The Bad Boy’s Melody

Chapter Three: I kinda forgot you were here

I RIPPED the stupid sticky note on my locker. It was a note from Ms Jones with a 'positive' message on it.

Although, mine just seemed to piss me off this morning, maybe because I knew there was a message behind it. I rolled my eyes, shutting my locker at least I had a couple minutes before class started.

"I have a lighter if you wanna set the big bad note on fire." I turned to see Austin Cole leaning against the lockers beside me. I took my earphones out and glared at him. He was being an a*s and teasing me right now.

Sure, I shouldn't have gotten angry at the note, but it's not like I could get my frustration out on Joyce or Dylan. That would only get me in trouble and I wasn't the best at conflict. The note was the easier option.

He took the note from my hand and read it. "Stop cheating on your future with the past. It's over."

I grabbed the note from him and shoved it in my pocket. I did not want to get into dissecting this quote or why I was so frustrated over it with Austin Cole. I didn't know him and he didn't know me.

"It's just a stupid quote," I shrugged, acting as if it wasn't a big deal. It was to me, because I hated the fact the Jones could get under my skin so easily.

"Lying doesn't suit you, Melody," Austin stated before he turned away from me and sucked in a sharp breath.

I saw who he was looking at. Madison was storming towards us and I knew it was for me, because all her friends were beside her and they didn't give a crap about me.

Although, they might give a crap about Austin Cole, who happened to be looking at the roof. Was he praying under his breath?

Austin leaned his back against the locker, staring at with a bored expression on his face. Whereas Madison looked furious like she was going to kill him.

I glanced around us to see people beginning to gather. My eyes widened, was a fight going to break out? What was I supposed to do if it did? Was Austin going to hit her if she hit him?

"Where have you been?" Madison poked his chest roughly. "Where have you been, Cole?"

She sounded concerned, but she was frustrated. I guess they were friends after all, but they were going through a rough patch. Communication didn't seem to be Austin's strong suit, maybe that was the problem.

"Around," he stated, flicking his hand away from him. "I'm done with the circus, Madison."

Madison glared at him. I glanced around, seeing a crowd forming, but no one going to step in to stop them. "That circus was the only option for you at one point, Cole. Remember that?"

"I had other options. Just didn't take them. Don't flatter yourself." Austin's voice was quiet. He could see the crowd forming, whereas Madison had her back to everyone.

His eyes met mine and I shook my head at him silently pleading him to not hurt my friend. He looked back down at Madison. "We're not friends. Stop acting like we are."

Austin pushed himself off the lockers, his hands falling by his sides, no longer in his pockets. He glanced and me and then back to Madison. "You're a shitty friend to the few you have."

I stared at him as he walked through the crowd as they parted for him. What was that last line supposed to mean? I didn't know what happened between them, but I knew Madison was hurt. She showed it for a couple of seconds as he walked away, but now she was just angrier than she was before they talked.

"Clear the way people," Thomas shouted, his hands cupped over his mouth like a megaphone.

Lee slapped the back of his head as they walked over to me "You're an idiot." Freddie glanced at Madison and then to the crowd before shaking his head and looking at me.

I smiled at him. "Any luck with the song?" I asked him, as the crowd started to disperse around us. People were thankfully beginning to see that there was going to be no fight.

Freddie shook his head, an apologetic look on his face. "I tried, but he won't budge. Wouldn't even tell me why."

My shoulders slumped, the hope I had gone. The fact he wouldn't even tell his friend why was worrying me. I sighed, it wasn't Freddie's fault though. I owed him for trying to get it back. Now, I just how to figure out how to get it off him myself.

"Thanks for trying. I'll figure something out," I told him with a smile. I wasn't about to lose hope.

"Who took it?" Madison asked me.

Lee's eyes widened, "Kinda forgot you were here. No offence." Madison glared at him before looking at me. "I said no offence, geez," Lee muttered.

I shook my head at Madison. I didn't want to add fuel the fire that was burning her relationship with Austin to the ground.

This was my problem; I could solve it myself. I mean, how hard could it be? "It's not a big deal. I'll do it myself, Mads."

"Austin Cole stole her song," Thomas blurted out right after I finished. His hands flung over his mouth acting as if he didn't mean to say it. He so did. I narrowed my eyes and him and he shrugged smiling at me. "Might as well tell her, Jess. Maybe she can help."

"Or make it worse," Freddie muttered.

Madison ignored them both. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's really not a big deal. It's not like he knows anything about me or is going to use it against me. I'll get it back, Mads. Anyway, it's not like I meant to keep it from you. It just never came up in conversation." And there was also the fact you didn't even mention Austin by name yesterday.

I shook my head; I wasn't going to say that. That last thing I wanted was Madison to be upset with me. Things were tense as it with this whole Austin situation.

