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[/b][/h3][/sup][/color][/row][row][cell][sup][h2][color=black]MELANIE CAVILL[/color][/h2][/sup]
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[sup][color=black][b]█  [sup]   [/sup]act one: way down we go     [/b][/color][/sup][indent][sup][color=a9a9a9]Ritman High [Football Field]
Interacting with [@Prisk], [@Aeolian], [@Laertes]
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	Before Melanie knew it, the woman she had seen in tiny rows of pictures on her phone as she scrolled through the influencer's Instagram profile in the middle of the night was right there, talking to her. After seven years of definitely [i]not[/i] thinking about her, there she was. And she wore that sweet smile that would make Melanie's heart skip back in high school. Before she had time to let the presence of Natalie Miller sink in, she held her in her embrace. As Natalie's arms wrapped around the woman, Mel's found their way around Natalie's frame all on their own and squeezed her tight before she could stop herself. Her eyes closed as she took in the scent of the woman that sent her right back to high school days... her old bedroom, Natalie's smile, books on the bed that Melanie's eager eyes couldn't focus on. Natalie's familiar voice in her ear, her soft breath on her cheek as she spoke brought Melanie back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes shot open as if woken from a dream. [i][color=7c6e62]Oh fuck...[/color][/i]

	Only as their short embrace ended did Melanie notice that Natalie... [i]Were those tears?[/i] Melanie could not recall ever having seen Natalie display such an emotional reaction before. Let alone in front of anyone she didn't really know. [i][color=7c6e62]It seems we've all changed.[/color][/i] High school was over. Melanie had left most people of that life behind, including [i]most definitely[/i] Natalie Miller. They had been study partners with a mutual agreement that led to a convenience-relationship. That was all. In all those years after high school, Melanie had managed to keep Natalie out of her mind. One hug didn't have the power to throw her back into old fantasies. [i][color=7c6e62]So take your eyes off of her then.[/color][/i] Melanie snapped out of it and trailed her eyes over to the newcomer.

	It was a boy she didn't remember seeing in high school. Brown hair, walking cane. As Natalie called out his name, Melanie's mind put the information together. Of course, Marco, the musical talent. She had listened to his music from the other room while studying until one day it stopped. Following after him came another figure Melanie had trouble placing. He was a canvas full of art and if she had been a little bolder, she might have asked to spend some time looking at all those beautiful designs. Though art was something she only found interest in on occasion, tattoos had become more and more appealing to her in the last few years. She had been on the verge of getting more than the one she had on her wrist multiple times but then never went through with it. In this moment, she regretted it. The space of her back felt unusually empty all of a sudden. Even with the boy stating his name, Mel couldn't place him. That didn't seem the case for Natalie who promptly used a bully term she associated with him. Mel's smile faltered. [i][color=7c6e62]We all changed, hm? Yeah, sure...[/color][/i] Why was she disappointed? It hadn't mattered then and didn't matter now.

	And then the sun began to shine. Well, [i]figuratively[/i]. Mel's entire face lit up when the wonderful energy that surrounded Oleander Okonedo engulfed her. As he tossed out hugs for everyone, Mel was quick to squeeze the guy tightly into her just as he did with her. Oleander's hugs had been a medicine she wasn't aware she had missed this much. Being who she was, Melanie always had problems expressing how much she needed to just be hugged [i]tightly[/i]. She sure as hell couldn't ask for it, not then and not now. But Oleander somehow just did it, always had. He was intuitive like that.

	The warm feeling in her chest subsided when he began to study her face and cleared black residue off of her cheek. [color=black]"Oh shit"[/color], she exclaimed and began to rub her sleeve over the spot he just cleaned in case any bits were left. Red crawled onto her cheeks. Of course Natalie looked perfect but [i]she [/i]had to have dirt on her face. And Natalie hadn't said anything. [color=black]"I was working on the farm all day and my dad's truck -"[/color] She stopped herself as she noticed she had raised her hand to point behind her as if to point in the direction of the farm. [color=black]"It doesn't matter. It is [i]so good[/i] to see you."[/color]

	Oleander continued his round in greeting everyone, interjected with some smiles, nods and [color=black]"Hi"[/color] from Melanie. She wasn't a shy person, not necessarily, but she didn't like big groups and seeing all of these old faces brought back memories and old feelings she hadn't been aware of. Oleander naturally displayed the most emotion as a few tears streaked down his cheeks. Melanie's first instinct was to avert her gaze and mentally check out but she forced herself to look at him and give him a soft smile. She deeply hoped he would stop crying, it made her uncomfortable. It made her feel [i]stupid[/i]. She always had an answer and if she didn't, she knew how to find it. But emotions were different. They often paralyzed her, had her feeling like everyone around her had been attending [i]Emotions And Feelings 101[/i] all their life while she was standing in a display case in underwear. It made her skin crawl. Emotions didn't make [i]sense[/i].

	To her credit, she had gotten a lot better. In big part due to her contact to Dante and "that Australian girl" as her mother put it. She had had few relationships, though nothing long-term, and had learned to check in with herself and others more. The immediate reaction towards Oleander's tears was probably due to the outer circumstances - she was back at her old high school, seeing her old friends, her old ... [i]Natalie[/i]. Old patterns emerging in such a case just made sense. Of course, Melanie gloriously failed to apply that rhetoric to Natalie's earlier comment.

	No time to think about it. Dante arrived and pulled Melanie into a short but good hug. [color=black]"Dante"[/color], she looked him up and down once they released each other. [color=black]"You look good, man. How have you been? It's been so damn long. When did you arrive?"[/color] Knowing that Dante would come was one of the main reasons Melanie had agreed to the reunion. That and... [i]well[/i], Dante obviously was the main reason. She had offered to meet him a day before the reunion but his plans hadn't allowed it. While she had been in Delton for 3 days already, it was likely he had arrived only a few hours ago.

	Melanie let her eyes wander around the group once more. Seeing Natalie had short-circuited her brain for a moment and with the commotion of other people arriving, she had failed to greet Meir and Trystan properly. Trystan's face immediately evoked some fun [i]Dungeon and Dragons[/i] memories within Melanie. If they had the time later, she would need to ask him if he still played, and catch up on some of those adventures they've enjoyed together. That trip down memory lane would house so many dear moments. And then there was Meir. Melanie shot a soft smile in his direction. She was sure he understood, even though they hadn't talked in a while. He knew Melanie would catch up with him during some peace and quiet when they had more time and were not distracted by so many people. He deserved that. So did Dante. They would know this much about her. [i]Would Natalie want to catch up in peace?[/i]

	[color=black]"I know that Sara said she wanted to come but I honestly haven't kept up with the group chat. I wouldn't know who's still missing."[/color] She buried her hands into her jeans pocket. The soft feeling of her hoodie on her skin, the cold breeze in her hair, and the lingering feeling of those hugs made her feel cozy. So far it hadn't been half as awkward as she had anticipated.

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