/ trigger warning: mature themes and minimal swearing /
Chapter Two / Second Chance At First Line
"I made him grovel," Allison said over the phone to Melanie proudly, "I mean, I wasn't that harsh. I acted angry because, well, I was angry and I had every right to be - I mean, he completely abandoned me. But we're okay now, I'm definitely giving him a second chance - will I regret it? Probably, but that shouldn't stop me from trying to be happy right?"
Melanie licked chocolate frosting off of her hands before replying to her best friend in a sing-song voice, "Allison, you're rambling."
"Sorry, Mel," Allison laughed, "I've just never felt like this over a boy before. Have you?"
"Hmm, if you count Ian Somerhalder from The Vampire Diaries as a boy," Melanie contemplated, "the yes."
"Mel."
"No," Melanie rolled her eyes with a sigh, "and frankly, I don't want to be a love struck teen in high school - it'll ruin my GPA."
"Lydia seems to be able to do it," Allison teased.
"Because Lydia's not normal."
"Oh, we all know that."
Next morning was the day before the first lacrosse game of the season and Melanie couldn't be more excited - despite the fact that her dad forced her to bring along Jonah. He apparently wanted to scope out the current team and see the different tactics and where the weaknesses were so that he could plan for the first scrimmage next year - he was an odd yet competitive one.
Dropping him off at his middle school before heading to her own school, she told him to wait for her in that exact spot for her to pick him up at three to which he replied a stereotypical, "Whatever." She rolled her eyes at him, thinking he was only thirteen, way to early to be going through the care-free teen stage and wondering why he hadn't gone through the seventh grade emo phase like everyone else did.
"Cute outfit, Lainey," Lydia commented as soon as Melanie arrived and parked next to her strawberry blonde best friend. "Love the sweater."
That morning, Melanie had opted for a simple beige sweater, jeans and some knee high brown boots. It matched Lydia's outfit and no clashes - something the two girls revelled in.
"Well, you did choose it," Melanie linked her arm through Lydia's as they met up with Allison by her locker.
"Are we still going out after the lacrosse game tomorrow?" Allison inquired before shutting her locker after taking out her French book.
"No," Lydia shook her head, "we're going back to Melanie's."
"And when did we decide this?" Melanie turned to Lydia with an eyebrow raised, pulling her long blonde hair up into a ponytail.
"Right about now, apparently," Allison laughed.
"Look, Lainey," Lydia turned to the blonde of the group, "it's your parents date night and that means Jonah is sleeping round his hormonal little middle school friends' house so you have a free house."
"Do you have that date on your calendar and reminder as the only time Melanie has a free house every month?" she asked jokingly but in her head she was serious.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Brilliant."
It was in Maths that Lydia sat down with a triumphant smile after solving her math problem on the board whilst simultaneously psyching out Scott McCall.
"Mr. McCall, you're not even close to solving your problem," the teacher judged with pursed lips and a frown.
"Tell me about it," he sighed.
"Lyd," Melanie whispered to her best friend, "what did you say to him?"
"I told him that he best be playing because sent Jackson to the hospital," Lydia shrugged, looking back at her sheet of math problems which she was already more than halfway through.
"Then why does Scotty M look so grossed out?"
"Because I also may have told him that I like Jackson at peak performance," she smiled suggestively at the blonde who only laughed in reply to which their teacher hissed a Shh at. "And then I said that if he doesn't play, you and I will set Allison up with the hot single lacrosse players."
"Lydia," Melanie laughed even harder, gaining another glare from the teacher before whispering, "You're so evil. Though, it's not like Allison would go for anyone but Scott at the moment - she's so smitten it makes me feel sick."
"Sick at the fact that you have no one to feel that way about?"
"No."
Between periods was when Lydia and Melanie decided to have a little fun with Scott. They dragged Allison down the corridor to be introduced to a random lacrosse player right in front of his face. Melanie felt a little bad for the floppy haired boy, but he brutally injured Jackson - her best friend's boyfriend and her friend-ish.
"So, this is Allison," Lydia smiled mischievously at Melanie who had her arm wrapped around the lacrosse player's bicep, turning him to Allison whom he smiled at.
"She's the new girl," Melanie said in an upbeat tone, "she just moved here from San Francisco."
"Oh, how do you like it here?" he asked, lightly touching Allison's forearm after Melanie had let go of him.
"Yeah, I like it here," Allison nodded. She then walked up to Scott who was watching intently as Lydia walked off with the lacrosse player and Melanie waited for her just out of ear shot - their conversation seemed rather intense.
"Allison -"
"No, I really have to go."
Allison walked back to Melanie, quickly grabbing her arm and stalking off to History. Once they were sat down, Allison went into a ramble once again.
