Chapter 2; A Friend
Melody hurried to her first class of the day after homeroom. She walked in and sat down at the back of the class, and soon after she sat down James walked in.
"Hey!" He said and walked over sitting next to her. "Looks like we have a class together after all."
"Ah, yeah." She replied, pulling out her schedule. "Want to see what else we have together?"
"Yeah!" He takes out his schedule and starts comparing the two. "Hey, I think we have just about everything together except gym and homeroom!"
"Oh, awesome. So i guess we can walk together to our next class." She replied as the teacher began to start class- going over the rubric and grading methods and proper classroom etiquette. All of which Melody had heard before.
She continued her sketch from earlier, determined to finish it so she could start coloring it next class.
"Excuse me in the back there." The teacher said, directing it towards Melody.
"Yes ma'am?" She looked up from her drawing.
"Are you paying attention?" The teacher asked.
"Yes ma'am." She replied simply.
"What is our first unit going to be on then?" She questioned.
"This is basic Earth Science, the first unit is always how the Earth was formed- then the phases of the moon, topographic maps, volcanoes, and so on." Melody replied, and went back to her drawing.
The teacher sighed and went back into her rubric overview and then hopped into the first unit. Handing everyone a packet to fill out for homework.
The bell rang and signaled for the students to go to the next class.
"Melody, may i speak with you?" The teacher asked.
"Of course." Melody said staying back.
"I didn't mean to sound rude when i answered you, but this isn't my first time through these classes. I was actually going to ask you to have all of the homework for the rest of the year."
"O-oh, I see. Well, If you really want I can have it all printed out by next class..." the teacher responded.
"Yes, thank you." Melody replied as she left the classroom with James.
"Dang what was that about?" He asked on the way to their next class.
"Nothing, don't worry about it." Melody replied. "She's probably mad at how I answered her in class."
"Oh, alright. Well, let's get to our next class then!" He said, heading in the direction of their next class.
Melody sighs, "Actually, I may just go sit in the office..."
"What, why?" He asked.
"I've had enough first-days-of-school... it's all the same wherever you go..." she replied and turned to walk toward the office.
"H-hey, what's that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"Just go to class, I'll see you at lunch."
She replied, simply.
"I-If you say so then..." James said, heading off to class.
-lunch-
Melody walked into the cafeteria with her tray filled with that day's lunch. She looked around for James, and went to sit at an empty table to wait for him.
"Hey, there you are." He said, sitting down with his own tray. "How was the office?"
"Fine." She replied simply, taking a bite of her wrap. "How was going over the rubric?"
"As good is it could be I suppose." He replied with a chuckle. "I think i'm ready for the day to be over already."
"Yeah... I'm ready for the whole year to be over actually..." she replied.
"Wow already? It just started." He said, chuckling a bit more.
"Haha, yeah, I know." She replied. 'If you only knew half of the stuff I've been through over the course of four hundred years...' she thought to herself.
The two talked about little things as they finished up their lunch. The bell rang a little while after that.
"What class is next?" James asked.
"Gym for me, and then we have english." Melody replied.
"Ah, so I have study hall. Guess I'll see you in English!" He said heading off to class.
Melody nodded and headed off to the gym.
-english class-
Melody walked into class and again, sat near the back. She took out her sketchbook again and continued the drawing she had been working on.
"Hey~" she heard, as a boy sat down next to her. It was James.
"Hi, James." She replied.
"Last class of the day~ how about that? Ah. I can't believe day one's over already." He said, taking out his notebook and a pencil.
"Yeah..." she replied, but she was focused on finishing the coloring of her drawing before class starts.
"Hey, are you almost finished? Let me see!" James said excitedly, eager to see the finished product.
Melody finished coloring, just as the bell rang to start class and turned it to show James the completed drawing.
"Wow... that's so awesome. It looks really good!" James said. "You should draw me next!"
She giggled a bit. "Alright, I'll surprise you tomorrow with a drawing then."
The bell rang to signal the end of the day.
Melody packed up her things.
"Are you doing anything special after school today?" James asked.
"No, I was just going to go home..." Melody said.
"Wanna hang out for a bit? It's still a little cold outside, but we could go get some ice cream?" He asked.
Melody smiled. "It's never too cold for ice cream, but... you- you really want to hang out with me?"
"Sure! You're pretty cool, and we're both new at this school. So, new kids have to stick together, don't you think?" He said with a cheeky grin.
He did remind her of Jackson- more so then she'd like to admit. It may only be day one, but she does feel as though she has known James for a long time.
"Alright then, lets go!" She replied happily. "It's funny, I can't remember the last time I got ice cream with a friend."
"Oh yeah?" He laughs as they walk out of the building together.
They talked about little things the whole way to the ice cream shop on the corner, sat inside and ate sundaes talking more.
"Hey so, what's your family like?" James asked finally.
"Ah I-" Melody looked down, she had been making up small lies about her life, obviously leaving out the detail about how old she really is. How could she tell him that she was four hundred and seventeen years old, has a whole bunch of money that came from nowhere and a small house that she lives alone in?
She hesitated too long-
"Hey- I'm sorry... did i say something wrong?" He asked.
