Chapter Thirty (Part Two)

Edwin was awakened by the sounds of hammer, screwdriver, and nails coming from across the hallway. He drowsily rose from his bed to see what was the racket -- although he suspected he knew what was causing it. It was Melody at her workbench. He shook his head in disbelief. "What are you doing?" he asked. "It's three-thirty in the morning!"
Melody grinned. "I couldn't sleep," she said.
"And you have to wake up the whole dorm?" As he said it, he couldn't hide the chuckle on his face. "Couldn't you pick a quieter activity, like reading a book or something?"
Melody grinned again. "I'm trying to build us a sentry bot."
"What's a sentry bot?" Edwin wondered.
"Think of what a sentry does. It's a guard," Melody explained. "Well, this is a robot that kind of does the same thing. It uses laser technology to zap its victims."
"Oh," Edwin mused. "Why are you making a sentry bot?"
"For the silly cow mascots and cheerleaders. They're so annoying!" Then Melody added, "The cheerleaders scream the school cheer in your face and the cow mascots play all kinds of tricks."
For Edwin, the sight of a woman happily hunched over a gray bench with a screwdriver and a hammer was a bit jarring, even if he knew Melody was a different sort of woman with a different background from the ones he'd met. Oh, he knew about her family, the famed toymakers the Tinkers. He figured they probably spent hours hunched over benches. But still, to him, seeing it was a bit surprising.

Dr. Hyden was sitting in his classroom going over his assignments when he stopped Melody as she was leaving. "Melody Tinker," he called as she was heading for the exit, "may I see you, please?"
Melody shrugged. "Sure, Dr. Hyden." She motioned to Chester, waiting at the door, that she was coming in a few seconds.
"I've carefully examined your profile and have discovered some very interesting things in it."
Leaning forward with interest, Melody asked, "What do you mean, interesting things?"
"I didn't realize you were an artist as well. My niece Delilah is an art major here and is also quite talented."
"I wish I still had time to paint," Melody admitted. "I'm so busy now I hardly have time to breathe. What I wouldn't give to commune with my canvas again."
Dr. Hyden continued. "A few years ago you were the Quigley award winner, and the winning painting is very interesting to me."
"Oh? In what way?"
Dr. Hyden leaned forth with a color-printed copy of Melody's painting on a sheet of paper. She barely recognized the girl in the painting -- the only way she realized it was her was the Hanover uniform she was wearing. But there were other details too, like the telescope and the bright blue beam and her backyard in the background.
Melody took a deep breath as she knew she'd been found out. Now would her dean be astute enough to discern her big secret?
"Is this your painting, Miss Tinker?"
Melody closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. "Yes."
"I must say myself, it's an intriguing painting. It seems to depict an abduction, am I correct?"
Melody reluctantly nodded her head.
"Are you the girl in the painting?"
Melody couldn't lie to her dean, but she couldn't tell him the whole truth, either. "Not exactly," she fibbed.
"What do you mean, 'not exactly'?"
"Well," Melody began, shocked that she'd have to answer this question again, "the whole scene is a dream sequence, a 'what if' type scenario. It's asking the question, what happens if aliens are out there? Would they want to establish a line of communication with humans?"
Dr. Hyden shook his head. "An interesting take on the age-old question, Miss Tinker," he said. But he wasn't sure he believed her story. "You say it does, in fact, depict an abduction -- is this one of your own imagination, or does it have basis in reality?"
"There really is no additional analysis needed," Melody said, getting more irritated. "It's just a painting depicting a dream sequence. Nothing more, nothing less. Why, did you think it was real?"
Dr. Hyden decided to change the subject. Filing his suspicion in the back of his mind for now, he had another matter he wanted to discuss with his star pupil. "Miss Tinker, I'm well aware of your demands for a DNA test."
Melody was firm. "It's the only way we're going to answer the question once and for all."
"I'm hearing you've been doing your own experiments with DNA."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, the plant growing at the back of your dormitory. I did a check of the list of students staying at Aldrich, and you're the only one I teach -- and the only one I could see doing something like this."
Melody shook her head. "So you think I'm growing this plant?"
"Miss Tinker, I've questioned everyone else who lives in your dorm. There's a girl who says she's actually seen you go off in the direction of the greenhouse in the back, so I know the plant is yours."
Melody immediately knew who had been the snitch -- Jessica McClellan. And she knew why, too. She knew Jessica was the only person in Aldrich who hated her enough to snitch on her.Just then Chester emerged. He had been at the door, listening. He couldn't allow Melody to take the fall for this alone, it wouldn't sit right with him.
"It's my plant," Chester said, with surety. "We grew it together as an experiment."
Melody was astonished. "Chester!" she exclaimed, half-whispering. "You don't --"
He put his finger over her mouth, looking into her eyes and grabbing her hand. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Dr. Hyden.
"How did you -- how did you come across such a strange hybrid?"
Melody spoke up. "I cannot disclose that information."
"You are going to tell me where you got the instructions to grow that plant -- or you will be expelled from school."
Melody and Chester looked at each other and took deep breaths. "We were doing this as a research project," Melody began. "We were attempting to see if plant and animal DNA could be combined to create something else entirely."
Dr. Hyden shook his head. "I have been teaching for many years, and I don't think I've ever encountered students like you two."
"What do you mean?" asked Chester.
"I've had students with curiosity and a passion for learning, but not on the level of you two."
"Coming from you," Melody said, "I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not."
Dr. Hyden shook his head. "I'm having the biology dean, Dr. Straight, take a trip to Aldrich to get a look at the plant. But since the two of you are in my department, I'm the one who's going to ultimately decide what to do with you." His tone grew more ominous as he directly addressed Melody. "But I will say this -- it would be in your best interest to hand over your notes."
"Can we at least have time to consider our options?" asked Chester, acutely aware of Melody trembling beside him.
Dr. Hyden removed his bifocals and wiped them thoughtfully, apparently weighing up the odds. "And give you two the time to hide or destroy the evidence?" he replied squinting at them, "I think not."

Later that afternoon, Chester decided to play pinball in the Le Tour student union. Melody, coming from the press room, spotted him and decided to join him. Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, he broke out into a wide grin. But Melody was deadly serious. "Hyden's outrageous!" she cried. "He thinks he can beat me."
"Well," Chester replied, "he's got the doctoral degrees and the position as dean of the department. He can do whatever he wants."
"Not if I can help it," Melody sighed.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you see what he's doing, Chester?" asked Melody. "He's trying to blackmail us into giving up our work. You think I'm going to allow him to get the credit? That's not going to happen. I don't care what I have to do."
Chester stopped and looked at Melody. He knew she was serious and he knew her tone was ominous. He knew the last time he saw that look -- just before she returned to Bluewater Village over Christmas break. She hadn't told him what happened there, but he knew something had occurred. He put his hand on hers. "Don't do anything rash," he warned.

Melody had a hard time paying attention in Dr. Hyden's Principles of Astronomy class. While listening to him lecture on quasars, she realized that this was the same man attempting to blackmail her into giving up her pet project. Not in this lifetime, she said to herself. She also wondered how many other students he'd done this to over the years.
Chester, sitting in front of her, had hastily scribbled a note and passed it to her. "Hey Mel," it began, "meet me in the student press room after your next class."
Folding it up and putting it in her notebook, she looked again at the diagrams and formulas Dr. Hyden had put on the chalkboard. She decided she was going to focus on the material and not on the person teaching it.
"Tonight's the lunar eclipse, isn't it?" asked Melody.
Chester shook his head. "Goodness, Mel, are you a computer? I forgot all about that."
"How could you have forgotten? They've been saying it on the news for the last two weeks. We're not going to see another one for two more years."
"You've been looking forward to it for the last two weeks, I bet," Chester chuckled.

