Melody

"Hi Mellie," Carson's smooth voice through the phone made me smile. It was the Thursday night before the Halloween party. After the shopping trip, the week hadn't been very eventful. I spent most of my time in Ms. Foster's room, avoiding conflict with anyone. I knew Rose was pissed that I would be showing up, which meant some of the popular group would be as well.

"Hey," I murmured. I was already in bed, though it wasn't late. There wasn't anyone to talk to, so I'd just spend time on my computer.

"Are you sleeping?" Carson asked. I laughed and cleared my throat softly.

"No, just in my room."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're always in your room?"

"Hmm... because I usually am?" I laughed, making Carson chuckle. There was then a pause.

"Well, I was calling to get you out of your room... tomorrow after school – if you like. A date with me?"

I could feel my lips curve into a smile. "I'd love that."

"Great. So, after school find your friend Emma."

My eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Emma? What –"

"It's a surprise," Carson chuckled.

"Is everything a surprise?" I laughed. He was keeping his Halloween costume a secret from me too. He knew what I was going to be, but insisted I find out on the day of the party. While I liked the idea of being surprised, I didn't like waiting to find out.

"I guess it is," Carson said, leaving me to wonder what our date could possibly be like for the rest of the night.

***

Carson and I walked into school the next day after he'd picked me up. As usual, the popular kids stood in a cluster near the front doors, gossiping like a bunch of old ladies. Rose sent death glares towards me, but I was distracted by a bright smiling face heading towards us.

"Hey Carson! And you must be Melody," he said. I smiled politely and nodded before looking towards Carson nervously, almost asking if this guy was an okay one. Carson smiled at the guy who then grinned. "I'm Harvey."

"Nice to meet you," I said, realizing that I was now finally meeting Carson's best friend. It was kind of nerve wracking, because a best friend's opinion means so much. At least I dressed nicely today... a loose, brown, long-sleeved, mini dress and a pair of brown booties. I could be confident in that... sort of.

"You too. I've heard a lot about you – as in Carson here won't shut up about you," Harvey said, making Carson shove him playfully.

"Shut up," Carson laughed, leading the two of them to banter back and forth. I looked over Harvey's shoulder and could see Rose continue to stare, to whisper, to frown. The feeling was so heavy I almost couldn't breathe.

"I have to get to my locker, but I'll see you guys."

As I walked down the hallway, I could see people watching me curiously. I thought that the 'new girl' novelty would wear off after a bit but apparently it hadn't. I stopped at my locker and opened it, exchanging the books I needed. When closing my locker, I almost jumped, realizing Rose was leaning next to me.

"Are you dressed as the Paper Bag Princess today?" Rose asked.

"What do you want?" I asked, hoping she would just leave me alone.

"You not to come to the party tomorrow," Rose said with a smile. To everyone around us, it was a friendly conversation. Between the two of us, it was a cold war.

"I'm invited, so I'm going," I told her. Rose raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Well, it's up to you... but it's your funeral."

"Is that a threat?" I replied, fearing she could hear my voice shake.

"Of course, not... I'm just saying. These parties aren't for people like you," she said, patting my shoulder. I flinched slightly at her touch and watched her grin sadistically as she walked away from me.

I wondered where all my bravery had gone. I'd stood up to Rose on my first day here and cowered away after that. The only reason I'd done it in the first place was because I knew what it was like to have no one stand up for me. So, I didn't think, I acted. But it was easier to stand up to someone who was picking on someone else. Having Rose constantly targeting me was wearing on me.

***

After school, I did exactly as Carson told me to; I found Emma. She wasn't hard to find; it was more like she stood at the front of the school bouncing on the spot, wearing a huge grin on her face. She had a piece of paper in her hands.

"Hey Emma! So, Carson asked me to find you, but I'm not sure what's going on?" It came out like a question, that I'm sure my eyebrows curved to reflect as well.

"It's a scavenger hunt!" Emma said. "PS. He said that this is the spot where it started... if that isn't cute, I don't know what is!" She handed me the paper in her hands, and I took it and opened it up.

You struck more than my nose at this spot.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight the cheesy grin that made its way onto my face. I knew exactly where he meant.

"Where is it?" Emma asked.

"Come, I'll take you with me," I told her. I didn't think it was possible, but the smile on her face widened. We walked to the cafeteria and there was a taped note on the door. I picked it up and read it.

"Read it out loud!" Emma squealed, catching the attention of a few students who were packing their things to go home. She seemed more excited than I was.

"It says 'you also struck my heart'," I whispered, the heat rising in my cheeks.

