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Chapter 24

Melody

I walk into honors biology and find Lisa. She sits near the back like usual. I sit down next to her.

"Boy have I got news for you." I say.

"I bet. I want to know what happened Sunday." She says.

In a whisper I explain how North locked us in the "library" to solve our problem. I can't help but laugh remembering that. I tell her about Jack's sister and how we were both broken that way in losing a family member. Then, I tell about the shadow attack and me unleashing my power. Lisa wants me to demonstrate but I don't trust myself. I don't want to blow the school apart on accident.

Then, and I ask her not to squeal, I tell her about Jack and me. She squeals anyway.

"Who was right? I was right! You two are just meant to be." Lisa says excitedly. I shush her.

"Okay okay. Chill." I'm about to go into more detail when a sub walks in.

"Hello. I'm Mrs. Yielding. Sorry I'm late. Let me take roll and then I'll show you the assignment." She sits down and pulls out the roll. We call roll and she pulls out another piece of paper. "Okay. It says here you are to do page 86-88 in the textbook on your own paper. What you don't finish you do for homework."

We groan at the task of bookwork. Kevin takes the roll to the office. Tyson goes to the closet and passes out the textbooks.

I sit and look at cells for the next five minutes but I can't focus. My mind keeps wandering to Jack. Plus my ankle is throbbing. I need to go do something else and then come back and try to get this done.

I raise my hand. "Can I go to the nurse's office for some pain medicine for my ankle?" I ask. She nods and I get up and head out.

I'm on my way to the office when I hear a scuffling down the hall. My curiosity gets the best of me and so I turn right and head down that hall. I pass the chemical lab and the janitor's closet. At the end of the hall the scuffling is louder. I follow the sound and find an unnamed door.

What is in there? Should I go in? Maybe someone needs help. My curiosity gets the best of me again. I try the door. It's unlocked so I open it.

I walk into a storage room. It's full of desks and textbooks. There are also decorations and posters from past events. Plus some bins and containers that are labeled. I walk in and look around. There are textbooks and workbooks from a couple years ago all stacked up on the wall. There isn't enough light from the window for me to read what it is.

The door closes and I turn around to find Tyler. Oh crap.

He smiles. "Hey, Melody." Tyler says as he locks the door.

"Uh, hey. What are you doing here?" I don't know what to do. I need to find a way out. Maybe I could use my power, but I don't know what that will do.

"Just picking up some more textbooks for English. I'm glad I ran into you. Where's prince charming?" He asks.

"What do you want, Tyler?" I ask.

"Relax, I just want to talk." Tyler walks toward me and I back away. I back into a desk and he closes the distance. I'm about to use my crutches as a weapon. Tyler is one step ahead of me. He takes my crutches and sets them on a table behind him. "No beating me up until you hear me out."

"Just leave me alone." I try to move out of the way but Tyler puts a hand on my shoulder to hold me there.

"Melody, I want to say I'm sorry."

"Wait, what?" I ask surprised. Did I hear him right?

"I'm sorry. I realize I made mistakes. I wasn't thinking clearly." Tyler takes my hand. "And, I want to go out with you again."

I pull my hand out of his grip. "Why would I go out with you again? Did Carla break up with you again?" I swear if that's the case I'll blast him with a sound wave.

"Carla has nothing to do with this, Melody. I know I messed up. But I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used you. But my feelings weren't fake. I really like you." Tyler says. He reaches up and touches my cheek. I smack his hand away.

"No way. You are a jerk! You bully people!" I exclaim.

"I've changed. Well I'm trying. The only person I've bullied recently is Jack, because I can't stand seeing you guys together!"

"That doesn't make it okay." I say.

"I know, I know. I'm working on it. Just give me a chance." Tyler says.

"No way. You had your chance and you blew it." I push his hand off my shoulder and try to walk away. He grabs my arm tightly. Tyler pulls me back.

"Let me change your mind." He takes my face and kisses me. I can't get away. In my mind I call out to Jack. Jack, help me. Please help. I try to use my power on him but I don't feel the tingling. Jack!

Jack

I'm freezing a lake when I feel it. I hear it. Jack, help me. Please help. I know it's her. I race across the snow covered trees to get to her. I'm coming Melody.

I arrive at the school and fly around the building trying to find out where she is. I hear her, feel her call out again. Jack! I follow it and find myself at a window. I look through the shades inside.

The room is some sort of a storage place. Then I see them. It's Tyler. He has Melody. No, he's kissing Melody. She's trying to get away. I feel this rage bubbling up in me. I step back and take aim at the window. The power builds up. I shoot and the window shatters.

