A Secret Melody

by Hanleigh Bradley

  I don’t know who to be madder at. Hannah bloody Veriff for needing fucking saving or Melody for going to her rescue. Fuck sake. She’s got a black eye almost as big as her face. Melody smiles all through lunch as if it’s nothing except it’s got to hurt.

  The others keep the conversation going. They’ve found a common interest in football, although they all support different teams.

  “Do you wish that women’s football was as popular as the premier league?” Alex asks Abby.

  “Sure. If it was, maybe I’d consider playing after school.”

  “I’d pay to watch you play,” Ben tells her happily.

  Melody smiles before agreeing wholeheartedly. “For what it’s worth I’d come to every match.” She pokes me in the side. I grab her hand, smiling at her.

  “Yeah, me too,” I say without taking my eyes off Melody.

  Abby is next to speak. “Seriously though. Do you guys have any idea what you’ll do when we finish here?”

  “Uni, I guess,” Alex says as he stuffs his mouth full of mashed potatoes.

  “Yeah. What he said. Or maybe the army.” Ben grins. “All the men in my family were in the army.”

  Melody looks serious for a second. “I guess I’ll go to university too – musical theory if I can pick but I might be stuck with business studies.”

  “Zach, what about you?” Abby asks.

  “Never really thought about it.” My parents have never put a lot of pressure on me, so long as I’m happy they probably won’t notice.

  I’m sat on a foreign bed, in a new house. It’s half term and my parents insisted that I come up to Edinburgh to see the new house.

  I don’t ask them how long they’ll be here before moving on to the next house in the next city, potentially the next country. My parents are archaeologists. What time they actually spend in the UK is used giving guest lectures at universities.

  I love my parents but they can be a little cold, a little unfeeling. It’s not that they don’t care. It’s just that they aren’t very good at expressing their feelings.

  Bored out of my skull, I’ve been away for all of four days. I’ve no friends here – just my parents and they are working. So instead I’m on my own. My phone is attached to my arm, like an extra limb. If my parents were actually around they’d tell me off but they’re not. I’ve been texting Melody almost none stop. Our texts cover every available topic of conversation. She tells me about the chaos her and her little brother are causing. She tells me when her big brother tells her he’s starting his own company and I try to distract her that night when her parents fight about it. Melody tells me that it’s because her dad expects them all – her and her brothers – to go and work at the family business. It’s never been up for discussion.

  This week, being apart I’ve gotten to know her better that all the combined weeks we’ve spent together at school. I’m sat here now, wondering if I can actually ask her out when I see on Sunday. My phone pings and I grin just thinking it might be from Melody. Except it’s not. It’s a text from my mum.

  Won’t be back for dinner. You can have the lasagne in the fridge.

  My disappointment is fleeting. I’m used to eating alone or I would be if it wasn’t for Melody Peters. Now I’m used to eating with her and our friends but mostly her. Before this week I hadn’t eaten a single meal alone in well over a month.

  My phone pings again and this time it is from Melody.

  Mel: What time are you heading back on Sunday? X

  Zach: About 2:30 pm. You? X

  Mel: 3 pm. I really can’t wait to be back. My parents haven’t stopped fighting all week. X

  Zach: Has it really been that bad? X

  Mel: Yeah. Landon went and upped sticks. He’s gone round a friend’s house, leaving me and Ayden to put with it. What about up there? Still freezing? X

  Zach: Pretty dull. Cold as hell. X

  The texts continue until I’m falling asleep but even then, I don’t want to say goodbye. I hear the door go. My parents are back. I should go welcome them home but I can’t be bothered so instead I pretend to be asleep, turning the light off. There’s a text waiting when I return my attention to my phone.

  I’m going to bed. I’ll see you Sunday. X

  I reply immediately.

  Can’t wait. Sleep well. X

  When I finally return to school on Sunday, I try to distract myself unpacking my luggage. The lads pop in, banging the door loudly.

  “Alright Zach?” Ben pounds me on the back.