"N-no, I'm sorry... I don't- I don't have a family... I haven't for a long time..." she said, continuing to look down at her now melted ice cream.
"Oh... I- I'm sorry..." he said, "Well, to be honest I really don't either... haha... I live with a friend of mine, his parents take care of me. I lost my family a while ago, too."
"O-oh really...? That's sad, I'm sorry." She replied.
"Nah, It's fine... Hey, why don't you come over for dinner? I'm sure they wouldn't mind me bringing home a pretty girl~ haha" he said.
"Wh-" she was a little embarrassed, but decided to play along. "Oh, well, good luck finding a pretty girl to bring home..."
"Haha! Hey I'm talking about you, silly." He replied.
"No! You couldn't be!" She laughed, "Thanks for the offer, but I have to get home. I have chores I should have been doing instead of getting ice cream, but- I had a lot of fun today. So, thank you..." she said, getting up from the table and throwing out her plastic bowl. "Ah- I didn't think this through..."
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I- I don't know how I'm going to get home... I should have taken the bus..." she replied.
"My house isn't too far- I can ask Jessie's mom or dad to bring you?" James suggested.
"Oh I couldn't ask them to do that..." she replied.
"It's fine really, I'm sure they won't mind! Since you're coming over now you might as well stay for dinner!" He said, smiling with his cheeky smile again.
"A-alright then if you insist.." she replied, hesitantly.
The two left the ice cream shop and walked to the house.
-the house-
James opened the door, "Hey, I'm home!" He yelled. "I brought over a new friend! I hope that's okay!"
A woman came to the door.
"Welcome home~ and, oh!" She looked at Melody. "Welcome, dear!"
"Ah, thanks. Hi, my name is Melody." She replied.
"She's my new friend from school. We went to get ice cream and she doesn't have another way to get home- so I invited her here to eat dinner and then I was going to ask if you or Luke could bring her home?" James explained.
"Oh! Of course, no problem~" the woman replied. "And please, call me Diane."
"Ah, thank you Diane, really." Melody replied.
"Dinner is almost ready, so you can sit at the table." She said, heading back into the kitchen.
Melody follows James back into the kitchen and sits at the table with him.
"Oh, I hope you like spaghetti." Diane said.
"Yes, that's fine. Thank you." Melody replied.
"Oh good! I would have made you something else if not. Jessie's a picky eater and doesn't eat pasta, so I would understand." She said.
Just then, a young boy shot down the stairs. "Don't be talking about me like I can't hear you~" he teased. "Oh, we have a guest? Jack, it's only the first day of school. How did you already get a girlfriend?"
"She's not, Jessie. Why do you always have to embarrass me this way?" He replied.
"Jack?" Melody looked at James.
"Ah- he calls me Jack. It's a nickname I guess." He replied.
"O-oh I see..." she said.
Jessie and James seemed to gesture to each other, but Melody couldn't quite make it out. She decided it was nothing and ignored it.
'It has to just be a coincidence...' she thought.
"So anyway, I'm Jessie, as he probably told you." Jessie said. "What's your name?"
"It's Melody." She replied.
"Oh no way. That's so hilarious." Jessie replied.
"What, why?" She replied.
"Wasn't that-" James cuts Jessie off.
"Please. Don't. I swear." He says.
"Oh, you don't want me to tell her? Aw but it would be so much fun. Especially since it's still day one." Jessie said.
"Jessie..." he said.
"Fine, fine."
"Tell me what...?" Melody said, very confused.
"It's nothing, he's being a pest. Please ignore everything he says..." James replies.
"Dinner is served. Jessie go get your father and tell him dinner is ready." Diane says.
Jessie goes and does so, as Diane starts serving the spaghetti.
"There is sauce and meatballs, and butter if you'd like them plain." She said to Melody.
"Thank you, very much." She said.
Melody went ahead and took a couple meatballs and poured some sauce on her spaghetti.
Luke came downstairs minutes later with Jessie.
Jessie started making himself chicken as Luke sat at the table.
He didn't seem to notice or care about the extra guest at the table.
Diane sat down and served herself, then turned to her husband.
"Luke, did you notice that we had a guest?" She asked.
"Oh, no I guess not." He looked up and saw the girl. "Oh, oh boy. I mean girl. But-" he turned to James. "James, do we need to-
"Omg not you too. Please no. We're eating now." James said, shoving a fork full of spaghetti in his mouth.
Melody sighed and started eating as well.
-after dinner-
"Thank you very much for bringing me home, Diane... I really do appreciate it." Melody said as Diane pulled up to the driveway.
"Of course dear." She replied.
"I'll see you tomorrow, James." Melody said as she got out of the car
"Yeah, see ya." He replied, just as she shut the car door and headed up to her front door.
Once inside, she dropped her school bag and went up to her room.
"What a day..." she said to herself, plopping down on her bed.
She sighed to herself, and decided to get ready for bed.
A/N
Chapter 2, what do you think? Again I started writing this a long time ago, so don't be too harsh with my choices. Its definitely a wild ride. Let me know what you think so far. Thanks for supporting my stories over the years. I seriously cannot believe how many people still look at MFH. Its really amazing, so thanks.