So, it's been a while since my last update. I'll have more to say about the end, but for now, let's just dive in. Enjoy!
All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime.
Chapter Eleven: Crossing the Line
Friday, January 3rd, 1997
"Hello?"
Melanie stood in the outer doorway of Joan Landy's office and called out when she saw the assistant's desk unoccupied. The headmistress had asked to speak with her after lunch, but this was the first time the blonde had been in her office and not seen the assistant waiting to say that Joan was expecting her.
"Candace is on vacation until Monday, dear," Melanie heard the older woman's voice call through the half-open inner door. "Please show yourself in."
Melanie approached cautiously, and as she got close, she found Joan sitting at her desk, going over what looked like some documents. She was smartly dressed as always, not a single loose strand in the honey-blonde bun her hair was pulled up into. Today, she was also wearing a pair of reading glasses, which Melanie was not used to seeing on her. They made her look like a librarian, except sterner.
Melanie stood in the doorway and gave a small cough. Joan Landy raised her head from her work and slipped off her glasses. "Melanie. Please come in and sit down."
Melanie did as asked, albeit with some hesitation in her steps. She was halfway to the small leather chair when Joan noticed the large purple bruise in the center of her nose, along with some scrapes on her cheeks. "What happened to your face, dear?" She asked.
Melanie took her seat with a shrug. "Nothing. I was... running on the sidewalk in the quad, slipped on some ice, and I fell. No biggie." All lies. In truth, she and Kimberly had been ambushed by Regina and her dogs yesterday, who had finally doled out some punishment for the snowball incident.
"I see," Joan said with a nod. "Well, I trust Gladys took good care of you."
The smaller blonde nodded, remembering the choice vocabulary she'd used when the nurse had broken out the peroxide. Then she decided to change the subject. "Um... why am I here, Ms. Landy? Did I do something wrong?"
Joan laughed. "Oh, not at all, dear. Now that one term has ended and another is about to begin, I just... wanted to ask about how you're doing? Do you feel you're fitting in all right?"
Another shrug. "I think I'm fitting in okay. It's a school. I've been to them before. I know how to get by."
"Yes, I'm sure you do, dear. At least, your work seems to reflect this. You're doing an admirable job getting caught up academically, if the reports I've been getting from your teachers are any indication. But then, I had no doubts about that. I knew you were a smart young lady from the moment we met. A few behavior problems here and there, and Ms. Kelly has some objections to the things you have to say about your required reading, but what child isn't a work in progress? That's why you and the other girls have me here to guide you."
"Um, Ms. Landy..." Melanie sat up straighter in the chair. "What is this place, really? I mean, I like gym class and all, but... somehow, I don't think the judge would have given you custody of me if he knew there was an ex-Marine here, teaching kids to fight with knives."
For a long while, Joan scrutinized her charge, poker face in rare form. Then she actually gave a chuckle. "I've told you what this place is, Melanie. It's a school designed to nurture young women who possess a unique set of skills, such as you. Frankly, you're getting a much better education here than most children in a public school system."
"Is that why we have the fences? Because kids from other schools are dying to get in here?"
Joan's expression became more serious, then. "What have the other girls been telling you, dear?"
"Nothing, really. I don't talk to them a lot."
"Well, I see you and Kimberly together all the time."
"Well, she's my roommate. And my combat training tutor. Kind of hard for me to avoid her."
The headmistress leaned forward, fingers steepled in front of her face. "Melanie, my child, believe me when I say that the security measures I have put in place at this school are for your safety. They are not to stop you from leaving, but to stop undesirable people from getting in."
Melanie leaned forward now, as well. "Who are these people?"
"Not to be trifled with," was the answer. "And that is all you need know at this time." Joan put her glasses back on, then, resumed poring over the work on her desk. "I'm pleased to hear you're adjusting, dear." She waved a hand absently at the door. "You may go now."
Melanie got up from the chair and left, though her mind was racing a little. She was absolutely certain now that Joan Landy was hiding something from her, and probably from the rest of the girls. But whatever it was, the petite blonde likely wouldn't be around long enough for it to affect her.
As soon as I get that knife, I'm a ghost. This reminded Melanie that she wanted to practice some of the new forms Kimberly had shown her before gym class started, and so she changed direction in the hall outside, heading towards the exit that would spit her out closest to the practice field.
January 7th, 1997
English class had just gotten out. To Melanie's dismay, they had been assigned another book, this one called "Little Women," and it sounded even worse than the last book.
"Something tells me this book's gonna be filled with characters who are pussies," Melanie told her roommate as they walked down the hallway. "Like, even bigger pussies than Ponyboy."
"Wanna make a wager?" Kimberly asked her. "You get a higher grade than me on this book report, I'll buy you, um... a jar of Tabasco."
"Tabasco?" Melanie raised a blonde eyebrow.
"Well, any hot sauce you want. Doesn't have to be Tabasco."
"And if I don't get a higher grade?"
Kimberly thought for a minute. "Then... you buy me an action figure to add to my collection. One of the Bubblegum Crisis girls that I don't have yet."
Melanie shook her head. "Nah. One of the only useful lessons I learned from a fake dad is never to gamble... unless you can fix the outcome."
"Good advice," the dark-haired girl said with a laugh.
The girls stopped at the bulletin board to see what their next class was... and both of them glanced at each other in confusion when they saw that it was something called "Health Sciences."
"Any idea what this is?" Melanie asked.
"Never seen it before," Kim answered. "But you know Landy. It'll probably be a class about oats and vitamins."