That evening Chester and Melody had found their way to the top of the observatory tower in the astronomy building. "What time did they say the lunar eclipse was going to start?" Chester asked.
"The almanac said it starts at eight seventeen and ends at ten thirty."
"Two whole hours." Chester took a deep breath. "Is that how long it takes for the sun's shadow to completely obscure the moon?"
Melody adjusted the knobs on the telescope. "Hey, this is one of those that's supposed to take pictures, right? Is there a way to set that up?"
"Dr. Hyden was showing us," Chester said, leaning over to press a button on the bottom, "I think you turn that knob there and press that button to take pictures."
"Oh," Melody said, shaking her head. "I think I'll take a few practice shots of the Milky Way."
Chester gazed longingly at Melody, thinking to himself that on a night like tonight, he'd like to wrap his arms around her. But right now he wanted to wrap his hands around one of the tuna fish sandwiches he'd packed. "I'm hungry," Chester said between bites. "Do you want one?"
Melody looked at Chester holding the soggy sandwich in his hand. She liked him -- liked him a lot, but sometimes she found him ingratiating. "Uh, no thanks," she replied. "I'm not hungry. Besides, according to my watch the eclipse is supposed to start in two minutes and twenty seconds."
"How about a drink?" Chester popped open a can of soda and the fizz could be heard for awhile afterward. While he took a sip, he managed to spill some on his shirt.
Shaking her head, Melody responded, "Two minutes."
Chester hurriedly packed his food, but left out his tuna fish sandwich. Between bites, he couldn't help but glance back at Melody. My goodness, she's the brightest star out here, he thought to himself.
"One minute," Melody said, aiming the telescope to the northwest sky. Satisfied that the sky wasn't going to be cloudy, as forecasted on the news, Melody decided to sit on the blanket, next to Chester, and watch this natural light show. Her hand briefly brushed against Chester's, causing an electric bolt through his arm, straight to his heart.
He gasped weakly, and glanced across at her.
She drew her hand away. "Oops, sorry," she muttered distractedly, "did I catch you just then?"
"No," he panted, feeling his fair skin tingling as the blood rushed through to his scalp. Thank goodness for the velvety darkness surrounding them.
He leaned towards her, lightly brushing against her arm, the excuse being that his leg was in cramp.
Her skin felt soft, yet cold.
"Oh my," he exclaimed loudly, "you're freezing. Let me get you something to keep you warm."
Touched by his generosity, Melody only smiled. "I'm fine, really," she replied, her hands slid up and down her arms.
Realizing they'd only brought the blanket they sat upon, and it would take at least an hour to run back to the dorm, Chester removed his favorite sweater and draped it over Melody's shoulders. There was a moment, just then, when their eyes locked. He peered through his glasses and past hers.
He leaned forward only fractionally, hoping that she wasn't about to skitter away. When she didn't move, he tried again,using the excuse that his sweater was falling off her shoulder and needed adjusting. Those brown eyes were intense, deep pools of determination he could drown in. He could feel her warm breath in short gasps as he kept approaching. "SQUELCH!!"
As Chester had leaned across, he needed a little balance and he'd put his hand out to steady himself right into the middle of his now soggy tuna sandwiches. "EWWW," he groaned, sitting back, trying to inspect his hand.
Melody stifled a nervous giggle, quite out of character for her. She got up, dusted herself off, and returned to the telescope to get pictures of the eclipse.

Melody was still stargazing when a limousine pulled up in front of the astronomy building. She stopped and looked around, and a blond girl with braids got out and eyed her warily. "Okay, hands up!" said the girl in a meek voice.
Melody was perplexed. What's going on here? she wondered. When she tried to return to her telescope, the blond girl cleared her throat. "You're coming with me."

"Me?" Melody asked, shrugging her shoulders. "What did I do? I'm telling you, I didn't do anything!"
The blond girl jammed her hands firmly on her hips and scowled. "Yeah, right," she muttered, "where've I heard THAT one before? Just come with me, Tinker." The girl struggled to handcuff Melody, who was fit and strong from working out and lifting weights, but managed to lead her to the limousine.
They rode in silence until Melody's insatiable curiosity kicked in. "Where are we going?" asked Melody.
A man's voice from behind a tinted black window responded, "You shall see for yourself."
Finally they arrived at an imposing older building that resembled a castle, complete with a moat. It was like Melody had stepped backwards in time. Waiting to greet her were Robin Simpson from one of her math classes and another girl she didn't know, who wore her hair in two black buns. As the rain drops began falling steadily, Robin stepped up to Melody and handed her a black blazer with a llama crest on it.
"Go ahead, put it on," squealed the other girl. "You're one of us now!" Melody squinched, but eventually she put on her blazer.
Her mind began to wander. Examining the medieval decor, she gazed upon the grim reaper phone, a special phone with an amber glow. Could it be possible, she thought, rubbing her chin, that one had the power to control death itself? Melody was familiar with itches, and like all the rest, this one tickled at her, refusing to go away.
"Don't even think about it," came a whisper.
Melody whipped around to come face to face with none other than Jessica McClellan, Chester's girlfriend.
"What do you want?" Jessica asked, her voice taking on a sinister cadence. "I've been watching you, Tinker."
"Likewise," came the tart reply.
Jessica blanched at the thoughts of being 'observed.' Even though they were wearing the same colors, there was no love lost between them.
"I love him," Jessica replied, "and there's nothing you can do or say about it."
"I know your type," Melody shot back, "you don't love anyone but yourself. Does he know about you and Chaz?"
"Oh, please!" Jessica cried. "I wouldn't touch Chaz Whippler with a ten foot pole!"
"That's not what I've heard."
"Oh really. And where exactly did you get your information? The guy himself?" Jessica chuckled. "He's so in love his his car, I'm surprised he hasn't married it by now."
It was a cruel shot, and Melody winced at Jessica's crudeness. But she was not done. "And what the heck do you know? You're no different. You're so in love with your robots and telescope, you make no time for anything or anyone else."
Melody took a deep breath. Her mind flashed back, to the insults hurled at her by Sarah and the girls at Hanover Academy. Jessica's rant and Sarah's became indistinguishable. "That was harsh, Jessica."
"Demi told me, she found you stargazing!"
Melody shrugged. "What can I say, I love astronomy. Have since I was a little girl."
"You're an oddball, Tinker," Jessica chuckled. "I wonder what the heck Chester sees in you, he talks about you constantly."
"Just because Chester's your boyfriend and all, doesn't give you the excuse to belittle everyone else in his life!"
"Because I'm his girlfriend, who else does he need?"
Melody fumed. "Listen, sister. I've been in his life long before you even sauntered into the picture, and I'll be around long after you've sashayed your little way out of it. So let me give you a little piece of advice. Get used to it, okay?"

Chapter Thirty (Part One)

While Wanda and Florence were busy digging up the Tinker homestead, Melody and Chester had made their way downstairs, to their secret laboratory in the basement of Aldrich dormitory, in the dead of night. Chester couldn't believe he'd agreed to this. Why was he following her, again? What was it about this tall, dark, lanky, bespectacled woman that intrigued him so?
She told him to take a seat in the contraption of wires she called a chair. As he waited, a wave of apprehension came over him and he felt nauseous.
He wasn't too good with blood at the best of times. And there was yet another fear that crept up his spine.
Something that had been niggling at the back of his mind for a while now. He was relieved, however, when Melody approached him, carrying a wooden spatula.
"Stick your tongue out," she said, matter of factly.
If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Chester would have laughed out loud. But there was something about the determination in Melody's face that stopped him. As she handed him her notes on the plant's progress and growth, he chopped hybrid seedlings to examine them under the microscope. They wanted to make sure every seedling had developed to their exacting standards.
But Melody noticed that Chester had cut his finger. Leaning over towards him, she sprayed an antibacterial and covered the wound with a bandage. Chester couldn't help himself. He was grinning from ear to ear.
Then Melody examined some of the seedlings again. She noticed their cellular structure had been changed because of the droplets of Chester's blood that had made it onto them. "Chester," Melody called, "could you come see this?"
Chester shuffled over to where Melody had the seedlings underneath the microscope. "Hmm, I really can't discern a difference."
"There's definitely a difference, Chester. I'm wondering if there's something in that blood that made that cell structure change."
Melody decided to try something. She made an incision in her own finger and smeared the blood on another seedling, afterwards covering it with a bandage and spraying an antibacterial.
"What are you doing?" asked Chester.
"I'm trying to see if my blood will make a difference in the cell structure of the seedling."
Chester chuckled silently to himself as he shook his head. A few moments later, Melody checked to see if there was any noticeable changes to the cell structure of the seedlings she'd contaminated with her blood. Even though there were changes, they weren't as dramatic as the ones that had been contaminated with Chester's blood.
But Melody was serious. Folding her arms, she looked him in the eye. "Tell me the truth, Chester. I feel like you're hiding something from me. We should have no secrets, as long as we've known each other."
Chester had to admit, Melody could be intimidating at times. He felt like she could see right through him. Must be the heiress in her, he thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, Chester sadly admitted, "I'm part alien."
Melody shook her head in astonishment. "No, wait, Ches, you didn't just say that. You're not telling me you have alien ancestry, are you? That's impossible."
"Anything's possible when you're from Strangetown."
Melody turned away from Chester, trying to process this new information. "We've been chatting for four years about abductions and conspiracies, and you never once told me someone in your own family had been abducted."
"Well, it's not something you entirely feel comfortable about admitting."
"I felt comfortable enough with you to tell you about my abduction!"
"Yes, but that was different."
"How, Chester? How?" Melody took a deep breath, realizing this should be no big deal and she needed to calm down. "You're still the only person in the world who knows about that. I don't tell my secrets to just anybody."
When Melody looked away, Chester recognized that look. It was the one she got when she wanted to be left alone.
"Melody -- " Chester put his hand on her shoulder. "Melody, I'm sorry, really, I am. I really should have told you."

