The Divided

Chapter Eleven

I posted chapters 11 and 12. Make sure you read them in order.

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I woke up so comfortable that I didn't want to move. My pillow rose and fell in a deep sigh, making me furrow my eyebrows. Opening my eyes, I realized that my head wasn't laying on a pillow, but the chest of Dean Martin. Although I had never been so comfortable, I sat up and checked my phone. It was nearly noon and I had a dozen messages from Bella. I texted her back asking her to cover for me for a few more hours, then texted my dad to remind him that I would be hanging out with Bella all day.

We were still up in the tree house and the sun was now shining down through the giant hole of a roof. I had never slept so well in my life, despite the fact that we were laying on a wooden floor.

Dean stretched out his arms, groaning while doing so, and smiled, opening his eyes. "Good morning," he croaked.

I grinned with my lips closed. "We fell asleep in the treehouse," I told him.

Chuckling, he shrugged. "Oops."

I climbed to my feet. "Thanks for last night. Your words really helped straighten out my state of mind."

He side grinned. "You're welcome."

After he climbed to his feet, we exited the treehouse and made our way inside of his house. "There you are," Iris spoke as we walked in.

"Melody, you're still here," Reagan acknowledged.

"You can call me Mel," I said. "And I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all," Iris said.

"Where were you two this morning?" Reagan asked, sitting down at the dining room table.

"We fell asleep in the tree house last night," Dean explained. "I was showing her the convertible roof."

"How sweet," Iris grinned.

At that time, Hadley came running down the stairs. "Mom, what can I have for lunch?" he asked, but stopped immediately once he spotted me. His big grey eyes darting between me and his parents, not knowing what to do.

"It's okay, Hadley, she's a friend," Dean explained.

The four-year-old looked unsure, but he continued on into the kitchen while keeping an uneasy stare at me. I noticed the superhero action figure in his hand. He must love it because I had yet to see him without it.

His mother started a conversation with him about lunch while I turned to Dean. "What can I do to make him like me?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Hadley can be hard headed sometimes. Just give him time," he said. "He'll warm up to you." I nodded in response, but I wanted to do something about it.

A ding sounded in the air as Dean received a text message. "My friends want me to join them for lunch," he said after reading it. "Mel, you should come."

"What time do you need to be home in order not to get caught?" Iris then asked me from the kitchen.

"My father expects me to be out with my friend all day," I told them.

"Don't you have assignments you need to do?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not allowed to work for the rest of the week," I explained. "That's my punishment for walking Hadley back over here without telling my dad." All three of them looked at me like it was odd, but it was how life was on the other side.

"I recommend both of taking a shower before you leave, since you slept outside," Iris spoke after a moment.

We nodded and Dean led me to the guest bathroom. He gave me a clean shirt of his to put on after and showed me where all the essentials were. Once he left me alone, I took a shower and wondered what his friends were like. Were they wild and crazy, like how I had always been taught about how Extricates acted? Or were they reserved and normal people like Dean and his family? Once I was done, I slipped on my jeans and Dean's T-shirt. I towel dried my hair as well as I could then made my way into the living room, where I found Hadley playing with his action figure.

I knelt down in front of him. "What's his name?" I asked the boy, gesturing to his action figure.

He hesitated, then answered in a whisper. "Dagger."

"He sounds like a villain."

He shook his head. "No, he's a hero," he corrected.

I nodded once. "Oh."

"How about you let Mel play action figures with you," Iris suggested as she walked into the room. He youngest son looked at her and frantically shook his head.

"That's okay," I told him softly and stood. I made my way to his mother in the kitchen. "At least he's talking to me. Baby steps." Iris chuckled and nodded. I joined her at the dining table as Reagan walked in.

"So, Melody, how are you?" he asked, walking up to the table.

I nodded with a grin. "I'm good."

"How is it back home?"

I shrugged. "The usual."

Iris tucked a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear before folding her hands in front of her. "Your parents...are they mean to you?" she asked gently.

Shaking my head, I looked at her. "No, why?"

"We just worry about you when you are on the other side," Reagan explained.

"You barely know me," I reminded them.

Iris shrugged. "We know you aren't like them, and that's enough to put you in danger."

I looked between them both. "They are my parents. They wouldn't hurt me," I said, although I wasn't so sure. "They love me," I added, but I knew they had never told me so.

"You don't sound so sure," Dean said, walking into the room. He was now wearing black jeans, and a white T-shirt under a jean jacket. He had been listening in on our conversation. I stayed silent, not knowing exactly what to say. His phone beeped as he received a text. "Wyatt and Alice are waiting on us." I stood and followed him to the front door.

"Stop back in and say goodbye before you head home, Melody," Iris called after us. I smiled back at her over my shoulder and nodded.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, don't forget to vote:)

~Emily