They moved quickly to drop their English books off at their lockers and then move to their new class before the bell rang. When they arrived, they and the other girls in the class were all surprised to find plastic baggies on their desks. Melanie sat down and opened hers to find several unexpected items: a few tampons (she recognized what they were since she'd once seen them in one of her foster moms' medicine cabinets), a stick of Secret deodorant, a disposable razor, a small travel-sized can of shaving gel, and a tube of toothpaste.
"What the hell is all this?" One of the other girls asked, a sentiment echoed by the others in the class. While they were busy talking amongst one another and trying to guess what was going on, Joan Landy entered the classroom. At the sight of the headmistress, all conversation ceased and everyone rose from their chairs.
"Be seated," Joan said in a crisp voice, and the students did so. Joan then took her own seat behind the large mahogany desk at the front of the room. "Now then, my children: I am sure you're all wondering what we are doing here."
There were only nods, no verbal responses. Not even Melanie wanted to risk detention by saying something sarcastic, since it was unexpected for the woman who ran the school to be teaching a class.
"Well," Joan went on to explain. "It's quite simple. As the faculty nurture your minds, unlocking your full potential, your bodies are also growing. There will come a day when you will be women, and not girls. And so this class is meant to help you understand and process the changes your bodies will go through as you make that transition."
Joan then spent the next forty-five minutes explaining the items in the bags, and when the bell rang, she had been starting to discuss the physical changes of puberty. "Well, girls," the matriarch said as she rose from her seat. "We'll pick up where we left off this time next week. Meanwhile, the bags and everything in them are yours to keep. If you have any questions about anything we discuss here, come see either myself or Gladys. I've ordered my assistant to clear some time for me this afternoon. Now, do we have a volunteer to erase the board?"
A few hands went up, and after she had selected a student, Joan rose from her desk and left the classroom. "Well, that was interesting," said Kimberly.
"Tell me about it," Melanie said, as she rose from her seat and gathered up her things.
"Hm." Mel's roommate cocked an eyebrow at her. "I know when you're being sarcastic. And you're not right now."
Mel looked at her roommate like she was crazy. "Yeah, why would I be? I'm looking forward to this."
Kimberly laughed. "What? To bleeding and cramps?"
"Yeah," Melanie said, still completely deadpan. "My whole life, I've been too short. Maybe puberty will finally give me a growth spurt. Plus, if I can grow a pair of boobs like, say, a few of the girls at King of Fighters, then maybe I can feel better about myself."
Kimberly said nothing at first, trying to choose her words. Both girls liked to read the same magazine, which revolved around women in the professional fighting scene, and so they'd seen the same articles on fighters like Mai Shiranui and Mary Ryan. She also knew Melanie was extremely self-conscious. It had caused her to run laps at a few gym classes, as the small blonde didn't like to change in front of the other girls, and waited until most of them were out on the field before she doffed her school uniform and put on her active one, which would sometimes make her late. It was also the reason why she usually showered in the dorms after gym class, rather than use one of the stalls in the shed.
Finally, the dark-haired girl gave a shrug. "If you say so."
"Come on, that would be totally awesome," Melanie chided her.
"Oh, I'm not saying it wouldn't be. I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't get too excited. We have no idea what's gonna happen. Everyone is different."
"As a fellow runt, I'd be getting more excited, if I were you. I feel like the odds are that short girls like us would get a growth spurt from puberty. I mean, we need it."
Kimberly thought about saying that she was happy with who she was, but Melanie might take it the wrong way. So instead, she said: "I think we've got math class next."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Melanie rolled her eyes. "Wonder what useless shit Coleman will have us learning this time." She'd scraped through his class with a C on her last exam, just like her book report. "I'd rather talk about how cool it is that Landy gave us razors. Those things have a million uses."
"Yeah, like shaving our legs and armpits when they start growing hair," Kimberly retorted.
"Or... we could find a way to get the blades out and slip them into Regina's pudding cup."
The dark-haired girl frowned. "I wouldn't go that far, Mel. That's the type of thing that will probably get you expelled and arrested."
Melanie laughed and slapped the other girl on the back. "I know, just joking. Probably." This earned her a look from her roommate, so she said: "No, really, I am joking. I mean, when they retaliated for the snowball fight, I took my beating in silence, right?"
Well, Kimberly had to give her that one. "True. You stuck to our agreement."
"So if anything, I'd just... cut her a little. Only a little."
For whatever reason, their Health Sciences class had put Melanie in a good mood, given her something Kimberly had never seen: hope. So she just laughed, and Melanie laughed with her.
I just hope that puberty doesn't disappoint her, the dark-haired girl thought to herself. But there's time to worry about that much later.
March 6th, 1997
"Yes! That's it, Mel! Move like the river, sting like the river!"
The two girls were doing their usual session on the practice field, and once again, Kimberly was letting them play with rubber knives before they moved onto the real meat and potatoes of their lesson. She'd been doing this more often, ever since they'd finished with basic defensive blocks and graduated to more interesting styles of unarmed combat. She learned that it helped keep her pupil focused, and also, she just enjoyed doing it.
Kimberly tried a low jab with her fake blade towards Melanie's gut. The plucky blonde pivoted her body while at the same time moving her knife from right hand to left, and then sweeping her own weapon in a downward half-moon circle, deflecting her opponent's weapon. She then quickly moved the knife back to her right hand and grabbed Kimberly's wrist with her other hand, preventing her from blocking with the faux blade.
Her knife arm then tried to swing downwards, to a point where Kimberly's neck connected with her collarbone, but the dark-haired girl used that momentum to twist her own body backwards. As they fell, she thrust upwards with her right leg to throw her opponent off her, sending Melanie flying several yards to sprawl into the dirt.
"You're doing a lot better," the dark-haired girl said as she regained her feet and walked over to Melanie. "The way you're using both hands, I can see you're reading the books I recommended."