"I remember this box," Wanda said wistfully. "It's all of Melody's stuff from when she was little." "You kept everything?" Florence asked.
"Yep. Stephen and I kept everything -- her old drawings, her report cards, even her cute little baby dresses." Wanda held out one of them for Florence to see. "I wonder if Harmony could fit this now."
Florence shook her head. "Melody does seem to have been very small. Just look at her now."
"Look, here's her black and blue striped sleeper. She loved that one, she never wanted to wear anything else." Wanda sighed. "You remember, Florence, me telling you that we had a hard time getting Melody to play with toys, till we just gave up on it?"
Florence nodded.
"Before my mother died I took Melody to see her. They bonded immediately, in a way that my mother and I never did. I believe they communicated with each other even back then, even though my mother was aged and my daughter could barely talk. Melody doesn't remember this, but my mom bought her all kinds of little things. Curiously, she knew not to buy Melody any toys, no dolls or teddy bears and such, even though I'd never told her about the jack-in-the-box incident. She'd bought her books and stuff."
"Did your mother know Melody was going to be knowledge-oriented?"
"I think she suspected it. Melody was always asking her to read to her, she said. Sometimes I think if Melody were their child, my parents would have adored her."
Florence nodded again. "We are supposed to be looking for those papers."

Meanwhile, Melody had slept in the next morning, which was highly unusual for her. She shuffled out of bed as the moonlight filtered through her bedroom window. She'd taken a dump, a shower, and gone out to her greenhouse to check on her 'baby', the cowplant she was growing as an experiment.
She couldn't get over what Chester had told her the night before. Her best friend, himself, was part-alien. That explained why, when he touched the computers in the laboratory, electric voltage shot through them. She felt a slight tinge of jealousy towards him -- if only there were people that exciting in HER family tree. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure of the other half of it yet. Only the DNA could tell her for sure, whether the astronomy professor or the policeman toymaker was her biological father.
She knew she was risking getting found out, but she didn't care. She needed to check it out, to see how it was progressing. Whipping out her notepad, she measured its height and circumference, and carefully pulled weeds around it and watered it.
It seemed like the more she knew, the more she wanted to learn.
"I can't believe you, Chester Gieke," Melody said, approaching him for breakfast. "I can't believe after all this time, you'd keep a secret like that from me."
Chester sighed. "Mel -- I'm sorry, really. It's just -- I wasn't sure --"
"C'mon, Chester, I spilt my guts out about that night to you -- or what I remember about that night."
"My heritage is not something I take lightly, and you're the only person I've told so far. Not even Jessica knows." Chester took a deep breath. "It was my great-great-grandfather. He'd been abducted back in Strangetown."
Melody sighed. "So your great-grandfather was half-alien."
"Pollination Technician #6," Chester said, "was my great-great-great grandfather."
"How did you find this out?"
Chester looked away. "I hacked into the Strangetown Town Hall archives, which had been put on computer." He went on to tell her his family's sorry story. He told her he'd been born in Bluewater as an only child, and after his parents died, he was shipped to Strangetown to his only remaining living adult relative -- his uncle, Dieter. Dieter Gieke had been a robot maker and surrounded himself with gadgets of all kinds. Dieter also had two children -- a boy and a girl. Chester didn't get along as well with the male cousin -- who was his age -- as he did the female, who was younger.
"My uncle Dieter believed the military -- led by one infamous General Buzz Grunt -- was watching us. There were these tanks that would roll down our street all the time. Then helicopters circled our house all the time."
"I can't imagine what that would be like. Were you scared?"
Chester took a deep breath. "I was, kinda. Then there was that Loki Beaker guy. Frankly he gave me the creeps."
Melody made a face. "I've heard of him. Wasn't he the one who did those experiments on --"
"Yeah, that's him." Chester continued. "My uncle was under a lot of pressure. Not only did he have to deal with the authorities breathing down his neck, but then there was the electronics shop he ran in Bluewater after my dad died."
Melody's eyes flew open as she gasped. "You mean the Electronics Superstore -- it belonged -- to YOUR family?"
Chester nodded sadly.
Melody could feel herself filling with rage. "Malcolm Landgraab -- that greedy, selfish bastard! I kind of figured he wouldn't be interested in any electronics -- except to make money off of them."
"I didn't find out what had happened until much later, too late for me to have done anything about it. After my uncle died everything got scattered, sort of what happened after your dad passed." Chester heaved a deep sigh. "My uncle was very cryptic about my heritage. He had to be, really. He'd only said bits and pieces to me, about us Giekes having a kinship with aliens and an interest in astronomy -- that was pretty much all I had to go on until I came here. I still have no idea where my cousins are, I haven't seen or heard from them since I left Strangetown to attend school here."
Melody put a hand on Chester's shoulder. "We're going to find them," she vowed.
Chester was desperate to change the subject. "Did you lock up the remaining seeds?"
Melody smiled. "Of course I did. You know those seeds absolutely cannot get into the wrong hands."

Meanwhile, Dr. Joseph Young, faculty adviser of the Le Tour math team, walked into a nearly empty classroom, save for two mop-haired guys who were talking amongst themselves. "Where's your third wheel, Gieke?" he asked Chester, eyeing him. "I see you've brought Mr. Sharpe here, excellent."
"She's coming," Chester said, and no sooner had he said it than Melody barged into the door, dropping her books all over. "Sorry I'm late," she said as Chester and Edwin rushed to help her pick up her mess. "I got caught up in my research project on the time and space continuum and lost track of the time."
The boys shrugged. That was the Melody they knew, all right.
Dr. Young took his index card off his desk and read it aloud. "You are Melody Tinker, right?"
Melody nodded.
"And you're double-majoring in astronomy and mathematics and minoring in art and anthropology."
Melody nodded again.
"That's quite a courseload, young lady." Dr. Young managed a chuckle. "Can't say you're not making the most of your time here."
The three friends sat in the front row of the classroom while Dr. Young handed them a sheet of sample questions. For the next hour they bantered back and forth about word problems, quadratic equations, sines and cosines, and other such mathematical terms. Dr. Young hardly did anything. He sat most of the time with his arms folded and his mouth gaped open. He felt satisfied that these were the right students to represent Academie Le Tour in the upcoming collegiate math competition.

It was the middle of the night and it was unseasonably warm. Chester could hardly sleep, so his legs carried him, unconsciously, towards Aldrich Hall. How or why, he simply couldn't understand, but he found himself stood at the front entrance.
Normally he would ring, but it was pretty late and he guessed the others were either asleep or out partying. The air conditioning was working a lot better here than at his place and he found it easier to concentrate. As he was busy working on his assignment, he felt a sudden surge of electricity. That meant only one thing.
Melody was in the basement.
Chester guessed that she couldn't sleep either, but he also knew the basement wasn't exactly the ideal place to cool down.
Trotting down the steep stairs, Chester opened the door and peered in. Slumped over a desk fast asleep was Melody. Judging by the notes on the computer, she'd been here for hours.
He was beginning to get worried for her. This 'project' was beginning to consume her. If she wasn't careful, she'd burn herself out, just like his uncle. He'd witnessed Dieter Gieke, a powerfully built man with fabulous ideas who worked on complicated machinery, reduced to a fair shell of himself.
Dieter was a strapping man. Melody was tall, but slight.
Shaking Melody gently, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to her suite, where he laid her gently down on the bed. Even though he was slightly built, he was astonished at how light Melody felt in his arms.
Leaning down, Chester gently rubbed her forehead, leaving the comforter neatly folded at the foot of the bed. He knew that she was stubborn and wouldn't listen, but he also knew that if she didn't slow down and take on so much responsibility, then the Melody he knew and loved would soon vanish before his very eyes.
He couldn't let that happen. And he wasn't the only person who noticed, either.

