Chapter 48

"I'm not putting that on," Melanie said, disgusted by the frilly dress that Lydia was holding up.

The skirt poofed out and looked as if a storm cloud of glitter rained all over it. It was the ugliest Disney princess dress ever. There wasn't enough money or bacon in the world that could get her to wear that dress. Staring at it was starting to make her feel ill or maybe she was just hungry. Her stomach gurgled.

"That's the fourth dress," Lydia gritted out.

"And you've been through twenty-three," Melanie pointed out.

Melanie hated Cora for ditching out at the last second. She had been counting on her to save her from this.

Allison already found her dress. It was mermaid tail style mixed with small, lace shoulder sleeves. The back was partially open and the rest was mesh lace. The front had a sweetheart curvature to it and the breast area pleated out from a pearly broach. The entire dress was silk and night black. Perfect for a hunter.

"Just pick a dress," Lydia groaned.

Melanie clenched her right fist tightly. I'm not going to punch her, she thought, I'm just going to rip out her pretty hair, and then I might punch her. The hangers on the rack she fixated on screeched with every harsh push of a hanger, making her face pucker in disgust.

"Guys!" Allison broke between them. "Let's go get some lunch and then we'll look around some more afterward."

"Fine," Melanie.

They stepped out onto the hot downtown sidewalk. It was busy today. People were out about, enjoying summer's beginning. The three young women had to weave against the current of townspeople that bustled around them. Walking a few blocks, past a bookstore and an antique shop, they decided on a small sandwich shop and settled outside tables that had deep forest green umbrellas. Melanie was fond of the glass table top.

She decided on a burger topped with lettuce and bacon: The BLB. The burger was nearly as big as her face. She thought about the whole dress ordeal and was half tempted to ditch out and not go to prom. Staying home in comfy sweats and watching her favorite movie was rather appealing.

Melanie was more annoyed, and possibly more so than Lydia. Like any dumbass girl, Melanie wanted the perfect dress for her boyfriend, especially since dresses weren't a part of her usual attire.

After eating, they went to the other side of town to another shop. There were dresses in the window, one shimmering and pink and another white and strapless. This shop was smaller but Lydia found her dress. It was goddess white with a corset form over the waist. It pleated at the waist, flowing downward. The bust glittered with intricate beadwork that swirled like vines.

Melanie had found hers there too. It was much simpler than the girls' dresses. It was midnight blue, slim and had a small train. There was no poof or frill. There was the lightest dusting of sparkle, making it seem like a clear night sky. There was a slit on each side of the skirt. They didn't reach too high, but just above the knee. Spaghetti straps held the delicate dress up.

Melanie stared at it long and hard just as Lydia and Allison had done with theirs before deciding that they'd found choosing their dress.

"Finally," Lydia groaned. Allison elbowed her and Melanie smirked.

Melanie's phone rang, quieting their bickering laughter. She walked past them to the cash register as she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Did you and your idiotic boyfriend really break into my house to steal a book of fairytales?"

"Hey there, Derek," Melanie said in the most annoying, perky voice she could muster. "Guess what I have?"

"Melanie!?" he screamed in her ear. The cashier gave her a nervous look at hearing Derek through the receiver as he rang up her dress. She shook here dismissively.

"I just got my prom dress."

Derek sighed on the other line. He was biting to yell at her some more, but she went on before he could.

"It's not breaking in when nobody lives there."

"There is so much wrong with you," he said.

"Yeah, well, I have you to thank for that."

"Get over here, now." he growled angrily.

"Fine, sour wolf," she grumbled.

"I'm home!" Melanie called out with a giggle.

Derek glanced up at her. Her face changed to rage quickly at the sight of Peter who stood next to him.

"Derek, what have I said about strays," she drawled out. "They have rabies."

He snorted then picked up the dusty book she'd found at the Hale house. No doubt, he'd gotten it from Deaton. Peter sneered at her. The bastard was enjoying the new one that Derek was ripping her.

"Care to explain?" Derek asked hotly. The flat and obviously pissed expression on his face was unwavering.

"I found it."

"How and why?"

"Ummm…" Melanie looked away. He wasn't going to believe any lie she pouted. If she spoke the truth, he probably wouldn't believe that either. Freaking Kobayashi Maru scenario.

"Melanie…" Derek said warningly.

"Okay," she said, "so I had a really bad dream where Laura came out of the house and the darach was there and Laura kept saying something about stories she used to tell me then the darach was in my face and gutted me and it really stunk, the darach, and it was dark and it was the lunar eclipse and I died."

Melanie's words slurred together quickly causing Derek's eyebrows to pinch more and more with concern. She rolled her eyes.

"It was a really messed up dream and I haven't slept well ever since, not that I've ever slept well, but-"

"This book," Derek said, cutting her off, "has a story about a druid."

"Yeah, so?" She crossed her hands over her chest.

"The druid was betrayed by the werewolf pack she was sworn to. They killed her and she came back for revenge. She took advantage of nature becoming something dark and unnatural."

"A darach." Melanie said. "I know. I've talked to everyone's favorite veterinary about this already."

Derek nodded. They were all in the middle of a revenge scheme. Or at least it was a strong possibility. This was just a story which was found off the base of a dream. Nothing was entirely certain.

"This is getting all messed up," Melanie mumbled. "Following dreams, getting kidnapped, all of these stories turning out not to be stories, high school…"

"Getting accepted to college." Derek added.

Melanie's face went blank. Ignoring college could only get her so far.

"What are you talking about?" Melanie said.

Derek set the book down on the nearby table. Peter paced a few steps. Melanie's discomfort increased, but he didn't pay attention to it.

"I received a call from Stanford. They wanted to know when would be a good time to set up an interview."

Melanie laughed nervously. Her fingers twitched anxiously.

Derek chuckled and set the book on the table. He made his way over to her and wrapped in a heat blistering hug that lifted her off her feet. The tight squeeze to her sides rendered her lungs airless. She wrapped her arms around him

"I'm so happy for you and so proud," he whispered.

There it was, finally. Derek's big brother complex had returned. The big alpha bullshit that shadowed him was getting her worried that maybe the brotherly part of him was gone forever. Melanie released a deep, relieving breath. The kind of deep breath that had been lodged in her chest for years and had caused them to be so separated.

"Laura would be proud too." He added.

Melanie smiled. He was right. She would've been. She would've been proud of both of them.

She didn't know how to tell him that she wasn't going to college. For right now, she could give him his moment and rejoice in it as well. Acceptance was an accomplishment in and of itself.

Peter eyed her closely. His arms crossed over his chest tightly, flexing his muscles. A smug grin spread over his scruffy features. She knew more than she was telling anybody. He didn't enough to figure out whatever it was. It would be better to watch her implode all on her own anyway. Who knows maybe it would get her killed. He could always hope.

Then again, like most Hales, she probably wouldn't stay dead.