Melody's P.O.V.

I'm proud of you, my tigress.

His words keep repeating over and over in my head continuously making me shiver as the tingles shot up to my whole body.

The last person who said those exact words to me was my father.

I'm proud of you, my princess.

That was when I rescued a small bird on the way to my school.

"Daddy, can you make it fly again?" I asked trying so hard not to cry.

"I'm trying, princess" he replied dabbing the cotton gently to it's wings, "It should be better by now."

I closed my eyes and started to pray to God to let the tiny bird be active again.

"Done." 

Hearing Dad's voice, I peeked slowly feared of what to see. 

As soon as I saw it tapping the wings, I began to jump and clapping. Dad laughed at my excitement when I turned to him and gave him a big hug to spend his precious time for me and the bird. My hands didn't even come closer when I hugged him. But his were cocooned me in the warmth of his love and affection.

"Thank you so much, Daddy" I screamed in happiness.

"Anything for you, princess" he kissed the crown of my head.

"Will it be able to fly again?" I questioned.

"In a few days, honey. It's still healing the wound."

"Oh! Can I keep it till then, Daddy?" I pleaded him to let the bird stay with me. 

"But-" he started and before he could complete the sentence I threw the most powerful weapon at him.

I pouted and give him my best puppy dog eyes, "Pwease Dada."

I always call him Dada if I want something and he always melt when I call him that.

He sighed, "Okay. But you have to handle it very gently and carefully. Otherwise, it'll get hurt again."

"THANK YOU DADA" I shouted in his ears and gave him a big, sloppy kiss.

For the next few days, I cared for the birdie and named him Coco. After finishing school, my work everyday is to check on Coco and play with him. I'll give him bath sometimes, talk to him, play with him. But what I don't do is prison him in a cage. Coco should be free to fly and whatever he wanted to do.

Daddy always complain because of Coco, I'm not spending time with him. From then, Dad, me and Coco play together without knowing Mom. If mom find out we're keeping a bird, she'd be angry at us. Not cause she hates it, but she'd scared we can't take good care of him. 

"It's time for you to go, Coco" I said to it stroking it's small feathers.

Now that it healed completely, I had to let him go free even if I couldn't.

"You can always keep him, princess" Dad informed seeing the tears in my eyes.

"No daddy. If Coco saw other birds flying in the sky freely, it would be sad for not able to do it. I don't want him to be sad."

Saying that, I kissed him and released him from my hold. Immediately, Coco fly off in the sky without glancing back. Turning back to my dad, I hugged his legs and sobbed hardly. He patted my head and kneeled down to my height and instantly I wrapped my hands around his neck and shoved my face into it as my sobs are getting hard to stop. 

"Shh...." Dad cooed gently rubbing my back. 

Then he kissed my forehead and wiped the tears on my cheeks. 

"I love Coco, dada" I hiccuped between my sobs.

"Yet, you gave him the freedom he needs. You didn't hold him back. That shows how much you love him, sweety. Not only now, later on too, if you love something or someone, don't hold them back. Don't make them stay with you against their will. It only causes regrets. If they love you like you do, they won't need to be asked to stay with you. You have to give them their freedom. They decide to leave, you get to know that they didn't love you enough to be there for you. They choose to be with you, then you'll see how much they care for you. How much they love you." Dad explained.

"Remember one thing, princess. If it's meant to be yours, it always come back to you no matter how far it goes"

I don't understand his words. But like always, they imprinted in my mind. Every word mom and dad said to me, they'll stamped in my mind. Thus I replied, "Okay dada."

He looked at me lovingly and hugged me again before muttering,

"I'm proud of you, my princess."

********************

Slight tapping on my cheek brings me out from my most beautiful memories. I looked at Cara in my arms and realised I'm still standing in the middle of the hall. Seeing her confused face, I exclaimed, "Let's go, little munchkin."

I rushed back to my room to clean up her wound. Making her sit on the bed, I went to washroom for the first aid kit.

Cara jerked her leg when I touched the antiseptic lotion to her scratch.

"Just few more minutes, honey" I tried to sooth her.

She nodded obediently as I continued to clean her. At last, completely with bandaging I pulled her head, "There. It's all done."

I pinched her cheeks before kissing her nose playfully, "Good girl."

Cara blushed smiling at me before ducking her head. So cute.