  “Not bad.” I grin at them.

  “How was your break?”

  “Great. Went with my mum to Spain.” Ben tells us, as Alex makes himself comfortable on my bed.

  “The girls not back yet?” Alex asks.

  “Nah.” I frown. “Mel says they’re not far away. Half hour tops.”

  “Been texting, have you?” Ben teases.

  I ignore his taunt, turning to Alex instead. “What about you? Good break?”

  “Can’t complain – went to watch the cricket with my dad.” Alex smirks.

  “Nice.” I can’t imagine watching a cricket match with my dad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad sit long enough. He’d never willingly give up a day of work for something as unimportant as sport.

  My phone rings. I rush to answer. The voice I’ve missed all week rushes to my ear.

  “We’re here. Just coming down the drive.”

  I lead the boys out front, so we can help the girls with their bags. The chauffer beats us to it though but that’s okay because the girls don’t stop talking as Melody pulls me back inside by the arm.

  Abby tells us all the exciting things she did with her big sister as the five of us crowd into my room. Alex sits with his arse on my desk, Ben and Abby lean against the wardrobe, sitting crossed legged on the floor. Melody and I are sat curled together on the bed.

  “What about you Melody?” Alex asks after Abby finally stops giving us a run down on the new shoes she just bought yesterday. The boys look exasperated but good natured as ever.

  “I had a good enough time.” Melody replies, giving Alex a sweet smile.

  “Didn’t miss Zach too much then?” Ben smirks, giving me a wink.

  “Cheeky shit!”

  “Then again she wouldn’t have time to miss you with all that texting.”

  “Fuck you.” I kick him.

  “I’m just saying.” Ben manages to move his leg in time to miss my kick. “Don’t know why you haven’t just asked her already.”

  “Well. Maybe I will,” I retort irritably.

  “Bloody get on with it.” Alex chuckles.

  “Fuck you.”

  Melody takes my hand. “Ignore them,” she whispers, leaning further into my side. “I’m just happy to be home.”

  Her words make me smile as I wrap an arm around her.

  “Look at them,” Alex says in a mock whisper. “Don’t know why they don’t just call it already.”

  I’m about to tell him to fuck off again when Melody throws my pillow at him.

  “What do you bloody want? A rundown of our relationship status?”

  “You don’t expect us to find out with everyone else on Facebook?” Ben teases.

  “Fine!” I grit my teeth. “I like you, Melody. Will you be my girlfriend?”

  She chuckles. She knows this isn’t how I’d have liked to ask her. Hell, I wouldn’t have made a big deal about it. I’d have just asked her – alone – then again, we never get two minutes alone.

  Chapter Eleven – Melody

  Why does Mrs Partridge hate me so much? And by association she now seems to dislike Zach. Abby says I’m oversensitive and that Mrs Partridge doesn’t like anyone.

  I’m not convinced. Sure. She doesn’t like anyone but she doesn’t loath them either.

  She definitely loathes me.

  I’d been doing the questions she had assigned us. I’d almost finished in fact but she still had a go at me. She seemed to take offence to the fact that Z
ach and I were happily chatting quietly as we answered the questions. It wasn’t just us. Everyone else was too. She hadn’t told us that we had to work in silence and yet somehow our little conversation earned us both a detention.

  Now we’re sat in her classroom, answering another set of questions in complete silence. It’s hard to focus though. Zach is sat right next to me and the silence only makes me more aware of him.

  I watch as his pen scratches across the paper, leaving almost unreadable lines that I’m beginning to recognise. I’ve spent so much time with him now that I’m beginning to be able to understand his writing! It seems crazy because not two weeks ago, even after knowing him for a month, I hadn’t been able to work it out.

  We’re on the same question although my working out is significantly more legible. I watch as his hand moves across the page, the muscles in his arm tensing at the movement.

  His pen stops and I glance up at his face to find him looking at me. He raises his eyebrow at me, asking a question. He’s probably wondering why I’m not working. I give him a smile which he returns. I glance to the front of the classroom. Mrs Partridge is reading a book, not paying us any mind.

