Pride

Melissa is expecting insult to be thrown her way when she walks into the school the next day. She’s prepared for being called a ‘low life’ or ‘dirtier than shit’ or any other tasteless insult.

But her fellow students don’t say any of these things. As a matter of fact, they don’t say anything at all. Instead, they just stare at her as she makes her way towards her classroom.

It unnerves her to be honest. All the pairs of eyes following her every movement set her teeth on edge. Why the hell aren’t they saying anything? Why aren’t they bullying her? Are they planning something really big?

Suddenly, a guy jumps in front of her and Melissa stumbles back in shock. Heart hammering in her chest, she regains her balance and lifts her hands that she’d balled into fists, ready to strike the guy if he dares to touch her.

But the guy doesn’t lift his hands. Instead, he grins at her and says, “Hey Melissa. How are you doing?”

Taken aback, all Melissa manages to do is say, “I’m okay. Thank you.” Her eyebrows are furrowed in confusion and her eyes are big with surprise.

The next second, the guy runs towards a group of boys and tells them with an excited voice. “I bloody talked to her. I did it. That was such a thrill.”

So, the rules of the game have changed. She’s still a social pariah but instead of bullying her, they are now trying to talk to her. They’re only talking to her because it’s a thrill to go against the F4′s decree.

Melissa supposes it’s an improvement. It still sucks that the other students still don’t see her as a normal human being, but now they don’t throw objects and insults at her because of it. She supposes she should be thankful for that.

But she doesn’t. She’s still the middle of attention, something she tried so hard to avoid when she came to this school for the first time. The F4 still has it out for her and knowing them, they won’t allow the students to rebel against them for too long. As soon as Louis Tomlinson finds out people are talking to her, he is going to react. Things will probably only get worse from now on.

When Melissa has finally made it to the classroom, she has been greeted by five more people. All of them had run back to their friends and had bragged about how they’d talked to her.

All conversations fall silent as she walks into the classroom. Everybody’s eyes are on her as she makes her way towards her desk. Melissa wants to yell at them, tell them to stop treating her like she’s some circus animal they can toy with. But then they would know they’re getting to her, something they can’t find out. So she just sits down quietly, not looking at any of her classmates.

This is how she spends the rest of her day, trying to concentrate on her classes while her fellow students talk to her just to be cool. Ashley isn’t one of them, which is unfortunate because it would have given Melissa an opportunity to tell her she forgives her. That she is forgiven for not standing by her. Some people are just too scared to stand up for what is right. She’s herself has been guilty of doing so. How many times hadn’t she said anything when other students got in trouble with the F4 just because she didn’t want to get in trouble?

At the end of the day, as school lets out, students say goodbye to her. The wave at her as she makes her way across the school yard. Melissa, now more used to the kind attention they paying her, waves back at them but she doesn’t dare smile. She still can’t be sure if they’re not planning something huge until she’s safely back home.

Melissa is too preoccupied with the friendly students that she doesn’t see the three big guys dressed in suits until she bumps into one of them. When she looks up she sees they’re wearing sunglasses.

“Sorry,” Melissa excuses. She smiles up at the guy but her smile falters when she sees the intimidating way the guy is looking at her.

She lets out a yelp when the guy grabs her by her arm. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Mr. Tomlinson wants you to come with us,” the man tells Merissa in a gruff voice. He starts tugging at her arm.

“Unhand me you brute,” Melissa barks at him. She tries to free her arm from the tight hold the man has on her arm. She uses all of the strength she has. “What you’re doing counts as an abduction, which I don’t need to remind you is illegal? So LET ME GO!”

Students are staring to stare but they’re not doing anything. Of course they’re not.

Well, if nobody is going to help her Melissa is going to have to save herself. She’s going to teach Tomlinson’s lackeys that she’s not a girl to mess with.

Melissa kicks the guy who’s dragging her towards where she can see a limo waiting outside the school gates. Right against the shin with her heavy shoes. The man lets out a howl but he doesn’t let go of her arm.

Fuck.

One of the other guys who have been walking behind her suddenly grabs her around the waist and lifts her over his shoulder. Melissa kicks and screams but he ignores her fists as they pummel against his back.

Within five long strides, he’s reached the car and dumps Melissa’s writing body on the backseat after another man has opened the door. As she scrambles into a sitting position, she discovers two of the men are sitting next to her, both of them on different sides.