I fly in. Tyler steps back trying to figure out why the window shattered. Melody and I lock eyes. She looks so relieved I'm here.

She uses Tyler's distraction to run. Melody tries to get away but he grabs her arm. She cries out in pain.

"Let he go!" I order. Tyler ignores me. Maybe he can't hear me. I don't care. I just need to get Melody away from him.

"Leave me alone!" Melody says. She throws a punch and it hits him in the jaw. Melody breaks free. She hobbles over to me. I steady her.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" I ask.

"I'm fine. Just get us out of here." She says.

"Who are you talking to?" Tyler asks. He tries to walk over to us.

I let Melody go and storm over to him. I throw a punch and I sail through him. I turn around and see Tyler going after Melody again.

"You leave her alone!" I shout. I try to kick him but again it sails through.

Okay, this isn't working. What can I do? I see a textbook on the ground. Worth a shot.

I set down my staff and grab the green chemistry book. I come up behind Tyler and smack his head hard with the book. It connects and he falls down, out cold.

"Take that you jerk. I'd call you several other things but I'm supposed to be a guardian of the children so you got lucky." I pick up my staff and turn to Melody. "He's out. You're safe now."

Melody sinks to the floor and puts her head in her hands. She's either shaking or shivering, possibly both. I set down the book and walk over to her. I gently touch her shoulder and she flinches away from me. My heart breaks for her. I sit down a bit away from Melody facing her.

"Whatever you need I'm here for you." I say. "Take your time."

Melody sniffs. She looks back up. "Thank you. I- I better explain later. People are going to start coming to investigate. We are lucky that the school's security cameras are being repaired today."

"Right. Are you sure you will be alright? Maybe you should say you are sick and come home." I advise.

"Yeah. I- I probably need to head home." I get up and grab her crutches. She stands up and takes them. I gently touch her shoulder. She doesn't flinch away. Melody reaches around and pulls me into a tight hug. "Thank you." She says.

I hug her tightly. "Anytime. I'll always be here for you." We break away. Melody heads out and I fly out the window.

Melody

"So I went to the nurse's office making sure to check for glass or anything that would associate me with what just happened." I explain to Jack. We are back in my room. I'm sitting in Jack's lap with on my bed. He had asked me what happened after he left. "I walked into the nurse's office and told her my leg really hurt and I didn't feel very well. I told her I was having a hard time focusing. She asked me if I want to call a parent to pick me up. Since dad is a teacher and I don't have a mom here I called Lisa's mom. She is basically my mother. She does what my dad can't for me." I say.

"I sent Lisa a text saying I wasn't feeling well so I went home. Her mom signed me out and I came home. Guess who was waiting for me?" I ask Jack. He pretends to think.

"Bigfoot?" He guesses. I laugh.

"Your feet aren't big enough to be called that." I tease. He laughs and smiles.

I sigh. "Okay, so I need to explain something." I say. "If I want you to be honest with me I need to be honest with you."

"Whatever it is, I promise I won't overreact." Jack says.

"Okay. Um, in middle school, Tyler and I dated." I say.

"What?!" Jack exclaims. "Sorry I'm just surprised."

"Yeah. He wasn't always like this. In middle school Tyler was still the popular kid. I regret to say I had a crush on him. He asked me out to a dance, one year. Everyone thought we were a cute couple. He was romantic and seemed to care a lot about me. Then, at the dance, his ex-girlfriend, Carla, showed up and they danced together all night. Afterwards I talked to him about it and he said he was just using me to make his ex jealous. Sure enough the next day they were together again. I was hurt at the fact he used me. It only assured my theory that all guys have a motive." Jack pats my leg comfortingly.

"I thought he actually liked me, and Lisa agreed. But he started being really mean and bullying me. Lisa found out it's because his girlfriend wanted to make sure I was out of the picture. What you saw a few minutes ago confirms our suspicion that he actually likes me. That would explain why he hates you so much." I sigh. "I can't believe I liked him. He's a jerk."

"I'm sorry." Jack says.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." I reply.

"No, what just happened is my fault. If I had stayed with you he would have never tried that." I shush him.

"Jack. It's okay. You can't protect me from everything. What matters is that you came and you stopped him. Maybe now his mother will see he isn't her golden child and do something about it." Jack kisses my check and hugs me by my waist. I put my head on his shoulder.

"How was I lucky enough to find someone like you?" He asks.

"I'm the lucky one." I reply.