Bad news, worse news, good fortune.

The first message is a little too late: "Dude, why is my Queen pissed at you?"

The second is on the screen as soon as you finish reading the first: "Dude! You and Melody? Awesome!"

The third arrives almost immediately after: "You did her in the ass? Dude, that's a sacred grove. Not cool."

You start to send an explanatory message back when the phone buzzes in your hand and Scott's name appears: "Dude, K-dog in building. Lookin' pissed." It takes you a moment to remember K-dog was the stoners' name for Keith.

"Melody, I think you should go hide in the bathroom. Keith's coming up and he looks pissed." You grab your baseball bat - the closest thing to a weapon you're allowed to have on campus. The door rattles in its frame as a heavy hand raps on it. You open it to find Keith staring daggers at you.

"Where is she?" he growls. Your grip tightens on the bat, still just out of his sight.

"Nowhere near you. For what I hear, that's how it should be, too." You start to slam the door in his face. He reacts faster, strongarming the door and catching you off-guard. His other hand swings up into a flat-palmed shove with enough strength to make you drop the bat. He shoves you again, dropping you to a knee as he reaches down to pick up the weapon.

He stands up again, raising the aluminum club to strike as you prepare to leap forward into a tackle. Then you hear shattering glass and see a few smoked-orange fragments fly over his head and shoulders to scatter over the carpet. Keith isn't knocked out, but he does turn around to face his new assailant.

You see an opportunity and take it. You launch yourself at Keith, making a perfect textbook take-down, pinning him beneath you as you land heavy strikes at his head. He goes limp, letting you take a look at your ally.

"Alicia?" You're surprised to see her standing there with the fragmented remains of one of Scott and Dirk's bongs. "Call the cops already, will ya? And get rid of that thing!" You pummel Keith again once more for good measure. He's still breathing, and you leave him that way.

The police arrive in short order and haul Keith off in handcuffs after taking statements from both you and Melody. Keith is barely conscious as he's taken off campus.

"Did... did you call Alicia?" you ask as you lock the door again.

"Yeah. I'm... I'm sorry." Melody is dressed in dumpy sweats that hide her beautiful figure. She sniffs softly and goes to sit on her bed.

"It's... it's okay. I'm pretty sure I'm still on her shit list."

"No, I'm... sorry about.... everything." She sobs quietly. You join her and put a supportive arm around her.

"It's okay, Melody...." you start. She interrupts you.

"No. I mean.... everything. It shouldn't have gone that far. And then I did something stupid and.... Keith could have really hurt you...." She starts to sob again, but pushes you away when you try to hug her. "If we start... a relationship.... I want it to work. I don't want it to be just some rebound fling."

The words hit you like a brick wall, and you retreat to your own bed and stretch out. Melody turns off the lights and huddles beneath the covers in her own bed.

"For what it's worth, Melody.... What I implied earlier is true. I... I love you."

She doesn't respond; you don't even hear her crying anymore. You roll over and let a restless sleep take you.