A Secret Melody

by Hanleigh Bradley

  A Secret Melody

  Author Friends With Benefits

  http://www.authorfriendswithbenefits.com

  Copyright © 2018 by Hanleigh Bradley

  www.hanleighbradley.com

  hanleigh@hanleighbradley.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This book is licensed for your personal use only. Please respect the authors work and refrain from sharing it with others. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

  The characters, organisations and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  It had always amazed me as a child how you could make something faultless, even more, perfect with a harmony. I am beginning to think that’s what love is; finding that perfect harmony, someone who’s melody flows perfectly in sync with your own. | ~ Landon Peters ~

  Prologue

  Chapter One – Melody

  Chapter Two – Zach

  Chapter Three – Melody

  Chapter Four – Zach

  Chapter Five – Melody

  Chapter Six – Zach

  Chapter Seven – Melody

  Chapter Eight – Zach

  Chapter Nine – Melody

  Chapter Ten – Zach

  Chapter Eleven – Melody

  Chapter Twelve – Zach

  Chapter Thirteen – Melody

  Chapter Fourteen – Zach

  Chapter Fifteen – Melody

  Chapter Sixteen – Zach

  Chapter Seventeen – Melody

  Chapter Eighteen – Zach

  Epilogue

  A Quick Message From Hanleigh

  Hanleigh’s Books

  It had always amazed me as a child how you could make something faultless, even more, perfect with a harmony. I am beginning to think that’s what love is; finding that perfect harmony, someone who’s melody flows perfectly in sync with your own.

  ~ Landon Peters ~

  Prologue

  My name is Melody Peters and I’m dead. Gosh, that sounds dramatic doesn’t it – except I guess you don’t get more dramatic than dead.

  I have been awhile now. I’ve gotten used to it. I’m well passed the acceptance stage.

  I died when I was sixteen. A car crash. A drunk driver, I think. I’d been on my way home from boarding school with my best friend Abby. But then I’d died.

  I don’t think I was ready to die. I had too many things left to do. Fuck, I hadn’t even written a bucket list yet. The one thing I had done?

  I’d fallen in love.

  His name was Zach. Zach Mulligan. He wasn’t my first boyfriend. Hell, he wasn’t even the first boy my big brother caught trying to climb out my bedroom window. Although, he was only the second. I wasn’t a complete slag.

  But he was the first and only boy I ever fell in love with.

  Chapter One – Melody

  Maths class. I’m bored out of my skull.

  I’m actually pretty good at Math and if I had a different teacher I’d probably pay more attention, but I bloody hate Mrs Partridge and so my mind always wanders in Math. It’s not intentional. It doesn’t happen in any other lesson except Math. My big brother says it’s because I’m not challenged enough. He thinks I’m a genius. I think he’s wrong.

  My phone has been confiscated or I’d text my little brother, Ayden. He’s barely a year younger than me. We’re pretty close. We both go to boarding school but at different ends of the country, a fact I find unbelievably frustrating.

  Our big brother, Landon, the serious one, is at University so we don’t hear from him too often. He’s a bit of a dick. I love him but he’s the sort of guy mums warn their daughters about. He doesn’t do relationships. Actually, it isn’t just relationships he doesn’t do. It’s love, dating and all things beyond sex. All he does is sex.

  I’ve told him a million times that he’s stupid, but he doesn’t believe me. He doesn’t even believe in love. If he did, perhaps he’d change his pattern of fuck, roll off and leave. He’s the king of fuck and dump but he says he makes it clear from the beginning – there’s no future with him – and that apparently makes it all okay.

  He didn’t believe me when I told him that one day he’ll meet someone who’ll make him change his mind. He’s convinced love is a fairy tale for silly little girls like me. He asked me to prove it – prove that love exists. So far, I’ve failed in that mission.

  How can you prove that? I’ve been thinking it over for the best part of a week but I’m at a complete loss.

  I sit here, my mind wandering, doodling stars all over the page in my notebook. I’m so distracted that I don’t even notice that someone has just taken the empty seat next to me.

  “Excuse me,” someone says, pulling me from my thoughts.

  I turn, practically jumping out of my skin.

  My forehead scrunched, I look him over. He’s new. Fit. Dark eyes, tanned skin and a defiant look on his face.

  “Who are you?”

  He raises an eyebrow and gives me a questioning look, as if the whole world should know who he is. I’m a sucker for arrogant jerks that break your heart. I’m so screwed.

  “Did you miss that whole new kid intro?” He laughs.

  “Er... maybe.” I blush because apparently my face has nothing better to do. “I was distracted.”

  He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t make any attempt to introduce himself or respond. Looks like its up to me.

  “I’m Melody.”

  “I know.”

  “You know?” He’s clearly new so how the hell does he know who I am? Stalker much?

  “Teacher.” He points at Mrs Partridge. “She said I was to sit next to Melody Peters.”

  “Oh,” I reply dumbly. Thank you, Mrs bloody Partridge.

  “I’m Zach,” he smirks, “and you’re responsible for taking me to my classes this week.”

