Chapter Five

As mismatched a pair as Melody and Sarah appeared to be, in the following days and weeks they were practically inseparable. Logic dictated that they should never have become friends, but logic had left Hanover awhile ago and only made occasional appearances in the form of chess tables and telescopes. Melody, serious and brooding, and Sarah, boisterous and fun-loving, had become the talk of the school.

Sarah had been born and raised in the city, the daughter of drifters, and for awhile she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Her father was an alcoholic who could never keep a steady job, her mother had been a prostitute. They lived in a one-bedroom flat with her parents and an "uncle" named Charlie who really was one of her father's friends. Charlie was a gruff, dour man who treated Sarah badly, even when all she wanted was a little bit of affection. Still, despite everything, Sarah demonstrated a passion for learning that neither her parents nor anyone else who came into contact with the family had ever seen. Then, she, too, saw the advertisement for Hanover Academy -- and it would change her life as well.

Of course, all this stood in stark contrast to Melody's sheltered, upper-middle-class, beloved-only-child suburban existence.

Despite the fact that their backgrounds were as opposite as two people's backgrounds could ever be, what bonded the girls together was the very thing that had brought them to Hanover in the first place -- their desire to escape from environments they believed stifled them.

Not everyone was happy with Melody and Sarah's burgeoning friendship, though. In fact, there weren't too many people around Hanover Academy who were happy with it, despite protestations to the contrary. More than one fellow student and staff member felt they were becoming "too close," and the whole situation became fodder for gossip hounds.

One day in class, the creative arts teacher made an announcement. "As some of you might know, every year the school district holds its annual student art show, and in our creative arts classes, we've decided to award extra credit to students who show pieces. This year's event will take place at the Von Dough galleries here in Bluewater Village. Now, the show is in two months, so you have time to come up with a piece. The winner becomes the recipient of this year's Quigley Visual Arts Award and a seven hundred fifty simolean scholarship for college."

The teacher approached Melody right after class. "Are you going to enter the art show, Miss Tinker?" she asked.

"I haven't decided."

"Why not? I know you have talent. Miss Hanover showed me some of your artwork samples. And I've seen some of your work in here."

Melody shook her head. "I paint for my own enjoyment, not for an audience."

"I just think it would be a wonderful opportunity for you. Think about it."