Melody sat there, arms crossed by her chest, half asleep, waiting for Mateo to come. When Mateo did come shortly after, he noticed something was wrong immediately. He slowly sets his book bag alongside the table and pulls his materials out, all while watching Melody fight slumber, jerking her head up occasionally.

“You okay, Melody?” he said gently, with a look of concern on his face.

“Yeah,” Melody said, jerking her head up once more. “I’m okay.”

“Are you tired? You can take a nap, you know,” he said, motioning her to lay her head down on the table. “I won’t tell.”

“No, really I’m fine,” she said, her eyelids drooping. 

Mateo could only look on as Melody fought slumber, struggling all alone, much like she did years ago. He’s sure of it.

“Hey Melody?” he said, making Melody jerk up again in fright. So close to falling asleep but not yet.

“Wassup?” she said, focusing on Mateo for a moment, before bobbing her head back, then snapping it straight forward, staring at Mateo. One more second and she’ll be out like a light.

“Do you remember elementary school, you went to Eagle Elementary right?”

“Yeah, “ she said, placing her head on the table. “How did you know that?”

“We went to the same school,” Mateo said, leaning back on his chair, “We were in the same class.”

“We were?” she mumbled, picking her head up to look at him. “Why didn't you tell me sooner! I’m sorry. I’m terrible at remembering faces.”

“You’re fine,” Mateo said, in a comforting manner, “I just remembered the other day. But yeah, cool to know right?”

“Yeah! It's especially hard recognizing you since you went through puberty and stuff. But it's nice that we’re still going to the same school years later.” She slowly lowered her head back on the table. Mateo feels his heart beat as he prepares himself for another question. A much more personal question.

“So,” Mateo said, looking down at the packet that he hasn't even touched yet. He had held a pencil in his hand the whole time there, but wasn't interested in starting his work just yet. “What's your family like?”

“What do you mean?” Melody said, picking her head up once again to glare at Mateo, “Why?”

“Just curious, that’s all,” Mateo said, tapping his pencil on the table.

“Okay,” Melody said, chuckling before dropping her head down once again. 

“So you're not gonna tell me?”

“Why would I? Is it that important?”

“Maybe, I just want to get to know you better. That’s all,”

“Okay,” Melody said, chuckling, “Get a good grade in your next test, a ‘C’, a ‘B’ is even better. Then you can ask me any question you want and I’ll answer it.”

“Really?”  he said, stopping to lean in closer.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Melody said with a deep sigh. “Tell me if you have questions on any problems you have.”

“Sure thing,” Mateo said, starting on his work. All while Melody fought sleep, laying her head down on the table.

Later on, after the session was over, Melody slowly rose from her chair and tossed her bookbag behind her. She stumbled a bit walking out the room, something that caught Mateo’s attention as he was getting ready to leave and sprinted towards her before she could leave the library.

“Do you need a ride? I can take you home if you want,” Mateo said, watching on as Melody’s eyes drooped downward, her walking turning sluggish.

“I’m fine, but thanks for asking,” she said in a slow, and low voice. Mateo could only follow her outside, hoping that she didn’t just collapse in the snow. 

“Are you going to the bus stop? Can I join you?” he said, looking closely at her.

“Yeah, that would be nice, the next bus comes around like 20 minutes,” She said, as they walked past the school and onto the ranges of houses that surrounds the school and the bus stop, traversing through the slosh of snow and icy cold water, he had to ask again.

“You sure you don’t want a ride? It would be better than waiting out here for 20 minutes. Or maybe just sit in the car until the bus comes so you’re not out in the cold,” he said, voicing his concern in a stern voice.

“Sometimes it comes earlier than that, I don't always have to wait that long,” she said, plopping herself down at the bus bench, pressing her head against the glass cover, looking out for oncoming vehicles.  Mateo looked closely, watching Melody wrapped up in a coat and a sweater, hands in her pockets, book bag to her side. He gave in, approaching the bus cover and sat next to Melody. With nothing really but a light hoodie, he too waits for the bus for Melody.

Twenty minutes later, a bus comes and Melody gets up to go on it. Mateo gets up as well, and playfully tosses her hoodie over her head, covering her up.

“Be careful out there, Melody,” he said, looking on as Melody fought slumber again. She nods and waves then goes to the bus to get on. He could only worry, as he watched her get on, the bus moving on away from him. He sighed, looking nowhere as he traveled back to his school, to his car alone.

The next session comes, Melody quietly working when Mateo slams a paper in front of her. She looks up to see a graded paper, with a mixture of correct and incorrect marks. He moves his hand to reveal the final grade in red pen. It's an ‘A’. Melody looks up at him smiling. He has a huge grin on his face, like a child showing his macaroni art to his mother.

“Good job! That’s great!,” she said.

“Thanks to you Melody,” he said, smiling as he sat down. “Do you remember our deal?”

“What?” Melody said looking away then quickly back at him, “Oh, that! Yeah, sure, you earned it. Ask away.”

