Carson

I had texted Melody a few times throughout the day, but after basketball practice, I was focused on getting caught up on my science homework. I knew she was out with Emma and her friends, though I really wanted to see her again. Our first date hadn't ended the way I'd expected it to, and I wanted a chance to change it somehow. But she said she was busy all day. I hoped it was that, and not that she was avoiding me.

I sat at my desk for the rest of day doing homework, occasionally glancing out the window and across the street to the park. I witnessed the sun settle in the horizon, turning the sky shades of pink, purple and orange as clouds rolled in. It started to rain around then, but it was a light drizzle. I didn't really like rain, but when I was inside, the sound of the rain dancing on my rooftop made me feel at peace.

By eleven the rain was moving like buckets of water being dumped off a balcony. The streets were soaked, and it was quite windy out. I glanced up from my homework and stared out the window, bored at the scientific overload. That was when I noticed a figure moving across the street. It seemed to be moving around the circumference of the park.

A feeling of dread grew in my stomach as I noticed it was a person. They were slender, and in all black. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent a text.

Hey, what are you up to?

Carson White; 11:15pm

I watched, as the hooded person kept moving. When my phone got no response, I went downstairs to get a closer look. The person's hood blew off and I caught a glimpse of pale skin and brown hair before the figure fell to the ground.

I dialled her number immediately and waited for her to pick up.

"Is that you outside?" I asked softly. I was greeted with heavy panting, like she was trying to catch her breath. I also heard sniffles. Was she crying? I was already moving to get a blanket and a hoodie.

"Melody?" I tried again. A strangled cry tore me apart. "Don't move." I hung up and pulled a pair of sneakers on. I grabbed my jacket and car keys as I made my way outside, throwing the blanket and hoodie into the car. I got to the park in a flash and sprinted over to her.

She was curled into herself, like a terrified child, or a baby armadillo trying to protect itself. It was almost as if she was trying to keep herself from disintegrating into nothingness. She was shaking with every breath she took, and it didn't seem to be from the cold. It looked like the tremors started from within and expanded with every sob that left her mouth. I softly touched her shoulder, and she glanced at me slowly.

Her face was stained like red wine on a white carpet. Tears were etched into her skin, like chalk on a blackboard. It hurt me to see her so broken. My heart ached for her.

"Oh Mellie," I whispered, wrapping the blanket around her. She didn't respond, she just bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. I lifted her drenched body and held her close to me. She rested her head on my chest and her weeping became quiet though she still shook in my arms.

I walked us over to my car and slid her into the passenger seat. I buckled her in, closed the door and then got in on my side. I started the car and let it warm up, turning on Melody's seat warmer and before moving off. I kept glancing her way, checking to see if she was okay. Her head was rested against the window, and she stared blankly ahead of her. At least she'd stopped bawling her eyes out.

The only sounds were the pitter-patter of rain, the thud of the windshield wipers, and the occasional sniffle from Melody. We stopped at a red light, so I turned on the radio. Soft guitar strumming and a low voice sang through the speakers. Driving off again, I stopped at the only place I knew nearby that would be open after 11:30pm. Denny's.

"No."

I did a double take. It was so quiet; I wasn't sure I'd heard it. But when I looked at her, she was looking at me with a fresh set of tears pooling in her eyes, her head shaking slightly.

"I just want to talk," I told her, not wanting to add to whatever was making her to distraught. Melody nodded and took a deep breath. "I brought you a dry sweater," I said reaching around to the backseat. My hand touched the thick fabric and I grabbed it. "You can get changed; I'll wait inside the restaurant." I handed her the hoodie and turned off the car before handing her the keys.

"Okay," Melody whispered. It was faint, but at least she was speaking again.