"I don't understand him, Mel," she began, "I just feel like he's hiding something from me - like, what does Derek Hale have anything to do with my jacket? I'm sure it must've been Lydia who dropped it off - but he doesn't need to act so weird towards me and be so rude about Derek; he was perfectly fine to us in that car. Do you think I've made a mistake in trusting him again?"
"Al," Melanie turned to the worried brunette, "Scott seems to be stressed right now, I don't know why - maybe it's lacrosse, I don't know - but he's got stuff going on and so have you. Plus, if he doesn't trust Derek maybe you should trust his judgement - he has lived here his entire life so maybe he knows some stuff about Derek that you don't."
"How do you know Derek?" Allison asked, "Like, you knew his last name in Lydia's."
"Well, I knew him sort of when I was younger," Melanie began, "Willow was dating his uncle Peter - who was only, like, a few years older so don't worry about it being a weird underage scandal - and Willow's best friend, Paige, was dating Derek when they were our age. Paige and Willow did orchestra recitals - Paige on cello and Willow on piano - and the two Hale boys came to said recitals and that sort of how I personally know Derek."
"Why the emphasis on personally?"
"Everyone else recognises Derek and his last name because about six years ago," Melanie grimaced before saying, "his entire family died in a fire when he and his sister Laura were at school."
Allison's hands flew to her mouth as her eyebrows rose in shock, "That's horrible! Did anyone else survive?"
"I don't know," Melanie shrugged, "but Willow was devastated when she heard, her own boyfriend died in that fire. But ... I don't see how that could have anything to do with Scott not trusting Derek, I mean, he seemed sketchy but nice all the same."
For the game the next day, Melanie chose to wear team colours - a thick maroon cardigan was the focus, along with black top, jeans and boots. Unfortunately for she and Allison, Lydia had made a sign with the words JACKSON IS #1! in big huge ass bubble writing which made bile rise up in Melanie's throat and of course, Allison thought a different player on the pitch was #1.
"I am so ready for this," Jonah grinned as the siblings made their way up the bleachers to sit by Lydia, Allison and her dad.
"Ready for the game or ready to be around Allison?" Melanie wiggled her eyebrows and poked Jonah in the side teasingly.
"Bit of both," he admitted confidently, "Now, hand me my pad and pen - I need to take notes."
"You're so strange," Melanie rolled her eyes with a laugh as she sat down next to Lydia and handed Jonah's requested items to him.
The game began and then came the rough play. Each player took their hit and had their fair share of the ball - all except Scott McCall.
"Which one is Scott again?" Chris Argent asked, scoping the field for his daughter's new date.
"Number 11," Lydia answered, "Otherwise known as the only one who hasn't caught a single ball this entire game."
"That's more than likely because nobody's passed to him this entire game," Jonah spoke up, "and then there's the fact that every time he goes near the ball, Jackass - I mean, Jackson - barges him out of the way and picks it up himself. So I've deduced that Jackson's just being an overall dick." Melanie fist bumped her little brother as Lydia glared at the two.
"I hope he's okay," Allison said as she sat on the edge of her seat.
"I hope we're okay, we need to win this," Lydia stressed, "Allison. Melanie. A little help here?"
Melanie held in a groan before standing up with Lydia and Allison before holding the sign Lydia had made above their heads.
"McCall! Pass to McCall!" Melanie heard Coach Finstock yell.
"You can do it, Scott," Allison mumbled, "You can do it." And just as Allison said that, did it he just. Scott had scored the winning goal before running off the pitch, Allison getting up to run after him.
"There's something odd about that boy," Melanie spoke aloud.
"Well yeah," Lydia said rolling her eyes, "He thinks he's so great since he suddenly gained lacrosse skills and bagged Allison, but I'm not the only one who's not forgetting the fact that nobody knew who he was before this semester."
"Wow, Lydia," Jonah laughed, "way to be a cold hearted bitch."
"Joe," Melanie hit her brother's arm, "don't be an asshole." She then turned to Lydia, "but he has a point, Lyds, what's this about?"
"I don't trust him," Lydia shrugged before Allison came back, face flushed and a sly smile.
"Here's your stuff for Melanie's, Allison," Chris gave his daughter a suspicious look before handing over her overnight bag, "Call me in the morning so I can come pick you up."
"Bye dad," Allison said as he kissed her on the forehead and left.
"Time to take you to Logan's, Joe," Melanie wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulders and guided them to her car with Lydia and Allison trailing behind.
Once arriving back at Melanie's, the three girls got the house ready for the small gathering that they planned the previous night. They hid any expensive ornaments or vases, put out a few bowls of different finger foods, ordered several pizzas and whipped out the alcohol.
"Okay so tell me who you've invited, Lyd?" Melanie said in a questioning tone of voice as she closed the door behind the pizza delivery guy and placing the pizzas on the table.