All day, playing is the only thing we do most. We also made cookies, Cara really helped me alot with it. So, it became easy to make them for everyone. When I asked her what she's doing with Cassidy, she told that she wants milk and when no one is there she asked Cassidy. That's it. Cassidy got angry for that and shoved her and called her names.

That bitch.

Actually, I'm not a fan of swearing. But if I got extreme angry I can't stop what what comes out of my mouth. It's very rare for me. The only time I got this angry was when an women forced me about my parents wedding rings as I wear them around my neck. Ofcourse I didn't curse at her, I just talked harshly and said it's none of her business. She looked dismissively at me leaving the library banging the door loudly I cringed. Later, I regretted shouting at her. It was the time I took the rings away and keep them in safe. 

But now with Cara, I don't regret one thing I did for her. She reminds me of myself when I was younger. That fear, that vulnerability, that helplessness..... Cara reminds me a lot of myself in that situation. That way I was in his capture.

Shaking my head to throw these thoughts away, I looked at the time as it's already evening.

"Okay. Play time is over now, princess. Let's go back to your room" I declared to Cara.

I need to talk to Jenna too.

Cara pouted cutely cutely in denial at me. I would've fallen for it if it's not too late.

"Come on, honey. I'm not going anywhere. We can play all the time."

She nodded happily before I continued, "But you have to complete your homework everyday before I came from library. Then, we'll play" Cara agreed instantly. 

It's not like she's weak in studies. Actually, she's so intelligent comparing to her age group of kids. I just don't want her to neglect her studies because of me. 

"Let's go" I stand and the next minute, Cara ran passed through the door. 

Laughing at her back, I too went after her to meet Jenna. But I met Alec in the middle.

"That was quite a show, you know" he stated as I shifted one leg to another uncomfortably. 

"Thank you. But I'd be really glad if you all forget that ever happened" I replied meekly. 

Alec burst out laughing loudly at my comment. After his fits are subsided, he looked at me affectionately.

Everytime we met, Alec had this look on his face. Soft, affectionate. Not the way Hunter do. More like Jenna's look when she looks at Tyson, Daisy and Hunter.

"No can do. You're officially one of us after that" he informed.

"What do you mean 'one of us'?"

"I mean, you are, from now on, called as a Biker chic" he winked at the last word and laughed at my shocked face.

He ruffled my hair like a kid. I turned my face in irritation when he chuckled at me.

"Seriously!!! BIKER CHIC!"

"Well, you can't deny your performance is totally...." he stopped thinking for a right name, "Badass" His face lit up at the word. "Yes. That's the right word. You are a Badass Biker Chic."

I groaned at the name while Alec having fun with teasing me.

"Do you know where is Jenna?" I asked changing the topic.

"In her room. Why?" he asked back casually.

To talk about Hunter's kiss. It nearly came to the tip of my tongue. Somehow I stopped before voicing it aloud.

"Uh.....Nothing. Just curious" I lied.

He raised an eyebrow as I fiddled with my words.

"I'll go then" I said before any questions are asked.

"Bye BBC" he replied smiling mischievously.

I'm confused, "BBC?"

"Yeah. Badass Biker Chic seems a long name to call. So I cut it short. BBC."

A whine left my throat as I shut my eyes tightly at the horrible name. 

"Alec"

I heard another voice behind me. Tyson.

Great. One more crazy person to make this worse.

"Hey Mel" Tyson greeted.

"H-" Before I complete it, he beats me.

"Can you give me your autograph please?" he asked like he's a die hard fan of me.

"I'm a die hard fan of you" he continued.

See!

Hiding my face with my palms, I cried, "Can you guys forget about it?"

"Nah. Actually, I recorded it too. Will show it to others who sadly missed the real show" Tyson announced flipping my heart. 

"You wouldn't" I'm getting angry now. First Alec gave me a horrible name and now Tyson recorded my outburst which is surely, totally and definitely would be nasty.

"Trust me. I will" Tyson said smirking at me waving his phone side to side.

"You-" I lunged at him, but Tyson expected this before as he began to run around the house. My small legs did nothing to catch him as I ran behind screaming like a mad women.

"TYSON.... GIVE IT TO ME"

Tyson just laughed looking over his shoulder at me, "NO WAY" he shouted.

The moment I heard him, I increased the speed calling him loudly as we reached the hall. 

Hunter and Adrian were talking in the hall but my mind didn't acknowledge them as it was solely concentrated on how to get the video from Tyson. I came really close to him in arms length. Before I could catch him, he jumped over the couch and hide behind Adrian.

