Fake ID

Melody settled into school life quicker than she thought she would. The lectures, the practicals, and her classmates. She and the other winner were no longer called out, but everyone already knew who they were and still whispered when they passed by. She liked all of her classes and liked the fact that Hunter always asked her how school went wherever she returned home.

But Melody had one problem she still couldn't solve; people touching her.

She had thought she could get rid of her past life, but it seems to keep following her everywhere. She has stopped wearing hoodies and now, she walks with her head up. Many guys found her beautiful and began to approach her, including seniors from other classes.

She had a right time keeping them away from her and for the most, she succeeded except for when they sat with her.

Even at that, Melody was enjoying her life now. She went out most times with Rebecca and the girls, and it wasn't just shopping or eating out. She had adamantly refused when she had been invited to the party by one of the guy's in Rebecca's class, but the girls were not going without her.

Melody disagreed when they first brought the Idea of her attending with them but at last, she had been roped in but only because Rebecca was not against the idea, and she would feel bad if they did not go because of her. The party would be hosted in a club that only accepts people from age twenty-one and above. Melody was not fully an adult, she was just eighteen.

According to Arianna, they could make Melody look older with make-up and a nice dress because Melody looks younger than her eighteen years.

When they got down from Rebecca's sports car in front of the booked club where the party would be happening, students like themselves were standing outside. The students were dressed in colorful clothes, and we're standing in a long queue which was moving rather too slowly. Rebecca saw someone she knew and went over to greet the person.

Melody followed behind the girls with sweaty palms and a racing heart. This was the first time in her life she would be attending a party, and this was not just a party in a house; it was a party in a club.

She pulled at the dress on her body and winced uncomfortably. She hates the dress she was forced to wear. Not only was it showing off more skin than she has ever shown off before, it was too short and tight. Arianna shoved something plastic into her right palm when they joined the line that, thankfully, was now moving a little faster.

“What is this?” Melody asked as she turned the plastic on her palm to look at it in the dark of the night.

“It's your fake ID card. You will show them at the door so that you can get in” Arianna leaned over to whisper in her ear.

Melody jumped in shock at Arianna's word, and the plastic in her hand suddenly became hot. She dropped it.

“What are you doing?” Samantha asked as she quickly picked up the ID card to return it to Melody, but she jumped away like it was a serpent.

Melody was shaking her head negatively with wide eyes as she continued to move backwards. She had only agreed to go to the party with them, she didn't know that she would have to use a cake ID to get in. She thought that the make-up and the dress she was forced to wear would be enough.

“I can't use that. What if they find out?” She had looked at herself in the mirror and thought that she looked older than her age.

Make-up and short dress she could do, but she couldn't do the fake ID. What if she gets caught? What would happen to her? Would they call the police on her? Would she go to prison, just like her father?

Her mother would be disappointed. Not only her mother but also Hunter. What would he think? How would she look him in the eyes again? What if she doesn't get released from the prison and has to spend the rest of her life there?

Her breathing became uneven at the thought that she would be locked behind bars and would never get to see the sun again. She should never have agreed to go along with them. She should be at home now, eating dinner and preparing to go to bed after bidding Hunter and his grandparents goodnight. Rebecca had told Hunter that they were having a sleepover with the girls.

Melody doubled over as she felt her lungs closing up, and she could no longer hear any noise. All that was ringing in her brain was that she would be caught and locked away. She felt her stomach churning, and before she knew it, she was throwing up the food she had eaten for dinner.

She could feel a hand rubbing her back as she continued to vomit. It wasn't until when she felt cold water splashing on her face did she start to return to her senses, but her heart was still feeling congested.

She felt someone raising her up and a pair of warm but familiar arms wrapping around her.

“Breathe, Melody breathe”

A familiar voice kept chanting over and over again, and she obeyed, taking in deep gulps of air through her mouth to fill her air deprived lungs. She repeated the process over and over again until she felt her chest clearing up, and she could finally breathe with her nose and without difficulty.

She felt hands wiping her face and she realized that she was crying. She blinked the tears away to see that it was Rebecca that had been hugging and telling her to breathe.

“Are you okay now?” Rebecca asked her.

Melody nodded as she stepped back. She looked around her environment to see that the queue had moved, and the other girls were looking at her with wide eyes depicting their shock.

Arianna was the first one to recover, “oh fuck, can someone please tell me what the hell just happened?"