"I knew he liked you... but no one ever listens to Noah," a voice said dramatically, making me crack a smile. Noah walked towards us with a red rose and a note. Did he usually refer to himself in the third person? "Anyways, these are for you."

I took the rose and the note from his hands and opened up the paper. "'Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I like you.' Carson changed up Hamlet for me." My feet were already pulling me towards the English room with Emma and Noah behind me. When we got there, there was a note on the door.

The place I shared my baby carrots, and baby stories.

I headed to the trees in the back of the school, where Carson and I sat and ate lunch a few times. There stood Alani with another rose in her hand and a piece of paper. "It's complicated," she mocked with a wink, making Emma and I laugh.

"Read it!" Noah exclaimed.

I took the sheet from Alani and read it out loud. "'You melt my heart like faster than the ice cream we ate'... the park near my house!"

Alani held up her keys. "I don't walk."

The entire way to the park, Alani played music, while she, Emma, and Noah refused to answer any of my questions. I was beyond curious as to what the huge reveal would be at the end and I was excited to see Carson. When we got to the park, Alani parked the car, and we all hopped out.

I looked around, unsure of what to look for, but then Harvey Fuller turned around to face me. He was sitting on a bench with his back turned before standing up with a rose in one hand and a cloth in the other.

We walked towards him and he grinned at me. "The message is 'déjà vu'," he said. I wrinkled my nose and turned around to let him put the blindfold on me. My vision was gone with the simple action and I was already disoriented.

"Déjà vu?" Noah asked.

"He blindfolded me to surprise me on our first date," I said.

"Awww!" Everyone cooed, making me blush.

"Okay, where to next?" I asked.

"To Alani's car!" Harvey said. Or at least I think it was his voice. We walked for a bit, someone guiding me, before we ended up inside the car. We drove around for quite a few minutes before the car stopped.

"We're here!" Emma squealed.

"Okay, so we're going to put headphones on you so that nothing gives away where we are," Harvey explained. Quickly, I began hearing nothing but loud pop music. They helped me out of the car, and I could feel hard asphalt beneath my feet. After a little while, I was walking on what felt like grass. Where could we possibly be?

And then both the blindfold and the music were removed.

I squinted in the bright sunlight, but my mouth almost fell open when I saw Carson there with red rose in his hand. Around him a huge festival was going on. I had forgotten about the autumn festival, because I never went to it, but this looked incredible. Twinkling lights, game booths, rides to go on and even a haunted house. Yet, the most wonderful part of it all was Carson standing here in front of me. He had a smile on his face, and it made my heart beat wildly in my chest.

I walked over to him slowly, as if I was afraid that if I moved any fast this would all disappear. When I stood in front of him, I feared that my heart might leap out of my throat.

"Surprise," Carson said quietly, making me smile. He handed me the rose and then led me away from our friends to a spot under some trees.

"This is all so beautiful," I said.

"Not as beautiful as you are," Carson said stepping towards me.

I was stunned. That was not a word I'd used to describe anything in relation to me. Like a statue of a gaping fish, I stood there with my mouth parted in shock. I couldn't even find it in me to make eye contact with him. How many years had it been since I'd heard someone call me that? How many years have I spent trying to achieve being 'beautiful'? It wasn't a word I thought I could be anymore but was a word I desperately wanted to be.

I broke eye contact immediately. "No, tha–"

"I mean it Mellie. You are beautiful. Beautiful, and kind, and brave... compassionate, funny, smart, creative, and everything anyone could ask for." Carson's hand touched my chin, making me look up at him slightly. Between the contact, our proximity, and his words, my breath hitched in my throat. "You're everything I could ask for."

"Really?" I murmured. He rubbed his thumb across my cheek, which relaxed me a little. I wasn't used to this kind of attention, or these kind words and I think Carson could sense it.

"Of course. This scavenger hunt was to show you just some of the moments where you changed me. You caught my attention; you made me want you. Will you be my girlfriend Mellie?" Carson asked me, his honey brown eyes interlocked with mine.

I'm sure there were tears in my eyes, because I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be this sweet. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to take such an interest in me... let alone a handsome, wonderful, and amazing person like Carson.

"Yes," I said, nodding. Carson gave me a breathtaking grin before moving to let his lips meet mine. My hand made its way to his shoulder, tugging myself towards him. Though I could hear our friends' chorus of 'oohs', I didn't pull away just yet. I was perfectly happy to kiss him a little longer and know that I was now able to do this whenever I wanted, because Carson White was officially my boyfriend.

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Author's Note: If you listen really quietly, you can hear me screaming through your screens. It took 38 chapters but we got ourselves a couple! Okay, vote and comment if you're screaming too! :D