Very early the next morning, after Melody had gotten her bearings, she stared at her computer, at a foreign series of numbers and letters on the screen. She knew this had been her dream and she knew this was why she'd put up her paintbrushes, but the urge was still there, still latent. She could not help herself.
Turning off the machine, Melody went hunting for her painting supplies. She found her watercolors, a few stray canvases, and her old trusty folding easel she'd had since she was eight. Maybe it was time for a new one, she thought.
Staring at the blank canvas, Melody wondered to herself, what am I doing? What the heck am I doing? Did I still have it? Or have my painting days passed me by?
Like she used to, Melody dipped her brush into the palette and dashes of color appeared on the canvas. She wasn't sure what she was doing or why she was doing it, all she knew was she was doing one of the things she loved. Just like old times. And just like old times, she'd managed to forget everything that was happening around her -- tuned it out -- and concentrated on her piece.
Just then Marla walked in. "I was just putting this right --" She then looked up at Melody's painting. "Wow. I didn't know you painted. You're REALLY good."
Melody didn't pay any attention to her. Engrossed in her canvas, she'd lost herself in what she was doing.
"Why don't you paint more often?" asked Marla, still astonished at Melody's obvious talent.
Halfway through her UFO painting, and hiding it just the same, risking smearing the paints all over the back of her shirt, Melody finally muttered, somewhat absent-mindedly, "I wish I had time. I'm so busy, frankly --" Hastily attempting to cover her easel with a blanket, Melody stumbled.
All of this made Marla even more suspicious. "Melody, what are you hiding from me? We're supposed to be best friends, why do we have secrets? Before today, I didn't even know you painted. What can't you do?"
"Fly," Melody shot back sarcastically.
"And I bet you're working on that." Marla took a deep breath. "Mel, I'm really sorry for reading your journal. It was just sitting there on the bed and I couldn't help myself. Besides, I was worried about how much time you were spending away from the dorm."
Melody let out a deep sigh. "Pardon me, Marla, but it's not really any of your business what I do."
"I know, but it's just that I care about you a lot and I worry about you. I worry about all my friends. That's how I am." Marla set a small wrapped gift box on top of Melody's bed and walked out.
Getting herself together, Melody uncovered her canvas. Her curiosity getting the better of her again, she picked up Marla's package and untied the bow. Carefully she unsealed the wrapping paper, discovering the volume. 'The Blind Watchmaker' by Richard Dawkins. Inside was a note. "I picked this up when I was in the used bookstore downtown. I know you're going to go through this in one evening, but I figured since you're into science, this would be something that interested you. Marla."
Melody put her copy of The Blind Watchmaker in her bookcase and returned to her set of numbers. "I feel like I'm close," she muttered to herself, "I feel like I'm close to a breakthrough."

Chaz Whippler sat down in front of his dormitory when he spotted Melody, her curly ponytail flying, walking up to the entrance. She was cradling a basketball in her arm. Chaz shook his head. "What, are you kidding? I thought we were supposed to be going over sines and cosines today."
Melody couldn't help herself. "We will," she kidded, "on the court." As Chaz gave her a confused look, Melody twirled the basketball on top of her middle finger.
"I didn't know you were into sports," he said.
Laughing heartily, Melody replied, "I used to play a lot with my dad in the backyard when I was younger. Soccer, baseball, football, basketball. My mom used to fuss because I'd come in the house having ripped my dresses. Did you think I spent all day in the house reading?"
Chaz again shook his head. This Melody Tinker was one surprise after another.
After changing to her exercise gear, Melody sprinted to the newly-installed basketball hoop in front of Lam Plaza Dormitory and began bouncing her basketball. "Hey Chaz," she shouted, "Michael Jordan didn't wait for his competition."
He came out of the dorm with his tennis shoes on and met Melody at the basketball hoop. "I'll beat you yet."
"You couldn't beat a dead man, Chaz," joked Melody.
"I may not be super fit like you but I play a little bit." Bouncing the ball, Chaz tried to demonstrate his dead-eye shooting prowess, but his underhanded shot bounced off the rim.
Melody tried to stifle giggles. "Here, Chaz, let me show you." She placed the basketball in his hand. "Bouncing the basketball allows you to get maximum lift on your shot. You're supposed to shoot over your head at precisely a forty-five-degree angle. One little bit off and your shot doesn't go through the net. It either bounces left or right off the iron, depending on the direction your shot angle misses." She shot the ball ten times, and each time the basketball went through the netting.
Chaz was amazed. What other surprises would the ponytailed wonder hold for him? They stood outside shooting baskets on that brisk winter day, the breezes cutting their cheeks and warming their hands by blowing into them. The game ended when Chaz received yet another phone call from a female companion, and Melody remained outside the dorm, practicing her free throw stroke.

Chapter Twenty-Nine (Part Two)

Edwin flopped down on one of the chairs in the Le Tour library. Marla looked up from her book. "Something wrong?" she asked.
Sighing, he took his glasses off and wiped them roughly on his tee shirt.
"It's Roxie and that creep Jonah again," he said, rolling his eyes.
"I thought you'd left there for good."
"I got a call from Roxie, asking to pick up a package from mom and dad. When I got there, you could hear them from outside."
Marla shook her head.
"I wish they'd stop, or at least she'd dump him."
Melody raised her eyes only ever so slightly, she was used to hearing about Edwin's sister and the massive rows that she had with her boyfriend. They were the reason Edwin had come back to live in the dorms in the first place.
"What was it this time?" asked Marla, the draw of Edwin's family life far more important than the research she was supposed to be working on.
"The same as always." he sighed, putting his glasses back on. "Now creep face is accusing her of sleeping around."
"That sucks."
"Yeah, apparently she's been spending a lot of time getting extra tutoring from one of the professors."
Marla slammed the book down.
"There's nothing wrong with that," she said, defensively.... "especially if she's falling behind with her course work. Anyway, from what I gathered, he needn't talk, he's worse than her. I've heard rumors..."
Melody raised her head from her studies. "Out of curiosity," she said softly.
Everybody turned to look at her. It was rare for Melody to get involved in anybody's business.
"Which professor was it?"
"Oh, Dr. Hyden."
Edwin's offhand remark felt harmless enough, but Melody felt sick. So, the other day, it was Roxie who'd been in Dr Hyden's office. It wasn't some random female after all. "Erm," Melody put her book down carefully and tried to compose herself, "Ed, how long has this been going on for?"
Edwin didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Melody had already made a mad dash away from the table, toward the nearest restroom.
While he and Marla sat dumbfounded, Melody locked herself in the restroom and proceeded to throw up her dinner. After wiping her mouth, she collapsed in a heap near the toilet and enveloped herself in her arms, sobbing.
Finally Marla gathered up the courage to knock on the door. "Melody?" she asked in her sweet voice. "Melody, are you okay?"
Pressing her ears closer to the door, Marla listened to another round of purging. "Can I take you to the campus infirmary?"
Motioning for Edwin to come forth, Marla shook her head. "Ed, she's locked herself in the bathroom --"
"I'll talk to her." Edwin joined Marla at the doorway to the main bathroom on the first floor. "Mel?" he asked, knocking gently. "Mel, are you all right?"
"Leave me alone!" shouted Melody from behind the doorway.
Edwin and Marla looked at each other. "Yep, she's okay," Marla told Edwin.
Just then they turned around after hearing the click of the doorknob. Melody emerged as if nothing had happened, dusting herself off.


Melody sprang from her bed before sunrise one morning, before even the dorm cook arrived. She turned the key on the padlock to her secret laboratory and walked inside, flicking the light switch. Immediately she walked to where she and Chester had placed the seeds they were making. "Yes! They're ready!" she squealed excitedly like a little girl getting her Christmas gifts.
Putting on her lab gloves, she removed the seeds from the container they'd been kept in and ran to the greenhouse in the back of the dormitory she and Chester had built specifically for this experiment. Humming to herself, she prepared a spot of ground for the seeds to be planted. She'd never gardened before, but she found that she liked tilling the earth, preparing it to bring life forth.
Next she dropped the seeds into the hole that she'd dug, covered them back up with dirt, and watered them. Now all she could do was wait. Would their experiment be a success -- or crash and burn?