She was, of course, referring to the fact that both of them were ambidextrous, something they'd learned during Melanie's first week of school. "I am not left-handed," Melanie said with a faux-Spanish accent as she got to her feet.
Her roommate just looked confused. "I know you're not. S'why I just said you can use both hands."
The other girl's brow crinkled. "Wait... have you never seen 'The Princess Bride'?"
"Um... nope."
The blonde girl laughed as she got back into ready stance. "Well, next time we go into town, I'm swiping it from the video store. You'll like it."
Now Kimberly laughed. "Just get a Blockbuster card, you dummy."
"Um, would they even give me one? I'm eleven."
Her tutor had been in ready stance, but then relaxed just a little. "Wait... I thought you were ten. Did you have a birthday recently?"
"February 4th," Melanie answered. "Now come on, let's mix it up."
Kimberly went back into ready stance and began circling, her knife wrist swaying loosely in front of her. But by her expression, she wasn't ready to drop things just yet. "Wow... I wish you'd said something, Mel. Like, told me it was your birthday."
"It's no big deal," Melanie said with a shake of her head. "I mean, I don't even know if it's my actual date of birth. It's just the date that the penguins found me on that doorstep, so it's what they put on my papers." She then swung her blade low, a move that would have disemboweled her opponent had it been real.
Kimberly's own knife swung down to deflect, and then she tried an upward swing that would have brought her blade up the length of Mel's breastbone. The blonde tried to bring her own knife hand back to divert the other girl's weapon, and managed to avoid a "fatal" slash, but the blade still grazed her shoulder.
"Good," Kimberly said. "Adaptation. Prediction. You're getting faster, more loose."
"Think maybe I'm ready to spar with the sarge?"
"I dunno about that. He's a machine. But you're getting close to the point where I'd recommend a spar in gym class with one of the more experienced girls."
Five minutes later, both girls were sitting in the dirt, catching their breath and sipping water. Kimberly had that same look on her face she'd had earlier. "I hate to sound annoying, Mel," she said. "But I honestly feel bad about missing your birthday."
"You shouldn't be," her roommate said with a shrug. "Even before I got here, I never really celebrated my birthday. At least, not with any of my fake parents. If I were in the orphanage, the nuns would give me a cupcake with a candle in it, but that was pretty much it."
"Wow..."
Melanie gave her a scowl. "You're not gonna say you're sorry, are you?"
The other girl actually laughed a little. "No. Even though I do kind of know how it feels. Because we're all orphans here, none of us know when we were born. Landy just chose May 16th as an arbitrary birthday for all of us, and on that day, we get cake for dessert after dinner." She sipped her water, then, her expression growing more thoughtful. "But I like that you've chosen your own birthday. Maybe I'll do that, too."
"Well, I didn't really choose it," Melanie pointed out. "The penguins just put it on my papers."
"It's not your real birthday and you've never tried to change it. So... sounds to me like you chose it."
"If you say so."
"I do," Kimberly affirmed and rose to her feet. "Now... if you're ready, we can move onto the real lesson."
The small blonde stood up as well, backed away several paces, and assumed her stance. "Bring it!"
May 14th, 1997
The next two months went by fast, just as Melanie's first term did. Largely because she was kept so busy. There were still a few classes she struggled to catch up in, and her sessions with her roommate also took up her afternoons three days a week. In addition to that, gym class had become more lively. Hartman arranged times on weekends for each girl to run the obstacle course, which proved to be a huge thorn in Melanie's side. She managed to scale the wall on her third attempt, but there were plenty of other booby traps to be wary of, such as the fact that Hartman could make the balance beam shake.
"I could have gotten that wall on the second try," the blonde later confided in her roommate. "If I had something to hold myself in place, like what mountain climbers use. Crampons, or something like that."
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Kimberly told her with a shrug. "That course is a thorn in all our sides. And the sarge makes us run it more in the weeks leading up to Field Day."
Melanie had been told about the event that the school ended their academic year with before summer started. It sounded to her like an odd way to end it, but maybe she could find something she was good at.
At the current moment, however, it was gym class. Melanie had been asked to spar with Janis, and so far, the plucky blonde had been doing justice to her tutor's progress reports to Hartman. Regina had cornered Melanie in the shed earlier, saying she'd be smart to let the hazel-eyed girl win if she knew what was good for her, and Melanie had responded by telling Regina to go lick a dead dog's taint. Oddly enough, she hadn't gotten a headbutt for that. The taller girl had simply walked away.
No time to think of that now, Melanie thought to herself. I've got me a skank to beat down. Like I'd ever throw a fight to one of Regina's cunts. Janis swung her left foot upwards in a kick aimed at Melanie's head, to be deflected by a tight upward swing from the blonde's right forearm. This was followed by a low-blow with the left fist aimed at the solar plexus, but Melanie brought the same arm downward in a chopping motion, deflecting it again.
The blonde girl followed this with a jab from the left fist that popped Janis on her right cheek. The other girl was definitely startled by this, as were most of the people watching (except for Kimberly, whose dark brown eyes were full of pride), but the heat of the moment let her shake it off without too much trouble.
She countered more swiftly than Melanie thought she would, blocking the blonde's next jab and bringing up her knee to connect with Melanie's hip. So Mel went back on the defensive, taking a few small hops in the opposite direction of Janis, her stance and movements the opposite of what they'd been at her first class: up on the balls of her feet, arms chest-level, loose yet ready to tense.
The river... Melanie thought to herself. Janis hung back for the moment, eyeing her opponent warily. "Didn't Regina talk to you earlier in the locker room?" She asked.
"Yeah," Melanie answered with a shrug. "Did she not tell you about our chat?"
"She didn't get the chance before class started."
