Riley walked up to her mother on the pavilion at the cabin on the hill, "Mom, can I ask you something?"
"Sure honey," Topanga responded.
"Mom," Riley started, "Why do people avoid me?"
"Riley," Topanga consoled, "Who's been avoiding you?"
Riley pointed out a girl as she walked past, "Her. She's been avoiding me the whole time we've been here. Everyone else seems happy and friendly but she's been alone."
Topanga studied the girl. She looked just a little older than Riley and was walking without touching her right foot fully on the floor. She had curly hair and seemed to be ignoring everyone as she walked to her own little corner of the yard and pulled out her phone.
"Ah," Topanga nodded, "See that phone? She's using it to distance herself from everyone around her."
Riley looked at the girl as she walked away, "Why?"
"I don't know," Topanga admitted, "but maybe, just maybe, you could ask her yourself."
Riley looked to where the girl had been, then walked over to her friends, "I want to make a new friend!"
The group turned to look at her as Maya spoke, "Alright, who're ya thinking of?"
"The girl that's been avoiding me," Riley explained.
"Riley, no one knows who you're talking about," Lucas shook his head.
Riley led her friends over to the parking lot. She saw the girl leaning against a wall on the other end of the lot and pointed to her, "Her! She's been alone this whole trip."
"Oh my god," Lucas breathed, "It's her."
Riley looked to Lucas, and then to the girl. The looked over to the group and raised her hand to wave them over before clutching her chest and falling down. The group immediately rush to the girls aid. She couldn't move and her eyes were twitching.
"What do we do?" Farkle asked, panicked.
Lucas checked for a pulse, then checked for a sign of breathing. He started chest compressions, then stopped when the girls eyes moved. Her hand twitched out towards him.
"I'll call 911," Zay said, pulling out his phone.
Lucas took the girls hand, "You visited the Valley," Lucas started tearing up, "Remember?"
The girl started to cry, "I remember, I remember."
"You told me you were looking for something," Lucas smiled, "Did you find it?"
"N...no," the girl stammered, having trouble talking, "It hurts."
"Hey," Lucas said, "You're not going anywhere, you hear me? You don't get to die today."
"Riley!" Topanga and Cory yelled, seeing the scene and running over, "Are you okay?"
"It's not me, dad, it's her," Riley said, pointing to the girl. Cory took Riley in his arms, and the group looked at Lucas holding the girls hand.
"Lucas?" Maya asked.
"The ambulance is on the way," Zay said.
"Lucas?" the girl asked.
"Melody?" Lucas responded, tears streaming down both of their faces.
"Don't let them take me back," Melody stammered out.
Lucas looked up to Zay, "It's her."
Zay walked over to where Lucas was and kneeled down with him, "Hey Milly girl."
Melody tried to laugh, "Zay."
Zay shook his head, "You've always been a fighter, Mel."
Melody shook her head frantically, "I can't...I-"
"You're not leaving," Zay demanded, "You're not leaving us, Melody."
Topanga kneeled down next to the girl, Zay moving to make room, "Melody, my name is Topanga Matthews, the ambulance is on its way, okay?"
Melody tried her best to nod, "I'm gonna die."
"No," Lucas shook his head.
"How?" Melody asked.
"You wouldn't do that to me!" Lucas yelled.
Maya looked to Riley, and Riley to Maya. They watched as Lucas held Melody's hand, knowing that this was bound to change everything.