"so don't make me hate you, i won't hesitate to
spit you out like old chewing gum, i love chewing gum." -poppy
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shy melodie frost never wanted anything to do with her town's game panic, but with senior year ending and her feeling stuck with her dru...
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melodie felt ray pull her with him as they all began running. she couldn't help trying to tug her arm away and slowing down.
"we really don't have time for this frost!" he exclaimed.
"but what about tank?" she cried back, "we can't just leave him!"
he turned to her completely and grabbed her shoulders.
"me and you, if we get caught they'll keep us there for as long as they want. you knows tank's parents will get him out within an hour. he can handle himself. we have to go,"
melodie waited for a second before realizing he was right. she nodded her head quickly and let ray continue to pull her away from the loud crowd.
as they ran melodie laughed a little. she felt crazy weaving through all the people and around the trees to get to ray's truck.
as soon as ray unlocked the doors the two jumped in and started driving away.
"what did you do to dodge? he could've seriously hurt himself!"
"oh don't talk shit like i'm the crazy one," he scoffed, "do you remember what you did up on those pipes? it was hot but it was stupid melodie."
she huffed because he was right. they both sat there in silence.
"well at least i didn't almost kill someone," she mumbled out after a while.
this seemed to anger ray as he pulled off to the side of the road.
"well at least i didn't almost kill myself!" ray responded to her.
"oh please. you almost do that everytime you do another panic challenge. what i did was add a little spice," melodie rolled her eyes turning to him.
he grabbed her chin roughly and pulled her close.
"don't act like you're so much better than me. we both know who you're running from. tank might not realize it but i'm not stupid. i saw the anger in your face when you went up the cliff and that mixed with a forming bruise is all the signs i need to know that your dad did something," he seethed out.
his face was so close to hers and even though he was angry he couldn't help but let his eyes flicker down towards her lips.
she got closer and whispered out, "you know nothing about me and never will."
with that she jerked herself away and sat back into her seat. she was wrong. he definitely knew a lot about her, especially given their history.
the two's fathers had been close before ray's dad was sent off to prison. they hung out as kids a lot before he started to change. ray started to hang out with people like tyler and tank, while melodie became shyer over time. melodie tried but he pushed her out, just like what she was doing to him now.
he stared at her before turning back to the steering wheel.
"where am i taking you frost?" he asked while pulling back onto the road.
she thought about it for a long time. she couldn't go to tank's. who knows if he was even there. she definitely couldn't go home.
"can i crash on your couch?" she asked hopefully.
ray laughed shaking his head, "can't get enough of me, can you mel?"
"you know what, nevermind! you can just drop me of-" she was cut off.
"yes, yes! you can stay with me for the night," he couldn't stay mad at her.
ray knew he would get melodie to crack at some point, he just didn't know how.
"i'm sorry for snapping at you and saying you almost killed dodge," she thought for a second, "even though you definitely did try to kill him."
he only rolled his eyes and kept driving.
when they got to ray's house melodie rushed to get out, but before she could ray started to say,
"if i win panic, i'll get you away from your dad. when we were up on the pipes together you looked..." he stopped to think, "i've never wanted to kiss anyone more. it not cause you're pretty or anything like that, no, it's you're ability to light up. you don't see that in a lot of people like us, not after what we've been through."
she glanced back at him. he was stupid if he really thought melodie was gonna fall for his tricks.
"shut up," calmly she got out of the car and walked up to his house.
-
melodie woke up the next day in ray's small bed. she was going to sleep on the couch but he insisted that he would so that she could have his bed.
her eyes widened when she noticed he was on the floor next her and not where he was actually supposed to be.
ignoring him, melodie sat up and started searching the bed for her phone. when she phone it she frowned. there was eight missed calls from tank.
melodie felt horrible. the last two times they spoke he had been upset with her and she didn't even call to tell him where she was.
melodie texted him a quick "i'm ok" before looking at the curly headed boy on the ground.
he was nice to look at when he wasn't talking. or even when he was talking. melodie was confused. ray hadn't been this nice to her since they were little.
she pulled the blanket over him when he let out a "awe you do really care about me!"
this made her jump. she hadn't known he'd been awake. she didn't know how long he had been awake. she was scared he knew she'd been staring.
"jesus ray! you scared me!" melodie held her hand over her chest before settling back down on the bed.
he sat up, throwing his head back while laughing. melodie realized now that he did not have a shirt on a began to blush.
"i thought you were sleeping on the couch!" she explained.
"i can't watch you sleep if i'm on the couch can i?" he said serious before bursting out laughing again at melodie's shocked face.
"you're annoying," melodie groaned out sliding her hand down her face.
"you're just upset that i caught you staring," ray said.
"i was not staring," melodie scoffed.
melodie had definitely been staring and DEFINITELY been thinking about how attractive he was.
"whatever you say shortcake," he said before standing up, "get up, we got a parade to go."
melodie looked at him confused before remembering the fourth of july parade that was going on today.
"we gotta stop by my place. i desperately need a change of clothes," she said
as ray was throwing on his shirt he said an "alright." when he was done he put his hand out to her and helped her stand.
"why don't you just get all of your stuff and stay here or at tanks?"
"yeah right. there is no way i am staying here with you. or tank for that matter. i'll figure it out on my own," melodie said to him as she found her shoes and began slipping them on.
without another word the two left to go to melodie's old trailer.
