WILD ANIMALS,          PAUL LAHOTE
chapter two.          the invitation

          PAIN BLOSSOMED in every part of Melanie's body she laid curled up on her bed,  groaning out in response.  She couldn't remember exactly when the pain started but all she remembered was that it hit her like a truck and was intense and fast spreading.  Her whole body ached and twitched in pain as she screwed her eyes shut,  trying to block out the pounding sensation radiating throughout her entire body.  You'd think she'd be used to it by now.  Her knees buckling in response to her body struggling to keep her weight up.  The throbbing in her head as another urge presented itself.  All the pain from not giving in lasting for days.  But,  still,  Melanie was used the pain she had to endure practically daily.  It always came back stronger than before and left her either bedridden,  like she was currently,  or hovering over the bathroom toilet vomiting up any food she managed to eat that day.  It seemed like an endless cycle that she'd never be able to escape.

          A SHARP GASP OF pain escaped Melanie's lips as another wave of ache coursed through her shaking body,  curling tighter into herself.  Melanie squeezed her eyes tighter as she wrapped her arms around her legs,  bringing them closer to her chest.  It was barely seven-thirty in the morning and Melanie was already done for the day. Even the thought of getting up from her bed caused small spurts of pain to ripple through her body.  Breathing hurt too much as well,  taking each inhale and exhale as slowly as she could without passing out from the lack of oxygen she was allowing to enter her lungs.  She just wanted to fall back asleep before she had to force herself up and out of bed in order to get to school before either of her parents walked in on her current state,  fretting over her or accusing her of faking it,  again.

A SOFT KNOCK echoed throughout the semi-unpacked room, bouncing off the walls and into Melanie's eardrums causing her to groan yet again in pain and dig further into her mattress of solitude.

          "MEI?" a soft, yet coarse voice questioned as the metal doorknob twisted and clicked open, the pale white door screeching wide open to reveal Melanie's middle aged father, Patrick. Patrick was a good five-foot-nine-inches without his worn down sneakers he practically wore everyday and of average weight with greying hair atop his head. For years the man tried to grow out a bread but it never seemed to work, though he often caught himself consciously not shaving for days on end in hopes to grow some of it. His broad shoulders often hoisted young Melanie on them whenever she asked, supporting her weight as she peered down at all the heads of the people they passed by. Patrick Chu was a really great Father and Melanie often wished she told him that more.

"MEI? ARE YOU OKAY?" He added, squeezing his way through the door while quietly closing the door shut with his calloused hands. Patrick worked as a pediatric surgeon, which called upon him to constantly wash his hands and keep them sanitized. Melanie liked to pick at them or run her soft palms over the rough ones of her Fathers when she was younger finding it oddly comforting. The lack of response Patrick received from his only daughter was the confirmation he needed as he let out a sigh, softly making his way towards the mess of blankets and sitting on the edge of the mattress, making the bed dip and Melanie slide towards her Father's warm body. Patrick placed his hand on his daughters shoulder and lightly rubbed at the soft material of her sweater, hoping to provide some comfort in her time of pain. He was usually the one to take care of her when she had her annual episode of pain. Helping her to the bathroom if needed. Feeding her and hydrating her. Covering her in more blankets if requested. It might've been the Doctor in him or the Father that didn't think twice to question Melanie's pain and only offered comfort and support when an episode creeped in. Quite the opposite of her Mother.

"HOW BAD IS IT? On a scale?" Patrick asked as he moved his hand from Melanie's shoulder to her face, brushing some of the fallen hair out of her eyes. Melanie groaned again as she turned her face away from her Father's hand and deeper into her soft pillow. "Like I'm being sat on by an elephant," she responded as she adjusted herself to wrap somewhat around her Father, seeking comfort. Patrick only sighed and nodded, running his fingers through his daughters hair as he knew how much she loved it when she was just a child. She seemed to relax at her Father's movements and let out a shaky sigh of relief as he continued to scratch her scalp.

          "ARE YOU going into school late or do you need today off?" He asked, gently working out a tangle in Melanie's dark, long hair. Patrick always offered her different options according to her answer on how much pain she was in, and he never pushed her to go with it and allowed her to change what she wanted to do if she needed it. Melanie scrunched her eyebrows together as she pondered her answer, putting her face into the elbow of her arm as she thought about it. The silence was enough for Patrick as he nodded once again and gave one last scratch to her scalp, preparing to get up and get ready for his next shift in the next hour. "Just let me know when you decide. Whether that be a call or text" he reminded her, planting a soft kiss onto the top of Melanie's hair before he silently left, quietly shutting the door on his way out.

