"Melody Grace you are not wearing that to mass young lady." Lenora scolded her daughter. She was wearing a long sleeve yellow crop top and a knee length blue and yellow floral skirt. "Your entire midriff is showing. And it's fucking cold outside." Her mother continued. "I have on tights!" Melody argued. "Go put on that lovely dress I bought you for that dance a few years ago." Lenora told her. Melody rolled her eyes before stomping back up to her room and throwing on the long green and purple dress that she got in the 7th grade for a school dance. "I look like a grape." Melody grumbled. "A very modest grape, now let's go. You know your grandma hates being late." Lenora said while rushing her daughter through the door and to the car.

Melody hadn't been to a traditional Sunday mass since she was in 5th grade, the only times she usually stepped foot into church was on holidays or for the occasional christening that would occur every time one of her mom's friends had a baby. "You've grown so much since the last time you've been here. I'm sure Father Paul will be happy to see you!" Nona chirped happily as they walked to the doors of the church. Upon entry, Melody was hit by the loud sound of people singing a hymn. Melody froze at the door momentarily, unsure of where to move, until her grandfather gently pushed her forward and guided her to a pew towards the front.

Melody thought the hymns would go on forever, she was so relieved when she got to sit down again. "My legs feel like fucking jello." She whispered, only to be sushed harshly by her mother. She heard a snicker from the opposite side of her and quickly turned to the source of the noice, a brunette boy, around her age, with short curly hair. She felt her face flush with embarrassment and turned to focus on Father Paul.

There was something about the boy in mass that made Melody think. She could hardly focus on what was going on because she was constantly staring at him. He was sitting next to an elderly woman and an elderly man who looked familiar but Melody couldn't figure out who they were. It was almost the end of mass and Melody was desperate to leave. "Peace be with you." Father Paul told everyone as he wrapped up the sermon. "And also with you!" Melody said loudly before hearing everyone else say, "And also with your spirit.". She flushed red in embarrassment, When did they change that? Melody thought to herself. When mass finally ended, Melody's nona embraced the elderly woman warmly and turned to her granddaughter, "Melody! You remember Mrs. Tennellie!" Her grandmother told her. "It's nice to see you!" Melody said. "It's nice to see you too baby doll, oh you've grown so much! I remember when you couldn't even walk." She said while bringing Melody into a bone crushing hug. "And I'm sure you remember my grandson Oswald." She said while gesturing to the boy she sat with during mass, who was busy talking to Anthony. "Oswald!?" Melody exclaimed, extremely shocked.

That boy used to annoy the life out of her. The last time she saw him was in sixth grade before he moved because his military father was stationed in Texas. She had no clue he moved back. "Ossy just moved back, he's going to finish out high school here. Life on base didn't end up working out for him." His grandmother told Melody.

Melody told Marcus all about Oswald moving back the second she got to his house. "I'm stealing your clothes, this stupid dress is driving me insane." Melody told him while going in his closet. "I just can't believe Oswald's back. He gave you hell." Marcus said while chuckling, "Remember in 2nd grade? At your communion?" He asked. "You mean when the little asshole tripped me in front of the entire congregation before I could even receive the Eucharist? Yeah I remember." Melody told him as she took the dress off and slipped the purple unicorn shirt and the white sweatpants she stole from Max on.

Later on in the evening at Melody's house, Melody and Marcus were in the kitchen helping Loraine get dinner ready. Sunday dinners were always a big deal at the Manelli's. They always invited the Bakers, a few friends from church, and family members. Today, the Baker's, the Tennellie's, Melody's uncle, and her little cousin Gabriella came over for dinner.

In Melody's opinion, Gabriella was a spoiled brat. She was only 5 and she was already a mean diva. Everyone else however, found her adorable. Gabriella's favorite person is definitely Marcus because Marcus is pretty good at keeping kids entertained. Gabriella cried about how she wasn't able to help Marcus and Melody cut vegetables so Marcus gave her a plastic knife and a scrap piece of a shallot and told her to cut it into the tiniest pieces ever.

"Are these small enough?" Gabriella asked while showing the cut up shallot. "No." Melody told her, "I wasn't talking to you! Shut up!" She screamed before turning back to Marcus, waiting for an answer. "How about now you cut up this cucumber." He said while handing her the leftover scrap of cucumber that was for the salad. She happily took it and returned to her spot.