For a split second, one side of the small blonde's mouth curled up in a devious smirk, but she forced her expression back to neutral and dropped her arms to her sides. "Okay, then. Thanks for reminding me about that. So... go ahead and hit me."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah, it's what she told me to do, right? So... go to town."
Janis flashed her a cold smile. "Smart runt. Don't worry, I won't hurt you too much." With that, she rushed forward, raised one leg in a stomping kick aimed at the center of Melanie's chest... which never connected. At the last minute, the wiry blonde brought both her hands up to clamp down on Janis's sneaker-clad foot. She then jerked the leg upwards and sent the brunette sprawling into the dirt.
Janis was so startled she almost didn't roll out of the way in time to avoid the heel drop that Melanie followed up with. She quickly got to her feet, and assumed a defensive stance. "What the hell?" She shouted. "I thought you agreed to throw this!"
"I lied," Melanie said with a snicker. "And you fell for it, you stupid bitch! Damn, you're gullible." She laughed a little louder, then, bringing the red to her opponent's face. Janis lost her temper and lunged forward into a careless charge, which Melanie easily sidestepped, at the same time bringing her arm out and upwards, knocking her opponent's jaw and clothes-lining her back to the ground.
"Had enough?" The small blonde asked. "Or you wanna keep eating dirt sandwiches?"
Janis was still fueled by anger and indignation, and responded by sweeping out with one leg, hooking Melanie's shin with her foot and sending her into the dirt as well. She then tried to climb onto the other girl, intending to grab Melanie by her bangs and bash her head into the dirt a few times, but Melanie managed to gain enough leverage to plant the sole of her sneaker into Janis's stomach and thrust upwards, flipping the brunette off of her.
She tried to find her feet as quickly as she could, but it was not quick enough to avoid a gut punch from Janis. Her opponent tried to follow this with two more jabs to the torso that Melanie managed to deflect with her wrists, and then Melanie countered with a low kick that buckled Janis's right leg, then a knee to the solar plexus, then finishing with an uppercut to the chin, knocking the girl back into the dirt once more.
The blonde was about to advance again when she heard a voice from outside the combat zone: "That'll do!" She looked over to see Hartman raising one hand. Melanie took a deep breath, then gave a nod to the teacher. After a moment, Janis got to her feet, brushed some dirt off her white sleeves, and also gave a nod.
"That's some good improvement, Melanie," the square-jawed man went on. "A far cry from the first time I observed you. I can see that Kimberly is not exaggerating in her progress reports. Well done!"
Melanie gave another nod. "Thank you, sir!" This was followed by some applause from several of the girls assembled. The blonde glanced over at her roommate, who grinned broadly and flashed a thumbs-up. Melanie flashed one back, and then walked out of the combat zone in her direction while Janis slunk back over to the rest of her crew.
Hartman then divided the class up as normal: those with their knives went off for training in that regard, while those without continued practicing their forms in unarmed combat. In truth, Melanie was a little bored to be doing that after her victory, but it was made better by the fact that Hartman approached her towards the end of class.
"I liked what I saw today, Melanie," he told her. "Enough so that I've instructed Kimberly to start incorporating some basic drills with a rubber training knife after this academic term has ended."
Melanie managed to feign an expression of pleasant surprise, to avoid giving away the fact that her tutor was already showing her things with rubber knives (and leaving this out of her reports). "Really, sir?"
"Yes, I think you're ready for it. We'll start with drills and slowly work our way into styles of knife combat. A few of the other girls are also making progress in their studies. So you and them are going to start sparring with rubber knives in the usual gym classes, as well."
Melanie grinned and actually saluted him. "Thank you, sir!"
Hartman gave a curt nod. "Thank Kimberly. She's been an excellent tutor." He then raised the whistle to his lips and blew. "That's a wrap, ladies!" He called out to the other girls. "Hit the showers!"
Melanie quickly found her roommate amidst the bustle of students making their way back to the shed. "So, I didn't get a chance to tell you this earlier," Kimberly said. "But awesome job on Janis!" The two girls then exchanged a high five.
Melanie felt about as good as she had at Christmas. "Well, it's like you said: Be the river."
"I saw that today. It was awesome to see you applying that. And putting your own touch on it. It was pretty cool the way you psyched Janis out."
The blonde girl shrugged. "People like her are easy. I'm just glad the sarge didn't call me on it, citing his 'code' or some shit."
"Well, I don't think trash-talking an opponent is the same as throwing dirt in their eyes."
"Hey, they both work."
"Well, speaking of work," Kimberly said. "Did the sarge tell you you're moving up in your studies?"
"He did," Melanie said, not trying to hide the grin on her face. "And, well... you know that I... um... I... wanted to say that..."
Her roommate clapped her on the back. "It's okay, Mel, I know what you wanna say. And you don't need to thank me. I've told you my reasons for doing this. And honestly, you're making it easy for me. It's clear that you're committed to doing the work. The sarge sees it too."
Another shrug. "I'd take lessons from Satan to get one of those knives."
Kimberly actually laughed at that. "Like I said, you're committed."
As they got closer to the shed, Kimberly expected the blonde girl to peel away and head back to the dorms to shower there. Instead, Melanie said that she needed to get something from her locker first. So they entered the fray with the rest of the girls.
They noticed Regina and her clique standing down at the far end of the locker room, looking strangely subdued. "Good fight today, runt!" She called over to the smaller blonde.
"Of course it was!' Melanie responded. "Your bitch lost. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She turned to her locker and opened it, but whatever else she was going to add to her retort died in her throat as an avalanche of plastic cockroaches spilled out onto her with the opening of the door, knocking Melanie to the floor and leaving her half-buried under a few hundred fake, but very realistic-looking bugs.
