Octagon Project 1: Melody Halloway

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"I'm guessing he found out." Zack's groggy, deep voice sounded from near the door of Mel's dark room. She was curled up against the wall near her nightstand but got startled when she heard Zack speak. She hadn't heard him come in. Tossing the nearest thing she could find, a pen, Zack caught it in mid air next to his ear. "Nice try." He said emotionlessly. Mel stared at his dark figure with large, angry, and teary eyes. Zack stalked over to her bed with a hand in his pocket as he put the pen back on the nightstand and sat down on her mattress, watching her through the dark.

"Never in a million years did I ever think I'd see Melody Halloway cry." He said almost triumphantly. Mel clenched her jaw and did all she could to not bite back. For once, she didn't know what to say. Was she really crying? It's been so long she really doesn't understand the purpose of it anymore. "So tell me," Zack clasped his hands together. "How'd he come to know?" Mel launched at him and had him pinned to her bed with her hands tightly around his neck. Zack cleared his throat at the discomfort this position put him in. Mel's jaw ticked and Zack managed to pull her hands off of him, sitting up and backing towards the headboard. Even this didn't change much as she was still sitting on his legs, looking defeated. Zack was now curious. She's never looked like this. And she never allowed herself to look like this in front of any of them; him in particular.

"I remember him." She said when Zack opened his mouth to ask if she was alright. "Roy. He was there too..." Mel spoke quietly. Her voice cold, but full of past pain. "When I came back from a session one day, he was gone." Her voice cracked and Zack fought the urge to wrap his arms around her in comfort. He knew she wouldn't want him to. Zack was conflicted. Part of him was screaming to run while the other part was begging to hold Mel and let her know that it was going to be alright even though he put this upon her. But she wasn't that kind of girl. She never has been from what he could tell.

"I'm sorry." Was all Zack could say. It was the first time he'd sincerely apologized, which really has to say something negative about him.

"Get out." Mel then grumbled silently, getting up and standing in the corner of her room with her back to him and arms wrapped comfortingly around herself. She had her shoulders tense and squared back, making her look stronger and more intimidating. That was the girl Zack knew and had come to respect. But the little glimpse of vulnerability he had seen just moments ago was something he wanted to see more of. Was there seriously a weak side to her? It was almost unbelievable. Sighing, Zack reluctantly left her room, closing the door softly behind him to come face to face with a frustrated looking Roy. His heart jumped, but he didn't show it. Instead, he walked towards his room with Roy following behind.

"What do you want Roy?" He asked, pulling off his dark shirt and throwing it into his laundry basket before rummaging through his dresser, glancing at his housemate that leaned against his doorframe out of the corner of his eye every now and again. Roy took a moment before answering.

"Why did you want her to show me her ink?" He finally asked. Zack stopped his unsuccessful search and brushed his dark hair out of his eyes, turning to look at Roy.

"Why wouldn't I?" He countered. Roy shrugged and moved to sit on the little bean bag that sat in the corner of the room near the door. Zack didn't take his eyes off of him.

"They're painful memories man." He sighed.

"I know." Zack said, his voice suddenly quiet. "She said she remembered you." He told Roy who ran his fingers through his short hair.

"Yeah, I heard." He sighed, then looked up at Zack again curiously. "How come you want me to know about her mark, but she doesn't know about yours?" Zack stiffened.

"Different reasons." He muttered, turning towards his dresser again, but not continuing his search. He just rubbed the fabric of one of his shirts between his fingers. Roy got up and stepped next to him, leaning on the dresser with one elbow.

"Dude, you barely eat, you don't sleep, rarely talk, and you practically aren't aware that emotions exist. What the hell do you mean by different reasons?" Roy about cried, but kept his voice low.

"Roy, I appreciate you trying to get this out in the open, but honestly, my time was a little different than you and Mel's." Zack sighed, automatically finding the dark navy T-shirt he had been looking for.

"If you say so, bro. Unlike you, I won't press." Roy said, stepping back and poking the short scar that ran along the bottom middle of Zack's back. Zack leaned entirely on the dresser with a grimace of pain on his face; a small groan catching in his throat. Roy noticed and grew curious, but knew that Zack was going to be as difficult as Mel when it came to sharing personal information. Even the minutest details like their favorite color. Those two were just too similar for someone not to notice and Roy was a little jealous as he made his way out to go towards his own room. Some things, he'll just never understand...