you are in love|tao xu

chapter eleven

YOU ARE IN LOVE
chapter eleven

"This is a conversational lunchtime gathering we've got going on here." Darcy spoke up, Elle nodding along. Tara put her phone and directed her attention to her girlfriend. Melody kept her attention towards her phone.

Melody had never been that much of a stressed person. However this whole stupid having feelings for Tao thing has put her on edge. She knew it was dumb. It was taking such a toll on her she barely talked to him. She over thought so much that it consumed her. She would stare at her phone 70% of the time, just waiting for a 'I know you like me and it's fucking weird. We're best friends' message. She was starting to look like a shell of herself.

It was starting to get to Tao too. Not the feelings part, the Melody ignoring him part. It left him wondering what he did wrong. Tao didn't even know if he did anything wrong, maybe Melody just realized she could get better friends and decided to.

"Mel!" Darcy raised her voice, finally snapping Melody out of her trance. "What are you doing?"

Elle gave a small giggle as Melody avoided the question and played with her food. "Well she's not texting Tao, considering the two have been in a weird place recently. Did you guys like, kiss or something?" Elle asked genuinely, wondering if that's why the pair had been acting so weird. The two other girls at the table perk in excitement. Melody shakes her head in disagreement which causes the other girls to frown.

"Why aren't you guys talking?" Darcy asks. Melody pulls a confused face. She tries to ignore the question and look down at her food. That is until Darcy makes a small noise to urge Melody to answer.

"We are talking. Just not as much. Nothing even happened, we've just been busy." Melody shrugged. Everyone at the table including Melody knew it was a lie. However they decided to leave it at that and change the conversation.

*

It's not that Mel wanted to push away Tao. She didn't. She really didn't. But the stress of her making it obvious she had a crush on him had overcome her. She felt the only way to not accidentally out herself was to just shut her mouth and not speak to him as much. It did hurt though when in the morning, Tao and Charlie walked past her not even sparring a wave. All she received was an obviously hurt smile from Tao. Which made her sick to her stomach.

Mel sat on the floor of her room and stared at the wall in front of her. It was an early release day at school and usually on those she had Tao over. Melody was gonna make up an excuse and cancel but Tao did before her. Which did nothing but leave the two miserable in their own rooms.

"Hey Mel, you have a visitor." Alec called while knocking on his eldests bedroom door. A large part of Melody hoped it was Tao. It wasn't. It was Nick Nelson.

This surprised Melody because she didn't invite Nick over and because she didn't think he remembered where she lived.

"Nick, what a surprise.. How'd you know where I live?" Mel greeted the boy before patting a spot on the floor next to her.

"I, uh, remembered from that time my mum gave you a ride home from practice last year. Sorry for showing up unannounced. I should've called." Nick replied. Melody said a small 'oh' before shrugging.

"It's fine, don't worry. Is something, like, bothering you?" Mel asked, staring at the visibly nervous boy next to her. He shrugged before sighing.

"You like girls and guys right?" Nick asked. Melody was confused at this. She had never told Nick or anyone besides her close friends that. There was no way Nick would know. Unless maybe Charlie told him but Melody knew Charlie well enough to know he would never tell anyone. Especially not after getting outed last year.

"Who told you that?" Melody immediately asked, her demeanor changing from chill and friendly to serious and slightly demanding. Nick shrunk a little bit out of worry.

"Imogen did...I'm sorry, it doesn't sound like I was meant to know." Nick responded, getting more nervous.

Melody sighed and muttered curses. She knew telling Imogen was a mistake. The girl had a blabber mouth.

"It's not your fault, don't apologize. Yeah I like girls and guys." Melody replied while turning down the music that was playing. Nick nodded and stared at his feet.

"So you're bi?" He asked, not daring to look at the girl next to him. She hummed in response and Nick took a deep breath. "How did you know?" He mumbled, finally getting the courage to look at Melody.

Melody immediately put the pieces together. She had to hide the smile that was fighting its way to visibility. She thought about her answer for a second.

"Well I don't really know honestly. I just kinda realized I had a crush on this girl in like year 9? We had, like, a situationship type of thing for like 2 months and then she ghosted me and got with Harry."  Mel revealed with a small laugh towards the end. She looked up at Nick and he looked deep in thought. "If you think you might like guys or something it's okay you know? I know Harry makes it sound like being gay is the worst thing to be but I think there are much worse things to be. Like Harry Greene's girlfriend." Melody spoke with a soft tone. Nick let out a laugh at the end of Melody's sentence. He felt instantly comforted by the girl and felt safe saying things he felt anxious about actually saying.

"I think I might be bi but I don't know yet." Nick mumbled leaning against the bed. Melody did the same.

"You don't have to know or label anything right now. It takes time." Melody shrugged. The boy nodded. "Whatever you are though, I'll support you. Unless you somehow date Harry." Melody joked, causing Nick to laugh again.

{not to be one of those freak wattpad writers who traumadump in every note but like guys i am so depressed rn its kinda crazy. anyways}