Lightning Streaks the Sky

“Hey, Melody! Get out your swimsuit! We’re hitting the waves in Cali!”, Kurt says, his dark brown hair shielding his eyes, the color of fire. I roll my eyes, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.

“Give me a minute, guys!”, I yell over my shoulder, soon in my house and changing into the simple black two-piece with the red poke-a-dots. I walk out, smirking at everyone.

“Y’all weren’t kidding when you said Melody was hot.”, Leo says, eyeing me up and down.

“Put your eyeballs back into your head, Leo. I’m so gonna beat you at surfing!”, I say, smirking as I pull out my surfboard. I jump down from the cloud, feeling the water rush up onto my skin. I laugh, as I swim up to the top, everyone soon joining me. I hop on my surfboard, just as a giant wave comes, Dylan soon joining me.

“Just like ol’ time,” Dylan laughs.

“You said it!”, I cheer, laughing as I feel the warm salty water.

“Ugh! Keep it down! We’re trying to tan.”, Roxana whines, looking at me from overtop her sunglasses, designed by Jolie herself.

“Melody! Teach me how to surf!”, Jenny says, jumping excitedly on the sandy shores. I roll my eyes, smirking at her.

“In a minute, Jen! First I’m gonna show Leo how it’s done!”, I say, smirking at him.

♠ ♣ ♠

The day went just like that. Dylan and I completely beat everyone at surfing. And we’re smug about it, too.

“So, Melody, what are you hungry for?”, Dylan asks, as we walk through the town. It was shocking how nobody ever found it odd that a group of teenagers this big was walking around. Anywhere.

“Hmm, I’m feeling kind of Chinese. But anything really works. You know how I’m all for anything.”, I say, smirking as I shrug.

“Yeah, I do.”

“But a more important question is: Thunder?”, I say, wincing once I said it out loud. “Oops.”

“What about Thunder?”, Kevin says through his teeth.

“I dunno. I just think it’s odd that they haven’t come to see us since …”, Kevin winces, soon going back to normal. “You’d think that Josh would wanna drop by here and there.”

“Yeah, Thunders’ never gone this long without seeing us.”, Nina says, looking around.

“Who’s Thunder?”, all the new-bees ask together.

“Jenny, you remember the story.”, I say, smiling at her.

“Oh, yeah! Melody got kidnapped by the Thunder leader, and then everyone had to go on this wild chase with all these crazy riddles to find her in the Bermuda Triangle, buried under the bony remains of the people who were lost to its power.”, Jenny says, smiling around at the new-bees.

“Really? What did it feel like?”, Grant asks me excitedly, his curly blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes always giving him a childlike quality, even though he’s fifteen.

“I honestly don’t know, Grant. I was asleep the entire time this happened.”

“That sucks,” Adam says, frowning, his dark brown hair in the way of his light brown eyes. He was seventeen.

“Actually, no. It rocked,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes as we walk into the restaurant.

“Hey, can I help you?”, I hear a familiar voice ask. I hide behind Dylan immediately, pulling up my hood. “Oh my gosh! Dylan! It’s been so long!”, Kelly says, smiling at him.

“It’s only been a year, Kelly.”, Dylan says, shrugging indifferently. “And I needed to get out of town. Melody dieing really took a toll on me.”

“Well, I hope you’re here to stay,” Kelly says, smirking. “Your mom has been worried sick. And the teams are falling behind since their two stars have gone missing. Although, we’re not really doing anything anymore. Everyone didn’t wanna play anymore since Melody died.”

“Hmm?”, I say, looking from behind Dylan.

“M-m-Melody …”, Kelly breathes, soon shaking her head. “Umm, how are you?”

“Umm … Kendall.”

“Oh, well, nice to meet you, Kendall.”, Kelly says, shaking her head again. “But, Dylan, seriously. You need to get to school and straighten some things out.”

“Why, I think that’s a wonderful idea! Hey, why don’t we all?”, I say, receiving glares from everyone but the new-bees.

“Are you any good?”

“Oh, you’d be shocked,” I say, smirking. “I can kick Dylan’s butt in just about everything.”

“Yeah, you keep thinking that,” Dylan says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Alright, I’ll talk to the principal. Maybe we can get the school started back up this sophomore year.”, Kelly says, smiling. “And, come in.”

♠ ♣ ♠

Kevin was screaming at me as I filled out the registration forms. Everyone was actually eager. Except for Kevin. Who refused to give me a name.

“His full name is Kevin Joseph Nathanson.”, Ash says, smirking. Kevin whacks him on the back of the head, glaring.

“Alright, thank you,” I say, continuing to fill out his form.

“Melody! You’re making a huge mistake —”

“No, I’m not. It’ll be fine, Kevin. Trust me,” I say, smiling sheepishly at him. “And, besides, my name is now Rosalind Sapphire Anderson.”

“Kendall Rosalind Anderson?”, Dylan says, rolling his eyes.

“Would you like for me to write ‘Melody Jordan Knight’?”, I ask sarcastically.

“No! Rosalind is good!”, Kevin growls, grabbing his registration paper and filling out the rest.

“Aww, thank you, Kevin!”, I say, hugging him.

“Yeah, yeah. I just wanna make sure we don’t end up doing something stupid.”, Kevin says, looking around at everyone as I let go.

I grab his registration, along with everyone else’s, falling straight out of the cloud. I knew exactly what I was doing.

♠ ♣ ♠

“Welcome to High School everybody!”, I say happily, as I open the doors to our first day.