If Louis knows what he’s doing is wrong, it doesn’t show on his face as he looks at Melissa. He’s looking at her with narrowed eyes and a sneer on his lips. His arms are crossed.

“What do you have to be so stubborn?” Louis asks in an angry voice. “Why can’t you just quit school. Don’t you understand nobody wants you here.”

“My parents do. They’re the reason I’m staying. They paid a lot of money so I was able to go to St. Bernard. So no, I’m not going just because you’ve got everybody at school in your pocket. Even kidnapping isn’t going to scare me away. So, let me fucking go. I have no time for your games!”

A dark look suddenly crosses Louis’s face and for a second Melissa is sure she’s going to launch for her.

“This is not a fucking game,“ He growls at Melissa.

“Well, whatever it is, I don’t want any part in it. So, fucking let me go.”

Melissa punches the guy on her left in the face and as he grabs his face in agony, she dives for the door. She manages to open it and she tries to climb over the guy’s lap but he suddenly grabs her by the waist. He throws her back next to him.

He lets go of her waist for a second to close the door again and she uses the opportunity to dive for the door again, but once again the guy is too quick for her.

“Fucking sedate her, you morons,” Louis yells at them.

The guy takes something from the guy sitting at Melissa’s other side as she squirms on his lap, trying to get free. Her heart is beating rapidly. She’s scared. Louis Tomlinson is crazy. A nut job. He’s going to fucking roofie her.

Melissa tries not to breath as a cloth is pressed against her mouth and nose but after a minute, she starts feeling dizzy and she has no choice but to inhale. Within seconds, she subcomes to darkness.

—

The first thing that Melissa notices when she opens her eyes is her own reflection is staring back at her. Or at least, it looks like her reflection. She has the same tan skin, the same brown eyes, and hair that’s almost black. But there’s where the similarities end.

The girl in the mirror is wearing beautiful makeup and a beautiful dress. Around her neck, there’s a golden necklace and around her fingers is a ring with a small star that twinkles on its golden band.

Melissa stands up from the chair she’s sitting on and her reflection does the same. She looks down and indeed, she is dressed in the beautiful green dress.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. The door is slowly opened and a blonde haired maid walks into the room.

“If you would follow me.”

Melissa should say no and tell the maid to show her where the front door is. But she can’t help but want to follow the maid. She’s kind of curious why Louis has decided to dress her in such expensive clothes.

So, she follows the blonde woman through the huge mansion that Louis Tomlinson calls home. It could probably fit the whole school. They walk past room after room. One orridor follows corridor until they reach a room with a wooden door.

The maid knocks. The person inside the room tells her to come inside, so she opens the door. She walks into the room and Melissa follows.

Louis is sitting in a huge armchair. On the wall behind him hangs a painting of a beautiful girl with long brown hair and sharp green eyes. She’s dressed in a green dress that reminds Melissa of the one she’s wearing.

“You can leave us alone now, Hannah,” Louis tells the maid. The blonde woman curtsies and then exits the room.

Louis stands up from his chair and turns around so he’s facing the painting. “She’s beautiful, isn’t see.”

“Yeah,” Melissa admits.

“She’s my sister,” Louis tells Melissa. “She’s already married. She’s six years older than me.”
Now that Louis has mentioned they’re related, Melissa can see it. They have the same eyes and their noses look the same as well.

Louis turns around again. Melissa tears her eyes away from the painting and looks back at the boy. There’s no sneer on his lips for a change. “I’m going to allow you to talk to us outside of school. I’m going to pretend I hate you during schoolhours of course, but I’ll issue another red notice so they won’t bother you anymore. That’s not all I can offer you. Pretty things,” he gestures towards the dress Melissa is wearing, “and the privileges that come with being friends with the F4 are also things I can provide you with.”

So, that’s what he was planning. That’s what he thinks of her.

“So, you think you can bribe me,” Melissa asks him, her voice harsh with anger. Her hands are balled into fists and her eyes seem to shoot fire. “Well, Tomlinson, think again. I’m not one of those girls who only cares about expensive clothes and jewelry.”

Hands trembling with anger, Melissa unclasps the necklace and pulls the ring from her finger. She throws it in front of Louis’s feet. “So, stuff these were the sun doesn’t shine and leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you or your stupid friends. Now, tell me where my clothes are!”

Louis doesn’t say anything. He just stares at Melissa, his eyes wide with surprise at her outburst.

“Fuck it,” Melissa curses. She turns around and stalks out of the room. Louis doesn’t twitch as she throws the door closed.

Notes

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