“HEY YUI!” someone yells. My first thought was Milo, but it sounded more like a girl's voice. I turn around to see a girl, around the same height as Milo just a little taller. She has long black hair in braids. With a V-neck crop top and jacket, and something that looks like oversized Miss Sixty pants with stars. She runs towards me. “Who are you?” I ask confused. “Oh! I’m Melody!” the girl takes my hand and greets me. I’m about to ask another question but a familiar voice interrupts me. “GOT A NEW GIRLFRIEND MELODY?” It’s Jackson’s voice “OH OF JACKSON!” Melody yells back. I look at Melody, then Jackson, then Melody again. Melody turns back to me after just pretending to find something for Jackson, then shows him the middle finger. I let out a little laugh. Melody smiles at me. “How do you know who I am?” I ask. “Okay, first, you’re the new girl everyone knows who you are. Second, Milo is my half-brother and the same with Jackson” Melody smiles. I nod. “You and Milo look alike” I say. They almost have the same voice. Milo’s voice is a bit calmer and softer, and Melody’s voice is more energetic and louder. “I hear that a lot” Melody laughs “Anyway, Wanna be friends?” Melody quickly asks. I nod and smile. Melody looks super excited the gives me a hug. I smile and hug her back. We hear some dings from the speaker. “GOOD MORING STUDENTS, SCHOOL WILL BE CANCELED TODAY, BECAUSE THE WATER PIPES ARE NOT WORKING. HAVE A GREAT DAY!” some teacher announced. I don’t even go 20 seconds before we hear cheering and screams from the hallways. “We should get out of here before the student flood is coming” Melody laughs. I nod and laugh as well. She grabs my hand. Her hand feels just like Milo’s. we get out of the school just in time before other students storm out of the school. “Wanna come to mine?” Melody asks, I almost can’t hear her because of all the students' screams and cheering. I nod and smile. I think mom will be fine with it. If I come home before dinner, it should be fine. Melody grabs my hand again and we start walking. “Wait, where’s Milo? You guys were siblings, right? So, you live together?” I ask. Melody slows down a bit, before she explains that Milo is at their dad’s house. “Your parents are divorced?” I ask surprised. “Mhm, they have been since I was 9” Melody says. “But I’m used to it, and it’s not that bad after all, you know why?” She asks, I shake my head “I have no idea” I say, “I get extra money” Melody says with a big smile on her face. We both start laughing. I love her laugh. “Talking about that, wanna get Starbucks?” Melody asks “I would love to, but I don’t have any money” I respond while my smile slowly fades away. “I asked if you wanted Starbucks, not if you had money. So, you want to or not?” Melody asks again. I smile. “I want to” I finally respond. “I'll take a Chocolate Mint crème Frappuccino” Melody says. “What do you want?” Melody asks as she turns to me “I’ll take a Strawberry crème Frappuccino” I say. Melody paid for the Frappuccino’s, and we find somewhere to sit. “How much do I owe you?” I ask. “Oh, don’t worry about that, my treat” Melody smiles. I shake my head “Are you sure?” I ask, Melody nods. “Of course, I'm sure!” Melody says, “As I said, having divorced parents equals more money from chores” Melody smiles, and I laugh. We get our Frappuccino’s, and we continue talking. “So, the mint one is your favorite?” I ask Melody. Melody takes a sip from her drink, it looks like she makes sure to taste every little bit of it. “Now it is!” Melody laughs. “Then I assume the strawberry one is your favorite?” Melody says taking another sip from her Frappuccino. “Yepp, I love pretty much everything that contains strawberries” I say, taking a sip from my Frappuccino as well. “Good to know” Melody smiles. I feel a cold wind as I take a sip from my Frappuccino. I turn around to the door to see a boy with brown curly fluffy hair and a knitted sweater. “Oh! It's Mark!” Melody breaks the silence. “MARK OVER HERE!” Melody scream and wave at Mark. He looks over at us and smiles. After he ordered his drink he comes over