Kimberly looked down at her friend, ignoring the laughter of most of the other girls in the room. There was something about the expression on Melanie's face that was unsettling. The lip quivered, the amber eyes rolled in their sockets, a small vein on her forehead throbbed. But perhaps what made the black-haired girl most uneasy was that Melanie didn't make a sound. No screams, as she was expecting after what happened at Christmas.
She got down on one knee, started to hold out a hand. "Come on, Mel, let's just get out of..."
"Nnnnnnooooooo!" Melanie's shrill scream echoed through the locker room, silencing the laughter of a few of the girls. "No! They're everywhere! All over. Get them off me! GET THEM OFF MEEEEE!" She started to flail her arms, beating at the pile of roaches on her while she continued to scream the same thing over and over.
Most of the room was now frozen in place, the only ones still laughing were Regina and her crew. A few of the girls had left the shed to go find an adult. Out of all them, Kimberly seemed the most composed, as she was down on her knees, doing her best to dig her friend out of the pile of plastic bugs and get her to her feet, made more difficult by the fact that Melanie was still swinging erratically, and Kimberly had to duck every now and then to avoid a hit.
"They're all over!" The blonde girl continued to rave. "Let me out! Let me out please! I promise I won't do it again! They're crawling all over me!"
Finally, enough of the bugs were cleared away, but it still took a few tries for Kimberly to get a grip on Melanie's wrists. The arms still flailed, and Kim took a smack on the head at one point, but finally she had the grip she needed, and yanked the screaming blonde to her feet. Even then, Melanie continued to rave, so Kimberly pushed her up against the wall, pinned her arms at the wrists.
"Look at me, Mel!" She shouted over Melanie's loud babbling. "Look at me! You are okay! You're safe, all right? These bugs are fake. They can't hurt you."
But Melanie continued to act like she was in another world, or replaying some distant repressed memory. She was looking directly into Kimberly's eyes, but still... it seemed like she was looking at something else. She clutched the other girl's shoulders almost desperately and kept babbling. "No! No, they have to let me out! I won't do it again. They're all over me! Have to get them off..."
"Melanie, calm down, please!" The dark-haired girl was almost pleading. "You're not there. You're here. And I'm here too. Please, just calm down!"
After another minute, she realized that words alone probably wouldn't work, so Kimberly reared one hand back and slapped her roommate. This seemed to calm her down a little, to the point where she seemed to remember where she was, but she still clung to Kimberly, not daring to look at the pile of plastic roaches.
"Maybe next time, when we tell you to let us win, you'll listen, runt!" Melanie glanced at the far end of the room, saw Janis leering at her. This seemed to ignite a spark in the petite blonde's brain, and she pushed her roommate aside and closed the distance between her and the brunette with fast speed.
"You think this shit is funny?" She growled at Janis, her amber eyes taking on an almost threatening sheen, one that made even the rest of the Alpha clique stand back a pace.
Janis was not as quick. "I think it's hilarious. Little Melanie pissing herself over plastic roaches." She followed this with another mirthless laugh.
Melanie responded with a laugh of her own, with even less mirth, making even the other members of Regina's crew step back another pace. Janis was not as quick, and stood her ground, still chuckling.
"Lemme show you what I find funny," Melanie said in a calm voice that was almost eerie, and followed this with a swift punch to the gut, silencing the laughter almost instantly. She then grabbed Janis's right hand, pressed it in the open frame of her locker door, and started to slam the door shut over and over.
The laughter in the room had now truly died, even from Regina, and one could have heard a pin drop were the shed not filled with the slamming of the door against Janis's hand, the brunette girl's agonizing screams, and Melanie's mocking tone. "Well, go on, laugh! I can't hear you! What? Don't you get it?"
A few seconds later, the blonde girl felt two arms hooking under her armpits, then she was wrenched free of her adversary, who immediately crumpled to the floor, clutching her wounded hand and sobbing. Kimberly dragged her roommate away from Janis, and then slammed Melanie up against another locker.
"Melanie, please! For God's sake, just stop! Get a hold of yourself!" Those amber eyes met Kimberly's dark brown, and then her small frame began to sag. "That's it..." Kimberly coaxed her. "Just calm down... please calm down." Her tone was once again pleading, as if what she was seeing was scaring the shit out of her, too, and she just wanted it to end. Which was not far from the truth.
Melanie's expression changed in an instant, and her eyes began to shine with unshed tears. "Kim... I... I can't... I can't go back in there..."
Kimberly pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, Mel. You're safe. The bugs can't hurt you. They are not real." And both girls moved to their knees. Mel hugged her back, suppressing the urge to start sobbing, though her body still trembled.
Regina started towards the two of them. "Why the hell are you so concerned about her? You saw what she did to my friend."
Kimberly was on her feet faster than the Alpha anticipated, startling her. "First of all," she snapped, facing the other girl with no fear, her rules forgotten. "She's not your friend! Just your fucking lapdog! And second, you saw what your prank did! Melanie doesn't just hate bugs! She has a... what do ya call it... a phobia of them! Something happened to her in the past! Something bad. And your prank just fucked her up big time because it reminded her of that!"
Regina's pale blue eyes narrowed into slits. "I would think very carefully, if I were you, runt number two, before you decide to get between me and..."
"FUCK YOU!" Kimberly snarled at her. "I am not gonna let you touch her right now! And if you wanna challenge me over that, then fucking bring it!" Her hand hovered over her knee sock, and the knife that was sheathed there.
The two girls stared each other down, the smaller one unimpressed by the other's height span over her. Just when it looked like another fight would break out, a voice of authority called out: "What is the meaning of this?"