Edwin joined Melody for a late-night cup of coffee. "I hate her," Melody muttered between sips, shaking her head in disgust.
Edwin knew instantly she was referring to Jessica McClellan, Chester's new girlfriend. Lightly touching her on the shoulder, he responded, with his soft calm voice, "Calm down, Mel. You hardly know her."
"I know enough about her to know that I can't stand that bimbo. He's so enamored with this girl that he can't see that she's only using him."
"How do you know that?" Edwin asked. As Melody washed the cups up, a dim realization crept through his caffeine-fogged brain. Listening to her caffeine-tinged rant, he wondered, is it possible? He shook his head, trying to remove the thought, but it stuck there, unwilling to go away. What if he was wrong? Quite out of character, Edwin asked, "You like Chester, don't you, Mel?"
Melody's jaw dropped to the floor. "C'mon, Edwin, he's my best friend in the whole world. Of course I like him."
"You know what I mean -- you know, a different kind of like. For a boyfriend."
As Melody continued to categorically deny that she liked Chester 'that way,' Edwin realized that the more he thought about it, the more he realized Chester felt that way towards Melody. He thought about the amount of times he'd seen Chester following her around like a puppy, and the way his face lit up whenever she was in the room and darkened when she left it. Could he possibly dare to intervene and knock their heads together? Or should he leave matters be and see what happens next?
Melody sighed heavily, dark rings beginning to appear under her eyes. "I'm turning in now," she said, a defeated tone in her voice.
Edwin raised his eyebrows. Mel? Tired? It was never heard of.
This left him alone in the dorm, alone with his thoughts and feelings. Sure, he loved and respected Melody, but he also realized she was wearing herself thin too. Oh, he knew about the late night trysts. Being a light sleeper, thanks to Roxie and Jonah's loud music, he often heard Melody's soft footfalls and hand claps as she passed his door. He also heard the low whispers of two voices -- one was distinctly Melody's, raspy and throaty but with a distinctly feminine cadence, and the other, a lot more muffled, he was sure, belonged to Chester.
He also wondered about the fluctuations in the dorm's power grid that occurred at about midnight every night, and the sudden appearance of a greenhouse out back. He knew something was going on, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Melody found herself face-to-face with Chester's girlfriend, Jessica McClellan, over the starchy macaroni and cheese served in Aldrich that evening. Melody stared Jessica in the eye and waited for her to blink.
"Just who do you think you are?" Jessica asked, staring straight into Melody's brown eyes.
"That's funny," retorted Melody, "I was just about to ask you the same question."
"This is about Chester, isn't it?"
"So what if it is?" Melody was adamant. "He's my best friend in the whole world, and I don't want to see him get hurt. Especially not by the likes of you."
Jessica's cheeks turned beet red through her porcelain skin. "What makes you think I'm going to actually hurt Chester?"
"I know your type, Jessica. Girls like you are a dime a dozen. You tease guys into thinking they're your one and only when it turns out you've got 3 or 4 others on the side."
"Why are you sitting here making all kinds of assumptions about me? Is it because of my blond hair? Or my outfit? Well, all your assumptions are wrong. I love him and he loves me."
"Oh, don't give me that bull, Jessica! You wouldn't know what love is if it stared you in the face and made you beg for mercy!"
"As if you can talk, Melody Tinker. I've heard all the rumors. Everyone around campus has. Everyone around here knows you've never been on a date."
"That's none of your business anyway! Remember what you just said about assumptions, Jessica? Just because you hear something, doesn't mean it's true. And besides, you're belaboring the point. The point is, I know you've been a notch on Chaz Whippler's bedpost."
Jessica was aghast. "Who told you that?"
"Doesn't matter who told me, just that I know. Besides, I'm tutoring Whippler in math. Now, if I tell that to Chester, you're finished. Case closed."

Back in Bluewater Village, Malcolm Landgraab IV was in his mansion on the telephone, screaming to his lawyer. "Lawson, we have got to act now! Time is money, and we're wasting a lot of both with this kid and her little toy store. Do you have something, anything you can use to try to force them off the property?" Banging his fist on the table, Malcolm screamed louder. "Well, Lawson, you've got to do something. Say anything! Say something to make these people wake up!" Slamming the receiver on the hook, Malcolm vowed, "Tinker Toys will be mine if it's the last thing I do."
Meanwhile Wanda Tinker had gone to her mailbox, like she always had done every three days. Among her stack of bills was a thick package coming from the law offices of M. Quincy Lawson. "Oh boy, I hope it's not jury duty again," she sighed. She opened the letter and read its contents: "Dear Mrs. Tinker, according to city council records, there have been a few land disputes in and around Bluewater Village. In order to clarify your land rights, we suggest you hand in a copy of your registry documents as proof that you are, indeed, the rightful owner of both your residence and your business...Sincerely, M. Quincy Lawson, Attorney at Law."
Puzzled, Wanda wondered what the attorney's words meant. She didn't understand the legal language of the letter, so she called someone who she thought might know more. "Florence?" she asked, listening to the Delarosa phone ring once, twice, three times.
Florence was busy dealing with customers in her flower shop who'd mostly come in to seek the new shipment that had arrived. But the tone in Wanda's voice told her something was wrong. Discreetly she tried to carry on the conversation while tending to the customers. "So you got a suspicious letter today in the mail?" she asked while showing a customer a blooming lily plant.
"Really strange, Florence. From some lawyer."
Florence frowned. "A lawyer, huh?" she replied while talking to a customer. "This is trouble. I knew he'd try this."
"Who?" asked Wanda.
"This is the handiwork of none other than the man himself."
Wanda, warming a jar of toddler food for Harmony in the kitchen, heaved a sigh. "Malcolm Landgraab."
Florence's voice was sweet, but firm. "You've got to tell her."
"Call Melody at college?" asked Wanda while feeding Harmony her strained carrots. "No way! I can't bother her with this. She deserves to have a normal college life, free from all this stuff."
Florence nodded. "I know she does. Heaven knows the child's been through more stuff than people twice her age -- and she's handled it a whole heck of a lot better than I would, that's for sure." Managing a chuckle, Florence suddenly turned serious. "This is as important to her as it is to you. Perhaps more so." Taking a deep breath as she rang up a customer with the phone in her ear, she then asked about the contents of the letter.
"I didn't understand it really. Something about land rights."
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Florence while ringing up another customer. "He's disputing your claim to your property. He wants copies of your deed. Do you know where they are?"
Wanda whispered "no" sadly.
"That's the point. He thinks you don't know where the papers are, so he's putting pressure on you to find them. Typical."
"Okay, so now what do I do?"
"I'm coming over to help you as soon as I'm done over here."
The phone rang in Aldrich again. "Hello?" asked Melody, bewildered.
"Hi sweetie, it's me, Florence."
Melody piped up at Florence's sweet-sounding voice. "Hi, Ms. Florence, what's up?"
"Melody dear, Malcolm is turning up the heat again. He's asked your mother for proof the land the toy store is built on is actually your family's land."
Melody shook her head. "Un-believable!" she shouted. "He'll stop at nothing, won't he?"
"And as you can probably understand, your mother is freaking out about it."
"Is she there right now? Can I talk to her?"
"I'm in the flower shop. She doesn't know I called you."
Melody sighed. "I see. So in other words he wants the deed to the property."
"Basically, yes."
"And she's freaking out because she can't find it and she doesn't know where it is."
"Basically, yes."
Melody took a deep breath. "Could you tell her to look in the file cabinet by the computer in the master bedroom? I'm sure that's where Daddy kept his files."
Wanda had just put Harmony to sleep when the doorbell rang. "Knock, knock, it's me, Florence." Florence let herself in because Wanda had left the door open. "Do you have any idea where to find those papers?"
"What papers?" asked Wanda absentmindedly, but then she remembered. "Oh, yes, those."
"I talked to Melody on the phone right after I closed down the shop for the afternoon."
Wanda was surprised. "What? I thought we said --"
"Wanda, she's so calm and reasonable."
"Isn't she?" reminisced Wanda with a deep, wistful sigh. "She doesn't get it from me, that's for sure. I'm a quivering wreck most of the time -- but there she is. I can't take any credit because it's all her."
"She says to look in the file cabinet in the master bedroom." The two of them went upstairs to try to locate the paperwork.

Chapter Twenty-Nine (Part One)

News of Edwin's misfortune with Delilah O'Feefe at her party had reached Melody's ears via the ubiquitous Marla Biggs, who for being painfully shy was in possession of an incredibly big mouth -- a mouth she tended to use at inopportune times. Melody liked to sit alone on the dorm sofa sometimes to collect her thoughts and center herself. She was doing that when Marla approached her and told her.
"This happened at Delilah's party?" asked Melody absent-mindedly, her thoughts clearly focused elsewhere.
"Yeah, Edwin was pretty shaken up. I'm surprised you didn't see him, Mel."
"I was probably trying to catch up on my math homework or something."
Marla chuckled. "You are unbelievable, Melody Tinker -- doing homework at a party!"
"Well, excuse me for not thinking that sitting around Delilah and her stuffy friends is my idea of a good time," snapped Melody.
"It's better than moping around here. It was nothing but something to do and somewhere to go. Excuse me for suggesting we do something other than study and for thinking about someone other than myself. Goodness, Melody, you act like an old woman sometimes."
Melody took a deep breath and stared straight ahead. Marla was right. She'd always seemed older than she was. Neighbors in Bluewater Village used to comment that she was an 'old soul.' Back when she was seven, her mother had taken her to the local library. While other kids her age were reading picture books, she was tackling Shakespeare -- and she was proud of it. At recess, when the other kids were on the monkey bars or the swing set, she would sit underneath a tree, often with a pile of thick books next to her, reading. Even now, her sensibilities weren't those of a typical college freshman. She didn't drink and she hated parties.
Melody wrote down everything, every little detail of her life, no matter how insignificant. It had been a force of habit with her for as long as she could remember. She would record her thoughts and observations in first a journal, and then an online blog, and then she returned to a personal journal when she started college. One day, in a rush after recording some more of her thoughts, she had carelessly left her journal on her bed....
"So, what about Edwin again?" she asked, in the same singsong, distant voice.
Marla shook her head in disbelief. "You don't get it, do you, Mel?"
"I don't get what?"
"You've blocked people out again." Marla heaved a sigh. "You disappear for hours at a time, Mel. You don't sleep, you don't eat. You don't want me to call your mother."
"As if she can tell me anything at this point. Besides, she's got her own problems, trying to hold off Malcolm Landgraab." Melody stole a frown at Marla, who was adjusting her position on the couch. She suspected, from Marla's comments, that she had been reading her journal, but she wasn't entirely sure and needed more proof.
"And you're the only person I know who's totally nuts enough to attempt to grow a cowplant."
Melody was flabbergasted. Now she knew Marla had been reading her journal. Turning sharply towards her, Melody shouted, "You horrible little --"
Before Melody could finish her sentence, Marla countered, "You've turned this whole dorm into your own personal laboratory, and you're stringing poor Chester along like he's your guinea pig!"
"You had no business reading my journal, Marla! Those are my private thoughts!"
Marla sighed. "It's just -- I worry about you, Melody. You keep so much of yourself private. We know you and yet we don't know you."

