the door.
“See you tomorrow.” I commented quickly, feeling a little rude.
“Bye!” Chris said back waving slightly as he done so.
“Yeah, bye.” Jeremy muttered shooing me away.
“Laters Liddy.” Seth said smirking slightly, I turned to face him, my eyes wide.
He winked, and waved me off: dismissing me.
I narrowed my eyes at him but otherwise stayed silent, knowing not to make any more of a fool of myself in front of this boy than I already had.
So, I got into my car and drove home, ignoring the way that stupid nickname made my stomach do gymnastics.
When I got home I braced myself for whatever events where going to pass. Would my Mum be waiting to kill me the second I entered the house?
Figuring I would have to just go in and find out for myself, I opened the front door and entered the hallway of my home.
At first there was no sign that anything was different, until I heard the quiet tones of adults talking it the kitchen. Silently, I made my way to the stairs passing the kitchen on my way. The door was shut but I could still hear my Mum and Judy’s voices coming from behind it.
Bitterly, I wondered if they were talking about sending me away again. It seems that was all my mother could talk about in her rare moments of clarity. But, instead of listening in like the last time I decided it would be easier for me to just carry on walking up the stairs, not knowing was a lot better than the alternative.
Once in my room I locked the door behind me and slumped onto my bed, looking tiredly at the ceiling.
Suddenly, my phone began to buzz from my back pocket. Grumbling, I pulled it out and pressed it to my ear without look at the caller I.D.
“Hello?” I muttered into the speaker.
“Melody! What the bloody hell?”
It was Amy. I pulled the phone away from my ear slightly, wincing at how loud she was yelling.
“You just left! You didn’t even tell me where you were going. Do you know how worried I was?” She began to rant: I quickly shut her up by calling her name.
“I’m sorry for worrying you; I just had to get out of there.” I mumbled into the, now silent, line.
I heard her sigh softly and felt myself relax slightly.
“What happened?”
So I told her. I told her about the breakdown I had, about how Seth found me and how we went to the diner afterwards. I told her I knew about her aunt and uncle.
“He told you then?” She said quietly once I was done with the story.
“Yeah, just that they died. I didn’t ask anything else.” I explained quickly.
“Did you… Did you tell him about it Melody?” She whispered and I felt myself stiffen.
“No.” I said curtly.
The line was silent as she let that sink in.
“Sorry.” She finally said and I could hear her sniffling, holding back tears.
“What?” I said startled.
“I’m sorry for forcing you to take on Sophie; I honestly didn’t think she would do that. Harmony was her friend after all…” She trailed off miserably.
I bit my lip gently, still looking at the ceiling.
“Well, Sophie’s more messed up than either of us thought. It’s fine. It was going to happen at one point.” I said sadly.
“Want to come over? We can hang out.” Amy asked, trying to offer some comfort I suppose but the offer didn’t sit well with me right now.
I just wanted to be alone for a bit.
“No thanks, I’m just going to go for a shower and then go to bed.”
“Okay then, well about Saturday. I was thinking I’ll pick you up tomorrow for school that way you don’t need to drop your car off at home before coming to mine.” She said sounding a little more like herself.
“Sure, that’s fine.” I said nodding. “Well, I better go Amy, thanks for calling…” I trail off awkwardly.
“Don’t be stupid. It’s what friends do. See you tomorrow.” She says before hanging up.
I smile a little at the phone before sitting it on my bedside counter.
Talking with Amy had helped, but the mentioning of Sophie had set off a whole new feeling of anger. I scrunch my little hands into pathetic fists and stare down at how pitiful they are.
What could I do about it now?
I stared at stared but came up with nothing.
Nothing.
That’s right, there was nothing I could do about it now. The past was something we could never change, no matter how hard we tried.
My sisters were dead. And it was my fault. Time to push on and get on with life, no more being pushed around and crying when things get too tough.
Sighing, I unfurled my fists and shook them out a little.
If I actually thought I was capable of moving on I would have stood my ground when Sophie walked up to me in that canteen.
Tired of my confused thoughts, I stood up from my bed and padded to the bathroom hoping that a nice warm shower would wash away the last of them.
~*~
The next morning I woke up vaguely aware that Amy was coming to pick me up in twenty minutes, but I was in a state of half consciousness that had me convinced I had dreamed the last week up.
So, it wasn’t until I was half way to my shower and my phone was ringing to fully wake up and realise how late I had slept in.
“Shit.” I cursed diving haphazardly back to my bed and grabbing the buzzing device from the bedside counter.
“Morning.” Amy chirped from the other end, her voice way to perky for this time in the morning.
“I slept in.” I mumbled trudging back to the bathroom, not bothering to downplay it.
“Well you better move your arse and be ready in ten minutes or I’ll make sure your parachute has a fault tomorrow.” She said pleasantly back, like she hadn’t just threatened my life.