"Don't worry, he doesn't even know her name. He calls her Melon drop," Thomas piped up.

Lee hit his palm against his forehead. "I need to get new friends," he muttered.

The school bell rang and I smiled. Saved by the bell. Madison gave me a look that said this wasn't over before walking away. "I forgot you were friends with Madison Sanders."

I shrugged at Freddie, "We don't hang out much in school." They walked towards there class which was the opposite way from mine. I slipped in my earphones and walked down the busy corridor. It was like the bell didn't matter to them all.

The classroom was fuller than yesterday morning. I smiled politely at Mrs Brennan as I took my seat by the window, like yesterday the seat next to me was empty. Caleb was never late, but I guess there has to be a first for everything.

The door opened and I looked in to see Austin Cole walk into the classroom. You could tell a lot by the way some held themselves.

He screamed confidence, he wasn't bothered by the whispers or stares of the majority of the room. He wasn't cocky about it, he didn't even seem amused about it. Whereas a normal troublemaker would bask in it, Austin Cole just ignored it.

He walked towards me and I adverted my eyes back to the window. He'd probably comment on me staring, but I was just being like everyone else. Trying to figure out who Austin Cole was. I heard the chair behind me scrape off the floor. He was sitting behind me.

Mrs Brennan stared at him before clearing her throat and starting her class. She was even shocked that he showed up.

We were carrying on our lesson from yesterday which made sense as half the class was wasted on people being late from the fight and Austin's interruption.

"Melody?"

I felt something hit the back of my head before it hit the ground. I turned around, looking at Austin who was smiling innocently as if he didn't hit me with a pen. "What was that for?"

"I thought you were ignoring me. Can I have it back? It's the only pen I brought."

Half of me wanted to throw the pen at him and hope it stabbed him in the eye, but the other half wanted to be petty and I gave into it. "You can have it back when I get my song back." I was proud of myself for that.

"So that's why he was on my back about it," Austin muttered. He shook his head at me, "I'm not giving it back yet, Melody. You'll get it back eventually." He held his hand, an innocent smile on his face. "Can I have my pen back now?"

I sighed, placing the pen in his hand. He missed enough school already this year. I didn't want to be holding him back more. "Just don't do anything stupid with it," I muttered, turning around and looking at the bored.

Austin chuckled, "Sure, Melody."

I didn't like how he said it, but I was going to let it slide. If he did post it all over social media and in school then I could always just deny that I wrote it. My name wasn't on the page. My name was just in the inside cover of my notebook written in bad calligraphy.

So, he must know my name if he was to return it to me. Why did he call me Melody then? Was it because I wrote songs?

I cringed at my own thoughts. That would be too cheesy. I turned around to the only person that could give me an answer, although I doubted I'd get one. Austin Cole was vague. He left people wondering more, like today in the hallway with Madison and now with my song. I've gathered that much about him.

"Why do you call me that?" I asked him, glancing down at the desk where he was doodling a butterfly onto the desk with his pen. It was detailed like he spent the last few minutes not taking note and drawing a butterfly. Maybe I shouldn't have given him back the pen.

Austin leaned back on his chair. "It suits you," he told me.

"Because I write songs?" I asked him, not really knowing why else he would call me Melody.

He shook his head, twirling the pen between his fingers. "No, it's not because you write songs."

I stared at him. Sure, he probably read my notebook, but he didn't know me so the name couldn't mean something that wasn't generic. I was glad it wasn't because I wrote songs, that would've made me cringe. "Then why?"

Austin stared at me. He leaned forward on his desk and I wanted to run back around to my own table, but I wanted an answer. I didn't want him to know he imitated me. "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to, Melody," he told me.

I couldn't deal with it anymore. He was just so...frustrating to deal with. I turned around and looked out the window, putting my earphones in. Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to. Where am I even supposed to begin to decipher that?

I sighed, looking at the leaves blowing along the ground in the wind. Alec Benjamin's voice played softly and I tried to focus on that instead of the guy behind me.

Once the bell rang, I packed up my stuff and was putting them in my bag when I saw something drop on my table from the corner of my eye. I looked up from my bag to see Austin walking out of the classroom. His hands shoved in his pockets and a bored look on his face.

I looked down at the table to see his pen and a piece of paper underneath it. I sling my back over my shoulder as the next class walked into the room. I picked up the piece of paper and pen quickly before muttering a quick thanks to Mrs Brennan.

When I was in the corridor and walking towards my next class, I opened it.

Stop overthinking everything. Your answer is right in front of you. You can keep the pen till you get your song back, or not. I don't need it anyway. – Austin.

-

PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT AND SHARE!

I made a playlist full of my favourite songs. It will be on repeat for a long time...

Anyway, I also fixed up the plot and stuff for this book so I'm super excited to see where it goes.

Love,

K8