  I reach out and take Zach’s right hand, pulling it under the table so Mrs won’t see.

  Zach smirks as his fingers entwine with mine before resting on my knee. His attention returns to the paper in front of him. His pen returns to its scratching and I find myself grateful that he’s left handed. Otherwise this hour would be significantly less enjoyable.

  We sit like that, hand in hand, for the remainder of our detention. When the clock finally chimes 5 pm, Mrs Partridge looks up from her book.

  “Off to dinner then.” That’s it. She doesn’t tell us to behave better in her classroom in future or anything.

  As we leave the room, Zach drapes his arm over my shoulder, pulling me closer. We chat aimlessly as we walk towards the canteen, the irritation that we both felt at receiving a detention now gone. I’m almost happy about getting detention. I got to spend an hour almost alone with my boyfriend; sounds like a win to me.

  “What are we doing later?” Zach asks.

  I shrug. I have no idea. “What do you want to do?”

  “Don’t mind,” Zach replies.

  “That’s not helpful.”

  “I’ll do whatever you want,” he tells me with a cheesy smile on his face. He pushes his knee into the back of mine, causing it to buckle beneath me. Zach catches me. “You don’t have to fall all over me. If you want to kiss me, you can just do it. No need to be shy,” he teases me. His eyes alight with humour.

  I whack my fist on his chest.

  “Oh. That hurts, babe.” He takes hold of my hand, holding it in place. There’s no space between us. I can feel his heart beating inside his chest.

  He’s looking down at me, grinning like a cheeky monkey but he doesn’t kiss me. Damn him! We’re stood in the bloody corridor, people passing us ohhing and ahhing. So why doesn’t he just get to it and kiss me already? My lips part expectantly and I wait.

  Zach leans down so that his lips are mere centimetres away from my own.

  “Do I have to tell you two again? Go to dinner.” Mrs Partridge barks at us, as she rushes past us. Zach pulls back, sighing irritably.

  “I’ve decided.”

  “Huh?” Confusion must be written all over my face.

  “Tonight.”

  “What about tonight.”

  “Tonight, I want to kiss you.”

  “What about now?” I’m disappointed. I don’t want to have to wait.

  He chuckles as he starts leading me down the corridor towards the canteen where our friends are waiting for us.

  Once we’ve eaten Alex asks, “What now?”

  Zach looks directly at me as he frowns. I wait for him to reply to Alex but he doesn’t.

  “Should we watch a movie?” Abby asks. “We could take over one of the lounges.”

  “Sure.” He nods his head excitably.

  “What about you two?” Alex asks Zach and me.

  Zach is still looking at me. I go to answer that we are going to go to the library – our friends will never follow us there on a Friday night – but Zach beats me to it.

  “Yeah. We can do that.” Now I’m the one frowning at him. “We’ll go get snacks. You guys pick a film.”

  Then he’s pulling me away from our friends towards the vending machines. “Why did you tell them...?” I start when we reach them.

  I don’t finish my sentence though because Zach pulls me in for a harsh kiss. I gasp in surprise, giving him the perfect opportunity to move his tongue into my mouth. I pull him closer, gripping his shirt in my hands.

  We stay that way until we hear footsteps coming towards us. I pull away first.

  “They’ll be waiting for us,” I grumble.

  Zach sighs. “Sorry babe.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell them we were going to the library?”

  “Couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.” He tells me as he waves at the two year tens that are walking past us. “You know they’d never let us go to the library on a Friday night.”

  “Let us?”

  “Okay. I know they’d never win but it would still be a big deal.” He gives me a cute smile that begs forgiveness. “This way I get to kiss you, watch a movie with you and then hopefully make out with you again later.”

  “Really? Who says I’ll let you kiss me again?”

  His eyes widen as if threatened. “As if!” he says after a minute. “You love my kisses.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I smirk. “Let’s get some chocolate.”