All heads except two turned to see Joan Landy standing in the doorway, arms folded smartly over her breast. Her steel-blue eyes swept the room, taking in everything that was out of order: Janis crumpled on the floor, clutching her hand and whimpering like a wounded animal, Melanie also huddled on the floor, trembling and muttering, Regina and Kimberly ready to go at each others' throats. When no one spoke, she repeated in a firmer tone: "Well? I asked a question, girls."
Regina took a deep breath, straightened herself out a bit. "Melanie just attacked Janis, Ms. Landy."
"She wasn't herself, Ms. Landy," Kimberly spoke in her defense. "She... started going crazy because Regina filled her locker with plastic roaches."
"I dunno what she's talking about," Regina countered with a shrug. "I mean, yeah, it was funny, but where's the proof that I had anything to do with this?"
"Just like you had nothing to do with what happened at Christmas?" Joan asked, her eyes narrowing into deadly slits.
"Ms. Landy, I swear..."
"I'm not stupid, child, so don't treat me like I am. You think I don't know what goes on at my school?" Joan Landy's gaze might have turned some lesser humans to stone. For a moment, Regina actually forgot her status among the girls of the school and withered beneath it, backing away to stand with the rest of her crew. The headmistress then turned to one of the girls standing nearby. "Samantha, will you run and fetch Gladys? Tell her it's an emergency."
"Yes, ma'am," said the girl, and left the locker room at double speed. Joan spent the time until she arrived asking the other girls what they'd seen, seeming to ignore the major players. When the nurse did arrive, Joan asked her to see to Janis.
Gladys only needed a cursory look, and then she said to Joan: "I can't treat her in the infirmary, ma'am. She needs the hospital in town. There's multiple broken bones."
Joan gave a terse nod. "All right. Just give me a moment." She walked briskly over to where Janis still crouched and knelt beside her, one hand gently rubbing the girl's back. Her tone became more matriarchal, as it was the night she'd first met Melanie. "Janis, dear... listen to my voice. I know you're in pain, child, but you must concentrate. If anyone at the hospital asks you what happened, you will tell them that you were running in the hallway on the second floor, you tripped, and fell out an open window. Do you understand?"
The girl sucked in a sharp breath, and managed to get out: "Y-yes, Ms. Landy."
"Repeat it back to me."
After Janis had done so, Joan stood up again and said to her nurse: "All right, take her to the infirmary. Keep her as comfortable as you can until the ambulance gets here."
"Yes, ma'am." Gladys picked the girl up in her arms like she weighed nothing and started out of the locker room. After she was gone, Joan Landy began to issue more commands.
"Regina, I want to see you in my office now. Kimberly, take Melanie to the infirmary. Tell Gladys to give her something to calm her nerves. And tell her as soon as Melanie is calm, she's to send her to my office."
"Yes, Ms. Landy," Kimberly answered. She'd already gotten the small blonde to her feet, though Melanie seemed oblivious to Joan's presence, and started with her roommate towards the exit. Regina simply gave a small nod.
Joan then addressed the room in general. "All right, girls. Despite all this excitement, our schedule has not changed. Clean yourselves up and get back into standard uniforms. Dinner is at six, as usual. Anyone who does not arrive before grace is said will not eat." With that, she left the locker room, Regina following at what the Alpha hoped was a safe distance, still trying to look defiant.
"Melanie, what did I tell you about leaving messes? That's it... you need another time-out!"
Darkness... a dirt floor beneath her... but it felt like the darkness was alive, crawling across her skin...
"No... I won't do it again! Just get them off me!"
She beats at the darkness that seems to be alive and crawling, scuttling over her. She lashes out with a small fist, strikes something spindly and chitinous... shell smashed... juices flowing... wings twitching... but there's more. There's always more...
"They're everywhere! You have to let me out! Please!"
Slowly, her amber eyes came open, taking in the sterile surroundings of the infirmary, a far cry from the darkness of her dream. Two hours had passed since Kimberly had brought her here. Gladys had given Melanie a very small dose of Thorazine upon her arrival and laid her on one of the empty cots before she focused all her attention on making Janis as comfortable as possible.
Now, the brunette had long ago been picked up by paramedics. Gladys was the only other person in the infirmary, and she hummed softly to herself as she organized one of the cabinets. Her back was to Melanie, but she turned when she heard the blonde girl stir and sit up on the cot.
The caregiver was at her side in seconds. "Easy, dear," she said, handing Melanie a small glass of water. "Don't move too fast. You've been asleep for a few hours."
Melanie said nothing, simply looked out the window and saw that the sun was a lot closer to the horizon. "Guess I missed dinner," she muttered, and took a long sip of water.
"Are you hungry?" Gladys asked her. "I have some snacks I set aside for my patients: graham crackers, pudding, peanut butter and apple..."
"Crackers would be nice," Melanie answered, still trying to wake up.
Before she complied, Gladys took a few moments to check Melanie's pulse and temperature, and listen to her lungs. "You seem much calmer now, dear," she said with that smile that Melanie now believed was seventy-percent sincere. "Guess you just needed a little nap." She shouldered her stethoscope and walked over to one of the cabinets, returning a moment later with a small package of graham crackers.
Melanie tore the pack open and bit off a corner of one cracker. "Yeah, I guess," she said. She was afraid more questions would follow, but thankfully none did.
For a minute, Gladys was silent as she watched Melanie eat. Then she said: "You gave us all a scare, dear. But sometimes, the best thing in these situations is to just take a little rest." With a shrug, she rose and went back to her organizing. "Oh, by the way," she added. "Ms. Landy wanted me to send you to her office, when you were feeling better."
Melanie stuffed the last bite of cracker in her mouth and reached for her sneakers, which the nurse had removed and placed at the foot of her cot. "I figured. There... isn't any way you could tell her I'm still sick?"