"Dad, save me. She's trying to kill me" he complained to Adrian.

What?!

"I'll surely kill you if you don't give me that phone, Tyson" I threatened him.

If someone told me few weeks back that I'd threaten to kill these guys, I would've laughed my ass off. Now as I'm living with them, I got close to them enough to bully them.

Tyson gulped visibly hiding more behind Adrian.

"No. I won't give. You'll delete it."

"What is this about?" Hunter asked suddenly. 

He's looking amusingly at me. Before I realised what I am doing, I grabbed his hand pulling him to the front and ordered.

"Tell him to give the phone, Hunter"

Hunter only raised a brow at me as his gaze shifted to my grip on his hand before turning to Tyson.

"Noooo..... You can't make me" Tyson screamed at me.

"Well, I can" Hunter stated making me smirk at Tyson.

His eyes rounded in fear at us. 

"NO WAY IN HELL" he yelled and pointed to Hunter, "You wouldn't say that if you know what my phone had."

Now, it's my turn to widened my eyes and his turn to smirk at me.

"Don't you dare, Tyson" I glared at him.

"Today's show in the morning. The video came out so good like a movie."

"That's it. You are officially dead in my hands now" I growled and was about to charge at him but a hand snaked around my waist stopped me from it. 

Another minute, my back collided with a solid rock hard chest I grew familiar with.

"Give the phone Tyson" Hunter ordered him.

"What?! No!" Tyson began to protest but Adrian stopped him.

"Do what he say, boy" Adrian said.

Tyson pouted and handover the phone to Hunter sulkily. When he saw my smug look, he just turned his head to other side still pouting childishly. I chuckled at him and asked Hunter for the phone.

But he is already looking at the video. When I tried to snatch it, his hand on my waist draw me back to a side and he stretched the other far from my reach.

Argh!! Curse my short height.

"Hunter" my voice came out as a whine and instantly his grip tightened.

"Done" he declared giving me the phone. I quickly took it and searched through the videos. It's true. He really deleted it. Thank God. No. Thank Hunter.

"Thank-" My words blocked in middle as I saw Hunter holding his phone with my video playing in it.

"HUNTER" I gasped.

Why that cunning.....

He just smirked at me with an evil glint. Tyson roared laughing at me, but when he saw my glare, he pressed his lips in a thin line to stop laughing as his face began to turn red from it.

"Give it" I gritted reaching out for the phone.

He did nothing but keep his hand high in the air. He knew I couldn't reach for it. I'm literally jumping up and down for it but in vain.

Crossing my hands, I narrowed my eyes and give him the most meanest glare I could muster up.

"Why can't you just delete it? It's not a royal coronation or..... or a comedy movie to watch when you get bored" I exasperated.

Hunter looked amused before replying, "I agree it's not a royal coronation. But am sure it's helluva lot funny one to see" and pulled me closer and bend to my ears whispering, "And only I get to see your all shades."

That explains why he deleted it in Tyson's phone. By now my face surely resembles a beetroot. I quickly glanced around to see Adrian and Tyson are nowhere to be seen and the hall is now full of empty.

When I hear Hunter chuckling at my flushed face, I scowled at him pulled back from his hold, "You are evil"

He raised a brow smugly.

"And idiot too" I mumbled low.

"Don't worry. I won't show it to anyone. Like I said, it's only mine to see" he commented.

"Is that supposed to comfort me?" I bit back.

He shrugged carelessly, "You are the one to decide that."

Hunter is stubborn. I'm sure he won't give in. My mind now running various ways of how to get his phone. Suddenly, an idea striked my mind. Hope it works.

I widened my eyes and slightly creased my brows to look, I hope cutely and pouted fluttering my lashes.

"Hunter" I changed my voice a little bit pleasingly, "Please delete the video."

He is totally surprised at my act. What can I do? I want the video deleted. When he didn't move, I pouted more and added another "please" again.

Soon, the surprise look is gone and he smirked evilly taking a step towards me. I stilled.

Uh oh.

The evil look on his face screams at me to run away from him. But my body is not listening to my cries. I can't even lift a finger.

When he started talking, his voice is low and throaty, "Don't pout tigress. Otherwise I'll have to kiss it away"

And now, it's my place to be surprised. More like dumbstruck at his comment. Entirely aware of my loss of ability to speak, Hunter threw me a grin at me and disappeared leaving me alone in my inner battle.

