Reintegration program - Elmax

Chapter 18 : Dwarfs

The next days, only Melissa reappeared, which surprised everyone, thinking it was definitely over with them. But the girl was always alone, so she was not dangerous, even if Melissa never showed any forms of danger. During the lunchtime of Wednesday, Beverly had pity for her and went to her.

- Um...Can we? asked the redhead.

Her friends had followed her. Even if Mike and Will were not very happy with her initiative, they understood her point of view.

- It's not my table, answered the purple-haired girl, taking a bite of her sandwich.

Bev pouted and made a movement with her head like to tell the others to sit with her.

- Um, where are the others?

- You mean, people like me!?

- I mean, your friends...answered Bev, a bit uncomfortable.

- Yeah...Dunno, under arrest, working, or just don't wanna come back, explained Melissa.

- What about Jane?

- Dunno. I didn't seen her since she beat Big Lips' ass.

- Oh, really!? Since one week!? intervened Dustin.

- Yep.

- It's...weird, she is not at her home? frowned Bev.

- Nope.

- She just...disappeared!?

- She just live her life, alone.

Beverly looked at the others, all having a bunch of questions coming to their minds. The redhead turned to Melissa and noticed that the girl seemed sad, like if she was missing Jane.

- Maybe she is punished, told Lucas.

- She was supposed to come back on Monday, answered Melissa.

- Oh...

- You seem worried, everything is fine between you and her? asked Max with a concerned tone.

- A fairytale. She is free, she do what she want.

Beverly pouted. Melissa seemed really sad and even mad after Jane. She hoped they hadn't a fight, they needed each other. But she was relieved to know that Jane wasn't back in jail, even if she wanted it.

- So, when is this dinner? asked Dustin, chewing his meat.

- Saturday night, sighed the redhead.

- She has a family dinner, told Bev to Melissa.

- Oof, sound fun! said the black girl with sarcasm.

- Yeah, and don't ask me why Neil wants to do it in a strip-tease club!

- What!? chuckled Mike. Really!?

- Yep, don't be jealous.

- I'm not but I would pay a lot to see you in a strip-tease club!

- What club? asked Melissa.

- The Dirty Men, you know it? answered Max.

- Hell yeah, it's the worse!

- Great, I'll certainly die in there!

The table giggled, warming the atmosphere. When they finished to eat, Beverly, Max and Will were walking in the halls, in direction of Max' locker. She had again the reflex to watch at Jane's one, hoping to see her. At the same moment, Joyce approached them.

- Hey, smiled the mother.

- Hey Joyce, said the two redheads.

- I saw you ate with Melissa, how was it?

- It was great, she seemed sad, answered Bev.

- Not really surprising.

- Why?

- She is alone, she has no support, that's why I was happy to see you eating with her, you gave her some company.

- All she wanted was Jane! grumbled Will.

- She spent three years sleeping in the same cell as Jane, eating with Jane, living with Jane, it's normal that she feels lonely here, you don't know what kind of bond they have! Have a bit empathy for them, they have hard pasts! I'm disappointed Will!

- Sorry...

Joyce yelled at him with her eyes before letting the teens alone. Will felt the two girls' eyes on him and preferred going away. Even his mother was on their side! It was unbelievable! Why did they have to take care of them!? They weren't their friends and even less their families! It was insane and stupid! And just because Melissa spent three years with Jane it didn't mean she had to be always with her like a dog, it was very immature! He was really feeling alone with this story, like if only Mike and him were understanding what was wrong in all of this!

Lucas and Dustin were walking in direction of their next class: Algebra. They were laughing when they noticed Melissa at her locker and decided to talk to her.

- Hey, smiled Dustin.

- Hey, frowned the girl.

- You wanna walk with us?

- Um...why?

- To know each other better, told Lucas with a smile.

Melissa took a moment to think about it. The only persons who talked to her were the ex-prisoners, her family and people who had to. She thought it was weird, maybe they had pity for her but she had nothing better to do so why not. She nodded and followed them. They were talking about a movie they watched with monsters and aliens apparently. She hadn't heard about this movie, all the movies she saw were in jail and they hadn't a lot in there, you rapidly watched all of them. But the one she was hated the most was the one Jane liked the most, every time it was this movie she begged her to come with her.

- Did you have a nickname in jail? asked Lucas, cutting the girl in her thoughts.

- Um...Pell-Mell, you know, Melissa, Mel, pell-mell. It's Jane's idea, don't ask me what happened in her brain. Or Snow Black, because of Snow White.

- Really? That's cool, smiled Dustin. The dark side of Snow White. Jane's idea too?

- Yep.

- She likes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?

- Likes!? She LOVES this movie! It's so unbearable! That's why she give people she like a nickname in link with the movie, when there is one.

- Really? Do...do we have one? asked shyly Lucas.

- Doc and Happy.

Lucas and Dustin looked at each other with a smile before making a movement with their arms like if they had won lots of money. Melissa looked at them with a small smile, she began to understand why Jane liked them, they were nice, like truly, they weren't faking it by pity or another reason, they just liked people.

- Which one am I? I'm sure I'm Happy! said Dustin.

- Indeed bud'.

- Yes, so cool!

- Doc is cool too! He is the knowledge, told Lucas.

- Yeah that's true, it's certainly because of the Chemistry work.

- Snow Black, Happy and Doc in direction of Algebra, sounds awesome!

- You're crazy my dude, chuckled Melissa.

- Yeah, dwarfs are crazy, joked Lucas.

Melissa playfully rolled her eyes while Lucas and Dustin were giggling. The three persons spent a good moment in class, Melissa was very warm with them and the two boys managed to make her feel comfortable. She thought that school was maybe not this awful, even if she would have preferred having Jane with her.