"WELL, YOU LOOK just like death," a high pitched voice noted as Melanie Chu dragged herself into her fourth period and plopped into her assigned seat.  Melanie absolutely did not want to deal with this right now.  She'd heard enough of Jessica's blabbering for a lifetime and she honestly didn't think she could handle anymore at the current moment,  the pounding in her head increasing as Jessica asked the questions of why was she late and how was she and what did she look like she just rolled out of bed.  Because although that's basically what she did,  she didn't want to explain herself.

          MELANIE'S SILENCE seemed to be a reasonable answer for Jessica as she became quiet and turned her attention back onto the projector screen.  Melanie didn't seem to care what her teacher was showing the class,  not having the patience nor energy to do so.  The teen gently and quietly laid her head down on to her arms and shut her eyes,  hoping to get at least some sleep before continuing the rest of her painful,  dreadful day.

          "WOW,  CALI WHAT IS up with you?" Eric gasped out as he sat into his normal seat next to Angela at the lunch table.  Angela silently gasped and whacked the boy in the arm,  scolding him on commenting on how the girl looked.  Mel gave him a tight lipped smile and slowly blinked,  the pain wearing off and making her doozy in the process.  The rest of the table shot apologetic looks towards Melanie as if they could practically feel the fatigue radiating off of her figure.  Eric seemed to get the hint and mouthed a Sorry! before getting himself situated and ready to eat lunch.

          THE TABLE SPRUNG into lighthearted conversation with the others as Melanie slowly and quietly nibbled on her food,  looking like she might just fall asleep right then and there as she did so.  A few pieces of black hair fell into her line of sight,  breaking free from the loose ponytail she threw her hair in before begrudgingly leaving for school just a couple of hours ago. Her mouth seemed too dry to properly help disintegrate the food in it, so she bent down to where her backpack was and twisted off the cap of the plastic water bottle she had packed a couple of days before. The liquid seemed to help with the dryness in her mouth as she slowly swallowed the food without choking as it went down her throat.

"MELANIE?" A voice asked from behind the teen girl, drawing her, and everyone else at the tables, attention. Jessica seemed to have stopped breathing, slightly choking on the salad halfway down her throat, Angela having to basically burp her in order to get some of the food dislodged from the other girls throat. Melanie could only assume who was behind her based on Jessica's reaction as well as the fact that literally no one else at the school knew her name except for her teachers, Jessica and them, and Emmett Cullen. So, Mel chalked it up to the body being behind her was Emmett.

MELANIE TURNED IN HER seat to be faced with who she thought was behind her, Emmett. The boy slightly waved at her and shot her smile before continuing on with whatever he was there for. "I noticed that you were in Bio today, so I thought it would be a good idea for you to come over after to school so I could catch you up on what you missed and get started on our project...?" he awkwardly suggested, and asked. Melanie could tell that Emmett didn't have much experience with inviting anyone over to his house, which she could also tell from Jessica's ranting about how Bella is the only one to have seen the Cullen's house since they moved the Forks. The girl could only imagine the look on Jessica's face as the words came out of Emmett's mouth.

"SURE," MELANIE RESPONDED back with a smile on her face. From the corner of her eyes, she could see both the Cullen's and Jessica having their own separate reactions to Emmett's invitation. Emmett nodded in response as he flashed his signature grin and started to back up, speaking "I'll see 'ya later!" as he was heading back towards his table.

          "OH.  MY.  GOD." JESSICA'S voice squealed out once Emmett was out of ear shot,  "I cannot believe that you just got asked out by the Emmett Cullen!".  Everyone at the table rolled their eyes at Jessica's antics before Melanie spoke up,  "He didn't ask me out.  He was kind enough to fill me in on what happened during first period as well as offer up his house as the meeting spot,".  Jessica practically began short circuiting at Melanie's answer as the bell rang throughout the cafeteria,  Angela gathering the girls things as Mike basically carried her to their next class.  "Dramatic much," Eric commented before shooting Mel a warm smile and heading off in the direction the trio left in.

          MELANIE SHOOK HER HEAD at the previous event that just took place,  shoving the remaining uneaten food into her backpack before slipping it onto her shoulders in order to leave.  As she began to walk towards the exit,  the hairs on her neck began to stand up,  stopping her in her tracks before she slightly turned her head to the side.  In her peripheral vision,  Melanie saw the Cullen's,  more so the platinum blonde who was staring daggers into the back of her skull,  watching her movements as she was leaving.  Their cold stare gave Melanie even more goosebumps,  the pressure in the back of her head now coming back and pressing into her skull and neck.  The girl shook off the intense chills she was getting and continued her journey to her sixth period class.  One thought bouncing throughout her brain.

          What the fuck is up with the Cullen's?

( AUTHORS NOTE ! )
— sorry for not updating in
literally forever 😭😪 i began
writing this chapter a couple of
weeks ago & just now finished it.
but i do hope you liked it or at
least some of it <3