Chapter Two
Melinda preferred rather to sit on the gurney than to lay down. A powdered sheet lay beneath her, stained yellow from puss forming around the cut. She flinched a little as the mixture of water, soap, and anti-bacterial ointment were cleansed over the wound. Nurse Becky knelt over her army and dazzled the wound with cotton and gauge tape.
"How do you feel Melinda?" She asked. She threw out two passes from her cupboard files.
"It's alright," She nodded and chuckled softly. I raised an eyebrow her way. What was funny, honestly?
"Do you take required prescriptions?"
"No, please, I'm alright." With a shade of pale pink, that was hard to believe.
"Alright, where are you two off to now?" She rushed through a sloppy signature and glanced back toward us.
"Chemistry with Mr. Wright," I said.
"Biology," Melinda bit her lip and a strange noise came out her throat. "Mr. Neck."
Oh, him.
"Well, here you go," Nurse Becky handed us our passes and lead us out the door. "If you need anything at all, you know where I'm at."
"Okay," I mumbled and followed Melinda down the hall.
"Hey, are you going to survive through Biology?" I reassured her with a hug and met her eye level.
She breathed a heavy sigh.
"Please don't butter with me up with sympathy."
"Melinda," I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, you're pretty shallow, and I believe that nobody with a sweet soul as yours deserves such as that."
"It's just…" She flailed her arms to the side and leaned her head against the wall.
"What? Let's fix it together if you want."
"Only you and Travis seem to listen, and neither of you know what is killing me inside. It's not simple to resolve."
Fifth bell rang and Melinda slapped her forehead in frustration.
"Who is bothering you?" The crowds thinned away and we would have a brief amount of alone time. "Rachel?"
"No, I've been trying to reach Rachel, actually. That failed. Her boyfriend…"
"Tell me anything! Did he hurt you?"
"Emotionally, yes. Physiologically, no. Physically, a bit." She lifted her hair to reveal a scar looped around her ear.
I needed to burst.
"You didn't tell anyone?"
"I was scared…" She whispered. "He'd probably become more of a beast."
"Not if he hits the pound first! How do you know you could not have aids or HIV?"
"I went to the hospital by myself, down the bridge after the party last summer. They physiologist ran some tests and took some x-rays."
"Where were your parents?"
"Town Hall. I had a spare access key."
"He's still roaming around you, the stalker. You're third down on the food chain in his eyes." She began to cry, prickles of teardrops shone under the light.
"I just want to know I have at least two true friends." I pulled her into a squeeze. Honestly, the true friend of hers must be Travis Petrakis. "We should really get going." Her heart must be drowning by now, all of the pressure. And we'd pass Andy Evans again during the lunch break. I need to see Nicole Andrews.