Melody sat in between Lindsay Weir and Jamie Wilson as Mr. Rosso explained to them how the 2 weeks at the University of Michigan would go. They were leaving that upcoming Sunday. Melody was nervous about how soon it was, but she just kept reminding herself that it was just 2 Mondays. by the third Monday she would be back home with Neal, it wasn't that big of a deal, she tried to assure herself.
Jamie and Lindsay left as soon as the meeting was over. Melody collected her bag and put away her book she'd been taking notes on what Rosso told them in. Then she noticed a small paper chapter book on the group. She assumed it had to be Lindsay's because it was near her chair so Melody picked up the book and ran off down the hallway to find her.
"Hey Lindsay wait up!" Melody called after her down the hall, so Lindsay stopped to look back at her. She ran and caught up to her. "You dropped this." Melody said handing the book back to Lindsay.
"Oh thanks." She said taking back the book.
"So.. Gatsby huh?" Melody asked, referencing the book The Great Gatsby she'd just handed back to Lindsay. "Haven't you already read that? Isn't it the standard in most sophomore classes? " She asked confused.
"Oh, yeah well. I just like it. I thought it was time to crack it open again." Lindsay said casually.
Melody looked at her confused "Really?"
"Really what?" Lindsay now looked confused.
"You liked Gatsby?" Melody asked.
"Of course I do. Fitzgerald was one of the greatest writers of his time." Lindsay told her as if it were an obvious fact.
"No, people say he was one of the greatest writers of his time. But people are also stupid." Melody pointed out. "Gatsby is so overrated. There is so much pointless narrative, Nick himself is basically just human wallpaper, he's so dull. If he wasn't a character at all and it just had a regular narrator the story would have been exactly the same. And don't even get me started on Gatsby and Daisy. It's not a love story, it's a tragedy about selfish wealthy people who don't think the rules of regular society apply to them and don't face any consequences for multiple murders. The takeaway from the boring non story of the book is basically that all human beings are awful and selfish, and even the ones you think you like just end up sucking and letting you down in the end. What is so likable about that book?" Melody ranted out.
"It's about the American dream, and the ability to reinvent oneself." Lindsay told her.
"Please, that's why the text books say it's great. Just because the point of the book is about the influence of rich society and being able to reinvent yourself and not have to live up to the consequences of your past, doesn't mean it's a good book. Yeah, it technically makes it's point. But it doesn't provide any particularly deep insights into it's points. It just says exactly what it meant to say, very basically, and very boringly. Making your point doesn't make a good novel. Thoughtful narrative, good writing, and deep characters make a good novel. Which the Great Gatsby so doesn't have."
"Was there a point to this conversation? Or did you just come over to insult my reading habits?" Lindsay said defensively.
"I wasn't trying to insult your reading habits. I was just surprised people actually like that book." Melody told her. "Sorry." she rolled her eyes.
"No, I'm sorry. That's my bad. I didn't mean to get so defensive about it." Lindsay said sweetly as they walked out of the school together.
Melody hated it that Lindsay was actually pretty nice in general. She wanted to hate Lindsay, and it would have been a lot easier if Lindsay was always a bitch, but she wasn't. She was generally smart, and thoughtful, and kind. Which made her very hard to hate. "So are you excited for the summit?" Melody asked trying to make nice small talk.
"Are you kidding me? No." Lindsay replied as if it were obvious.
"Why not? It'll look great on college apps." Melody said confused.
"Because, I don't know. It just feels like I'm going right back into school again." Lindsay said annoyed.
"Yeah, but it's only 2 weeks, you still have 2 and a half moths of summer once it's over." Melody pointed out.
"I'm just not much of a joiner." Lindsay said before walking off. "But you go right on ahead and have all the fun you want." She turned back around to say before walking forward again.
Melody looked at Lindsay strangely as she left her view. She didn't understand why she was so opposed to the idea. It wasn't exactly Melody's first choice for the beginning of her summer either. But she was still honored to have been chosen. It was just 2 weeks to give up for something that would massively positively impact her future. That seemed very worth it to her. And that conversation with Lindsay about Gatsby was actually pretty fun. She knew Kayla or Bethany wouldn't have had any idea what she was talking about. Getting to talk to other smart kids about things they'd both read and understood would be a really nice change of pace.
The next day Melody walked out of the AV room after class with Neal. They'd all just finished Monty Python.
"Hey, so tonight, I was thinking maybe ice cream then giant chess in the park?" Melody suggested then she looked at Neal who looked back at her sadly.
"That sounds great, really, but I can't tonight." He said disappointingly.
"Why not?" She looked at him sadly.