Melody took a deep breath and shut the door behind her. The girls went to bed in silence, and Melody was still stewing the next morning when she woke up.
"I'm sorry for reading your journal, Mel," Marla muttered as she spotted Melody going toward their shared bathroom. Melody sighed. She would think about Marla's apology.
Marla hated this state of mind and hated even more that Melody was giving her the silent treatment. She knew this was a totally Melody thing to do, so she would have to come up with some way of making it up to her -- but she didn't know what. After all, Melody's interests weren't like those of other girls. She'd probably dig a new gadget more than a new dress. Could she purchase a book for her? After all, Melody did love books. That was always an option. How about a stationery set? A new mousepad for her computer? The wheels in Marla's head were still churning. Either of those items would see Melody more than she did. But she knew she had to do something, and soon.

As for Chester, he was spending his evening out on the town with the girl who'd answered his SimSpace dating profile. She was tall and blond, with porcelain skin, green eyes, and a sunny demeanor. "Jessica McClellan," she'd said as she extended her hand to greet Chester. "I'm SweetiePie from the boards."
"Chester Gieke, Ubergieke," Chester shrugged as he managed a chuckle.
Jessica studied his face. "You have an -- interesting -- visage."
"I've been told that many times," Chester mused, "you're not the first."
Now that he had the girl with him, he wasn't sure where he'd take her. Noisy night clubs weren't his thing -- many times because of his lack of coordination he'd been laughed off the dance floor, but it wasn't for lack of trying. If only he could talk to Melody -- she'd know what to do.
He decided, finally, to take her to the local internet cafe, a perfectly safe geek hangout. They ordered a meal and began to chat. "It's a nice evening outside," Jessica said, making small talk. "The air is cool and crisp. I grabbed my jacket."
Chester looked into Jessica's eyes. But his thoughts were clearly focused elsewhere.
Jessica began telling him that her mother was a psychic and she really didn't know who her father was. "My mother told me she thought he was one of the guys who was in the artist commune where she lived, but there were so many guys she's not really sure which one it was." She added that she was a history major who was thinking about switching to psychology.
Chester couldn't tell her he was studying to be a career criminal, so he said he was a physics major and going to work in one of the technology firms in the area.
The date ended wth them exchanging phone numbers. This was a far cry from the way most of Chester's other dates had ended. He was encouraged, if not downright over the moon, as he turned the key to his apartment.

Sarah Rodiek had settled into a comfortable life at Sim State University. Even though it wasn't her first-choice school, she was determined to make the best of her situation.
She found herself in the same dorm as Dirk Dreamer and the infamous Pleasant twins, Angela and Lilith, who were always fighting. She liked to call them the Un-Pleasants because they argued all the time.
Getting back into contact with the girl she had been madly in love with was not an easy thing. Time -- and her own personality -- had changed a lot of things between them. Sarah had become more outgoing and wanted badly to be 'cool.'
Sarah was sitting in the common area in the large Sim State dormitory with Lilith and Lilith's longtime boyfriend, Dirk Dreamer. Dirk was aghast when Sarah mentioned she'd gone to school with Melody Tinker.
"Hey, Dirk," asked Lilith, "why are you so curious about this Melody character? You keep talking about her like she's some goddess or something."
What would it be like for Sarah to see Melody again? And deep down, was she still in love with her after all this time?
"Mel and I were best friends," Sarah began, "practically inseparable. The running joke at Hanover was that we were one person because we were together so much."
"So what happened?" Lilith asked.
Sarah was incredibly frank. "I fell in love with her."
Dirk and Lilith's mouths dropped to the floor. "So you guys were an item?" asked Lilith, chewing on her brand-new tongue ring.
"Sort of," Sarah said. "But Mel didn't want to admit it. I think she was scared to admit that deep down, she loved me too."
So Melody's a lesbian, Dirk thought. That's what's going on with her. I figured it was something. But I never would have guessed she was gay. Oh well.
To Lilith, though, the idea of lesbians sounded pretty cool. She'd never met a lesbian in real life before Sarah, but had seen shows on TV featuring them.
"I think I'd like to meet this Melody," Lilith said to herself, "what is it about this chick that's got everybody captivated?"
"Something about her --" Dirk wondered to himself. He would be happy to introduce the two of them to each other, but he was apprehensive, knowing Lilith's vile temper. Still, nonetheless, he thought it would be a pretty good idea.
The problem was time -- and distance. Lilith was at Sim State, Melody at Academie Le Tour.
There was a backlog of assignments. And Lilith loved to party -- a lot.
Dirk was more serious and liked to hit the books. At times he wondered whether he'd chosen the wrong twin, but his love for Lilith was confirmed every time he peered over at her while she concentrated on her homework and she would wink at him slightly. He was her rock of ages, and she was determined to prove everyone who said she wouldn't succeed wrong.
Meanwhile, Lilith and Sarah were seriously bonding, and Dirk liked that Lilith finally had a galpal. Other girls were put off by Lilith's frankness and fearlessness.
But still, Dirk had to wonder himself. If he had a girlfriend and he cared deeply about her, why was he so intrigued by Melody Tinker? And why, even after two years, had this feeling not abated? He should have long forgotten about her by now. So why hadn't he? Why couldn't he get her out of his mind?

Meanwhile, Melody got a cab to take her across campus to the Le Tour Lecture Theater for her astronomy class. She'd never been in the lecture theater, but had heard a lot of things about it from the dormies. She snuck a peek at her sheet. Was she supposed to be in the main lecture hall, or one of the seminar rooms?
Climbing up the staircase, Melody pushed up her glasses and made a sharp right-hand turn towards the main lecture hall. There, she saw Dr. Hyden sitting in his desk, waiting for students to arrive. He gave her a sharp smile. "Ah, Miss Tinker, good on you to arrive."
"Since when do you teach an entry-level astronomy class?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "This isn't an entry-level class," he told her. "I usually reserve this for third-year students, but you're obviously advanced."
Hmm, Melody thought as she turned around and walked away. Chester, sitting in the front row, saw her come in and motioned for her to come and sit in the empty seat behind him, which she did.

Why now? Melody wondered. Why was Sarah trying to weasel her way back into her life? Surely lightning in a bottle didn't strike twice. Only Sarah had ever made Melody feel the way she felt around her -- positively giddy to be around her, making her forget herself and who she was and what she was. Whenever Sarah was around Melody got butterflies in her stomach. She'd never had these feelings around anyone else -- not even Chester or Marla or Edwin, who were her three best friends in the world.
Melody couldn't make the same mistake again.
Once upon a time, Sarah had ripped Melody's heart out of her chest.
She couldn't let Sarah do it again. Not this time. Besides, she had more important things on her mind -- like the toy shop that she'd inherited. And the DNA results that would determine her paternity once and for all. And her driving lessons, which would give her peace of mind and more independence. And of course her astronomy and mathematics classwork. She couldn't allow her grades to slip, or else she'd lose the scholarship she came to college on.
Since she returned to Le Tour from her holiday in Bluewater, Melody's life had settled into a nice little rhythm. A young woman who thrived on routine and balance, Melody had even started taking up meditation and yoga just to keep herself centered. And yet, here was Sarah, disrupting it all -- just like she always had. Why does Sarah do this to her?
"Hey Mel," greeted Sarah's voice over the phone. "What's up?"
Melody was clearly blindsided by Sarah's latest phone call. "Um, not much really. Just putting the finishing touches on my homework."
After a long silence Sarah said, "I ran into your prom date in the dorms."
A thunderbolt shot through Melody's heart. "Dirk Dreamer."
"We're roommates now. He and his girlfriend and his girlfriend's twin sister."
"Really?" Melody asked dismissively.
"Dirk keeps asking about you, keeps asking a lot of questions."
"I wonder what the heck he wants?" Melody wondered. "I had one date with him -- if you could call it that -- and that was at our prom. The only reason he went with me was because his dad wanted someone to go with me to make sure I was safe. Remember, I was working there that summer."
"Mel, I don't know." Again there was a long pause. "Mel, we need to talk."
"Sarah, there's nothing to talk about, really."
"You're avoiding the issue, as usual. Nothing has changed, Mel."
Tears began to flow from Melody's eyes, fogging her glasses. "Everything has changed now, Sarah. I'm at a different place in my life. I'm comfortable and content."
"Really, Mel?" Sarah took a deep breath. "You're just telling yourself that to make yourself feel better."
Melody rose her voice. "Sarah, why do you do this to me?"
"You need to come to terms with yourself, Mel. You need to admit the truth. And the truth is that I loved you and you loved me, and that we should still be together now."
"Sarah," Melody said, heaving a deep sigh and wiping her tears, "you're the one who needs to face facts. That part of our lives is over. Okay, I've moved on. And, frankly, so should you."