“Yeah? What’s so great about it, new-bee?”, Fred DeGraw growls. “Since Melody died, we’ve sucked. And welcome back, Dyl.”

“Well, Kendall here is planning on changing that.”, Dylan says, smirking at me.

“Is she now? Hey, you look familiar. You’re like the twin of Melody. But I bet you don’t play like her.”

“Really? Wanna go one on one to see if that little theory of yours is true?”, I say smugly, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re on. There should be plenty on time today. It’s only the first day.”, Fred says, smirking.

“Hey everybody!!! The new girl is going up against Fred!!!”, Dylan yells, as everyone turns their heads as I start heading toward the gym behind Fred, everyone following behind me.

“I’m gonna go easy on yah.”

“Oh, please don’t,” I say, smirking cockily as I pick up a basketball. I spin up on my finger cockily, already beginning to dribble the ball straight past him, dunking it into the basket.

“Alright, so you got some moves. Dyl, help me out here!”, Fred says, smirking at me.

“Nah, this is a one-on-one, Fred.”

“Don’t try changing the rules just ‘cause you can’t keep up.”, I say, smirking as I throw the ball at him. Fred shakes his head, beginning to dribble the ball around cockily, running toward the goal. I steal the ball, dunking it into the other goal. I fling my arms up in the arm, cheering as I smirk.

“She might just beat Melody if she were still around.”, Fred breathes, frowning at me. “Yah win. Mainly ‘cause the bells ‘bout to ring.”

“And ‘cause I totally kicked your butt!”, I cheer smugly, smirking. “See yah!”

And I was skipping away, off to my first class.

♠ ♣ ♠

“Ugh, there are just too many sports to play!”, I groan, staring at the list.

“You’re obsessed,” Forrest says, rolling his deep green eyes, his hair a light brown, falling in the way of his eyes slightly.

“Yes, I am. Everyone knows that!”, I say, laughing slightly as I gesture around the cafeteria.

“Oh, hey Kendall! I saw the basketball game, and you so creamed Fred.”, Miranda says, laughing slightly. “Oh, and who are you?”, Miranda flirts with Kevin. I roll my eyes, going back to my sports.

“Kevin,” he says unemotionally.

“Oh, I’m Miranda. The Queen here.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “Umm, do you have something to say, Kendall?”, Miranda sneers.

“Hmm? Oh, no. Well, actually, yes. I heard that Melody was head cheerleader.”, I say, smirking. “I heard she completely beat you at the cheerleading competitions. Every. Year.”

“Ooh,” Dylan cheers, exchanging high-fives with me.

“OMG! Dylan!”, Miranda squeals.

“Drat,” Dylan grumbles.

“Back-off,” I growl, glaring. “Dylan’s just passing through with us.”

“With you?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I got frickin’ pregnant at a drunken party.”, I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

“Ew.”

“Typical,” I snicker, rolling my eyes. “Shoo shoo.”

“No, you, go go. You’re on my territory, you slutty bottle-blonde.”

“You’re one to talk,” I growl, glaring. “And I’m about as fake as an orange dressed as an orange for Halloween.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s because you’ve got the IQ of a peanut, Miranda. Remember, that thing you tell the surgeons to make you look like.”, I say, hearing the ‘ooh’s echo through the cafeteria. “And besides, cheerleading is one of the dumbest sports I ever played.”

“Really? You cheered?”

“Better believe it,” I say, smirking cockily. “And I’ll totally kick your skinny ass.”

“Cheer-off. Right here. Right now,” Miranda sneers, glowering at me.

“You’re on,” I say, smirking as I stand up. “I’ve been itching for a good competition. But I guess you’re the best I’ll get. Today.”

“We’ll see,” Miranda sneers. She puts on a plastic smile, clapping her hands together. “Lets go, lets go! We’re gonna get a goal!”, Miranda cheers, her squeaky voice echoing through the cafeteria.

“Hey hey, hey ho! Lets play! Lets go! C’mon team! We’re the mean tigers!”, I cheer, clapping my hands and dancing along, smirking at Miranda.

“We’re fly, we’re fast. We’ve got skill, we’ll win! Let me hear y’all scream!!”

Cheers erupted through the cafeteria, and Miranda smirks cockily at me.

“Pass that ball, kick it tall! Scream, scream! We’re not gonna flee!”, I cheer, clapping my hands and dancing along. I do a flip up in the air, soon following with a back-hand-spring, smirking at Miranda as the entire cafeteria cheered twice as loud. “We are the tigers! The mighty fighters!”, I cheer, smiling at everyone. “Beat that, Miranda.”

“You should really join the cheerleading team.”, Miranda says, smirking at me appraisingly.

“Yeah, two words for yah: As. If,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Did it, hated it.”

“But you’re really good.”

“Exactly,” I say, rolling my eyes. “How do you think I kick Dylan’s butt at everything.”

“You do not!”

“I beat you at soccer, basketball, football, track, swimming, baseball, and more.”, I say, smirking.

“Yeah, yeah. But I’ve beaten you at all that stuff, too.”

“’Course,” I say, shrugging. “Now, shoo shoo, Miranda. And let me enjoy my lunch in peace.”

I sat down, as Miranda scoffed and stomped away. “You seriously cheered?”, Kevin asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I did everything. But nothing beat soccer.”

“’Course it doesn’t. Remember? That was the first sport that we ever both agreed on trying ‘cause we were so horrible and didn’t have a clue on what to do.”, Dylan says, smirking.

“And now look at us. We’re number one at everything.”, I say, smirking arrogantly.