to us. “Hi Melody” the boy says softly and smiles. Melody smiles. “Oh, and you’re the new student, right?” the boy turns to me and smiles. I nod my head and smile back. “I’m Mark” he says smiling. “I’m Yui” I say taking another sip from my drink. We sit and talk while we drink our frappuccino’s. Mark looks at the clock. “Oh, I’m sorry girls but I have to go. My grandma is making brownies today and I have to help her” Mark says rushing up and ready to walk. “BETTER GIVE ME SOME OF THOSE BROWNIES!” Melody yells after Mark who is half out the door. “I WILL” he yells back. We watch him run out of the café. “I swear his grandma makes the BEST brownies!” Melody says and looks like she wants one. I admire her smile as I zone out. “So, Yui, what do u wanna be, like after school?” Melody says breaking the silence. “Oh uh. A model” I stutter wondering if I should have said it “Really?” THAT’S SO COOL!!!” Melody says out loud. I laugh nervously. “I never tell people my dream because they think it's so stupid” I whisper giving a fake smile. “Okay well them? you’re so pretty, you will do good as a model!” Melody hypes me up. We get out of the café and start walking. It’s silent and the only sound to be heard is the birds singing, the cars passing by, and our footsteps. We get to the point where we have to walk each our way, “Bye” I say. Melody smiles at me and hugs me tight “Bye.” Melody says before she lets go of the hug and walks away. I stand there it’s like I'm frozen. I stand there for a good 10 minutes before I start walking my way. What is wrong with me? I think as I walk. “I'M HOME MOM!” I yell and take off my shoes while I wait for an answer, but I don’t get one. “MOM?” I yell out into the house that seems to be empty. I go to the kitchen and see a note. I will be out for the night, there's food in the fridges. I love you. -Mom The note says. “Well, I guess I’m going to have the house for myself tonight” I whisper to myself. I go to the living room and turn on the TV. I search YouTube for the model's beauty standards and model shows. I keep thinking about what Melody said. I smile a bit thinking about it. But I'm not smiling about the words I'm smiling at the thought of her. I shake my head. I can’t fall in love with her. I think. I keep watching the model show, but I can’t focus on the show. My thoughts keep going back to Melody and Miles. And how alike they look. My phone starts vibrating. Someone is calling me. I look over at my phone and see Miles's name. I pick up the phone and put it on speaker. “HEY, ARE YOU MILES’S GIRLFRIEND?” a loud voice that’s not Miles’s. “Excuse me?” I ask. “CUT IT OUT JACKSON!” another voice screams. Its Miles! I hear laughing from Jackson. “JACKS-“ I hear from Miles then something that sounds like a hit. “M-Miles are you okay?” I stutter. “Hello?” I ask. “Awwww, she cares about you” Jackson says with a teasing voice. “ you” I hear Miles say mad. It goes a while with silence before I hear Miles’s voice. “Sorry about that Yui, I’m alright. Cya tomorrow” he says and hangs up before I can say anything. What just happened? Did Jackson just hit him? It has to have been an accident, right? My thoughts keep gliding back to Miles and the phone call when I try to continue watching the model show. The thought starts to make me worry even more until I can't handle it. I turn off the TV and go to get my shoes. I tie my shoes faster than I have ever done in my entire life. I look myself in the mirror and put my long black hair up in a ponytail. I nod to myself and leave the house. I walk for about 5 minutes before I realize I don’t know where Miles lives. I hesitate a little bit before I take out my phone and call Miles. I wait for him to pick up. But I wait for nothing. He doesn’t pick up, so I try to call Melody instead. I wait and I wait. I hear cars passing by a red one then a green one. I hear the sound of people talking from far away. But I don’t hear Melody’s voice. She doesn’t pick up. I have no choice but to go home and wait until tomorrow. I walk home, worried something bad has happened. To be continued...