Melissa stayed as far from the cafeteria as possible for the rest of the day.
The walls of the college felt too narrow, too loud, too unfamiliar. Her feet wandered the campus aimlessly until she found herself sitting alone under a huge oak tree, hugging her knees to her chest.
Ginny gave her space, but not too much. She sat a little distance away, humming quietly and pretending to scroll through her phone.
It was her silent way of saying, "I'm here if you need me."
Melissa was grateful for that more than she could express.
Her mind refused to stay still.
Why is Alec here? Why now, when I was just starting to believe I could be normal again?
She closed her eyes tightly, as if she could erase the sight of those brown eyes still haunting her.
"Hey," a voice called out softly.
Melissa flinched, her whole body tensing up instinctively.
She turned slowly, half-expecting...half-dreading...
But it wasn't Alec.
It was the boy from earlier—the one from the music club—the one who saw her running like a madwoman.
Dayne George.
He stood there awkwardly, a cautious smile on his face, holding two cans of soda.
One extended toward her like a peace offering.
"Truce?" he said, shrugging slightly.
Melissa hesitated.
Ginny gave her a little nudge.
"Take it, Lisa," she whispered under her breath. "He looks harmless."
Melissa exhaled and took the soda, her fingers brushing lightly against his.
Dayne's grin widened, not cocky, but warm... easy.
He plopped down on the grass a few feet away from her, not crowding her, giving her enough space to breathe.
"So..." he said, popping his own soda open. "Is running your cardio plan or...?"
Melissa couldn't help it—she let out a small laugh, the sound surprising even herself.
Dayne looked delighted, like he'd just won some secret prize.
"You don't have to tell me anything," he added quickly. "Just thought maybe... sitting here is better than running."
Melissa nodded slightly.
There was a long pause, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
The autumn breeze played with the ends of her hair. Dayne leaned back against the tree, his eyes closing as he soaked in the sunlight like a lazy cat.
Melissa studied him for a moment, curious despite herself.
There was something different about him.
He wasn't trying to impress her.
He wasn't trying to fix her.
He was just... there.
Present.
Real.
Unlike someone else whose smile she once trusted.
Her gaze drifted away before Dayne could catch her looking.
Far across the campus lawn, near the cafeteria windows, she spotted a figure.
Tall.
Tanned skin.
Brown eyes.
Alec.
He was leaning casually against a pillar, laughing with a group of seniors, completely at ease.
But... for a fleeting second, Melissa could have sworn his gaze flickered in her direction.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Dayne must have noticed her expression because he followed her line of sight and frowned slightly.
"You know him?" he asked casually, though Melissa caught the edge in his tone.
Melissa swallowed.
"Yeah," she whispered. "From...before."
Dayne studied her face for a long moment but said nothing.
Instead, he simply kicked at a few fallen leaves with his shoe and changed the subject.
"Hey," he said suddenly, eyes twinkling mischievously, "can you sing?"
Melissa blinked at him, confused.
"Because," he continued, tapping the soda can against his knee like a drum, "you're in the music club now, whether you like it or not. And rumor has it... there's an initiation performance for all new members."
Ginny perked up immediately.
"OH MY GOD is that true??"
Dayne laughed.
"Nah, I'm messing with you... but you should have seen your faces."
Ginny dramatically gasped and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
Melissa smiled—genuinely this time.
For a moment, just a brief, shimmering moment, she forgot about Alec.
She forgot about bleeding knees, torn skirts, and bitter kisses.
She was just Melissa.
And maybe, just maybe, she could be whole again someday.