Every adult had dinner in the dining room, so everyone else was forced to socialize and have their dinner in the backyard. Melody and Marcus sat in the old treehouse that they built with Drew in third grade. The old wooden planks had seen better days, and the green paint they used to paint the house was pretty much chipped away, but they still loved the old thing. In true little kid fashion, Gabriella had to follow them to the tree house and annoy the life out of Melody. "Gabby you know you're not allowed up here. Didn't the broken arm teach you anything?" Melody said to her cousin, only to be ignored as the five year old touched the various soccer and baseball trophies that they decorated the tree house with. Melody eventually decided that she had enough and physically dragged her cousin out of the house, down the ladder, and to the picnic table.

Melody was still in disbelief about how that little shit was back in town. She doesn't think she'll ever forgive Ossy for the first communion incident. She spent weeks in Sunday school getting prepared for it, her mom used her entire check on a poofy, white, glittery communion dress, she'd gotten her hair curled, and her mother even let her wear a little lipgloss for the first time. She remembered walking to receive the bread and seeing almost everyone she knew sitting down in pews and watching her. She was right behind a little girl who was receiving the Eucharist and she was so excited, because she knew she was next. However that excitement was cut short, because right as she started walking, Ossy's foot collided with her leg and it sent her stumbling forward until she hit the floor, right in front of the alter. In an embarrassed and blinded rage, she got up and pounced on Ossy. The entire church watched in shock as the seven year olds had a full out brawl on the floor, and she heard Marcus cheering for her before he was cut off when his mouth was covered. The two only fought for about 30 seconds before Melody's grandfather plucked her off Ossy and quickly carried her out. Her mom and her nonna screamed at her for hours at home.

When dinner was finally over, nothing made Melody happier than to see Ossy leave. "I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." He told her as she walked to the door. Melody scoffed, "She's still suspended so you'll see her on Tuesday hon!" Her nonna told him. Melody felt like she was going to evaporate, why did her nonna have such a big mouth?

"I don't know why you're still holding a stupid grudge over something that happened 8 years ago. Font you think that's a little ridiculous doll?" Nonna asked Melody as they washed dishes together. "It's more than a grudge." Melody told her as she dried a dish and handed it to Marcus to put away.

Around midnight, Melody was scrolling through instagram when she heard the sound of pebbled hitting her window. She opened her curtains and saw the one and only Marcus Baker. She rose an eyebrow at him to see what he wanted and he held up his skateboard. She immediately got the memo and nodded. She quickly threw on a pair of jeans, her old converse, a dark blue zip up hoddie, and a beanie before grabbing her skateboard and leaving the room through her window. She threw her board down to Marcus before using the bricks on the side of her house as a ladder.

The two of them skated to the empty neighborhood swimming pool and used it to drop in. Melody was about to drop in the deepest part of the pool and wouldn't move when she saw how big the drop was. "Do it pussy! You won't!" Marcus taunted. "Fuck off bitch!" Melody said while flipping him off. She took a deep breath and finally went to drop in, but halfway through she bailed and landed on top of Marcus, causing them both to topple over. Marcus felt his head hit the concrete. "Oh my God I'm so sorry! Is your head ok?" Melody asked frantically. Marcus groaned, "yeah I'm fine bams." He said before sitting up. "We should do that again!" He told her. She smiled and rolled her eyes before helping him stand up.

They skated for 20 more minutes before deciding to take a break and smoke some weed. They walked to Marcus's house before they got too high and had a last minute sleepover there.

On Tuesday, Melody and Marcus returned to school. Coincidentally, the day they came back was the last day before thanksgiving break. "It's about time. I thought I'd never see your sorry asses again." Garret said as they walked to their designated meeting spot in the hallway. "How they hell did you manage to get caught AND suspended?" Dylon asked them. "They're dumbasses who don't know how to fucking wait until they get home to get high, that's how." Fiona said as she put on her mascara. Marcus rolled his eyes, "Whatever, we just got a three day vacation from school." He told them. "Yeah, and you got fucking grounded." Andy added.

Marcus was in his math class when he started thinking about Ginny and where she could be. He pulled his phone out and hid it under his desk. He opened up his text messages with her and thought for a second about what he should say to her. He ended up saying a simple, "hey." In hopes that she would respond, but he knew deep down that she wouldn't. His texts have been left on read or delivered all week. He wondered where she was, and if she was ok.