—

"So, there are a number of ways to get help if you need it, or if a friend does, okay?" Ms. Bradley spoke to her class.

Very few of her students were paying attention. She noticed a certain pair of them weren't, that being, Clay Jensen and Melanie Dempsey. There was also Mattias De La Cruz, but he never really paid attention in her class to begin with.

"And all of this information is ok the board outside of my room or outside of the main office. It's on the Libery High home page—"

"Ms. Bradley, is it possible we could be done with all this?" A voice cut her off.

"Jesus, Pratters." Mattis mumbled under his breath. He thought he had been quiet enough not to be heard, but he seemed to underestimate the excellent hearing of Clay Jensen, who snapped his head in his direction.

"I mean, it's been over a week. Isn't it healthy to, like, move on?"

"Yeah, maybe if you didn't know the girl." Mattias scoffed, his words getting murmurs of agreement from his classmates.

"Okay, everyone." Bradley settled the class down, "Thank you, Mr. De La Cruz." She wasn't actually thanking him, she was telling him to stop talking in the nicest way she could. Luckily, Mattias understood that.

"Seriously, I know, it's tragic, but I don't want to keep being reminded of it all the time. It's depressing."

"That hat is depressing."

"We're never don't with it, Mr. Pratters, which is why it's important to know the signs that someone you care about might need help."

Melanie's gaze fell to her hands as she fiddled her rings. She thought she did well noticing Hannah's signs. She remember the many times she would pick up on Hannah's saddened moods.

She would always ask the girl if she was okay, but there were multiple occasions where Hannah would brush her off, sometimes even snap at her. It got to a point where Mel never asked a second time.

Maybe that's what Hannah wanted- for her to ask again.

Maybe that's why Mel made it onto the tapes.

"I mean, are they withdrawing from friends and family?"

Not until the last minute, Mel thought.

"Is there a change in their appearance?"

Her hair. Her beautiful long hair that she cut just weeks before they never saw her again.

—

"The group collaboration project if worth one fifth of your semester grade total. Okay, so, please be committed and constant and fair to each other."

Melanie paid close attention to what the teacher said, though she could see Clay staring at Hannah from the corner of her eye as the Baker put her items in her school bag.

She nudged him with her foot, catching his attention quickly before she dramatically gestured with her eyes for him to say something.

"I like the hair."

Not what she would have went with, but apparently Hannah liked it.

"The short hair. Um... I liked the long hair too."

Melanie rubbed her forehead, "Jesus, Clay."

"And, um, I realize this makes me seem wishy-washy, and I should have said something the other night, and in truth I don't actually like change, but this change seems cool."

Hannah smiled, nodding slightly, "Thanks, Clay."

"I happen to think you look beautiful, Hannah." Melanie stood up from her seat. Despite the two not speaking for a while, due to reasons unknown to Melanie, she still gave her the compliment, feeling like Hannah, of all people, deserved it.

"Thank you, Mel."

She patted the Jensen's shoulder as she began to walk away, "And sometimes change can be a good thing, Clay."

—

"Clay. Clay? Clay Jensen?"

He blinked harshly, "Yeah, sorry, what?"

"Are you with us?"

He looked at Ms. Bradley oddly before nodding, "Yeah, no, I am, I'm with you."

"Are you?" Mattias snorted, amused by the lack of confidence in his statement.

Clay casted a glance in Melanie's direction, feeling her eyes on him. She mouthed a concerned, 'are you okay?'

He swallowed thickly before nodding, quickly turned his attention to the door. He spotted Mr. Porter, along with Hannah's parents walking past the classroom.

It seemed Melanie noticed as well as her hand shot up in the air, cutting Ms. Bradley off.

"Yes, Ms. Dempsey?"

"Can i go use the restroom?"

"One may ask why it's called a 'restroom', if you aren't resting." Pratters spoke up, earning looks of confusion from the people at his table.

Bradley closed her eyes at his words before allowing Melanie to leave.

She gave Clay a look before closing the door behind her.

•••

Melanie's footsteps echoed throughout the empty school halls. Or, mostly empty. The click of her shoes caught the attention of the three adults standing at Hannah's abandoned locker.

She was recognized almost immediately.

"Melanie..." Mrs. Baker trailed off, almost surprised to see the girl that was over her house nearly everyday when they first moved there. Truthfully, she was saddened to hear from her daughter that she and Melanie weren't on good terms. She really did like the Dempsey girl and thought she was more than a good influence on her daughter.

"Hi, Mrs. Baker." Melanie gave a hesitant smile, "Mr. Baker."

"Shouldn't you be in class Ms. Dempsey." Mr. Porter asked, taking his eyes off the lock on Hannah's old locker.

Melanie eyed the man.

After hearing his tape, she could no longer take him serious. Her, along with a few others' tapes could be consideresd an absolute joke compared to his. She couldn't wait until he could feel how she and the rest that received their tapes felt, maybe slightly worse when he realized he was so high.

She lifted the pass in her hand, "Bathroom."

They could hear how the softness in her tone left when she spoke to the man, seemingly upset for some reason.

Porter nodded, smile awkwardly as he gestured to the locker, "Do you mind helping before you head back to class?"

What, like you helped Hannah?, She wanted to say.

She noticed the looks the Baker's were giving her, a silent plea for help.

She stepped past them, twisting the lock, not even needing to ask for the combination of her friends old locker.

"She doesn't have any sticker or pictures inside." Mrs. Baker pointed out, frown evident on her face, "Why doesn't she have any stcikers?"

"Honey, its just a locker--"

"No, it's Hannah's locker."

She was right. It is Hannah's locker. And anyone that knew Hannah knew that a girl as happy as she was wouldn't have such a bland locker. Then again, it wasnt completely bland. There was a picutre in there, though it wasn't taped to the wall or door like it should have been.

Instead, lying carelessly on an old textbook was a picutre of Hannah, Melanie, and Jessica Davis with Mel and Jessica's faces scratched out with a marker.

—

"Not my idea of a hot guy, just saying." Jessica shrugged.

"Oh, come on, Luke's cute."

"Yeah, but not the kind of cute you date." The Davis girl said, Hannah's laughter echoing throuout the acfe, "Luke Holliday is the kind of guy you admire from afar and never speak about because you'd get roasted if anyone knew you found him slightly attractive."

"Sounds like something you've really thought about, Jess. anything you want to tell us?" Hannah asked with a giggle.

"Nothing at all." Her cheeks grew red.

"Can you even think he's cute, Mel? Aren't you still dating Scott?"

Jessica shrugged, "It's not like she's cheating."

As Melanie went on to explain how Luke should be given a pass for guys to openly talk about, Hannah pulled out her phone, turning in her seat so she was in the view of the camera.

"Smile!"

The girls acted quickly, stopping their conversation to look at Hannah, smiles overcoming their features as the photo was taken

"Cute." The Baker commented, "Definently getting this printed out."

Jessica perked up, "Ooh, I want a copy."

—

"Melanie?"

"What?" She snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes landing on Mr. Porter.

"Maybe you should head back to class."

So she did. She couldn't stand to be in the presence of Hannah's parents knowing she was one of the reasons their daughter was no longer here.

But just before she left, Mr. Potter called out to her once more,

"Maybe you can meet me in my office some time this week?"

Melanie withheld a scoff,

"I wouldn't bet on it."

—