“Okay,” he said, his smile quickly fading. He doesn't make eye contact, looking off to the side. “Do you remember being in Ms. Duck’s class, in third grade?”

“Barely,” Melody said, her smile fading as she saw how serious Mateo looked.

“Well, I remember a time where we were in class. You acted normally, but I had a feeling that something was wrong. Maybe not at school, but maybe something happened outside school that made you keep your distance from me and the other kids,” he looked at Melody, who had a look of horror on her face. Even still he continued on, “I just wanted to know, is everything okay at home? Is everything okay with your parents?”

Melody looked on at him, a kind of blank stare that anyone would just wish to escape. But then as quickly as he said it, she began to tear up. Her eyes burned red, her nose grew blushed as she struggled to maintain the facade. But it was too late. She broke.

“You weren't the only one who asked that about me,” Melody said, smiling. She had allowed a single tear to fall from her cheek and onto the paper below. She wiped off the rest that quickly followed with her sweater. “I wish I could tell you that it's fine. But going home has always been a living hell for me.”

“Sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset,” he said, looking defeated. He wanted to go up to her and comfort her, hug her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he wasn't sure if that is what she would want from him.

“It’s okay, it was going to get out one way or another,” she said, sniffling. “I’m glad I got it off my chest, a piece of it at least. I’m glad that I have someone willing to listen to my problems for once.”

“Do you still live with your parents?” he said, contemplating if she was in a sort of abusive situation.

“No, my dad’s locked up, and my mom is in no condition to take care of me. I moved in with my older sister when I was in middle school. But her and her boyfriend are no better than them.” Melody said, looking off to the side in contemplation.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with it all,” he said, looking at her deeply. “Everything will get better, you know that. If you ever need someone to talk to, call or text me. I will listen.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

“You know,” Mateo said, “I never had a mom growing up. She died when I was a baby, so it was just me and my dad.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss,” Melody said, looking at him with sincere eyes. 

“Thank you. Anyway, my Dad started dating again, and he would bring them back to our place. Some would last weeks, months maybe. But he never really had any long term relationship with any of them. It wouldn't be weird if I hadn’t bonded with some of them. Some of them that I, within a short time that they had spent with my father and I, created a relationship in my head that they were like a mother to me. When they left, I wanted them to take me with them. But they could never replace my mom. Maybe that’s why I act a certain way around girls.” he looked at Melody, who cracked a comforting smile.

“Thank you for being comfortable enough to talk to me about your mom and stuff. I don’t think that you’re evil or anything because of what you had to experience. It must be rough to be living in a place when you know that none of the women that your dad gets with will stay.”

“Yeah,” Mateo said, grinning, “they don't. But their kids sometimes do. My dad isn't the best at wrapping it up.”

“God,” Melody said, leaning closer, “how many siblings do you have?”

“Just two brothers. I'm surprised he hadn't had more. They come over on the weekend when he has custody. They're alright for the most part. Don't do shit tho, my dad likes his children free range. As long as we’re not in his way to get another piece of ass, we can do whatever we want.” Matteo said, noticing his mistake too late, but Melody’s face didn't change upon hearing him swearing. So it must not have been that bad.

“That’s pretty shitty,” she said, eyebrows raised, with a frown. “Not having a parent not caring about what you do or where you are because all they care about is their own well being. But then again, my parents aren't the best of role models. That’s why we have to be better than them. For the next generation.”

“Yeah I agree with that, I don't want to be like my father.”

A pause.

“What do you want to do? After highschool, I mean.” Melody said, staring at her homework.

“Anything that would make me good money, I guess,” he said, leaning back, resting his hands on the back of his head. “That’s the plan anyway. No more school for sure.”

“Are you sure about not joining a trade or something? At least in trade school you get to learn practical skills. I doubt that they'll force you to read a bunch of stuff you're not interested in.”

“Hey,” he said chuckling, “ I never imagined someone as book smart as you to be advocating for a trade.”

“Why not?” she said, raising her voice. “Why would anyone talk down about essential work like that? My dad was a sanitation worker and while I don't have the fondest memories about him, I enjoyed being in that truck and learning about what he did.  Most people would look down at jobs like that but they are the people keeping us from sleeping by our own shit.”

Mateo couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face, listening to Melody talk so passionately about something she would most likely never join. But hearing stories of people who lived in poverty forgetting their way once they have some sort of luxury, maybe he was sure that Melody wouldn't become those people. She would see them as people first, not their job or profession.

“Hey, you have a point there. But really I don't know,” he said, looking at Melody. “If I could find another job that pays more than the one I got right now, I’ll probably just drop out.”

“What, no! Please don't do that,” Melody pleaded, with a worried look. “You at least need your diploma. Think about a scenario where that job doesn't work out, then you're left with no job, and all the other ones you’ll apply to will require a high school degree or GED. At least finish school first.”

“Yeah. Okay, I get you. I’ll think about it,” he said, turning around to get the work from his bag.