This garnered a small chuckle. "I'm so sorry, dear, but... you know I can't do that."
"Figured that too." She finished tying her shoes and got up from the cot, grabbed her bandanna and hip satchel off a nearby chair, and started towards the door. "Thanks," she added on her way out.
"Of course, dear."
The small blonde attempted to dawdle on the way to Joan's office, but found that hard to do given the late hour. So a short time later, Melanie found herself standing in the outer doorway, the familiar sight of Candace off to her right, sitting at a desk and clacking away on a typewriter. "She's expecting you, Melanie," the assistant gave the customary greeting without looking up. "Go right in."
So Melanie started the "walk of doom" and was soon seated before the headmistress. Like clockwork, Candace appeared in the doorway and shut the door. For a minute or two, Joan Landy did not speak, simply sat there with fingers steepled in front of her face. Then she cleared her throat. "Melanie... is there anything you'd care to tell me about what happened today?"
"I think it's obvious. I had a problem with Regina and her crew, and I solved it."
Joan shook her head. "I've received word from the hospital. Janis has six separate hand and finger bone fractures. She'll be in a cast for at least four months. She's going to miss Field Day. At least her prognosis is good. The breaks are clean, so the doctor says she's expected to recover full dexterity of the hand..."
"Well, whoopdie-fucking-doo," Melanie grumbled. "If she's gonna recover, then why are we even here?"
Joan slammed a fist down on her desktop, startling her young charge for the first time in a while. "Do not take that tone with me, young lady!" Any further protests died in the small blonde's throat. After a moment, Joan let out a large breath, and her tone softened a bit. "Melanie, I understand what goes on between some of the girls at my school, even though they don't bother to tell me. Which I admire, since I'm attempting to teach all of you to be self-reliant. You, in particular, possess this quality in abundance."
"I don't like letting anyone else fight my battles," Melanie said with a shrug.
"And again, I admire this. But some lines shouldn't be crossed. One thing I cannot have is any permanent damage done to any member of this community. When someone threatens to cross that line, then I must step in. I understand your desire to be self-reliant, but you can never take things as far as you did today. Is that understood?"
The young girl's expression was somehow unreadable, even for Joan Landy. Some time passed, and the headmistress was about to repeat her question when Melanie said: "Yes, Ms. Landy."
"Very well." Joan leaned forward slightly. "But I still have some concerns. Based on what the other children told me, your reaction to a childish prank was... far too extreme. I feel there's a reason for that, something from your past. Which is why I ask again: Is there anything you'd care to tell me?"
Another pause, a look of calculation in those amber eyes. "No... Ms. Landy."
"Are you sure?"
"I am, Ms. Landy."
Now it was her turn to give Melanie a calculating stare, followed by another shake of her head. "Very well, then. I am afraid that I must still drive the importance of this lesson home to you, child. It's going to take more than detention to get my point across." Joan got up from her chair, turned and stared out the window for a moment before continuing. "Melanie, I'm afraid that I must place you in solitary confinement for two days. So you can reflect on what you've done, and understand why it's important you never do it again."
The blonde girl nearly jumped up from her own chair. "I understand that already, ma'am. If I have to beat someone, don't break bones. I got it."
"And that's why you'll be given an example of what happens when you do cross the line. Regina is facing similar punishment, to reflect on her own actions."
"I don't really care about her, she's the one who started this..."
Joan turned back towards her again, one hand raised. "My word stands, child. Candace will escort you back to the dorms, so you can change out of your gym uniform into something clean, and then she will escort you to your designated room. While you are in solitary, you will not speak, unless it is to answer questions. Do you understand?"
Melanie was now standing, as well. "I understand this is bullshit..."
Joan fixed her with a hard stare. "It is now three days. Would you like four?" There was no response, though the girl's own stare was just as hard. "As I thought," the headmistress said after a minute, and then called for her assistant.
After Candace had left with Melanie, Joan turned back to the window again, watching the evergreens beyond the fence, slowly being swallowed by the approaching dark of night. Finally, she turned back to the desk, picked up a phone, and dialed a number.
"It's Landy," she said to the person who answered. "Patch me through to the Director, please." After waiting on hold for a few minutes, the connection was completed.
"This is unorthodox," the voice on the other end spoke in lieu of greeting. "You calling us, instead of the other way around."
"I apologize, sir," Joan spoke crisply. "But there's been an incident."
"An incident? What kind of incident?"
"The report is being sent via e-mail. We've had a slight behavioral problem, but everything at the school is under control. However, I would like your authorization to use the cleaners."
A long pause at the other end. Then: "For what reason?"
"Intelligence gathering. There are things about young Melanie's time away from us that we need a better understanding of. Things she refuses to discuss."
"We already have complete records of her adoption history."
"Records can only tell you so much, sir. Sometimes you need to go straight to the source. And I feel this is one of those times. It's necessary if we are to properly rehabilitate her."
"Routine interrogation?"
"Most of her old foster parents are deadbeats. It shouldn't take much effort to get them to talk."
Another long pause as he considered. "Very well. Your authorization is granted. Keep me apprised."
"Of course, sir. Thank you."
The line disconnected after that. Joan placed the phone back onto its cradle, then moved to her cabinet and poured herself a scotch over some ice. She sat back down at her desk and took a sip before picking up the phone and dialing again.
After a few rings, there was a click. "Hartman here."
"It's Landy," Joan spoke in a cool voice, swirling the ice in her drink with the other hand. "I just spoke to the Director. We are a go..."
May 16th, 1997
It had been a long week, and Kimberly was looking forward to some rest. The last two nights in particular, sleeping next to an empty bed, had reminded her of how she'd been the odd one out for so long, and how happy she was when she finally got her own roommate.