Chapter Twenty-Eight (Part Two)

Author's note: Thanks all of you for being very patient with me while I went through my life issues (my computer going kaput, my dental drama, my flu drama, and my work drama). I don't know what I'd have done without your support. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress. Don't worry, our geek chick hasn't gone anywhere ;-)

The diffuse sunlight beamed over Chester Gieke's off-campus apartment, filtering in through his bedroom window, illuminating the leaves outside. He had come to college to study the vagaries of science and the technology of robotics, but had recently found himself spending more time studying the mysteries of the fairer sex. He understood a lot of things he'd read in books, but he didn't understand women, he concluded.
Chester didn't have any illusions about his appearance. His stringy red hair and thick glasses turned off a lot of potential targets. Or so he thought. But, what did he know? He'd spent most of his spare time in the company of electronic creatures made of metal and wires, not real human beings with human feelings.
He spent his teen years in Strangetown with his uncle, Dieter, a master robot maker and gadget head, and his cousins.
Of course, Chester had made the acquaintance of a few females during his time at Le Tour, but he didn't have any "special friends." They often called him to complain about their loser boyfriends, and he'd calmly listen and even commiserate. He didn't understand why they continued to date these "jerks."
That day he woke up, as usual, and did his assignment from the day before, and ate his usual bacon and cheese omelette for breakfast. He attempted to watch a little TV to pass the time until his physics class started. Failing that, he walked upstairs to one of his computers and checked his online personals. "Hi Ubergieke, SweetiePie here. I got your last message. I'm a Pisces of the knowledge aspiration. I have blond hair and green eyes. My interests include weather, travel, sports, and paranormal. If you're interested, give me a holler back."
I wonder who this girl is? Chester wondered. Perhaps I've seen her before. She certainly sounds like she's familiar.
Chester had not had much luck with the opposite sex. He'd never had a steady girlfriend, because most of the girls he'd ever met had regarded him as too 'geeky' for their tastes.
Just then the phone rang. It was his buddy Edwin Sharpe. And he sounded upset. "What's going on?" Chester asked.
In a rushed manner, Edwin proceeded to tell Chester all about what happened with Delilah.
"Dang!" Chester exclaimed. "And I thought I had bad luck when it comes to women. Welcome to the club."
"I really thought it would be different this time," Edwin said sadly.
"Geeks like us don't get hot girls," Chester said. "Hey, Mel just picked up Command and Conquer, wanna come see?"
Edwin couldn't believe his ears. "How'd she manage to get that? That's been sold out for ages."
"Hah, you forget she's the Tinker toy heir. She can get what she wants."
"I'll be right over, as soon as my class is done."
Like clockwork, Edwin showed up. Chester greeted him with a high five that missed badly. After they laughed it off, they sat down in front of the TV. Edwin leaned over and picked up the empty cartridge. "Command and Conquer, eh?" he asked.
"Yeah, I've been trying to figure it out all morning."
Edwin picked up the controller. "Why are women so complicated?" he asked, out of the blue.
Chester shook his head. "I wish I knew. I guess I'll never be able to get them." He proceeded to tell Edwin about his last date, which ended with a flaming bag of poo in his mailbox.
After a few minutes Edwin commented, "Melody's a girl," his thumb hurting from the constant pressure of pressing the red button on his controller.
Chester grinned, determined to win this round. "Yeah," he replied, watching yet another beast disintegrate under his character's mighty weapon, "but Mel's different, you know. She's cool."
"Cool?" Edwin asked, laughing. "You two are Siamese twins, practically inseparable. What's up with that?"
Chester grinned again. "Mel and I met in a chat room, ages ago it seems. We started chatting to each other."
"What chat room was that?" Edwin wondered.
"It was the alien conspiracy chatroom on SimSpace."
Edwin laughed. "I used to go to that chatroom and I never met girls like Mel in there."
"Well you didn't go in there at the right times, it seems. She was in there a lot." He then proceeded to tell Edwin how he ran into Melody face to face.
"So she applied for your assistant position at the Ledger."
"I didn't think she was serious," Chester said. "But she was. Then we started talking, and it just seemed like we'd known each other for years. Then it dawned on me who she was. Tinkerbell from the chatroom. I was positively bowled over. Here she was, this tall dark beauty. I expected someone completely different."
Edwin laughed. "You sound like you like her."
"Of course I like her."
"You know what I mean -- I mean like, like, her. Like you have a crush on her."
Chester sighed. "Mel and I have a deep connection," he said, without revealing to him their experiments with the cowplant.
Edwin gazed over at Chester. "Oooh, somebody's got a crush on somebody!"
"I do not!" Chester protested weakly. But he had to wonder to himself. Did he?

Meanwhile, unlike Chester and Edwin, Chaz Whippler had a different problem when it came to women. He juggled many of them at once -- yet, in a way, he, too had bad luck. His tendency was to go after girls who were way out of his league. Granted, with his grant money he'd only managed to recently purchase a double bed to lure them, and he was doing all this in the confines of the dormitory, but if he was anything he was resourceful. He was most intrigued by the scent of ladies' perfume, and he liked to follow it as far as he could.
Occasionally, Chaz's mind would drift towards Melody. Melody? Now, that girl was a mystery if there ever was one. But for some reason he couldn't do anything to her. Was it just because she was tutoring him in math and had helped him to pass that semester? He already figured she had a great body underneath that T-shirt and jeans. And her geeky glasses concealed lovely brown eyes. But still, Chaz thought, there was something else about her that caught his eye.
Realizing that Melody was a health freak (he'd never seen her eat anything more than a salad), he knew that inviting her for a burger at the local 'greasy spoon' would definitely never win her over. Besides, he'd watched as she ate, hardly picking at her plate and shoving it aside with a grimace. He'd had no difficulty approaching women. But how on earth was he going to approach THIS woman?
On this day, though, he was entertaining Ellie Frost, a pretty, tanned, long-legged stunner he'd been chasing, but he'd so far been unable to lure to his bed. Why are you after Ellie? he asked himself. She's nothing like you, she's money-aspired.
"Charles," Ellie called, sitting along the side of the bed. "I told you, you've got to make yourself more presentable!"
"Ellie, babe, if you've been dealing with cars all day, how are you supposed to look?"
Ellie haughtily dusted herself off. "Look, Charles," she demanded, refusing to call him by his nickname Chaz, "I really like you. You're fun and charming. But --"
"What's the 'but' about it?"
Ellie was brutally honest. "You're not my type."
Chaz scoffed. "What is your 'type' then? Stuffy suits like Fin Furley?"
Ellie shook her head. "Charles, Fin and I are friends, that's all."
"I see the way you look at him."
"I don't 'look' at Fin any differently than anybody else around here. Besides, you know what I'm after. I want to get out of here as soon as I can so I can start building my business empire."

Chapter Twenty-Eight (Part One)

The phone rang in Aldrich again. This time, Melody answered, but a girl's voice was on the other end of the line. "May I speak to Edwin, please?" she asked in her most proper voice.
Melody knew this had to be the infamous Delilah, the object of Edwin's considerable affection. She was tempted to lie to Delilah and say Edwin wasn't there, but she couldn't do that. So she handed the phone to him.
"I had to call you. I couldn't wait to tell you the news. Guess what, Edwin? I sold my first masterpiece today!"
"Wow, really? Congratulations!" replied Edwin. "So, how are you going to celebrate?"
"That's why I called. I'm having a little get-together at my place. You can come if you like. Maybe bring some of your dorm mates."
"You -- having a party?" Edwin asked Delilah. "But I thought the reason you got your uncle to get you that apartment was so you wouldn't have to live in this crazy dorm."
"Well," Delilah laughed, "a special occasion calls for special activities. So why not a little get-together?"
Edwin sighed. "Okay, I'm there. What time does it start?"
"Eight-thirty. I'm ordering takeout."
"Sounds good. See you then?" As Edwin hung up the phone, he gathered the others around. "Delilah's having a get-together at her place, and she's invited us to come."
Melody scoffed. "You think I'm going to set foot in that snooty girl's house?"
Edwin managed a chuckle. "It's only for a couple of hours. Besides, it's something different to do."
"I can't," Chester said, remembering one of his physics classes was from 7 to 10 at night, "I've got night class. Sorry."
"I'll go," piped Marla. "Better than milling around here. Melody?"
Shaking her head, Melody replied, "I'll think about it. Besides, if Marla's going, I don't see why not."
Edwin smiled. "Excellent. I'll call the cab at eight-fifteen."

