The Secrets She Hides

Chapter 8- Back to School

(Mel's PoV, Monday, Sept. 8)

"Melody. The time is currently six thirty." I open my eyes and sit up, stretching. "Wake the others please." I have half an hour to shower and get ready before breakfast. We can all have toast or something. I walk to the bathroom and pull off my long sleeve shirt. My bruises are faded a little, but they'll be back by the end of the day.

(After her shower.)

I dry off and pull on clean clothes. I'm in a red t shirt and dark jeans. I hear laughing and open my door to see Amy, Rach, and Becca watching Rob do tricks in his wolf form. I smile and walk over to where they are sitting. Rob turns towards me. Shite. I forgot to put my hoodie on. He changes and smiles at me, but his eyes quickly dart to my bruised arms causing his smile to falter. He quickly corrects himself and we hear the boys coming up the stairs.

Amy, Rach, and Becca follow me into the kitchen to make breakfast while the boys banter around in the living room. "Hey Mel?" Becca asks behind me. "Yeah?" I don't turn but keep watching the pan of bacon so it doesn't burn. "I was wondering who beats you up?" I freeze for a second. Amy and Rach had stopped talking to listen. "I-I can't tell you." I turn off the burner and dump the bacon on to a plate. "Mel, really. Who-" I whipped around and snapped, "I said I can't frickin' tell ya! I won't!" The girls freeze and stare at me. Scared.

"M-Melody, your e-eye." Becca says backing up. I look across to the mirror above the sink behind her. My eye is green! Not blue. A bright, almost neon, green! I gasp sliding down the cabinets to the floor and covering my eyes. I heard fast footsteps and someone call my name. I didn't move. My breath started picking up and I felt someone sit next to me and say my name quietly. I move my right hand so I could see the person. It's Rob. My breath slows a little, but not by much. He grabs my wrist and pulls my left hand slowly a way from my face. I hear gasps and look up to see the other boys in front of me. I look away, but Jack sits on my other side. He tilts my head up so I'm looking at him.

"What happened?" He asks kindly. Why do you have to be so cute?  "I don't know. I remember feeling really- mad and then Becca said something about my eye and when I looked-" My voice cut off. Next thing I know is I'm being hugged by Jack. I close my eyes and my breath returns to normal. "Better?" He asks letting me go. "Yeah." He smiles and stands up offering me his hand. I take it and look in the mirror again to see both of my eyes now blue. "What-" James started, but Rach cut him off. "Let's go eat." She ushers them out and Jack stays behind with me.

I turn my back towards him and lean into the counter. What happened to my eye? I reach up and cover it briefly before putting my arm back down on the counter. "Melody?" I close my eyes as Jack places his hand lightly on my shoulder. "Let's go eat breakfast. We have to leave for school soon." I nod and turn around. But before I could start walking, Jack pulled me into another hug. I leaned into the hug and he tightened his grip slightly. "Thank you." We walked out of the kitchen and sat in the dining room with the others.

(Will's PoV, In his mind while they talk during breakfast.)

I was abandoned by my father when my mom died two weeks ago. I was staying at my aunt's until Melody invited me to live in the base. She's very nice. So are all the others. I've known Jack since we were in second grade and I'm definitely glad he moved into the base when Rob and I did. Rob being an okami and me being a kitsune makes living together hard. Sure, Jake's an okami too, but it's easier to get along with him since I've known him for so long. The three of us are really competitive, but Melody, Amelia, and Rebecca keep us in line.

Riptide is like a giant group of siblings, apart from Ramy and Rames. Rach came up with the names. She says she has a ship name for Jack and Mel but she isn't telling until they get together. I hope they do. I'll admit they're cute together.

(By the power of the toast song, we skip to after breakfast)

We finish our breakfast and grab our bags that we had all thrown on the couches. Rob tucked his tail under the back of his hoodie and put a pair of blue headphones on to hold his ears down. He wasn't in the best mode what with the whole 'Melody's eye changed to an unnatural color' this morning, not to mention his ears felt sore with the headphones on so they were hung around his neck

We walked down stairs and filed into the elevator. The second Rob was outside he changed into a wolf. His back pack sat on his back loosely and Amy had to tighten the shoulder straps for him and put his headphones around his neck. He smiled and let her sit on his back behind his bag. Then he jogged off down the path towards Mel's house. Sadly not the weirdest thing that has happened. Sam laughed and started jogging after them. Soon we were all racing each other with Rob and Amy in the lead and Mel close second. Rob's fast even while carrying Amy and his bag.

We came out of the forest and started walking to the cars. Amy got off Rob and he changed, putting his headphone on and loosening the straps on his bag. Jack, Mel, James, and Rach piled into Jack's truck. While Amy, Sam, and Ethan got into Rob's car. Leaving me to ride in Becca's car.

Neither of us said a word and as soon as we were stopped in the parking lot, she hopped out of the car. By the time I stand up, she was walking into the school. What was that all about?

Hey guys decided to write this short chapter, but it will take a while to go up as my Wi-Fi is really bad. Anyway, I may not put another chapter up for a few days, but you never know. Hope you guys are enjoying so far. -Cameron