"Get in here!" Melody said while forcing Marcus into her room and making him sit on her bed. She sat with him. "Who, when, where? Spill everything!" Melody pressed. "I did it with the new girl, Ginny. It just happened like 45 minutes ago, and we did I in her bed." Marcus told her. "Woah woah, Ginny? You just met her three days ago Marcus! What the hell!" Melody lectured him. "I know! I have no idea what I was thinking." Marcus told her. "Did you at least wrap it up?" She asked him. When she saw his face go blank she felt her heart start racing. "Marcus! You just met her! You had the nerve to not wear a condom! You have no clue who she's been with and she doesn't know who you've been with!" Melody continued ranting. "You done?" Marcus asked her. She nodded. "You can't tell anyone please!" Marcus begged. "You have my word, I won't tell." Melody promised. She shook her head in disappointment and bringing her hand and smacking him in the back of the head. "Stay here and think about your actions, I'll be back." Melody told him before going to her moms bathroom and grabbing one of the boxes of condoms that her mother kept stocked up constantly for when she went on dates and bought someone back with her.

She went back to the room and tossed the box to him. "Put these in a place where you can easily access them. Don't ever have sex with someone without protection ever again." Melody told him. He nodded and the two said goodnight to each other.

The next day at school, seeing Ginny was extremely awkward for Melody. She didn't see her as the innocent girl with strong opinions any more, she now saw her as the girl who took her best friends virginity. Melody knew that she now had to really observe Ginny and make sure she wasn't ever going to hurt Marcus. Melody knows Marcus better than anyone so she knows that Marcus is a very sensitive guy who put on a strong front. He acted tough but as soon as someone hurt him he fell apart. The most vulnerable she's ever seen him was after their other best friend Drew died. He would hold it together around other people but as soon as he was alone with Melody he'd break down. While the three of them were all best friends, Drew was much closer to Marcus than he was with Melody so when Drew died, Marcus was hit the hardest.

Melody was starting to let her guard down about Ginny until she found out that she and Hunter started talking. After she learned about that, she felt nothing but judgement and distrust towards Ginny. If Marcus got too attached to Ginny only for her to completely abandon him for Hunter, Marcus would be broken and Melody would have to pick up the broken pieces.  So when she found out what Ginny was doing, she did what any sensible person would do and gathered as much information on her as possible. At school, she didn't leave her and Max alone for a single second. When they were at lunch, she was at lunch with them.

Marcus wasn't blind, he saw what is best friend was doing. He decided to confront her about it before it got out of hand. During their shared free period he asked her, "Bambam why are you spying on Ginny?". Melody sighed. "What can I say? I'm ready to go to war for you bubba. If she hurts you I'll hurt her. Point blank period." Melody told him. "You don't have to worry about that Bambam, I promise that things aren't ever going to be serious between us." Marcus told her. She sighed. "Fine. But don't make me have to fight someone." She told him. She kissed her hand and placed it on his cheek. He smiled and took her hand and kissed it softly.

After school, Melody went to Marcus's house to watch the show that she, Marcus, and his father watched every week together. Next to her grandfather, Clint became a father figure to her after her dad died. Clint was the one who taught her how to swim and he helped her and Marcus learn how to hit a baseball when they did Tee-ball together in kindergarten. The three of them watching the show became a tradition when Melody and Marcus were in eighth grade. While they were watching the show, Ellen was talking to Georgia in the kitchen when Maxine came downstairs and told her mom she was going out. "No you don't. C- doesn't get you out on a weeknight." Ellen told her. Melody and Marcus got prepared to here another one of Maxine Baker's amazing lies that she told her mother to get away with stuff. "Mom this is for AP English, Wellsbury Theatre's showing Romes and Juliet, but not the sexy one where Claire Danes is all soaking wet on a balcony, wearing white. Not that I'm complaining, clothes kind of hold Claire back. But seriously this is the boring one with no guns and no cars. We're going for extra credit." Maxine finished. Melody would've applauded if Ellen wasn't right there. It never failed to amaze her that Max was so great at coming up with lies to tell her mom. She looked up as she heard Max coming towards the couch. "Money please!" She asked and sighed to her father. Clint dug out two twenties from his wallet and handed them to her. She thanked him and left. Ellen and Georgia talked more after Max left and Marcus and Melody heard something they never thought they'd ever hear, "They're not going to the movies." Georgia told Ellen.

