you are in love|tao xu

chapter six

YOU ARE IN LOVE
chapter six

    Even though she didn't 100% agree with the idea, Melody still went to Tao's roughly an hour after school had been out. She was the first one but neither of them minded the extra time together.

*

    "As your token straight friend, it's my duty to remind you that sometimes people are straight. It's an unfortunate fact of life." Tao explained to Charlie as the four looked at Tara's instagram. Melody laid on the edge of Tao's bed behind the three boys sitting on the floor. Occasionally poking Tao's neck simply because she thought it was funny. It didn't seem to bug him much either so she continued.

    "We don't know if she actually likes Nick back." Issac acknowledged. Melody smiled as Tao rolled his eyes.

    "Issac! I've already warned you about encouraging Charlie's crushes on straight boys." Tao argued back. He leaned his head back on his bed in frustration. Melody leaned her head down to look at him with a small smile.

    "But I want to believe in romance!" Issac sang with a bright smile. Melody's smile widened at her friend's response. The four were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sure enough the fifth to their group walked into the room with a small smile. Melody perked up in excitement and gave a little wave.

    "Elle! So there's this girl at Higgs who apparently Nick's got a crush on?" Issac explained at lightning speed. Elle looked over at Melody with an eyebrow raised. Melody nodded, confirming what Issac was saying.

    "Confirmed from multiple sources." Tao added in with a witty look in his eyes. Melody sniffed in amusement before deciding to speak up.

    "The multiple sources being Otis and only Otis." Melody pointed out with a teasing look in her eye. Tao looked at her a little over dramatically. Melody booped his nose with a cheeky smile. Tao rolled his eyes despite the red on his cheeks and turned his head around.

"But we don't know if they're a thing. Can you two talk to her? Elle, she's in your year at school." Issac continued as Elle walked in and sat on the desk chair in the room. Melody and Issac both put their hands in praying gestures with huge smiles and puppy dog eyes. Melody didn't have any class with Tara and she knew Elle did so it would be easier for her to talk to her anyway.

"Charlie literally won't give up on this straight boy until we know for sure." Tao slightly shouted. Melody rolled her eyes and flicked his head for being a little rude. Elle seemed done with it too and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, my god, be quiet. Okay. Slowly. What do you want?" Elle replied single handedly calming everyone down. Melody watched as Tao leant forward and started gesturing with his hands before talking.

"Do either of you know a girl called Tara Jones?" Tao asked, looking back and forth between Elle and Melody. Melody nodded before looking over to Elle.

"Yeah." Elle responded while leaning back onto the chair. Tao and Issac's eyes lit up the smallest bit after the response.

"Can you ask her if she likes Nick Nelson?" Issac leaned forward with a huge hopeful smile. Issac had a contagious smile for sure because Melody immediately smiled too. Elle looked reluctant, which Melody didn't really blame her for.

"Nick Nelson? You might as well give up right now. He's the straightest person I have ever seen." Elle shut down immediately. Tao perked up and Melody knew exactly what he was gonna say. She rolled her eyes before looking at her nails.

"Thank you!" Tao shouted in pride. Melody shook her head and rubbed her temples.

"We don't know that." Melody reasoned, matching Tao's volume. A tone of desperateness was laced all through her voice. She wanted Charlie happy and she could only pray that Nick liked guys. Elle and Tao brushed what Melody said under the rug and continued with the conversation.

"And I don't know Tara that well. I can't just go up to her and ask her who she fancies. And I'm too busy being the cool, mysterious, new girl. Who everyone wants to hang out with." Elle continued on. Her words made Melody pull a small face. She didn't understand why she would lie to all of them but she wasn't gonna call her out. That wasn't her place. Charlie quickly looked at all his friends with a kind of overwhelmed look on his face. Melody didn't blame him, everyone was being a bit much.

"I'm fine. It's honestly fine. I'm just being an idiot." Charlie assured the group. Melody frowned at the last sentence. He wasn't being an idiot. He just had a crush. It's a natural part of life. Elle's face flooded with guilt and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Look, if and only if I get the chance, I'll ask her." Elle caved with slumped shoulders. Melody smiled a little and perked up. Tao crossed his arms as Charlie smiled and perked up. Charlie immediately jumped up and hugged Elle.

"Thank you!"

"I'm making no promises." Elle said, hugging Charlie back. Isaac got up off the floor and joined the hug. Melody caught on quickly and jumped off the bed. She took a step before noticing Tao wasn't making any movement over to the group. She grabbed his hand and flashed him an encouraging smile and the two joined the hug.

{melody is the biggest nick nelson stan and im here for it. also here is an example of how Tao leant his head back bc i didnt know how to explain it

}