***

When Melody stepped into the restaurant, I waved her over to where I was sitting. Seeing her in my sweater would have made me smile, if it wasn't for the pinkness of her nose, puffy eyes, and her tearstained cheeks. Still, she looked beautiful even though her hair was soaked, and she'd been crying. Hesitantly she walked over to me, her eyes trained on the floor, her arms wrapped around herself moving slightly to keep her warm.

She sat down across from me and placed her hands together on the table in front of her, playing with the sleeves on her borrowed hoodie. We were silent; the only sounds were a faint hum of music playing through the speakers and the chatter of a group of young adults across the restaurants.

"Can I get you started with something?" The waiter appeared. He was a tired looking college student who had a pile of books waiting for him at an empty booth. The overnight shift at a 24-hour restaurant must suck.

I glanced at Melody, who was desperately trying to hide the panic behind her eyes and then looked back at the waiter. "Just some tea," I said, my eyes drifting back to the brunette in front of me. She seemed more relaxed, the tension in her body fading away.

"Is Earl Grey okay?" he asked, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. I nodded and he left our table. I watched Melody stare down at her hands, unsure of what to say. I bit my lip thinking and took a deep breath.

"Okay, we don't have to talk about it if you really don't want to, but I think that we should," I started. She looked up at me and nodded.

"What do you want to know?" She asked quietly. I didn't know where to start. I wanted to know why I'd never seen her eat anything but a couple sticks of vegetables every so often. I wanted to know why I'd see her pushing herself past her body's limits at the park outside. I wanted to know why she did it there and not at home? What was it like at home? Maybe that was easiest to start with.

"What's your family like?" I asked. Melody's eyes widened as if in shock, but she composed herself, and settled on a tiny smile.

"Well, you've already met Mia. She's horrible, I know. But she wasn't always like that. She used to like me when we met and I was eleven, but in the summer before she went to high school something changed. She was turning fourteen and I was thirteen. I didn't know what happened. It was like she woke up and realized I wasn't good –" She cut herself off suddenly and glared down at her hands.

"Two hot teas," the waiter said, appearing suddenly with mugs in his hand. He placed them down on the table. "Anything else?"

"Hm, can we get some veggies and dip?" I asked. I knew it was the only thing I could possibly get her to eat – and I was feeling peckish. The waiter nodded and disappeared once again, and Melody looked a little more tense, but I changed the subject, while taking my mug in my hands. "So, what about your parents?"

"Right..." she sighed. "You know I have a stepmother – Margot. She's – she's awful. She makes little jabs at me any chance she gets. I've been called 'the help', 'the devil's mistress', and 'fat' amongst other insults..."

"She calls you fat?" I asked incredulously. Melody gave me a short nod in response. My fists tightened around the mug in my hands as anger pulsated through my veins. This woman was disgusting.

"Between her and Mia it's unending," Melody mumbled wrapping a hand around the cup of tea and stared down at it.

"Are you kidding?" I was furious. Even though Melody wasn't her child, she had no right to treat her that way. Someone as sweet and as kind as Melody deserved better than what they were giving her.

"I wish I was," Melody chuckled humourlessly.

"She's lost her mind."

The waiter appeared holding our light snack in his hands. He placed the plate of vegetables on the table and retreated to his stack of books. I grabbed a celery stick off the plate and dipped it in the ranch dressing. I pushed the plate towards her, and she ignored it completely.

"What about your father?" I asked quietly.

"Well, my father just locks himself in his home office and does work. He's a CEO for a stock company, so he's always doing that if he's not at work or on a business trip... sometimes he'll take Margot on those trips. I used to see him more, but everything changed when..." she trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut. I reached across the table and held her tiny hand in mine, as if that would protect her from all her problems. "...when my mom died," she finished.

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Author's Note: Yaaaay! This is a lot longer than I thought it would be! :) I had a good time writing this chapter, because the dynamic between Carson and Melody make my heart happy, even if poor Melody is going through a rough time. I hope you liked this chapter! Comment your thoughts and don't forget to vote! :D Also, thank you soo much for all your reads and support! :)