—

Clay was nearly finished with Jessica and Melanie's tape. He couldn't help but be confused as to why the Dempsey girl had a shared tape that pretty much nothing to do with her.

From his understanding, Hannah thought Melanie was fooling around with the guy Hannah was crushing on. In his mind, that made no sense.

Melanie was dating Scott Reed and she didn't seem like the cheating type.

Then again, it's beginning to come out that people weren't who you thought they were.

As he scanned the halls for the girl in question, he couldn't help but frown at the sight of her rushing out of school.

"Hey, Melanie! Mel—"

He watched her turn, her brows scrunched up in a way that he could only describe as confusion.

His mouth opened up to warn her watch out for where she was going, but the words came out too late.

"Watch—"

"Oh, my God."

"...Out." Clay winced, sighing at his inability to speak quicker than his mind moved.

"Jesus."

"And we meet again." Mattias groaned out, rubbing at his chin, which Melanie had ran directly into. He was almost certain that it'd bruise.

"I'm so sorry."

He leaned down to grab the book that fell from her hands at their collision, "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you." She took the notebook from him, sending him a close lipped smile, before it fell at the vehicle pulling up behind them.

"Why the rush?"

"Trying to get away from him."

"Mel, let's go. Clay you need a ride?" Zach squinted his eyes to block them from the sun as he looked at his sister.

As Clay denied the invitation to go to Bryce's house, Melanie shook her head at her brother.

"I'm walking home."

Zach scoffed out a laugh, "You're walking home? Melanie, stop messing around. Just get in the car."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She crossed her arms over her chest to stand her ground. She could see Mattias attempting to hide a smile from the corner of her eye.

"Mom will kill me if I don't get you home in time—"

"Then i'll be sure to write a sweet message in your eulogy."

Zach was slowly losing his patience, "Melanie, get in the car."

She leaned forward, arms still crossed, "No."

"Look, man, if it makes you feel any better, I'm walking home too. I can make sure she gets there safely."

It didn't make Zach feel better. At all, actually. And he made sure to let Mattias know that.

"It doesn't make me feel better. I don't want you around my sister—"

"Well, that's too bad, Zachary." Mel snapped, "I'm not too fond of who you hang around with but you don't see me bitching about it every five seconds."

Her words meant more to them than the girl let on and everyone seemed to pick up on it, expect two.

Clay had an idea, but Mattias wasn't exactly sure what the hidden message was.

"Melanie—"

"Goodbye, Zachary."

She reached out to grab Mattias' arm, pulling the De La Cruz behind her as she went.

"We're stopping for drinks."

•••

"So... I don't mean to pry but seeing as you dragged me here and put a bruise on my face, i think it's fair I ask a few questions."

Melanie looked up from her hot chocolate, the same drink she's been nursing since they walked into Monet's half an hour ago.

The two teens had been talking about any and everything from their walk there, to now.

And Melanie knew that if Mattias was anything like his brother, his curiosity would eventually get the best of him.

"Ask away."

He seemed to get lost in thought as he figured out what he wanted to say. Melanie couldn't help but chuckle,

"Any day now."

"Sorry, I just— I don't want to overstep."

"By all means, overstep. I need to talk to someone eventually." She waved a hand for him to proceed.

Before everything went to shit— The shit being and the party with Bryce, Hannah's passing, Jeff's passing and then her breakup with Scott, Melanie used to be an open book. Telling anyone who listened anything that went on in her life, refusing to hold any sort of weight on her shoulders that would bring her down.

Yet now, it seemed she couldn't talk to anyone.

Either no one cared enough, or they were too busy burying themselves in lies to make themselves feel better about unintentionally partaking in someone's suicide.

So why not vent to someone who had no idea what was going on?

"Okay..." Mattias seemed shocked at her willingness, "Can I ask why everyone's been acting so weird lately?"

He seemed to realize how insensitive his question came out and quickly back tracked,

"Not like that! I mean, I get that we just lost two people within a few weeks but it doesn't really seem like anyone's actually grieving, but more so... guilting? I guess."

Guilting.

Unknown to Mattias, that was the perfect word to describe how everyone's been acting.

Everyone was guilty.

Guilty of stealing homework, guilty of starting fights, guilty of being one of the reasons Hannah Baker was no longer alive.

She wondered if she had been seeming guilty to any outsiders lately.

She felt like she did, but not for apparently ruining Hannah's chances with Clay, but more so because she didn't pay close enough attention to Hannah to realize she wasn't okay.

She swallowed thickly, squinting her hazel eyes in thought.

She cleared her throat before speaking, "I can't speak for anyone else, but... i'd say you're pretty much right on the nose."

Mattias' brows twitched, "You feel guilty?"

He watched her face fall. His heart clenched at the sight. He didn't know why, but he didn't like seeing Melanie upset.

He didn't like seeing anyone upset, not usually one to get involved with comforting people, seeing as he grew up in a household where crying was practically illegal.

But someone about seeing her upset didn't sit right with him.

"I think you're a good person, Mel."

Her eyes snapped up, tears flooding her waterline, "Really?"

"Of course."

Mattias was shocked that she thought she wasn't. Then again, he had absolutely no idea what was going on in her life.

She inhaled softly, blinking away her tears, "I'm sorry."

Before he could ask why, the familiar sound of Liberty High athletes filled the comforting silence of Monet's.

The two teens broke their eye contact, Mattias' hand, which was slowing itching its way towards Melanie's, immediately darted back into his own personal space.

Montgomery practically lit up at the sight of his little brother, "Mattias, what's up, man? I thought you'd be home by now."

Monty clearly hadn't seen the girl across from him until he saw how his brother's eyes were focused elsewhere.

That cheerfull look in Monty's eyes faded away quickly, "What the hell did I tell you?"

"We were just hanging out."

Monty scoffed, "With Scotty's ex?"

The baseball player in question was too busy ordering a muffin to realize what was happening behind him.

Melanie wiped her hands on her jeans before standing up, "I'm gonna go—"

Mattias followed after her, "No—"

"Yeah, you should."

"Shut the fuck up, Montgomery." He shoved his brother away from him.

"Zachy know you're fucking his sister?"

Matti's face flushed, "We're not—"

"Why would it matter?" Melanie intervened.

And though her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought of smart mouthing Montgomery, the same guy she watched beat up a freshman because he took the last green apple at lunch, she refused to be slut shammed for having a simple conversation.

"It's doesn't matter to me." Monty shrugged, "But, you know..."

Her brow twitched, a small gesture for him to continue.

He took a step closer, lowering his voice, "Dating my boy Scotty, hooking up with Bryce, and then moving on to my little brother... It seems a little slutty, Mel. Wouldn't you say so?"

He made sure to let the second part sink in before he continued, pulling back with a daring look.

Monty's head snapped to the side, a loud smack echoing throughout the small cafe.

"Fuck you."

He seemed unfazed by her slap, smirking down at her, "Yeah, I bet you would."

"What the hell is going on?" Scott Reed's, very concerned, voice broke through the tension between his best friend and his ex girlfriend.

"Ask your friend." Mel spat out, reaching for her bag before darting out the door.

From a few seats away, Clay and Jessica watched the interaction, the Davis girl standing from her seat before leaving Clay with one last message.

"They're not your friends."

—