Neo’s POV
Melody had to be kidding me. How could she have brought another person into our circle? This wasn’t the time to get friendly with strangers. She didn’t even know this girl for up to a day and she was already being friends with her and having her eat with us. I couldn’t believe her guts. She was unbelievable.
For all I knew, this girl was not an ordinary girl. I forced myself to calm down, reminding myself that she didn’t know of the dangers that lay ahead of her. She didn’t know that she had to be careful and was being her usual bubbly self. It wasn’t her fault that I had begun to suspect everyone and everyone that crossed my path. It wasn’t her fault at all.
I looked at Eve and wondered if she was oblivious to how my brothers and I felt about her or was just trying to be stubborn. She would have known since that we weren’t open to her being here with our scowls and I thought that she would have excused herself.
Wouldn’t it be better for her to leave and eat alone than eat here and end up having indigestion?
I guessed she was really desperate for a friend, more than I had thought possible of her.
“Do you want some oranges?” She said, extending her lunch pack to Melody.
Melody shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t eat oranges.”
“I have some apples as well.” Eve offered again.
“I can barely finish what my mum packed for me, I don’t think I can eat any apple.” Melody said, shaking her head. “Thanks though.”
Eve frowned and started pushing your food around. Melody noticed her and frowned.
“Aren’t you going to eat because I refused to eat the fruits?” Melody asked, staring at her. “You should offer the boys if they would be willing to eat in case you can’t finish it.”
“No, I can finish it. I was only trying to give you to show my gratitude to you.”
“We wouldn’t have eaten it as well.” Nick scoffed.
Melody scowled as she turned to face him. “Be nice. Eve, here, has a fragile personality. You don’t want her to start crying.”
“She can get off the table before she does that. I don’t know how to console crying girls.” I said.
“I’m not weak.” Eve said.
“I hope so.” I said, scooping some of my rice into my mouth.
“Have you done the puzzle you wanted to do yesterday?” I asked Melody.
“Puzzles?” Eve gushed. “I love puzzles.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored her.
Melody replied. “I have done it. I will show you when you come over later.”
“Oh! Do you guys do sleepover at one another’s place? That must be fun. Am I invited? Can I come as well?” Eve said.
“No!” My brothers and I said at the same time and shared a smile afterwards.
“Be polite, boys.” Melody cautioned but I could see the smile in her eyes.
“You don’t have to be rude.” Eve sulked.
“You don’t have to keep inviting yourself everywhere.” Melody cautioned her.
“You should have told me you felt bothered by my presence.” Eve said.
Melody sighed. “I never said that.”
I sighed, hating how this was going. Eve was being manipulative and I didn’t like her attitude. I didn’t like her presence too and refrained from saying anything so Melody wouldn’t feel like we were attacking her on purpose.
I heaved a big sigh of relief when I heard the bell ring, signifying the end of break. We all moved back to class and watched as Eve walked back to her seat without looking back or saying a word to us.
“Don’t worry about her.” I said to Melody.
She nodded and faced forward as the teacher came in.
Eve was right beside Melody again as the closing bell rang. I arched my eyebrows at her presence and thinned my lips, waiting for what she was going to say.
“Melody, I’m sorry about what happened in the cafeteria earlier.” She apologized.
“It’s okay.” Melody said.
If left to me, it wasn’t okay but it wasn’t up to me to say.
“Here. I brought you a little gift to call truce.” Eve said, handing a wrapped sweet to Melody.
Melody shook her head. “Thank you. Mum hates it when I eat too much sweets.”
Eve colored up, her face flushing with anger. “You don’t want to collect anything from me, do you? You don’t have to be rude, Melody.”
She looked different while angry and I wondered if she was the little girl we had seen earlier who seemed like she didn’t have much strength in her.
Melody seemed distressed by her outburst of emotions and accusations and I felt I needed to do something about it here. I didn’t care if Melody thought I was being rude.
“She isn’t being rude, Eve. She is being cautious. You would have done the same if you were her.” I said. “It’s possible she is saying truth about not liking too much sweets.”
Eve snorted. “I thought you were friendly. I was wrong about you.” She said and walked away.
I breathed in a gush of relief when we stepped outside and saw Uncle Liam waiting for us.
“How was school?” He asked as usual when he saw us.
“It was fine.” Melody replied.
Uncle Liam grunted and led the way home. When we got Melody home and moved towards our home, Uncle Liam turned to us.
“How was school?” Uncle Liam asked, giving us a meaningful look.
“It was tiring. There is this new girl trying to be friends with Melody. She is annoying.” I confessed.
Uncle Liam went straight to alert. “Is there anything suspicious about her?”
I shook my head. I didn’t think so. I glanced at my brothers to know what they thought but they didn’t think so as well as they shook their heads. “I don’t think so. She is just a little girl desperate for attention and love.”
Uncle Liam softened. “Then you should be nice to her.”
I snorted. “You wouldn’t advise us to be nice to her if you know how manipulative she is.”
Uncle Liam arched his eyebrows at me, his features filled with amusement. “Are you sure you aren’t judging the girl harshly because it’s possible Melody has a female friend and might not want to play with you as much as she used to do? Are you jealous?”
I smirked at him. It was true that I had thought of Eve causing distance between Melody and us and didn’t like it but that wasn’t the only reason I didn’t like her.
There was something not right about that girl but I couldn’t tell what it was. I sighed. Maybe Uncle Liam was right and it was my insecurities at work.