I have to talk to Jenna...... NOW.

********************

"Okay. Tell me what you wanted to talk" Jenna asked me.

Currently I'm sitting on her bed in her room. Only two us.

"Umm.... I..... Uhh... I-I want t-to" I began to stutter.

Oh God!! This is so embarrassing.

Jenna put a hand on my shoulder like reassuring me, "It's fine, honey. Take your time."

I inhaled sharply repeating my words over and over.

Everything's gonna be alright as soon as you lift the weight off you Mel. Don't worry. 

"H-Hunter...." I began, "I....."

I closed my eyes. I can do this.

"Did Hunter say anything to you? Tell me. I'll kick his ass for you" she now looked pissed assuming he said something to me.

Actually it's what he did!

"No" I shouted, "It's not that."

"Then?" she asked confusedly.

"Hunter kissed me" I blurted out and shut my eyes not able to see Jenna.

Next thing I know, I was in Jenna's arms and my breath whooshed at the sudden impact. 

"Jenna, I-I can't breath."

She learned me immediately, "Oh sorry sorry. I couldn't control my happiness."

"What?"

"You're perfect for my boy" she gushed.

"No-No. That's not what I came for. I came to clarify my doubts" I rushed out.

She looked a bit disappointed, "Fine. Tell me."

"I just told you Jenna. Hunter kissed me. Me" I cried.

Her eyes softened at my situation. 

"What's the problem in that, sweety?"

"Can't you see Jenna? He kissed me. How can he? Look at me" I pointed to myself.

She appeared confused as I go on with my rant.

"Why did he kissed me when he clearly don't like me? Is he playing with me?"

I hold my head in my palms frustrated with Hunter. With myself.

"Why do you think he don't like you?"

"Jenna, I'm not beautiful. I'm not tall. I'm a nerd. I'm clumsy. Those are enough to not like me. I'm not beautiful" I mumbled the last part again but not to her. To myself.

"Oh sweety! You are beautiful. Inside out. It's you who is not seeing it" she tried to convince.

"I don't believe it. And I don't know what Hunter saw in me. Maybe he's just playing."

She sighed, "Talk to him, then."

My heart stopped at her suggestion.

"What?!"

"Yeah. Speak to him. If he had no feelings for you, if he's really playing you, forget about him and that kiss. Before that, I wanna know one thing."

I nodded at her to go on.

"Do you like him?" Jenna asked expectantly at me.

I lowered my head as all the blood in my body suddenly rushed to my cheeks. I thought of lying to her but I need someone to talk about all my feelings and emotions. With that, I nodded slowly.

Jenna squealed clapping her hands excitedly. She's really behaving like a teenage girl who just found out her best friend's crush.

"But you can't tell that to anyone. Especially Daisy" I said scared she'd share this with her.

She stopped clapping and watched me like I'm a weirdo.

"Why?"

"I don't want her to be disappointed if things didn't work out between Hunter and me. It's just a kiss. But Daisy would take it seriously. More than me."

She smiled and agreed to it and started speaking.

"And you need to believe that you are beautiful Melody. Yes, you are short. But you're also strong. You are a nerd in your opinion. But that doesn't change the fact that you're gorgeous. You maybe clumsy. But you care about others before yourself. Those are enough to say that you are the meaning of a true beauty."

I flushed at her words and mumbled a thank you.

"Now, you talk to Hunter, ask why he kissed you and if you don't like his reason, keep things strict with him. By any chance you want to kick his butt, I fully support you" she winked at me.

That scenario played in my head making me laugh out loudly.

"I think I can deal with it" I assured her.

She patted my cheek affectionately before stating, "If you got together, I'm the first person to be happy for it, Mel. Hunter needs someone like you."

Her words hit me like a blow.

Someone like me.....

No. Hunter needs more. More than a girl who's past is always haunting. More than a broken girl. More than a scarred girl like me. He don't need me. He needs more than me.

"Mel"

Jenna called me as I was lost in my misery. I smiled at her.

"I'll go then."

She nodded.

As I'm out of her room, a bold and crystal clear truth began to cut my heart into hundreds of pieces. The truth that keeps breaking my already broken heart. The truth that keeps stabbing me at the same place over and over. And my heart is bleeding to the last drop of blood not able to bear that burning truth.

Hunter deserves more than me.....