A Dying Girl's List

Chapter 2

"Hey, Mel! Over here!" she saw Steph flailing her arms above her head, hoping to catch her attention, or at least the attention of the entire school front yard, which she did. Not that she cared.

"Where were you?" she asked when Mel stopped in front of her.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that, uhm I was just talking to somebody in the corridor,"

"Oh. I'm shocked really, who were you talking to? Whatever happened to 'I can't talk to people, cause of my social anxiety'?"

"Just some guy--"

"Guy!"

"Yes, Steph, a guy," Mel didn't get why it was such a surprise to Steph that she had communicated with another human being besides her...

Okay, hearing that, she knows exactly why it's hard to believe, but seriously it's not that big of a deal.

"Okay, so who is this guy?"

"How about we walk-and-talk?" Mel laced her arm through Steph's.

That field had too many ears and she didn't need the whole school knowing her business. High-schoolers were attracted to any sort of romantic gossip, like flies to honey.

•

"So that's what happened," Mel concluded her story when they were each a block away from their homes.

"Are you for real? I can't believe you were flirting with a college guy." she said, "Who are you and what have you done with nerdy Mel?" she eyed Mel up and down.

Mel chortled, "She's still here, just taking your advice,"

"My advice?" Mel knew that Steph knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah, you know, the 'live your life' advice?"

"Oh--" Steph drawled out with a chuckle, "That advice, that was nothing, anything for my girl," she said nudging Mel's shoulder.

"That's me."

Steph has always been this happy-go-lucky type of person. Mel has never seen her depressed or unhappy in all the years that she has known her. Steph never talked about anything that was bothering her and it's hard to tell if something was discouraging her because she never showed it. She always had this huge smile on her face, as if everything in her world was all cupcakes and rainbows, little did Mel know...

"So when are you going to see him again?"

"Hmm?" Mel was so busy with Steph's emotions, she momentarily forgot she was right next to her.

"I asked, when are you going to see Jace again?"

"Oh, uhm, I don't know, he says he hangs around the school every Friday to watch the matches, so I guess I'll see him then?"

"So what I'm hearing is, you are going to give up your binge-watching Fridays, to meet up with Jace?" she pried.

"Well, I don't know if that's what you're hearing--"

"Oh, I am,"

"Shut up. Whatever, I have to go. Still got some studying to do,"

"I bet you wouldn't be studying if Jace was around!"

"Shut up, Steph." Mel could feel her face getting hotter than a Mexican pepper and saw Steph's smile widen.

"You know I'm right. Why not go shopping with me? Find a cute outfit for Jace!"

Mel was talking to people, not going all out. She walked away the moment Steph assumed that she wouldn't be studying if Jace was around, hence her screaming out loud in the street like some possessed teen.