The Rise and Falls of Melody Wilson

Part 24

The school buzzing the next day with the events of the previous night. I got my fair share of looks as I walked the school hallways. Even several of the teachers shot me curious, some disapproving, looks as I came into class.

Mariah had fell asleep quickly that night, hardly saying anything about what had happened. Which wasn't like her, but I figured it was because her mom was paying close attention to us the moment I came into the door.

Mr. Meyer's looked almost upset as I came through the classroom door, as if I

was his daughter who was running around with bad boys and starting fights.

Several conversations stopped as I passed people on the way to my seat.

I turned into my row and looked up from the floor. Josh gave me a small smile as

I sat down in my seat next to him.

Unlike every other morning, Josh turned to me looking serious. "Hey are you okay?" He asked with no sarcasm or joking to his voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I smiled appreciatively. "Thanks."

"You must have liked having two guys fighting over you, even if one is your brother." Now, he joked.

"They weren't fighting over me." I told him and turned my attention back to the front of the class where Mr. Meyer's looked at me again with disapproval. I got the message and didn't say a word for the rest of the class.

**

Mariah was almost nonextistent that day at school. I couldn't seem to find her anywhere, when I wanted to talk to her. I had caught glances of her several times during the day, once even got her to stop her hurried walking to talk to mefor asecond before she told me she had to run to class or she would be late. I had had just about enough and planned to tell her that the moment the bell rang. And thankfully it did so in the next few minutes. I sprinted out of the classroom as fast as I could without hurting myself in the process. It was hard to find her in all the commotion of the other students on their own quest to get out of school, but I finally did. Find her, that is. I caught her dark auburn hair bobbing madly away from my direction towards the student parking lot. I hustled my way through the sea of people to her, my voice strangling to call her name. It almost seemed as though she glanced back, saw me, turned back around and walked on towards the lot with even longer strides. Finally I broke free from the mob of students and rushed to catch up with her.

"Would you slow down, Pippy long legs?" I huffed running up behind her. "We weren't all blessed with your crazy long legs."

"Sorry." she muttered, but didn't bother to slow down even a little. "I really need to get home."

"Okay, well will you slow down a tad?" I struggled to keep up. "I haven't seen you all day and when I do, your running to your car. Could you bother to stop for a second for your best friend?"

She kept her face straight ahead, "Sorry, I just really need to get home."

I picked up my pace a tad as we slowed comingnear her car. I was a little in front of her and finally got a glimpse of her face. Around her skin was slightly red around her eyes, sure signs of her being frustrated. I reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop and face me. "Mariah, what's going on?" I asked her sharply and she looked down at her feet.

She looked away from me, shaking her head. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. I haven't seen you all day and now I'm thinking you're avoiding me. So you tell me what's going on." I watched her sigh and finally look at me.

"It's nothing. Just a bad day. I need to get home." she pulled free of my grip and turned to go back to her car.

I watched her go, not fully understanding what was goingo, or believing her. "Fine. I left my stuff and my car at your house though."

"You can get it later." she said getting in her car. It took her less than five seconds start up her car and pull out, leaving me to go find a ride with April.

***

April wasn't too pleased with having to leave her precious guy friends to drive me home, but she did it anyways, seizing her oppurtunity to ask about what happened at the party. I was too preoccupied with what was going on with Mariah to give her more than a quick explanation. When April finally realized I wasn't really in for talking, she turned her attention back to the road, leaving me to mull about Mariah. It was truly abnormal, Mariah was usually the one chasing me down to figure out what was going on with me.

My thoughts were interrupted when we pulled up in front of my house. I gave April and sincere thank you and got out of her car and made my way up to the house.

Yet again the house lights were completely shut off, but this time my mom's car wasn't in the drive, meaning she wasn't home. I dropped what few things I had from school on the kitchen table and went upstairs. Halfway to my room I heard a quiet rustling and diverted my course to go the opposite way. Riley's room. I went and quietly pushed the door open, there he was sprawled on his bed, the same way I had found him the night of the party. Except this time he had bruises formed around his eye and dark red patches on his cheeks and chin. His eyes slowly opened as came into the room, and slowly as scowl spread across his face.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, closing his eyes again.

I stood inside his room near the door, leaning against the dark green walls. "I want to know what the deal was with you last night." I sighed, watching his face.

He didnt open his eyes as he said, "You saw what happened. Andrew isn't a part of this place anymore, he needs go back to his stupid life in Hollywood."

"What's your issue with him?" I asked again, going to sit down on his desk chair. "Last time I asked about him, didn't seem to care much about him. What changed?"

Riley laid there for a while, not answering, not opening his eyes (I bet they hurt judging by the bruising around them) to look at me. If I hadn't been so tired from the night before I probably would have raised my voice by then, but I was, so I didn't. I sat patiently for a while longer, hoping he'd just try and open up to me a bit.

When he didn't say anything for what seemed like eons I slowly stood up and headed for the door, planning toexit quietly, but changed and turned back to him. "You know what I don't get?" he didn't say anything, but his eyes slowly opened to look at me. I continued, "You leave for several months, only to come back and not want to say a word to me. I go out and there you are trying to beat my friend- who I haven't seen in ages. For no reason?" I emphasized, then sighed with a shake of my head. "We used to talk about almost everything, Riley, but I guess you really have changed now. You're not the only one who got hurt when dad died."

With that I turned, this time for good, and left his room.

It had been a long time since I had ever had a conversation this quiet with him and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.