Delilah's apartment on Bundt Way stood out in a lot of ways. Her favorite color was yellow, so she'd decorated it both inside and out in that color. Its cheery exterior reminded Melody a bit of her girlhood home. When they arrived, Edwin saw a bunch of students had already made it there, a couple of whom they recognized from their dorm. He also recognized Mitch Indie and Max Flexor, the guys who lived in the apartments across the street from Delilah.
Meanwhile, Edwin quickly decided that this little get-together was a bona fide party, so many people here, so he walked up to Delilah's bookcase and started reading. Marla had discovered the food and parked herself right by the Chinese boxes. And Melody? Mitch Indie and Max Flexor had rounded her up and started playing a game of kicky bag.
Delilah herself walked around and made the party rounds. "Hey Edwin," she teased, "what are you doing reading a book at a party?"
"You said a get-together. You didn't say a party, Dee."
"More people showed up than I thought would come. People just walked in off the street."
After Marla finished eating her Chinese takeout, Melody had her in stitches bragging about what she'd done to Gilbert Jacquet at the last party she'd attended -- of course the annual Christmas bash down in Bluewater. "I can't believe you actually hit that guy," an astonished Marla replied, half-giggling.
"If he'd have done it again I would have hit him again," Melody said matter-of-factly. "That's how angry I was that night."
As Melody turned away, Marla came closer. She had a faraway look in her big brown eyes as she stood, deep in thought. "Penny for them?" she asked, touching Melody's shoulder slightly.
"Hmm?" To say Melody was distracted was an understatement. She had a lot on her mind.
"You're miles away," chuckled Marla. "Care to share?"
Melody wrapped her arms around her body, feeling chilled. "I'm worried about mom," she muttered, her eyes downcast. "She's not getting any younger and even though she said she'd be okay in the shop, I still don't trust that creep."
"Malcolm Landgraab." Marla nodded.
"Yep, the one and only. If he knew she was there, he'd be there like a vulture, turning the thumbscrews until she finally caved in to him."
"But the company is yours, not hers."
Melody let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Since when has that stopped him before? It certainly won't stop him from trying."
Marla stood thinking a little while. Then she brightened up with an idea. "I know!" she said, her whole face lighting up. "How about me dropping out of college to help your mom around the house and shop?"
Melody looked at her with horror. "Do you realize what you're saying?" she said, grabbing both of Marla's forearms and shaking her.
"Yes."
Marla's certainty forced tears out of Melody's eyes. "I can't let you do that! Especially not on account of me! What about college? And your future? You'd be throwing it all away!"
"I know, but I really want to help out as much as possible. Besides, I know you've got your own dreams. Learning you'd inherited your dad's toy shop was a big shock to you."
"Yeah, it was, but..." Melody was incredulous. Marla was completely and totally selfless, asking for nothing in return. Deep down Melody wished she could be that way -- it was an admirable quality. She couldn't believe Marla was perfectly willing to sacrifice her own future for hers. "Besides, who am I going to tease over their obsession with Harry Potter?"
Melody's comment forced a smile out of Marla.
A while later, Delilah walked outside with Mitch and a couple of the other guests. While Edwin was leaving, he caught Mitch and Delilah locking themselves in an embrace, to his horror. Too stunned to say anything, Edwin ran away from Delilah's house as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, Melody decided that she'd had enough of kicky bag and started doing her math assignment, all the while Delilah was entertaining her guests. Nobody seemed to realize Edwin was gone.
Or did they? Marla, normally in a little world of her own, just happened to be clearing away a few empty cartons when she saw Edwin dashing off in the dark. Turning around, she saw Delilah and Mitch in a lip lock. She shrugged it off. They were just kissing...nothing wrong with that. She wondered why Edwin left so early and so quickly. Perhaps it was some bad Chinese food he'd eaten. There again, he'd hardly touched any of it at all. Normally he'd wolf down at least two helpings and gaze longingly at everybody else's, hoping they'd leave some behind. Something was up, but she wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Across campus, Edwin's sister, Roxie, was having an argument with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Jonah Powers, who'd approached her after she was taking her bath. "What's the big idea?" Jonah shouted to the top of his voice. "You come home late from your classes, the phone rings off the hook --"
"Dr. Hyden is helping me with physics. I was considering dropping his class until he offered to help."
"Perhaps he's giving you more 'help' than he needs to."
Roxie was aghast. "What are you talking about, Jonah? You're being silly!"
"I'm not being silly, Rox, I'm just being real. And what about all those phone calls?"
Roxie fell to her knees. "I'm not allowed to have friends, Jonah?"
"Nope, none other than me."
"And what about my brother? You practically forced him to leave here."
"He was getting in the way, Rox, you said so yourself."
"I didn't say anything, Jonah, you did."
"Besides, dorks have no place here." Jonah began posturing and flexing his muscles.
Roxie straightened up and rose. "He may be a dork, but he's still my brother -- the only one I have."
"What, are you going to let him back in here?"
"Well, the least I can do is let him get his stuff that he left here."
"I'll tell you one thing," Jonah demanded, "if he as much as sets foot in this apartment, I'm leaving!"
Just as their argument had reached a boiling point, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" wondered Roxie as she walked to the door to see who was there. Her brother Edwin was standing there, his face as green as the shirt he was wearing.
"Whoever it is," yelled Jonah from the bedroom they shared, "tell them to get lost."
"Ed?" said Roxie, concerned about her younger brother. Edwin said nothing, but walked into the house and headed straight for the fridge. Emerging from their shared bedroom, Jonah shouted, "What's that little creep doing here? I thought I told you he wasn't welcome!"
Roxie watched as Edwin reached into the fridge and brought out the chocolate milk. She instantly knew what that meant... he was troubled.
"Leave him alone," she said, pushing past Jonah.
"Ed?" she asked, sitting down on the sofa next to Edwin, "is everything okay?"
"I warned you," bellowed Jonah, wagging a finger, his face turning a deep purple, "if he stays, I go."
Roxie spun around and flashed an evil look at Jonah. Standing up, she walked up to him and glared straight into his eyes. "Fine," she said harshly, "just go then."
Jonah looked stunned, his mouth agape.
"Well?" demanded Roxie, her arms folded defensively, "what are you waiting for? Nobody's stopping you."
Jonah walked out the door without another word to anyone.
Meanwhile, Edwin continued to spill his guts to his sister, a year his senior, but in his youth acted like a mother figure to him. "I had a crush on this girl, Delilah O'Feefe. Long, tall, legs for miles."
Roxie scratched her head. "I think I know who you're talking about."
"I was in love with her, I think," Edwin said simply, "and she betrayed me."
"Maybe she didn't feel the same way about you, little brother," Roxie replied. "Perhaps you jumped the gun a little bit too quickly."
"No, I didn't do anything," Edwin insisted, "except I happened to be walking outside and I caught her in the arms of another guy."
Roxie put her hand on Edwin's shoulder. "Ed -- Ed, I'm really sorry." Even as a romance-oriented person, accustomed to loving 'em and leaving 'em, this stung. Edwin buried his face in his hands. "Well, where are you staying now?"
"Aldrich."
Roxie was intrigued. "And you like it there?"
"Yeah," Edwin answered without hesitation. "I've made a few friends, too." He managed a smile. This was strange, Roxie decided. Her brother had never liked being in the dorms, that was why he'd come to live with her. And he'd made friends there? "Do I know any of these new friends of yours?"
Edwin shook his head. "Nope, I don't think so."
Roxie smiled. "Well, you can crash here for the night. I don't want you walking back to the dorm by yourself. Besides, I'd like to meet these new friends of yours one day."
Jonah, in the meantime, raged inwardly as he trudged around campus. Roxie was his meal ticket and the roof over his head. He'd been kicked out of a couple of dorms for fighting and general troublemaking.
He would lay the puppy dog act and she'd fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. The only thing that got in his way was that dorky kid brother of hers. Driving him out, in his mind, would make his life a living hell.
Life had been good so far, thought Jonah. He went where he pleased and did what he wanted. But now, that little creep was back, and he was the one who had nowhere to stay. Perhaps one of his bed companions could put him up for the night?