The next morning Melanie went to breakfast early, but she was one of the first to arrive. She grabbed a plate, and took a seat in the back of the dining hall. She finished her breakfast, but by then only a few more people arrived, so she went to her room to see what was taking Nico so long.
"Hello?" Melanie said as she knocked on Nico's bedroom door. "Nico? You up yet?"
"I've been up for over an hour," Nico said appearing behind her.
"WHAT THE FU-" Melanie screamed.
"Were you about to say what I think you were?"
"No, I was saying fudge. Yup fudge."
"Sure you were," Nico said skeptically.
"I was!" Melanie protested!
"Okay then..."
"How did you sneak up behind me anyways?"
"Shadow travel," Nico stated simply, "It means-"
"I know what it is, or at least I think I do..."
"Okay then, let's get to breakfast."
"I already ate."
"Without me? I'm shocked!"
"Suck it up, and go. Meet Henry on your way to the dining hall," Melanie demanded.
Just then there was a soft knock. Melanie glanced at Nico, then quickly walked to answer the door. She opened the door to see Henry standing there sleepy-eyed. "You know how my roommate was sleeping when we arrived? Well he stays up all night yelling at his computer monitor. Oh and I found this shoved under my door addressed to Allison. I'm assuming it's for you Melanie," Henry said as he handed her a note.
"So it turns out boys and girls can't hang out together in dorm rooms during free period. So bring your laptop, if you have one that is, if not you can use the school's crappy computer. We will be in the lounge. Sorry we missed you at breakfast (someone said they saw you). Hope to see you then.
-Evan and Brice"
"Don't forget we are supposed to hang out with Evan and his friends," Melanie reminded Henry.
"Uhh.. okay."
"Oh. So you guys aren't hanging around, 'cause I thought we could just hang out for a while. You know if you want to, that is." Nico told them.
"Well I'm going to go to the lounge, I... suppose you could come," Melanie said reluctantly.
"I'm in."
Melanie went through the classes for the day, which she mostly had with Evan. Although when she asked Henry about it in the one class they had together, he said he thought maybe Melanie could try to keep him close easier than Nico or Henry himself could, meaning she should lead him on. She was skeptical and decided to just be his friend. She didn't want to be a jerk.
As she walked into the lounge she saw Evan, Brice, Cameron, Dean, and Garrett sprawled across the room.
"Hey!" Melanie said, walking behind Evan. She nudged him in the back with her foot as if he were some dead animal.
"You ready to play some minecraft?"
"Oh yeah!" Melanie said as she set up her laptop. She turned around to ask Evan, "Survival or Creative?" but the words never left her mouth. Instead Evan pressed his own to hers. Was he kissing her? Yep, that was definitely what was going on. When did he get so close to her? Had Melanie really not noticed? She had no idea what to do.
"NO KISSING!" A teacher who had a face that with an elongated nose that resembled a beak.
"Mel- I mean Allison. Uh we need to go. Like now." Nico grabbed Melanie's belongings not even bothering to put her things in their case and pulled her out of the room as she pulled Henry from Dean's attention.
"What the heck was that? You're only my pretend brother. You do know that right?"
"I just saw the Harpie from the bus I think it's following us."
"Oh, Mrs. Dactyl. She teaches nature studies."
"Just promise me one thing."
"And what would that be?"
"Just stay safe, and don't go on any nature hikes with the lady."
That night Melanie decided she wanted a midnight snack, okay so it was more like a two-thirty-in-the-morning kinda snack but same thing. She got out of her bed, and walked to the mini fridge Nico had brought in. As she opened it and bent down to see what was inside of it, she felt breathing on the back of her neck.
"Is that you Nico?" Melanie asked without turning around.
"No, it's the boogie-man." Nico said sarcastically.
"Well Mr. Boogie-Man, can you tell me where my pudding cups went?"
Just then there was an almost silent crunch of plastic. Melanie turned around to find Henry sitting in the corner with her six pack of pudding cups empty with the trash scattered everywhere around him with bite marks.
"HENRY!" Melanie yelled as she rushed to the corner to see if there were any remaining pudding cups.
"Sorry," he said, his voice muffled, his mouth full of plastic.
"What are you doing here anyways?" Nico asked.
"Craig, my roommate is a pain in the you know what."
"I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean you have to eat my pudding cups!"
"Hey! Calm your ti-toes,"
"Were you about to tell me what I think you were about to tell me?" Melanie demanded.
"Not at all," Henry said, only managing to make Melanie more angry.
"Well you can buy me more in the campus store tomorrow."
"But can I sleep here tonight?"
"I'll set up a place in my room," Nico said.
"Thanks," Henry said as he grabbed his bag and followed Nico into the darkness of his room.