I hope Melanie's all right, she thought as she got ready for bed in the dorm bathroom. On the way to the infirmary she'd kept talking to her friend to try and calm her down, and she warned that Landy might use solitary as a form of punishment. "They keep those rooms pretty clean, though," Kim assured her. "No bugs. At least, none that I saw when I spent some time down there." The dark-haired girl had stayed in the infirmary until she saw Mel was resting comfortably, and that was the last she'd seen of her until just before lights out, when Landy's assistant escorted her back to the bedroom for Melanie to change clothes.
Thankfully, Candace hadn't noticed the contraband that Kimberly slipped the other girl. So at least she won't be too bored. Still, the birthday celebration earlier today hadn't been the same without her roommate. Not to mention that Melanie's reaction to the plastic roaches still gnawed at Kimberly's mind, enough to make her want to forget their agreement and ask a question.
But she would worry about that tomorrow, when her friend was released from the hole. For now, she needed rest. Kimberly spit the water in her mouth into the sink, wiped her mouth with a small hand towel, then picked up her toothbrush and started towards her room.
She almost did a double take when she entered to find Regina sitting on Melanie's bed, but managed to keep herself composed. "What do you want?" She asked the Alpha. "You forget where your own room is after just two days in the box?"
"We need to have a talk, Kim," Regina said as she stood up, using a tone Kimberly had never heard before, a calm voice that immediately put her on edge. "Have a seat."
Kimberly stood her ground in the doorway, and after a few seconds went by, she expected the taller girl to bark a command. Instead, Regina rolled her eyes and said: "Please."
Moving cautiously, Kimberly sat down on her own bed, never taking her eyes off Regina. Her unwanted guest moved to Kimberly's dresser, looking at the collection of anime figures spread out over the top. She picked one up and turned it over in hands, and then, to Kimberly's surprise, placed it back where she found it instead of just tossing it and making a mess like she normally would.
"Look, what do you want?" The dark-haired girl growled impatiently. "I'm not in the mood for any shit tonight."
"Everyone's talking about Melanie's outburst," Regina told her.
"You mean the one you caused?" Kimberly spat with defiance.
"She overreacted," the blonde girl insisted. "And now Janis has a broken hand and wrist."
"Oh, that's too bad," Kimberly dripped sarcasm. "Remind me to buy her a 'Get Well' card when we're in town tomorrow."
Now it was Regina who gave a growl of impatience. "Don't you see, Kim? What happened after gym class two days ago only proves just how dangerous she is! She's not one of us, and never will be. She's a freak. What if something like this happens again, and she hurts someone even worse than Janis? What if that 'someone' is you?"
Kimberly had no response to that, so Regina went on: "And I know that you like to think that you two are friends, but do you really think she gives a shit about you? She'd probably sell you out in a heartbeat if it meant saving her own skin."
The smaller girl sat up a bit straighter at that. "You're wrong. You don't know her like I do. Yes, she can be a bitch at times, but she's had it rougher than us before she came here. Deep down inside her, there is a decent person. You'd see that if you gave her a chance."
Regina picked up another figure off the dresser, turned it over before setting it back down. "Look, I'll just cut right to the chase. I'm here to give you an opportunity. You've always busted your ass more than everyone else, earning your knife along with the rest of us to try and prove you're more than just a runt, but you've never actually been one of us. Now, I'm offering you the chance to join me and my crew. To stand with us as equals, and enjoy the perks of being on top of the social ladder."
Kimberly eyed her with suspicion. "But not for free, I'll bet. So what would I have to do?"
"I got a problem," Regina explained. "Landy has already told me that I'm not allowed to use bugs to prank Melanie anymore. So I need to find another weakness, something else she's afraid of, that I can use against her. Amanda told me she hates frogs, but I don't think she hates them as much as roaches. That's where you come in." She pointed a finger at Kimberly. "She trusts you. Enough. You can get me some dirt on her, some dark secret I can really use to knock her down a peg."
"What makes you think I would do that?"
"Because you're smart. Smart enough to know that I'm right. Melanie is dangerous, and if you keep associating with that runt, eventually she's gonna drag you down with her. You can let that happen, or you can accept my offer, and truly be one of the elites at this school."
Kimberly still eyed her with suspicion, though slightly less than before. Regina felt she'd gotten her point across, so she concluded: "Find Melanie's weakness for me, and you'll be set. Otherwise..." She swiped at the dresser-top now, knocking several of Kimberly's figures to the floor with a clatter. "I'll give you time to think about it. But you're also smart enough to know that if I were to make Melanie the same offer I just made you, she wouldn't need to think about it. I'm right and you know it. So sleep tight." With that, Regina left the room.
Kimberly stared at the door after she was gone, but made no move to pick up the figures on the floor. Instead, she changed into her nightshirt, crawled under the covers, turned off the lights, and tried to sleep. But despite how tired she was, she spent the next hour staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought, before she finally conked out.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
So, yeah, thanks for your patience these last two months. One of the reasons this was a long time coming is that I'm juggling two other side projects. But one of them should be finished soon, so the next chapter of this shouldn't take as long.
Anyhoo... I went there, folks. Malin's profile says she dislikes bugs, but I have turned it into a full-blown phobia. There's a reason for that. Answers are coming...
Also, it's the 1990s in this story. So Blockbuster Video is still very much a booming industry.
Once again, I'd like to thank Illyrilex for putting up with my probing questions involving girls and the changes puberty brings, which I'll continue to try and tackle throughout this story in the least creepy way possible. Her input was invaluable when writing Health Science class.
Well, that's that. Until next time, feel free to review!