"I kind of got into a fight with my dad last night. And long story short, I can still do DND tomorrow, and I can say goodbye at the bus station on Sunday, but other then that I'm on lock down for the next week." Neal explained.
"What? Why? What happened? Are you alright?" Melody asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine I guess. I just- I told my dad I know."
Melody froze and looked at him seriously. "You did? How did that go?"
"He tried to deny it, then said it was none of my business. So I just told him that him and mom could live whatever kind of lie they want, but I'm not just going to keep walking around that house like nothing's wrong. Or like I don't know what we all know. It's insane." Neal explained.
"I'm sorry." Melody said pulling him in for a hug. He hugged her back, resting his head on her chest.
"It'll be alright. He's just mad I talked back to him." Neal said before withdrawing from the hug. "At least it's all out in the open now, and it's just a week. I'll live. That unfortunately means I also won't have phone privileges the first week you're gone. But I swear I'll call the second I'm allowed to." He told her.
"Neal, you really don't need to worry about that." She told him sadly, stressing about calling her should be the last thing on his mind. He had so much going on she didn't want her to add to it.
"Are you kidding? That's the only thing I'm worried about. My parents are a shit show. They'll work it out or they won't. I can't do anything about that. You on the other hand, are my girl, and my first priority in life is just to make you happy." He was so sweet.
Melody smiled at him blushing before taking his hand and continuing to walk down the hallway to History. "How'd I get so lucky?" Melody asked sweetly looking down at him.
"Beats me." Neal joked, and Melody laughed pretending to hit him.
That night Melody sat in her room organizing all of her old school work into filing cabinets. She realized most people just threw their work away when they were done with it, but Melody liked to keep her work throughout the years and save it away. She never knew which random assignment, or research paper might come in handy down the road as notes or a resource. She kept looking over at the phone, she wanted to call Neal but she knew she couldn't.
"Hey you." Mrs. Andopolis said sweetly smiling at her daughter from her doorway.
"Oh, hi mom." She responded before looking back at her cabinets.
"So no Neal tonight? You didn't go over last night either, is everything alright?" She asked concerned.
Melody looked back up at her mother confused. "Yes? Why?"
"I just didn't know if you two had a fight or something. You've been over at his house every night for the past month, and the few times you were actually home you two have been on the phone together." She pointed out.
Melody looked at her embarrassed. "It hasn't been every night!" She protested. Her mother gave her a knowing look. "Besides, there's nothing left to study. We're done with finals, so I don't need to tutor him anymore, so I'm home." Melody explained.
"Oh please honey, I'm your mother I'm not blind. So is he your boyfriend? Or are you two 'going steady'? I don't know what the kids are calling it these days."
Melody's entire face flushed. How had she known? "Y-yeah, I guess he's my boyfriend. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I ju-" Melody was cut off by her mother.
"Oh don't be. I was 14 once too, I get it. He seems like a nice boy." she smiled sweetly at her daughter.
"He really is." Melody smiled back. It was nice to just have a normal conversation with one of her parents for once.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a little surprised, I mean.. you know.. but he does seem nice, and I suppose that's what really matters." Mrs. Andopolis said, meaning for it to be a compliment.
Melody looked at her mother confused. "I know what? I- I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well he's.. you know.. kind of short, and... well just not really the kind of man I pictured you with." She tried to speak politely while blatantly insulting him.
"I don't care that he's short. And what do you mean? What kind of guy did you picture me with?" Melody was still confused.
"I don't just.. more of a man I guess. Neal just.. well he looks like a bit of a geek. Like he couldn't take someone in a fight."
Melody looked at her mother shocked and insulted, on both her's and Neal's behalf's. "Ok, well for 1, Neal is a man. 2, he is a geek, he's a total geek. That's what I like about him. I'm a geek too. And 3, I am so not looking for the type of guy who 'could take someone in a fight'. Neal is sweet, and smart, and funny, and he listens to me. That's what I'm looking for in a man. Also not that it's any of your business or matters at all in the slightest, but Neal's been in a fight, and he won." Melody told her mother proudly of her boyfriend, purposefully leaving out the fact that Neal won a fight in a group of 3 against 1. She couldn't believe her mother. Thinking that if a guy wasn't 6 feet tall, with huge muscles, and obsessed with sports he wasn't a real man.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't have said anything. He seems like a very nice boy. As long as you're happy I'm happy." Mrs. Andopolis corrected herself.
"I am happy. He makes me happy." She told her mother.
"Well then that's all I need to know. Goodnight sweetheart." She said before leaving.
"Goodnight mom." Melody called after her then went back to her sorting.
A few minutes later Sara appeared in Melody's doorway and scared the crap out of her.