"Well obviously Jackson, that's a given," Lydia flicked her hair, "Umm, Scott - for Allison, clearly, - Danny, and a few other lacrosse players."
"So just us three girls with several boys?" Melanie asked, "It's like you're trying to get me to have a boyfriend."
"That's exactly my plan, Lainey."
"Oh, Mel?" Allison spoke up, "I hope you don't mind, but I invited Stiles as well."
Lydia and Melanie looked at each other with furrowed brows before chorusing, "Who?"
"Stiles Stilinski?" Allison seemed baffled that they didn't know who he was, "Scott's best friend? Pale boy with a buzzcut, kind of awkward?"
"Oh right," they chorus again knowingly.
Jackson was the first to arrive along with Danny, and then Scott and Stiles. It wasn't until a few of the other lacrosse players arrive did the awkward tension defuse between Jackson and Scott but it was still noticeably there, especially when they began playing a classic game of Never Have I Ever, alcohol style.
"Never have I ever," a lacrosse player by the name of Damien began, "had sex in a public place."
Lydia, Jackson, Melanie and another lacrosse player called Johnny took a drink, Melanie and Johnny giving each other a knowing smile.
"Never have I ever," Melanie said, "been in a serious relationship."
Only Lydia, Jackson and Danny drank then.
"Never have I ever taken any performance enhancing drugs," Jackson gave a pointed look at Scott as a few lacrosse players drank and Scott didn't - it seemed that Jackson had the same idea as Melanie and was deciding to act on it unlike she was.
The game went on until everyone was drunk and dancing to Stacey's Mom. It was a sort of flashback to Lydia's party with Allison and Scott dancing together, Lydia and Jackson grinding and everyone else just classically being drunk.
"It's just like," Stiles began in a slur as he and Melanie sat on the couch with a bottle of Jack Daniels between them, "I've liked her since the third grade and she doesn't even notice me. I do have a ten year plan though, don't you worry, and now that she actually knows who I am - granted through Scott though Allison - it is in motion."
"Giles -"
"- It's Stiles -"
"- Stiles," Melanie looked at him through fuzzy eyes, "Lydia is so smitten for Jackson. She's so in love with him that it makes me want to puke. He may act like a complete and utter butthead, but he's so whipped that he has whiplash. There's no way you're breaking them any time soon - I hate to break it to you, but you need to move on. This is why I don't get involved with boys; it just screws with your head, you know?"
Stiles groaned, "You don't think I know this already? Lydia is so out of my league bu-but same with Allison and Scott and he managed to get her!"
Melanie rolled her eyes before taking a swig of the whiskey that burned her throat, "You and Scott are good looking boys, Stiles - don't put yourself down. Yes, my two best friends are insanely hot, but you're not repulsive and I know I can see the appeal."
"Thanks Melanie," Stiles' face relaxed into a smile, "If I was sober, i'd be stumbling over words right now, but you're not repulsive either."
Melanie kissed Stiles on the cheek and left him a bumbling mess.
The gathering didn't end until half two in the morning. Luckily, Melanie's parents trusted her with parties and such so they had rented a room at a hotel. Only the three girls stayed round Melanie's all of the boys went home once they became tired and sick. When they all woke up in Melanie's queen sized bed the next morning, groans emitted from all three girls for their hangovers were the worst ones they had experienced yet.
"I think I'm going to throw up," Allison whispered groggily.
"Shh," Lydia hissed, "Stop yelling."
"Oh my, gosh, guys," Melanie mumbled into her pillow so only muffled sounds could be heard from her, "shut up."
The girls stayed in bed for another hour or so until Allison ran to the bathroom to vomit. Lydia and Melanie then got up to get her a glass of water - and another two for the girls themselves - some aspirin and to hold her hair back. Once Allison was done, the girls slowly moved downstairs to immediately start cleaning the house. Surprisingly, it was only a few plastic cups and pizza boxes that needed to be thrown out. Allison was on bin duty, Lydia was putting alcohol bottles back in the cupboards and Melanie was putting ornaments back in their rightful place. They agreed to not use the vacuum until their headaches had subsided and so when they were done, they ate leftover pizza for breakfast.
An hour later, Allison and Lydia had been picked up by their parents and Melanie's family were home. Fortunately, Melanie's mum sympathised with her daughter as she was one to party when she was younger and sent Melanie back to bed while she vacuumed the house. Unfortunately, Jonah was not so sympathetic - he was a drum player and thought it'd be funny to practice while Melanie tried to cure her hangover. She proceeded to steal his drumsticks and threatened so shove them down his throat if he tried messing with her again; he was terrified to say the least.
Melanie just hoped that this hangover would be gone by tomorrow in time for school.