  “Sure thing.” He chuckles. “Can’t stand between my girl and her chocolate.”

  “Glad you know that.”

  After collecting various snacks, we begin our trek back to the lounge where our friends will be waiting for us.

  “You guys took long enough,” Alex complains when we join them, but neither of us apologise.

  “What are we watching?” Zach asks, throwing treats at each of our friends before pulling me down onto a sofa.

  He wraps his arm around me as he gives me a bag of Maltesers. I kiss him on the cheek, whispering a quick thank you.

  “We were thinking a horror movie,” Abby tells us.

  “Great.” Zach nuzzles into my neck. “Feel free to jump into my arms if you get scared,” he tells me.

  “Screw you,” I mutter.

  “Thanks for the offer babe,” he winks at me and my eyes bulge, “but I don’t think this is the place for that.”

  “You!” I punch him in the arm.

  He gives me a cheeky grin, pulling me closer. “I’ll settle for another kiss.”

  I glance towards our friends. Their attention is on the television. The movie has just started.

  “Fine,” I say with mock agitation.

  “I thought you liked my kisses?” Zach offers me puppy dog eyes.

  I pull my arms across my chest, folding them. He ignores my posture and leans in. “You’re beautiful when you try to look cross.”

  “I’m not trying,” I quip back.

  “Oh, sure. Of course.” His lips land on mine and our silly bickering is forgotten as my arms unfold. I wrap my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, completely forgetting that we are not alone.

  Zach breaks the kiss when Alex clears his throat. “God, you two are noisy.”

  “Fuck off,” Zach responds.

  I dig my elbow into his side. “Ow!”

  “Be nice.”

  “He’s not being nice.”

  “What’s your point?”

  He pouts before sitting back, mumbling under his breath, as he folds his arms across his chest, irritation written across his face. Leaning my head on his shoulder, I pull on his arm.

  “Don’t sulk.”

  Chapter Twelve – Zach

  Melody is asleep. We’ve watched two films. The second has just finished and she’s asleep. Our friends are gathering their things toget
her, ready to head to their beds but I don’t want to disturb Melody while she’s asleep. The others wave me goodbye. I’ll need to wake her soon. We need to get back to Wilberforce house before curfew. It’s 10 o’clock now. We have thirty minutes. She can rest for another twenty at least and that way I don’t have to say goodnight just yet.

  Melody is pretty when she sleeps. Her mouth is slightly open and her face is pure peace. She rubs her face with her hand slightly. I worry that she is waking up so I close my eyes and pretend to sleep.

  I jolt up when I hear a bang not a second later. Melody wakes too. From somewhere above us comes the sound of voices. They are angry, furious even.

  “What’s going on?” Melody asks, as she stretches and yarns.

  “Not sure. Someone’s shouting upstairs.”

  “But who would be here now? It’s almost curfew,” she says after checking the time on her phone, her face illuminated by its screen.

  I shake my head. I have no answer to her question.

  “Should we go check on them?” She’s not being nosey. She’s genuinely worried that something is wrong but I’m concerned that we’d just be pushing into something that has nothing to do with us. Just as I’m about to answer, the shouting stops abruptly.

  Well that ends that.

  “Let’s just go to bed.” I offer her my hand. She takes it without hesitation.

  We leave the lounge and begin our walk back to our dorm.

  Melody gasps and I turn to look at her. Her face is white and her eyes are huge.

  “What’s...?” I start to ask. She’s staring at the building we just exited.

  “There was someone at the window.”

  I look to where she’s pointing but there’s no one there now.

  “It was probably just whoever was upstairs arguing,” I say calmly. Anyone would think Melody had seen a ghost by the look on her face. “Come on, babe.”

  I pull her along, back towards Wilberforce house.

  I walk her to her room and spend a good fifteen minutes standing outside the door, kissing her. My lips merging with hers, moving together.

  Moving around had stopped me from having girlfriends in my previous schools, but this school is different and Melody is definitely different from the girls I’ve met before.