"Hey" Sara spoke way too cheerily.
Melody jumped in her seat on the floor and clutched her hand to her chest. "Jesus you scared me. What do you want?" She glared at her antagonistically.
"Sorry Melly, I was just-"
"No." Melody said blankly giving her a stare that could kill.
"B-but you don't even know what I was going to ask." Sara said still smiling.
"I do, you were going to ask if I wanted to come dance with you guys. Or watch you dance. And the answer is no. But that's not what I was saying no to. I said no, because you are not ever allowed to call me Melly under any circumstances." Melody told her coldly. She'd feel bad about being mean to her but this girl had gotten on her last nerve. "Nick is the only person who calls me that, and even he's not allowed to. So don't do that ever again."
Sara looked a little scared of the younger girl. "Sorry Melody. Are you sure you don't want to come watch though? Nick has a competition tomorrow and it would help him to have a bigger audience." Sara said somehow still cheerily. Damn this girl was persistent.
"Yeah, I'm going to stick with the no. I'd kind of rather gauge my eyes out. But you two, have a ton of fun. Really I mean it, just dance till you can't dance no more." Melody said sarcastically.
"Are you sure you and Ken aren't related, you two seem to share a rude sense of humor." Sara said, obviously thinking it was a dis. It wasn't.
"God I wish. His parent's are richer then mine. Also I'd be a lot less embarrassed to call him my brother then Nick." She paused hearing the disco music start to play again. "Especially right now."
"You're really rude you know that?" Sara told her.
"Well you're blaring disco music in my house and standing in my doorway while I'm trying to get work done, so I don't feel too bad about it." Melody responded. Sara huffed then marched away. Melody rolled her eyes. She knew she could have been nicer about all of that, she just really didn't want to be.
"This is why you're not allowed to be grounded. Because when you're grounded I have to stay home with disco Ken and Barbie and I get mean when confronted with disco barbie." Melody told Neal as the 6 of them sat around at lunch.
"I'm sorry. I'll try to consider the disco barbie situation next time." Neal joked.
"You better." Melody joked back.
"Hey, I don't think disco's too bad." Sam interjected.
"Oh, no, Sam. You need to never talk about disco ever. All it does is remind people of that blue jumpsuit you wore to school. You do not ever want to remind anyone of that. That was a dark day. You need to burn that suit if you haven't already." Melody told him.
"Disco does make you mean." Sam said looking offended.
"She's right man." Neal told him and Bill and Harris nodded.
"I thought you looked nice Sam." Gordon complimented him like he always did.
"Thank you Gordon." Sam told his friend.
"All jokes aside, you'll thank me later. You need to burn that suit." Melody told him seriously.
"So, about tonight." Harris interjected with a change of subject. "We need to discuss how it's going to work now that Daniel's coming."
"Wait Daniel's coming now? Why?" Melody asked confused.
"He thought it sounded cool." Harris told her.
Neal rolled his eyes, "please." He muttered under his breath.
"Really? I mean I've known Daniel for a while, it doesn't really sound like his kind of thing." Melody replied.
"Who are we to judge who's kind of thing dnd is." Harris said monotoned as always.
"I guess." Melody replied.
"So tonight we will be joined by Kragenwar the Destroyer" he said looking at Neal, "Gorthon the Thief" he said motioning to at Bill. "Logan the Huge" He said looking to Sam. "Sarqen the Strong" He looked to Gordon. "And.." He looked at melody waiting for her to fill in the blank.
"Oh um, Arine the Blessed. A halfling cleric." She told them.
"Excellent, we could use a good healer, my healing hands was only getting us so far." Gordon told her.
"I know, I asked Neal what classes you all played so my character would fill a gap in the party. Besides, cleric works for me. I still don't really know too much about the game, so I figure I'll let you guys do the fighting, I'll do the healing.. and a bit of fighting. Clerics have some pretty cool tools." She smiled.
"That they do." Harris agreed.
"Guys, it's the last day of school." Sam interjected looking at everyone around him.
"Yeah? So?" Bill said confused.
"So, it's the last day of school. This is our last lunch of the year in this room. The next time we come in here we'll be-"
"Sophomores." Neal finished Sam's sentence then looked at Harris, "And a Junior. Wow, you're right, I hadn't thought about that. This is it for this year. We're at lunch, that means the day is more then halfway done. In only a few hours we will no longer be Freshman."
"This year went by so fast." Bill said.
"And yet so slow. I just hope next year is as good as this one was." Gordon said in his usual optimistic tone.
"Okay, let's can it on the sappy stuff. Now back to the game. How are we setting this up at your house Sam?" Neal asked.