Fell For You

Big Rock

Ready to tackle the last day of your second week of high school, Melody Black?

Pfft. Definitely not.

Just thinking about Embry walking through those school doors beside Sam, Jared, and Paul makes my stomach twist. The sight alone would probably give me hives. Hopefully, I won't have to run into him—or his stupid, shiny new alien-cult attitude.

So, survival plan: pack three comfort novels. The Poison Diaries, 9th Grade Bleeds, and Once Upon a Full Moon. Supernatural stories about vampires, curses, and doomed romance—basically my emotional support system.

I swipe on some mascara, dab on foundation, and check the clock. 7:06 a.m. Not bad.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I fish it out and answer. "Hello?"

"Hey, Fox Girl."

The voice—silky smooth, teasing—immediately makes me grin. "Sarah!" I squeal, clutching the phone.

"Whoa, keep it down before you make me deaf," she laughs.

"Sorry." I bite back a giggle, though the smile stays plastered on my face.

"It's fine, sissy. Just wanted to check on you. How's high school treating my favorite little gremlin?" I hear the fizz of a soda can popping open.

I slump against my dresser. "It's... good, I guess. Made new friends. Lost one. You know—balance, right?" I try to laugh, but my voice comes out shaky.

She hears it instantly. "Hey, hey. What's with the sad tone, Fox Girl?"

I sigh, blinking away the sudden sting in my eyes. "Embry basically ditched me for Sam's group. And apparently, I'm still 'too young' for elder meetings—but Kristina isn't."

Silence stretches on the other end, just the faint fizzing of her drink.

"Don't worry about it, Fox Girl," she says finally, her tone soft but confident. "If Embry wants to trade real friends for... whatever that group is, that's his loss. You're smart, loyal, ridiculously funny, and—hate to admit it—freakishly adorable. If he can't see that, he's blind. And about Kristina... sometimes people treat others differently for reasons that don't make sense yet. Just wait. You'll understand when you're older."

I frown a little. "That makes no sense, Sarah."

She chuckles. "Yeah, I didn't expect it to yet. Just... trust me."

Even though she's basically talking in riddles, her words wrap around me like a warm blanket. I wipe a tear that escaped down my cheek. "Thanks."

"Now wipe that tear off your pretty face and smile," she says. "You look better when you're smiling."

I laugh softly. "I love you, Sarah. You always know what to say."

"Of course I do. Big sister magic." She hums happily. "I gotta run—work starts in thirty minutes and I've got coffee with a very handsome gentleman."

My mouth drops. "And the name of this 'gentleman' is—"

"Nice try, Fox Girl. The last thing I need is you digging dirt on him. You can meet him at Christmas."

"Sarah—"

"Bye, Melody!" she sings, hanging up before I can protest.

⸻

I slam my locker shut and nearly jump when Seth's face pops into view, full of concern.

"What's wrong?" he asks gently, leaning on his locker.

I shrug. "I'm guessing you haven't seen it yet."

His brow furrows. "Seen what?"

Then come the giggles and whispers. A ripple of sound down the hallway.