Half Blood Revenge

“Melody, get up or you’re going to be late for school!” I hear my mom shout. Ugh, I really don’t feel like getting up today. Although it’s Thursday and there is only one more day of school left, any school day is an awful day. I am a senior this year and I am so happy to not have to step another foot into this place.  I have never been one to enjoy school as my mother always has us on the move and I think the longest place I have stayed in a school was three years.  My Dad has been out of the picture since…. well. He’s never really been in the picture. My Mom doesn’t talk about my Dad much, but she kept telling me that one day I would meet him, when the time was right. My 18th birthday is this weekend, and I have never met the man, so I don’t think the time will ever be right. “Melody, seriously, let’s go!” I hear my Mom yell again. “I’m coming,” I yell back. I quickly get on a pair of capri jeans with some holes ripped at the knees, pair it with a maroon, loose fitting t-shirt. I brush my dirty blond hair while looking in the mirror. I never understood my hair color. Not quite blonde, not quite brunette. This seems to fit well with my personality too. I never seem to quite fit in anywhere. With a heavy sigh, I make my way downstairs for breakfast. I quickly run into the smell of eggs and burnt toast. “Mom, the toaster!” I yell as I make my way over, not quite sure where my mom is right now. “Sorry honey, I had to run into the office to get this call,” My mom says. My mom does consulting work for architecture firms that has taken us all over the country. I have lived in many states and also spent time in Canada as well. I have enjoyed being able to see many places in the world, but it makes having and holding friends very difficult.  My mom’s current contract has us here for at least two years, which will take us until the end of the year. We moved to New Haven, Connecticut area in the middle of my Junior year. The only positive about this area is that there are a lot of state parks within a close distance. I liked to visit them on weekends. I did make friends with our neighbor’s daughter who is a year younger than me. “What’s that smell?” Sophie says coming in the front door. “Hey, Sophie,” I say. “Mom burnt the toast… again.” We say with a chuckle. “I heard that,” Mom says. “Hi Mrs. C!” Sophie yells off in the direction of the office. “Sophie and I need to get going, Mom” I say grabbing my bookbag and lunch. Even as a senior, my mom still needs to pack me a lunch every day. “Not without breakfast you’re not!” demands Mom as she makes her way back into the kitchen. “Fine, I’ll put the eggs in a wrap because I am not eating burnt toast!” I say with a scowl. This makes mom laugh. “Deal” she says and places some eggs with cheese and salsa in a wrap and put in foil. I grab the breakfast burrito, throw on my Birkenstocks and head out the door with Sophie.  Sophie is actually one of the popular girls at school for her grade. She is not like some of the other popular girls who are so rude and high maintenance. Sophie is a natural beauty with her golden blonder hair, grey eyes and she is a natural athlete too. She is good at any sport she does, but she is the star athlete for soccer and track and field. Let’s just say I am not athletically inclined.  I can play any instrument you give me, which is fitting seeing my name is Melody. I don’t think I am bad looking, but I don’t put much effort in either. I don’t wear any make-up, I merely brush my hair in the morning and that’s it. “Your mom seemed stressed this morning, everything okay?” Sophie asked as we loaded into her car. “Ya, I think I overheard her talking about deadlines and design changes.” I reply. “It’s nothing she can’t handle, I’m sure.” We both chuckle with that last comment. I start unwrapping my burrito and eat on the ride. My mom is known to have a resilient personality. Part of me thinks that is what happened to my Dad. I’ve seen the way she is with people. Bossy. Maybe my dad couldn’t handle that? But then again, my mom always said that is what attracted my dad to her. “Ya, I am sure she will get her way.” Sophie says breaking my trans. We chat the rest of the drive to school, which is only about 15 minutes. She asks if I’m excited about graduation for like the 100th time this week. She also gets on my case on why I didn’t go to Prom. Large gatherings really aren’t my thing. “Thanks for the ride.” I say to Sophie as we depart and head our separate ways. Although I consider Sophie my friend, I know she has her other “groupies” at school and I just don’t get along with them. I walk into the building and head towards my locker. I make a quick turn and bounce off of Alexander Cirillo. This boy, no… man, screams the meaning of his name. Alexander is known as the protector of mankind and this guy could protect me anytime. Although, I don’t think he even knew I existed until he rammed me over like an 18 wheeler. “I’m so sorry” Alexander says picking me up off the ground. I winced in pain as I got up as I landed with my hands and I think I may have hurt my wrist. “You seem injured, Melody, can I walk you to the nurse?” he asks. Wait, he knows my name? I am in such shock that he knows my name, that I cannot respond. “Ughhhh,” I mutter. “Well, do you think you need to see the nurse?” He asks again. I stare into his amazing blue eyes and watch as he rubs his hands through his jet, black hair. “Yea,” I finally mutter. “I think I need to see the nurse.” “Here, let me help you.” He says as we walk towards the nurse’s office. It was a quiet walk with only Alex occasionally saying “I’m sorry” a few times and me shaking it off. I was feeling a weird tension from him. But I just chalk it up to the pain coming from my wrist. I try not to let him see me blushing. I AM WALKING WITH ALEX FREAKING CIRILLO! As we arrive at the nurses office, I thank him and send him on his way so I don’t get him in trouble for being late. He pats my shoulder and I blush as he walks away. Mrs. Jonah is our school nurse. She is an older woman about the age of my grandma. She has been the school nurse here for 20 years. She told everyone that she was going to be retiring this year. I’ve only had to see Mrs. Jonah once before when I started feeling ill at school in the winter, and that was it. But everyone here at Millbank High School loves Mrs. Jonah. She doesn’t know it yet, but there is a big surprise planned for her at the graduation ceremony. “Oh, Hi Ms. Melody, what happened?” Mrs. Jonah asked. It doesn’t matter if you never made your way into the nurse’s office at all, she knows everyone’s name. “I ran into a brick wall called Alexander Cirillo.” I reply. “Well, that was either a pleasant or painful…. Or both, experience” she says with a wink and chuckle. I laugh back. “Well, when I hit the ground, I used my hands to brace myself and my wrist is pretty sore.” I say. “Here, let me take a look.” says Mrs. Jonah. She gingerly moves my wrist around inspecting it and making me move it several directions. “It doesn’t seem like anything is broken, but you might have some tenderness from a strain. I am going to give you a brace to wear and send a note for your mom to follow up with your doctor,” Mrs. Jonah says. I get my wrist wrapped, get a note from Mrs. Jonah excusing my absence from homeroom and make my way to class.