  “Since when?” I huff out.

  “Since you weren’t listening to Mrs.”

  “Fuck.”

  He makes the whole thing worse by laughing at me. As fit as he is, I don’t think we’ll be friends.

  Chapter Two – Zach

  She’s hot. I move schools too often to even think about having a girlfriend. I barely have enough times to make friends before I have to leave usually.

  But I’d go out with her.

  What’s more I might actually have the time to as well, seeing as how my parents have finally dumped me in boarding school instead of forcing me to move with them. I might actually get to stay at this school. Fingers crossed.

  Melody Peters is ridiculously pretty and equally silly. She was full on day dreaming in class just now. She’s now acting as if I’m the biggest pain in her arse, sitting there huffing, clearly pissed that I broke into her day dream.

  I wonder what had her so distracted... A boyfriend? That idea is strangely disappointing. I’ve known the girl all of a minute. I don’t get to like her, not yet. She could be a psychopath. She might murder the whole school in the dead of night with a bread knife. Yeah, unlikely but still, point is I know fuck all about her.

  She kicks the chair in front of her. “Pst.”

  The girl in front turns. “What?” She’s blonde, pretty too, but not as pretty as Melody Peters.

  “Abby, lend me your phone. Mrs took mine.”

  “And she’ll
take mine too”, Abby replies, before discretely handing her mobile back to Melody. “Mel, you’re such a pain.”

  “Fuck you,” Melody retorts although without any real bite, before scrolling through the phone. “You have Ayden’s number, right?”

  Abby shhs her instead of responding but Melody barely notices. She must have found what she wanted. Her fingers are now moving seamlessly across the keyboard. I wonder if Ayden is her boyfriend. I blurt it out before I can stop myself.

  “Texting your boyfriend in class is a sure way to get a detention.” I don’t know why I’m speaking. It’s not like she’s listening. And all I’m doing is making myself sound like an idiot.

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” is all I hear. It’s all I want to hear.

  Abby turns back around. “Are you finished yet?” Her eyes land on me. “Hi. I’m Abby Tucker.”

  “Hi.” I nod my head. “Zach Mulligan.”

  “You boarding?” She asks.

  “Yeah.” My parents have finally realised that all the moving around is bad for my grades and have insisted I go to boarding school instead of moving with them to our new home and strangely enough I’m okay with it.

  “Us too,” Abby says. “We’re from Surrey.”

  “Cool.” I don’t really know where I’m from, I’ve moved around so much. My parents’ jobs take them all over the world. “My parents just moved to Edinburgh,” I tell her.

  “Cool.” Hers actually sounds convincing. “I’ve always wanted to go to Edinburgh.” She turns back to her friend. “Why are you texting Ayden, anyway?”

  “No real reason. Just thinking up ways to mess with Landon.”

  Is that the boyfriend?

  “You and Ayden are the worst siblings on the planet. I feel bad for Landon.”

  Brothers. They’re her brothers. That’s good. I’m not sure why but it’s good.

  “We’ve got to fix him before he becomes a complete man-whore.”

  “I’m not sure that’s fixable.” Abby laughs.

  The two girls bicker back and forth until the end of the lesson. It’s all pretty good natured but highly funny. Then I’m following them out of the mathematics classroom and into the crowded corridor.

  “Let’s see your timetable,” Melody demands, all business. She’s a bit bossy and definitely in a bad mood. I’m slightly concerned that I’m the source of the bad mood. Not concerned enough to try and fix it though.

  I pass it her and she looks it over. “You’re with me for everything, except PE. We split up by gender for Sport because this school is totally sexist.”

  “And old fashioned,” Abby adds.

  “Out dated.”

  “Elitist,” Abby smirks, “don’t forget elitist.” She rolls her eyes. Apparently, this isn’t a new conversation. Melody continues the list and I’m left in no doubt that Melody Peters hates boarding school.

  Chapter Three – Melody

  Abby and Zach fall into step either side of me as we make our way towards the history department.

  “I can’t believe Mrs took my phone,” I complain.

  “You’ll get it back after school,” Abby retorts.

  She’s used to this. I lose my phone practically every day in Math class. She doesn’t get it though. I had been in the middle of a really important, super long text when Mrs Partridge took it.

  Glancing at the new guy, I think that I should probably make an effort to tell him stuff – you know, new school stuff – except I’m really not the girl for the task. They should have asked Abby. She’s definitely quicker at making friends than I am.

  It’s not that I’m anti-social. I’m not. I just don’t rush to befriend people. Ironically, that unwillingness to be friends with everyone has resulted in me being the most popular girl in the school, excluding the Sixth Form, because the seventeen and eighteen year olds have slightly more sense than their younger counterparts.

  “You know Mr Hurst is going to have at you for your make up, right?” Abby asks.

  She knows I know, so I’m not sure why she’s bothering. Mr Hurst loves telling me off for wearing make-up just as much as Mrs Partridge likes to confiscate my phone.

  I shrug. He can give me detention if he likes. I don’t get the big deal. My homework is always in on time and I have a perfect attendance record. All my other teachers love me – all except Mrs Partridge and Mr Hurst.

