Demi-God and Dry heat

Beach Night

    

     It had already been five months since Melody began attending public school, though it felt like she had been there only a few weeks. Since their class schedules overlapped, she ended up having a couple real conversations with Hercules during (and occasionally after) their classes.

After school and weekends were reserved for their typical friend groups, but they didn't mind the time they spent together being so short. It was nice to revisit old memories together. Especially memories with him. Hercules wasn't shy about his enthusiasm to start talking again either. Despite the years apart, it was like they could easily pick back up from where they left off, go on and on about the endless things they were involved with. Their friend groups eventually stopped assuming their relationship, given now they knew their history.

   "I'm sorry, what?" Melody asked Ariel, their lockers closing in tandem with the rusty metal clang following suit.

"A bonfire. You know, to celebrate winter break." Ariel said again, smiling excitedly. All her friends were going to be attending. There was also the slim, though not impossible, chance that Eric would be in attendance as well.

"Dad's not gonna allow that, you know?" Melody groaned, starting for her history class. Ariel, however, quickly grabs her arm and twirls her sister back to face her.

"Ah-hah! But that's where you come in, my favorite little sister." she beamed even brighter, starting to lay the foundation for her scheme. Melody ducked away, concerned for her sister's mental wellbeing.

  "What? What do you expect me to do?" Melody begins walking, and Ariel followed behind her a bit slower, starting back on her scheme.

"I convinced him that you should come to school with us, so you convince him that it's okay for me to go to this seaside bonfire. A little 'I scratched your back, you scratch mine,'" Ariel proclaims, proudly strutting into history with her baby sister now in tow.

"Oh yeah, that'll definitely work. 'Papa, I know you hate it when we hang out at night without parent supervision, but Ariel wants to go to a big party with a ton of boys on a beach, where everyone's gonna be wearing bikinis and drinking underage,'"." Melody mocked her, snickering as she sat down in her usual seat, leaning back and pulling out the correct assignments for the rest of the day. Ariel bashfully pulls into her own seat, starting for her own assignments.

  "When you say it like that, it sounds stupid." The ginger pulled strands of hair from her face as she pulled out a seashell shaped stress ball and the class's assignment, half finished and half doodled on. Finally a spark of inspiration hit her midway through the last few questions of the homework.

  "You could say that you'll be with me. Dad doesn't mind you going weird places, because he trusts you."

  "That would never work. Remember the last time we hung out together? Plus I'm not even invited to the whole... Shebang." Melody groaned, placing her cheek in the palm of her hand, completely frustrated by her sister's pushiness.

"That's your cue. You've got this." Aladdin nudged Hercules, pointing to Melody. Hercules jolted quickly, his cheeks pinkening a shade as he nervously fidgets his fingers about.

  "What do I even say? It's not my event, I can't just invite people." Hercules responded, as hushed and secretive as Aladdin had done. Aladdin rolled his eyes, patting his bulky friend on the shoulder.

"Dude, all you have to do is ask her to come. This is a bonfire, not some fancy-shmancy VIP-only club. No one's keeping a list of people who are allowed in or out. Plus, I don't think Eric would complain if Ariel was there." Aladdin leaned back in his chair. "He kind of made this whole thing so that they could get alone time, you know that."