Paper Thin

• 2: Periwinkle •

Melody

            After school, I decided to find my locker, so that I wouldn't be stressed out in the morning when I needed to go to it. When I arrived there, I began trying to open it. The numbers were easy enough; it was just the whole pulling it open mechanism I was having trouble with.

"Melody!" A voice called behind me. I peeked over my shoulder to see Alani walking towards me. "Push in and pull up," she told me.

"Thanks!" I smiled, as I was suddenly able to open my locker. Alani leaned on the lockers next to mine.

"So," she began with a smirk. "The rumour is that y–"

"Ugh! I did not hit, nor attack, nor punch, nor pummel, Carson White!" I fumed. I was so fed up with all the whispers that I was seriously about to scream. I blushed at the looks being sent my way.

"Careful, Alani, she might hit you too," I heard from behind me. I turned slowly, already recognizing the shrill voice.

"Oh, piss off Rose," Alani threw over my shoulder. I rolled my eyes as Rose pretended to shudder in fear.

"Don't you have a graveyard to go to?" Rose mocked, making Alani roll her eyes. I slammed my locker shut and turned to see a small crowd had begun gathering. I held in a sigh and started to head for the main doors. I was so not in the mood for this. "Where are you running to?" Rose called. "Already had enough?"

The laughter around me echoed in the halls and I picked up the pace. When I was finally outside I breathed a sigh of relief. I was only a short walk from my house, which was much closer than my old school. The difference was, it had taken a while to end up at the bottom of the food chain there, whereas at Alcott, I'd done it in less than a day.

***

I stepped through the front door of my house and silence welcomed me with its empty embrace. The fancy furniture and the expensive décor looked all too perfect, like the house was staged for an open house, and not like a family actually lived in it.
And it was true. People lived here but it wasn't really a family. It looked perfect, but it was far from it. It was a shell of what it used to be, and I hated it here. I was always alone even if there was someone home. My dad was always working whether he was at the office, on a business trip, or he was locked away in his home office. My stepmother, Margot, was mean when she was home, or always out shopping with my stepsister, Mia. Mia could do no wrong in her eyes, but she didn't want anything to do with me, so we never spent time together.

We had a housekeeper, Leslie, who paid the most attention to me out of everyone. I chalked that up to being paid to like me. She had been working here since I was younger, but she only came twice a week back then. Now, she was here four times a week, because Margot would never hassle herself by lifting a finger, especially if it involved dirt.

I closed the door and it echoed in the large house. Leslie poked her head out of the kitchen, a warm smile gracing her lips as she saw me.

"Melody! How was your first day of school?" She asked brushing a greying hair out of her face. She had on bright yellow gloves, probably in the middle of cleaning something in the kitchen.

"Great," I lied, forcing a wide smile. She smiled at that, making her purple-grey eyes light up.

"I'm glad to hear that. I've already made dinner so whenever you're ready for it, it is in the kitchen."

"Thanks Leslie, I'll eat later!" I shot her another grin and bolted up the stairs.

Once I made it into my room I shut the door and collapsed against it, slowly sliding towards the floor. I glared at the walls in my room, which were covered with pictures of models and fashion. I then looked at a picture of my mother on my desk and frowned, wishing I could tell her about my day. I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them.