  “You’ll get a DT.”

  “I’ll just ask Mrs Flint to get me out of it,” I tell her. Mrs Flint is my music teacher and my all-time favourite. “I have a cello lesson after school, anyway.”

  Several girls wave at me as we pass them. I don’t know their names and barely recognise their faces. They’re not in my year group. I wave back just to be polite.

  Abby has apparently decided to do my job for me with Zach. Thank god.

  “Mr Hurst is quite strict,” she’s telling him. “He’s a good teacher though.” I wouldn’t agree with her assessment, but whatever. “Which house have you been assigned to?”

  The houses in our school are all named after famous British historical figures. There are seven in total; Churchill, Darwin, Shakespeare, Newton, Cromwell, Fleming and Wilberforce.

  “Wilberforce,” he replies. Fuck my life!

  “Oh shame,” Abby responds. “I’m in Darwin but Mel is in Wilberforce.”

  “Awesome.” Zach grins at me as if I should be happy at the idea of sharing a house with him. I give him a brittle smile.

  “You’re being a bitch,” Abby mutters in my ear. I know she’s right. I’m just in a shitty mood. I shake my head, clearing my mind. I might not be quick to make friends like Abby, but I’m not normally mean.

  I search my mind for something to say that will bring me out of bitch territory.

  “Wilberforce is pretty cool. We have the best parties,” I tell him after a few seconds of internal frustration.

  “What are the others called?” He asks.

  I list off the houses in a monotonous voice.

  “What’s Fleming famous for?” He asks in a mock whisper, after Abby tells him that they are all famous Brits. I huff out a silent laugh.

  “If you don’t know, you will have it engrained into you by the end of the week,” I reply, with a slight lilt of humour to my tone, just as Abby tells him that Sir Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin.

  “He was being sarcastic,” I tease her.

  “Oh.” Abby blushes, causing me to chuckle. I love Abby. She’s my best friend and for good reason. She’s the nicest girl ever. I wrap my arm around her shoulder as I continue to giggle at her expense.

  “Sports teams?” Zach asks after about five steps. “What does everyone play?”

  “The boys are big on Rugby,” I answer. “Abby is on the Girls’ Football team.”

  Abby blushes again. She’s shy like that. Her mum says she’ll grow out of it. She’s shy and modest but she’s bloody brilliant. I’m not too sure about positions but she scores most of the goals so if you ask me that makes her the most valuable player.

  “And you?” He asks.

  “Not so much into sport. More creative... I occasionally play Netball but only because my PE teacher forces me.”

  He laughs at that. “You play cello?”

  “Cello?” Abby laughs. We’re good at this. I big her up. She bigs me up. A perfect wing team. “Try cello, guitar, piano, violin and flute.”

  “For real?” And of course, now he’s impressed. I’m a child musical prodigy or at least that’s what my teachers say.

  “She sings too.”

  I just nod, running a hand through my ponytail awkwardly.

  I get that I was being a bitch before but is it really necessary for Abby to be quite so bloody nice. She’s now foolishly offered to help him unpack his room. His room is a floor below mine in the Wilberforce building. We’re not really helping. We’re just sat on his bed as he moves around the room unpacking his stuff.

  The questions keep coming and I answer them all as politely
as I can. My focus isn’t on him though. I’ve finally got my phone back and I’ve been texting my little brother, Ayden for the past twenty minutes.

  Ayden’s school is closer to Surrey, so he gets to go home on weekends. He’s currently sat in the back of a black Audi in the middle of London traffic on the M25, bored out of his mind.

  Usually at this time on a Friday evening, I’d be preparing for whatever party had been planned for later that night. But not tonight. This weekend there are no parties because everyone is preparing for next week’s exams.

  So instead, we’re sat here in the new kid’s room. Everyone who walks past the open door, pops their head in to say hello to Zach.

  That’s Wilberforce for you – super welcoming unlike the kids in Newton. My ex-boyfriend, Harry, is in Newton. He’s an arse. I lost my virginity to him. At the time it had seemed like a great idea but it had turned out that my big brother, Lan, was right about him.

  Landon hadn’t been impressed when he caught Harry climbing out of my bedroom window over the last school break. A week later, Harry proved my brother right, dumping my arse so that he could go out with Hannah Veniff instead.

  She’s lost friends over it. I didn’t want the fuss but the whole school was scandalised on my behalf. They had quickly become social outcasts. Of course, they had blamed me but honestly I’d done fuck all.

  I hadn’t wanted the whole school to know. It was them who publicised the whole crazy thing and that had been their downfall. I’d kept my mouth shut. I like my privacy – it’s a part of that don’t make friends quickly thing – I don’t like people knowing my business. My family are all a bit like that. Perhaps, it’s because my family are pretty rich. I’d always felt watched, as if I was a performing animal at the circus.

  There was no way in hell that I wanted the whole school to know about what happened between me and Harry, but he’d gone and told everyone. It backfired though.

  Chapter Four – Zach