𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄
—𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟸—

     𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 at the designs on her arm for a while. She regretted leaving Frost behind to fight this battle on his own. The girl knew that she would go back to find him eventually, but his words had stung more than the ice traveling in her arm had. She would need some time to think to herself before she could reunite with him.

She decided that her first move would be to make her way into a town just South of Westbrooke, where she would visit the library in search of books that revolve around minerals and rocks. Hopefully, Melody would find some information that could help Frost control the everlasting winter. And if not, she would have to find somewhere else to look for the answers he needed.

Geminite— the crystal that Frost ached so badly to destroy. But the only thing Melody knew was that it was the toughest of any rock out there. It was solid, and wouldn't budge under the force of just an ordinary hammer, nor would it crack under weight. If anything, there was a specific tool that could help alter it, for which they could use to smash it to dust. The girl wondered why Frost would give up his power so easily.

The ice was beautiful in her eyes; the snow, the icicles that lined across the roof of her home, all of it. She had grown accustomed to it, and Melody wasn't sure what she would do without it. Snow was all she ever knew.

Pulling her shawl on tighter, she stands from her current spot on a log she had previously dusted the snow from. She wasn't far from Frost's cave, but was distant enough so that she couldn't hear his rages. The brunette decided she would head to the nearest town now— just over the hill— and be back in just a bit of time. Frost wouldn't know where to look for her, but she knew he wouldn't stay away for too long.

Even if he did think she had left.

Melody could feel the cold seep through her clothing, the remaining snow from the log dampening her dress. She wished she had changed before she left out of the library so that she wouldn't grow cold. But, of course, she had been so distracted that she hadn't cared.

Taking one glance back at the cave, Melody dusts the newly falling snow from her shoulders, and begins down the slope of the mountain. She could only hope it wouldn't take all too long to get to the library, but she had no idea where she was heading, or even where the library would be. So the girl took to a guess; perhaps the library would be somewhere near the center of the town.

The library of Westbrooke was located away from everything else, of the bridge of nothing. But the town was small than most others, so it didn't come as a shock when everything else was gathered together. Thankfully, though, it took only a few minutes to walk to the library from where Melody lived. And oftenly, she resided there when she had nothing better to do. The brunette was always infatuated with the idea of reading, starting at such a young age.

In her mother's younger years, she had perceived the hopes to be a writer. And so she introduced Melody to the world of fantasy, fiction, and any other genre on the shelves. And even after her mother had decided against it and given up on her writings, the young girl had traveled with Clark down to the library where they would spend their days reading to each other.

Melody is yanked from her thoughts as her eye catches movement beside her. She looks over, meeting Frost's blue eyes just as she slips on a thin sheet of ice beside of her right foot. She gasps, her arms flailing in surprise as she almost falls. Thankfully, Frost had grabbed her waist in time, and had tucked her into his chest. Melody sighs with relief, looking up to him gratefully.

"Thank you," she murmers, her heartbeat still quick. "Wait— why are you here?"

"I knew you wouldn't go back to Westbrooke," he says softly, staring down at her. "So I came looking for you."

Melody doesn't respond, her mind focused on the small distance between them. But just as she does, his earlier words crack through her memory, and she pulls away from him carefully. Frost drops his arms back to his sides, disappointed in himself. He found himself having a moment with her, and he knew it was ruined because he had allowed himself to grow insensitive and selfish in their previous conversation.

"I'll go to the library in the next town and find some information on your rock," Melody clears her throat, her eyes finding the ground. "You can fix all of this, and we can pretend like none of this happened."

"Listen, Mel," Frost sighs, his fingers running through his white hair. "What I said . . . I'm not using you, I promise. Believe it or not, I actually have a heart. And I wouldn't ask you for your help just for my personal gain."

"How would this help me?" The brunette scoffs.

"You could gain a friend," he says cautiously. "I'm here for you, we're in a similar position despite our differences. I know how it feels to be cast aside like a nobody because no one wants to attempt to talk to me."

"I have Clark, and that's all I need," Melody says as she continues down the mountain, moving a few feet ahead of him as she did so. "He's as loyal as they come, and I wouldn't give him up for the world."

"And what happens when he's away at the stone mines?" Frost finds himself asking, hesitating to go on. "You go to the library? Sit at home and read?"

"It doesn't matter what I do when he's not around," she mumbles, holding in her urge to snap again. She was here to help him, and then she would be gone.

She wouldn't have to relieve these moments again, and she was somewhat thankful for that. But at the same time, she couldn't bare it. Deep down she knew Frost was speaking the truth- she could really use a friend. One that understood her . . . and the boy next to her seemed all that and more.

"You're lonely."

Melody stops, her breath catching in her throat as he speaks. It was as if her lungs would no longer work, and the blood in her veins stopped pumping. She was no longer walking, nor was she focused on the ground. Her eyes were trained in front of her, feet planted into the ground.

"You don't know me," Melody breathes, not bothering to look at him.

"And yet I do," Frost says, reaching out to grab her arm. This time, he controlled himself, and managed to keep the ice from traveling through her.

Instantly, sparks erupted into her skin. She gasped from the impact, surprised that it didn't feel like ice, but fireworks and tingles in her veins. The coldness of his hand wasn't bitter, but relaxing and refreshing as his skin melted into hers. Melody lost her breath again, confused at the sudden reaction between them.

"I also know that I'm not the only one that feels that," he continues, his eyes softening as her warmth radiates through him. "I'm here for you, Mel."

He embraced the sensations that raced through him; it gave him the near feeling of what it was like to stand in front of a heater after a day of playing in the snow. It was something he hadn't felt in a while, and was filled with care. Frost didn't want to let go, afraid that he would lose her forever if he did.

"I think we should go," she says shortly, making her way down the slope once again. The calming sensation in her skin stopped as Frost's grasp fell away, but she proceeded as if she didn't care. "Do you know where the library is?"

"The opposite side of town," Frost sighs, his eyes falling as he follows close behind her. "That's where you should find it."

---

Melody found herself scouring the aisles of the large library for longer than she expected; over half an hour of searching. And still, the brunette hadn't found a single clue as to how she would destroy the crystal.

Frost had waited outside for the girl, nestled away behind a nearby tree. Jude had managed to find the two of them, and had landed swiftly on Frost's shoulder. The small bird chirped away, annoying the boy for what seemed like endless minutes. And as the time ticked on, he grew more and more anxious to return to his home, and stay locked away from civilization until he could grow normal again.

"This is useless," Melody murmers to herself, her fingertips brushing the spine of the few books in front of her. "I'm never going to be able to find anything."

She began to grow restless, wanting nothing but her home, a blanket, and a nice book to read. But until she found the information she needed, Melody knew she wouldn't be going back home. Just as she loses most hope, her eyes graze over a book on rare minerals. And on the cover was a picture of a geminite crystal, shining with vibrant colors of red and orange in the sunlight.

Melody almost cried out in relief as she grabbed it and shuffled to an empty table. Opening the book, she immediately began to skim the page, hoping that everything she could ever need lied within its words.

_______