After Max got home, Marcus and Melody listened to the screaming coming from downstairs. It was shocking to be quite honest. Out of the three of them, Marcus and Melody got yelled at way more than Max, and Melody isn't even their real sibling. Marcus would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly enjoying Max getting in trouble. For their entire life he was always seen as the bad twin so it was always refreshing to see the tables turn.

Melody decided that she would stay over that night because she didn't feel like walking home in the dark and didn't want to ask anyone for a ride home. Since she basically lived at the Bakers house she had her own room and a whole bunch of clothes that she left over. She was about to crash for the night when she heard knocking on her door. "Come in!" She said, expecting it to be Marcus or one of his parents. She was a bit surprised to see it was Max. "Hey.. can I stay in here with you?" She asked. She was still pretty shaken up from being yelled at and grounded. Melody nodded and made space for her in her bed. She wrapped her arms around her and let her cry until she was asleep. The next morning Marcus found them both asleep still and Max was still wrapped in the hug.

"My mom is so pissed that we lied. I'm so grounded she almost didn't let me come for callbacks today. *Gasp* What if she doesn't let me go to sophomore sleepover?" Max told Ginny as she, Ginny, Melody, and Marcus walked into school. "What's sophomore sleepover?" Ginny asked. "Only the sexiest night of the year!" Max told her. "Its when the sophomores sleep at school. It's what sophomores get instead of prom." Melody told her. They continued walking down the hallway. "I have to pee." Ginny told Max. "Oh fun! I'll come!" Max said. "No it's cool. I'll meet you there." Ginny told Max. Melody quickly joined Max and started walking to class with her. "Later Loser." Marcus said to Max. "Bye Bambam!" He added in for Melody. She waved goodbye to him.

School was boring as usual up until chemistry. Melody had the class with Abby and Norah. She was never very close to the but they have always been friendly. "Hey Mel! Me and Abby are going shopping later, wanna join? I'll drive and pay for food." Norah told her. "Sure! It's been so long since we've done anything together." Melody said. Norah nodded. "Meet at berry tree after school ok?" Norah asked. Melody nodded.

As promised, she met them after school. When she walked up she saw Max running off in a separate direction. "You guys ready to go?" I asked. "Yup!" Norah told me. "Ginny coming too." Abby said. Melody nodded. "Great!" She said before they all walked out and went to Norah's car.

When they got to the store, Melody mostly looked at the display of mood rings that were being sold but joined the group when she noticed that they were stealing. Abby was shoving earrings in Ginny's face when she got there. Ginny put the earrings in her pocket. Melody grabbed Ginny's arm. "Um no. You don't want to do that. The racism here may be subtle but it still exist. You will be the first person to be pat down if they choose to stop us." Melody told her. Abby rolled her eyes. "Mel she doesn't want to be boring like you. Let's go I want iced coffee." Abby said. Melody rolled her eyes and they all began walking to the door. "Excuse me! Stop!" They heard from behind them. Just as Melody predicted, Ginny was the one who was pat down and caught with the earrings. "I'm not calling the police but I do need to talk to a parent." The store clerk told her. Ginny gave the lady her moms number and called her.

"This is an outrage! My daughter would never shoplift! Ever!" Georgia ranted. "Mom I did it." Ginny told her. Georgia huffed and looked around. "Did you check the other girls purses or are you singling out my daughter because she's black? I work at Mayor Paul Randolphs office and he'd be fascinated to know that a store in Wellsbury was racially profiling." Georgia said. "Ma'am I assure you that race had nothing to do with this." The clerk said. "Don't you tell me race had nothing to do with it. Did you physically see her shoplift?" Georgia asked. "Yes a pair of earrings!" The clerk defended. "Oh I feel faint! Sorry social injustice tends to upset me. I'm sure this was all a big misunderstanding. I'd love to pay for the earrings. And this lovely jacket! Such beautiful things! Who picks this out? You? What an eye!" Georgia said as she pulled more stuff on the counter. "You take cash?" Georgia asked, pulling out her wallet.

They finally got to leave when Georgia paid for the stuff. "So gals, fun day?" Georgia asked. "We had no idea that Ginny was stealing." Abby lied. "Oh my g- Abby that is bullshit and you know it!" Melody whispered out harshly, getting Georgia's attention. "Get on home girls." Georgia told them. Melody walked away from them and went somewhere to call her grandpa to have him get her. He got to her pretty quickly in his Buick. The stereo was blasting Dean Martin and the cool air filled the car. The ride home was filled with her grandpa singing and calling everyone driving around him an asshole. When I got home I spilled everything that happened over the phone to Max and Marcus.

The next day at school, Max and Ginny were rightfully giving Abby and Norah the cold shoulder.