Groaning I mumbled some sort of reply and ended the call getting into the shower without waiting for the water to heat up and regretting it immediately.
After the horribly quick shower it’s a mad dash to get myself dressed while packing an overnight bag, once I’m done and 50% sure I have everything I need I tie my hair into the quickest French braid I have ever done in my life.
I’m downstairs just as I see Amy pull up in her Mum’s car.
“Melody?” Judy calls from the kitchen sounding surprised, probably from the way I ran down the stairs like the freaky chick form The Ring was behind me.
I bite my lip, unsure if I should just ignore her and got straight to the car. My conscience wins and I quickly head into the kitchen fixing my bags onto my shoulder as Judy looked over me.
“Two bags?” She commented quietly, like she was scared I was going to start screaming again.
Okay so that did make me feel a little bad. But only a little.
“Yeah, I’m staying with Amy tonight and won’t be home till late tomorrow.” I explained briefly, not wanting to go into detail.
Her eye brow quirked up in that suspicious way I was becoming accustomed to but she didn’t say what was on her mind and instead opted for nodding, smiling slightly.
“Have fun.”
I bite the inside of my cheek before finally nodding and leaving her alone, not wanting to make Amy wait any longer than I already had. My life was actually on the line here.
“Hey,” I said as I climbed into the passenger seat.
“You are so lucky, you were two minutes from free falling.” She said without a greeting and I laughed in return.
“Noted. Now hurry up and drive, or do you want to be late.”
Amy rolls her eyes at me but starts the car anyway.
“Like that would matter, I’m not the one that ditched yesterday.” She said smirking slightly.
I groaned and began pulling at the sleeves of the jumper I was wearing.
“Totally forgot about that. Thanks so much for bringing it up.” The sarcasm present in my tone is enough to make her laugh and I smile in return.
“Oh please, you want to be reminded of your date with my cousin.” She slyly said back with a small smirk that resembled her cousins dearly.
“My what?” I almost yelled, turning to look at her full on now.
“Oh come on Melody, you and Seth had a meal together, talked and well… That’s a date.” She said rolling her eyes at me.
“No, a date doesn’t entitle me paying for my meal.” I said shaking my head adamantly.
It wasn’t a date. It was an impromptu lunch.
And that is what I was sticking to.
“No way, he actually made you pay? That moron.” Amy said her teasing lessoning.
“I wanted to pay. Like I said. Not a date.”
We rolled into my usual parking space, Amy flashing me a smile as she commented on how weird it was to be parked in the school’s loner zone.
I rolled my eyes at that, flipping her off, before getting out of the car.
As we walked closer to the school I was hit with a sudden sense of dread, more people than normal were looking at me. Whispering, pointing.
“What’s going on?” Amy muttered as we pushed through the crowds, trying to get to my locker.
When my locker finally came into view she gasped, which was more than what I could do. I was frozen to the spot. My eyes glued the new words painted over my locker.
“You should have died too.”
My stomach done a flip as the words hit home.
Amy reached out and squeezed my arm.
“Melody… I think it’s time we told a teacher.” She whispered looking around at the gathering of people.
I found myself shaking my head at her suggestion. I didn’t need another reason for my Mum to send me away.
“No. Don’t. Just leave it Amy.” I whispered back pulling my arm out from her grip and walking over to the locker.
However, a burst of high pitched giggles stopped me dead in my tracks.
Sophie and April were walking past, whispering and pointing at the locker. Giggling like it was Christmas morning.
I narrowed my eyes at them and suddenly the crowd turned quiet.
“Now that’s what I call artwork, not that stuff you paint.” April laughed pointing at my locker.
I saw Amy go to take a step towards them, her hands turning into fists but I quickly grabbed the back of her t-shirt to stop her.
“Sophie?” I said quietly into the crowd.
Their giggling stopped as she quirked an eyebrow at me.
“What?” She sneered, shocked that I was talking at all.
“Do you like your hair?” I asked, my voice growing a little stronger.
Amy looked back at me, a grin stretching across her lips as she registered my words, but I was too busy glaring at Sophie to respond to her.
“Why?” She asked back sounding a little unsure.
I paused, unsure if I really wanted to do this. Wouldn’t it be easier to just go back to being ignored, mute and lonely?
Sure.
But did I want to?
“Because I am going to make it my monthly goal to fucking shave it off.”
No. I really didn’t.
A/N
Sorry for the wait guys but here it is!
I have a small announcement for you all. As you know Amy is based on my friend from real life with the same name. Amy, real life, now has a Wattpad profile @amzlyjay1994 please follow her! She is very lonely haha
The link to her awesome story is here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/21720787-bite-your-tongue
Please give it a try!
Thanks for reading :)
Comment and Vote (Please)
Robyn x