Author's Note: I'm back! :)

Sorry, it took so long. I've been really busy with schoolwork and some personal stuff. But I've finally started the sequel to The Truth, and it's going to be a chapter story! I'll try to update as soon as I can, but since it's Thanksgiving Break (I'm off for a week) I might have the whole story up before I go back to school on Monday.

Oh, and yes, I changed my pen name again. I got it from a Runaways song. My last pen name, if anyone forgot, was LizBennet713. Okay, ENOUGH OF MY BABBLING! Here it is, enjoy! And review? Pretty please with sugar on top?

All I Know, A Speak Fanfic

I looked out as I opened my mom's car door. The giant letters across the building spelled out "Merryweather High-Home of the-" There was a blank space. Home of the what? Lions? Wolves? Or would we just be the Hornets again, despite the "Horny Hornet" incident at last year's basketball championship game?

"This school never makes up its mind, does it?"

I turn to my mom, whose curly brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and who was leaning forward in her seat to look at me through the window. "Guess not," I say.

My mom checks her watch impatiently and sips her coffee. "Okay, I have to go. Can't be late for work."

"Okay," I say, taking my backpack from my seat and flinging it onto my back. Ow. Flinging a backpack with seven notebooks, a pencil box, and a couple of books was not a good idea. "Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, sweetie, have a good day at school!" my mom yells as she drives away. A group of girls nearby giggle.

I can not wait to start driving.

I enter the halls. Everyone is yelling at each other across the hall, asking how their summer went. I search for any of my friends. I see Nicole chatting with other jocks. I heard she entered a local tennis tournament for kids and she won in the teen division. I'll have to ask her about that later. I don't see Ivy anywhere; she's probably with a bunch of kids that are in Art Club or the Thespians. Almost the exchange students are back in their home countries. I freeze when I see one more familiar face at her locker, toting a drawing pad, a navy-colored messenger bag, and colored pastels.

Melinda Sordino. My best friend. No, my ex-best friend. No, wait. Actually, I wasn't sure what we were. I don't think she would talk to me. Not after all the things I did and said to her last year.

"You liar! You're just jealous because I'm popular and I'm going to the prom with the hottest guy in school and you're not. And you sent me that note, huh? Warning me to stay away from him? You are so sick."

I regretted saying that the whole summer. Why didn't I stay with her? Why didn't I listen?

I start walking towards her, then I stop when I'm almost right behind her. Her locker door is almost blocking my face. I raise my hand to tap her lightly on the shoulder, but then I pause and drop my hand. I don't think she trusts anyone to touch her. Especially after she was raped. By my ex-boyfriend.

Andy Evans, my ex, finally told me the truth that he raped Melinda after my several (and unsuccessful) attempts to get him to 'fess up. He told me at last year's senior prom. While we were slow dancing.

Andy was all over me. I asked him again about Melinda. He asked me why I didn't trust him. I told him I heard he raped Melinda. He ignored me and kept kissing my neck. I repeated my question. He asked what the hell was wrong with me. I raised my voice and yelled, "DID YOU?" He called me a bitch. I took that as a "yes." I dumped him and danced the night away with Pedro, the exchange student from Portugal, while Andy got drunk and passed out in a bowl of bean dip. Classy.

I snap back to the present. "Melinda?" I ask softly.

Melinda turns and sees me. Her straight, auburn hair was tied up in a low ponytail, like my mom's. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise, and her lips were still a little chapped. But overall, she looked better. Healthier.

"H-Hey, Rach," she stutters.

"Hey," I reply.

There's silence for about a minute.

"Um." Say something, idiot! A voice shouts in my head. But right before I open my mouth, Melinda opens hers. She stops. "Oh, were you gonna say something?"

"No, go ahead," I say quickly.

"Are you sure?" Melinda asks.

"It's fine," I snap. My eyes grow big. Nice.

Melinda nods, looking down at the floor. I push a strand of curly brown hair from my face. "So..." Melinda begins. "Yeah?" I say. This conversation isn't going as well as I hoped. But I can't blame her; I was a total bitch to her all freshman year.

"How was your summer?" Melinda finally asks. "Did you go to France?"

Wow. She remembered. "Yeah, but it was pretty boring. I wanted it to be more exciting. I mean, we did go see the Eiffel Tower and all, but we didn't have to go to, like, ten different museums to look at paintings and stuff..." I rambled.

"I'd like to look at paintings. In France, I mean," Melinda adds.

So she's an artist-type. Like Ivy. "How was your summer?" I ask, even though I have a pretty good feeling that it sucked.

"Okay, if you call standing in a court room with a psycho and going to therapy once a week fun."

I bit my lip. I knew she was talking about him. "Melinda," I began. "Andy-"

I saw her stiffen at the sound of his name. I bit my lip again.

"He-" I began again. "He told me he raped you. Last year."

"Was it at prom?"

"Yeah!" I exclaim, surprised. "How did you know?"

"I heard you and IT broke up at prom."

"IT?"

"My nickname for Andy."

"Why "IT?"" It reminded me of when we read A Wrinkle in Time in sixth grade and the bad guy was a giant brain called IT. I don't think it fits, considering Andy never had a brain in the first place.

"He doesn't deserve a name," Melinda answered. "Not after... you know." She bit her lip. She paused, then put a finger to her lip and pulled it away, examining it. I look. A tiny spot of blood. "Aw," she said, frowning.

I dug through my purse, opening a pocket, and pulling out a strawberry-flavored Lip-Smacker. Yeah, I still use Lip-Smackers even though I'm almost 16. They rock.

"Here." I held it out to her. She took it and quickly applied some on her lips. She put the cap back on.

"Did it stop bleeding?"

I examine her lips. "Yup. It's small, so I don't think anyone will notice."

Melinda grins. "Thanks." She holds the Lip-Smacker back to me. "Keep it," I say. "Thanks," Melinda repeated, sticking it in her pocket. She checked her watch. "Class starts in two minutes."

"Crap," I say. "I better go."

"Wait, what's your schedule?"

We swap schedules to find out that we have Gym 3rd period and English 6th period. "Cool, I guess I'll see you in Gym," I say.

"Okay. But Rach?"

"Yeah?"

"Meet me at lunch, okay? I want to show you something."

I hoped that was okay... Soooo? What do you think? I'll have the next chapter up soon! ~Little Dark Dynamite